bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel non‐contiguous exon duplication in choroideremia
Authors: Edwards T.L. , Williams J. , Patrício M.I. , Simunovic M.P. , Shanks M. , Clouston P. , MacLaren R.E.
Published: March 2017

The importance of establishing a genetic diagnosis in patients with a choroideremia phenotype has been underscored by the advent of gene replacement therapy for this condition. Here, we describe a complex imbalance at the
CHM
locus in a male patient with classical disease. At the DNA level, this imbalance consists of 2 non‐contiguous duplications (exons 1‐2 and 9‐12). Further characterization suggests the generation of 2 independent
CHM
transcriptional units, one of which may produce a deleted form of the Rab escort protein 1 protein. Expression of such a type of aberrant protein in photoreceptors may have important implications when considering gene therapy for this disorder.
Multifocal but non‐disseminated phaeohyphomycosis in a healthy man via a unique mechanism: Ejection from motor vehicle accident into a vegetable field in Afghanistan resulting in multiple contaminated skin wounds
Authors: Malakzai M. Omer , Sahak Janat G. , Campbell Ryan , Abobakar Mirwais , Hoogestraat Daniel R. , SenGupta Dhruba J. , Bryan Andrew , Gardner Jerad M.
Published: March 2017

A 20‐year‐old male presented with multiple subcutaneous nodules on the head, neck, chest and oral cavity. FNA and biopsy showed pigmented fungal hyphae diagnostic of multifocal phaeohyphomycosis, found to be Exophiala spinifera by molecular diagnostics. The presentation initially raised concern for disseminated disease and occult immunosuppression. However, the patient appeared to be immunocompetent and otherwise healthy. Upon further inquiry, the patient was in a motor vehicle accident 4 years before presentation; he was ejected into a vegetable field resulting in multiple open wounds. Multifocal phaeohyphomycosis usually indicates disseminated systemic disease from immunosuppression and carries a grave prognosis.
The risk of healing complications in primary teeth with concussion or subluxation injury—A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lauridsen Eva , Blanche Paul , Amaloo Catharina , Andreasen Jens O.
Published: March 2017

Background/Aim

Traumatic dental injuries in the primary dentition occur frequently. Long‐term complications may potentially cause damage to the permanent successor. The aim of this study was to report the risk of pulp necrosis (PN), pulp canal obliteration (PCO), repair‐related resorption (RRR), infection‐related resorption (IRR), ankylosis‐related resorption (ARR), and premature tooth loss (PTL) in primary teeth following concussion and subluxation injuries, and to identify possible risk factors for PN, PCO, and PTL following subluxation.

Material and methods

The study was a retrospective analysis of a cohort comprising 31 patients (36 teeth) with concussion injury and 174 patients (241 teeth) with subluxation injury. No treatment was performed. The follow‐up program included examination after 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and when the patients were 6 years of age. Minimum follow up was 1 year or until the time of tooth loss. Statistics: Kaplan‐Meier and Aalen‐Johansen methods and Cox regression analysis. Level of significance was set at 5%.

Results

Risk estimated after one year. Concussion: PCO 8.6% (95% CI: 0‐17.9), PN 5.7% (95% CI: 0‐13.4), PTL 5.6% (95% CI: 0‐13.4). Subluxation: PCO 23.2% (95% CI: 17.8‐28.6), PN 8.3% (95% CI: 4.8‐11.8), IRR 2.6% (95% CI: 0.5‐4.6), PTL 9.5% (95% CI: 5.0‐14.1). Most complications (95%) were diagnosed within the first year. Most cases of PN (65%) and PTL (85%) were seen in patients aged 4 years or more.

Conclusion

Primary teeth with concussion or subluxation injury carry a low risk of PN and infection with periapical inflammation, root resorption, and PTL. Nearly all complications were diagnosed within the first year after the injury. The risk of PTL was highest in patients more than 4 years of age at the time of injury.
Is territorial expansion a mechanism for crossmodal plasticity?
Authors: Meredith M. A. , Clemo H. R. , Lomber S. G.
Published: March 2017

Crossmodal plasticity is the phenomenon whereby, following sensory damage or deprivation, the lost sensory function of a brain region is replaced by one of the remaining senses. One of several proposed mechanisms for this phenomenon involves the expansion of a more active brain region at the expense of another whose sensory inputs have been damaged or lost. This territorial expansion hypothesis was examined in the present study. The cat ectosylvian visual area (AEV) borders the auditory field of the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (FAES), which becomes visually reorganized in the early deaf. If this crossmodal effect in the FAES is due to the expansion of the adjoining AEV into the territory of the FAES after hearing loss, then the reorganized FAES should exhibit connectional features characteristic of the AEV. However, tracer injections revealed significantly different patterns of cortical connectivity between the AEV and the early deaf FAES, and substantial cytoarchitectonic and behavioral distinctions occur as well. Therefore, the crossmodal reorganization of the FAES cannot be mechanistically attributed to the expansion of the adjoining cortical territory of the AEV and an overwhelming number of recent studies now support unmasking of existing connections as the operative mechanism underlying crossmodal plasticity.
Rapid estimation of cation exchange capacity from soil water content
Authors: Arthur E.
Published: March 2017

