bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonsyndromic Craniosynostosis and Associated Abnormal Speech and Language Development
Authors: Naran Sanjay , Miller Matthew , Shakir Sameer , Ware Benjamin , Camison Liliana , Ford Matthew , Goldstein Jesse , Losee Joseph E.
Published: June 2017

Background:

Although many metrics for neurodevelopment in children with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis have been analyzed, few have directly examined early language acquisition and speech development. The authors characterized language acquisition and speech development in children with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis.

Methods:

The authors’ institutional database was queried for nonsyndromic craniosynostosis from 2000 to 2014. Patients with an identified syndrome were excluded. Specific data elements included age, gender, velopharyngeal adequacy by means of the Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale, evaluation for anatomical motor delay, language acquisition delay/disorder, articulation or speech sound production delays/disorders, and whether speech therapy was recommended. Diagnosis of a submucous cleft palate was noted.

Results:

One hundred one patients met inclusion criteria, of which 57.4 percent were male. Average age at the time of the most recent speech evaluation was 6.1 years (range, 2.31 to 17.95 years); 43.6 percent had normal speech/language metrics and 56.4 percent had one or more abnormalities, including anatomical motor delay/disorder (29.7 percent), language acquisition delay/disorder (21.8 percent), articulation or speech production delay/disorder (4.0 percent), hypernasality (15.8 percent), and velopharyngeal insufficiency or borderline competency (23.8 percent). Average Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale score was 1.3 (range, 0 to 5), and 29.7 percent (n = 30) of patients were recommended to have speech therapy. In addition, 25.8 percent of patients were diagnosed with a submucous cleft palate.

Conclusions:

One in four patients with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis carried a diagnosis of submucous cleft palate. The authors found that abnormal speech and language development occurs in one in 1.7 patients with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis, and that speech therapy for such abnormal development is warranted in one in 3.4 of them—a prevalence two to five times higher compared with the general pediatric population.
Hormonal correlates of pathogen disgust: Testing the Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis
Authors: Jones Benedict C , Hahn Amanda C , Fisher Claire I , Wang Hongyi , Kandrik Michal , Lee Anthony J , Tybur Joshua , DeBruine Lisa
Published: June 2017

Raised progesterone during the menstrual cycle is associated with suppressed physiological immune responses, reducing the probability that the immune system will compromise the blastocyst’s development. The Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis proposes that this progesterone-linked immunosuppression triggers increased disgust responses to pathogen cues, compensating for the reduction in physiological immune responses by minimizing contact with pathogens. Although a popular and influential hypothesis, there is no direct, within-woman evidence for correlated changes in progesterone and pathogen disgust. To address this issue, we used a longitudinal design to test for correlated changes in salivary progesterone and pathogen disgust (measured using the pathogen disgust subscale of the Three Domain Disgust Scale) in a large sample of women (N=375). Our analyses showed no evidence that pathogen disgust tracked changes in progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, or cortisol. Thus, our results provide no support for the Compensatory Prophylaxis Hypothesis of variation in pathogen disgust.
Origin of pest lineages of the Colorado potato beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Authors: Izzo Victor , Chen Yolanda H. , Schoville Sean D. , Wang Cong , Hawthorne David J.
Published: June 2017

Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineataSay) is a pest of potato throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but little is known about the beetle’s origins as a pest. To determine the origins of pest populations of CPB, we sampled the beetle from uncultivatedSolanumhost plants in Mexico, and from pest and non-pest populations in the U.S. We used mtDNA and nuclear loci to examine three hypotheses on the origin of the pest lineages: 1) the pest beetles originated from Mexican populations, 2) the pest beetles descended from hybridization between previously divergent populations, or 3) the pest beetles descended from populations that are native to the Plains states in the United States. We examined patterns of genetic diversity among geographic regions in order to detect invasion-related genetic information. Mitochondrial haplotypes of non-pest populations from Mexico and southern Arizona differed substantially from beetles collected from the southern plains and potato fields in the U. S., indicating that beetles from Mexico and Arizona did not contribute to founding the pest lineages. Similar results were observed for AFLP and microsatellite data. In contrast, non-pest populations from the southern plains of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas were genetically similar to U. S. pest populations, clearly indicating that they contributed to the founding of the pest lineages. Although some pest populations are less genetically diverse (e.g., Washington, Idaho), most of the pest populations do not show a significant reduction in genetic diversity compared to the plains populations in the U. S. In contrast to the colonization patterns typical of exotic pests, our analyses suggests that a large genetically heterogeneous beetle populations expanded onto potato from nativeSolanumhosts. As an endemic colonization of a novel host plant, this host range expansion may have contributed to the relatively abundant genetic diversity of contemporary populations, perhaps contributing to the rapid evolution of host range and insecticide resistance in this widely successful insect pest.
Mice use robust and common strategies to discriminate natural scenes
Authors: Yu Yiyi , Hira Riichiro , Stirman Jeffrey N. , Yu Waylin , Smith Ikuko T. , Smith Spencer L.
Published: June 2017

