bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Team performance in the Italian NHS: the role of reflexivity
Authors: Urbini Flavio , Callea Antonino , Chirumbolo Antonio , Talamo Alessandra , Ingusci Emanuela , Ciavolino Enrico
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the goodness of the input-process-output (IPO) model in order to evaluate work team performance within the Italian National Health Care System (NHS); and second, to test the mediating role of reflexivity as an overarching process factor between input and output.

Design/methodology/approach

The Italian version of the Aston Team Performance Inventory was administered to 351 employees working in teams in the Italian NHS. Mediation analyses with latent variables were performed via structural equation modeling (SEM); the significance of total, direct, and indirect effect was tested via bootstrapping.

Findings

Underpinned by the IPO framework, the results of SEM supported mediational hypotheses. First, the application of the IPO model in the Italian NHS showed adequate fit indices, showing that the process mediates the relationship between input and output factors. Second, reflexivity mediated the relationship between input and output, influencing some aspects of team performance.

Practical implications

The results provide useful information for HRM policies improving process dimensions of the IPO model via the mediating role of reflexivity as a key role in team performance.

Originality/value

This study is one of a limited number of studies that applied the IPO model in the Italian NHS. Moreover, no study has yet examined the role of reflexivity as a mediator between input and output factors in the IPO model.
Leader-member exchange and leader identification: comparison and integration
Authors: Li Jie , Furst-Holloway Stacie , Masterson Suzanne S. , Gales Larry M. , Blume Brian D.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare and integrate leader-member exchange (LMX) and leader identification (LID) as concurrently functioning mediators between three leadership styles (individual-focused transformational, contingent reward, and benevolent paternalistic) and two citizenship behaviors (helping and taking charge).

Design/methodology/approach

Data included 395 stable, independent leader-follower dyads from numerous Chinese organizations. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and relative weight analysis were used in data analyses.

Findings

In established, steady-state leader-member alliances, LMX was the dominant explanation between various leadership styles and helping; whereas LID explained leadership effects on taking charge. Three-stage indirect effects of leadership-LMX-LID-taking charge were found. Also, LMX and LID related to the three focal leadership styles in distinct ways.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include cross-sectional data. Strengths include a large, multi-source field sample. Implications include that LMX and LID provide different prosocial motivations; LMX indirectly engenders stronger other-orientation through LID; and the nature of indirect leadership effects via LID is more sensitive to the nature of the focal leadership styles. LMX and LID together provide a package of prosocial motivations.

Practical implications

Leaders interested in increasing employees’ helping vs taking charge behaviors can be more effective by understanding the different motivational potentials of LMX vs LID. Leaders also need to choose appropriate behavioral styles when they activate LMXvis-à-visLID.

Originality/value

This study integrates multiple leadership theories to provide a nuanced account of how social exchange and self-concept explain leadership at the interpersonal level when leadership styles, LMX, and LID are stable.
Upstream social marketing strategy
Authors: Kennedy Ann-Marie , Kemper Joya A. , Parsons Andrew Grant
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to provide guidelines for upstream social marketing strategy on to whom, how and when social marketers can undertake upstream social marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is a conceptual piece using academic literature to justify and conceptualise an approach to communicating with and influencing upstream actors.

Findings

Specifically, it looks at the characteristics of policymakers targeted, then targeting methods, with a special focus on the use of media advocacy. Finally, a process of government decision-making is presented to explain message timing and content.

Practical implications

Specific criteria to judge time of decision-making and implementation guidelines are provided for social marketers.

Originality/value

In the case of complex social problems, such as obesity and environmental degradation, structural change is needed to provide people with the ability to change (Andreasen, 2006). Strategic social marketing has identified upstream social marketing as a method to influence structural change through policymakers (French and Gordon, 2015); however, literature in the area tends to be descriptive and there are no clear guidelines to its implementation (Dibb, 2014). This article seeks to provide those guidelines.
Impact of price adjustment speed on the stability of Bertrand–Nash equilibrium and profit of the retailers
Authors: T.M. Rofin , Mahanty Biswajit
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of price adjustment speed on the stability of Bertrand–Nash equilibrium in the context of a dual-channel supply chain competition.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper considers a dual-channel supply chain comprising a manufacturer, a traditional retailer and an online retailer. A two-dimensional discrete dynamical system is used to examine the Bertrand competition between the retailers. The retailers are assumed to follow bounded rational expectations. Local stability of Bertrand–Nash equilibrium is investigated with respect to the price adjustment speed.

Findings

As the price adjustment speed increases, the stability of Bertrand–Nash equilibrium is lost, leading to complex chaotic dynamics. The results showed that chaotic dynamics deteriorates the profit of the retailers. The authors also found that the chaos can be controlled using an adaptive adjustment mechanism and the retailers enjoy higher profit when the chaos is controlled.

Practical implications

This study helps retail managers to choose an appropriate price adjustment speed to maximize profit.

