bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk indicators for managing the energy procurement process
Authors: Verbano Chiara , Crema Maria
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Energy commodities are characterised by rigid demand and high price volatility, linked to many variables such as climate factors, exchange rates, availability of resources. At the same time, the authorities often set prices, so wholesale energy companies need to create margins carefully by managing the procurement process and selecting appropriate tools to manage the risks associated with the volatility of energy prices. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and evaluate price and volume risks in the energy procurement process considering a “non-speculative” point of view, which is understudied in the literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper adopts a quantitative approach to risk evaluation, based on accounting indicators, and applies it to a large Italian energy wholesale company.

Findings

– A set of key risk indicators to measure price and volume risks is presented in the results, split into synthesis risk, unbalanced risks, modulation risks and risks derived from bilateral contracts. These indicators are applied to the case study, and each risk is prioritised and discussed.

Originality/value

– This contribution is one of the first attempts to analyse energy procurement risks in a non-speculative approach. The proposed method allows: first, to evaluate and prioritise the three major types in the energy procurement process, second, to observe the trend of risk exposure, third, the performance measurement of the procurement process, and fourth, benchmarking activities if widely implemented in the energy sector.
Prediction of cutting tool life based on Taguchi approach with fuzzy logic and support vector regression techniques
Authors: Gokulachandran Jaganathan , Mohandas K.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The accurate assessment of tool life of any given tool is a great significance in any manufacturing industry. The purpose of this paper is to predict the life of a cutting tool, in order to help decision making of the next scheduled replacement of tool and improve productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reports the use of two soft computing techniques, namely, neuro-fuzzy logic and support vector regression (SVR) techniques for the assessment of cutting tools. In this work, experiments are conducted based on Taguchi approach and tool life values are obtained.

Findings

– The analysis is carried out using the two soft computing techniques. Tool life values are predicted using aforesaid techniques and these values are compared.

Practical implications

– The proposed approaches are relatively simple and can be implemented easily by using software like MATLAB and Weka.

Originality/value

– The proposed methodology compares neuro – fuzzy logic and SVR techniques.
Conceptualizing open agile software development life cycle (OASDLC) model
Authors: Misra Subhas C. , Singh Virender
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Software development life cycle (SDLC) has always been the core methodology for any software engineer that depicts the entire development process which an organization is bound to utilize to achieve successful software. The purpose of this paper is to bring forth a conceptual model after analysing the best practices in SDLC, and extracting the best out of agile methodologies and the open source software, thereby bringing forward an optimised structure.

Design/methodology/approach

– The OASDLC is hypothesized specifically for “Brihaspati” project and is formulated keeping in mind the gaps and limitations posed by existing SDLC models. OASDLC is further put to test for achieving lower costs and efforts involved. The tests are further substantiated by means of hypothesis validation through execution of a survey based research.

Findings

– It has been observed that the present conceptual model further optimizes the efforts involved while adopting such a practice.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a novel SDLC model so as to achieve a best practice for a software project. On analysing the issues involved such as tight budget and timelines, it led the authors to formulate a newer concept “Open Agile Software Development Life Cycle model” (OASDLC).
Patterns of variation and correlation in quality control characteristics of segment installation
Authors: Hosseininasab S. Mohammad E. , Ershadi Mohammad Javad
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Evaluation of the quality and performance of a tunnel lining during the installation of segments are the main objects of tunneling projects. Because the quality is affected by several attributes, the purpose of this paper is an appropriate multivariate data analysis that is helpful in extracting applicable knowledge of the data collected regarding the related attributes of the initial installed rings.

Design/methodology/approach

– Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to analyze the data obtained by the quality control team. The authors use canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to extract some linear combinations of the original attributes of the two groups that produce the largest correlations with the second set of variables.

Findings

– The authors reduce the dimensionality of the original data set for further analyses, and use a small number of uncorrelated variables rather than a larger set of correlated variables to take effective and efficient action to control the quality of the tunnel lining. The authors also explore the correlation structure and relationship between two main groups of characteristics used for assessing the quality of the installed rings. Then, instead of a large number of the original characteristics in the two groups, the authors can easily control these few to attain a reasonable quality for the tunnel lining.

Originality/value

– This is a case study, and for each ring selected for inspection, 16 different characteristics are measured and the observations are recorded. The authors use PCA and CCA to analyse the data and interpret the results. Although the methods are not new, applying them to this data results in useful and informative outcomes and interpretation.
A study on the impact of consumer risk perception and innovativeness on online shopping in India
Authors: Thakur Rakhi , Srivastava Mala
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a conceptual model to establish how consumer innovativeness can be used as a variable to positively influence online retailing adoption intention both directly and reducing consumer perceived risk (PR).