Estimates of cation exchange capacity (CEC) for soil or earth materials are vital for several applications in agriculture and geotechnical engineering. The time‐consuming and laborious nature of standard methods of CEC determination prompted the development of regression‐based techniques and more sophisticated methodologies, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), to estimate CEC from other soil properties (e.g. clay, organic matter and pH). The present study proposes regression relations for estimating CEC from soil water content at different relative humidity (RH) values that range from 10 to 90% and considering sorption hysteresis. For model development, water adsorption and desorption isotherms were measured for 203 soil samples from different parts of the world with a vapour sorption analyser within an RH range from 3 to 93%. Regression models were developed for both adsorption and desorption for nine RH values (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90%). For 35 independent soil samples, the models predicted CEC accurately (root mean squared error (RMSE): adsorption = 2.47 (0.04) cmol(+) kg−1; desorption = 2.52 (0.09) cmol(+) kg−1) with no clear effect of RH value or sorption direction on the accuracy of prediction. The new models were superior to three models from the literature based on clay, organic matter and pH; the smallest RMSE from these models was 4.13 cmol(+) kg−1 for the same 35 soil samples. Furthermore, the water sorption‐based models performed better than literature models based on data mining tools (ANNs, support vector machines) and visible near infrared spectroscopy when standardized RMSE values were compared. Thus, a simple measure of soil water content at a known RH can serve as an accurate substitute for measuring soil CEC.

Highlights

A simple method to estimate cation exchange capacity (CEC) accurately is needed.

Regression models for estimating CEC from soil water contents were developed and tested.

Models predicted CEC accurately with no effect of relative humidity or sorption direction.

Proposed models performed better than existing models based on the validation dataset.
Allochthonous and autochthonous carbon flows in food webs of tropical forest streams
Authors: Neres‐Lima Vinicius , Machado‐Silva Fausto , Baptista Darcilio F. , Oliveira Renata B. S. , Andrade Pedro M. , Oliveira Andrea F. , Sasada‐Sato Cristiano Y. , Silva‐Junior Eduardo F. , Feijó‐Lima Rafael , Angelini Ronaldo , Camargo Plínio B. , Moulton Timothy P.
Published: March 2017

The River Continuum Concept (RCC) assumes that autochthonous primary production in forest streams is limited by light and is insufficient to sustain secondary production by consumers; they must therefore depend on allochthonous carbon from the surrounding forest. Recent studies have, however, questioned the importance of allochthonous carbon in stream food webs. There is a growing body of evidence using stable‐isotope techniques that demonstrate the importance of algae (autochthonous production) in the food webs of tropical streams.

The actual contributions of autochthonous and allochthonous resources are rarely evaluated accurately because few studies consider the diet and the trophic efficiencies of the components of the food web or measure primary and secondary production to estimate the energy flow.

We estimated the annual net primary productivity of periphytic microalgae (NPP) and the secondary production of macroinvertebrates (SP) from empirical models and we used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to quantify the flow of material in food webs of five forest streams in the Guapi‐Macacu catchment, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NPP ranged from 46 g to 173 g dry mass (DM) m−2, whereas SP ranged from 0.90 g DM m−2 to 2.58 g DM m−2. The contribution of allochthonous carbon to the SP was more important than autochthonous sources and varied from 56% to 74% of all basal energy flow assimilated by primary consumers. The annual ingestion rate of basal sources varied from 8.08 g DM m−2 to 26.57 g DM m−2, with the allochthonous material contributing 76% and 87% of this. The annual ingestion rate of autochthonous material varied from 1.2% to 5.5% of the NPP.

The present work suggests that the principal energy source for macroinvertebrates in streams of the Guapi‐Macacu catchment came from the riparian forest, as predicted by the RCC. However, this dependence appeared not to be driven by an absolute lack of autochthonous NPP, which seemed more than sufficient to sustain the entirety of macroinvertebrate SP.
Overlapping trophic niches among co‐occurring amphipods from a cryptic species complex
Authors: Dionne Kaven , Dufresne France , Nozais Christian
Published: March 2017

Ecological differences among species are usually associated with phenotypic differences that enable species to lessen interspecific competition. Many cryptic species co‐occur in communities, thus raising the question of their ecological equivalency. In the case of freshwater amphipods from the Hyalella azteca cryptic species complex, both ecological differences and overlaps have been reported among species that co‐occur in lakes. Since lakes are heterogeneous habitats that vary in space and time, it is possible that species minimise interspecific competition by occupying different trophic niches.

We tested the hypothesis that amphipod species from the H. azteca complex co‐occur by feeding on different food resources in the littoral zone of boreal lakes. We compared the stable isotopes ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of amphipods from different species, and reconstructed their diets using mixing models.

We showed that H. azteca amphipods from different species had isotopic compositions and habitat uses that greatly overlapped. Differences in isotopic composition often occurred, but they were also observed for amphipods of the same species sampled at different depths. This suggests that H. azteca amphipods fed mainly on resources that were available at the site where they occurred rather than distributed according to the occurrence of a specific resource.

The overlap in diets suggests that H. azteca amphipods had overlapping trophic niches. Therefore, niche partitioning for food resources was not a process explaining the co‐occurrence of these species within these lakes.