Mice use vision to navigate and avoid predators in natural environments. However, the spatial resolution of mouse vision is poor compared to primates, and mice lack a fovea. Thus, it is unclear how well mice can discriminate ethologically relevant scenes. Here, we examined natural scene discrimination in mice using an automated touch-screen system. We estimated the discrimination difficulty using the computational metric structural similarity (SSIM), and constructed psychometric curves. However, the performance of each mouse was better predicted by the population mean than SSIM. This high inter-mouse agreement indicates that mice use common and robust strategies to discriminate natural scenes. We tested several other image metrics to find an alternative to SSIM for predicting discrimination performance. We found that a simple, primary visual cortex (V1)-inspired model predicted mouse performance with fidelity approaching the inter-mouse agreement. The model involved convolving the images with Gabor filters, and its performance varied with the orientation of the Gabor filter. This orientation dependence was driven by the stimuli, rather than an innate biological feature. Together, these results indicate that mice are adept at discriminating natural scenes, and their performance is well predicted by simple models of V1 processing.
Inferring multi-scale neural mechanisms with brain network modelling
Authors: Schirner Michael , McIntosh Anthony Randal , Jirsa Viktor K. , Deco Gustavo , Ritter Petra
Published: June 2017

The neurophysiological processes underlying non-invasive brain activity measurements are not well understood. Here, we developed a novel connectome-based brain network model that integrates individual structural and functional data with neural population dynamics to support multi-scale neurophysiological inference. Simulated populations were linked by structural connectivity and, as a novelty, driven by electroencephalography (EEG) source activity. Simulations not only predicted subjects’ individual resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series and spatial network topologies over 20 minutes of activity, but more importantly, they also revealed precise neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie and link six empirical observations from different scales and modalities: (1) slow resting-state fMRI oscillations, (2) spatial topologies of functional connectivity networks, (3) excitation-inhibition balance, (4, 5) pulsed inhibition on short and long time scales, and (6) fMRI power-law scaling. These findings underscore the potential of this new modelling framework for general inference and integration of neurophysiological knowledge to complement empirical studies.
Environmental and social sustainability in Producer Organizations’ strategies
Authors: Coppola Adele , Ianuario Sara
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role Italian Producer Organizations (POs) play in implementing sustainability actions in the fruit and vegetable sector. In particular, it aimed at verifying whether environmental actions reveal different models with respect to implementation of sustainability and at analyzing the relationship between environmental strategies and specific POs’ characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is based on a field survey carried out by submitting a questionnaire to POs. Collected data were processed by means of exploratory data and multivariate analysis techniques. A cluster analysis was used to classify POs with respect to their ability/will to translate views into sustainability actions.

Findings

Three different groups were identified with reference to the involvement in ethical and environmental actions. Results show that POs’ strategies often include interlinked economic and environmental objectives. In particular, product quality improvement often goes with the promotion of environmentally friendly techniques, while other environmental actions respond to a reduction costs rather than to a sustainability strategy.

Research limitations/implications

Only 38 out of 300 POs returned the questionnaire. Because of the small sample, the analysis has only an exploratory nature and aims at giving a first insight on how sustainability issues are intended and implemented in the agri-food sector.

Originality/value

Most works have analyzed environmental strategies at the company level. This study focused on POs in the agri-food sector as they can also represent the drivers of a sustainability pattern involving their members.
Deceptive advertising and unfair commercial practices in the agrifood sector
Authors: Passarini Paolo , Cavicchi Alessio , Santini Cristina , Mazzantini Gabriele
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The Italian legislature GAVE to the Italian Competition Authority has an increasingly prominent role for the consumer protection over the years, especially giving the possibility to impose fines against companies. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Italian system of consumer protection, studying the impact of these fines on the Italian agrifood companies till 2012.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded theory approach was used in order to formulate new hypothesis from emerging data. Information and data were collected through several sources: interviews with key informants of ICA, secondary data from ICA database, a survey run among companies that received a penalty from ICA during the period 2007-2012, companies website, LexisNexis database and National print and web media titles.