Design/methodology/approach

– The literature concerning personal innovativeness toward information technology and major components of PR have been systematically reviewed to develop a conceptual model. The impact of innovativeness and PR on online shopping adoption intention has been empirically validated by structural equation modeling using a sample of 433 internet users in India.

Findings

– Results reveals consumer innovativeness as a key construct to improve online retail adoption intention both directly and by its effective role in reducing consumer risk perception of using internet channel for making purchase of physical goods.

Originality/value

– There is a lack of studies which connect consumer innovativeness and PR in the online retailing context especially in Indian scenario. The results expand one’s knowledge on this relationship, propounding interesting empirical evidence of the model among current and potential online shoppers.
Testing the decoy effect in the presence of store brands
Authors: Sellers-Rubio Ricardo , Nicolau-Gonzalbez Juan-Luis
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test decoy effect in the framework of sales promotion, by conducting several experiments to figure out how this decoy effect is influenced by the presence or absence of a store brand.

Design/methodology/approach

– Several experiments have been conducted to test the validity of the decoy effect and rule out some explanations for the changes in demand that take place. The experiments consider three brands (two national brands and one store brand). All the brand names and prices employed in the experiment are real.

Findings

– The results indicate that, as expected, the inclusion of a decoy in the choice set significantly increases the consumer’s relative preference for the promoted product; however, more importantly, the results also show that store brand consumers are more influenced by a decoy than national brand consumers.

Originality/value

– This paper presents the first evidence of the decoy effect in the presence of store brands.
Internationalization of SME retailer: barriers and the role of public support organizations
Authors: Fayos Gardó Teresa , Calderón García Haydeé , Mollá Descals Alejandro
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The need for retailers to internationalize is a growing reality in developed markets. Research examining problems in this process argues that the barriers to internationalization should be studied based on the situation in each country, and that public organizations which implement policies to support internationalization do not always adapt to company needs. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the limited existing research on the subject of Spanish retail internationalization, analysing the problems faced by SMEs and the role of public support organizations in helping them.

Design/methodology/approach

– By means of in-depth interviews with experts, the authors first, analysed the barriers faced by Spanish retailers in their internationalization processes, and found a predominance of endogenous as opposed to exogenous barriers. Second, the authors studied the appropriateness of support policies for retail needs and identified a significant mismatch.

Findings

– Results show that the current international economic climate and restricted access to financing, combined with the small size of retailers, their lack of experience in internationalization processes, and the potential that still remains in the local market, are an inducement not to venture into other markets. Additionally, there is a lack of awareness on the part of public organizations about the reality and needs of the retail sector. In addition, the study of retail internationalization as a discipline seems to be in constant flux.

Research limitations/implications

– It would be pertinent to consider the findings in the light of a number of limitations of the study. The sample did not consist of retailers but its representatives. The reliance upon a single nation sample could also be viewed as a limitation.

Practical implications

– The authors provide Spanish retailers with ideas about the problems they are facing which they will find useful as a starting point for strategic thinking about their internationalization prospects.

Social implications

– As for Spanish promotion organizations, they should consider the results of this research and further study the needs of retailers in their internationalization processes while also identifying which companies have the greatest potential for operating in foreign markets.

Originality/value

– It is the first time a research for Spain is conducted that highlights the needs of developing a plan to support the internationalization of the retail sector and provide specific lines of action.
Consumers’ satisfaction with online group buying – an incentive strategy
Authors: HUNG Shiu-Wan , Cheng Min-Jhih , Hsieh Shiu-Chun
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose that online group buying is different from the traditional purchase model in that an aggregation of purchases on the internet can lead sellers to adopt various bargaining strategies. When buyers and sellers do not have the opportunity to meet face to face, consumer satisfaction is an important consideration for sellers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study investigates the influence of sellers’ strategies for offering bargains on consumers’ satisfaction, considering buyers’ characteristics and involvement. Data are analyzed by employing the multivariate analysis of variance.

Findings

– The results demonstrate that the stage decreasing range strategy results in the highest level of consumer satisfaction with online group buying. In addition, consumers’ cognitive style, computer self-efficacy and involvement have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between incentive strategy and consumer satisfaction.

Practical implications

– The findings show that for group buying consumers, stage decreasing range strategy reveals certain advantages, such as a short waiting time for gathering group buyers. Enterprises or online sellers that propose special offers for online group buying as part of their competitive strategy should consider the stage decreasing range strategy. Moreover, enterprises and sellers can adjust their operations according to consumers’ individual characteristics and construct good relationships in online group buying.

