bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leveraging social network sites for new product launch
Authors: Roberts Deborah Lynn , Candi Marina , Hughes Mathew
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The ability to make use of social network sites (SNSs) to promote new products and facilitate positive word of mouth around new product launch (NPL) presents an important opportunity. However, the mechanisms and motivations of SNS users are not well understood and businesses frequently fail to realise these opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the forces that motivate people to spend time on SNS sites and how these motivations are related with people’s propensity to engage in behaviours that can be beneficial for NPL.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are tested using data collected using an online survey from a broad sample of SNS users worldwide.

Findings

People who spend time on SNSs to be challenged, to escape, or to connect with others are more likely than other users to pay attention to advertisements on SNS. Users that spend time on SNSs in the pursuit of information, to be challenged, or to connect with others are more likely than other users to provide word of mouth reviews and recommendations about products.

Research limitations/implications

The authors make an empirical contribution to knowledge by providing evidence about the categories of user motivations for engagement with SNSs that might be related with their contributions to NPL activities, namely, paying attention to advertisements and providing WOM recommendations.

Practical implications

By understanding what motivates SNS users, firms can identify potentially valuable users and develop a more strategic and targeted approach to NPL. This can help firms turn disappointing social media campaigns into more successful ones.

Social implications

Whilst the growth in usage of SNS has important implications for business and NPL there are also wider societal implications. Arguably, even before the widespread adoption of SNSs, society has been in a state of flux and transition as people sought to liberate themselves from the norms and social codes of previous generations. We have witnessed a rise of individualism, associated with values such as personal freedom and where people actively construct their own identities. Somewhat ironically, individualism has motivated people to seek alternative social activities and form communities, such as those on SNSs where they can fulfil their need for connection and belonging. SNSs appear to have accelerated this trend.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights about the use of SNSs for NPL and what motivates users to engage in behaviours that are beneficial to NPL.
Layer analysis of CO2 sources in the US economic supply chains: an input output LCA study
Authors: Egilmez Gokhan , Mohamed Abdul Ghani N. Muhammad Aslaam , Gedik Ridvan
Published: October 2017

Purpose

Carbon footprint assessment requires a holistic approach, where all possible lifecycle stages of products from raw material extraction to the end of life are considered. The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical sustainability assessment framework to assess the carbon footprint of US economic supply chains from two perspectives: supply chain layers (tiers) and carbon footprint sources.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology consists of two phases. In the first phase, the data were collected from EORA input output and environmental impact assessment database. In the second phase, 48 input-output-based lifecycle assessment models were developed (seven CO2 sources and total CO2 impact, and six supply chain tiers). In the third phase, the results are analyzed by using data visualization, data analytics, and statistical approaches in order to identify the heavy carbon emitter industries and their percentage shares in the supply chains by each layer and the CO2 source.

Findings

Vast majority of carbon footprint was found to be attributed to the power generation, petroleum refineries, used and secondhand goods, natural gas distribution, scrap, and truck transportation. These industries dominated the entire supply chain structure and found to be the top drivers in all six layers.

Practical implications

This study decomposes the sources of the total carbon footprint of US economic supply chains into six layers and assesses the percentage contribution of each sector in each layer. Thus, it paves the way for quantifying the carbon footprint of each layer in today’s complex supply chain structure and highlights the importance of handling CO2 source in each layer separately while maintaining a holistic focus on the overall carbon footprint impacts in the big picture. In practice, one size fits all type of policy making may not be as effective as it could be expected.

Originality/value

This paper provides a two-dimensional viewpoint for tracing/analyzing carbon footprint across a national economy. In the first dimension, the national economic system is divided into six layers. In the second dimension, carbon footprint analysis is performed considering specific CO2 sources, including energy production, solvent, cement and minerals, agricultural burning, natural decay, and waste. Thus, this paper contributes to the state-of-art sustainability assessment by providing a comprehensive overview of CO2 sources in the US economic supply chains.
Trust and knowledge creation: the moderating effects of legal inadequacy
Authors: Wang Longwei , Zhang Min , Li Xiaodong
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the effects of competence and goodwill trust on knowledge creation and the moderating effects of legal inadequacy on those relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 196 research and development alliances in China. Hierarchical moderated regression was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The authors find that competence trust has a positive and linear relationship with knowledge creation while goodwill trust has an inverted U-shaped relationship with it. The results also reveal that the inverted U-shaped relationship between goodwill trust and knowledge creation is stronger when legal inadequacy is high, while the impact of competence trust on knowledge creation is not influenced by legal inadequacy.

Originality/value

The findings provide insights into the distinctive effects of competence and goodwill trust on knowledge creation in partnerships, deepening current understandings of the bright and dark sides of inter-firm trust. This study also clarifies the influences of legal inadequacy on the effectiveness of competence and goodwill trust, which enhances existing knowledge about the impact of legal systems on the relationships between inter-firm trust and knowledge management.
Consumer online flow experience
Authors: Lee Chi-Hsun , Wu Jyh Jeng
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer experience of flow in an online consumer shopping environment and use online consumer participants to examine how consumer pursuit of shopping value links in turn affects their satisfaction and unplanned purchase behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model was tested using the data collected from 363 valid questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was employed to verify and validate the research model.