Findings

From the analysis it emerges that there is an accurate system planned for avoiding and limiting misleading practices. Firms in fact have been capable to adapt to the set of imposed rules and to reduce the efficacy of the proposed dissuasive system.

Originality/value

The originality of this study regards the way in which the consumer protection was investigated, in fact it takes into account the relationships between ICA and IAP, two of the most important players of consumer protection in Italy. Moreover, the study is focussed on the agrifood sector. The authors give some recommendations for future interventions focussing on the length of time of the process, which could have a positive impact on the effectiveness of sanctions.
Institutional impacts on ownership decisions by emerging and advanced market MNCs
Authors: Liou Rushiun , Lee Kevin , Miller Scott
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Emerging-market multinational companies (EMNCs) utilize cross-border merger and acquisitions (M&As) to acquire strategic assets that compensate for their resource deficiencies. Therefore, developed markets have become important destinations for EMNCs. Institutional distance constitutes a major source of competitive disadvantage for foreign firms competing with indigenous firms. The purpose of this paper is to examine the ownership pattern of cross-border M&As in the USA, and determine if EMNCs respond to institutional distance differently than advanced-market multinational companies (AMNCs).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the extant literature in institutional theory as well as internationalization strategy, a quantitative study was carried out. Hypotheses were proposed and tested using fixed effects panel regressions.

Findings

This paper finds that both AMNCs and EMNCs take smaller ownership positions when there is greater cognitive and normative distance. The negative association is stronger for AMNCs than for EMNCs. Further, the larger the regulative distance in the positive direction, meaning a higher level of development in the host market than in the home market, the more AMNCs and EMNCs are led to opt for a higher ownership position, with EMNCs being less influenced by regulative distance.

Research limitations/implications

Though findings are robust and stable, this study is limited to observations that only have US target firms.

Originality/value

By integrating the literature from institutional theory and strategy, this paper offers a clearer understanding and distinction of the acquisition decisions made by EMNCs and AMNCs.
Selecting early adopters to foster the diffusion of innovations in industrial markets
Authors: Bianchi Mattia , Di Benedetto Anthony , Franzò Simone , Frattini Federico
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to bring new empirical evidence to the controversial role of early adopters in the diffusion of innovations in industrial markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply an actor market configuration perspective to the analysis of four longitudinal case studies regarding the commercialization of new products in the textile, plastic and energy industries.

Findings

The diffusion of innovation is an interactive and iterative process where the commercializing firm engages in repeated interactions with different categories of companies that are targeted as potential early adopters. This process ends when the commercializing firm identifies a category of early adopters that can stimulate subsequent acceptance in the later market, by playing one of the following two roles, i.e. word-of-mouth trigger and industry benchmark. During this process, through which the role of the early adopters is constructed proactively by the commercializing firm, the product innovation is also subject to changes to provide a better fit with the selected category of early adopters.

Research limitations/implications

The paper calls for a re-conceptualization of the diffusion process, from a passive identification of early adopters to an interactive process that entails a trial-and-error approach in the targeting and involvement of different categories of early adopters, which ends when the innovation reaches the desired levels of diffusion.

Practical implications

The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for selecting the most proper category of early adopters for their innovations, depending on the role they are more likely to play and the influence they will exert on subsequent acceptance in the later market.

Social implications

The study provides managers with a number of recommendations for targeting, through a trial-and-error process, early adopters and working with them to champion the dissemination of new technologies.

Originality/value

This paper significantly adds to existing literature on the diffusion of innovation, which has up to now conceived early adopters as static and given entities, which cannot be proactively selected by the commercializing firm, and innovation as an immutable object.
Ripples down under: New Zealand youngsters’ attitudes and conduct following Snowden
Authors: Gunasekara Gehan , Adams Andrew A. , Murata Kiyoshi
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This study aims to test the attitudes towards and social consequences of Edward Snowden’s revelations in New Zealand, taking into account New Zealand’s socio-cultural and political environment especially as regards privacy and state surveillance.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey of 66 university students and semi-structured follow-up interviews with 18 respondents were conducted, in addition to reviews of the literature on privacy and state surveillance in New Zealand. The outcomes of the survey were statistically analysed and qualitative analyses of the interview results were also performed.

Findings

Despite a lack of detailed knowledge concerning Snowden’s revelations and a relative lack of knowledge of domestic law enforcement agencies, as well as those devoted to protecting human rights and privacy, the revelations have had a noticeable effect on New Zealand youngsters’ attitudes towards privacy and state surveillance, mainly evidenced in their willingness to emulate Snowden’s actions and in their changed online behaviour, thereby demonstrating a chilling effect.

