bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing brain networks of attention
Authors: Posner Michael I. , Rothbart Mary K. , Voelker Pascale
Published: August 2016

Purpose of review

Attention is a primary cognitive function critical for perception, language, and memory. We provide an update on brain networks related to attention, their development, training, and pathologies.

Recent findings

An executive attention network, also called the cingulo-opercular network, allows voluntary control of behavior in accordance with goals. Individual differences among children in self-regulation have been measured by a higher order factor called effortful control, which is related to the executive network and to the size of the anterior cingulate cortex.

Brain networks of attention arise in infancy and are related to individual differences, including pathology during childhood. Methods of training attention may improve performance and ameliorate pathology.
Newborn screening: a review of history, recent advancements, and future perspectives in the era of next generation sequencing
Authors: Almannai Mohammed , Marom Ronit , Sutton V. Reid
Published: August 2016

Purpose of review

The purpose of this review is to summarize the development and recent advancements of newborn screening.

Recent findings

Early initiation of medical care has modified the outcome for many disorders that were previously associated with high morbidity (such as cystic fibrosis, primary immune deficiencies, and inborn errors of metabolism) or with significant neurodevelopmental disabilities (such as phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism). The new era of mass spectrometry and next generation sequencing enables the expansion of the newborn screen panel, and will help to address technical issues such as turnaround time, and decreasing false-positive and false-negative rates for the testing.

The newborn screening program is a successful public health initiative that facilitates early diagnosis of treatable disorders to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality.
Inter-Display Reproducibility of Contrast Sensitivity Measurement with iPad
Authors: Rodríguez-Vallejo Manuel , Monsoriu Juan A. , Furlan Walter D.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

To evaluate the reliability of measuring CS with uncalibrated iPads.

Methods

Six random iPads with retina display were calibrated with a colorimeter and the correlation between Luminance (L) and pixel level (y) was computed according to an exponential function. The mean and confidence interval (±2SD) obtained from the six iPads were calculated and the bit-stealing technique was applied for expanding y from 256 to 2540 possible values. The L of the optotype was computed for the selected contrast values (logC) represented in log units, using 0.1 log and 0.05 log steps. At each particular y, the contrast was considered reliable when the mean L plus 2SD was less than half the difference of luminance between two consecutive levels of contrast. Differences between the iPads for the Experimental logC were evaluated with the Friedman test.

Results

Luminance properties vary between devices, which were reflected in the computed Experimental logC (p < 0.0005). The contrast was found to be reliable for 0.1 log steps in the range from 0 to −2.2 log. On the other hand, for steps of 0.05 log, the contrast was only reliable for values ranging from 0 to −1.7 log.

Discussion

Both luminance and contrast steps differed between iPads with the same retina display, making it necessary to calibrate each display to achieve accurate luminance and contrast steps of 0.05 log units or less. However, for screening purposes utilizing contrast steps of 0.1 log unit or greater for a validated psychophysical test, calibration is not required to achieve accurate results across the displays described herein.
Comparing the Outcomes of Different Agents to Treat Vasospasm at Microsurgical Anastomosis during the Papaverine Shortage
Authors: Ricci Joseph A. , Koolen Pieter G. , Shah Jinesh , Tobias Adam M. , Lee Bernard T. , Lin Samuel J.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Papaverine remains popular for treating intraoperative vasospasm, but the recent shortage has forced surgeons to trial antispasmodic agents unproven in microsurgery but commonly used in other body areas. During this shortage, the authors have used topical lidocaine and nicardipine to break intraoperative vasospasm. This study aims to analyze the outcomes of these medications on flap complications compared with papaverine.

Methods:

All consecutive free flaps performed for breast reconstruction at a single institution were reviewed. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, complications, and type of antispasmodic agent. Rates of reexploration, complications, and flap salvage were compared between patients receiving antispasmodic agents and matched papaverine controls.

Results:

Of the 1087 flaps treated with antispasmodic agents, nicardipine was used on 59 flaps and lidocaine was used on 55 flaps. Patients treated with lidocaine had higher body mass indexes (31.0 kg/m2 versus 27.4 kg/m2; p = 0.001). Patients treated with nicardipine tended to be older (64.0 versus 48.5; p < 0.01) and have a history of hypertension (22.0 percent versus 10.4 percent; p = 0.08) or preoperative irradiation (32.2 percent versus 13.6 percent; p = 0.016) compared with papaverine controls. No differences in the rates of total or partial flap loss, unplanned return to the operating room, or fat necrosis were observed between any of the groups. However, the nicardipine group demonstrated a higher rate of infection (15.3 percent versus 3.4 percent; p = 0.027).