Competition for food resources was not likely an important mechanism to explain H. azteca species assemblages in communities. Each H. azteca species apparently fed on food items that were abundant in the littoral zone of lakes, meaning that competition for food might be avoided most of the time. If food scarcity ever happens, the period of scarcity is probably too short to allow the exclusion of one amphipod species by competitive exclusion because of the low differences in fitness between the species, allowing Hyalella cryptic species to co‐occur during the open‐water season. Neutral mechanisms and ecological drift might also influence assemblage dynamics.
A retrospective review of the dermatologic manifestations of chronic arsenic poisoning in the Philippines
Authors: Sy Sheena Maureen T. , Salud‐Gnilo Charissa M. , Yap‐Silva Claudine , Tababa Erin Jane L.
Published: March 2017

Background

The Section of Dermatology of the University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital, reported a case of chronic arsenic poisoning from a community in Luzon island to the Department of Health resulting in the conduct of two health and environmental assessment missions in December 2014.

Objective

To describe the demographic profile and cutaneous manifestations of chronic arsenic poisoning among affected residents in Luzon, Philippines.

Methods

A review of the medical records of 116 residents screened during the health assessment missions in December 2014 was conducted.

Results

Among the 116 residents screened, 81 (70%) had clinically confirmed arsenic keratoses and hyperpigmentation. Among them, 52 were males and 29 were females with age range of 4–82 years. Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma in situ were detected through skin biopsy. High levels of arsenic in the tap water and topsoil supported the occurrence of an epidemic of chronic arsenic poisoning.

Conclusion

Specific dermatologic findings of arsenic keratoses and pigmentation were common among the residents screened. Significantly higher occurrence of arsenic keratoses was seen in adults.
Influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the bioavailability and antioxidant activity of polyphenols from Ipomoea batatas leaves
Authors: Chen Yuan , Fu Zhi‐feng , Tu Zong‐Cai , Wang Hui , Zhang Lu , Xie Xing , Liu Guangxian
Published: March 2017

Sweet potato leaves (SPL) are natural by‐products rich in bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenols, and can be consumed as a vegetable. This work aims to investigate the influence of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the bioavailability and antioxidant activities of polyphenols from SPL. The phenolic compounds of sweet potato leaf extracts (SPLE) were quite stable in gastric phase. However, the amount of phenolic compounds decreased during transition from the acidic gastric environment to the alkaline intestinal environment. The bioavailability of phenolic compounds of SPLE was 13.36%. The ABTS·+ scavenging capabilities and reducing power of SPLE were not affected during gastric digestion. Antioxidant activity increased after intestinal digestion. This research suggested that phenolic compounds of SPLE were sufficiently available for absorption. This study also provides useful information on the potential commercial value of SPL.
Pigmented rice a potential source of bioactive compounds: a review
Authors: Samyor Duyi , Das Amit Baran , Deka Sankar Chandra
Published: March 2017

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important food crops in the world. In red rice, black, purple, brown, and brown red rice, major bioactive components are gallic, protocatechuic, hydroxybenzoic, p‐coumaric,ferulic, sinapic acid, cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside, peonidin‐3‐O‐glucoside,flavan‐3‐ol (+) catechin and (−) epicatechin,flavanols (flavan‐ 3‐ols), isoflavones, γ‐oryzanol contents, compositions of steryl, triterpene alcohol ferulates proportions, and tocopherols, etc. This review provides information of pigmented rice in the form of bioactive compounds, concentration, activities and its health's benefit. These bioactive compounds are having immense potential for many health benefit effects and can act as antitumour, anti‐atherosclerosis, anti‐diabetic, anti‐allergicagents, alleviating gallstones, anticancer activity, anti‐inflammatoryeffects, and others.
Carboxymethylation of corn bran polysaccharide and its bioactive property
Authors: Li Jing , Shang Wenting , Si Xu , Bu Dandan , Strappe Padraig , Zhou Zhongkai , Blanchard Chris
Published: March 2017

Corn bran polysaccharides were extracted using an ultrasonic‐assisted method with a yield of 33.50% and then carboxymethylated. The occurrence of modification was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. The surface of polysaccharide particles became loosened following the carboxymethylation. The effect of sodium hydroxide concentration, reaction temperature, and the reaction time on the degree of substitution was investigated, and the relationship among the substitution degree, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were studied. With sodium hydroxide concentration of 6.0 mol L−1, keeping the reaction temperature of 60 °C and reaction time of 5.0 h, the modified polysaccharides possessed the highest degree of substitution and antioxidant activity. Cell culture model indicated that the carboxymethylated polysaccharide significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549 and HepG‐2 cells, and these antitumour characteristics may be associated with the elevated expression of CASP3, CASP8, CASP9, and p53, as well as the significantly decreased expression of Bcl‐2 and iNOS genes. The excellent antioxidant capacity and strong antitumour activity of these polysaccharides might provide a potential application as a naturally functional ingredient.
Evidence for rapid evolutionary change in an invasive plant in response to biological control
Authors: Stastny M. , Sargent R. D.
Published: March 2017