Originality/value

The heterogeneity of the retailers is not considered in the studies involving dynamics of retailer competition. This paper contributes to the literature by considering the operational difference between a traditional retailer and an online retailer, i.e. price adjustment speed. In addition, the study establishes a link between price adjustment speed and profit.
Career path from a dentist to a leader
Authors: Tuononen Tiina A. , Suominen Anna Liisa , Lammintakanen Johanna
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to study the career paths of leaders with a career background as a dentist from basic degree to chief or executive leadership positions and individual factors that influenced their decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interview and a questionnaire were used to study 13 leaders using the structure of Edgar Schein’s career anchor interview and career orientation inventory questionnaire. Theory-driven content analysis was used to analyze the data according to themes which included career paths, factors associated with job and career changes and thoughts about future careers.

Findings

Three different career path types were identified: Progressives (Type A), By chance (Type B), and Enthusiasts (Type C). The main motives were: the Progressives’ goal orientation to proceed to higher leadership positions, the By chance group’s job and even career changing by taking a chance on an interesting possibility that comes their way and the Enthusiasts’ willingness to make a difference and search for possibilities to change things. The most important career anchor was “pure challenge” among the Progressives and By chance groups and “general managerial competence” among the Enthusiasts.

Originality/value

Studies on personal factors associating with career paths in health care are scarce and similarly leaders with a dentist background are less studied, even though leadership could be an excellent career choice for a dentist. Different individuals can have varied motives and career paths toward executive positions. Because of the multi-professional functions in health care, organizations could benefit from having leaders with different expertise backgrounds.
HR practices for explorative and exploitative alliances in smart cities
Authors: Ferraris Alberto , Santoro Gabriele , Bresciani Stefano , Carayannis Elias G.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage human resources (HR) in explorative and exploitative alliances in smart city projects (SCPs).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors adopt an explorative and qualitative approach based on multiple case studies thanks to the interviews with 21 smart city managers of MNEs who are deeply involved in SCPs.

Findings

The authors found that MNEs use many different partnerships and “temporal separation” in many cities all around the world in order to maximize the benefits of both exploration and exploitation. According to the aim of the project, MNEs implemented different HR practices intentionally targeted toward managing social relations among internal and external employees involved in SCPs.

Practical implications

The authors highlighted that MNEs tend to develop different ties among employees and external partners and to use different HR practices according to the nature and to the aim of the alliances. Thus, the development of human resource management systems becomes crucial in supporting organizational ambidexterity through alliances.

Social implications

This paper gives useful insights in improving the effectiveness of MNEs in SCPs. Due to the business opportunities arising from the application of ICT and technological innovation to urban services, MNEs are becoming an important player in smart cities. Increasing the effectiveness of the SCPs leads faster to more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cities.

Originality/value

The development of alliances has a key role in strengthening and complementing firms’ exploration and exploitation agendas in SCPs. Thus, this paper provides guidelines to MNEs in order to adapt HR practices and to rethink the role of HR within and across corporate boundaries in an emergent context of analysis.
The generational cohort effect in the context of responsible consumption
Authors: Ivanova Olga , Flores-Zamora Javier , Khelladi Insaf , Ivanaj Silvester
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the generational cohort effect on responsible consumer behavior. Based on the theory of planned behavior and the generational cohort theory, the authors test the impact of perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), media exposure (ME), the social group influence of family and peers and self-identity on the intention of Generation X and Generation Y to purchase environmentally responsible products.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 1,870 respondents in France. Based on the factor scores from a confirmatory factor analysis, the authors tested for interaction effects by employing regression and path analyses. A two-group structural model evaluated the strength of each cohort’s direct effects and the significant differences between the groups.

Findings

The results reveal a generational (cohort) effect on the relationship between PCE and ME and the intention to purchase environmentally responsible products.

Research limitations/implications

The convenience sample shows bias toward younger people, especially students. In addition, some latent variables show low AVE scores, probably due to scale interpretation differences. By measuring purchase intention, the study disregards the actual behavior of consumers.

Practical implications

To increase consumers’ personal involvement in responsible purchasing behaviors, marketers could cater to the social desirability side of Gen Y by emphasizing products that express community values; on the other hand, marketers could appeal to the PCE of Gen X by providing more information and convincing them that their actions matter.

Social implications

The efficiency of awareness and promotional campaigns for environmentally responsible products will be enhanced when marketers employ segmentation based on generational cohorts.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a better understanding of responsible consumer behavior by identifying generational cohort differences.
Remarkable lives: Lígia Cardoso Baldé in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Baldé Lígia Cardoso , Carson Jerome
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Lígia Cardoso Baldé.

Design/methodology/approach

Lígia gives a biographical description of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Lígia talks about the stress of being a young single parent with a disabled son. She talks about how she built up her resilience over several years.

Research limitations/implications

The story Lígia tells is one of battling against all the odds. Her account shows how she had to manage without much external support, even from family.

Practical implications

Research has long demonstrated an association between life events and stress. Lígia tells us about the various stressors that confronted her at different stages of her life journey.

Social implications

All of us can make a difference in peoples’ lives if we make the effort. Lígia talks about two doctors who knew the medical implications of her son’s condition, but who also recognised her emotional needs and addressed those as well.