Conclusion:

Substituting lidocaine or nicardipine for papaverine to treat vasospasm did not demonstrate an increased rate of flap loss or return to the operating room, making these medications safe and efficacious alternatives to papaverine.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Does the Use of Incisional Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy Prevent Mastectomy Flap Necrosis in Immediate Expander-Based Breast Reconstruction?
Authors: Kim Dae Young , Park Sun-June , Bang Sa-Ik , Mun Goo-Hyun , Pyon Jai-Kyong
Published: August 2016

Background:

Mastectomy flap necrosis is one of the most common and significant complications in immediate expander-based breast reconstruction. Negative-pressure wound therapy is widely used for open wounds but is not commonly used for closed incisional wounds. However, the postoperative use of incisional negative-pressure wound therapy is demonstrated to reduce complication rates. The authors evaluate the incidence of mastectomy flap necrosis in patients with incisional negative-pressure wound therapy after immediate expander-based breast reconstruction compared with the incidence in patients with conventional dressing.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who underwent immediate expander-based breast reconstruction between January of 2010 and February of 2015 at a single institution. Patients were divided into a conventional dressing group and an incisional negative-pressure wound therapy group. Patient demographics, intraoperative findings, and complications were compared between the two groups.

Results:

A total of 228 breasts (206 patients) were included in this study. Of these, the incisional negative-pressure wound therapy group included 45 breasts (44 patients) and the conventional dressing group included 183 breasts (162 patients). The incisional negative-pressure wound therapy group had a lower overall complication rate (11.1 percent versus 27.9 percent; p = 0.019), overall mastectomy flap necrosis rate (8.9 percent versus 23.5 percent; p = 0.030), and major mastectomy flap necrosis rate (2.2 percent versus 13.7 percent; p = 0.031) compared with the conventional dressing group.

Conclusions:

Incisional negative-pressure wound therapy reduced the incidence of mastectomy flap necrosis. This simple and reliable dressing technique can be effective in preventing mastectomy flap necrosis in immediate expander-based breast reconstruction.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Computed Tomographic Angiography–Based Planning of Bipedicled DIEP Flaps with Intraflap Crossover Anastomosis: An Anatomical and Clinical Study
Authors: Kim So Young , Lee Kyeong-Tae , Mun Goo-Hyun
Published: August 2016

Background:

When using deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flaps in breast reconstruction, harvesting bipedicled flaps can be a valuable option in cases requiring the transfer of a large portion of harvested flaps. Connecting the bilateral deep inferior epigastric arteries (DIEAs) by intraflap crossover anastomosis is one of the most popular methods of constructing bipedicled DIEP flaps. Planning the primary and secondary pedicle configurations for reliable intraflap crossover anastomosis is crucial. To achieve this, detailed anatomical DIEA information might be helpful. However, meticulous planning of bipedicled DIEP flaps based on computed tomographic angiography has not been reported.

Methods:

Detailed anatomical investigation of DIEA branches was conducted using computed tomographic angiographs of 100 hemiabdomens. Thirty-eight prospectively collected patients who underwent breast reconstruction using bipedicled DIEP flaps with intraflap crossover under computed tomographic angiography–based planning were reviewed.

Results:

Three intramuscular DIEA branching patterns with distinct branch point topography, branch diameters, and superior continuations cranial to sizable perforators were observed. In the prospective clinical study, a primary pedicle with a recipient branch for intraflap crossover anastomosis could be specified preoperatively using computed tomographic angiography–based anatomical data of the pedicles, including size of DIEA branches or their superior continuation and size of perforators. In all cases, the bipedicle configuration was easily achieved as planned on computed tomographic angiography, and secure perfusion of the entire flap was achieved.

Conclusions:

The authors’ results suggest that computed tomographic angiography provides detailed anatomical DIEA information, and comprehensive analysis of these data allows precise planning of bipedicle configurations with intraflap crossover anastomosis in DIEP flaps.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
A Porcine Orthotopic Forelimb Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Model: Technical Considerations and Translational Implications
Authors: Fries C. Anton , Villamaria Carole Y. , Spencer Jerry R. , Rickard Rory F. , Gorantla Vijay S. , Davis Michael R.
Published: August 2016

Background:

The restoration of complex tissue deficits with vascularized composite allotransplantation is a paradigm shift in reconstructive surgery. Clinical adoption of vascularized composite allotransplantation is limited by the need for systemic immunosuppression, with associated morbidity and mortality. Small-animal models lack the biological fidelity and preclinical relevance to enable translation of immunologic insights to humans. Large-animal models have been described; however, limitations persist, including the inability of heterotopic models to evaluate functional nerve regeneration, and the sensitivity of primates to toxicity of immunosuppressive drugs. The authors’ novel orthotopic porcine limb transplant model has broad applicability and translational relevance to both immunologic and functional outcomes after vascularized composite allotransplantation.