Practical implications

The study results suggest younger New Zealanders are aware of and concerned with their privacy and that the government should better publicise the existing mechanisms for protecting human rights and privacy as well as for whistle-blowing by individuals to give effect to the aspirations of younger citizens in particular.

Social implications

The results of this study, based on a questionnaire survey, indicates that state surveillance and other threats to privacy are issues of concern to younger New Zealanders and that better public education is needed as to the mechanisms that are available for citizens to protect their privacy and human rights.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to investigate the social impact of Snowden’s revelations on New Zealand youngsters’ attitudes toward privacy and state surveillance as part of cross-cultural analyses between eight countries.
High-tech entrepreneurial content marketing for business model innovation
Authors: Mansour Dina , Barandas Hortensia
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance the theoretical development of the content marketing concept and its integration into high-tech marketing theory, in entrepreneurial contexts and from a business model innovation perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a conceptual overview of content marketing and business model innovation concerning high-tech entrepreneurs.

Findings

The high-tech entrepreneurial content marketing (HIT-ECM) framework has five delineating elements with a small high-tech firm as the focal point: adapting content marketing in the business model, customizing content and customer profiling, organizational learning and experimenting with the business model, building strategic networks and content marketing and the small high-tech firm’s business model innovation. The HIT-ECM framework considers how high-tech entrepreneurs capitalize on their capabilities and use innovative marketing strategies to sell their high-tech solutions under unpredictable conditions and limited resources.

Practical implications

From a managerial perspective, HIT-ECM poses five questions managers should ask themselves when they adopt content marketing and integrate it into their existing business models: how can content create value, how novel content development activities reflect on innovating the business model, how will content development reflect on the business model structure, who is involved and what are the revenue streams of content development.

Originality/value

This is an original paper that presents the HIT-ECM framework for high-tech entrepreneurs to use content marketing and capture customer value through every aspect of their business operations, as well as updating and innovating their business models.
Developing the under stand cropping system (PLDT) for sustainable livelihood
Authors: Banowati Eva , Prajanti Sucihatiningsih Dian Wisika
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and develop a full-cycle teak (Tectona grandis) under stand cropping system or PLDT for sustainable livelihoods of forest village community in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental analysis was used, and the population consisted of units of land of the Community-based Forest Management (in Indonesian called Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Hutan berbasis Masyarakat – PHBM) cultivated by 67 farmers. Further, farmers, the board of Forest Village Community Institution (in Indonesian called Lembaga Masyarakat Desa Hutan – LMDH), and forestry officials were also involved. The method employed was a survey approach using forest mapping result as the primary data. Secondary data were obtained from the LMDH and PHBM documents, measurement of physical conditions, model plots, and focus group discussion.

Findings

Findings reveal that replacing polycultural cropping system with sequential cropping one is useful in improving farmers’ income. It was proven that the products of polycultural cropping contribute only 61.23 percent of proper income. Meanwhile, through the right selection of species of shade-tolerant crops and sequential cropping the contribution can be increased to 85.28 percent: an increase of more than 24 percent. This shows that PLDT is reliable for implementation by using certain seasonal plants and cropping pattern. Next, this research limits itself to an area having teak forest, and its practical implication is to provide an alternative way for generating income and food availability.

Originality/value

This paper is original and has unique value because it discusses issues related to seasonal plantation grown under long-circle crops for a better living condition. The proposed plant is environment-friendly and could possibly be applied to areas having teak forests.
Comparing alternative approaches to estimate customer equity
Authors: Silveira Cleo Schmitt , Oliveira Marta Olivia Rovedder de , Luce Fernando Bins
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences and similarities between two methods/models for estimating customer equity (CE): one using behavior-based data and one using market-based data.

Design/methodology/approach

Two separate analyses of the same market scenario (telecom industry) were conducted, by applying the CE estimation method from Rust et al. (2004) and the CE model from Gupta et al. (2004).