Originality/value

Lígia’s story is inspiring at so many levels. She has successfully adjusted to a different culture, to a different language and has had to establish a new social support network. Now she is not just surviving, but slowly thriving.
Reduction of tension effects on partner evaluation
Authors: Pesämaa Ossi , Dahlin Peter , Öberg Christina
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how tension management as a means of achieving compromise and overcoming minor conflicts reduces the effects of the opportunism and bargaining costs of relationships on the evaluation of business partners. The paper proposes and tests a theoretical model with a full-information approach using structural equation modeling.

Design/methodology/approach

The data set was based on 312 observations from a unique survey based on a business-to-business relationship sample in Sweden. The measurements reflect the effects of partner opportunism, bargaining costs, and tension management on partner evaluations.

Findings

The findings corroborate that partner opportunism and bargaining costs have a negative impact on partner evaluation. In addition, the model shows that tension management weakens the negative effects of opportunism and bargaining costs on the evaluation.

Originality/value

This study offers evidence on how negative effects are reduced through intervening constructs. With most studies focusing on the positive side of relationships, this paper makes an important contribution to the literature through not only describing negative effects, but also how these can be decreased.
Diffusion of elements during reflow ageing of Sn-Zn solder in liquid state on Ni/Cu substrate – theoretical and experimental study
Authors: Mittal Jagjiwan , Lin Kwang-Lung
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study the diffusion of Zn, Ni and Sn in the liquid state during the reflow ageing of the Sn-Zn solder above its melting point on an Ni/Cu substrate in relation to the formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs).

Design/methodology/approach

The Sn-Zn solder is reflowed on Ni/Cu substrates and is aged at 503 K. The formation of IMCs and their composition is characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Diffusion coefficients and diffusion distances of Zn, Ni and Sn in the liquid state during reflow and ageing are theoretically calculated. Both experimental and theoretical behaviours for Ni and Zn diffusions are compared.

Findings

Calculations show a linear increment in the liquid-state diffusion coefficients of Ni, Zn and Sn in the solder matrix with a rise in temperature, but they remained constant during ageing. However, diffusion distances increased slowly with temperature but manifold with ageing time. The experimental results revealed segregation of Zn and Ni at the interface in the as-reflow aged specimens. The Zn was concentrated at the solder–substrate interface and it reacted with Ni diffusing from the substrate to form Ni-Sn-Zn IMCs. The rapid diffusion of Zn and Ni with the increase in ageing time increased their atomic concentrations in the IMCs against the reduction in Sn concentration owing to a comparatively slower diffusion.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is the detailed study of theoretical diffusion of Zn, Sn and Ni in the liquid state during reflow ageing of Sn-Zn above its melting points on a Ni/Cu substrate. This is compared with values obtained experimentally and related to the mechanisms of IMC formation.
Plasticity of lifelong calorie‐restricted C57BL/6J mice in adapting to a medium‐fat diet intervention at old age
Authors: Rusli Fenni , Boekschoten Mark V. , Borelli Vincenzo , Sun Chen , Lute Carolien , Menke Aswin L. , van den Heuvel Joost , Salvioli Stefano , Franceschi Claudio , Müller Michael , Steegenga Wilma T.
Published: March 2018

Calorie restriction (CR) is a dietary regimen that supports healthy aging. In this study, we investigated the systemic and liver‐specific responses caused by a diet switch to a medium‐fat (MF) diet in 24‐month‐old lifelong, CR‐exposed mice. This study aimed to increase the knowledge base on dietary alterations of gerontological relevance. Nine‐week‐old C57BL/6J mice were exposed either to a control, CR, or MF diet. At the age of 24 months, a subset of mice of the CR group was transferred to ad libitumMF feeding (CR‐MF). The mice were sacrificed at the age of 28 months, and then, biochemical and molecular analyses were performed. Our results showed that, despite the long‐term exposure to the CR regimen, mice in the CR‐MF group displayed hyperphagia, rapid weight gain, and hepatic steatosis. However, no hepatic fibrosis/injury or alteration in CR‐improved survival was observed in the diet switch group. The liver transcriptomic profile of CR‐MF mice largely shifted to a profile similar to the MF‐fed animals but leaving ~22% of the 1,578 differentially regulated genes between the CR and MF diet groups comparable with the expression of the lifelong CR group. Therefore, although the diet switch was performed at an old age, the CR‐MF‐exposed mice showed plasticity in coping with the challenge of a MF diet without developing severe liver pathologies.
Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking
Authors: Wax John W. , An Amy W. , Kosier Nicole , Quill Timothy E.
Published: March 2018

Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) is a deliberate, self‐initiated attempt to hasten death in the setting of suffering refractory to optimal palliative interventions or prolonged dying that a person finds intolerable. Individuals who consider VSED tend to be older, have a serious but not always imminently terminal illness, place a high value on independence, and have significant illness burden. VSED can theoretically be performed independent of clinician assistance and therefore avoids many of the ethical and legal concerns associated with physician‐assisted dying or other palliative measures of last resort, However, VSED is an intense process fraught with new sources of somatic and emotional suffering for individuals and their caregivers, so VSED is best supervised by an experienced, well‐informed clinician who can provide appropriate pre‐intervention assessment, anticipatory guidance, medical treatment of symptoms, and emotional support. Before initiation of VSED, clinicians should carefully screen for inadequately treated psychiatric conditions, unaddressed symptoms, existential suffering, and evidence of coercion—consultation from palliative medicine, psychiatry, or ethics is often indicated. The most common symptoms encountered after starting VSED are extreme thirst, hunger, dysuria, progressive disability, delirium, and somnolence. Although physiologically similar to cessation of artificial nutrition and hydration, the onset and management of symptoms is often different. We propose an organized system for evaluating individual appropriateness for VSED, anticipatory guidance, and management of symptoms associated with VSED. A brief review of ethical and legal considerations follows.
Improving maternal folate status to prevent infant neural tube defects: working group conclusions and a framework for action
Authors: Martinez Homero , Weakland Aliki P. , Bailey Lynn B. , Botto Lorenzo D. , De‐Regil Luz Maria , Brown Kenneth H.
Published: March 2018

As infectious disease control programs achieve increasing success, further reductions in child mortality in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) will require focused prevention strategies for birth defects and other noninfectious diseases. Neural tube defects (NTDs) can cause early death or lifelong disability. Preventing NTDs provides a feasible, significant opportunity to decrease the toll of birth defects and contribute to further reducing child mortality globally. The Micronutrient Forum convened a technical consultation on Folate Status in Women and Neural Tube Defects Prevention to develop a roadmap to inform and prioritize investments in NTD prevention in LMICs; help guide implementation efforts in terms of the feasibility of interventions and the potential for acceleration; and identify research and knowledge gaps. Here, we describe the impetus for and approach to the consultation and present the conclusions and a framework for developing a roadmap for action to accelerate NTD prevention in LMICs. The framework (1) provides options for action on folate status assessment; (2) outlines a way forward to develop and implement a time‐bound global action plan for NTD prevention; and (3) identifies common impediments to NTD prevention, broad strategies to overcome or minimize these impediments, and basic building blocks necessary to accelerate action.
Wittgenstein's Impact on the Philosophy of Education
Authors: Standish Paul
Published: March 2018

On the strength of a clarification of the nature of philosophy of education, a critical overview is offered of Wittgenstein's impact on the field. The focus then narrows to give attention to Wittgenstein's claim that “Nothing is hidden” (Philosophical Investigations, #435), pitched here in a questionable relation to contemporary concerns with transparency. Familiar readings of this passage are challenged in connection with Wittgenstein's late writings on psychology, especially with regard to imagination and pretence. These are argued to be essential to the development of mind and world, from the child's first entry into language, and hence crucial to education.
Clinical use of plasma lactate concentration. Part 1: Physiology, pathophysiology, and measurement
Authors: Rosenstein Patricia G. , Tennent‐Brown Brett S. , Hughes Dez
Published: March 2018

Objective

To review the current literature with respect to the physiology, pathophysiology, and measurement of lactate.

Data Sources

Data were sourced from veterinary and human clinical trials, retrospective studies, experimental studies, and review articles. Articles were retrieved without date restrictions and were sourced primarily via PubMed, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts as well as by manual selection.

Human and Veterinary Data Synthesis

Lactate is an important energy storage molecule, the production of which preserves cellular energy production and mitigates the acidosis from ATP hydrolysis. Although the most common cause of hyperlactatemia is inadequate tissue oxygen delivery, hyperlactatemia can, and does occur in the face of apparently adequate oxygen supply. At a cellular level, the pathogenesis of hyperlactatemia varies widely depending on the underlying cause. Microcirculatory dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epinephrine‐mediated stimulation of Na+‐K+‐ATPase pumps are likely important contributors to hyperlactatemia in critically ill patients. Ultimately, hyperlactatemia is a marker of altered cellular bioenergetics.

Conclusion

The etiology of hyperlactatemia is complex and multifactorial. Understanding the relevant pathophysiology is helpful when characterizing hyperlactatemia in clinical patients.
Extension of chemotactic pseudopods by nonadherent human neutrophils does not require or cause calcium bursts
Authors: Francis Emmet A. , Heinrich Volkmar
Published: March 2018

Calcium bursts in human neutrophils accompany adhesion-dependent deformations but not extension of purely chemotactic pseudopods.
TSLP signaling in CD4
+
T cells programs a pathogenic T helper 2 cell state
Authors: Rochman Yrina , Dienger-Stambaugh Krista , Richgels Phoebe K. , Lewkowich Ian P. , Kartashov Andrey V. , Barski Artem , Khurana Hershey Gurjit K. , Leonard Warren J. , Singh Harinder
Published: March 2018

The cytokine TSLP promotes the generation of a pathogenic T cell subset that exacerbates allergic responses.
p38α signaling in Langerhans cells promotes the development of IL-17–producing T cells and psoriasiform skin inflammation
Authors: Zheng Tingting , Zhao Weiheng , Li Hongjin , Xiao Shuxiu , Hu Ran , Han Miaomiao , Liu Heng , Liu Yeqiang , Otsu Kinya , Liu Xinguang , Huang Gonghua
Published: March 2018

