bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of extreme sea surface temperature events on the demography of an age-structured albatross population
Authors: Pardo Deborah , Jenouvrier Stéphanie , Weimerskirch Henri , Barbraud Christophe
Published: May 2017

Climate changes include concurrent changes in environmental mean, variance and extremes, and it is challenging to understand their respective impact on wild populations, especially when contrasted age-dependent responses to climate occur. We assessed how changes in mean and standard deviation of sea surface temperature (SST), frequency and magnitude of warm SST extreme climatic events (ECE) influenced the stochastic population growth rate log(
λ
s
) and age structure of a black-browed albatross population. For changes in SST around historical levels observed since 1982, changes in standard deviation had a larger (threefold) and negative impact on log(
λ
s
) compared to changes in mean. By contrast, the mean had a positive impact on log(
λ
s
). The historical SST mean was lower than the optimal SST value for which log(
λ
s
) was maximized. Thus, a larger environmental mean increased the occurrence of SST close to this optimum that buffered the negative effect of ECE. This ‘climate safety margin’ (i.e. difference between optimal and historical climatic conditions) and the specific shape of the population growth rate response to climate for a species determine how ECE affect the population. For a wider range in SST, both the mean and standard deviation had negative impact on log(
λ
s
), with changes in the mean having a greater effect than the standard deviation. Furthermore, around SST historical levels increases in either mean or standard deviation of the SST distribution led to a younger population, with potentially important conservation implications for black-browed albatrosses.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Climate change, climatic variation and extreme biological responses
Authors: Palmer Georgina , Platts Philip J. , Brereton Tom , Chapman Jason W. , Dytham Calvin , Fox Richard , Pearce-Higgins James W. , Roy David B. , Hill Jane K. , Thomas Chris D.
Published: May 2017

Extreme climatic events could be major drivers of biodiversity change, but it is unclear whether extreme biological changes are (i) individualistic (species- or group-specific), (ii) commonly associated with unusual climatic events and/or (iii) important determinants of long-term population trends. Using population time series for 238 widespread species (207 Lepidoptera and 31 birds) in England since 1968, we found that population ‘crashes’ (outliers in terms of species' year-to-year population changes) were 46% more frequent than population ‘explosions’. (i) Every year, at least three species experienced extreme changes in population size, and in 41 of the 44 years considered, some species experienced population crashes while others simultaneously experienced population explosions. This suggests that, even within the same broad taxonomic groups, species are exhibiting individualistic dynamics, most probably driven by their responses to different, short-term events associated with climatic variability. (ii) Six out of 44 years showed a significant excess of species experiencing extreme population changes (5 years for Lepidoptera, 1 for birds). These ‘consensus years’ were associated with climatically extreme years, consistent with a link between extreme population responses and climatic variability, although not all climatically extreme years generated excess numbers of extreme population responses. (iii) Links between extreme population changes and long-term population trends were absent in Lepidoptera and modest (but significant) in birds. We conclude that extreme biological responses are individualistic, in the sense that the extreme population changes of most species are taking place in different years, and that long-term trends of widespread species have not, to date, been dominated by these extreme changes.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Evolution caused by extreme events
Authors: Grant Peter R. , Grant B. Rosemary , Huey Raymond B. , Johnson Marc T. J. , Knoll Andrew H. , Schmitt Johanna
Published: May 2017

Extreme events can be a major driver of evolutionary change over geological and contemporary timescales. Outstanding examples are evolutionary diversification following mass extinctions caused by extreme volcanism or asteroid impact. The evolution of organisms in contemporary time is typically viewed as a gradual and incremental process that results from genetic change, environmental perturbation or both. However, contemporary environments occasionally experience strong perturbations such as heat waves, floods, hurricanes, droughts and pest outbreaks. These extreme events set up strong selection pressures on organisms, and are small-scale analogues of the dramatic changes documented in the fossil record. Because extreme events are rare, almost by definition, they are difficult to study. So far most attention has been given to their ecological rather than to their evolutionary consequences. We review several case studies of contemporary evolution in response to two types of extreme environmental perturbations, episodic (pulse) or prolonged (press). Evolution is most likely to occur when extreme events alter community composition. We encourage investigators to be prepared for evolutionary change in response to rare events during long-term field studies.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Quantifying thermal extremes and biological variation to predict evolutionary responses to changing climate
Authors: Kingsolver Joel G. , Buckley Lauren B.
Published: May 2017