Originality/value

– This study has investigated the influence of incentive strategies for offering bargains in online transactions on consumer’s satisfaction. The results of this study will provide some guidelines for managers of the e-retailing firms to maximize their abilities in terms of marketing activities.
Knowledge donating and knowledge collecting
Authors: Dysvik Anders , Buch Robert , Kuvaas Bård
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the relationship between employees’ knowledge donating and managers’ knowledge collecting is moderated by social leader-member exchange (SLMX) and economic leader-member exchange (ELMX).

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were obtained from 227 employee-leader dyads from four Norwegian organizations. Hierarchical moderated regression was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– Even though the authors observed a positive relationship between employees’ knowledge donating and managers’ knowledge collecting, the moderation analysis revealed a positive relationship only for high levels of SLMX relationships.

Research limitations/implications

– The data were cross-sectional, thus prohibiting causal inferences.

Practical implications

– SLMX relationships may be particularly important for the facilitation of knowledge exchange. Managers may draw on this finding to develop their relationships with employees by means of relationship-oriented behaviors.

Originality/value

– Given the importance of knowledge-sharing processes, a better understanding of the conditions under which knowledge donating related to knowledge collecting is particularly important. The present study advances knowledge on SLMX and ELMX relationships by demonstrating how SLMX moderates the association between knowledge donating and knowledge collecting.
Public procurement legislation and the acquisition of library materials in academic libraries in Malawi
Authors: Mapulanga Patrick
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to examine the challenges and opportunities the new public procurement legislation has created for academic librarians as regards the acquisition of library materials in academic libraries (university/college libraries) in Malawi.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used a multi-method approach. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires. The questionnaires were sent online to the university/college libraries of seven major accredited public universities in Malawi. After an initial analysis of that data, qualitative data on patterns were obtained through a mailing listserve with all the possible 19 librarians. Responses were analysed and categorised using a thematic approach.

Findings

– Academic libraries (university/college libraries) are involved in the internal procurement committees. Librarians are represented in internal procurement committees, though their representation differs from one institution to another. All the academic libraries (university/college libraries) either use the centralised or independent procurement methods. As a result, the public university libraries deal with agents as independents. Working as independents has negatively affected the libraries, as materials are procured at different prices and sometimes at higher prices, thereby ignoring the value for money.

Research limitations/implications

– In academic libraries, the library consortia have pulled resources towards a basket fund for wide access and cheaper licensing. However, for print library materials, a collaborative procurement process in which the academic libraries identify an agent capable of achieving a supplier list and then purchase directly from the preferred suppliers seems not to have been tried in the most developing countries.

Practical implications

– The study suggests that academic libraries (university/college libraries) should emulate the library consortia approach when dealing with agents. The academic libraries should consider collaborative procurement models as a means of procuring library materials.

Originality/value

– Since the enactment of the public procurement legislation in Malawi, no research has been documented on the challenges and opportunities the public procurement act and the acquisition of library materials. This research seeks to bridge the literature gap.
Sexy bibliography (and revealing paratext)
Authors: McAulay Karen E.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the advantages of applying best pedagogical practice to library-based teaching, using targeted content in order to contextualise the teaching within a performing arts curriculum. The author, dual-qualified in music and librarianship, is responsible for providing library user education and instructing readers in the use of electronic resources, literature review, related research and bibliographic skills and Scottish songbook history in a performing arts institution. A recent opportunity to take a short course, The Teaching Artist, prompted the author to re-examine her approach to such library-based teaching. Her observations arise from the reflective practice that was a core component of The Teaching Artist course.

Design/methodology/approach

– The main focus of this concept paper is a consideration of best pedagogical practice, and a discussion of how best to embed it in a curriculum designed for performers and other creative artists. Turning from a role as a bibliographic instructor to that as an academic adjunct, the author addresses similar pedagogical issues in a session on Scottish songbooks, which is delivered each year to second-year undergraduates.

Findings

– The author wrote a paper on user education for a librarianship journal in 1991. The present paper reflects upon the discernible differences in approach between then and now, and finds that gaining pedagogical expertise has enabled significant improvements.