Methods:

Recipients underwent amputation at a level corresponding to the mid forearm. Replantation or transplantation of grafts was performed by plate fixation of the radio-ulna, microsurgical repair of brachial artery and median nerve, and extensor and flexor tendon repairs. Viability of replants was monitored clinically and radiologically. Transplants were monitored for clinicopathologic signs of rejection. Animals mobilized freely postoperatively.

Results:

Replantations remained viable until the endpoint of 14 days. Transplants developed Banff grade 4 acute rejection by postoperative day 7. Doppler sonography and angiography confirmed vascular patency. Serial biopsy specimens of skin and histopathology of replants at endpoint confirmed tissue viability and bone healing.

Conclusions:

An orthotopic load-bearing porcine forelimb vascularized composite allotransplantation model was successfully established. Technical, procedural, and logistic considerations were optimized to allow model use for immunologic, bone healing, functional nerve regeneration, and other translational studies.
Optical Feedback Control and Electrical-Optical Costimulation of Peripheral Nerves
Authors: Kapur Sahil K. , Richner Thomas J. , Brodnick Sarah K. , Williams Justin C. , Poore Samuel O.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Optogenetics is an emerging technology that enables the expression of light-activated ion channels in mammalian cells. Neurons expressing light-activated ion channels can be depolarized using the appropriate wavelength of light. Optical stimulation of neurons could have important implications for further understanding and managing peripheral nerve deficits leading to paresis or paralysis. This study examines the utility of this technology in a feedback-controlled system and the advantages of coupling this technology with conventional electrical stimulation.

Methods:

The sciatic nerves of transgenic mice expressing blue light–activated ion channels (channelrhodopsin-2) were optically manipulated to generate electromyographic responses in the gastrocnemius muscle and to develop two potential applications of this technology: feedback-controlled optical stimulation using a proportional-integral controller, and simultaneous electrical-optical stimulation.

Results:

The authors observed repeatable and predictable behavior of the optical controller in over 200 trials and a statistically significant decreased error when using optical feedback control as opposed to non–feedback controlled stimulation (n = 6 limbs). A second application of this technology was the amplification of electrically generated peripheral nerve signals using an optical source. Amplification of electrical activity was observed even when subthreshold electrical stimulation was used.

Conclusions:

Optical feedback control and optical amplification of subthreshold activity extend the versatility of optogenetics in peripheral nerve applications. Optical feedback control is a new application of an approach originally developed for functional electrical stimulation. Optical amplification of subthreshold electrical stimulation motivates future investigations into the optical amplification of endogenous subthreshold peripheral nerve activity (e.g., following spinal cord injury).
Melting the Plastic Ceiling: Overcoming Obstacles to Foster Leadership in Women Plastic Surgeons
Authors: Silva Amanda K. , Preminger Aviva , Slezak Sheri , Phillips Linda G. , Johnson Debra J.
Published: August 2016

The underrepresentation of women leaders in plastic surgery echoes a phenomenon throughout society. The importance of female leadership is presented, and barriers to gender equality in plastic surgery, both intrinsic and extrinsic, are discussed. Strategies for fostering women in leadership on an individual level and for the specialty of plastic surgery are presented.
The Subtleties of Success in Simultaneous Augmentation-Mastopexy
Authors: Doshier Laura J. , Eagan Spencer L. , Shock Leslie A. , Henry Steven L. , Colbert Stephen H. , Puckett C. Lin
Published: August 2016

Background:

Many have challenged the safety of performing breast augmentation and mastopexy simultaneously. However, staging these procedures incurs the increased risk and inconvenience of two periods of anesthesia and recuperation. The authors set out to evaluate the occurrence of complications across the populations of patients undergoing (1) combined augmentation-mastopexy, (2) isolated augmentation, and (3) isolated mastopexy.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of one surgeon’s consecutive series of each of these procedures from 2000 to 2009 was conducted. Preoperative risk factors were characterized. Sixteen different complications were examined, and those necessitating operative revision were tracked. Statistical analysis was performed looking for significant differences between the surgical groups.

Results:

No instances of infection, tissue loss, or implant exposure occurred among the 297 patients over an average follow-up period of 15.5 months. The isolated mastopexy group did not provide sufficient data for statistical comparison. Tissue-related complications were most common in the combined procedure group. The operative revision rate for isolated augmentation was 7.97 percent compared with a combined procedure revision rate of 12.4 percent (p = 0.28).