Central ideas from thermal biology, including thermal performance curves and tolerances, have been widely used to evaluate how changes in environmental means and variances generate changes in fitness, selection and microevolution in response to climate change. We summarize the opportunities and challenges for extending this approach to understanding the consequences of extreme climatic events. Using statistical tools from extreme value theory, we show how distributions of thermal extremes vary with latitude, time scale and climate change. Second, we review how performance curves and tolerances have been used to predict the fitness and evolutionary responses to climate change and climate gradients. Performance curves and tolerances change with prior thermal history and with time scale, complicating their use for predicting responses to thermal extremes. Third, we describe several recent case studies showing how infrequent extreme events can have outsized effects on the evolution of performance curves and heat tolerance. A key issue is whether thermal extremes affect reproduction or survival, and how these combine to determine overall fitness. We argue that a greater focus on tails—in the distribution of environmental extremes, and in the upper ends of performance curves—is needed to understand the consequences of extreme events.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Effects of extreme weather on two sympatric Australian passerine bird species
Authors: Gardner Janet L. , Rowley Eleanor , de Rebeira Perry , de Rebeira Alma , Brouwer Lyanne
Published: May 2017

Despite abundant evidence that natural populations are responding to climate change, there are few demonstrations of how extreme climatic events (ECEs) affect fitness. Climate warming increases adverse effects of exposure to high temperatures, but alsoreducesexposure to cold ECEs. Here, we investigate variation in survival associated with severity of summer and winter conditions, and whether survival is better predicted by ECEs than mean temperatures using data from two coexisting bird species monitored over 37 years in southwestern Australia, red-winged fairy-wrens,Malurus elegansand white-browed scrubwrens,Sericornis frontalis. Changes in survival were associated with temperature extremes more strongly than average temperatures. In scrubwrens, winter ECEs were associated with survival within the same season. In both species, survival was associated with body size, and there was evidence that size-dependent mortality was mediated by carry-over effects of climate in the previous season. For fairy-wrens, mean body size declined over time but this could not be explained by size-dependent mortality as the effects of body size on survival were consistently positive. Our study demonstrates how ECEs can have individual-level effects on survival that are not reflected in long-term morphological change, and the same climatic conditions can affect similar-sized, coexisting species in different ways.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Multiple extreme climatic events strengthen selection for earlier breeding in a wild passerine
Authors: Marrot Pascal , Garant Dany , Charmantier Anne
Published: May 2017

Global climate warming results in an increase in mean temperatures and in the frequency of extreme climatic events (ECEs), which could both strongly impact ecosystems and populations. Most studies assessing the impact of global warming on ecosystems have focused on warming trends while neglecting ECEs. In particular, the effects of multiple ECEs on fitness, and their consequences for selection, are still missing. Here we explored the effects of daily extreme rainfalls, as well as the occurrence of extremely hot and cold days, on clutch size and laying date in a wild blue tit population (
Cyanistes caeruleus
) monitored over 25 years. During the nestling phase (8–15 days old), the number of fledglings in a brood was negatively correlated with extremely hot days. The presence of extremely hot days between days 8 and 15 was also associated with an increase in the strength of selection acting on laying date, independently of mean temperature trends during the same period: when 10% of broods in the population experienced this type of ECE, selection for earlier breeding increased by 39%. Our results represent a unique quantification of the impact of multiple ECEs on the fitness landscape and emphasize their role as climatic drivers of selection.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events’.
Lower extremity mycotic aneurysm in a patient with Listeria monocytogenes – associated prosthetic valve endocarditis
Authors: Rahmati Elham , Jan Geiseler P , She Rosemary C
Published: May 2017

Introduction.
Listeria monocytogenes is a rare etiology of infectious endocarditis with only 30 cases of prosthetic valve and about twice as many native valve infections described in the literature. We describe an unusual presentation of an endovascular embolic phenomenon with associated lower extremity mycotic aneurysm due to Listeria monocytogenes prosthetic aortic valve and aortic endograft infection.

Case presentation. This is a case of an elderly gentleman with prior history of bioprosthetic aortic valve placement and aortic arch repair who was admitted with several weeks of constitutional symptoms and left lower leg pain. Diagnostic work-up was consistent with thrombosed popliteal artery aneurysm. Blood cultures were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. A transesophageal echocardiogram revealed vegetation on the bioprosthetic valve. The patient underwent arterial bypass and ligation of the aneurysm as well as redoing of his aortic valve and aortic graft replacement. Histopathology of the aortic valve was remarkable for acute inflammation and Gram-positive coccobacilli and bacilli occupying intracellular spaces. The results of broad-range bacterial 16S rRNA PCR and sequence analysis of unfixed aortic valve tissue confirmed detection of L. monocytogenes.

