bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early antiretroviral therapy and potent second-line drugs could decrease HIV incidence of drug resistance
Authors: Shen Mingwang , Xiao Yanni , Rong Libin , Meyers Lauren Ancel , Bellan Steven E.
Published: June 2017

Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduces the risk of drug-sensitive HIV transmission but may increase the transmission of drug-resistant HIV. We used a mathematical model to estimate the long-term population-level benefits of ART and determine the scenarios under which earlier ART (treatment at 1 year post-infection, on average) could decrease simultaneously both total and drug-resistant HIV incidence (new infections). We constructed an infection-age-structured mathematical model that tracked the transmission rates over the course of infection and modelled the patients' life expectancy as a function of ART initiation timing. We fitted this model to the annual AIDS incidence and death data directly, and to resistance data and demographic data indirectly among men who have sex with men (MSM) in San Francisco. Using counterfactual scenarios, we assessed the impact on total and drug-resistant HIV incidence of ART initiation timing, frequency of acquired drug resistance, and second-line drug effectiveness (defined as the combination of resistance monitoring, biomedical drug efficacy and adherence). Earlier ART initiation could decrease the number of both total and drug-resistant HIV incidence when second-line drug effectiveness is sufficiently high (greater than 80%), but increase the proportion of new infections that are drug resistant. Thus, resistance may paradoxically appear to be increasing while actually decreasing.
Fear creates an Allee effect: experimental evidence from seasonal populations
Authors: Elliott Kyle H. , Betini Gustavo S. , Norris D. Ryan
Published: June 2017

Allee effects driven by predation can play a strong role in the decline of small populations but are conventionally thought to occur when generalist predators target specific prey (i.e. type II functional response). However, aside from direct consumption, fear of predators could also increase vigilance and reduce time spent foraging as population size decreases, as has been observed in wild mammals living in social groups. To investigate the role of fear on fitness in relation to population density in a species with limited sociality, we exposed varying densities of
Drosophila melanogaster
to mantid predators either during an experimental breeding season or non-breeding season. The presence of mantids in either season decreased the reproductive performance of individuals but only at low breeding densities, providing evidence for an Allee effect. We then used our experimental results to parametrize a mathematical model to examine the population consequences of fear at low densities. Fear tended to destabilize population dynamics and increase the risk of extinction up to sevenfold. Our study provides unique experimental evidence that the indirect effects of the presence of predators can cause an Allee effect and has important consequences for our understanding of the dynamics of small populations.
Range size dynamics can explain why evolutionarily age and diversification rate correlate with contemporary extinction risk in plants
Authors: Tanentzap Andrew J. , Igea Javier , Johnston Matthew G. , Larcombe Matthew J.
Published: June 2017

Extinction threatens many species, yet few factors predict this risk across the plant Tree of Life (ToL). Taxon age is one factor that may associate with extinction if occupancy of geographic and adaptive zones varies with time, but evidence for such an association has been equivocal. Age-dependent occupancy can also influence diversification rates and thus extinction risk where new taxa have small range and population sizes. Here we analysed 509 well-sampled genera from across the plant ToL. We found that a greater proportion of species were threatened by extinction in younger and faster-diversifying genera. Repeating our analyses in two large, well-sampled groups, we found that extinction risk increased with evolutionary age in conifer species but not palms. Potential range size decreased in older, non-threatened conifers more strongly than in threatened taxa, suggesting that range size dynamics may explain differing patterns of extinction risk across the ToL with consequences for biodiversity conservation.
Video rate volumetric Ca2+ imaging across cortical layers using Seeded Iterative Demixing (SID) microscopy
Authors: Nöbauer Tobias , Skocek Oliver , Pernía-Andrade Alejandro J. , Weilguny Lukas , Traub Francisca Martinez , Molodtsov Maxim I. , Vaziri Alipasha
Published: June 2017

Light-field microscopy (LFM) is a scalable approach for volumetric Ca2+ imaging with the highest volumetric acquisition rates (up to 100 Hz). While this has enabled high-speed whole-brain Ca2+ imaging in small semi-transparent specimen, tissue scattering has limited its application in the rodent brain. Here we introduce Seeded Iterative Demixing (SID), a computational source extraction technique that extends LFM to the scattering mammalian cortex. Using GCaMP-expressing mice we demonstrate SID’s ability to capture neuronal dynamics in vivo within a volume of 900×900×260μm located as deep as 380 μm in the mouse cortex and hippocampus at 30 Hz volume rate while faithfully discriminating signals from neurons as close as 20 μm, at three orders of magnitude reduced computational cost. The simplicity and scalability of LFM, coupled with the performance of SID opens up a range of new applications including closed-loop experiments and is expected to propel its wide dissemination within the neuroscience community.
An evaluation of the efficacy, reliability, and sensitivity of motion correction strategies for resting-state functional MRI
Authors: Parkes Linden , Fulcher Ben , Yücel Murat , Fornito Alex
Published: June 2017