Activation of p38α signaling in Langerhans cells, but not in other DC subsets or T cells, controls the development of psoriasis.
Skp2-dependent reactivation of AKT drives resistance to PI3K inhibitors
Authors: Clement Emilie , Inuzuka Hiroyuki , Nihira Naoe T. , Wei Wenyi , Toker Alex
Published: March 2018

Resistance to PI3K inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer is mediated by AKT reactivation by the ubiquitin ligase Skp2.
A Single-Nucleotide Insertion in a Drug Transporter Gene Induces a Thermotolerance Phenotype in Gluconobacter frateurii by Increasing the NADPH/NADP
+
Ratio via Metabolic Change
Authors: Matsumoto Nami , Hattori Hiromi , Matsutani Minenosuke , Matayoshi Chihiro , Toyama Hirohide , Kataoka Naoya , Yakushi Toshiharu , Matsushita Kazunobu
Published: March 2018

Thermotolerant microorganisms are beneficial to the fermentation industry because they reduce the need for cooling and offer other operational advantages. Previously, we obtained a thermally adapted
Gluconobacter frateurii
strain by experimental evolution. In the present study, we found only a single G insertion in the adapted strain, which causes a frameshift in a gene encoding a putative drug transporter. A mutant derivative strain with the single G insertion in the transporter gene (Wild-G) was constructed from the wild-type strain and showed increased thermotolerance. We found that the thermotolerant strains accumulated substantial intracellular trehalose and manifested a defect in sorbose assimilation, suggesting that the transporter is partly involved in trehalose efflux and sorbose uptake and that the defect in the transporter can improve thermotolerance. The Δ
otsAB
strain, constructed by elimination of the trehalose synthesis gene in the wild type, showed no trehalose production but, unexpectedly, much better growth than the adapted strain at high temperatures. The Δ
otsAB
mutant produced more acetate as the final metabolite than the wild-type strain did. We hypothesized that trehalose does not contribute to thermotolerance directly; rather, a metabolic change including increased carbon flux to the pentose phosphate pathway may be the key factor. The NADPH/NADP
+
ratio was higher in strain Wild-G, and much higher in the Δ
otsAB
strain, than in the wild-type strain. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were lower in the thermotolerant strains. We propose that the defect of the transporter causes the metabolic flux to generate more NADPH, which may enhance thermotolerance in
G. frateurii
.

IMPORTANCE
The biorefinery industry has to ensure that microorganisms are robust and retain their viability and function at high temperatures. Here we show that
Gluconobacter
frateurii
, an industrially important member of the acetic acid bacteria, exhibited enhanced thermotolerance through the reduction of trehalose excretion after thermal adaptation. Although intracellular trehalose may play a key role in thermotolerance, the molecular mechanisms of action of trehalose in thermotolerance are a matter of debate. Our mutated strain that was defective in trehalose synthase genes, producing no trehalose but a larger amount of acetic acid as the end metabolite instead, unexpectedly showed higher thermotolerance than the wild type. Our adapted and mutated thermotolerant strains showed increased NADPH/NADP
+
ratios and reductions in ROS levels. We concluded that in
G. frateurii
, trehalose does not contribute to thermotolerance directly; rather, the metabolic change increases the NADPH/NADP
+
ratio to enhance thermotolerance.
Role of Disputed Mutations in the
rpoB
Gene in Interpretation of Automated Liquid MGIT Culture Results for Rifampin Susceptibility Testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Miotto Paolo , Cabibbe Andrea M. , Borroni Emanuele , Degano Massimo , Cirillo Daniela M.
Published: March 2018

Low-level rifampin resistance associated with specific
rpoB
mutations (referred as “disputed”) in
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is easily missed by some phenotypic methods. To understand the mechanism by which some mutations are systematically missed by MGIT phenotypic testing, we performed an
in silico
analysis of their effect on the structural interaction between the RpoB protein and rifampin. We also characterized 24 representative clinical isolates by determining MICs on 7H10 agar and testing them by an extended MGIT protocol. We analyzed 2,097 line probe assays, and 156 (7.4%) cases showed a hybridization pattern referred to here as “no wild type + no mutation.” Isolates harboring “disputed” mutations (L430P, D435Y, H445C/L/N/S, and L452P) tested susceptible in MGIT, with prevalence ranging from 15 to 57% (overall, 16 out of 55 isolates [29%]). Our
in silico
analysis did not highlight any difference between “disputed” and “undisputed” substitutions, indicating that all
rpoB
missense mutations affect the rifampin binding site. MIC testing showed that “undisputed” mutations are associated with higher MIC values (≥20 mg/liter) compared to “disputed” mutations (4 to >20 mg/liter). Whereas “undisputed” mutations didn't show any delay (Δ) in time to positivity of the test tube compared to the control tube on extended MGIT protocol, “disputed” mutations showed a mean Δ of 7.2 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2 to 10.2 days;
P
< 0.05), providing evidence that mutations conferring low-level resistance are associated with a delay in growth on MGIT. Considering the proved relevance of L430P, D435Y, H445C/L/N, and L452P mutations in determining clinical resistance, genotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) should be used to replace phenotypic results (MGIT) when such mutations are found.
One Year in the Life of a Rapid Syndromic Panel for Meningitis/Encephalitis: a Pediatric Tertiary Care Facility's Experience
Authors: Naccache Samia N. , Lustestica Maryann , Fahit Margil , Mestas Javier , Dien Bard Jennifer
Published: March 2018

