bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing sustainability of employee suggestion schemes: a framework
Authors: Lasrado Flevy
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the employee suggestion scheme of three organizations based in the United Arab Emirates. A framework that consists of five sustainability factors identified based on an empirical study has been applied. The sustainability factors identified through this study include leadership and organizational environment, system capability, system effectiveness, organizational encouragement and system barrier. The paper draws conclusions about the key practices necessary to foster sustainability of the employee suggestion system. The paper then presents a final framework that the organizations can apply to assess their suggestion schemes and to develop potential change strategies. The study findings reveal the importance of five factors, and with more cases, future research can be conducted to identify further practices relevant to specific industry. More levels of maturity for sustainability suggestion system could also be defined with future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– The assessment framework was developed drawing on a thorough review of the literature and data collected and analyzed using various statistical tools. The developed assessment framework was validated using case study method. Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit relevant information during the case study.

Findings

– An assessment framework comprising five major factors for sustainability of suggestion scheme of has been presented. The five factors include: leadership and work environment, system capability, system effectiveness, organizational encouragement and system barriers. Sustainability of a suggestion system can be understood as a three-stage model comprising three stages: the initial stage, the developmental stage and the advanced stage. The key practices associated for each of these stages are discussed in detail.

Research limitations/implications

– The framework has taken into consideration the critical success factors, and critical success factors emerged from the literature review conducted for this study. The framework therefore could be further refined by conducting more case studies and can propose maturity levels.

Originality/value

– The paper has developed a framework that can be used to assess the sustainability of the suggestion scheme in an organization. This model has been applied to assess the individual schemes and draw upon potential change strategies.
Investigating the factors influencing continuance usage intention of Learning management systems by university instructors
Authors: Mouakket Samar , Bettayeb Anissa M.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– There is a growing demand worldwide for the adoption of Learning management systems (LMS) by academic institutions to support e-Learning platform. Yet limited research has been conducted to investigate the factors affecting its usage, particularly by university instructors. To fill this research void, the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) was used as the core framework for analysis, while additional critical independent factors related to organizational, technological and individual characteristics were added to find a better model to understand university instructors’ continuance intention to use Blackboard system as a popular LMS.

Design/methodology/approach

– Sample data were gathered from 158 university instructors at a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who volunteered to participate in this study. Structural equation modeling technique was used to verify the causal relationships between the constructs.

Findings

– Perceived usefulness (PU) affected satisfaction of Blackboard system. Both PU and satisfaction affected instructors’ continuance intentions to use Blackboard system. User-interface design affected both PU and satisfaction. Technical support influenced perceived usefulness. Training influenced perceived usefulness, but it had no influence on satisfaction. Computer self-efficacy had no influence on perceived usefulness.

Originality/value

– Based on the ECM, this study contributes significantly to the limited body of research on capturing the influence of organizational, technological and individual motivators to explain university instructors’ continuance intention to use LMS.
Forensic science as “risky business”: identifying key risk factors in the forensic process from crime scene to court
Authors: Julian Roberta , Kelty Sally F.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss key risk factors in the use of forensic science in the criminal justice system by adopting a holistic and systemic approach that examines the collection and use of forensic evidence from crime scene to court.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research on which the paper is based was a mixed-method five-year study of the effectiveness of forensic science in the criminal justice system in Australia using qualitative and quantitative methods. The paper draws on the in-depth analysis of qualitative data from 11 case studies of investigations of serious crime to identify key risk factors in the use of forensic science from crime scene to court.

Findings

– Six key risk factors in the forensic process from crime scene to court are identified: low level of forensic awareness among first responders; crime scene examiners (CSEs) as technicians rather than professionals; inefficient and/or ineffective laboratory processes; limited forensic literacy among key actors in the criminal justice system; poor communication between key actors in the criminal justice system; and, financial resources not directed at the front end of the forensic process. Overall the findings demonstrate that forensic science is not well embedded in the criminal justice system.

Practical implications

– The paper suggests that the risks inherent in the current practice of forensic science in the criminal justice system can be reduced dramatically through: forensic awareness training among first responders; the professionalisation of CSEs; continued improvements in efficiency and effectiveness at the laboratory with a focus on timeliness and quality; greater forensic literacy among actors in the criminal justice system; appropriate avenues of communication between agencies, practitioners and policymakers in the criminal justice system; and increased allocation of resources to the front end of the forensic process.

Originality/value

– By adopting a holistic, systemic approach to the analysis of forensic science in the criminal justice system, and identifying inherent risks in the system, this paper contributes to the emerging body of research on the social processes that impact on the effectiveness of forensic science.
People dependent of support in daily activities perceives reduced self-determination – a cross-sectional study with community-dwelling older people
Authors: Ottenvall Hammar Isabelle , Dahlin-Ivanoff Synneve , Wilhelmson Katarina , Eklund Kajsa
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship of self-determination with degree of dependence in daily activities among community-dwelling persons aged 80 years and older.