Estimates of functional connectivity derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) are sensitive to artefacts caused by in-scanner head motion. This susceptibility has motivated the development of numerous denoising methods designed to mitigate motion-related artefacts. Here, we compare popular retrospective rs-fMRI denoising methods, such as regression of head motion parameters and mean white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (with and without expansion terms), aCompCor, volume censoring (e.g., scrubbing and spike regression), global signal regression and ICA-AROMA, combined into 19 different pipelines. These pipelines were evaluated across five different quality control benchmarks in four independent datasets associated with varying levels of motion. Pipelines were benchmarked by examining the residual relationship between in-scanner movement and functional connectivity after denoising; the effect of distance on this residual relationship; whole-brain differences in functional connectivity between high- and low-motion healthy controls (HC); the temporal degrees of freedom lost during denoising; and the test-retest reliability of functional connectivity estimates. We also compared the sensitivity of each pipeline to clinical differences in functional connectivity in independent samples of schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Our results indicate that (1) simple linear regression of regional fMRI time series against head motion parameters and WM/CSF signals (with or without expansion terms) is not sufficient to remove head motion artefacts; (2) aCompCor pipelines may only be viable in low-motion data; (3) volume censoring performs well at minimising motion-related artefact but a major benefit of this approach derives from the exclusion of high-motion individuals; (4) while not as effective as volume censoring, ICA-AROMA performed well across our benchmarks for relatively low cost in terms of data loss; and (5) group comparisons in functional connectivity between healthy controls and schizophrenia patients are highly dependent on preprocessing strategy. We offer some recommendations for best practice and outline some simple analyses to facilitate transparent reporting of the degree to which a given set of findings may be affected by motion-related artefact.
Mapping Loci that Control Tuber and Foliar Symptoms Caused by PVY in Autotetraploid Potato (Solanum tuberosumL.)
Authors: da Silva Washington , Ingram Jason , Hackett Christine A. , Coombs Joseph J. , Douches David , Bryan Glenn , Jong Walter De , Gray Stewart
Published: June 2017

Potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease (PTNRD) is a tuber deformity associated with infection by the tuber necrotic strain ofPotato virus Y(PVYNTN). PTNRD negatively impacts tuber quality and marketability and poses a serious threat to seed and commercial potato production worldwide. PVYNTNsymptoms differ in the cultivars Waneta and Pike: Waneta expresses severe PTNRD and foliar mosaic with vein and leaf necrosis, whereas Pike does not express PTNRD and mosaic is the only foliar symptom. To map loci that influence tuber and foliar symptoms, 236 F1progeny of a cross between Waneta and Pike were inoculated with PVYNTNisolate NY090029 and genotyped using 12,808 Potato SNPs. Foliar symptom type and severity were monitored for 10 weeks, while tubers were evaluated for PTNRD expression at harvest and again after 60 days in storage. Pairwise correlation analyses indicate a strong association between PTNRD and vein necrosis (τ = 0.4195). QTL analyses revealed major-effect QTLs on chromosomes 4 and 5 for mosaic, 4 for PTNRD, and 5 for foliar-necrosis symptoms. Locating QTLs associated with PVY-related symptoms provides a foundation for breeders to develop markers that can be used to screen out potato clones with undesirable phenotypes, e.g., those likely to develop PTNRD or to be symptomless carriers of PVY.
Conserved noncoding transcription and core promoter regulatory code in earlyDrosophiladevelopment
Authors: Batut Philippe J. , Gingeras Thomas R.
Published: June 2017