Findings

Different methods/models can produce similar estimates, which corroborates the defense of an integrated multi-method approach to evaluating CE. In addition, they each provide different benefits. The behavioral data model provides identification of CE drivers and assists in the task of marketing resource allocation, the market-based data model is simple and easy to implement and is recommended in cases when CE is used as a financial indicator.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the CE literature in the following ways. First, it demonstrates the possibility of obtaining similar estimates of CE using distinct types of data and data collection procedures, and with two different estimation methods/models. Second, it confirms that either model allows firms to compute the expected market capitalization at any given time using customer and financial information. Third, it demonstrates the convergent validity of these two methods/models for estimating CE for either public or private companies, thus legitimizing the comparison of their respective CE values, regardless of the type of source data or estimation formula used.
Bridging the gap
Authors: McBride Kelly Rhodes , Gregor Margaret N. , McCallister Kelly C.
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to profile the evolution of library services and information literacy instruction provided for transfer students in collaboration with other campus units at a Master’s level institution and for librarians wishing to develop services for this population.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study enhanced by a literature review, outlining the development of services, resources and instruction for transfer students at one institution.

Findings

This paper provides information about the need for library services designed specifically for transfer students at four-year institutions and the importance of cross campus collaborations to develop and offer these resources.

Originality/value

The literature on the provision of library services to transfer students is minimal. This case study details the development of cross campus collaborations that resulted in enhanced library services for this population.
Transforming for our transfers: the creation of a transfer student services librarian
Authors: Coats Lisa R. , Pemberton Anne E.
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the unique library, research and information literacy skills that transfer students need, specifically at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which led to the creation, recruitment and appointment of a Transfer Student Services Librarian at William Madison Randall Library (Randall Library).

Design/methodology/approach

Along with a brief review of the relevant literature, this paper describes the specific needs that were identified that led to the creation of the position; the unique gaps in information skills that transfer students have; how the university was addressing the needs of transfer students; how the library became focused on the needs of this population of students; how the library began collaborating with campus partners to address these needs; and, to date, how the position has impacted transfer students.

Findings

An increase in the number of transfer students from community colleges, four year institutions and military service combined with the institution’s information literacy curriculum requirements, led to the creation of a new position called “Transfer Student Services Librarian”.

Practical implications

Academic libraries wishing to explore the creation of such a position, or wanting to assess their own institution’s needs for their transfer student population, will benefit from this paper.

Originality/value

Few, if any, libraries have adopted a position specifically for transfer student services and this paper addresses how to assess the need and decide on practical applications for other academic libraries.
Scaling Up Agricultural Innovation for Inclusive Livelihood and Productivity Outcomes in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Nigeria
Authors: Ogunniyi Adebayo , Oluseyi Olagunju Kehinde , Adeyemi Ogundipe , Kabir Salman K. , Philips Francis
Published: June 2017

Agricultural research programmes driven by agricultural innovation system concepts usually aim to change the way in which low income rural agrarian households in a nation like Nigeria communicate with the market and the decision‐making strategies pertaining to development of their agri‐business and the scarce resources which are at their disposal. We assess the extent to which the use of these innovative agricultural research interventions impact upon the livelihood and productivity outcomes of rural smallholder farmers in sub‐Saharan African using a case study of Nigeria. Using propensity score matching as a means of establishing a valid counterfactual and single differencing to measure impact, the study establishes that rural incomes and output are significantly impacted by agricultural research interventions that are driven by agricultural innovation systems concepts. The study finds that participating households had better livelihood, productivity and more diversified income portfolios during the implementation of innovative research intervention as a result of greater linkages to markets and capacity building opportunities; phasing out of the research programme reduced the diversity of income portfolios and led to the erosion of livelihoods. Therefore, agricultural innovation system concepts should be mainstreamed in all public agricultural extension and research programmes.
Essential Micro‐foundations for Contemporary Business Operations: Top Management Tangible Competencies, Relationship‐based Business Networks and Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Akhtar Pervaiz , Khan Zaheer , Frynas Jędrzej George , Tse Ying Kei , Rao‐Nicholson Rekha
Published: June 2017

Although various studies have emphasized linkages between firm competencies, networks and sustainability at organizational level, the links between top management tangible competencies (TMTCs) (e.g. contemporary relevant quantitative‐focused education such as big data analytics and data‐driven applications linked with the internet of things, relevant experience and analytical business applications), relationship‐based business networks (RBNs) and environmental sustainability have not been well established at micro‐level, and there is a literature gap in terms of investigating these relationships. This study examines these links based on the unique data collected from 175 top management representatives (chief executive officers and managing directors) working in food import and export firms headquartered in the UK and New Zealand. Our results from structural equation modelling indicate that TMTCs are the key determinants for building RBNs, mediating the correlation between TMTCs and environmental sustainability. Directly, the competencies also play a vital role towards environmental practices. The findings further depict that relationship‐oriented firms perform better compared to those which focus less on such networks. Consequently, our findings provide a deeper understanding of the micro‐foundations of environmental sustainability based on TMTCs rooted in the resource‐based view and RBNs entrenched in social network theory. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and we provide suggestions for future research.
Audit Office Reputation Shocks from Gains and Losses of Major Industry Clients
Authors: Francis Jere R. , Mehta Mihir N. , Zhao Wanli
Published: June 2017