Early establishment of infectious processes allows for expedited clinical management of meningitis and encephalitis. The FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis (FA-M/E) panel provides rapid detection of potential pathogens associated with encephalitis/meningitis in both immunocompetent and compromised patients. Here, we conducted a 1-year review of the performance of the FA-M/E panel at a tertiary care children's hospital. Two hundred sixty-five samples from 251 patients were tested. We found 87.25% (219/251) were negative, 9.96% (25/251) were positive for viral analytes, and 3.19% (8/251) were positive for bacterial analytes. When possible, positive results were confirmed by alternate testing; 4/6 available bacterial positives and 17/20 available viral positives were confirmed by retrospective culture or molecular testing.
Emergency Services of Viral RNAs: Repair and Remodeling
Authors: Agol Vadim I. , Gmyl Anatoly P.
Published: March 2018

Reproduction of RNA viruses is typically error-prone due to the infidelity of their replicative machinery and the usual lack of proofreading mechanisms. The error rates may be close to those that kill the virus. Consequently, populations of RNA viruses are represented by heterogeneous sets of genomes with various levels of fitness. This is especially consequential when viruses encounter various bottlenecks and new infections are initiated by a single or few deviating genomes. Nevertheless, RNA viruses are able to maintain their identity by conservation of major functional elements. This conservatism stems from genetic robustness or mutational tolerance, which is largely due to the functional degeneracy of many protein and RNA elements as well as to negative selection. Another relevant mechanism is the capacity to restore fitness after genetic damages, also based on replicative infidelity. Conversely, error-prone replication is a major tool that ensures viral evolvability. The potential for changes in debilitated genomes is much higher in small populations, because in the absence of stronger competitors low-fit genomes have a choice of various trajectories to wander along fitness landscapes. Thus, low-fit populations are inherently unstable, and it may be said that to run ahead it is useful to stumble. In this report, focusing on picornaviruses and also considering data from other RNA viruses, we review the biological relevance and mechanisms of various alterations of viral RNA genomes as well as pathways and mechanisms of rehabilitation after loss of fitness. The relationships among mutational robustness, resilience, and evolvability of viral RNA genomes are discussed.
A Reference Viral Database (RVDB) To Enhance Bioinformatics Analysis of High-Throughput Sequencing for Novel Virus Detection
Authors: Goodacre Norman , Aljanahi Aisha , Nandakumar Subhiksha , Mikailov Mike , Khan Arifa S.
Published: March 2018

To facilitate bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data for the detection of both known and novel viruses, we have developed a new reference viral database (RVDB) that provides a broad representation of different virus species from eukaryotes by including all viral, virus-like, and virus-related sequences (excluding bacteriophages), regardless of their size. In particular, RVDB contains endogenous nonretroviral elements, endogenous retroviruses, and retrotransposons. Sequences were clustered to reduce redundancy while retaining high viral sequence diversity. A particularly useful feature of RVDB is the reduction of cellular sequences, which can enhance the run efficiency of large transcriptomic and genomic data analysis and increase the specificity of virus detection.
Shigellosis outbreak among MSM living with HIV: a case–control study in Taiwan, 2015–2016
Authors: Wu Hao-Hsin , Shen Yi-Ting , Chiou Chien-Shun , Fang Chi-Tai , Lo Yi-Chun
Published: March 2018

Objectives

Outbreaks of shigellosis among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been reported since the late 1990s. HIV infection is an important risk factor. Since 2014, the global shigellosis epidemic has intensified. Whether chemsex (the use of crystal methamphetamine, γ-hydroxybutyrate or mephedrone to enhance sex) is a new risk factor has not been previously examined.

Methods

We conducted a population-based, case–control study in Taiwan. Acute shigellosis cases diagnosed during the 2015 outbreak among MSM living with HIV were compared with those without shigellosis. CD4
+
counts, plasma viral load (pVL), gonorrhoea, syphilis and amoebiasis records were obtained from the Notifiable Disease Surveillance System database. We invited cases/controls to provide information on illicit drug use and sexual behaviours, using a structured questionnaire.

Results

Seventy-five shigellosis cases were compared with 225 controls. High pVL (>100 000 copies/mL; adjusted OR (aOR): 4.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 16.9), gonorrhoea (aOR: 29.4, 95% CI 2.3 to 340.2) and syphilis (aOR: 4.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 11.6) were independent risk factors of shigellosis. Twenty shigellosis cases and 59 controls completed the questionnaire. Oral-to-anal sex (aOR: 15.5, 95% CI 3.6 to 66.7), chemsex (aOR: 5.6, 95% CI 1.4 to 22.7) and poppers use (aOR: 10.9, 95% CI 1.9 to 64.2) within 12 months were independent behavioural risk factors of shigellosis.