We present evidence that populations of an invasive plant species that have become re‐associated with a specialist herbivore in the exotic range through biological control have rapidly evolved increased antiherbivore defences compared to populations not exposed to biocontrol. We grew half‐sib families of the invasive plant Lythrum salicaria sourced from 17 populations near Ottawa, Canada, that differed in their history of exposure to a biocontrol agent, the specialist beetle Neogalerucella calmariensis. In a glasshouse experiment, we manipulated larval and adult herbivory to examine whether a population's history of biocontrol influenced plant defence and growth. Plants sourced from populations with a history of biocontrol suffered lower defoliation than naïve, previously unexposed populations, strongly suggesting they had evolved higher resistance. Plants from biocontrol‐exposed populations were also larger and produced more branches in response to herbivory, regrew faster even in the absence of herbivory and were better at compensating for the impacts of herbivory on growth (i.e. they exhibited increased tolerance). Furthermore, resistance and tolerance were positively correlated among genotypes with a history of biocontrol but not among naïve genotypes. Our findings suggest that biocontrol can rapidly select for increased defences in an invasive plant and may favour a mixed defence strategy of resistance and tolerance without an obvious cost to plant vigour. Although rarely studied, such evolutionary responses in the target species have important implications for the long‐term efficacy of biocontrol programmes.
Effect of Metabolic Syndrome on the Mobility Benefit of a Structured Physical Activity Intervention—The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Botoseneanu Anda , Chen Haiying , Ambrosius Walter T. , Allore Heather G. , Anton Stephen , Folta Sara C. , King Abby C. , Nicklas Barbara J. , Spring Bonnie J. , Strotmeyer Elsa S. , Gill Thomas M. ,   for the LIFE Study Group
Published: March 2017

Objectives

To test whether structured physical activity (PA) is associated with a greater reduction in major mobility disability (MMD) in older persons with metabolic syndrome (MetS) than in those without.

Design

Data from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Study, a multicenter randomized trial of 1,635 persons with assessments every 6 months (average 2.7 years).

Setting

Eight U.S. centers.

Participants

Sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 with functional limitations (N = 1,535); 100 participants were excluded because of missing MetS data.

Intervention

Participants were randomized to a moderate‐intensity PA program (n = 766) or a health education program (n = 769).

Measurements

MetS was defined according to the 2009 multiagency harmonized criteria. Outcomes included incident MMD (loss of ability to walk 400 m) and persistent MMD (two consecutive MMD diagnoses or one MMD diagnosis followed by death).

Results

Seven hundred sixty‐three (49.7%) participants met criteria for MetS. PA reduced incident MMD more than health education did in participants with MetS (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.57–0.91, P = .007) but not in those without MetS (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.73–1.25, P = .75); the test for statistical interaction was not significant (P = .13). PA reduced the risk of persistent MMD in participants with MetS (HR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.41–0.79, P < .001) but not in those without MetS (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.67–1.41, P = .87). The test for statistical interaction was significant (P = .04).

Conclusion

Moderate‐intensity PA substantially reduces the risk of persistent MMD in older persons with functional limitations with MetS but not in those without MetS. Comparable results were observed for incident MMD. The LIFE PA program may be an effective strategy for reducing mobility disability in vulnerable older persons with MetS.
The Hispanic Paradox: Race/Ethnicity and Nativity, Immigrant Enclave Residence and Cognitive Impairment Among Older US Adults
Authors: Weden Margaret M. , Miles Jeremy N. V. , Friedman Esther , Escarce José J. , Peterson Christine , Langa Kenneth M. , Shih Regina A.
Published: March 2017

Hispanics, and particularly foreign‐born Mexican Americans, have been shown to fare better across a range of health outcomes than might be expected given the generally higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage in this population, a phenomena termed the “Hispanic Paradox”. Previous research on social disparities in cognitive aging, however, has been unable to address both race/ethnicity and nativity (REN) in a nationally‐representative sample of US adults leaving unanswered questions about potentially “paradoxical” advantages of Mexican ethnic‐origins and the role of nativity, socioeconomic status (SES), and enclave residence. We employ biennial assessments of cognitive functioning to study prevalent and incident cognitive impairment (CI) within the three largest US REN groups: US‐born non‐Hispanic whites (US‐NHW), US‐born non‐Hispanic blacks (US‐NHB), US‐born Mexican Americans (US‐MA), and foreign‐born Mexican Americans (FB‐MA). Data come from a nationally‐representative sample of community‐dwelling older adults in the Health and Retirement Study linked with the 2000 Census and followed over 10 years (N = 8,433). Large disadvantages in prevalent and incident CI were observed for all REN minorities respective to US‐born non‐Hispanic whites. Individual and neighborhood SES accounted substantially for these disadvantages and revealed an immigrant advantage: FB‐MA odds of prevalent CI were about half those of US‐NHW and hazards of incident CI were about half those of US‐MA. Residence in an immigrant enclave was protective of prevalent CI among FB‐MA. The findings illuminate important directions for research into the sources of cognitive risk and resilience and provide guidance about CI screening within the increasingly diverse aging US population.
The Antibiotic Prescribing Pathway for Presumed Urinary Tract Infections in Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Kistler Christine E. , Zimmerman Sheryl , Scales Kezia , Ward Kimberly , Weber David , Reed David , McClester Mallory , Sloane Philip D.
Published: March 2017

Objectives

Due to the high rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for presumed urinary tract infections (UTIs) in nursing home (NH) residents, we sought to examine the antibiotic prescribing pathway and the extent to which it agrees with the Loeb criteria; findings can suggest strategies for antibiotic stewardship.