Conclusions:

The majority of complications in this series comparing simultaneous augmentation-mastopexy to isolated augmentation were minor. Complications requiring operative revision were not found to be significantly different between the two groups. There was a much lower reoperation rate (12.4 percent) with the combined procedure compared with a 100 percent reoperation rate when the procedure is staged. Thus, the authors feel the combined procedure can safely be part of every plastic surgeon’s practice.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Creation of a Long-Acting Nanoformulated 2′,3′-Dideoxy-3′-Thiacytidine
Authors: Guo Dongwei , Zhou Tian , Araínga Mariluz , Palandri Diana , Gautam Nagsen , Bronich Tatiana , Alnouti Yazen , McMillan JoEllyn , Edagwa Benson , Gendelman Howard E.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Antiretroviral drug discovery and formulation design will facilitate viral clearance in infectious reservoirs. Although progress has been realized for selected hydrophobic integrase and nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, limited success has been seen to date with hydrophilic nucleosides. To overcome these limitations, hydrophobic long-acting drug nanoparticles were created for the commonly used nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, lamivudine (2′,3′-dideoxy-3′-thiacytidine, 3TC).

Methods:

A 2-step synthesis created a slow-release long-acting hydrophobic 3TC. Conjugation of 3TC to a fatty acid created a myristoylated prodrug which was encased into a folate-decorated poloxamer 407. Both in vitro antiretroviral efficacy in human monocyte-derived macrophages and pharmacokinetic profiles in mice were evaluated for the decorated nanoformulated drug.

Results:

A stable drug formulation was produced by poloxamer encasement that improved monocyte–macrophage uptake, antiretroviral activities, and drug pharmacokinetic profiles over native drug formulations.

Conclusions:

Sustained release of long-acting antiretroviral therapy is a new therapeutic frontier for HIV/AIDS. 3TC depot formation in monocyte-derived macrophages can be facilitated through stable subcellular internalization and slow drug release.
Estimating time to the common ancestor for a beneficial allele
Authors: Smith Joel , Coop Graham , Stephens Matthew , Novembre John
Published: August 2016

The haplotypes of a beneficial allele carry information about its history that can shed light on its age and putative cause for its increase in frequency. Specifically, the signature of an allele’s age is contained in the pattern of local ancestry that mutation and recombination impose on its haplotypic background. We provide a method to exploit this pattern and infer the time to the common ancestor of a positively selected allele following a rapid increase in frequency. We do so using a hidden Markov model which leverages the length distribution of the shared ancestral haplotype, the accumulation of derived mutations on the ancestral background, and the surrounding background haplotype diversity. Using simulations, we demonstrate how the inclusion of information from both mutation and recombination events increases accuracy relative to approaches that only consider a single type of event. We also show the behavior of the estimator in cases where data do not conform to model assumptions, and provide some diagnostics for assessing and improving inference. Using the method, we analyze population-specific patterns in the 1000 Genomes Project data to provide a global perspective on the timing of adaptation for several variants which show evidence of recent selection and functional relevance to diet, skin pigmentation, and morphology in humans.
Unlocked capacity of proteins to attack membranes characteristic of aggregation: the evil for diseases and aging from Pandora’s box
Authors: Lim Liangzhong , Lu Yimei , Song Jianxing
Published: August 2016

Aggregation of specific proteins is characteristic of a large spectrum of human diseases including all neurodegenerative diseases, while aggregation of non-specific proteins has been now identified to be a biomarker for cellular aging down toEscherichia coli. Previously, as facilitated with our discovery in 2005 that “completely insoluble” proteins could be all solubilized in unsalted water [Song (2009)FEBS Lett. 583: 953], we found that the TDP-43 prion-like domain in fact contains an intrinsic membrane-interacting subdomain [Lim et al. [2016]PLoS Biol.14, e1002338]. We decrypted that ALS-causing mutations/cofactor-depletion act to render the wellstructured folds of cytosolic VAPB-MSP domain and SOD1 into highly disordered states, thus becoming buffer-insoluble. Most surprisingly, this also unlocks the amphiphilic/hydrophobic regions universally exiting in proteins, which thus acquire a novel capacity in abnormally interacting with membranes [Qin et al. (2013)F1000Res2-221.v2; Lim (2016)BBA-Biomembranes.1858: 2223]. Here we aimed extend our discovery to address two fundamental questions: 1) why manyE. coliproteins become aggregated in aging; and 2) whether aggregation-prone proteins can also acquire a novel capacity in interacting with membranes; by dissecting the 557-residue S1 ribosomal protein into 7 fragments to disrupt its 6 S1 folds, followed by extensive CD and NMR characterizations. The results reveal that we have successfully eliminated all 6 S1 folds and fragment 4 becomes highly disordered and thus buffer-insoluble. Most strikingly, F4 does acquire a capacity in transforming into a helical conformation in membrane environments. Here, for the first time, our study deciphers that like ALScausing mutants, the disruption of a well-foldedE. colicytosolic protein also unlocks its amphiphilic/hydrophobic regions which are capable of abnormally interacting with membranes. Therefore, proteins, the most important functional players for all forms of life, can transform into membrane-toxic forms triggering diseases and aging, if their hydrophobic/amphiphilic regions are unlocked by genetic, pathological or/and environmental factors, which is characteristic of severe aggregation.
Micro-C XL: assaying chromosome conformation at length scales from the nucleosome to the entire genome
Authors: Hsieh Tsung-Han S. , Fudenberg Geoffrey , Goloborodko Anton , Rando Oliver J.
Published: August 2016