Findings

The results of this study show that perceived control of flow and concentration will positively affect consumer utilitarian value, while concentration and cognitive enjoyment will positively affect hedonic value. Further, the effect of utilitarian value on satisfaction is greater than that of hedonic value. Finally, hedonic value positively affects unplanned buying behavior. This research results may serve as a reference for online store operators.

Research limitations/implications

This study used cross-sectional data for its cause and effect analysis. Long-term conclusions based on this study are not possible. Future scholars may consider using a longitudinal approach.

Practical implications

The results of this study clearly demonstrate that e-commerce operators must construct environments that create flow experiences for shoppers by increasing their perceived control, concentration, and cognitive enjoyment. Doing so will create both utilitarian and hedonic values, making consumers feel satisfied with their shopping experience and leading them to make purchases not originally planned in their shopping list.

Originality/value

This study’s major contribution is its successful linkage of the dimensions of flow experience to purchase values. Moreover, it confirms that when online shoppers have an unselfconscious flow experience, they will experience both utilitarian and hedonic values, thus increasing their satisfaction.
The evolution of male‐biased sexual size dimorphism is associated with increased body size plasticity in males
Authors: Rohner Patrick T. , Teder Tiit , Esperk Toomas , Lüpold Stefan , Blanckenhorn Wolf U.
Published: October 2017

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) can vary drastically across environments, demonstrating pronounced sex‐specific plasticity. In insects, females are usually the larger and more plastic sex. However, the shortage of taxa with male‐biased SSD hampers the assessment of whether the greater plasticity in females is driven by selection on size or represents an effect of the female reproductive role. Here, we specifically address the role of sex‐specific plasticity of body size in the evolution of SSD reversals to disentangle sex and size effects.

We first investigate sex‐specific body size plasticity in Sepsis punctum and Sepsis neocynipsea as two independent cases of intraspecific SSD reversals in sepsid flies. In both species, directional variation in SSD between populations is driven by stronger sexual selection on male size. Using controlled laboratory breeding, we find evidence for sex‐specific plasticity and increased condition dependence of male size in populations with male‐biased SSD, but not of female size in populations with female‐biased SSD.

To extend the comparative scope, we next estimate sex‐specific body size plasticity in eight additional fly species that differ in the direction of SSD under laboratory conditions. In all species with male‐biased SSD we find males to be the more plastic sex, while this was only rarely the case in species with female‐biased SSD, thus suggesting a more general trend in Diptera.

To examine the generality of this pattern in holometabolous insects, we combine our data with data from the literature in a meta‐analysis. Again, male body size tends to be more plastic than female size when males are the larger sex, though female size is now also generally more plastic when females are larger.

Our findings indicate that primarily selection on size, rather than the reproductive role per se, drives the evolution of sex‐specific body size plasticity. However, sepsid flies, and possibly Diptera in general, show a clear sexual asymmetry with greater male than female plasticity related to SSD, likely driven by strong sexual selection on males. Although further research controlling for phylogenetic and ecological confounding effects is needed, our findings are congruent with theory in suggesting that condition dependence plays a pivotal role in the evolution of sexual size dimorphism.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Warm northern river temperatures increase post‐exercise fatigue in an Arctic migratory salmonid but not in a temperate relative
Authors: Gilbert Matthew J. H. , Tierney Keith B.
Published: October 2017

The Arctic is warming at twice the global average rate; how native and non‐native anadromous fishes will respond remains largely unknown. Some native Arctic salmonids are already experiencing warm (>21°C), physically challenging migratory river conditions and large diurnal temperature fluctuations (>10°C).

We conducted field and laboratory experiments to determine how these extreme conditions may affect the capacity for migration in Arctic and temperate salmonids.

In adult migratory Arctic char, reflex impairment following a handling challenge increased with temperature, indicating more extensive fatigue. In Arctic char smolts, temperature did not affect initial critical swimming performance (Umax1), however, there was a threshold for repeat swimming performance (Umax2) near 20°C, above which recovery was impaired.

Following a simulated diurnal warming scenario (11–21°C),Umax1increased in rainbow trout and remained constant in Arctic char as in the field whileUmax2remained constant in rainbow trout it was drastically reduced in Arctic char. Furthermore, at warm temperatures, Arctic char were unable to recover to routine levels of oxygen uptake after exercise, while rainbow trout were. Warming also had more pronounced effects on blood composition and plasma glucose and lactate concentration in Arctic char than in rainbow trout.

In general, rainbow trout, a temperate salmonid, had superior swimming performance, aerobic capacity, and warm tolerance than Arctic char, an Arctic salmonid.