Methods

Chart review of 260 randomly‐selected cases from 247 NH residents treated with an antibiotic for a presumed UTI in 31 NHs in North Carolina. We examined the prescribing pathway from presenting illness, to the prescribing event, illness work‐up and subsequent clinical events including emergency department use, hospitalization, and death. Analyses described the decision‐making processes and outcomes and compared decisions made with Loeb criteria for initiation of antibiotics.

Results

Of 260 cases, 60% had documented signs/symptoms of the presenting illness and 15% met the Loeb criteria. Acute mental status change was the most commonly documented sign/symptom (24%). NH providers (81%) were the most common prescribers and ciprofloxacin (32%) was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic. Fourteen percent of presumed UTI cases included a white blood cell count, 71% included a urinalysis, and 72% had a urine culture. Seventy‐five percent of cultures grew at least one organism with ≥100,000 colony‐forming units/milliliter and 12% grew multi‐drug resistant organisms; 28% of antibiotics were prescribed for more than 7 days, and 7% of cases had a subsequent death, emergency department visit, or hospitalization within 7 days.

Discussion

Non‐specific signs/symptoms appeared to influence prescribing more often than urinary tract‐specific signs/symptoms. Prescribers rarely stopped antibiotics, and a minority prescribed for overly long periods. Providers may need additional support to guide the decision‐making process to reduce antibiotic overuse and antibiotic resistance.
Oral health behavior and factors associated with poor oral status in Qatar: results from a national health survey
Authors: Cheema Sohaila , Maisonneuve Patrick , Al‐Thani Mohamed Hamad , Al‐Thani Al Anoud Mohammed , Abraham Amit , Al‐Mannai Ghanim Ali , Al‐Emadi Abdulla Asad , Al‐Chetachi Walaa Fattah , Almalki Badria Ali , Hassan Khalifa Shams Eldin Ali , Haj Bakri Ahmad Omar , Lowenfels Albert , Mamtani Ravinder
Published: March 2017

Objectives

Oral health is a crucial determinant of quality of life. We aimed to determine oral health condition and factors associated with poor oral status in the adult national population of Qatar.

Methods

We used data from the World Health Organization supported STEPS (STEPwise approach to Surveillance) Survey conducted by the Supreme Council of Health, Qatar in 2012. A total of 2,496 Qataris (1,053 men, 1,443 women) answered the national survey. The Rao‐Scott Chi‐Square test was used to analyze oral health characteristics and multinomial logistic regression to assess risk factors.

Results

The self‐perceived oral status of approximately 40 percent of respondents was either “average” or “poor” rather than “good.” Poor oral status was more often reported by women (OR = 1.93; 95%CI = 1.30‐2.80), by older (OR = 3.38; 95%CI = 1.59‐7.19) and less educated respondents (OR = 3.58; 95%CI = 2.15‐5.96). Other risk groups included people with diabetes (OR = 1.87; 95%CI = 1.24‐2.81), smokeless tobacco users (OR = 3.90; 95%CI = 1.75‐8.68), or ever tobacco users (OR = 1.66; 95%CI = 1.03‐2.67). Oral health status appeared to be independent of diet, BMI status, and history of hypertension. Difficulties and behaviors related to oral health were more frequently reported by women than by men. These included pain (P < 0.001), difficulty chewing (P < 0.001), and discomfort over appearance of teeth (P < 0.001). Participants used toothbrushes, toothpicks, dental floss, and miswak to maintain oral hygiene.

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence that oral health remains a public health concern in Qatar.
How Bricolage Drives Corporate Entrepreneurship: The Roles of Opportunity Identification and Learning Orientation
Authors: An Wenwen , Zhao Xinglu , Cao Zhi , Zhang Jianqi , Liu Heng
Published: March 2017

While most studies have viewed bricolage as a tool to overcome resource constraints in the context of new ventures, few of them have directly investigated the effects of bricolage to identify new entrepreneurial opportunities in the context of incumbent firms. Drawing upon a subjectivist view of entrepreneurship, we reframe bricolage as a concrete activity of experiential resource‐learning that creates subjective knowledge of resource at hand. We argue that the subjective knowledge derived from bricolage will shape a firm's “subjective opportunity set” and facilitate opportunities identification, which will ultimately increase the likelihood of the incumbent firm's corporate entrepreneurship (including product innovation, venturing, and strategic renewal). Hypotheses are thus developed to examine the relationship between bricolage and corporate entrepreneurship as well as the mediating role of opportunity identification. Moreover, as bricolage activities depend on interactive social contexts rather than individual efforts, the firm's learning orientation is proposed as a moderator that influences the positive effects of bricolage on opportunity identification. We test these hypotheses using the survey data from 248 incumbent firms in China. The empirical results generally support our hypotheses by showing that (1) bricolage positively influences opportunity identification, (2) opportunity identification mediates the relationship between bricolage and corporate entrepreneurship, and (3) learning orientation has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between bricolage and opportunity identification. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of bricolage in context of corporate entrepreneurship by being an opportunity identification incubator. Implications for managers are also included in the end of this article.
Mixed‐Integer Linear Programming on Work‐Rest Schedule Design for Construction Sites in Hot Weather
Authors: Yi Wen , Wang Shuaian
Published: March 2017