Multicellular development is largely determined by transcriptional regulatory programs that orchestrate the expression of thousands of protein-coding and noncoding genes. To decipher the genomic regulatory code that specifies these programs, and to investigate globally the developmental relevance of noncoding transcription, we profiled genome-wide promoter activity throughout embryonic development in 5Drosophilaspecies. We show that core promoters, generally not thought to play a significant regulatory role, in fact impart broad restrictions on the developmental timing of gene expression on a genome-wide scale. We propose a hierarchical model of transcriptional regulation during development in which core promoters define broad windows of opportunity for expression, by defining a limited range of transcription factors from which they are able to receive regulatory inputs. This two-tiered mechanism globally orchestrates developmental gene expression, including noncoding transcription on a scale that defies our current understanding of ontogenesis. Indeed, noncoding transcripts are far more prevalent than ever reported before, with ∼4,000 long noncoding RNAs expressed during embryogenesis. Over 1,500 are functionally conserved throughout themelanogastersubgroup, and hundreds are under strong purifying selection. Overall, this work introduces a hierarchical model for the developmental regulation of transcription, and reveals the central role of noncoding transcription in animal development.
The growing influence of social and digital media
Authors: Russo Carlo , Simeone Mariarosaria
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to devise and then test a theoretical model to illustrate the effects of the increasing importance of social media on consumer behavior and market equilibrium in differentiated food industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use game theory to model the strategic use of social media by firms producing high-value food products. The authors test the predictions of the theoretical model by means of a survey of 722 randomly selected Italian food consumers using an online questionnaire.

Findings

The model predicts that, as social media become more and more influential, consumers using the new media become more informed, and their concern about food quality attributes increases. At the same time, the consumers using mass media only receive less information and they prefer cheaper products to the high value one. As a result, the emergence of social media favours market segmentation and the hypotheses tested were: Social consumers are, on average, more informed than mass consumers and more concerned about environmental issues than mass consumers. The data support the theoretical model.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the debate about the impact of information from interested sources on market equilibrium, providing an innovative analysis of the role of social media.
Process innovation in milling stage in olive oil sector
Authors: Martino Gaetano , Rossetti Enrica , Marchini Andrea , Frascarelli Angelo
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the modes of organizing the technological knowledge (make, buy and hybrid organization) in the decision to innovate the production process.

Design/methodology/approach

The study first develops a conceptual framework drawing the concept of mode of organization from the Transaction Cost Economics. The three research questions are coherently formulated which concern: the influence of the modes of organization on the decision to innovate and to invest in supporting instruments; the variability of this influence and the complementarity degree between the decision to innovate and to invest. The empirical analysis is carried out with respect to the olive oil sector considering a representative sample of olive millers (Umbria, Central Italy) and a complementary accidental sample drawn from an existing database.

Findings

The main results of the study provide evidence for the role of modes of organization in the knowledge acquisition finalized to the process innovation. The role of the “buy” option is important, while the collaboration – the “hybrid” organization – seems to influence strongly the innovation and the related investment decision. The important role of the information sources appears effective and articulated. Finally, despite the great economic importance of the quality requirements, the millers appear to be more sensitive to the difficulties to build up a clear process vision in terms of technology.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is that it refers to a specific supply system including small enterprises and does not account for the pattern of innovation in other olive oil production systems. Moreover, one of the samples that was observed and analyzed is accidental in nature and does not allow a clear and robust comparison for the representative sample.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can contribute to the identification of organizational constraints to the rate on process innovation.

Originality/value

The originality of the study is based on the main focus, i.e. the attention to the role of the modes of organization in the decision to innovate, which provides complementary information to the extant literature on the choice of modes of organizing the technological knowledge acquisition. Moreover, the conceptual framework and findings are connected to the current research on the variety of the agribusiness organizations which is still a partially explored field of inquiry.
How can food companies attract the consumer concerned about food safety? A logit model analysis in Spain
Authors: Scarpato Debora , Rotondo Giacomo , Simeone Mariarosaria , Gómez Andrés , Gutiérrez Pilar
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore food safety attitudes among a sample of Spanish consumers and determine which variables, among those studied, most affect the probability of the consumer being attentive to food safety.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted using a logit model. From the questionnaire 20 binary category variables were identified. Having selected the variable “Are you worried about safety food” as a dependent variable, the authors used binary logistic regression (Aldrich and Nelson, 1984; Borooah, 2002) to ascertain in what way the remaining 19 variables affect the likelihood of the consumer being particularly attentive to the healthiness and safety of food purchased.

Findings

The probability of the consumer being particularly attentive to food healthiness and safety, for the sample in question, is higher in consumers who stated that they were familiar with organic products, those who are attentive to fat contents in foods and those who value the presence of quality certification positively.

Research limitations/implications

Future research into Spanish consumers with the same methodology should target a larger sample in several Spanish cities.

Originality/value

This paper investigates not only Spanish consumer attitudes to food safety, but also how other variables can influence the probability of the consumer being concerned about food safety. This approach may be very useful for food companies to determine what strategies to adopt to attract the category of consumers who lend special importance to the food safety variable in their purchases.
Trust-distrust balance: trust ambivalence in Sino-Western B2B relationships
Authors: Jukka Minna , Blomqvist Kirsimarja , Ping Li Peter , Gan Chunmei
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how Chinese and Finnish managers in cross-cultural supply-chain relationships evaluate their business partners’ trustworthiness and distrustworthiness.