Originality/value

– There is comparatively little published about user education in music libraries, about pedagogical training for librarians working in this field, or about scholar-librarians availing themselves of suitable training to improve their delivery of academic course components.
My lawfully wedded workplace: identifying relational similarities of marriage and employment
Authors: Alony Irit , Hasan Helen , Sense Andrew , Jones Michael
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel direction of enquiry into predictions of employee turnover through the application of a qualitative method adapted from marital research. This method focuses on diagnosing the relationship, and has been able to predict divorce with an accuracy of over 90 per cent, as opposed to existing turnover prediction methods’ modest success of about 30 per cent. By demonstrating that the method can be applied to turnover research, this study completes a seminal step in developing this promising direction of enquiry.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Oral History Interview method for predicting divorce is adapted to employment settings, and tested on Australian legal and healthcare employees. A qualitative analysis of their responses maps the results from this inquiry onto separation-predicting processes identified in marital research. The results are compared to turnover data collected two years later.

Findings

– Similar relational processes exist in marital and employment relationships when the marital relationship diagnostics method is applied to organisational settings, demonstrating the utility of this tool in the employment context. Preliminary turnover data indicate that some relational processes are significantly associated with employee turnover.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should examine the predictive power of this tool on a larger sample, and apply it to a wider range of professions, tenure, and positions.

Practical implications

– The results indicate that it is viable to diagnose an employment relationship using this diagnostics method developed in marital research.

Social implications

– The novel perspective offered in this paper has potential to greatly improve this employment relationship across jobs and organisations, thus improving organisational productivity and individual wellbeing.

Originality/value

– Researchers of employee turnover and practitioners seeking to understand and manage it can benefit from this novel and practical perspective on employment.
Teaching “format as a process” in an era of Web-scale discovery
Authors: Seeber Kevin Patrick
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to present academic librarians with a framework for teaching and assessing information literacy in response to advancements in online discovery. Advancements in online discovery require academic librarians to develop new means of teaching and assessing information literacy, with an emphasis on having students use critical thinking to evaluate sources.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual paper analyzes how the threshold concept “format as a process” could be incorporated into information literacy instruction sessions which address Web-scale discovery services and other online search tools. General guidelines for applying this concept are included, along with potential classroom activities and assessments.

Findings

– Format as a process provides a valuable framework for evaluating information, though librarians need to be mindful of how they present the concept to students. Instruction must be focused on fostering critical thinking skills, rather than how to perform tasks, and assessment must be qualitative in nature.

Practical implications

– These changes in online searching mean that information literacy programs will need to alter their approach to instruction and move beyond the “one shot” paradigm. Critical evaluation is a sustainable, lifelong skill which will continue to serve students after graduation, but developing that ability requires academic librarians to fulfill new roles in the classroom and on campus.

Originality/value

– The literature surrounding instruction of Web-scale discovery is still limited, and does not incorporate the threshold concepts provided in Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education. This paper concentrates on one such concept, as well as discusses how future concepts could be addressed.
Repurposing Zotero for sustainable assessment and scalable modified embedding
Authors: Kuglitsch Rebecca Zuege
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe a new application of Zotero, a citation management system, for embedded librarianship and assessment. It explores student reception of this approach and maps Zotero’s capacities to represent citations to learning outcomes and information literacy frames that instruction librarians assess.

Design/methodology/approach

– The librarian worked with a course using Zotero group libraries for collaborative work, used Zotero to communicate with students and assess their information literacy skills and surveyed the students to determine their perception of librarian participation via Zotero.

Findings

– Using Zotero’s features made it possible to formatively and summatively assess student work quickly, and students were receptive to librarian participation via Zotero.

Practical implications

– This suggests that librarians facing difficulty embedding in online courses or those seeking to assess student work may wish to explore Zotero as a sustainable solution to both challenges.

Originality/value

– This paper posits a solution to common challenges for online embedded librarianship and suggests a new technique for assessing student information literacy in a context that supports information literacy.
Piloting a blended model for sustainable IL programming
Authors: Nelson Jody , Morrison Joan , Whitson Lindsey
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe the MacEwan University Library’s successful pilot of a fully blended information literacy (IL) instruction program for first-year English courses. Development, implementation and assessment of the pilot prior to full implementation are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

– The new sustainable blended model for the English Library Instruction Program reduced duplication of content and effort, incorporated online and in-person instruction and promoted self-directed learning opportunities through a new Learning Commons. This model places essential instruction online while maintaining personal relationships for students with the English Librarian and the Library through multiple points of interaction. Face-to-face instruction efforts were concentrated on developing critical thinking skills through a hands-on source evaluation activity and on providing point-of-need support. Librarians worked closely with English faculty to encourage early voluntary adoption of the new model for the Fall 2013 pilot.

Findings

– The voluntary early-adopter model worked well for garnering and maintaining support from the English department: the authors had 42 per cent of English sessions piloting the new model for Fall 2013, surpassing the initial target of 25 per cent. Students scored well on an assessment of their ability to identify scholarly sources. Librarian preparation time has been greatly reduced.