An appropriate design of work‐rest schedule is recognized as an efficient way in providing better ergonomic environment, improving labor productivity as well as safety. Construction workers usually undertake physically demanding tasks in an outdoor environment, with awkward postures and repetitive motions. This study proposes a mixed‐integer linear programming approach to optimize the work‐rest schedule for construction workers in hot weather for the objective of maximizing the total productive time. The model takes into consideration the physical and physiological conditions of the workers, the working environment, the nature of the jobs and the minimum rest duration of the government regulation. The results of numerical experiments show that the proposed model outperforms a default work‐rest schedule by up to 10% in terms of total productive time. This implies considerable cost savings for the construction industry.
Risk‐based management of invading plant disease
Authors: Hyatt‐Twynam Samuel R. , Parnell Stephen , Stutt Richard O. J. H. , Gottwald Tim R. , Gilligan Christopher A. , Cunniffe Nik J.
Published: March 2017

Effective control of plant disease remains a key challenge. Eradication attempts often involve removal of host plants within a certain radius of detection, targeting asymptomatic infection. Here we develop and test potentially more effective, epidemiologically motivated, control strategies, using a mathematical model previously fitted to the spread of citrus canker in Florida.

We test risk‐based control, which preferentially removes hosts expected to cause a high number of infections in the remaining host population. Removals then depend on past patterns of pathogen spread and host removal, which might be nontransparent to affected stakeholders. This motivates a variable radius strategy, which approximates risk‐based control via removal radii that vary by location, but which are fixed in advance of any epidemic.

Risk‐based control outperforms variable radius control, which in turn outperforms constant radius removal. This result is robust to changes in disease spread parameters and initial patterns of susceptible host plants. However, efficiency degrades if epidemiological parameters are incorrectly characterised.

Risk‐based control including additional epidemiology can be used to improve disease management, but it requires good prior knowledge for optimal performance. This focuses attention on gaining maximal information from past epidemics, on understanding model transferability between locations and on adaptive management strategies that change over time.
Spatiotemporal modulation of abscisic acid and gibberellin metabolism and signalling mediates the effects of suboptimal and supraoptimal temperatures on seed germination in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Izydorczyk Conrad , Nguyen Tran‐Nguyen , Jo SeoHyun , Son SeungHyun , Tuan Pham Anh , Ayele Belay T.
Published: March 2017

Seed germination is a complex process regulated by intrinsic hormonal cues such as abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA), and environmental signals including temperature. Using pharmacological, molecular and metabolomics approaches, we show that supraoptimal temperature delays wheat seed germination through maintaining elevated embryonic ABA level via increased expression of ABA biosynthetic genes (TaNCED1 and TaNCED2), increasing embryo ABA sensitivity through upregulation of genes regulating ABA signalling positively (TaPYL5, TaSnRK2, ABI3 and ABI5) and decreasing embryo GA sensitivity via induction of TaRHT1 that regulates GA signalling negatively. Endospermic ABA and GA appeared to have minimal roles in regulating germination at supraoptimal temperature. Germination inhibition by suboptimal temperature is associated with elevated ABA level in the embryo and endosperm tissues, mediated by induction of TaNCEDs and decreased expression of endospermic ABA catabolic genes (TaCYP707As), and increased ABA sensitivity in both tissues via upregulation of TaPYL5, TaSnRK2, ABI3 and ABI5 in the embryo and TaSnRK2 and ABI5 in the endosperm. Furthermore, suboptimal temperature suppresses GA synthesis in both tissues and GA sensitivity in the embryo via repressing GA biosynthetic genes (TaGA20ox and TaGA3ox2) and inducing TaRHT1, respectively. These results highlight that spatiotemporal modulation of ABA and GA metabolism and signalling in wheat seeds underlies germination response to temperature.
Managing Retail Shelf and Backroom Inventories When Demand Depends on the Shelf‐Stock Level
Authors: Xue Weili , Caliskan Demirag Ozgun , Chen Frank Y. , Yang Yi
Published: March 2017