The present flow and temperature regimes in some Arctic rivers may restrict migration of native salmonids by limiting their ability to recover from fatiguing exercise. Non‐native, temperate salmonids are likely better suited to overcome these particular physical and thermal challenges.

Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Manipulating the system: How large herbivores control bottom‐up regulation of grasslands
Authors: Frank Douglas A. , Wallen Rick L. , Hamilton E. William , White Patrick J. , Fridley Jason D.
Published: October 2017

Decades of grazing studies have identified a number of key plant and soil processes affected by large herbivores and how those grazer effects vary among different grassland types. However, there remains little mechanistic understanding about how the effects of grazers on plants and soils may be biogeochemically linked in regulating grassland processes.

Here we measured monthly plant and soil variables, including soil moisture, soil nitrogen (N) availability, plant biomass, shoot N concentration and plant production, in grazed and ungrazed (fenced) grasslands during the 2012–2014 growing seasons. Measurements were used to assess direct and indirect biogeochemical pathways by which grazers influenced net above‐ground plant production (NAP) in dry and mesic grasslands in Yellowstone National Park (YNP).

Herbivores only had direct effects on plant variables at the dry grassland compared to direct and indirect effects on both plant and soil variables at the mesic grassland. By enhancing leaf N content at both grasslands, grazers shifted the resource controlling NAP from N in ungrazed grassland to moisture, and potentially phosphorus and/or other soil nutrients, in grazed grassland.

Synthesis. These results indicate the mechanistic linkage between top‐down (herbivore) and bottom‐up (soil resource) control of grassland production. Changing the resources that limit net above‐ground plant production (NAP) likely has a profound impact on how grazed vs. ungrazed Yellowstone National Park (YNP) grasslands respond to environmental (e.g., climate, atmospheric N deposition) variability. Because grazing enhances leaf N among many types of grasslands, increasing the sensitivity of plant production to the availability of moisture and nutrients other than N may be a general response of grasslands to grazing.
The mechanism of attenuation of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition by a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor via renal klotho expression
Authors: Han Seung T , Kim Jae S , Lee Jun Y , Kim Min K , Yoo Jin S , Han Byoung G , Choi Seung O , Yang Jae W
Published: October 2017

Phosphodiesterase‐5 (PDE‐5) inhibitors induces vasodilation in several organs by blocking cyclic GMP (guanosine monophosphate) degradation. However, the existence of alternative mechanism of action in case of an impaired nitric oxide (NO) system remains controversial. Previous studies suggested that decreased NO bioavailability may result in the downregulation of klotho expression, but the relationship between klotho and NO remains obscure. Therefore, we investigated whether a PDE‐5 inhibitor could preserve epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and relationship exists between the NO and renal klotho expression. Ten‐week‐old SD rats (N = 24, 200 g, male) were divided (N = 6) into four groups, which received: A LSD, L‐NAME 1 mg/mL in drinking water, Udenafil 5 mg/kg subcutaneously and both for 4 weeks. Urine nitrate/nitrite, NGAL (Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin), and cGMP were measured using ELISA. Kidney was subjected to evaluate PCNA (proliferative cell nuclear antigen), α‐SMA (smooth muscle cell antigen), E‐cadherin, and klotho expression. Urine cGMP decreased after treatment of PDE‐5 inhibitor compared with control due to blocking degradation of cGMP (P < .05, control vs Udenafil and L‐NAME with Udenafil groups). Urine NGAL increased after treating of L‐NAME and attenuated after using PDE‐5 inhibitor (P < .05, control vs L‐NAME and L‐NAME with Udenafil). PCNA, α‐SMA, and E‐cadherin (EMT markers) increased after L‐NAME treatment and normalized after using PDE‐5 inhibitor. Klotho expression showed trend to increase in the L‐NAME with PDE‐5 inhibitor group compared with the L‐NAME group, however, eNOS expression did not change after treatment of L‐NAME or PDE‐5 inhibitor compared with control. PDE‐5 inhibitor alleviates EMT in the kidney via klotho modulation independent of the NO system.
Vibrio vulnificus: new insights into a deadly opportunistic pathogen
Authors: Baker‐Austin Craig , Oliver James D.
Published: October 2017