Design/methodology/approach

– This cross-sectional study focused on community-dwelling people 80 years or older with varied degree of dependence in daily activities. Self-determination in daily life was assessed with the statements from the Impact on Participation and Autonomy-Older persons (IPA-O), and degree of dependence in daily activities was assessed with the activities of daily living (ADL) staircase. Data were analysed using Fisher’s exact test, and the relative risk with a 95 per cent confidence interval was used to explore the risk of perceiving reduced self-determination in daily life.

Findings

– Compared to the independent persons, the perceived self-determination was significantly lower among persons dependent in instrumental activities of daily living (I-ADL), and persons dependent in personal activities of daily living (P-ADL). Reduced self-determination was most pronounced in persons requiring help with P-ADL.

Practical implications

– Following key features could be applied to strengthen the community-dwelling older people’s self-determination; incorporating a dialogue where self-determined questions are raised; adopting a person-centred approach between the persons involved; acknowledging older people’s capabilities – what they are able to do and to be, and what they value.

Originality/value

– This study highlights the need of integrating a self-determined dialogue into healthcare where the older person and the professional focus on self-determined questions.
Quality improvement through the paradigm of learning
Authors: Hafford-Letchfield Trish , Lavender Peter
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Achieving meaningful participation and co-production for older people in care requires radical approaches. The purpose of this paper is to explore an innovation where learning interventions were introduced into care settings and older people matched to community-based learning mentors to develop partnerships. The authors explore how the concept of learning might be used as a paradigm to raise the quality of care in institutionalised settings using a co-productive and relationship-based approach to promote wellbeing.

Design/methodology/approach

– A structured evaluation drew on qualitative data captured from interviews with older people (n=25) and learning mentors (n=22) to reflect on the potential benefits and challenges involved when introducing learning interventions in care settings. This was contextualised alongside data captured from stakeholders (n=10) including a care home manager, social care and education commissioners, trustees and project staff to assess the interdisciplinary contribution of lifelong learning to quality improvement.

Findings

– Introducing learning interventions to older people within care settings promoted participation, advocacy and relationship-based care which in turn helped to create a positive culture. Given the current challenges to improve quality in care services, drawing on a paradigm of learning may encourage older people to retain their independence as care homes strive towards a person-centred approach. Promoting social activities and leisure using learning was found to foster closer working relationships between older people and the wider community. These had a levelling effect through reciprocity, using an asset based approach. There were benefits for the care provider as the partnerships formed enabled people to raise both individual and collective concerns about care and support.

Originality/value

– Raising and sustaining the quality of support for older people requires input from the wider public sector beyond health and social care. Purposeful engagement with other disciplines such as learning and leisure offers the potential to realise a more sustainable model of user choice, person-centred support and user involvement. Being engaged through learning can nourish membership in the community for marginalised populations such as older people living in care homes.
Innovation advantage: insourcing engineering
Authors: Chaudhury Reuben , Gerdemann Dieter , Kapoor Bharat
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The authors make the case that insourcing engineering is a strategic investment in developing a company’s core competence and innovative capacity needed to continually push the frontiers of its markets, which is essential to creating fresh marginal value under all scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors layout the risks of outsourcing engineering and explain why the benefits of insourcing engineering are great and likely to grow more critical in the near future.

Findings

– As the Internet of Things opens vast new possibilities for differentiating nearly everything such companies might build, innovative engineering to achieve superior connectivity, functionality and invulnerability becomes critical to competitive advantage.

Practical implications

– Insourcing engineering not only resurrects the innovation and IP that distinguish sustainably successful market leaders, it also increases the ability to keep ideas secret until the production stage, thus allowing for full commercialization.

Originality/value

– A leading practitioner at General Electric describes his firm’s experience with outsourcing engineering and why it reversed course and began insourcing engineering again.
How to discover and assess opportunities for business model innovation
Authors: Hargadon Andrew
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The author explains that changing both the company’s offerings and its organization exponentially increases the complexity and uncertainty of any new undertaking, which is why business model innovation is both so difficult and, when successful, so hard for competitors to respond to.

Design/methodology/approach

– The example of how SolarCity introduced a new business model in 2008 designed around third-party ownership illustrates many of the steps Solar-City took to redesign their offering as well as the capabilities to deliver it.

Findings

– Design teams often build prototypes of new products and test their performance or test their appeal to users. It is much more difficult to design and test a novel financial model and more difficult still to sell that design to a company’s leadership and its investors or lenders.

Practical implications

– Rather than dive into details of the product development, organizational design or financials, the innovation team should rank order the largest sources of the project’s uncertainties and focus on identifying any fatal flaws before much time and money are spent.