Conclusion. Infective endocarditis attributable to species of the genus Listeriais a rare entity. As such, there are no specific guidelines for treatment of Listeria monocytogenesendocarditis. However, combination of penicillin or ampicillin with gentamicin is the most acceptable approach described in the literature. Our patient was treated with ampicillin and gentamicin for 6 weeks followed by life-long amoxicillin suppression therapy. The patient remained asymptomatic at a 6 months follow up visit.
The Human Cell Atlas
Authors: Regev Aviv , Teichmann Sarah A. , Lander Eric S. , Amit Ido , Benoist Christophe , Birney Ewan , Bodenmiller Bernd , Campbell Peter , Carninci Piero , Clatworthy Menna , Clevers Hans , Deplancke Bart , Dunham Ian , Eberwine James , Eils Roland , Enard Wolfgang , Farmer Andrew , Fugger Lars , Göttgens Berthold , Hacohen Nir , Haniffa Muzlifah , Hemberg Martin , Kim Seung , Klenerman Paul , Kriegstein Arnold , Lein Ed , Linnarsson Sten , Lundeberg Joakim , Majumder Partha , Marioni John C. , Merad Miriam , Mhlanga Musa , Nawijn Martijn , Netea Mihai , Nolan Garry , Pe’er Dana , Phillipakis Anthony , Ponting Chris P. , Quake Steve , Reik Wolf , Rozenblatt-Rosen Orit , Sanes Joshua , Satija Rahul , Schumacher Ton N. , Shalek Alex , Shapiro Ehud , Sharma Padmanee , Shin Jay W. , Stegle Oliver , Stratton Michael , Stubbington Michael J. T. , van Oudenaarden Alexander , Wagner Allon , Watt Fiona , Weissman Jonathan , Wold Barbara , Xavier Ramnik , Yosef Nir ,   the Human Cell Atlas Meeting Participants
Published: May 2017

The recent advent of methods for high-throughput single-cell molecular profiling has catalyzed a growing sense in the scientific community that the time is ripe to complete the 150-year-old effort to identify all cell types in the human body, by undertaking a Human Cell Atlas Project as an international collaborative effort. The aim would be to define all human cell types in terms of distinctive molecular profiles (e.g., gene expression) and connect this information with classical cellular descriptions (e.g., location and morphology). A comprehensive reference map of the molecular state of cells in healthy human tissues would propel the systematic study of physiological states, developmental trajectories, regulatory circuitry and interactions of cells, as well as provide a framework for understanding cellular dysregulation in human disease. Here we describe the idea, its potential utility, early proofs-of-concept, and some design considerations for the Human Cell Atlas.
Genetic epidemiology and Mendelian randomization for informing disease therapeutics: conceptual and methodological challenges
Authors: Paternoster Lavinia , Tilling Kate , Smith George Davey
Published: May 2017

The past decade has been proclaimed as a hugely successful era of gene discovery through the high yields of many genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, much of the perceived benefit of such discoveries lies in the promise that the identification of genes that influence disease would directly translate into the identification of potential therapeutic targets (1-4), but this has yet to be realised at a level reflecting expectation. One reason for this, we suggest, is that GWAS to date have generally not focused on phenotypes that directly relate to the progression of disease, and thus speak to disease treatment.
Low-cost HPV testing and the prevalence of cervical infection in asymptomatic populations in Guatemala
Authors: Lou Hong , Gharzouzi Eduardo , Guerra Sarita Polo , Domgue Joël Fokom , Torres-Gonzalez Edmundo , Sawitzke Julie , Villagran Guillermo , Garland Lisa , Boland Joseph , Wagner Sarah , Martinez Joanna , Rosas Héctor , Troxler Jami , McMillen Heidi , Kessing Bailey , Alvirez Enrique , Castillo Miriam , Morales Hesler , Argueta Victor , Rosingh Andert , van Aerde-van Nunen Femke J.H.B. , Pinedo Herbert M. , Lopez Griselda , Schiffman Mark , Dean Michael , Orozco Roberto
Published: May 2017

Background

A low cost and accurate method for detecting high-risk (HR) HPV is important to permit HPV testing for cervical cancer prevention. We validated a low-cost commercially available HPV method (H13, Hybribio, Hong Kong) and determined the distribution of HPV infections in over 1717 cancer-free women in Guatemala.

Methods

H13 results were compared with two more established HPV tests: (Xpert™ (Cepheid) and SPF10-LIPA25™ (DDL)) in 40 mainly known positive specimens. HR-HPV was detected in cervical samples from 1717 cancer-free women receiving Pap smears using the Hybribio™ realtime PCR assay of 13 HR types. Selected HPV positive samples were sequenced to determine viral type.

Results

The Hybribio H13 Assay showed 93% identical results with Xpert, and 89% with SPF10-LIPA25. A total of 13% (226/1717) of women tested HPV+. The highest prevalence was found in younger women (<30 years, 22 %) and older ones (≥60 years, 15%). The six most common HR-HPV types among the 148 HPV+ typed were HPV16 (22%), HPV18 (11%), HPV39 (11%), HPV58 (10%), HPV52 (8%), and HPV45 (8%).