Our study reports evidence on the dynamic effects of client switches on auditor reputations and fee premia. Offices of large accounting firms that lose (gain) major industry clients experience a reputation shock leading to more same‐industry client losses (gains) over the next two years. There is also a shift in audit fees charged to other same‐industry clients when a major client loss (gain) results in an audit office losing (gaining) city‐level industry leadership. A major client loss or gain also creates a short‐term capacity shock to an audit office's ability to supply high‐quality audits. However, there is no evidence of reputation spillovers to other‐industry clients in the audit office, or to clients in other offices of the accounting firm.
A plant volatile‐based attractant formulation is not attractive to Diadegma semiclausum (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)
Authors: Yazdani Maryam , Baker Greg
Published: June 2017

A synthetic plant volatile‐based attractant has been commercialised for integrated pest management (IPM) of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and H. punctigera (Wallengren) in Australian cotton, corn and beans. This attract‐and‐kill formulation is being tested in Australia in canola as an IPM tool to minimise the amount of insecticide used for the control of diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus). DBM is a destructive insect pest of cruciferous crops with a cosmopolitan distribution and has developed resistance to almost every synthetic insecticide applied in the field. However, in brassica crops, naturally occurring parasitoids are often important components of IPM. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how parasitoids deal with plant volatiles released from this formulation and whether this formulation is safe for non‐target insects especially parasitoids. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted to assess the effect of the formulation on larval parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum (Hellén), which is an effective biological control agent of DBM. Our results showed that the formulation was significantly less attractive than either water or untreated leaves. Unfed female D. semiclausum were highly attracted to the honey food source, while after feeding, there was no significant preference among treatments with the exception of significantly less visits to leaves treated with the formulation. Furthermore, the presence of the formulation appears to have reduced the attractiveness of leaves, which were infested with DBM larvae. Our result shows that 2 days after application, female wasps visited leaves treated with the formulation significantly less than untreated healthy leaves, even if DBM larvae were present on the leaves treated with the formulation. We conclude that the formulation is not attractive to D. semiclausum female wasps. The wasps' avoidance of leaves treated with the attractant, even if those leaves were infested with DBM larvae, suggests that the formulation can act as a repellent to the female wasps.
To what extent can ecosystem services motivate protecting biodiversity?
Authors: Dee Laura E. , De Lara Michel , Costello Christopher , Gaines Steven D.
Published: June 2017

Society increasingly focuses on managing nature for the services it provides people rather than for the existence of particular species. How much biodiversity protection would result from this modified focus? Although biodiversity contributes to ecosystem services, the details of which species are critical, and whether they will go functionally extinct in the future, are fraught with uncertainty. Explicitly considering this uncertainty, we develop an analytical framework to determine how much biodiversity protection would arise solely from optimising net value from an ecosystem service. Using stochastic dynamic programming, we find that protecting a threshold number of species is optimal, and uncertainty surrounding how biodiversity produces services makes it optimal to protect more species than are presumed critical. We define conditions under which the economically optimal protection strategy is to protect all species, no species, and cases in between. We show how the optimal number of species to protect depends upon different relationships between species and services, including considering multiple services. Our analysis provides simple criteria to evaluate when managing for particular ecosystem services could warrant protecting all species, given uncertainty. Evaluating this criterion with empirical estimates from different ecosystems suggests that optimising some services will be more likely to protect most species than others.
Host shift and cospeciation rate estimation from co‐phylogenies
Authors: Alcala Nicolas , Jenkins Tania , Christe Philippe , Vuilleumier Séverine
Published: June 2017

Host shifts can cause novel infectious diseases, and is a key process in diversification. Disentangling the effects of host shift vs. those of cospeciation is non‐trivial as both can result in phylogenic congruence. We develop a new framework based on network analysis and Approximate Bayesian Computation to quantify host shift and cospeciation rates in host‐parasite systems. Our method enables estimation of the expected time to the next host shift or cospeciation event. We then apply it to avian haemosporidian parasite systems and to the pocket gophers‐chewing lice system, and demonstrate that both host shift and cospeciation can be reliably estimated by our method. We confirm that host shifts have shaped the evolutionary history of avian haemosporidian parasites and have played a minor role in the gopher–chewing lice system. Our method is promising for predicting the rate of potential host shifts and thus the emergence of novel infectious diseases.
National interests and the paradox of foreign aid under austerity: Conservative governments and the domestic politics of international development since 2010
Authors: Mawdsley Emma
Published: June 2017