Conclusions

Chemsex is a new risk factor for shigellosis among MSM living with HIV, as identified in the 2015–2016 outbreak. Additional risk factors include poppers use, sexual risk behaviours and high pVL. Further studies on chemsex among MSM, which is a rising public health concern, are urgently required.
Copy number variation in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Authors: Zarrei Mehdi , Hicks Geoffrey G. , Reynolds James N. , Thiruvahindrapuram Bhooma , Engchuan Worrawat , Pind Molly , Lamoureux Sylvia , Wei John , Wang Zhouzhi , Marshall Christian R. , Wintle Richard F. , Chudley Albert E. , Scherer Stephen W.
Published: March 2018

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is characterized by a combination of neurological, developmental, and congenital defects that may occur as a consequence of prenatal alcohol exposure. Earlier reports showed that large chromosomal anomalies may link to FASD. Here, we examined the prevalence and types of copy number variations (CNVs) in FASD cases previously diagnosed by a multidisciplinary FASD team in sites across Canada. We genotyped 95 children with FASD and 87 age-matched, typically developing controls on the Illumina Human Omni2.5 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) array platform. We compared their CNVs with those of 10 851 population controls to identify rare CNVs (<0.1% frequency), which may include large unbalanced chromosomal abnormalities, that might be relevant to FASD. In 12/95 (13%) of the FASD cases, rare CNVs were found that impact potentially clinically relevant developmental genes, including the CACNA1H involved in epilepsy and autism, the 3q29 deletion disorder, and others. Our results show that a subset of children diagnosed with FASD have chromosomal deletions and duplications that may co-occur or explain the neurodevelopmental impairments in a diagnosed cohort of FASD individuals. Children suspected to have FASD with or without sentinel facial features of fetal alcohol syndrome and neurodevelopmental delays should potentially be evaluated by a clinical geneticist and possibly have genetic investigations as appropriate to exclude other etiologies.
Effects of early posthatch feeding on growth, organ development, and blood biochemical profile in broiler chickens
Authors: Kang H.K. , Bang H.T. , Kim C.H. , Jeon J.J. , Kim H.S. , Suh S.W. , Hong E.C. , Kim S.H. , Park S.B.
Published: March 2018

The effects of early feeding time on growth performance, organ weight, blood biochemical, and leukocyte profile were investigated in posthatch broiler chickens to 35 d of age. From 7 to 21 d, early feeding (3 h after hatching) had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on body weight gain, and at 14 d, chicks fed 3 and 12 h after hatching were significantly heavier (p < 0.01) than those fed later. At 7 d, feed intake (FI) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) among chicks fed 3 and 12 h after hatching. At 21 d, chicks fed 3 h after hatching showed significantly higher FI (p < 0.01) than those fed later. At 3 d, gizzard weight was significantly heavier (p < 0.05) in chicks fed 24, 36, and 48 h after hatching than in those fed earlier, and small intestinal weight was also significantly higher (p < 0.05). At 35 d of age, alanine aminotransferase was higher (p < 0.01) in chicks fed 36 and 48 h after hatching, and the eosinophil level was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in chicks fed 3, 24, 36, and 48 h after hatching.
The effect of carcass weight on chemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of Longissimus dorsi and Semimembranosus muscles of European wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) meat
Authors: Batorska Martyna , Więcek Justyna , Kunowska-Slósarz Małgorzata , Puppel Kamila , Slósarz Jan , Gołębiewski Marcin , Kuczyńska Beata , Popczyk Bartłomiej , Rekiel Anna , Balcerak Marek
Published: March 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of carcass weight on chemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of m. longissimus dorsi and m. semimembranosus of European wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) meat. The research was carried out on 50 wild boars shot during four battues at hunting reserves in the central part of Poland. The carcasses were divided into three groups: ≤30 kg (G1), 31–45 kg (G2), and >45 kg (G3). The protein concentration increased with carcass weight (P ≤ 0.01). The concentration of saturated fatty acids was influenced by carcass weight and was higher when weight increased. A significantly higher level of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) was found in the carcasses of wild boars from G3 compared with G1 group (P ≤ 0.01). The content of C18:2n-6 was significantly lower in the lightest carcasses compared with the heaviest (P ≤ 0.05). Statistical analysis confirmed that carcasses weight significantly affected polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) n-3 content. The lightest carcasses contained a significantly higher concentration of PUFA n-3 (P ≤ 0.01). In addition, in G3, the amount of C22:5n-3 was two-fold lower (P ≤ 0.01) than in G1. The research has shown that the meat quality was affected by the carcass weight, resulting better parameters in the lighter than in the heavier carcasses. Therefore, most of the culled wild boars should be squeakers and young boars after the first year of life.
Metabolizable energy and standardized ileal digestible amino acid contents of a high-protein sunflower meal fed to broiler chicks
Authors: Waititu S.M. , Kim J.W. , Sanjayan N. , Leterme P. , Nyachoti C.M.
Published: March 2018