Vibrio vulnificus is a Gram‐negative aquatic bacterium first isolated by the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1964. This bacterium is part of the normal microbiota of estuarine waters and occurs in high numbers in molluscan shellfish around the world, particularly in warmer months. Infections in humans are derived from consumption of seafood produce and from water exposure. Vibrio vulnificus is a striking and enigmatic human pathogen, yet many aspects related to its biology, genomics, virulence capabilities and epidemiology remain elusive and poorly understood. This pathogen is responsible for over 95% of seafood‐related deaths in the United States, and carries the highest fatality rate of any food‐borne pathogen. Indeed, infections associated with this pathogen that progress to primary septicaemia have a similar case fatality rate to category BSL 3 and 4 pathogens, such as anthrax, bubonic plague, Ebola and Marburg fever. Interestingly, V. vulnificus infections disproportionately affect males (∼85% of cases) and older patients (> 40 years), especially those with underlying conditions such as liver diseases, diabetes and immune disorders. New insights from molecular studies and comparative genomic approaches have offered tantalising insights into this pathogen. A recent increase and geographical spread in reported infections, in particular wound cases, underlines the growing international importance of V. vulnificus, particularly in the context of coastal warming. We outline and explore here a range of current data gaps regarding this important pathogen, and provide some current thoughts on approaches to elucidate key aspects associated with this bacterium.
Tropical soils are a reservoir for fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. biodiversity
Authors: Lopes Lucas Dantas , Davis Edward W. , Pereira e Silva Michele de C. , Weisberg Alexandra J. , Bresciani Luana , Chang Jeff H. , Loper Joyce E. , Andreote Fernando D.
Published: October 2017

Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. are widely studied for their beneficial activities to plants. To explore the genetic diversity of Pseudomonas spp. in tropical regions, we collected 76 isolates from a Brazilian soil. Genomes were sequenced and compared to known strains, mostly collected from temperate regions. Phylogenetic analyses classified the isolates in the P. fluorescens (57) and P. putida (19) groups. Among the isolates in the P. fluorescens group, most (37) were classified in the P. koreensis subgroup and two in the P. jessenii subgroup. The remaining 18 isolates fell into two phylogenetic subclades distinct from currently recognized P. fluorescens subgroups, and probably represent new subgroups. Consistent with their phylogenetic distance from described subgroups, the genome sequences of strains in these subclades are asyntenous to the genome sequences of members of their neighbour subgroups. The tropical isolates have several functional genes also present in known fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. strains. However, members of the new subclades share exclusive genes not detected in other subgroups, pointing to the potential for novel functions. Additionally, we identified 12 potential new species among the 76 isolates from the tropical soil. The unexplored diversity found in the tropical soil is possibly related to biogeographical patterns.
Survey Under‐Coverage of Top Incomes and Estimation of Inequality: What is the Role of the UK's SPI Adjustment?
Authors: Burkhauser Richard V. , Hérault Nicolas , Jenkins Stephen P. , Wilkins Roger
Published: October 2017

Survey under‐coverage of top incomes leads to bias in survey‐based estimates of overall income inequality. Using income tax record data in combination with survey data is a potential approach to address the problem; we consider here the UK's pioneering ‘SPI adjustment’ method that implements this idea. Since 1992, the principal income distribution series (reported annually in Households Below Average Income) has been based on household survey data in which the incomes of a small number of ‘very rich’ individuals are adjusted using information from ‘very rich’ individuals in personal income tax return data. We explain what the procedure involves, reveal the extent to which it addresses survey under‐coverage of top incomes and show how it affects estimates of overall income inequality. More generally, we assess whether the SPI adjustment is fit for purpose and consider whether variants of it could be employed by other countries.
Studies on the aerobic utilization of synthesis gas (syngas) by wild type and recombinant strains of Ralstonia eutropha H16
Authors: Heinrich Daniel , Raberg Matthias , Steinbüchel Alexander
Published: October 2017

The biotechnical platform strain Ralstonia eutropha H16 was genetically engineered to express a cox subcluster of the carboxydotrophic Oligotropha carboxidovoransOM5, including (i) the structural genes coxM, ‐S and ‐L, coding for an aerobic carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) and (ii) the genes coxD, ‐E, ‐F and ‐G, essential for the maturation of CODH. The coxOc genes expressed under control of the CO2‐inducible promoter PL enabled R. eutropha to oxidize CO to CO2 for the use as carbon source, as demonstrated by 13CO experiments, but the recombinant strains remained dependent on H2 as external energy supply. Therefore, a synthetic metabolism, which could be described as ‘carboxyhydrogenotrophic’, was established in R. eutropha. With this extension of the bacterium's substrate range, growth in CO‐, H2‐ and CO2‐containing artificial synthesis gas atmosphere was enhanced, and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) synthesis was increased by more than 20%.
Rethinking the Way We Do Research: The Benefits of Community‐Engaged, Citizen Science Approaches and Nontraditional Collaborators
Authors: Dick Danielle M.
Published: October 2017

There is tremendous opportunity for basic scientists to enhance the impact of our research by engaging more deeply with nontraditional partners and expanding the way we think about interdisciplinary research teams. These efforts can include more deeply engaging our participants, and the broader public, in our research; working with individuals from other fields to take a more active role in the dissemination and translation of our research; and working with collaborators from the arts and communication sciences to make our research more engaging and understandable. In this review, I provide an overview of our efforts along these lines in a project called Spit for Science (https://spit4science.vcu.edu/). This project draws from concepts central to community‐engaged participatory research and citizen science. Although conducting research in this way involves a considerable time commitment, it has many potential benefits, including raising awareness about our research areas and findings; creating a public that is more connected to and aware of the importance of research, which can have potential implications for funding for science; creating new job opportunities for students; and increasing participation rates in our studies. By thinking creatively about how we conduct our research, and more broadly engaging diverse groups of individuals in the research process, we have the potential to significantly increase the reach and impact of our science.
Which seed origin provides better tolerance to flooding and drought when restoring to face climate change?
Authors: Bustos‐Salazar Angela , Smith‐Ramírez Cecilia , Zúñiga‐Feest Alejandra , Alves Fernanda , Ivanovich Rodrigo
Published: October 2017