Originality/value

– Many academic libraries are looking to asynchronous online tutorials as a more sustainable model for delivering IL instruction. This case study demonstrates that it is possible to move some instruction online while maintaining the personal relationships librarians have forged with students and faculty.
Flashlight: using Bizup’s BEAM to illuminate the rhetoric of research
Authors: Rubick Kate
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to demonstrate how a librarian at a liberal arts college partnered with a professor of rhetoric and media studies to teach students methods to classify sources using Bizup’s BEAM.

Design/methodology/approach

– Students in rhetorical criticism, read the Bizup article on BEAM. The library instruction included a discussion of the article and an application exercise where students classified cited references in a peer-reviewed journal article using BEAM.

Findings

– BEAM was a valuable addition to the rhetorical criticism course. The application exercise used in the library instruction session introduced BEAM as a tool to be used in reading and evaluating sources. Students were able to apply what they learned as they selected, deciphered and interpreted sources of information for use in their academic writing.

Practical implications

– Librarians teaching in a variety of academic disciplines may use or adapt BEAM as a tool for helping students learn to critically evaluate information sources, as they read texts and as they engage in research-based writing assignments.

Originality/value

– This work showcases how librarians using BEAM can extend library teaching beyond traditional bibliographic instruction and into the realm of critical inquiry. It also demonstrates how librarians can use BEAM to initiate conversations with academic faculty about information literacy. It also contributes to an emerging area of scholarship involving the use of BEAM to teach source evaluation.
Nitrogen‐fixing bacteria associated with copepods in coastal waters of the North Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Scavotto Rosemary E. , Dziallas Claudia , Bentzon‐Tilia Mikkel , Riemann Lasse , Moisander Pia H.
Published: February 2015

The community composition of N2‐fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) was investigated in copepods (primarily Acartia spp.) in parallel to that of seawater in coastal waters off Denmark (Øresund) and New England, USA. The unicellular cyanobacterial diazotroph UCYN‐A was detected from seawater and full‐gut copepods, suggesting that the new N contributed by UCYN‐A is directly transferred to higher trophic levels in these waters. Deltaproteobacterial and Cluster 3 nifH sequences were detected in > 1 μm seawater particles and full‐gut copepods, suggesting that they associate with copepods primarily via feeding. The dominant communities in starved copepods were Vibrio spp. and related Gammaproteobacteria, suggesting they represent the most permanent diazotroph associations in the copepods. N2 fixation rates were up to 3.02 pmol N copepod−1 day−1. Although at a typical copepod density in estuarine waters, these volumetric rates are low; considering the small size of a copepod, these mesozooplanktonic crustaceans may serve as hotspots of N2 fixation, at 12.9–71.9 μmol N dm−3 copepod biomass day−1. Taken together, diazotroph associations range from more permanent attachments to copepod feeding on some groups. Similar diazotroph groups detected on the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean suggest that these associations are a general phenomenon and play a role in the coastal N cycles.
Residential Aged Care Policy in Australia – Are We Learning from Evidence?
Authors: Baldwin Richard , Chenoweth Lynn , dela Rama Marie
Published: February 2015

The residential aged care industry in Australia will expand rapidly over the next 10 years leading to substantial increases in government expenditure. Recent and future reforms are likely leading to changes in the structure of the industry with a potential impact on quality of care. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate broader public debate, based on the available evidence, about the preferred structure of this important industry. It examines the literature on the impact structure has on the quality of services and compares this with a fresh analysis of current trends. The paper argues that future policy should be evidence based and explicit about the structure of the industry that will emerge from current policy reforms.
Role Clarity, Swift Trust and Multi‐Agency Coordination
Authors: Curnin Steven , Owen Christine , Paton Douglas , Trist Cain , Parsons David
Published: February 2015

The purpose of this paper was to further the understanding of swift trust in temporary organizations by examining the role swift trust plays in emergency management coordination and how role clarity acts as an enabler within temporary organizational configurations. A qualitative interview study was conducted with 32 liaison officers working in three strategic‐level emergency operations centres in Australia. Role clarity was identified as an important factor in the successful formation of emergency management temporary organizations by emergency services and critical infrastructure liaison officers working in multi‐agency arrangements. By providing role clarity, liaison officers may enable collaborative working practices among organizations involved in emergency management and thus facilitate multi‐agency coordination. The function of role clarity in the context of swift trust is largely overlooked in emergency management. Therefore, this study has contributed to the knowledge of swift trust by empirically verifying the impact of role clarity by liaison officers working in the research setting.
Influence of Final Baking Technologies in Partially Baked Frozen Gluten‐Free Bread Quality
Authors: Aguilar Núria , Albanell Elena , Miñarro Begoña , Gallardo Joan , Capellas Marta
Published: February 2015