Structural analysis of chromosome folding in vivo has been revolutionized by Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) and related methods, which use proximity ligation to identify chromosomal loci in physical contact. We recently described a variant 3C technique, Micro-C, in which chromatin is fragmented to mononucleosomes using micrococcal nuclease, enabling nucleosome-resolution folding maps of the genome. Here, we describe an improved Micro-C protocol using long crosslinkers, termed Micro-C XL, which exhibits greatly increased signal to noise, and provides further insight into the folding of the yeast genome. We also find that signal to noise is much improved in Micro-C XL libraries generated from relatively insoluble chromatin as opposed to soluble material, providing a simple method to physically enrich for bona-fide long-range interactions. Micro-C XL maps of the budding and fission yeast genomes reveal both short-range chromosome fiber features such as chromosomally-interacting domains (CIDs), as well as higher-order features such as clustering of centromeres and telomeres, thereby addressing the primary discrepancy between prior Micro-C data and reported 3C and Hi-C analyses. Interestingly, comparison of chromosome folding maps ofS. cerevisiaeandS. pomberevealed widespread qualitative similarities, yet quantitative differences, between these distantly-related species. Micro-C XL thus provides a single assay suitable for interrogation of chromosome folding at length scales from the nucleosome to the full genome.
Robust nonparametric descriptors for clustering quantification in single-molecule localization microscopy
Authors: Jiang Shenghang , Challapalli Sai Divya , Wang Yong
Published: August 2016

We report a robust nonparametric descriptor,J′(r), for quantifying the spatial organization of molecules in singlemolecule localization microscopy.J′(r), based on nearest neighbor distribution functions, does not require any parameter as an input for analyzing point patterns. We show thatJ′(r) displays a valley shape in the presence of clusters of molecules, and the characteristics of the valley reliably report the clustering features in the data. More importantly, the position of theJ′(r) valley (rJ′m) depends exclusively on the density of clustering molecules (ρc). Therefore, it is ideal for direct measurements of clustering density of molecules in single-molecule localization microscopy.
Numerical Analysis of the Immersed Boundary Method for Cell-Based Simulation
Authors: Cooper Fergus R. , Baker Ruth E. , Fletcher Alexander G.
Published: August 2016

Mathematical modelling provides a useful framework within which to investigate the organization of biological tissues. With advances in experimental biology leading to increasingly detailed descriptions of cellular behaviour, models that consider cells as individual objects are becoming a common tool to study how processes at the single-cell level affect collective dynamics and determine tissue size, shape and function. However, there often remains no comprehensive account of these models, their method of solution, computational implementation or analysis of parameter scaling, hindering our ability to utilise and accurately compare different models. Here we present an effcient, open-source implementation of the immersed boundary method (IBM), tailored to simulate the dynamics of cell populations. This approach considers the dynamics of elastic membranes, representing cell boundaries, immersed in a viscous Newtonian fluid. The IBM enables complex and emergent cell shape dynamics, spatially heterogeneous cell properties and precise control of growth mechanisms. We solve the model numerically using an established algorithm, based on the fast Fourier transform, providing full details of all technical aspects of our implementation. The implementation is undertaken within Chaste, an open-source C++ library that allows one to easily change constitutive assumptions. Our implementation scales linearly with time step, and subquadratically with mesh spacing and immersed boundary node spacing. We identify the relationship between the immersed boundary node spacing and fluid mesh spacing required to ensure fluid volume conservation within immersed boundaries, and the scaling of cell membrane stiffness and cell-cell interaction strength required when refining the immersed boundary discretization. This study provides a recipe allowing consistent parametrisation of IBM models.
A generic, cost-effective, and scalable cell lineage analysis platform
Authors: Biezuner Tamir , Spiro Adam , Raz Ofir , Amir Shiran , Milo Lilach , Adar Rivka , Chapal-Ilani Noa , Berman Veronika , Fried Yael , Ainbinder Elena , Cohen Galit , Barr Haim M. , Halaban Ruth , Shapiro Ehud
Published: August 2016