Design/methodology/approach

Representatives of two Finnish companies and their Chinese and Finnish suppliers were interviewed to collect qualitative data from 23 managers.

Findings

The Chinese managers emphasized relationship-specific, personalized trustworthiness. They highlighted personalized communication and benevolence, which manifested in respect and reciprocity, rooted in the Chinese notion of “guanxi” as personal ties. In contrast, the Finnish managers’ view of trustworthiness was more associated with depersonalized organizational attributes. They emphasized the dimension of integrity, especially promise-keeping. In addition, tentative signs of trust ambivalence, as a balance between trust- and distrust-related factors, were identified for both the Chinese and the Finns.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the exploratory nature of this study the validity of the findings is limited to these data and context. Future studies could explore other national contexts as well as the effects of industry, market position, and position in the supply chain.

Practical implications

The findings of this study bring a valuable understanding of the potential pitfalls and unique challenges in cross-border inter-firm transactions. These can enhance inter-firm trust building in a cross-cultural context.

Originality/value

This study enriches the view of trust as a holistic process of simultaneous evaluation of both trustworthiness and distrustworthiness. In this process, trust ambivalence could serve as the intermediate construct between trust and distrust. These two contrary yet complementary opposites constitute a duality to be managed from the perspective of yin-yang balancing.
A study on management practices and manufacturing performance in India and Malaysia
Authors: Sakikawa Takashi , Chaudhuri Kaushik , Arif Nurhaizal Azam
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between management practices and manufacturing performance, based on evidence from India and Malaysia – two countries from the cultural area of Southern Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors theorized by drawing not only on the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature but also on cross-cultural research. A total of 233 leaders constituted this study’s sample: 96 production leaders from 16 Indian companies and 137 production leaders from 16 Malaysian companies participated in the survey.

Findings

Some of the high-performance work practices (HPWPs) were effective across India and Malaysia. The use of HPWPs in Indian culture led to better manufacturing performance than the use of HPWPs in Malaysian culture.

Research limitations/implications

This study did not measure national culture itself but instead used a dummy-coded variable of country as its proxy. Not only can national culture explain varieties in management practices including HPWPs, but it can also interact with these practices to affect performance.

Practical implications

Indian and Malaysian managers can learn about their management practices from this, and they can learn about benefits they might bring to their workplaces if they manage through the use of HPWPs.

Originality/value

The authors’ research provides insight into the capability of national culture to moderate the relationship between HPWPs and manufacturing performance, even among two countries situated in the same region of Southern Asia.
Policing people with sexual convictions using strengths-based approaches
Authors: Kewley Stephanie
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Effective risk management planning ought to include strategies that help control and mitigate risk, as well as develop and strengthen client’s protective factors. The active risk management system (ARMS) is a structured risk assessment and management planning tool designed to assess both dynamic factors known to be related to sexual recidivism, along with protective factors that might support the desistance process. The tool was recently implemented across all police forces in England and Wales. The purpose of this paper is to examine police practitioner’s experience of the tool, their attitudes towards risk assessment, risk management planning, interviewing clients for the assessment and their perspective on strengths-based approaches in general.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed method approach is adopted including one attitudinal measure: community attitudes towards sexual offender-revised (CATSO-R); and four focus groups, analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Findings

CATSO-R results indicate that when compared to other populations, police officers appear to perceive sex offenders as dangerous, requiring severe punishment. These findings are supported in the IPA analysis where three themes highlight the following: principles and practices of the ARMS tool are incongruent with traditional policing; the negative values officers hold conflicts with a role that supports a process of reintegration and Training and supervision is insufficient to equip management of sexual offenders and violent offender’s with the skills and knowledge needed.

Originality/value

Only one study exists in which ARMS training and its pilot test were examined, this is the first empirical examination of its application in practice. Findings are therefore, of relevance to practitioners and academics alike.
The importance of the therapeutic alliance when working with men who have committed a sexual offence
Authors: Youssef Carollyne
Published: June 2017

Purpose

While there is general agreement in the literature regarding the importance of the therapeutic alliance (TA) in psychological interventions with people, the forensic context raises some unique challenges. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how these challenges are managed within a therapeutic context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper consists of a literature review examining the following: the significance of the TA in interventions with forensic clients, especially men who have committed a sexual offence and the impact on treatment efficacy and change; therapist characteristics as well as some of the obstacles and challenges present in a correctional setting, which can impact on the TA and; the role of transference and countertransference in relation to these forensic clients.