Originality/value

– A new business model should not be the initial goal but the by-product of a process that focuses on maximizing the long-term value you provide to your customers.
Air humidity thresholds trigger active moss spore release to extend dispersal in space and time
Authors: Johansson Victor , Lönnell Niklas , Rannik Üllar , Sundberg Sebastian , Hylander Kristoffer
Published: November 2015

Understanding the complete dispersal process is important for making realistic predictions of species distributions, but mechanisms for diaspore release in wind‐dispersed species are often unknown. However, diaspore release under conditions that increase the probability of longer dispersal distances and mechanisms that extend dispersal events in time may have evolutionary advantages.

We quantified air humidity thresholds regulating spore release in the moss Brachythecium rutabulum. We also investigated the prevailing micrometeorological conditions when these thresholds occur in nature and how they affect dispersal distances up to 100 m, using a mechanistic dispersal model.

We show that moss spores were mainly released when the peristome teeth were opening, as relative air humidity (RH) decreased from high values to relatively low (mainly between 90% and 75% RH). This most often occurred in the morning, when wind speeds were relatively low. Surprisingly, the model predicted that an equally high proportion of the spores would travel distances beyond 100 m (horizontally) when released in the wind conditions prevailing during events of RH decrease in the morning, that lead to peristome opening, as in the highest wind speeds. Moreover, a higher proportion of the spores reached high altitudes when released at the lower wind speeds during the morning compared to the higher speeds later in the day, indicating a possibility for extended dispersal distances when released in the morning. Dispersal in the morning is enhanced by a combination of a more unstable atmospheric surface layer that promotes vertical dispersal, and a lower wind speed that decreases the spore deposition probability onto the ground, compared to later in the day.

Our study demonstrates an active spore release mechanism in response to diurnally changing air humidity. The mechanism may promote longer dispersal distances, because of enhanced vertical dispersal and because spores being released in the morning have more time to travel before the wind calms down at night. The mechanism also leads to a prolonged dispersal period over the season, which may be viewed as a risk spreading in time that ultimately also leads to a higher diversity of establishment conditions, dispersal distances and directions.
Experimental evidence that oxidative stress influences reproductive decisions
Authors: Costantini David , Casasole Giulia , AbdElgawad Hamada , Asard Han , Eens Marcel
Published: November 2015

There is considerable interest of evolutionary ecologists in the proximate mechanisms that constrain life‐history variation. It is increasingly recognized that oxidative stress may be a prime physiological constraint on reproduction, but to the best of our knowledge, this has never been tested experimentally.

To fill in this gap, we examined whether a specific and short‐term experimental increase of pre‐reproductive oxidative stress in females of a songbird (canary, Serinus canaria) would influence reproductive decisions (i.e. when and how many eggs to lay), and reproductive success (hatching and fledging success, number of hatchlings and of fledglings produced by each female), as compared to females whose oxidative stress levels were not manipulated.

Our experimental reduction of glutathione, a key antioxidant, increased oxidative stress and affected reproductive decisions: treated females significantly delayed the start of egg laying and laid significantly smaller clutches. However, both hatching and fledging success and the number of hatchlings and of fledglings produced by each female were similar between control and treated females.

Our results support the hypothesis that oxidative stress may be one proximate mechanism modulating key life‐history traits (such as the timing of laying and clutch size in birds) and therefore may act as a link between prevailing environmental conditions and fitness traits.
Soil microbial community structure explains the resistance of respiration to a dry–rewet cycle, but not soil functioning under static conditions
Authors: Orwin Kate H. , Dickie Ian A. , Wood Jamie R. , Bonner Karen I. , Holdaway Robert J.
Published: November 2015

Soil ecosystem functions underpin many ecosystem services. Understanding the drivers of these functions and their stability in response to disturbance is important given land‐use intensification and the predicted increase in disturbance frequency with climate change.

Changes in land use and soil abiotic conditions are likely to impact on soil ecosystem functions and their stability, but the effects of changes in soil microbial community structure (i.e. traits, diversity, composition and biomass) are poorly understood.

We measured soil abiotic properties, microbial community structure, ecosystem functions (carbon and nutrient cycling) and the stability of functions in response to a dry–rewet cycle, across a land‐use gradient consisting of natural forest, planted forest, high‐ and low‐producing grassland, and vineyards.

Results from additive modelling, where explanatory variables were added in a hierarchical manner and retained if significant (land use followed by abiotic variables followed by biotic variables), showed that measures of soil microbial community structure were the only variables able to explain variation in several measures of stability. In contrast, microbial community structure was rarely able to explain further variation in functions measured under static conditions once land use and abiotic factors were accounted for.