Our goal was to establish the tolerance to flooding and drought of seedlings from a hydric gradient of different seed sources to provide recommendations for forest restoration in the face of climate change. We used Drimys winteri var. chilensis, a tree species that grows from extreme arid zones to wetlands along Chile, as the study subject. We expected that seedlings of xeric origin would perform better in drought conditions than populations from moist environments, and vice versa for flooding tolerance. We collected D. winteri seeds from xeric, mesic and wet environments. Seedlings at two development stages were submitted to an extreme flooding and drought treatment during 2 or 4 months in a common garden. After the flooding and drought assays finished, the number of surviving and damaged seedlings, lenticels and adventitious root presence, height, new leaves and specific leaf area, shoot/root ratio, water potential and/or chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), were recorded. We found that flooding and drought affected almost all the parameters studied negatively. The xeric population seedlings, at both development stages studied, were the most tolerant to the drought and, unexpectedly, also to the flooding treatment. We recommend restoring with seedlings of xeric origin especially in arid areas where sudden flooding is frequent, as occurs in the Andes Mountains. In the face of climate change, we recommend carrying out common garden and field studies before advising which population origin should be used for restoration, since they do not always respond in accordance with expected patterns of local adaptation.
Functional and phylogenetic dimensions are more important than the taxonomic dimension for capturing variation in stream fish communities
Authors: Nakamura Gabriel , Vicentin Wagner , Súarez Yzel Rondon
Published: October 2017

Biodiversity is inherently multidimensional in nature, differences in evolutionary history, attributes of species, taxonomic composition constitutes a small fraction of whole variation present in this multidimensional space. Despite its multidimensional characteristic, biodiversity has been traditionally measured by assessing its dimensions separately through metrics of diversity. However, assessing multiple dimensions in a common framework opens the possibility of answering interesting questions that, until now, are poorly understood, such as: What dimensions capture most of the variation present in biodiversity among communities? We assess this question by extending the framework of Importance Values (IVs) to three dimensions of variation in biodiversity, functional, taxonomic and phylogenetic, and evaluate which of these captures the most variation in biodiversity space. To address this question we used data from stream fish communities of the Ivinhema River Basin in Brazil. We found that functional and phylogenetic dimensions are more important than the taxonomic dimension (represented by richness) in capturing variation in the biodiversity space formed by these three dimensions together. Furthermore, the IVs of these three dimensions were similar along an altitudinal gradient, indicating similar contributions by a given dimension in different environmental conditions. We highlight the importance of adopting a multidimensional approach when describing biodiversity, since richness (the proxy for taxonomic dimension), despite being the most commonly used, is an incomplete surrogate to capture the variation present in the biodiversity space of stream fish communities.
Investigating the demographics and intrapopulation spatial patterns of the endangered Cycas megacarpa K.D.Hill in central Queensland, Australia
Authors: Etherington Rohan , Jeffers Bradley , Grigg Lainie , Paddock Alex
Published: October 2017

Cycads are threatened globally due to land clearing and unsustainable harvesting impacting upon long‐living mature plants that are essential for population viability. Cycas megacarpa K.D.Hill is an endangered cycad endemic to central Queensland, Australia. Populations of this species have been impacted by recent infrastructure projects resulting in translocation of individuals to ameliorate losses. Translocations require an understanding of the species demographics and intrapopulation spatial distributions to inform planting design. This project studied the demography and spatial patterns of a population of C. megacarpa (≈5600 individuals) within a 96.3 ha area in central Queensland to design a translocation planting that replicates a healthy population. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the demography of the population. Spatial Point Pattern Analyses (SPPA) were used to determine if the population's spatial arrangement departed from complete spatial randomness across height, gender classes and between female and juvenile cycads. We found this population to possess a 1:1 ratio of male and female cycads. However, male C. megacarpa were on average ≈0.5 m shorter than female cycads and reached reproductive maturity at shorter heights. SPPA found this population of C. megacarpa to be clustered irrespective of height or gender. A significant spatial relationship was detected between female and juvenile cycads. The results of this study suggest that to replicate a healthy C. megacarpa population, the translocated cycads could be planted in a clustered spatial pattern with known male and female individuals distributed through the clusters at a 1:1 ratio.
Delirium care: Real‐world solutions to real‐world problems
Authors: Eeles Eamonn , McCrow Judy , Teodorczuk Andrew , Caplan Gideon A
Published: October 2017

Objectives

Implementation research into delirium care is lacking. Exploiting known practice barriers to understand what management strategies work best in delirium is a means of prioritising care interventions. A consensus approach to determining priority interventions in delirium was derived and related to reference standards in health‐care practice.