The effect of final baking in convection oven (FBC), microwave oven (FBM), and microwave oven with susceptor packaging material (FBMS) on partially baked (PB) frozen gluten‐free bread characteristics was investigated. Specific volume and crust color of loaves were measured at day 0. Bread moisture, water activity, and crumb and crust texture (at 15, 45, and 90 min after baking) were analyzed at day 0 and after 28 d of frozen storage (−18 °C). Volatile compounds from breads baked in convection oven or microwave oven with susceptor packaging material were also evaluated. Bread finally baked in convection oven or in microwave oven with susceptor packaging increased crust browning. Crumb and roll hardness increased with time after final baking (measured at 15, 45, 90 min) and after 28 d of frozen storage. Bread finally baked in microwave oven was the hardest, due to high water losses. At day 0, bread finally baked in convection oven had softer crumb than bread finally baked in microwave oven with susceptor packaging but, after 28 d of frozen storage, there were no differences between them. Moreover, FBC and FBMS rendered gluten‐free breads that could not be distinguished in a triangular test and had the same volatile compounds profile. In conclusion, FBMS could be an alternative to FBC.
Transmission of Leptosphaeria maculans from a cropping season to the following one
Authors: Bousset L. , Jumel S. , Garreta V. , Picault H. , Soubeyrand S.
Published: February 2015

Current modelling of inoculum transmission from a cropping season to the following one relies on the extrapolation of kernels estimated on data at short distances from punctual sources, because data collected at larger distances are scarce. We estimated the dispersal kernel of Leptosphaeria maculans ascospores from stubble left after harvest in the summer previous to newly sown oilseed rape fields, using phoma stem canker autumn disease severity. We built a dispersal model to analyse the data. Source strengths are described in the spatial domain covered by source fields by a log‐Gaussian spatial process. Infection potentials in the following season are described in the space consisting of the target fields, by a convolution of sources and a power‐exponential dispersal kernel. Data were collected on farmers' fields considered as sources in 2009 and 2011 (72 and 39 observation points) and as targets in 2010 and 2012 (172 and 200 points). We applied the Bayesian approach for model selection and parameter estimation. We obtained fat tail kernels for both data sets. This estimation is the first from data acquired over distances of 0 to 1000 m, using several non‐punctual inoculum sources. It opens the prospect of refining the existing simulators, or developing disease risk maps.
Comparisons of apomorphine‐induced erection and spontaneous erection in rats by telemetric assessment of intracavernosal pressure
Authors: Choo S. H. , Sung H. H. , Chae M. R. , Kang S. J. , Han D. H. , Park J. K. , So I. , Lee S. W.
Published: February 2015

Although there are several methods for assessing erectile function in rats, the standard methods for telemetric monitoring have not been established. Theoretically assessment of spontaneous erection (SE) seems to be a physiologic method but it needs long measuring time and additional efforts. Apomorphine‐induced erection (AIE) is one available and simple method; however, the correlation with SE has not been assessed. We compared erection profiles of AIE and SE in normal and two disease rat models using telemetric assessment of intracavernosal pressure (ICP). Seven‐week‐old male Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to normal control, diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypercholesterolemia (HC) group. After 19 weeks a telemetric pressure sensor (C40; Data Sciences) was surgically implanted in the corpus cavernosum. One week later, ICP was recorded in freely moving rats after intraperitoneal apomorphine (100 μg/kg) injection (AIE) or during SE. Sexual events were visually identified and recorded. Only the pressure increases that occurred during sexual behavior were analyzed. We compared the erectile profiles such as duration, maximal ICP and the area under the curve (AUC, area under time × ICP curves). Two‐way anova revealed no significant effect of the measuring methods on the mean AUC (F1,43 = 2.756, p‐value = 0.104), but a significant effect of different disease models on mean AUC (two‐way anova: F2,43 = 12.929, p‐value < 0.001) was observed. The mean AUC of normal control rats was significantly higher than that of DM and HC rats (Bonferroni post hoc test: p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). ICP measurements using a telemetric device showed no significant difference in AUC between AIE and SE. AIE is easy and requires less time than SE measurements. Therefore, AIE could be a useful method to evaluate ICP in rats.
Roles of extracellular Ca2+ in the occurrence of full‐type hyperactivation in boar ejaculated spermatozoa pre‐incubated to induce the cAMP‐triggered events
Authors: Kojima A. , Matsushita Y. , Ogura Y. , Ishikawa S. , Noda T. , Murase T. , Harayama H.
Published: February 2015