Conclusions

The Hybribio Assay was low cost, and accurate in testing for HR-HPV infection. As in most places, HPV16 was the most prevalent HR type in Guatemala and the age-specific prevalence curve peaked in younger ages.

Highlights

A low cost and accurate method, Hybribio Assay, could be used for CC testing in low income regions.

A total of 13% of cancer-free women were HPV+ and positivity was associated with younger age (<30 years old) in Guatemala.

HPV16 was the major prevalent type.
Attention is required for knowledge-based sequential grouping of syllables into words
Authors: Ding Nai , Pan Xunyi , Luo Cheng , Su Naifei , Zhang Wen , Zhang Jianfeng
Published: May 2017

How the brain sequentially groups sensory events into temporal chunks and how this process is modulated by attention are fundamental questions in cognitive neuroscience. Sequential grouping includes bottom-up primitive grouping and top-down knowledge-based grouping. In speech perception, grouping acoustic features into syllables can rely on bottom-up acoustic continuity cues but grouping syllables into words critically relies on the listener’s lexical knowledge. This study investigates whether top-down attention is required to apply lexical knowledge to group syllables into words, by concurrently monitoring neural entrainment to syllables and words using electroencephalography (EEG). When attention is directed to a competing speech stream or cross-modally to a silent movie, neural entrainment to syllables is weakened but neural entrainment to words largely diminishes. These results strongly suggest that knowledge-based grouping of syllables into words requires top-down attention and is a bottleneck for the neural processing of unattended speech.
Neuronal inhibition of the autophagy nucleation complex extends lifespan in post-reproductiveC. elegans
Authors: Wilhelm Thomas , Byrne Jonathan , Medina Rebeca , Kolundzic Ena , Geisinger Johannes , Hajduskova Martina , Tursun Baris , Richly Holger
Published: May 2017

Autophagy is a ubiquitous catabolic process, which causes cellular bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components and thereby regulates cellular homeostasis. Inactivation of autophagy has been linked with detrimental effects to cells and organisms. The antagonistic pleiotropy theory postulates that fitness promoting genes during youth are harmful during aging (Williams 1957). On this basis we examined genes mediating post-reproductive longevity using an RNA interference screen. From this screen we identified 30 novel regulators of post-reproductive longevity includingpha-4. Through downstream analysis ofpha-4we identify that genes governing the early stages of autophagy up until the stage of vesicle nucleation, such asbec-1, strongly extend both lifespan and healthspan. Further, our data demonstrates that the improvements in health and longevity are mediated through the neurons - resulting in reduced neurodegeneration and sarcopenia. We propose that autophagy switches from advantageous to harmful in the context of an age-associated dysfunction.
Sex differentiation in grayling (Salmonidae) goes through an all-male stage and is delayed in genetic males who instead grow faster
Authors: Maitre Diane , Selmoni Oliver M. , Uppal Anshu , da Cunha Lucas Marques , Wilkins Laetitia G. E. , Roux Julien , Mobley Kenyon B. , Knörr Susanne , Robinson-Rechavi Marc , Wedekind Claus
Published: May 2017

Fish can be threatened by distorted sex ratios that arise during sex differentiation. It is therefore important to understand sex determination and differentiation, especially in river-dwelling fish that are often exposed to environmental factors that may interfere with sex differentiation. However, sex differentiation is not sufficiently understood in keystone taxa such as the Thymallinae, one of the three salmonid subfamilies. Here we study a wild grayling (Thymallus thymallus) population that suffers from distorted sex ratios. We found sex determination in the wild and in captivity to be genetic and linked to the sdY locus. We therefore studied sex-specific gene expression in embryos and early larvae that were bred and raised under different experimental conditions, and we studied gonadal morphology in five monthly samples taken after hatching. Significant sex-specific changes in gene expression (affecting about 25,000 genes) started around hatching. Gonads were still undifferentiated three weeks after hatching, but about half of the fish showed immature testes around seven weeks after hatching. Over the next few months, this phenotype was mostly replaced by the “testis-to-ovary” or “ovaries” phenotypes. The gonads of the remaining fish, i.e. approximately half of the fish in each sampling period, remained undifferentiated until six months after fertilization. Genetic sexing of the last two samples revealed that fish with undifferentiated gonads were all males, who, by that time, were on average larger than the genetic females (verified in 8-months old juveniles raised in another experiment). Only 12% of the genetic males showed testicular tissue six months after fertilization. We conclude that sex differentiation starts around hatching, goes through an all-male stage for both sexes (which represents a rare case of “undifferentiated” gonochoristic species that usually go through an all-female stage), and is delayed in males who, instead of developing their gonads, grow faster than females during these juvenile stages.