Methods

A workshop of 20 experts was held at the Australasian Delirium Association conference 2016. Structured small group work, iterative ranking and a 21‐member check were undertaken to (i) explore research barriers in delirium care; (ii) explore how barriers related to individual items of multicomponent interventions; and (iii) rank multicomponent interventions in relation to each statement within the newly released Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care delirium standard.

Results

Top‐ranking interventions included the following: education and training, comprehensive geriatric assessment, family partnerships, individualised care and multidisciplinary engagement.

Conclusion

Delirium experts identified a minimum standard of any care intervention for delirium.
Trends in the incidence rate, type and treatment of surgically verified endometriosis – a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Saavalainen Liisu , Tikka Tuulia , But Anna , Gissler Mika , Haukka Jari , Tiitinen Aila , Härkki Päivi , Heikinheimo Oskari
Published: October 2017

Introduction

To study the trends in incidence rate, type and surgical treatment, and patient characteristics of surgically verified endometriosis during 1987–2012.

Material and methods

This is a register‐based cohort study. We identified women receiving their first diagnosis of endometriosis in surgery from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register (FHDR). Quality of the FHDR records was assessed bidirectionally. The age‐standardized incidence rates of the first surgically verified endometriosis was assessed by calendar year.

Results

The cohort comprises 49 956 women. The quality assessment suggested the FHDR data to be of good quality. The most common diagnosis, ovarian endometriosis (46%), was associated with highest median age 38.5 years (interquartile range 31.0–44.8) and the second most common diagnosis, peritoneal endometriosis (40%), with median age 34.9 years (28.6–41.7). Between 1987 and 2012, a decrease was observed in the median age, from 38.8 (32.3–43.6) to 34.0 (28.9–41.0) years, and in the age‐standardized incidence rate from 116 [95% confidence interval (CI) 112–121] to 45 (42–48) per 100 000 women. The proportion of hysterectomy as a first surgical treatment decreased from 38 to 19%, whereas that of laparoscopy increased from 42 to 73% when comparing 1987–1995 with 1996–2012.

Conclusions

This nationwide cohort of surgically verified endometriosis showed a decrease in the incidence rate and in the patient age at the time of first diagnosis, even though the proportion of laparoscopy has increased. The number of hysterectomies has decreased. These changes are likely to reflect the evolving diagnostics, increasing awareness of endometriosis, and effective use of medical treatment before surgery.
Oral Mucosa Model for Electrochemotherapy Treatment of Dog Mouth Cancer: Ex Vivo, In Silico, and In Vivo Experiments
Authors: Suzuki Daniela O. H. , Berkenbrock José A. , Frederico Marisa J. S. , Silva Fátima R. M. B. , Rangel Marcelo M. M.
Published: October 2017

Electrochemotherapy (EQT) is a local cancer treatment well established to cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors. Electric fields are applied to biological tissue in order to improve membrane permeability for cytotoxic drugs. This phenomenon is called electroporation or electropermeabilization. Studies have reported that tissue conductivity is electric field dependent. Electroporation numerical models of biological tissues are essential in treatment planning. Tumors of the mouth are very common in dogs. Inadequate EQT treatment of oral tumor may be caused by significant anatomic variations between dogs and tumor position. Numerical models of oral mucosa and tumor allow the treatment planning and optimization of electrodes for each patient. In this work, oral mucosa conductivity during electroporation was characterized by measuring applied voltage and current of ex vivo rats. This electroporation model was used with a spontaneous canine oral melanoma. The model outcomes of oral tumor EQT is applied in different parts of the oral cavity including near bones and the hard palate. The numerical modeling for treatment planning will help the development of new electrodes and increase the EQT effectiveness.
Downregulated apoptosis and autophagy after anti‐Aβ immunotherapy in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Paquet Claire , Nicoll James AR , Love Seth , Mouton‐Liger François , Holmes Clive , Hugon Jacques , Boche Delphine
Published: October 2017

Aβ immunization of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in the AN1792 (Elan Pharmaceuticals) trial caused Aβ removal and a decreased density of neurons in the cerebral cortex. As preservation of neurons may be a critical determinant of outcome after Aβ immunization, we have assessed the impact of previous Aβ immunization on the expression of a range of apoptotic proteins in post‐mortem human brain tissue. Cortex from 13 AD patients immunized with AN1792 (iAD) and from 27 nonimmunized AD (cAD) cases was immunolabeled for proapoptotic proteins implicated in AD pathophysiology: phosphorylated c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (pJNK), activated caspase3 (a‐casp3), phosphorylated GSK3β on tyrosine 216 (GSK3βtyr216), p53 and Cdk5/p35. Expression of these proteins was analyzed in relation to immunization status and other clinical data. The antigen load of all of these proapoptotic proteins was significantly lower in iAD than cAD (P < 0.0001). In cAD, significant correlations (P < 0.001) were observed between: Cdk5/p35 and GSK3βtyr216; a‐casp3 and Aβ42; p53 and age at death. In iAD, significant correlations were found between GSK3βtyr216 and a‐casp3; both spongiosis and neuritic curvature ratio and Aβ42; and Cdk5/p35 and Aβ‐antibody level. Although neuronal loss was increased by immunization with AN1792, our present findings suggest downregulation of apoptosis in residual neurons and other cells.
Eco‐labelling by a for‐profit certifier: Countervailing power and its consequences
Authors: Barry Ibrahima , Bonroy Olivier , Garella Paolo G.
Published: October 2017