Findings

Through the literature review, there is a discussion regarding how some of the common obstacles within correctional settings can be overcome, and how certain therapist qualities should be interpreted.

Originality/value

This paper will discuss some of the practical applications of certain recommended therapeutic factors within a correctional setting, challenging some of the common misconceptions and limitations. Furthermore, transference and countertransference, topics which are seldom discussed, will be considered in this paper.
The development of the active risk management system
Authors: Kewley Stephanie , Blandford Mark
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to detail the development and implementation process of a risk management tool that includes the assessment of static and dynamic factors, as well as factors that are both risk related and protective.

Design/methodology/approach

Active Risk Assessment System (ARMS) is a tool used to help criminal justice practitioners as they work to support the safe reintegration of those with sexual convictions back into the community.

Findings

The tool was developed for use by the police, probation and prison services across England and Wales and this paper outlines the following: the process adopted by the development team in designing the tool, the theoretical principles considered and adopted by the team, and a summary of the early evaluation and recommendations made.

Originality/value

This paper includes some further recommendations for both the developers of the tool and for the police service in England and Wales.
Connecting information literacy instruction with transfer student success
Authors: Robison Mark
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the academic library’s role in supporting transfer student success, specifically by providing information literacy (IL) instruction. This paper examines whether IL instruction contributes to a transfer student’s sense of academic integration.

Design/methodology/approach

The author designed and distributed a survey to incoming undergraduate transfer students at Valparaiso University, gathering information about students’ IL instruction experiences, their attitudes and their preferences for receiving information about the library at their new university. Inferential statistics were used to test correlations between IL instruction and students’ attitudes.

Findings

In all, 38 students completed the survey. Thet-test results show significantly higher levels of confidence among those students who had participated in formal IL instruction. IL instruction is shown neither to contribute to transfer students’ sense of academic integration nor to benefit students during the transfer process. Respondents believed that transfer students do need information about their new library. They preferred small group settings or private communications for receiving this information, and the critical window is the period from when they arrive on campus through the second week of class.

Practical implications

This study provides guidance into librarians’ outreach efforts to transfer students, including the desirability, format and timing of this information.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to situate IL instruction as a factor in transfer success.
Assessing and meeting the information literacy needs of incoming transfer students
Authors: Grigg Karen Stanley , Dale Jenny
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the information literacy skills and needs of incoming and current transfer students.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies are discussed, two of which were generated from ACRL’s Assessment in Action program. In the first, incoming transfer students were asked basic demographic questions and were tested on several basic information literacy skills. A combination of quantitative analysis and rubrics was used to assess results. A pre-test, post-test method was used in a basic introduction to campus life course for transfer students. Finally, the 2014 cohort of transfer student were resurveyed to test research skills and report interactions they had with reference librarians and library instruction during the previous year.

Findings

Initial observations suggested older transfer students, and students transferring from community colleges were least knowledgeable about basic information literacy concepts, and that students who had attended library instruction sessions were more knowledgeable. In the pre-test, intervention and post-test study, students did not show significant improvements in knowledge, but did show a significantly improved comfort level with library research. In the follow-up survey, second year transfer students who had library instruction during the previous year were significantly more likely to have sought out their subject liaison for consultations.

Originality/value

Research studies that focus on the information literacy needs and skills of transfer students and adult learners is somewhat scarce, compared to that of incoming freshmen. It is of use to both academic librarians in institutions that accept incoming transfer students, and to community college librarians who may be designing handoff library instruction.
Enhancing effects of supply chain resilience: insights from trajectory and resource-based perspectives
Authors: Cheng Jao-Hong , Lu Kuo-Liang
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity influencing proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience and implementation in inter-organizational relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a research model comprises six research hypotheses with five constructs, including trajectory, absorptive capacity, operating frontier, proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience. The hypotheses are tested on data collected from 297 senior managers of Taiwanese manufacturing firms, using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The study provides insights into how supply chain members can reinforce their operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity activities to improve proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience.

Research limitations/implications

The resultant findings cannot be generalized for all forms of supply chains, as they exclusively reflect those in Taiwan. With the research model developed, cross-industrial studies on various forms of supply chains would be worth conducting to investigate whether their inter-relationship effects differ in relation to inter-organizational supply chain resilience.

Practical implications

This study provides multiple insights for managers and practices seeking to improve inter-organizational supply chain resilience, which have become increasingly popular because their factors enhance coping strategies to achieve corporate goals. The proactive and reactive dimension of supply chain resilience can be effectively improved by enhancing trajectory, absorptive capacity and operating frontier.