Advances in single-cell genomics enable commensurate improvements in methods for uncovering lineage relations among individual cells. Current sequencing-based methods for cell lineage analysis depend on low-resolution bulk analysis or rely on extensive single-cell sequencing, which is not scalable and could be biased by functional dependencies. Here we show an integrated biochemical-computational platform for generic single-cell lineage analysis that is retrospective, cost-effective, and scalable. It consists of a biochemical-computational pipeline that inputs individual cells, produces targeted single-cell sequencing data, and uses it to generate a lineage tree of the input cells. We validated the platform by applying it to cells sampled from an ex vivo grown tree and analyzed its feasibility landscape by computer simulations. We conclude that the platform may serve as a generic tool for lineage analysis and thus pave the way toward large-scale human cell lineage discovery.
International trade and food security: conceptual discussion, WTO and the case of China
Authors: Zhu Yu
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept and measurements of food security under the framework of The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, explores the link between international trade and food security with an empirical investigation into the case of China, and draw policy implications in the context of WTO.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper elaborates the theoretical interconnection between food security and international trade and then utilize an autoregressive distributed lag model to investigate how/whether trade affects food security in China from two dimensions.

Findings

The authors find that international trade indeed leads China to increase its dependence on food imports, namely, it negatively affects the food security in China. Owing to the importance of food security under multilateral trade system, this paper then briefly analyzes two relevant topics of Doha Round negotiation, i.e. public stockholding for food security and special safeguard measures. It is proposed that WTO members should support the food self-sufficiency endeavors of developing countries and appropriately exempt them from rigid discipline of domestic support and market access.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the interaction of international trade and food security in various aspects. Empirical study shows that increasing dependence on food imports will negatively impact the food security of China. It is concluded that WTO members should support the food self-sufficiency endeavors of developing countries and appropriately exempt them from rigid discipline of domestic support and market access.
Recognizing voice: the child with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Ni Chuileann Susan Jennifer , Quigley Jean
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper assesses the ability of the minimally verbal child with autism to recognise their own voice. The rationale for this study rests in recent advances in technology aimed at making the voice of speech generating devices (SGDs) sound more like the child using them (van Santen and Black, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the child’s ability to actually recognise the sound of their own voice in a series of short experiments using computer-based methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a voice-face matching computerised paradigm, the performance of 33 children with autism was compared to that of 27 children with developmental delay (DD), and 33 typically developing (TD) children. The children were matched for verbal and non-verbal ability and a training period was conducted prior to the main test to ensure children’s understanding of what was expected of them.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that the child with autism recognise the sound of their own voice at test, but with much greater difficulty than age-and-ability matched comparison groups. The implications of this finding are useful for researchers in the field of speech mimicry technology and manufacturers of SGD software packages. The paper also provides empirical insights about how the child with autism may process voice in their everyday social interactions.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitations to this study exist, for instance, there were only a small number of presentations involving self-voice in this task. This may have over simplified the process for the young TD children and the children with DD. Nevertheless, it is striking that despite being matched for non-verbal mental age, the children with autism performed significantly less well than either of the other two groups of children. However, future studies would benefit from adjusting the number of presentations of voice and face accordingly. It is also important to note that for some children with autism the simultaneous presentation of faces and voices may act more as an interference effect (Cook and Wilding, 1997; Joassin et al., 2004) than a facilitation effect (Molholm et al., 2002). Future studies may wish to test a subgroup on voice recognition without the aid of visual prompts.

Practical implications

The paper includes implications for the type of voice children with autism may prefer to use when communicating via a SGD. The authors suggest that if the child does not recognise or prefer the sound of their own natural voice on such devices, partial or complete abandonment of the SGD may occur.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need to research how children’s abilities and preferences can be taken into account at the point of decision making for particular communication tools.
Indoor navigation with smart phone IMU for the visually impaired in university buildings
Authors: Zegarra Flores Jesus Victor , Rasseneur Laurence , Galani Rodrigue , Rakitic Fabienne , Farcy René
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design and test effective indoor navigation solutions for visually impaired people in situations where GPS, bluetooth or Wi-Fi signals are unavailable. The authors use the inertial measurement units (IMU), the compass and the barometer of a smart phone.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have used commercial Android smart phones with IMU, compass and barometer to record a path and to give navigation instructions in an adapted way using a mobility-specific vocabulary. The method proposed is to save paths taking into account different indoor waypoints such as the stairs (change from one floor to another) and the change of direction of the trajectory of the path (e.g. one-fourth turn right or left), recording data from the IMU sensor’s, compass and barometer of the smart phone. Having this information and the characteristics of the each segment (distance, azimuth to the north and pressure) of the path, it is possible to provide functional navigation guidance to the visually impaired subject. Three different visually impaired people (one partially sighted and two fully blind) and three sighted people have tested the paths. The efficiency of the navigation is analyzed in terms of distance and time using the comparison between blind and sighted people.