There are species differences in the regulatory system for sperm capacitation and subsequent hyperactivation between livestock and laboratory animals. In livestock spermatozoa, it is poorly understood when and how extracellular Ca2+ is necessary for hyperactivation, although it has been demonstrated that the [Ca2+]i increase is indispensable to occurrence of hyperactivation. In this study, we examined necessity of extracellular Ca2+ for the initiation and maintenance of hyperactivation and then sought possible target molecule of Ca2+ that was involved in hyperactivation of boar spermatozoa. Boar ejaculated spermatozoa were pre‐incubated with a cell‐permeable cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) analog ‘cBiMPS’ and without CaCl2 to induce the cAMP‐triggered events including capacitation‐associated changes. Subsequently, they were incubated with CaCl2 to induce hyperactivation and then used for motility assessment. Many of the spermatozoa after the incubation exhibited full‐type hyperactivation which was characterized by high‐amplitude and extremely asymmetrical beating of whole middle piece and principal piece. The initiation of full‐type hyperactivation required the millimolar concentration of CaCl2 in the medium. However, CaCl2 of the medium was less necessary for maintenance than initiation of full‐type hyperactivation, as hyperactivated spermatozoa were barely affected by the incubation with the Ca2+‐chelating reagent. On the other hand, the pre‐treatment with the inhibitor for Ca2+‐dependent protease ‘calpain 1 and 2’ clearly suppressed the occurrence of CaCl2‐induced hyperactivation without influences on the percentages of motile spermatozoa. Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence showed distribution of calpain 2 in the middle and principal pieces in which full‐type hyperactivated spermatozoa exhibited extremely asymmetrical beating. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the millimolar concentration of extracellular Ca2+ is necessary for the initiation, but not for the maintenance of full‐type hyperactivation in boar spermatozoa that beforehand undergo the cAMP‐triggered events including capacitation‐associated changes. Moreover, we suggest possible involvement of calpain 2 in the intracellular Ca2+ signal transduction leading to full‐type hyperactivation.
Salivary lactate dehydrogenase levels can provide early diagnosis of hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy in neonates with birth asphyxia
Authors: Mehta Akshay , Chawla Deepak , Kaur Jasbinder , Mahajan Vidushi , Guglani Vishal
Published: February 2015

Aim

Timely detection of hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) is crucial for selecting neonates who are likely to benefit from neuroprotective therapy. This study evaluated the efficacy of salivary lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the early diagnosis of HIE among neonates with perinatal asphyxia.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 30 neonates who needed resuscitation at birth or had a history of delayed cry into the HIE group if they developed HIE within 12 h of birth. The control group comprised 30 neonates who had no evidence of HIE, but had intrapartum foetal distress or needed resuscitation at birth. LDH was measured using saliva samples collected within 12 h of birth.

Results

Salivary LDH was significantly higher in the HIE group, with a median of 2578 and an interquartile range (IQR) of 1379–3408 international units per litre (IU/L), than in the control group (median 558.5, IQR: 348–924 IU/L, p < 0.001). The test demonstrated excellent discriminating ability: the area under the curve was 0.92 and the levels of 893 IU/L showed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 73.3%.

Conclusion

Measuring salivary LDH among neonates with birth asphyxia provided an early and accurate diagnosis of HIE and could be used as a triage tool.
A mean body temperature of 37°C for incubated preterm infants is associated with lower energy costs in the first 11 days of life
Authors: Degorre C , Décima P , Dégrugilliers L , Ghyselen L , Bach V , Libert JP , Tourneux P
Published: February 2015

Aim

This randomised trial compared the energy costs of providing incubated preterm infants born before 32 weeks of gestation with homeothermia using either air temperature control (ATC) or skin servocontrol (SSC).

Methods

We studied 38 incubated preterm infants for the first 11 days of life, calculating the frequency of hypothermia (<36.0°C), hyperthermia (>37.5°C) and thermal challenge, together with energy costs, based on a change in incubator air temperature of 2°C above or below thermoneutrality.