Consistent with current theory, correlation analysis indicated that fungal : bacterial ratios were negatively related to measures of carbon and nutrient cycling, whereas the Gram‐positive : Gram‐negative ratio was positively related to measures of nutrient cycling and stability. In contrast to current theory, the fungal : bacterial ratio was negatively related to the resistance of soil water‐soluble N contents to drying.

Our results show that measures of microbial community structure can be good indicators of a wide range of soil functions and their stability in response to a dry–rewet cycle. Further, they suggest that soil microbial community structure may have a far greater influence on process rates under disturbed, compared to static, conditions. The delivery of ecosystem services in the future may therefore be strongly dependent on the characteristics of the soil microbial community.
Mechanism of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate induced cardioprotection against I/R injury in diabetic rat heart: Possible involvement of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitochondrial permeability transition pore
Authors: Rana Ajay , Sharma Saurabh
Published: November 2015

There is growing evidence that diabetes mellitus causes attenuation of the bioactive metabolite of membrane sphingolipids, sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, and this may be a key mechanism in the decreased cardioprotective effect of ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) in the diabetic heart. Thus, this study has been designed to investigate the role and pharmacological potential of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate in diabetic rat heart. Diabetes was produced in Wistar rats by administration of a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/kg, i.p., once) and feeding a high fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks. Isolated rat heart was subjected to 30 min ischaemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion (I/R). The heart was subjected to pre‐ischaemic treatment (before ischaemia for 20 min) and pharmacological preconditioning with the S1P agonist FTY720 (0.6 μmol/L) with and without atractyloside (an mPTP opener; in the last episode of reperfusion before I/R). Myocardial infarction was assessed in terms of increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine kinase‐MB (CK‐MB), myeloperoxidase (MPO) level and infarct size (triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining). Immunohistochemistry analysis was done for assessment of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)‐3β level in cardiac tissue. Pre‐ischaemic treatment and pharmacological preconditioning with FTY720 significantly decreased I/R‐induced myocardial infarction, TNF‐alpha, GSK‐3β level and release of LDH and CK‐MB as compared to control group. The cardioprotective effect of S1P agonist was significantly attenuated by atractyloside. It may be concluded that S1P agonist FTY720 prevents the diabetic heart from ischaemic reperfusion injury, possibly through inhibition of GSK‐3β and regulation of opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore.
Together we have fun: native‐place networks and sexual risk behaviours among Chinese male rural‐urban migrants
Authors: Yang Xiaozhao Yousef , Kelly Brian C. , Yang Tingzhong
Published: November 2015

Some scholars argue that the maintenance of social networks contributes to the lower prevalence of deviant behaviours and fewer adverse health effects among migrants. But others suggest that if migrants are embedded in homogeneous networks, such networks may enable the formation of a deviant subculture that promotes risk taking. Facing this dilemma, the present study investigates how native‐place networks influence sexual risk behaviours (SRBs), specifically the pursuit of commercial sex and condomless sex with sex workers, for male rural‐urban migrants. Using a multi‐stage sample of 1,591 male rural‐urban migrants from two major migrant‐influx cities within China, we assessed migrants’ general friend network ties and native place networks (townsmen in migrants’ local networks) and tested their associations with SRBs. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicate that native‐place network ties are associated with paying for sex (OR = 1.33, p < 0.001) and condomless sex with sex workers (OR = 1.33, p < 0.001), while general friendship network ties reduce such risks (OR = 0.74, p < 0.001; OR = 0.84, p < 0.01) even after controlling for demographic background, housing conditions, length of stay, health beliefs and behaviours, and spousal companionship. Our findings suggest that native‐place networks among Chinese male rural‐urban migrants are associated with SRBs because homogenous networks may serve as a platform for the emergence of a deviant subculture that promotes risk behaviours. A Virtual Abstract of this paper is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wg20I6j8XQ.
The self as capital in the narrative economy: how biographical testimonies move activism in the Global South
Authors: Burchardt Marian
Published: November 2015

This article analyses and theorises the practice of biographical storytelling of HIV‐positive AIDS activists in South Africa. Combining research in illness narratives, studies of emotions in social activism and analysis of global health institutions in Africa, I explore how biographical self‐narrations are deployed to facilitate access to resources and knowledge and thus acquire material and symbolic value. I illustrate my argument through the analysis of the case of an AIDS activist who became a professional biographical storyteller. Based on the analysis which I claim to represent wider dynamics in human‐rights‐based health activism in the Global South, I propose the concept of narrative economies by which I mean the set of exchange relationships within which biographical self‐narrations circulate and produce social value for individuals and organisations.
Legal geography, geography, and the research‐policy nexus
Authors: Bartel Robyn
Published: November 2015