Originality/value

This empirical research attempted to fill the gaps created by trajectory and resource-based perspectives in inter-organizational supply chain resilience. This study reveals how supply chain members can reinforce the factors of their coping strategies (i.e. operating frontier, trajectory and absorptive capacity) to make significant improvements, which is not dealt with in previous studies.
Policy Reforms and Rural Livelihoods Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities — Empirical Evidence from the Adoption of the Land Use Consolidation (LUC) Policy in Rwanda
Authors: Habyarimana Jean Baptiste , Nkunzimana Tharcisse
Published: June 2017

In this study, descriptive statistics are used to calculate how households in Rwanda that are participating in the Land Use Consolidation (LUC) programme acquire food. Pooled ordinary least squares (OLS) is mobilized to quantify the effect of LUC outcomes on food security at household level. A Lorenz curve and Gini index are used to calculate how household income is distributed among households in the LUC programme. Finally, a probit regression model is applied to identify factors that determine a household's level of satisfaction with LUC. First, this study suggests that the majority of households participating in LUC have an acceptable food consumption score (FCS). Second, it shows that such households are more reliant on the market for food acquisition. Third, the study estimates the elasticity of crop yield, extension services and expenditure on food items on a household's FCS to be about 46 per cent, 26 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. Fourth, it demonstrates that income from agricultural production is distributed less equitably among LUC households. Finally, it shows that the majority of households participating in LUC are highly satisfied with the programme and that households headed by females are likely to be more satisfied with LUC adoption than those headed by males.
American Diabetes Association 77th Scientific Sessions
Authors: Marathe Payal H. , Dove Abigail E. , Close Kelly L.
Published: June 2017

Payal H. Marathe, Abigail E. Dove, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns (http://www.closeconcerns.com), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Marathe, Dove, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.
Enhancing democracy via bureaucracy: Senior managers' social identities and motivation for policy change
Authors: Gilad Sharon , Alon‐Barkat Saar
Published: June 2017

This article challenges the depiction of bureaucracy as a hurdle to democratic responsiveness. It proposes that senior civil servants' (SCSs) dual position as professionals and citizens may enhance government permeability to salient public agendas. Building on social identity theory, we argue that salient public agendas may arouse SCSs' social identification with in‐groups and thereby elicit their motivation for policy change within their task domain. Employing a mixed‐methods design, we analyze SCSs' social identification with the participants of the large‐scale social protests that took place in Israel during the summer of 2011, and their motivation for policy change in response to the protest agenda. We find that SCSs' social identification with the protesters enhanced their motivation for policy change. In addition, SCSs' perception of a conflict between responsiveness to the protest agenda and their organizational or professional identities shaped their preferences for policy solutions more than their motivation for policy change.
Evaluation of the “assessment for continuous treatment with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy” scoring system in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Saeki Issei , Yamasaki Takahiro , Maeda Masaki , Hisanaga Takuro , Iwamoto Takuya , Matsumoto Toshihiko , Hidaka Isao , Ishikawa Tsuyoshi , Takami Taro , Sakaida Isao
Published: June 2017

Aim

Sorafenib is the recommended standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is a treatment option in Asia. We recently developed the assessment for continuous treatment with HAIC (ACTH) score to guide decision‐making for continuous HAIC treatment. The purpose of this study was to validate the utility of the ACTH score in a dedicated cohort.

Methods

One hundred and thirty‐one patients with advanced HCC were enrolled in this study (90 in the training group and 41 in the validation group). The point score (range, 0–3) was calculated as follows: Child–Pugh score before HAIC (A = 0, B = 1), α‐fetoprotein (AFP) response (yes = 0, no = 1), and des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin (DCP) response (yes = 0, no = 1). The AFP and DCP responses were assessed 2 weeks after HAIC induction; a positive response was defined as a reduction of ≥20% from the baseline.

Results

The DCP response in the validation group was significantly associated with treatment response, and the median survival time (MST) was longer in patients with an ACTH score ≤1 (15.9 months) than in those with a score ≥2 (7.0 months; P = 0.002). Survival in all patients showed significant stratification according to the ACTH score; the MSTs associated with scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 points were 21.7, 14.4, 9.5, and 3.8 months, respectively.

Conclusion

The ACTH score can aid in the therapeutic assessment and continued treatment planning of HCC patients receiving HAIC.
Prospective, randomized, controlled study of the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with miriplatin for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Kubota Kousuke , Hidaka Hisashi , Nakazawa Takahide , Okuwaki Yusuke , Yamane Keiko , Inoue Tomoyoshi , Uojima Haruki , Takada Juichi , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Shibuya Akitaka , Fujii Kaoru , Woodhams Reiko , Matsunaga Keiji , Kokubu Shigehiro , Koizumi Wasaburo
Published: June 2017

Aim

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been recognized as a treatment option for patients with intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This randomized, controlled study compared the local control efficacy of TACE with miriplatin (platinum monohydrate) or with epirubicin.