Results

The daily mean incubator air temperature was higher in ATC than SSC (p < 0.05) for the first 6 days, and the mean body temperature was higher in ATC (37.0 ± 0.03°C) than SSC (36.8 ± 0.02; p < 0.01) over the whole study period. The frequency of moderate hyperthermia was higher in ATC (p < 0.001), whereas warm and cold thermal challenges were higher in SSC (p < 0.001). The two groups did not differ in terms of energy costs. The time to recover birthweight was shorter in ATC (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In incubators using ATC, a body temperature of 37°C was associated with lower energy costs and greater weight gain at 11 days of life for preterm infants. Future studies should test SSC shielded abdominal skin temperature set to 37°C.
Paracetamol poisoning: beyond the nomogram
Authors: Bateman D. Nicholas
Published: February 2015

Paracetamol poisoning is the commonest overdose seen in the UK. The management of patients with paracetamol poisoning has been little changed for the past 40 years, with a weight related dose of antidote (acetylcysteine) and treatment based on nomograms relating paracetamol concentration to time from ingestion. In 2012 the UK Commission on Human Medicines recommended a revision of the nomogram, following the death of a young woman, lowering the treatment threshold for all patients. As a result many more patients were treated. This has resulted in a large increase in admissions and in the proportion suffering adverse reactions to the antidote acetylcysteine since, interestingly, higher paracetamol concentrations inhibit anaphylactoid reactions to the antidote. New approaches to assessing the toxicity of paracetamol are now emerging using new biomarkers in blood. This article discusses new approaches to risk assessment and treatment for paracetamol overdose based on recent research in this area.
Treatment outcome of young children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: achievements and directions implied from Shanghai Children's Medical Centre based SCMC‐ALL‐2005 protocol
Authors: Liang Yang , Yang Lin‐Hai , Jiang Hui , Yuan Xiao‐Jun , Sun Li‐Rong , Wang Ning‐Ling , Tang Jing‐Yan
Published: February 2015

This multicenter study used the Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC)‐ALL‐2005 protocol for treatment of young patients (<2 years old) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which was designed to improve treatment outcome in Chinese paediatric patients. These aims were pursued through risk‐directed stratification based on presenting clinical and genetic features, minimal residual disease (MRD) levels and treatment response. All the patients achieved completed remission with 5‐year event‐free survivals of 82·6 ± 9·7% (low risk), 52·6 ± 8·4% (intermediate risk), 28·6 ± 17·1% (high risk). Disease recurrence was detected in bone marrow, bone marrow plus testis, testis alone and central nervous system in 16 (24·2%), 1 (1·5%), 1 (1·5%) and 1 (1·5%) patients respectively. No deaths were reported during induction. The SCMC‐ALL‐2005 trial for ALL patients <2 years old indicated high remission induction and low infection and treatment‐related mortality rates.
EXPRESSION OF CONCERN: Dose‐dependent biphasic leptin‐induced proliferation is caused by non‐specific IL‐6/NF‐κB pathway activation in human myometrial cells
Authors: Barrichon Marina , Hadi Tarik , Wendremaire Maeva , Ptasinski Clémentine , Seigneuric Renaud , Marcion Guillaume , Delignette Marc , Marchet Jacques , Dumas Monique , Sagot Paul , Bardou Marc , Garrido Carmen , Lirussi Frédéric
Published: February 2015

Background and Purpose

Leptin, an adipokine synthesized by the placenta during pregnancy, has been proposed for the management of preterm labour (PTL), as it is able to prevent in vitro uterine contractility and remodelling associated with labour onset. Another common feature of labour onset is the phenotypic switch of myometrial smooth muscle cells from a proliferative to a hypertrophic state. As proliferative effects have been demonstrated for leptin in other tissues, we aimed to investigate its ability to induce myometrial proliferation and thus to maintain uterine quiescence.

Experimental Approach

We stimulated human primary myometrial smooth muscle cells with leptin in the presence or absence of receptor antagonists or signalling pathway inhibitors.

Key Results

Leptin induced myometrial cell proliferation in a biphasic manner. At 6.25 ng·mL−1, leptin‐induced proliferation was mediated by the leptin receptor and required the early activation of ERK1/2. At a concentration above 25 ng·mL−1, leptin induced direct non‐specific stimulation of the IL‐6 receptor, leading to NF‐κB activation, and exerted anti‐proliferative effects. However, at 50 ng·mL−1, leptin re‐induces proliferation via IL‐6 receptor stimulation that requires STAT3 and delayed ERK1/2 activation.

Conclusions and Implications

These data bring new insights into leptin signalling‐induced myometrial proliferation and its interrelationship with the IL‐6/IL‐6 receptor axis. In the light of our previous work, the present study emphasizes the potential value of leptin in the pharmacological management of PTL and it also strengthens the hypothesis that leptin might be a contributory factor in the parturition‐related disorders observed in obese women.