This commentary concentrates on an area to which legal geography may be especially able to contribute, the research‐policy nexus. The pursuit of relevance that characterised geography in the 1970s has re‐emerged as a concern with growing demands for evidence‐based policy. Geographers have long engaged with the policy arena and legal geography offers another opportunity to enhance this contribution. There are, however, barriers and tensions between researchers and policy makers which need to be acknowledged and addressed.
Reverse genetic screen for loss‐of‐function mutations uncovers a frameshifting deletion in themelanophilingene accountable for a distinctive coat color in Belgian Blue cattle
Authors: Li Wanbo , Sartelet Arnaud , Tamma Nico , Coppieters Wouter , Georges Michel , Charlier Carole
Published: November 2015

In the course of a reverse genetic screen in the Belgian Blue cattle breed, we uncovered a 10‐bp deletion (c.87_96del) in the first coding exon of themelanophilingene (MLPH), which introduces a premature stop codon (p.Glu32Aspfs*1) in the same exon, truncating 94% of the protein. Recessive damaging mutations in theMLPHgene are well known to cause skin, hair, coat or plumage color dilution phenotypes in numerous species, including human, mice, dog, cat, mink, rabbit, chicken and quail. Large‐scale array genotyping undertaken to identify p.Glu32Aspfs*1 homozygous mutant animals revealed a mutation frequency of 5% in the breed and allowed for the identification of 10 homozygous mutants. As expression of a colored coat requires at least one wild‐type allele at the co‐dominant Roan locus encoded by theKITligandgene (KITLG), homozygous mutants for p.Ala227Asp corresponding with the missense mutation were excluded. The six remaining colored calves displayed a distinctive dilution phenotype as anticipated. This new coat color was named ‘cool gray’. It is the first damaging mutation in theMLPHgene described in cattle and extends the already long list of species with diluted color due to recessive mutations inMLPHand broadens the color palette of gray in this breed.
Identification and characterization of miRNAs in the ovaries of a highly prolific sheep breed
Authors: Hu Xiaoju , Pokharel Kisun , Peippo Jaana , Ghanem Nasser , Zhaboyev Ismail , Kantanen Juha , Li Meng‐Hua
Published: November 2015

Until recently, there have been few studies concerning miRNAs or miRNA‐mediated biological processes in sheep (Ovis aries). In the present study, we used a deep‐sequencing approach to examine ovarian miRNAs and the mRNA transcriptomes in two ewes of a highly prolific breed, Finnsheep. We identified 113 known sheep miRNAs, 131 miRNAs conserved in other mammals and 60 novel miRNAs, the expression levels of which accounted for 78.22%, 21.73% and 0.05% of the total respectively. Furthermore, the 10 most abundantly expressed miRNAs in the two libraries were characterized in detail, and the putative target genes of these miRNAs were annotated using GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Among the target genes, intracellular transducers (SMAD1, SMAD4, SMAD5 and SMAD9) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptors (BMPR1B and BMPR2) were involved in the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway in the reproductive axis, and the most significant GO terms were intracellular part (GO:0044424), binding (GO:0005488) and biological_process (GO:0008150) for cellular component, molecular function and biological process respectively. Thus, these results expanded the sheep miRNA database and provided additional information on the prolificacy trait regulated through specific miRNAs in sheep and other mammals.
The albinism of the feral Asinara white donkeys (Equus asinus) is determined by a missense mutation in a highly conserved position of the tyrosinase (TYR) gene deduced protein
Authors: Utzeri V. J. , Bertolini F. , Ribani A. , Schiavo G. , Dall'Olio S. , Fontanesi L.
Published: November 2015

A feral donkey population (Equus asinus), living in the Asinara National Park (an island north‐west of Sardinia, Italy), includes a unique white albino donkey subpopulation or colour morph that is a major attraction of this park. Disrupting mutations in the tyrosinase (TYR) gene are known to cause recessive albinisms in humans (oculocutaneous albinism Type 1; OCA1) and other species. In this study, we analysed the donkey TYR gene as a strong candidate to identify the causative mutation of the albinism of these donkeys. The TYR gene was sequenced from 13 donkeys (seven Asinara white albino and six coloured animals). Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. A missense mutation (c.604C>G; p.His202Asp) in a highly conserved amino acid position (even across kingdoms), which disrupts the first copper‐binding site (CuA) of functional protein, was identified in the homozygous condition (G/G or D/D) in all Asinara white albino donkeys and in the albino son of a trio (the grey parents had genotype C/G or H/D), supporting the recessive mode of inheritance of this mutation. Genotyping 82 donkeys confirmed that Asinara albino donkeys had genotype G/G whereas all other coloured donkeys had genotype C/C or C/G. Across‐population association between the c.604C>G genotypes and the albino coat colour was highly significant (P = 6.17E−18). The identification of the causative mutation of the albinism in the Asinara white donkeys might open new perspectives to study the dynamics of this putative deleterious allele in a feral population and to manage this interesting animal genetic resource.
SNP genotypes of olfactory receptor genes associated with olfactory ability in German Shepherd dogs
Authors: Yang M. , Geng G.‐J. , Zhang W. , Cui L. , Zhang H.‐X. , Zheng J.‐L.
Published: November 2015