Findings

The main finding is that it is possible to guide visually impaired people some hundreds of meters just using the sensors of a smart phone under certain conditions: the visually impaired person has to understand the guidance instructions and respect some strategies (e.g. not to walk diagonally across vast spaces). Additionally it is observed that the visually impaired participants walked distances, which are not much different to the optimal values. On the other hand; because of their hesitations using their white cane to find free paths, they take in some cases 50 percent more time to arrive (for a few minutes path, this time is not critical and even more efficient than looking for a guide). One thing to highlight is that even with this hesitation, the subjects arrived to the final destination.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates how an IMU coupled to a compass and a barometer from a Smart Phone employing a spoken mobility language (e.g. next corridor to the left; at the end of the stairs turn right, turn left, etc.) can guide visually impaired people inside buildings.
Cyber victimization and psychological adjustment difficulties among adolescents
Authors: Wright Michelle F.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the buffering effect of the mediation of technology use and social support from school resource officers on the associations between cyber victimization and psychosocial adjustment difficulties (i.e. depression, anxiety, loneliness) over three years (wave-one=sixth grade; wave-two=seventh grade; wave-three=eighth grade).

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were 867 eighth graders from the Midwestern USA (ages range from 13 to 15 years old; 51 percent female).

Findings

The findings revealed that high levels of wave-two perceived social support from school resource officers and the mediation of technology use made the relationship between wave-one cyber victimization and wave-three depression more negative, while lower levels of this support and less mediation of technology use made the association more positive. These patterns were not found for anxiety and loneliness.

Originality/value

Implications for prevention and intervention programs and the role of school resource officers in such programs are also discussed.
The continued marginalization of campus police
Authors: Patten Ryan , Alward Lucas , Thomas Matthew , Wada James
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine a campus community’s knowledge and acceptance of their campus police as “real” police.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the liminality theoretical framework, this study surveyed students, faculty, staff, and administrators (n=1,484). Students were surveyed in-person, while staff, faculty, and administrators participated through an e-mail link to an online survey.

Findings

Results indicate that campus police are stuck in a liminal state. While 80 percent of the sample thought campus police should be armed, almost two-thirds (64 percent) did not know or were unsure of campus police officer tasks and three-quarters (75 percent) did not know or were unsure of campus police training requirements.

Research limitations/implications

The participants come from one university campus, so the generalizability of the sample is limited.

Originality/value

This study provides more evidence of the marginalization of campus police. Specifically, this study highlights that a majority of participants could not or were unable to identify campus police officers’ training and duties. Instead of using small qualitative samples, this study utilized over 1,400 participants on one campus, which provides more explanatory power about the perception problems of the campus police. This study also continues to advance and expand liminal theory.
Reducing school violence
Authors: Crawford Charles , Burns Ronald
Published: August 2016

Purpose

Recent highly publicized acts of violence and shootings on school campuses have prompted numerous crime prevention responses. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of protective measures such as law enforcement, security policies, and school/neighborhood characteristics on school violence within the context of the racial composition of the school and grade level.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this study were part of the School Survey on Crime and Safety collected in 2006. The dependent measures of school violence include reports of serious violence, physical attacks/fights, gun or knife possession, and threats and attacks with a weapon. The sample was divided by racial composition of the school (predominately white, and predominately minority schools) and by grade level (high schools, and all other grades). A negative binomial regression was conducted due the count-based dependent variables.

Findings

Findings revealed that minority schools often face higher levels of reported violence and had a heavier law enforcement presence, which often had mixed or counterproductive results for reducing school violence. School characteristics, such as reports of bullying, location, gang activity, and security measures yielded numerous statistically significant results.

Research limitations/implications

Officials proposing school violence prevention efforts should strongly consider the importance of school and community characteristics, most notably grade level, and the unique context of a predominately white or minority school as there were different statistically significant results. Furthermore, officials should be cautious about relying on simple efforts such as more security personnel to address school violence. Violence and crime on school grounds should not be viewed as being isolated from violence and other forms of crime in the community. Policy recommendations and suggestions for future research are provided.