Author contribution

MRR and CW initiated the project. DM, OS, AU, LMC, LW, and CW sampled the adult fish, did the experimentalin vitrofertilizations, and prepared the embryos for experimental rearing in the laboratory. All further manipulations on the embryos and the larvae were done by DM, OS, AU, LMC, and LW. The RNA-seq data were analyzed by OS, JR, and MRR, the histological analyses were done by DM, supervised by SK, and the molecular genetic sexing was performed by DM, OS, AU, and KBM. DM, OS, and CW performed the remaining statistical analyses and wrote the first version of the manuscript that was then critically revised by all other authors.
Integrated Bayesian analysis of rare exonic variants to identify risk genes for schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Nguyen Hoang T , Bryois Julien , Kim April , Dobbyn Amanda , Huckins Laura M , Munoz-Manchado Ana B , Ruderfer Douglas M , Genovese Giulio , Fromer Menachem , Xu Xinyi , Pinto Dalila , Linnarsson Sten , Verhage Matthijs , Smit August B , Hjerling-Leffler Jens , Buxbaum Joseph , Hultman Christina , Sklar Pamela , Purcell Shaun M , Lage Kasper , He Xin , Sullivan Patrick F , Stahl Eli A
Published: May 2017

Background:

Integrating rare variation from trio family and case/control studies has successfully implicated specific genes contributing to risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), developmental disorders (DD), and epilepsy (EPI). For schizophrenia (SCZ), however, while sets of genes have been implicated through study of rare variation, only two risk genes have been identified.

Methods:

We used hierarchical Bayesian modeling of rare variant genetic architecture to estimate mean effect sizes and risk-gene proportions, analyzing the largest available collection of whole exome sequence (WES) data for schizophrenia (1,077 trios, 6,699 cases and 13,028 controls), and data for four NDDs (ASD, ID, DD, and EPI; total 10,792 trios, and 4,058 cases and controls).

Results:

For SCZ, we estimate 1,551 risk genes, more risk genes and weaker effects than for NDDs. We provide power analyses to predict the number of risk gene discoveries as more data become available, demonstrating greater value of case-control over trio samples. We confirm and augment prior risk gene and gene set enrichment results for SCZ and NDDs. In particular, we detected 98 new DD risk genes at FDR<0.05. Correlations of risk-gene posterior probabilities are high across four NDDs (ρ >0.55), but low between SCZ and the NDDs (ρ <0.3). In depth analysis of 288 NDD genes shows highly significant protein-protein interaction (PPI) network connectivity, and functionally distinct PPI subnetworks based on pathway enrichments, single-cell RNA-seq (scRNAseq) cell types and multi-region developmental brain RNA-seq.

Conclusions:

We have extended a pipeline used in ASD studies and applied it to infer rare genetic parameters for SCZ and four NDDs. We find many new DD risk genes, supported by gene set enrichment and PPI network connectivity analyses. We find greater similarity among NDDs than between NDDs and SCZ. NDD gene subnetworks are implicated in postnatally expressed presynaptic and postsynaptic genes, and for transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation in prenatal neural progenitor and stem cells.
Epha2, an epithelial cell pattern recognition receptor for fungal β-glucans
Authors: Swidergall Marc , Solis Norma V. , Filler Scott G.
Published: May 2017

Oral epithelial cells discriminate between pathogenic and non-pathogenic stimuli, and only induce an inflammatory response when they are exposed to high levels of a potentially harmful microorganism. The pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in epithelial cells that mediate this differential response are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EphA2) is an oral epithelial cell PRR that binds to exposed β-glucans on the surface of the fungal pathogenCandida albicans. Binding ofC. albicansto EphA2 on oral epithelial cells activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in an inoculum-dependent manner, and is required for induction of a pro-inflammatory and antifungal response. Inhibition of EphA2 in mice decreases IL-17 signaling during oropharyngeal candidiasis, resulting in increased oral fungal burden and fungal dissemination. Our study reveals that EphA2 functions as PRR for β-glucans that senses epithelial cell fungal burden and is required for the maximal mucosal inflammatory response toC. albicans.

One Sentence Summary:

EphA2 is a pattern recognition receptor that senses fungal β-glucans to induce an inflammatory response in oral epithelial cells.
Genome comparisons indicate recent transfer ofwRi-likeWolbachiabetween sister speciesDrosophila suzukiiandD. subpulchrella
Authors: Conner William R. , Blaxter Mark L. , Anfora Gianfranco , Ometto Lino , Rota-Stabelli Omar , Turelli Michael
Published: May 2017