To find out the relationship between SNP genotypes of canine olfactory receptor genes and olfactory ability, 28 males and 20 females from German Shepherd dogs in police service were scored by odor detection tests and analyzed using the Beckman GenomeLab SNPstream. The representative 22 SNP loci from the exonic regions of 12 olfactory receptor genes were investigated, and three kinds of odor (human, ice drug and trinitrotoluene) were detected. The results showed that the SNP genotypes at the OR10H1‐like:c.632C>T, OR10H1‐like:c.770A>T, OR2K2‐like:c.518G>A, OR4C11‐like:c.511T>G and OR4C11‐like:c.692G>A loci had a statistically significant effect on the scenting abilities (P < 0.001). The kind of odor influenced the performances of the dogs (P < 0.001). In addition, there were interactions between genotype and the kind of odor at the following loci: OR10H1‐like:c.632C>T, OR10H1‐like:c.770A>T, OR4C11‐like:c.511T>G and OR4C11‐like:c.692G>A (P < 0.001). The dogs with genotype CC at the OR10H1‐like:c.632C>T, genotype AA at the OR10H1‐like:c.770A>T, genotype TT at the OR4C11‐like:c.511T>G and genotype GG at the OR4C11‐like:c.692G>A loci did better at detecting the ice drug. We concluded that there was linkage between certain SNP genotypes and the olfactory ability of dogs and that SNP genotypes might be useful in determining dogs' scenting potential.
Paradoxical Effect of Nonphysiological Shear Stress on Platelets and von Willebrand Factor
Authors: Chen Zengsheng , Mondal Nandan K. , Ding Jun , Koenig Steven C. , Slaughter Mark S. , Wu Zhongjun J.
Published: November 2015

Blood can become hypercoagulable by shear‐induced platelet activation and generation of microparticles. It has been reported that nonphysiological shear stress (NPSS) could induce shedding of platelet receptor glycoprotein (GP) Ibα, which may result in an opposite effect to hemostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the NPSS on platelets and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Human blood was exposed to two levels of NPSS (25 Pa, 125 Pa) with an exposure time of 0.5 s, generated by using a novel blood‐shearing device. Platelet activation (P‐selectin expression, GPIIb/IIIa activation and generation of microparticles) and shedding of three platelet receptors (GPIbα, GPVI, GPIIb/IIIa) in sheared blood were quantified using flow cytometry. Aggregation capacity of sheared blood induced by ristocetin and collagen was evaluated using an aggregometer. Shear‐induced vWF damage was characterized with Western blotting. Consistent with the published data, the NPSS caused significantly more platelets to become activated with increasing NPSS level. Meanwhile, the NPSS induced the shedding of platelet receptors. The loss of the platelet receptors increased with increasing NPSS level. The aggregation capacity of sheared blood induced by ristocetin and collagen decreased. There was a loss of high molecular weight multimers (HMWMs) of vWF in sheared blood. These results suggest that the NPSS induced a paradoxical effect. More activated platelets increase the risk of thrombosis, while the reduction in platelet receptors and the loss of HMWM‐vWF increased the propensity of bleeding. The finding might provide a new perspective to understand thrombosis and acquired bleeding disorder in patients supported with blood contacting medical devices.
Hemodynamic Performance of a New Punched Stent Strut: A Numerical Study
Authors: Xue Yan , Liu Xiao , Sun Anqiang , Zhang Peng , Fan Yubo , Deng Xiaoyan
Published: November 2015

Local flow disturbance by arterial stent struts has been shown to play an important role in stent thrombosis. To reduce the local flow disturbance near a stent strut, we proposed a new concept of stent design with small holes in the stent struts. The present study evaluated the new design numerically by comparing it with the traditional stent in terms of local hemodynamic parameters such as flow velocity, flow recirculation area, time‐averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillating shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT). The results demonstrated that when compared with the traditional strut, the new design could significantly enhance flow velocity and reduce the flow recirculation zone in the vicinity of the strut. Moreover, the new design would significantly elevate TAWSS and remarkably reduce OSI and RRT along the host arterial wall. In conclusion, the new design of stent struts with punched holes is advantageous over the traditional one in the aspect of improving local hemodynamics, which may reduce thrombosis formation and promote re‐endothelialization after stenting.
The distributional impacts of an energy boom in Western Canada
Authors: Marchand Joseph
Published: November 2015