Inventory displayed on the retail sales floor not only performs the classical supply function but also plays a role in affecting consumers’ buying behavior and hence the total demand. Empirical evidence from the retail industry shows that for some types of products, higher levels of on‐shelf inventory have a demand‐increasing effect (“billboard effect”) while for some other types of products, higher levels of on‐shelf inventory have a demand‐decreasing effect (“scarcity effect”). This suggests that retailers may use the amount of shelf stock on display as a tool to influence demand and operate a store backroom to hold the inventory of items not displayed on the shelves, introducing the need for efficient management of the backroom and on‐shelf inventories. The purpose of this study is to address such an issue by considering a periodic‐review inventory system in which demand in each period is stochastic and depends on the amount of inventory displayed on the shelf. We first analyze the problem in a finite‐horizon setting and show under a general demand model that the system inventory is optimally replenished by a base‐stock policy and the shelf stock is controlled by two critical points representing the target levels to raise up/drop down the on‐shelf inventory level. In the infinite‐horizon setting, we find that the optimal policies simplify to stationary base‐stock type policies. Under the billboard effect, we further show that the optimal policy is monotone in the system states. Numerical experiments illustrate the value of smart backroom management strategy and show that significant profit gains can be obtained by jointly managing the backroom and on‐shelf inventories.
Benefits of Surgical Smoothing and Spare Capacity: An Econometric Analysis of Patient Flow
Authors: KC Diwas Singh , Terwiesch Christian
Published: March 2017

In this study, we examine the hospital's ability to admit patients from its emergency department. From a medical perspective, the number of patients being admitted should depend solely on the patients’ clinical conditions. Using a large‐scale econometric study that includes detailed operational and clinical data on all cardiac patient encounters from a set of 128 hospitals over a period of four years, we show that this is not the case. In particular, we find that independent of their medical condition, many emergency patients are denied hospital admission because of a lack of inpatient beds. Our analysis suggests that having one more inpatient bed at the start of a day can increase the likelihood of an emergency room patient admission by around 3% on average. We examine two policies – active discharge and demand smoothing – that can help hospitals improve patient access. We find that some hospitals actively discharge inpatients when beds become scarce; hospitals that follow such an active discharge protocol are, on average, able to admit more patients. We also investigate to what extent the hospital's ability to smooth its surgical schedule impacts hospital admissions. Hospitals tend to schedule their elective patients early in the week (Mondays and Tuesdays), and discharge them by the weekend in order to minimize weekend staffing, effectively maximizing bed occupancy during the middle of the week. This “weekend effect” artificially induces variability, and reduces effective system capacity. We find that by scheduling patients more uniformly over the week, hospitals can dramatically increase patient access, obviating the need for active discharges or additional capacity investment. Our analysis quantifies these effects, and can help hospitals make effective capacity management decisions in order to improve patient flow.
Isolation and characterization of rice cesium transporter genes from a rice‐transporter‐enriched yeast expression library
Authors: Yamaki Tomohiro , Otani Masahiro , Ono Kohei , Mimura Takuro , Oda Koshiro , Minamii Takeshi , Matsumoto Shingo , Matsuo Yuzy , Kawamukai Makoto , Akihiro Takashi
Published: March 2017

A considerable portion of agricultural land in central‐east Japan has been contaminated by radioactive material, particularly radioactive Cs, due to the industrial accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Understanding the mechanism of absorption, translocation and accumulation of Cs+ in plants will greatly assist in developing approaches to help reduce the radioactive contamination of agricultural products. At present, however, little is known regarding the Cs+ transporters in rice. A transporter‐enriched yeast expression library was constructed and the library was screened for Cs+ transporter genes. The 1452 full length cDNAs encoding transporter genes were obtained from the Rice Genome Resource Center and 1358 clones of these transporter genes were successively subcloned into yeast expression vectors; which were then transferred into yeast. Using this library, both positive and negative selection screens can be performed, which have not been previously possible. The constructed library is an excellent tool for the isolation of novel transporter genes. This library was screened for clones that were sensitive to Cs+ using a SD‐Gal medium containing either 30 or 70 mM CsCl; resulting in the isolation of 13 Cs+ sensitive clones. 137Cs absorption experiments were conducted and confirmed that all of the identified clones were able to absorb 137Cs. A total of 3 potassium transporters, 2 ABC transporters and 1 NRAMP transporter were among the 13 identified clones.
The Issue Politics of Presidential Veto Threats
Authors: Lewallen Jonathan
Published: March 2017

The heart of agenda setting lies in defining public problems and setting governmental priorities. Veto threats represent conflict between Congress and the president over how to shape policy, yet we know little about the issues on which veto politics take place or longitudinal changes to these dynamics. When a president threatens to veto a bill, he raises its visibility and scope and thus helps shape the federal government's issue agenda. This article examines the issue dynamics of veto threats from 1985 to 2014. When presidents threaten to veto legislation they do so on public priorities and where their threats may be more credible, while divided government leads presidents to try to protect their own issue priorities on spending bills.
The Effects of Doing More with Less in the Public Sector: Evidence from a Large‐Scale Survey
Authors: Esteve Marc , Schuster Christian , Albareda Adria , Losada Carlos
Published: March 2017

Since the onset of the Great Recession, “doing more with less” has become a policy mantra. To do more with less, a range of governments have concurrently imposed wage cuts and greater work demands on public employees. This article assesses the impact of these changes on the job satisfaction and work motivation of public employees in 34 European countries. Congruent with previous studies linking income and working hours with job attitudes, the article finds a negative impact on both. There are no free austerity lunches: while public employees may work longer hours for lower pay, they are less satisfied and less motivated when doing so. One caveat applies: the effect on motivation—although not satisfaction—is mitigated when employees feel that their values are aligned with those of their organization. This puts a premium on public managers fostering value alignment, particularly when it is hardest to achieve: in times of cutbacks.
Can the Voices of Practitioners Be Further Amplified in Public Administration Review?
Authors: Kosar Kevin R.
Published: March 2017