Wolbachiaendosymbionts may be acquired by horizontal transfer, by introgression through hybridization between closely related species, or by cladogenic retention during speciation. All three modes of acquisition have been demonstrated, but their relative frequency is largely unknown.Drosophila suzukiiand its sister speciesD. subpulchrellaharborWolbachia, denotedwSuz andwSpc, very closely related towRi, identified in California populations ofD. simulans.However, these variants differ in their induced phenotypes:wRi causes significant cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) inD. simulans, but CI has not been detected inD. suzukiiorD. subpulchrella.Our draft genomes ofwSuz andwSpc contain full-length copies of 703 of the 734 single-copy genes found inwRi. Over these coding sequences,wSuz andwSpc differ by only 0.004% (i.e., 28 of 704,883 bp); they are sisters relative towRi, from which each differs by 0.014-0.015%. Using published data fromD. melanogaster, Nasoniawasps andNomadabees to calibrate relative rates ofWolbachiaversus host nuclear divergence, we conclude thatwSuz andwSpc are too similar - by at least a factor of 100 - to be plausible candidates for cladogenic transmission. These threewRi-likeWolbachia, which differ in CI phenotype in their native hosts, have different numbers of orthologs of genes postulated to contribute to CI; and the CI loci differ at several nucleotides that may account for the CI difference. We discuss the general problem of distinguishing alternative modes ofWolbachiaacquisition, focusing on the difficulties posed by limited knowledge of variation in absolute and relative rates of molecular evolution for host nuclear genomes, mitochondria andWolbachia.
5′-Benzylidene-1′′-methyl-4′′-phenyltrispiro[1,3-dioxolane-2,1′-cyclohexane-3′,3′′-pyrrolidine-2′′,3′′′-indole]-4′,2′′′-dione
Authors: Chandralekha Kuppan , Gavaskar Deivasigamani , Sureshbabu Adukamparai Rajukrishnan , Lakshmi Srinivasakannan
Published: May 2017

In the title compound, C32H30N2O4, two spiro links connect the methyl-substituted pyrrolidine ring to the oxindole and cyclohexanone rings. The cyclohexanone ring is further connected to the dioxalane ring by a third spiro junction. Both the pyrrolidine and dioxalane rings adopt a twist conformation. The indole ring is nearly planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.0296 (7) Å, and the cyclohexanone ring adopts a distorted boat conformation. In the crystal, C—H...O and N—H...N hydrogen-bonding interactions connect molecules into chains running parallel to thebaxis, which are further linked into layers parallel to theabplane by C—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Linking Halal food certification and business performance
Authors: Ab Talib Mohamed Syazwan , Ai Chin Thoo , Fischer Johan
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between Halal food certification (HFC) and business performance. This study argues that Halal food certificate implementation positively influences business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 210 Halal certified food manufacturing companies in Malaysia participated in the study. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire and were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

The study proved that HFC has a positive relationship with operational performance. Additionally, operational performance mediates the relationship between HFC and financial performance. Altogether, this signifies that Halal food certificate implementation positively influences business performance.

Practical implications

By linking HFC and business performance, managers may be aware of the significant role of HFC in influencing operational and financial performance. It would entice more food companies to become Halal certified that opens up an opportunity to a lucrative Halal food industry. It also empirically justifies that a religion-based food certification has the ability to influence business performance, consistent with other established food standards such as ISO 22000 or HACCP.

Originality/value

Although numerous studies have concentrated on well-established food certifications, the expanding Muslim population, rising demand for Halal food, and lucrative Halal food market have raised the attention on HFC research among academicians and practitioners. This research is able to highlight the importance of implementing HFC among food companies as it could potentially lead to superior business outcomes.
Information used in food shoppers’ vegetable purchasing decisions in Chinese societies
Authors: Hsu Jane Lu , Shiue Charlene W. , Hung Kelsey J.-R.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reveal influential information used in vegetable purchasing decisions of household primary food shoppers in China and in Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

Two in-person surveys were administrated separately in Shanghai, China and in Taipei, Taiwan, the two most populous metropolitan areas in China and in Taiwan, respectively.

Findings

Results reveal that about 32 per cent of respondents in Taipei purchase vegetables once in every two to three days. The majority of respondents in Shanghai (81 per cent) purchase vegetables on a daily basis. Results of factor analysis reveal the four dimensions, origin labelling, promotion, selection, and quality, influence purchasing decisions of respondents in Taipei and in Shanghai. For household primary food shoppers in Taipei, origin labelling and selection help food shoppers in Taipei in vegetable purchasing decisions, but not promotion. For those food shoppers in Shanghai who purchase large volume of vegetables, quality is the most important factor in purchasing decisions.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into vegetable purchasing decisions in two populous cities in China and Taiwan. The contributions of this study are to provide valuable information in vegetable purchasing decisions for effective information communication in retailing; and to fill in the gap of research in vegetable purchasing decisions in consumer behaviour studies in Chinese societies.
Food deserts: is it only about a limited access?
Authors: Rodier Francine , Durif Fabien , Ertz Myriam
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Previous research has extensively examined “food deserts,” where access to healthy food is limited. However, little is known of the buying behavior at the individual household level in terms of buying habits and consumption in these areas. The purpose of this paper is to determine to what extent other factors than access can account for the purchase of healthy food products, namely, fruits and vegetables.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes to partially fill this gap through a qualitative (n=55) and quantitative (n=512) study of those people who are in charge of their household purchases in two food deserts in the city of Montreal.