In the energy‐rich provinces of Western Canada, inequality rose over the past two decades while poverty declined, raising the question of whether the recent energy boom was a contributing factor. This study uses local labour market variation in energy extraction intensity to identify these distributional impacts. The growth in local outcomes attributable to the boom is found to be U‐shaped and significant across all distributional segments, leading to somewhat increased local inequality aggregates and reduced local poverty. This pattern is preserved but varies across sectors, driving a large local inequality increase in energy extraction, with smaller rises and reductions in other industries.
Classification of image artefacts in optical coherence tomography angiography of the choroid in macular diseases
Authors: Chen Fred K , Viljoen Rian D , Bukowska Danuta M
Published: November 2015

Background

To evaluate and classify image artefacts in optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (OCTA) of the choroid in a group of patients with macular diseases.

Design

Retrospective observational study.

Participants

Five patients with age‐related macular degeneration, three with central serous retinopathy, one with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy and one with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome.

Methods

OCTA and OCT reflectivity (OCTR) maps were reviewed along with their fluorescein angiography and indocyanine green angiography. Sixty OCTA images (20 outer retina, 20 Sattler and 20 Haller layers) were graded for image artefacts by two examiners independently.

Main Outcome Measures

OCTA artefacts and their correlation with OCTR maps, angiography and OCT B‐scans.

Results

Artefacts (frequency) were classified into (i) motion (70–100%), (ii) fringe washout (100%), (iii) decorrelation projection (0–20%), (iv) masking and unmasking (50–65%) and (v) stromal decorrelation signal (100%). Motion artefact in OCTA is characterized by horizontal dark lines or bands not apparent on OCTR map. Fringe washout creates signal void within choroidal vessels because of fast blood flow. Decorrelation projection from retinal vasculature and choroidal new vessels above the Bruch's membrane are seen within the choroidal OCTA image. Masking and unmasking artefacts occur in regions of pigment epithelial detachment and atrophy. Decorrelation signals can also be seen in the choroidal stroma.

Conclusions

Our classification system of artefact in choroidal OCTA establishes a common terminology for clinical interpretation. This is important in enhancing our understanding of the principles of OCTA acquisition, and it also serves as a bench mark for reading centres.
Non‐random patterns and temporal trends (1912–2012) in the transport, introduction and establishment of exotic birds in Spain and Portugal
Authors: Abellán Pedro , Carrete Martina , Anadón Jose D. , Cardador Laura , Tella José L.
Published: November 2015

Aim

Invasion processes are probably better understood for birds than for any other taxon, thanks to detailed information available on deliberate introductions performed by Europeans when they colonized other continents. Little is known, however, about current avian introductions in developed countries, including Europe. Using an unprecedented dataset on exotic birds, we assessed the sources and magnitude of recent avian introductions and characterized the transitions between main invasion stages (transport, introduction and establishment) and their temporal evolution.

Location

Spain and Portugal.

Methods

We compiled records of species introduced between 1912 and 2012, including information on transport and introduction pathways. We assessed non‐randomness in the phylogenetic relationships and the biogeographic origin of species crossing each invasion stage and evaluated temporal changes in introduction patterns.

Results

At least 1026 exotic species have been transported to Spain and Portugal (ca. 10% of the world's birds) during the last 100 years. Of these, 377 (37%) have been recorded as introduced into the wild, of which up to 32 (9%) species have established breeding populations. Exotic species entered the invasion pathway mostly through the accidental escape of internationally traded birds, and temporal changes in introduction rates mirrored changes in the number of imported birds. The subsets of taxa successfully passing through the different invasion stages were non‐random with respect to their biogeographic origin and were phylogenetically clustered in several distantly related clades.

Main conclusions

Our findings show that the magnitude of transport, introduction and establishment of exotic birds is much greater than usually described at a regional level, and support the hypothesis that most species fail to transit the different steps of the invasion process (the so‐called tens rule). The temporal changes in introduction rates are broadly consistent with the recent global rise of accidental introductions associated with the wildlife trade.
On the integration of biotic interaction and environmental constraints at the biogeographical scale
Authors: Cazelles Kévin , Mouquet Nicolas , Mouillot David , Gravel Dominique
Published: November 2015