Methods

The study group consisted of 200 Japanese patients with unresectable HCC treated at the Kitasato University East Hospital (Sagamihara, Japan) between July 2010 and June 2013. The primary end‐point of the study was time to tumor progression (TTP).

Results

We analyzed 198 patients (99 in the miriplatin group and 99 in the epirubicin group) treated with TACE. The median TTP in the epirubicin group was 5.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.8–7.0) and 7.6 months (95% CI, 5.8–9.4) in the miriplatin group. There was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.021; risk ratio, 1.488; 95% CI: 1.061–2.086). In the epirubicin group, 53 patients (53%) had complete response, 24 patients (24%) had partial response, 12 patients (12%) had stable disease, and 10 patients (10%) had progressive disease. In the miriplatin group, 38 patients (38%) had complete response, 41 patients (41%) had partial response, 2 patients (2%) had stable disease, and 18 patients (18%) had progressive disease. There was no significant difference in the response rate (P = 0.862). Overall incidences of adverse events and adverse drug reactions did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusion

Miriplatin proved more effective than epirubicin in TACE for unresectable HCC. The trial described in this work has been registered under the trial number: UMIN000004790.
Photoluminescence characterization and heat treatment effect on luminescence behavior of BaTa2O6:Dy3+ phosphor
Authors: İlhan Mustafa , Ekmekçi Mete Kaan , Mergen Ayhan , Yaman Cemalettin
Published: June 2017

Undoped and Dy3+‐doped barium tantalate phosphors were synthesized by the solid‐state reaction method at 1425°C. Also, 10 mol% Dy3+‐doped BaTa2O6 was sintered between 1150 and 1425°C in order to determine temperature effect on structural and luminescence properties. Afterwards, they were characterized by XRD, SEM‐EDS and photoluminescence (PL) analyses. PL spectra exhibited the excitation peaks between 300 and 440 nm. Two typical emissions were observed at 486.2 nm (blue) and 577.7 nm (yellow) due to the 4F9/2→6H15/2 and 4F9/2→6H13/2 transitions, respectively. Emission intensities increased with increasing doping concentration of Dy3+ up to 10 mol% and then decreased due to the concentration quenching effect. Moreover, depending on the increase in heat treatment temperature, the intensity of emission reached maximum at 1425°C. The calculated CIE chromaticity coordinates of phosphors located in the white light region.
Mechanisms of immune regulation in allergic diseases: the role of regulatory T and B cells
Authors: Palomares Oscar , Akdis Mübeccel , Martín‐Fontecha Mar , Akdis Cezmi A.
Published: June 2017

Allergy is a major public health problem with a high socio‐economic impact. The number of allergic patients is expected to reach to four billion within two decades when the World's population reaches to 10 billion. Our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying allergic diseases and allergen tolerance induction had significant advances during the last years. Nowadays, it is well accepted that the generation and maintenance of allergen‐specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) and regulatory B cells (Bregs) and the involvement of their suppressive cytokines and surface molecules are essential for the induction of allergen tolerance. These mechanisms play essential roles for the restoration of healthy immune responses to allergens in allergen‐specific immunotherapy (AIT) and healthy immune response during high‐dose antigen exposure in beekeepers and cat owners. AIT remains as the only disease‐modifying and curative treatment for allergic diseases and represents a perfect model to investigate the antigen‐specific immune responses in humans. A large number of clinical trials demonstrated AIT as an effective treatment in many patients, but it still faces several drawbacks in relation to efficacy, safety, long duration, and patient adherence. Novel strategies to overcome these inconveniences, such as the development of novel adjuvants and alternative routes of administration are being developed. The better understanding of the molecular mechanism governing the generation of Treg and Breg cells during allergen tolerance might well open new avenues for alternative therapeutic interventions in allergic diseases and help better understanding of other immune‐tolerance‐related diseases.
The new American way—how changes in labour law are increasing inequality
Authors: Stelzner Mark
Published: June 2017