For‐profit certifier's eco‐labelling is common in industries where firms have some “countervailing power” on sharing gains from labelling. We show that the certification standard for an environmental quality is lowered when firms have strong “power.” A certifier with too low bargaining power will prefer to sell to the best offer rather than bargain. This switch in the selling mechanism also thwarts his incentives in setting the standard. This is consequential for evaluating policies. The dimensions and even signs of welfare changes induced by taxes and subsidies depend upon the mechanism used, and ultimately upon firms’ countervailing power.
Enhancing antibiotic stewardship by tackling “spurious” penicillin allergy
Authors: Krishna M. T. , Huissoon A. P. , Li M. , Richter A. , Pillay D. G. , Sambanthan D. , Raman S. C. , Nasser S. , Misbah S. A.
Published: October 2017

Approximately 90‐99% of patients with a label of penicillin allergy (PenA) are not allergic when comprehensively investigated. An inaccurate label of PenA has major public health implications—longer hospital stay, more frequent hospital admissions, greater use of fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, cephalosporins and other expensive antibiotics resulting in significantly higher costs to the health service and predisposing to Clostridium difficile, methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections and vancomycin‐resistant enterococcus. We describe lessons learnt from recent studies regarding possible reasons contributing to an inaccurate label of PenA as well as propose a concerted multidisciplinary approach to address this important public health problem. Given the unmet need for allergy services in the UK and several other countries and knowledge gaps regarding PenA amongst healthcare professionals, we describe the potential role for a computerized clinical decision support system to enable non‐specialists rapidly identify and de‐label “low‐risk” hospitalized patients with a label of PenA thereby obviating the need for allergy tests. This approach however needs rigorous evaluation for feasibility, safety, patient and physician acceptability, cost‐effectiveness and its compatibility with information technology systems currently employed in the health service.
Hypochlorous acid is antipruritic and anti‐inflammatory in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis
Authors: Fukuyama T. , Martel B. C. , Linder K. E. , Ehling S. , Ganchingco J. R. , Bäumer W.
Published: October 2017

Background

It has been reported that topical hypochlorous acid (HOCl) formulations lead to relief of itch in human patients with atopic dermatitis; however, the specific antipruritic mechanism of action remains unclear.

Objective

To confirm itch relief and reduction of lesions in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis and to elucidate possible HOCl's mode of action.

Methods

In this study, the effects of topical administration of HOCl hydrogel (0.05%) on atopic dermatitis‐like lesions in NC/Nga mice model as well as in vitro effects of HOCl on dorsal root ganglia neurons and mouse bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells (mBMDCs) were investigated. NC/Nga mice were sensitized with house dust mite allergen and treated topically with HOCl hydrogel both preventively and therapeutically against established lesions. Allergen challenge was continued during HOCl hydrogel application.

Results

Treatment with HOCl hydrogel prevented the development of lesions and scratching bouts during the whole observation period. When administered after full development of lesions, HOCl reduced lesions and scratching behaviour to a similar extent as a positive control 0.1% betamethasone dipropionate ointment. The reduced inflammatory response by HOCl treatment was demonstrated by reduced secretion of inflammatory cytokines in affected skin tissue from NC/Nga mice. In addition, HOCl significantly reduced IL‐12 production in mBMDC. The diminished scratching behaviour was confirmed by impaired response to several pruritogens in dorsal root ganglia neurons excised from NC/Nga mice after termination of the studies. The response to the stimuli was also reduced by pre‐incubation of sensory neurons from untreated BALB/c mice with 0.0001% HOCl.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

These data indicate a direct reduction in sensory response by HOCl, leading to significantly reduced itch and inflammation in vivo.
Co-inhibitory profile and cytotoxicity of CD57+PD-1− T cells in end-stage renal disease patients
Authors: Kraaijeveld R , de Graav G N , Dieterich M , Litjens N H R , Hesselink D A , Baan C C
Published: October 2017