Biogeography is primarily concerned with the spatial distribution of biodiversity, including performing scenarios in a changing environment. The efforts deployed to develop species distribution models have resulted in predictive tools, but have mostly remained correlative and have largely ignored biotic interactions. Here we build upon the theory of island biogeography as a first approximation to the assembly dynamics of local communities embedded within a metacommunity context. We include all types of interactions and introduce environmental constraints on colonization and extinction dynamics. We develop a probabilistic framework based on Markov chains and derive probabilities for the realization of species assemblages, rather than single species occurrences. We consider the expected distribution of species richness under different types of ecological interactions. We also illustrate the potential of our framework by studying the interplay between different ecological requirements, interactions and the distribution of biodiversity along an environmental gradient. Our framework supports the idea that the future research in biogeography requires a coherent integration of several ecological concepts into a single theory in order to perform conceptual and methodological innovations, such as the switch from single‐species distribution to community distribution.
The association between olfactory bulb volume, cognitive dysfunction, physical disability and depression in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Yaldizli Ö. , Penner I.‐K. , Yonekawa T. , Naegelin Y. , Kuhle J. , Pardini M. , Chard D. T. , Stippich C. , Kira J.‐i. , Bendfeldt K. , Amann M. , Radue E.‐W. , Kappos L. , Sprenger T.
Published: November 2015

Background and purpose

Olfactory bulb atrophy is associated with cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and with major depression. It has been suggested that olfactory bulb atrophy or dysfunction is therefore a marker of neurodegeneration. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is now also recognized as having a significant neurodegenerative component. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate associations between physical and cognitive disability, depression and olfactory bulb volume in MS.

Methods

In total, 146 patients with MS (mean age 49.0 ± 10.9 years, disease duration 21.2 ± 9.3 years, median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 3.0 (range 0–7.5), 103 relapsing−remitting, 35 secondary progressive and eight primary progressive MS) underwent a standardized neurological examination, comprehensive neuropsychological testing and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); data of 27 healthy people served as age‐ and gender‐matched control subjects. The olfactory bulb was semi‐automatically segmented on high‐resolution three‐dimensional T1‐weighted MRI.

Results

Mean olfactory bulb volume was lower in MS patients than healthy controls (183.9 ± 40.1 vs. 209.2 ± 59.3 μl; P = 0.018 adjusted to intracranial volume). Olfactory bulb volume was similar across clinical disease subtypes and did not correlate with cognitive performance, EDSS scores or total proton density/T2 white matter lesion volume. However, in progressive MS, the mean olfactory bulb volume correlated with depression scores (Spearman's rho = −0.38, P < 0.05) confirmed using a multivariate linear regression analysis including cognitive fatigue scores. This association was not observed in relapsing−remitting MS.

Conclusion

Olfactory bulb volume was lower in MS than in healthy controls. Olfactory bulb volume does not seem to mirror cognitive impairment in MS; however, it is associated with higher depression scores in progressive MS.
From richer to poorer: successful invasion by freshwater fishes depends on species richness of donor and recipient basins
Authors: Fitzgerald Daniel B. , Tobler Michael , Winemiller Kirk O.
Published: November 2015

Evidence for the theory of biotic resistance is equivocal, with experiments often finding a negative relationship between invasion success and native species richness, and large‐scale comparative studies finding a positive relationship. Biotic resistance derives from local species interactions, yet global and regional studies often analyze data at coarse spatial grains. In addition, differences in competitive environments across regions may confound tests of biotic resistance based solely on native species richness of the invaded community. Using global and regional data sets for fishes in river and stream reaches, we ask two questions: (1) does a negative relationship exist between native and non‐native species richness and (2) do non‐native species originate from higher diversity systems. A negative relationship between native and non‐native species richness in local assemblages was found at the global scale, while regional patterns revealed the opposite trend. At both spatial scales, however, nearly all non‐native species originated from river basins with higher native species richness than the basin of the invaded community. Together, these findings imply that coevolved ecological interactions in species‐rich systems inhibit establishment of generalist non‐native species from less diverse communities. Consideration of both the ecological and evolutionary aspects of community assembly is critical to understanding invasion patterns. Distinct evolutionary histories in different regions strongly influence invasion of intact communities that are relatively unimpacted by human actions, and may explain the conflicting relationship between native and non‐native species richness found at different spatial scales.
Constructing climate capitalism: corporate power and the global climate policy‐planning network
Authors: SAPINSKI JEAN PHILIPPE
Published: November 2015

In this article, I analyse the corporate hegemonic structures of power underlying the project of climate capitalism. I present climate capitalism as an emerging regime of accumulation founded on carbon markets and the ecological modernization of production, which could replace the prevalent carboniferous capitalist regime and provide a deeply needed reduction of carbon emissions. I map out the network of corporate‐funded climate and environmental policy groups participating in climate capitalist knowledge production and mobilization to provide a critical appraisal of the possibility of such a transition. The positioning of these policy groups allows them to play a crucial role as intermediaries between regional and sectoral corporate interests and they provide a crucial link between energy and financial firms. However, energy–finance linkages are sparse, and a small number of individual capitalists carry a relatively thin network from the fossil fuel and nuclear sectors. These findings cast doubt on the hypothesis that a strong climate capitalist coalition is emerging.