Since 2010, successive Conservative‐led Coalition and Conservative governments in the UK have imposed domestic austerity while maintaining foreign aid commitments. They have done so in the teeth of considerable hostility from influential sections of the media, many Conservative MPs and party members, and large sections of the voting public. This paper explains this apparently paradoxical position by analysing these governments’ increasingly explicit stance that aid serves ‘the national interest’ in a variety of ways. While not a new message from donors, post‐2010 Conservative governments have significantly powered up this narrative. The post‐Brexit referendum government is less committed to foreign aid, and it may well institute cuts following changes in legislation. In the meantime, however, it too has focused on shifting discourse and substance towards a more insistent articulation and pursuit of ‘the national interest’.
Is there an optimum number needed to retrieve to justify inclusion of a database in a systematic review search?
Authors: Ross‐White Amanda , Godfrey Christina
Published: June 2017

Objective

To determine whether calculation of a ‘Number Needed to Retrieve’ (NNTR) is possible and desirable as a means of evaluating the utility of a database for systematic review.

Methods

To determine an overall NNTR, eight systematic reviews were tracked to determine how many abstracts were retrieved compared to the number of articles meeting the inclusion criteria. An NNTR was calculated for each database searched to measure the utility of including it in systematic review searches.

Results

Across eight systematic reviews, 17 378 abstracts were reviewed. Of these, 122 met the inclusion criteria for their reviews resulting in an overall NNTR of 142. Individual reviews had an NNTR range of 28–310. Three databases delivered unique results (medline, cinahl and globalhealth). The majority of the included studies appeared in multiple databases. Only five articles were found in a single database.

Conclusions

This research offers a proof of concept of ‘NNTR’. While the eight review NNTRs varied widely, all were consistent with the range initially reported by Booth. Included articles consistently appeared in multiple databases, suggesting that duplicate abstracts should be screened first as these are likely to include highly relevant, high‐quality results.
Spectrum of T‐lymphocyte activities regulating allergic lung inflammation
Authors: Gelfand Erwin W. , Joetham Anthony , Wang Meiqin , Takeda Katsuyuki , Schedel Michaela
Published: June 2017

Despite advances in the treatment of asthma, optimization of symptom control remains an unmet need in many patients. These patients, labeled severe asthma, are responsible for a substantial fraction of the disease burden. In these patients, research is needed to define the cellular and molecular pathways contributing to disease which in large part are refractory to corticosteroid treatment. The causes of steroid‐resistant asthma are multifactorial and result from complex interactions of genetics, environmental factors, and innate and adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity, addressed here, integrates the activities of distinct T‐cell subsets and by definition is dynamic and responsive to an ever‐changing environment and the influences of epigenetic modifications. These T‐cell subsets exhibit different susceptibilities to the actions of corticosteroids and, in some, corticosteroids enhance their functional activation. Moreover, these subsets are not fixed in lineage differentiation but can undergo transcriptional reprogramming in a bidirectional manner between protective and pathogenic effector states. Together, these factors contribute to asthma heterogeneity between patients but also in the same patient at different stages of their disease. Only by carefully defining mechanistic pathways, delineating their sensitivity to corticosteroids, and determining the balance between regulatory and effector pathways will precision medicine become a reality with selective and effective application of targeted therapies.
A framework integrating physiology, dispersal and land‐use to project species ranges under climate change
Authors: Methorst Joel , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin , Khaliq Imran , Hof Christian
Published: June 2017

To study the potential effects of climate change on species, one of the most popular approaches are species distribution models (SDMs). However, they usually fail to consider important species‐specific biological traits, such as species’ physiological capacities or dispersal ability. Furthermore, there is consensus that climate change does not influence species distributions in isolation, but together with other anthropogenic impacts such as land‐use change, even though studies investigating the relative impacts of different threats on species and their geographic ranges are still rare. Here we propose a novel integrative approach which produces refined future range projections by combining SDMs based on distribution, climate, and physiological tolerance data with empirical data on dispersal ability as well as current and future land‐use. Range projections based on different combinations of these factors show strong variation in projected range size for our study species Emberiza hortulana. Using climate and physiological data alone, strong range gains are projected. However, when we account for land‐use change and dispersal ability, future range‐gain may even turn into a future range loss. Our study highlights the importance of accounting for biological traits and processes in species distribution models and of considering the additive effects of climate and land‐use change to achieve more reliable range projections. Furthermore, with our approach we present a new tool to assess species’ vulnerability to climate change which can be easily applied to multiple species.
One gene‐one name: the AvrLmJ1 avirulence gene of Leptosphaeria maculans is AvrLm5
Authors: Plissonneau Clémence , Rouxel Thierry , Chèvre Anne‐Marie , Van De Wouw Angela P. , Balesdent Marie‐Hélène
Published: June 2017

Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg disease, interacts with Brassica napus (oilseed rape, canola) and other Brassica hosts in a gene‐for‐gene manner. The avirulence gene AvrLmJ1 has been cloned previously and shown to interact with an unidentified Brassica juncea resistance gene. In this study, we show that the AvrLmJ1 gene maps to the same position as the AvrLm5 locus. Furthermore, isolates complemented with the AvrLmJ1 locus confer avirulence towards B. juncea genotypes harbouring Rlm5. These findings demonstrate that AvrLmJ1 is AvrLm5 and highlight the need for shared resources to characterize accurately avirulence and/or resistance genes.
Childhood cancer chemotherapy–induced bone damage: pathobiology and protective effects of resveratrol and other nutraceuticals
Authors: Su Yu‐Wen , Chen Ke‐Ming , Hassanshahi Mohammadhossein , Tang Qian , Howe Peter R. , Xian Cory J.
Published: June 2017

Intensive cancer chemotherapy causes significant bone loss, for which the mechanisms remain unclear and effective treatments are lacking. This is a significant issue particularly for childhood cancers, as the most common ones have a >75% cure rate following chemotherapy; there is an increasing population of survivors who live with chronic bone defects. Studies suggest that these defects are the result of reduced bone from increased marrow fat formation and increased bone resorption following chemotherapy. These changes probably result from altered expression/activation of regulatory molecules or pathways regulating skeletal cell formation and activity. Treatment with methotrexate, an antimetabolite commonly used in childhood oncology, has been shown to increase levels of proinflammatory/pro‐osteoclastogenic cytokines (e.g., enhanced NF‐κB activation), leading to increased osteoclast formation and bone resorption, as well as to attenuate Wnt signaling, leading to both decreased bone and increased marrow fat formation. In recent years, understanding the mechanisms of action and potential health benefits of selected nutraceuticals, including resveratrol, genistein, icariin, and inflammatory fatty acids, has led to preclinical studies that, in some cases, indicate efficacy in reducing chemotherapy‐induced bone defects. We summarize the supporting evidence.
Therapeutic potential of Rhizoma Alismatis: a review on ethnomedicinal application, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology
Authors: Zhang Le‐Le , Xu Wen , Xu Yu‐Lian , Chen Xiuping , Huang Mingqing , Lu Jin‐Jian
Published: June 2017

Rhizoma Alismatis (RA), the dried rhizome of Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep, is a common traditional herbal medicine named Ze Xie in Chinese. RA is an important herbal component of a number of well‐known Chinese medicinal preparations. It has been used to treat various ailments, such as dysuria, edema, nephropathy, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. A wide range of chemical compounds, mainly triterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpenoids, have been isolated from RA; among which the protostane‐type triterpenoids, termed alisols, have attracted the most attention owing to their unique chemical structures and various biological activities. The extract and active compounds of RA possess a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects (e.g., diuretic, antimetabolic disorder, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antiosteoporotic, anti‐inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and antiviral activities). Previous toxicological evaluations indicated that the RA extracts are relatively safe and have no serious side effects within certain dose ranges. This paper reviews the up‐to‐date information on the ethnomedicinal application, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of RA. This information will be useful for a better understanding of the therapeutic potential of RA.
Crystal structure of the tricellulin C‐terminal coiled‐coil domain reveals a unique mode of dimerization
Authors: Schuetz Anja , Radusheva Veselina , Krug Susanne M. , Heinemann Udo
Published: June 2017

Tricellulin is a tight junction protein localized to tricellular contacts in many epithelial tissues, where it is required for full barrier control. Here, we present crystal structures of the tricellulin C‐terminal coiled‐coil domain, revealing a potential dimeric arrangement. By combining structural, biochemical, functional, and mutation analyses, we gain insight into the mode of tricellulin oligomerization and suggest a model where dimerization of its cytoplasmic C‐terminus may play an auxiliary role in stabilizing homophilic and potentially also heterophiliccis‐interactions within tight junctions.