This study was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestible amino acid (AA) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) contents of a high-protein sunflower meal (HiSFM) fed to broiler chicks. A total of 144 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments with eight replicate cages of six birds. Birds were fed the experimental diets from day 14 to day 21 of age. The results showed that gross energy, crude protein, nonphytate phosphorus, lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), threonine (Thr), and total nonstarch polysaccharide contents of HiSFM were 4178 kcal kg−1, 48.7%, 0.86%, 1.59%, 0.75%, 1.45%, and 14.6%, as-fed basis, respectively. The standardized ileal digestible Lys, Met, and Thr of HiSFM were 12.6, 6.8, and 11.6 g kg−1(dry matter basis), respectively. In addition, the AMEncontent of HiSFM fed to broiler chicks was 1785 kcal kg−1. In conclusion, compared with literature values for sunflower meal, HiSFM had lower standardized ileal digestibility of indispensable AA and higher AMEncontent. The standardized ileal digestible AA and AMEnvalues of HiSFM obtained from the current study could be used when formulating poultry diets and to obtain predictable bird performance.
Otolith chemistry and redistributions of Northern cod: evidence of Smith Sound – Bonavista Corridor connectivity
Authors: Neville Victoria , Rose George , Rowe Sherrylynn , Jamieson Robyn , Piercey Glenn
Published: March 2018

Stable oxygen isotope assays of otoliths (δ18Ooto) from migrant Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) that overwintered in Smith Sound, Newfoundland, during 1995–2006 differed from those of nonmigrating summer residents and cod from Placentia Bay and Halibut Channel but did not differ from those of cod from the adjacent offshore Bonavista Corridor in summer. All fish sampled were of the 1990 year class (founder of the Smith Sound aggregation) at ages 8–10 years. Hence, overwintering Smith Sound and summering Bonavista Corridor cod likely experienced similar temperatures and salinities in each year of life, representing different migration stages of an intermixed group. Moreover, predictions of δ18Ooto from near-bottom ocean temperatures and salinities differed between inshore and offshore sites and, in general, matched observed signatures of inshore and offshore cod. The Bonavista Corridor cod, however, were an exception, having δ18Ooto signatures suggestive of inshore exposure. Our findings provide direct evidence of metapopulation structure in the Northern cod and are consistent with offshore rebuilding having been spurred by dispersal of cod from inshore Smith Sound.
Separation of edge effects in highly non-dipole radiation spectra
Authors: Bondarenco M. V.
Published: March 2018

Edge effects in spectra of non-dipole radiation from ultra-relativistic electrons passing through various finite targets are analyzed from a unified point of view. Examples include radiation in a finite magnet, bremsstrahlung at double scattering, and bremsstrahlung in an amorphous plate. A generalization of the encountered spectral decomposition property is proposed. The relevance of phenomena of jet–inter-jet radiation interference and electron time delay in the target is emphasized. Features produced by them in the radiation spectra are discussed.
Anisotropic properties of phase separation in two-component dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates
Authors: Wang Wei , Li Jinbin
Published: March 2018

Using Crank–Nicolson method, we calculate ground state wave functions of two-component dipolar Bose–Einstein condensates (BECs) and show that, due to dipole–dipole interaction (DDI), the condensate mixture displays anisotropic phase separation. The effects of DDI, inter-component s-wave scattering, strength of trap potential and particle numbers on the density profiles are investigated. Three types of two-component profiles are present, first cigar, along z-axis and concentric torus, second pancake (or blood cell), in xy-plane, and two non-uniform ellipsoid, separated by the pancake and third two dumbbell shapes.
A mathematical model for domain walls in ultrathin magnetic films with uniaxial anisotropy
Authors: Bisero Diego
Published: March 2018

Domain walls are a basic ingredient of spintronic devices, nowadays. In this paper, a mathematical model for the solution of domain wall problems will be derived from a micromagnetic semiclassical approach. This model will prove to be suitable for the description of both Néel and Bloch walls, particularly in the case of magnetization uniformity distribution along the wall length of a uniaxial magnetic ultrathin film.
Proton-4He elastic scattering at 350–1728MeV energies: Three-body force effect
Authors: Hassan M. A. , Awd-Allah H. E. A. , Salama T. N. E. , Hassan Z. S.
Published: March 2018

An approach for the three-body force effect is used to study p-[Formula: see text] elastic scattering at energies 350–1728[Formula: see text]MeV. The multiple scattering theory of Glauber and the optical limit approximation are used in calculations of elastic scattering differential cross-section at 350, 600, 800, 1000 and 1728[Formula: see text]MeV. The inclusion of 2[Formula: see text]-exchange three-nucleon force improves the agreement with the experimental data for both approximations. The results of optical limit approximation without three-nucleon force effect are clearly smaller than the results of multiple scattering theory for [Formula: see text] due to the absence of multiple scattering terms in the first. However, with inclusion of three-nucleon force, the results of both approximations are approximately similar.