Blockade of the CD80/86-CD28 pathway by belatacept after kidney transplantation is associated with an increased risk of rejection compared with standard, calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based therapy. CD28− T cells, which express CD57, are not susceptible to belatacept treatment. High numbers of CD4+CD57+programmed death 1 (PD-1)− T cells pretransplantation have been associated with a higher chance of rejection, although conflicting data have been reported. To investigate the working mechanism behind this possible higher chance of rejection, we studied the expression of co-inhibitory molecules (CD223, CD244 and PD-1), proliferative capacity and cytotoxic potential of fluorescence activated cell sorted (FACS) CD4+CD57+PD-1− and CD8+CD57+PD-1− T cells, and their CD57− control populations, after alloantigen stimulation. The effect of belatacept on the cytotoxic capacity of pretransplantation peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 patients who received belatacept post-transplantation was also tested. Expression of co-inhibitory molecule CD223 increased by approximately 10-fold after allogeneic stimulation in all four T cell subsets. Proliferation and up-regulation of CD244 and PD-1 was observed for CD4+CD57−PD-1− T cells after allogeneic stimulation, but no up-regulation of these markers occurred on CD8+ T cells or CD4+CD57+PD-1− T cells. However, CD4+CD57+PD-1− T cells and, to a lesser extent, CD8+CD57+PD-1− T cells displayed higher cytotoxicity as indicated by granzyme B expression. Belatacept inhibited the cytotoxic potential of CD4+CD57+PD-1− T cells (median of inhibition 31%, P < 0·01) and CD8+CD57+PD-1− T cells (median of inhibition 10%, P < 0·05). In conclusion, alloantigen-activated CD4+CD57+PD-1− T cells exhibited a less proliferative but more cytotoxic profile than their CD57− counterparts. Their cytotoxic capacity can be inhibited partly by belatacept and was not associated with development of rejection after kidney transplantation.
Gain‐of‐function mutations in G‐protein–coupled receptor genes associated with human endocrine disorders
Authors: Fukami Maki , Suzuki Erina , Igarashi Maki , Miyado Mami , Ogata Tsutomu
Published: October 2017

The human genome encodes more than 700 G‐protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs), many of which are involved in hormone secretion. To date, more than 100 gain‐of‐function (activating) mutations in at least ten genes for GPCRs, in addition to several loss‐of‐function mutations, have been implicated in human endocrine disorders. Previously reported gain‐of‐function GPCR mutations comprise various missense substitutions, frameshift mutations, intragenic inframe deletions and copy‐number gains. Such mutations appear in both germline and somatic tumour cells, and lead to various hormonal abnormalities reflecting excessive receptor activity. Phenotypic consequences of these mutations include distinctive endocrine syndromes, as well as relatively common hormonal abnormalities. Such mutations encode hyperfunctioning receptors with increased constitutive activity, broadened ligand specificity, increased ligand sensitivity and/or delayed receptor desensitization. Furthermore, recent studies proposed a paradoxical gain‐of‐function mechanism caused by inactive GPCR mutants. Molecular diagnosis of GPCR activating mutations serves to improve the clinical management of mutation‐positive patients. This review aims to introduce new aspects regarding gain‐of‐function mutations in GPCR genes associated with endocrine disorders.
Data‐Driven Sparse Priors of 3D Shapes
Authors: Remil O. , Xie Q. , Xie X. , Xu K. , Wang J.
Published: October 2017

We present a sparse optimization framework for extracting sparse shape priors from a collection of 3D models. Shape priors are defined as point‐set neighborhoods sampled from shape surfaces which convey important information encompassing normals and local shape characterization. A 3D shape model can be considered to be formed with a set of 3D local shape priors, while most of them are likely to have similar geometry. Our key observation is that the local priors extracted from a family of 3D shapes lie in a very low‐dimensional manifold. Consequently, a compact and informative subset of priors can be learned to efficiently encode all shapes of the same family. A comprehensive library of local shape priors is first built with the given collection of 3D models of the same family. We then formulate a global, sparse optimization problem which enforces selecting representative priors while minimizing the reconstruction error. To solve the optimization problem, we design an efficient solver based on the Augmented Lagrangian Multipliers method (ALM). Extensive experiments exhibit the power of our data‐driven sparse priors in elegantly solving several high‐level shape analysis applications and geometry processing tasks, such as shape retrieval, style analysis and symmetry detection.
Regression‐Based Landmark Detection on Dynamic Human Models
Authors: Jang Deok‐Kyeong , Lee Sung‐Hee
Published: October 2017

Detecting anatomical landmarks on various human models with dynamic poses remains an important and challenging problem in computer graphics research. We present a novel framework that consists of two‐level regressors for finding correlations between human shapes and landmark positions in both body part and holistic scales. To this end, we first develop pose invariant coordinates of landmarks that represent both local and global shape features by using the pose invariant local shape descriptors and their spatial relationships. Our body part‐level regression deals with the shape features from only those body parts that correspond to a certain landmark. In order to do this, we develop a method that identifies such body parts per landmark, by using geometric shape dictionary obtained through the bag of features method. Our method is nearly automatic, as it requires human assistance only once to differentiate the left and right sides. The method also shows the prediction accuracy comparable to or better than those of existing methods, with a test data set containing a large variation of human shapes and poses.