Related Content: Perry (PAR March/April 2017)
TCF1 deficiency ameliorates autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS)‐like phenotypes of lpr/lpr mice
Authors: Xu X. , Yu B. , Cai W. , Huang Z.
Published: March 2017

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is an incurable disease, which is characterized by non‐malignant autoimmune lymphoproliferation. TCF1 is a key effector in the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, regulating the development, activation and function of T cells. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential role of TCF1 in the development of ALPS‐like phenotypes of lpr/lpr mice. We acquired TCF1−/−lpr/lpr double mutant mice by crossing TCF1 deficiency mice with lpr/lpr mice. Splenocyte compositions, serum cytokines levels, antidsDNA antibody production and kidney pathology were examined in the TCF1−/−lpr/lpr mice. With these examinations, we revealed that TCF1 deficiency relieved most manifestations of ALPS‐like phenotype, which were caused by Fas mutation in TCF1−/−lpr/lpr mice. Splenocyte total numbers and compositions were downregulated to the similar levels with wildtype mice. TE and TEM cells were decreased in TCF1−/−lpr/lpr compared with lpr/lpr mice. The levels of autoantibodies and proinflammatory factors in serum, and the histopathology changes and the relative mRNA levels of proinflammatory factors in kidney all displayed parallel tendency in TCF1−/−lpr/lpr mice. Our study demonstrated that TCF1 deficiency ameliorated the ALPS‐like phenotypes of TCF1−/−lpr/lpr mice, which might indicate a potential therapeutic direction for ALPS.
Entropy Generation Analysis in Nonlinear Convection Flow of Thermally Stratified Fluid in Saturated Porous Medium With Convective Boundary Condition
Authors: Vasu B. , RamReddy Ch. , Murthy P. V. S. N. , Gorla Rama Subba Reddy
Published: March 2017

This article emphasizes the significance of entropy generation analysis and nonlinear temperature density relation on thermally stratified viscous fluid flow over a vertical plate embedded in a porous medium with a thermal dispersion effect. In addition, the convective surface boundary condition is taken into an account. By using the suitable transformations, the governing flow equations in dimensional form are converted into set of nondimensional partial differential equations. Then the local similarity and nonsimilarity procedures are applied to transform the set of nondimensional partial differential equations into set of ordinary differential equations and then the resulting system of equations are solved by Chebyshev spectral collocation method along with the successive linearization. The effect of pertinent parameters, namely, Biot number, mixed convection parameter, and thermal dispersion on velocity, temperature, entropy generation rate, and heat transfer rate are displayed graphically and the salient features are explored in detail.
Nonlinear Reduced-Order Models for Aerodynamic Lift of Oscillating Airfoils2
Authors: Khalid Muhammad Saif Ullah , Akhtar Imran
Published: March 2017

For the present study, setting Strouhal number as the control parameter, we perform numerical simulations for the flow over oscillating NACA-0012 airfoil at a Reynolds number of 1000. This study reveals that aerodynamic forces produced by oscillating airfoils are independent of the initial kinematic conditions suggesting the existence of limit cycle. Frequencies present in the oscillating lift force are composed of the fundamental harmonics and its odd harmonics. Using these numerical simulations, we analyze the shedding frequencies close to the excitation frequencies. Hence, considering it as a primary resonance case, we model the unsteady lift force with a modified van der Pol oscillator. Using the method of multiple scales and spectral analysis of the steady-state computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions, we estimate the frequencies and the damping terms in the reduced-order model (ROM). We show the applicability of this model to all planar motions of the airfoil; heaving, pitching, and flapping. With increasing the Strouhal number, the nonlinear damping terms for all types of motion approach similar magnitudes. Another important aspect in one of the proposed model is its ability to capture the time-averaged value of the aerodynamic lift force. We also notice that increase in the magnitude of the lift force is due to the effect of destabilizing linear damping parameter.
Auditory salience using natural soundscapes
Authors: Huang Nicholas , Elhilali Mounya
Published: March 2017

Salience describes the phenomenon by which an object stands out from a scene. While its underlying processes are extensively studied in vision, mechanisms of auditory salience remain largely unknown. Previous studies have used well-controlled auditory scenes to shed light on some of the acoustic attributes that drive the salience of sound events. Unfortunately, the use of constrained stimuli in addition to a lack of well-established benchmarks of salience judgments hampers the development of comprehensive theories of sensory-driven auditory attention. The present study explores auditory salience in a set of dynamic natural scenes. A behavioral measure of salience is collected by having human volunteers listen to two concurrent scenes and indicate continuously which one attracts their attention. By using natural scenes, the study takes a data-driven rather than experimenter-driven approach to exploring the parameters of auditory salience. The findings indicate that the space of auditory salience is multidimensional (spanning loudness, pitch, spectral shape, as well as other acoustic attributes), nonlinear and highly context-dependent. Importantly, the results indicate that contextual information about the entire scene over both short and long scales needs to be considered in order to properly account for perceptual judgments of salience.