Findings

Results show that geographical access to supermarkets is not the main factor fostering the purchase of healthy foods (fruits and vegetables). Indeed, food education (e.g. information, simple recipes, cooking classes), associated with a changing mediation process through product diversification (e.g. availability of local products in bulk) and supply (e.g. farmers) seems to be more significant.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies could compare the results obtained through this study in different socio-demographic contexts. Longitudinal analyses could also increase the understanding of the social and commercial challenges.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous studies, the results show that geographical access to supermarkets is not the main factor fostering the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Indeed, food education (e.g. information, simple recipes, cooking classes), associated with a changing mediation process through product diversification (e.g. products in bulk) and supply (e.g. farmers) seem to be more significant.
Importance of wine attributes: a South African Generation Y perspective
Authors: Lategan Benjamin Wilhelm , Pentz Chris D. , du Preez Ronel
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to: determine the relative importance that Generation Y consumers indicate for 13 wine attributes in their selection of wine; determine if these wine attributes are significantly distinct in importance in the mind of the consumer; and compare the wine attribute importance findings with the US findings of Chrysochou et al. (2012).

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative data were gathered from a convenience student sample (n=429) to which the Best-Worst Scaling method was applied for 13 pre-determined wine attributes in a Balanced Incomplete Block Design. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, t-tests and mixed model repeated measure ANOVA.

Findings

Respondents were able to differentiate between the importance of wine attributes. Taste was the most important wine attribute followed by someone recommended it. Alcohol level below 13 per cent was least important. Firm controlled information such as information on back label was of little importance. South African Generation Y consumers seem to select wine similarly to those in the USA.

Originality/value

Findings contribute to generation-based research in wine marketing and increase the understanding of the wine selection behaviour of Generation Y consumers in South Africa. More effective marketing strategies to Generation Y consumers can result to grow wine consumption in this significant segment.
Observed food safety behaviors among consumers and employees in university food courts
Authors: Her EunSol , Seo Soobin , Choi Jihee , Pool Victor , Ilic Sanja
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine food safety behaviors of consumers and employees at university food courts.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a smartphone-based observation technique, a total of 149 consumers and 34 employees were observed at three food courts at a mid-western university in the USA. The observational tool recorded 30 sequential transactions of each individual, allowing researchers to identify the compliance rate to the rubric. Both descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance were used for data analysis.

Findings

This study found a low compliance rate of food safety practices among consumers and employees at university food courts. Consumers’ food safety practices varied depending on gender, observed ethnicity and party size, while none of those factors was significant for employees. Specifically, females, Caucasians, and lone diners showed higher non-compliance rates than those of males, non-Caucasians and group diners.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the study raise the pressing needs of developing effective risk communication strategies at university food courts for both consumers and employees in order to reduce the potential risk of foodborne illness outbreaks.

Originality/value

University food courts are not only major foodservice operations for on-campus populations as well as off-campus visitors and the local public, but also the presence of shared dining area pertains the potential risk of foodborne illnesses. However, lack of attention has been paid to the food safety issues at university food courts, and especially food safety behaviors of consumers. This study extended the knowledge of previous food safety literature by adopting a smartphone-based observation technique and developing a rubric customized for consumers and employees at university food courts.
Managing performance better: advent of a new appraisal system at Infosys Limited
Authors: Shrivastava Shweta , Rajesh Anupama
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the importance and impact of performance appraisals on morale and productivity of employees while describing one of the most popular tools for appraisals, the bell curve. It draws attention to how owing to the various flaws of the bell curve system, few organizations, such as Infosys, are now adopting alternative systems of appraisals.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes various advantages and disadvantages of the bell curve in detail. It also describes iCount, an appraisal system based on open ranking that has been adopted by Infosys, and discusses the expected advantages and disadvantages of the new system vis-à-vis the bell curve.

Findings

Organizations are now questioning the effectiveness of the bell curve, as a performance management tool, in light of its drawbacks. Infosys Limited has, therefore, moved to an alternative system named iCount, which is expected to be more effective and to enhance the morale of its employees.