Originality/value

This study differs from much of the previous literature, which typically examines student and administrator attitudes about victimization and crime prevention. The current study examines detailed information on the effects of school violence prevention efforts and moves beyond most other works as it considers school safety approaches within the context of racial composition of the school and by different grade levels.
Enhancing customer experience using technological innovations
Authors: Sharma Deependra
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The study aims to provide a comparative analysis of diverse challenges faced by different categories of hotels during the adoption of technological innovation. It also examines the role of technological innovations in enhancing the customer experience from a practitioner’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research is used to better understand the prevailing trends and execution challenges, using the interview method of collecting data. The sample includes owners and senior managers responsible for managing the property.

Findings

Indian hotels have lagged behind in technology adoption compared with their western counterparts, though the situation is now changing. The paper highlights the positive impact of technological innovation on customer experience and also identifies constraints in adopting technological innovations.

Research limitations/implications

All hotels participating in this study were selected from a single region of India. Hence, the results may not be a true representation of comparable hotels nationwide.

Practical implications

Findings of this study enable hotel managers and owners to appreciate the role of technological innovation as a differentiator and to understand a variety of nuances associated with technological innovation. Understanding of these dimensions will enable them to take cautious decisions about allocating resources for technological innovation and also to ensure that their customers are being offered maximum value-for-money.

Originality/value

The study was conducted in a developing economy where technological innovation is at a relatively early stage. This study explores its objectives from a practitioner’s perspective.
Symbionts modify interactions between insects and natural enemies in the field
Authors: Hrček Jan , McLean Ailsa H. C. , Godfray H. Charles J.
Published: August 2016

Eukaryotes commonly host communities of heritable symbiotic bacteria, many of which are not essential for their hosts' survival and reproduction. There is laboratory evidence that these facultative symbionts can provide useful adaptations, such as increased resistance to natural enemies. However, we do not know how symbionts affect host fitness when the latter are subject to attack by a natural suite of parasites and pathogens.

Here, we test whether two protective symbionts, Regiella insecticola and Hamiltonella defensa, increase the fitness of their host, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum), under natural conditions.

We placed experimental populations of two pea aphid lines, each with and without symbionts, in five wet meadow sites to expose them to a natural assembly of enemy species. The aphids were then retrieved and mortality from parasitoids, fungal pathogens and other causes assessed.

We found that both Regiella and Hamiltonella reduce the proportion of aphids killed by the specific natural enemies against which they have been shown to protect in laboratory and cage experiments. However, this advantage was nullified (Hamiltonella) or reversed (Regiella) by an increase in mortality from other natural enemies and by the cost of carrying the symbiont. Symbionts therefore affect community structure by altering the relative success of different natural enemies.

Our results show that protective symbionts are not necessarily advantageous to their hosts, and may even behave more like parasites than mutualists. Nevertheless, bacterial symbionts may play an important role in determining food web structure and dynamics.
Let's stay together? Intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in pair bond dissolution in a recolonizing wolf population
Authors: Milleret Cyril , Wabakken Petter , Liberg Olof , Åkesson Mikael , Flagstad Øystein , Andreassen Harry Peter , Sand Håkan
Published: August 2016

For socially monogamous species, breeder bond dissolution has important consequences for population dynamics, but the extent to which extrinsic or intrinsic population factors causes pair dissolution remain poorly understood, especially among carnivores.

Using an extensive life‐history data set, a survival analysis and competing risks framework, we examined the fate of 153 different wolf (Canis lupus) pairs in the recolonizing Scandinavian wolf population, during 14 winters of snow tracking and DNA monitoring.

Wolf pair dissolution was generally linked to a mortality event and was strongly affected by extrinsic (i.e. anthropogenic) causes. No divorce was observed, and among the pair dissolution where causes have been identified, death of one or both wolves was always involved. Median time from pair formation to pair dissolution was three consecutive winters (i.e. approximately 2 years). Pair dissolution was mostly human‐related, primarily caused by legal control actions (36·7%), verified poaching (9·2%) and traffic‐related causes (2·1%). Intrinsic factors, such as disease and age, accounted for only 7·7% of pair dissolutions. The remaining 44·3% of dissolution events were from unknown causes, but we argue that a large portion could be explained by an additional source of human‐caused mortality, cryptic poaching.

Extrinsic population factors, such as variables describing the geographical location of the pair, had a stronger effect on risk of pair dissolution compared to anthropogenic landscape characteristics. Population intrinsic factors, such as the inbreeding coefficient of the male pair member, had a negative effect on pair bond duration. The mechanism behind this result remains unknown, but might be explained by lower survival of inbred males or more complex inbreeding effects mediated by behaviour.

Our study provides quantitative estimates of breeder bond duration in a social carnivore and highlights the effect of extrinsic (i.e. anthropogenic) and intrinsic factors (i.e. inbreeding) involved in wolf pair bond duration. Unlike the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are commonly reported on individual survival or population growth, here we provide quantitative estimates of their potential effect on the social unit of the population, the wolf pair.