How have changes in labour law affected income inequality in the United States over the last half century? Curiously, even though employers have increased the degree to which they break labour law, workers have decreased their utilisation of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the strike. How do we understand the unwillingness of labour to utilise the NLRB and the strike when under increasing attack? To answer these interrelated questions, I analyse three central changes in federal labour law and norms from the middle of the 20th century to present: the usage of permanent replacement workers, adjudication of the main federal labour law—the National Labor Relations Act—and change in administration of the NLRB—the body charged with overseeing the National Labor Relations Act.
Activation of GSK‐3 disrupts cholinergic homoeostasis in nucleus basalis of Meynert and frontal cortex of rats
Authors: Wang Yue , Tian Qing , Liu En‐Jie , Zhao Li , Song Jie , Liu Xin‐An , Ren Qing‐Guo , Jiang Xia , Zeng Juan , Yang Yu‐Tao , Wang Jian‐Zhi
Published: June 2017

The cholinergic impairment is an early marker in Alzheimer's disease (AD), while the mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated here the effects of glycogen synthase kinse‐3 (GSK‐3) activation on the cholinergic homoeostasis in nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) and frontal cortex, the cholinergic enriched regions. We activated GSK‐3 by lateral ventricular infusion of wortmannin (WT) and GF‐109203X (GFX), the inhibitors of phosphoinositol‐3 kinase (PI3‐K) and protein kinase C (PKC), respectively, and significantly decreased the acetylcholine (ACh) level via inhibiting choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) rather than regulating acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Neuronal axonal transport was disrupted and ChAT accumulation occurred in NBM and frontal cortex accompanied with hyperphosphorylation of tau and neurofilaments. Moreover, ChAT expression decreased in NBM attributing to cleavage of nuclear factor‐κB/p100 into p52 for translocation into nucleus to lower ChAT mRNA level. The cholinergic dysfunction could be mimicked by overexpression of GSK‐3 and rescued by simultaneous administration of LiCl or SB216763, inhibitors of GSK‐3. Our data reveal the molecular mechanism that may underlie the cholinergic impairments in AD patients.
Optical coherence tomography predicts 4‐year incident diabetic neuropathy
Authors: Srinivasan Sangeetha , Dehghani Cirous , Pritchard Nicola , Edwards Katie , Russell Anthony W. , Malik Rayaz A. , Efron Nathan
Published: June 2017

Purpose

To examine the capability of optical coherence tomography‐derived retinal thickness measures in detecting 4‐year incident diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Methods

145 eyes of 145 participants with diabetes but no DPN at baseline were examined for incident DPN. HbA1c levels, nephropathy, neuropathy (DPN), cardiovascular measures, and various retinal thickness measures were examined at baseline and after 4 years. Incidence of DPN was defined as newly developed DPN at follow‐up. Baseline factors were assessed by univariate and a step‐wise multiple logistic regression, and the predictors were examined for diagnostic capabilities.

Results

Of the 145 participants without DPN at baseline, 51 had developed DPN when examined after 4 years (35% incidence). Of the ophthalmic variables, the mean (S.D.) of the overall thickness in the parafovea at baseline was 315 (18) μm in the no DPN group and 306 (18) μm in the ‘incidence’ group, and the differences were significant, p = 0.005. The superior hemisphere parafovea (mean (S.D.): 318 (17) μm vs 310 (20) μm, p = 0.02) and inferior hemisphere parafovea (313 (19) μm vs 302 (18) μm, p = 0.002) were different in the incident DPN group compared with the no DPN group. When adjusted for age, retinal thickness in the parafovea (AUC = 0.65, p = 0.003, 86% sensitivity and 44% specificity at 321 μm criterion), and body mass index or BMI (AUC = 0.65, p = 0.003, 49% sensitivity and 83% specificity at 29.3 kg m−2 criterion) at baseline were significant predictors for 4‐year incident DPN.

Conclusions

A lower retinal thickness at the parafovea and a higher BMI can predict 4‐year incident neuropathy in patients with diabetes, with acceptable diagnostic accuracies. This OCT‐derived measure may serve as a potential ophthalmic marker in the screening of patients at risk of developing DPN.
Brachiopods: origin and early history
Authors: Harper David A. T. , Popov Leonid E. , Holmer Lars E.
Published: June 2017

Despite many major advances in recent years, three key challenges remain in bringing clarity to the early history of the phylum: (1) identifying the origin, morphology and life modes of the first brachiopods; (2) understanding the relationships of the major groups to each other and higher sister taxa; and (3) unravelling the roles of the Cambrian and Ordovician radiations that set the agenda for much of subsequent brachiopod evolution. Since some 95% of all brachiopod taxa are extinct, the fossil record is the primary source of data to frame and test models for the evolution of the phylum. The acquisition of new, and the redescription of existing faunas, in precise spatial and temporal frameworks, using new and well‐established analytical and investigative techniques, are as important as ever.