Originality/value

This paper scrutinizes the bell curve approach to performance appraisals, its premise, distinct advantages, and adverse impact on employees, that have led Infosys Limited to move on to a feedback-based system.
Apprehending mindsets in employee development
Authors: Lyons Paul R. , Bandura Randall P.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to provide pragmatic guidance to HR practitioners and managers in the understanding and use of the psychological concept of mindset. This paper expresses a description of what mindset is and how it normally functions, as well as information about how mindset behavior is found in employee behavior on a day-to-day basis. Finally, examples are provided which show ways that managers and HR practitioners may use mindset information in coaching and mentoring employees to improve functioning and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Academic research is reviewed. A brief summary of the relevant literature provides support for the descriptions, manifestation, and examples of mindset behavior.

Findings

Available academic research can provide useful information for practicing HR professionals and managers in encouraging and motivating employees toward enhanced performance.

Originality/value

Practical information is derived from academic research to equip managers and HR practitioners with helpful tools which can be used in real situations involving supervision of employees.
Entrepreneuring gender diversity in entrepreneurship through critical theory and reflexivity
Authors: Wheadon Mandy , Duval-Couetil Nathalie
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of conflicts between the innovation ideologies fundamental to entrepreneurial theory and the exclusivity embedded in the discipline’s research and discursive practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon entrepreneurship and critical theory literature to deconstruct some embedded assumptions inhibiting the participation of women as entrepreneurs.

Findings

The underrepresentation of female and minority entrepreneurs has been examined most often by researchers from the perspective of trying to discover and overcome barriers to participation, rather than seeking to understand why and how these barriers are created and sustained. The paper identifies processes contributing to the construction of obstacles inhibiting inclusivity and proposes that conscientious implementation of practices such as critical reflexivity can limit their reproduction.

Research limitations/implications

By situating critical theory and reflexivity as key practices for cultivating diversity and innovation in entrepreneurship, this paper offers a useful basis for expanding subsequent research and pedagogical practices representative of a wider variety of populations and activities.

Practical implications

Entrepreneurship is key to job creation and economic growth. Rigid conceptualizations of entrepreneurship and unexamined biases of scholars and educators limit the accessibility of research and constrain students’ entrepreneurial intentions and behaviors.

Originality/value

The paper fills a gap in the literature by exploring disciplinary practices that cultivate and sustain gender exclusivity. It provides a structured approach to understanding discrepancies between the innovation entrepreneurship idealizes and the practices that confine participation to specific populations and economic practices.
Gender, leadership and venture capital: measuring women’s leadership in VC firm portfolios
Authors: Aidis Ruta , Schillo R. Sandra
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a new index summarizing women’s leadership in entrepreneurial ventures (WLEV) in the context of venture capital (VC) firm portfolios. Gender representation among VC portfolio firms is a concern for academics, and increasingly for practitioners aiming to reap the benefits of gender diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the institutional theory and gender role congruity theory, the authors present dimensions of women’s involvement in leadership roles in VC-funded companies. As previous research has not provided standard definitions, the authors clarify the relevant dimensions. In addition, the authors present an empirical analysis of 153 VC fund portfolios and demonstrate women’s involvement across the three key dimensions forming the WLEV Index: involvement in leadership, management and founding of portfolio companies.

Findings

The authors present a summary of WLEV index aligned with previous research. The index has suitable characteristics for future research and introduces a first comparison with existing statistics. The authors’ findings show relatively low scores of women’s leadership in the VC portfolio companies investigated, especially as compared to average USA companies.

Originality/value

This paper introduces standardized definitions for women’s leadership in terms of: women-led, women-founded and women-managed. This paper also introduces a methodology and constructs an index to uniformly compare VC firm portfolio companies according to all three dimensions of women’s leadership. These contributions can be expected to form the basis of future research on gender representation in VC portfolio companies.
S.62 LPA 1925: restating the case for reform
Authors: Poulsom Michael W.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how S.62 LPA 1925 and its equivalent provisions in other jurisdictions have been interpreted as having the capacity to create new easements. It is intended to identify that the theoretical justification for this interpretation can be viewed as flawed, and that its practical implications are unsatisfactory. It intends to restate the need for reform and to challenge arguments that this interpretation is correct and justified.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines and analyses the origins of the principle that S.62 LPA 1925 can create new legal rights, consider similar provisions from other jurisdictions, examine recent attempts to justify the creative effect of the section and offer observations on proposals for reform.

Findings

It is found that the ability of S.62 LPA 1925 to create legal easements from precarious rights has been replicated in many jurisdictions, has been widely criticised as both incorrect in principle and problematic in practice and has been the subject of well-reasoned and workable proposals for reform for more than 40 years.

Originality/value

From both theoretical and property practitioner perspectives, this paper highlights the lack of justification for the principle that S.62 LPA can create easements from precarious rights, challenges the arguments for retaining the principle and offers practical proposals drawn from several jurisdictions as to how the section and its equivalent provisions abroad could be reformed.