bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of 8 weeks of concurrent plyometric and running training on spatiotemporal and physiological variables of novice runners
Authors: Gómez‐Molina Josué , Ogueta‐Alday Ana , Camara Jesus , Stickley Christopher , García‐lópez Juan
Published: December 2017

Concurrent plyometric and running training has the potential to improve running economy (RE) and performance through increasing muscle strength and power, but the possible effect on spatiotemporal parameters of running has not been studied yet. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 8 weeks of concurrent plyometric and running training on spatiotemporal parameters and physiological variables of novice runners. Twenty‐five male participants were randomly assigned into two training groups; running group (RG) (n = 11) and running + plyometric group (RPG) (n = 14). Both groups performed 8 weeks of running training programme, and only the RPG performed a concurrent plyometric training programme (two sessions per week). Anthropometric, physiological (VO2max, heart rate and RE) and spatiotemporal variables (contact and flight times, step rate and length) were registered before and after the intervention. In comparison to RG, the RPG reduced step rate and increased flight times at the same running speeds (P < .05) while contact times remained constant. Significant increases in pre‐ and post‐training (P < .05) were found in RPG for squat jump and 5 bound test, while RG remained unchanged. Peak speed, ventilatory threshold (VT) speed and respiratory compensation threshold (RCT) speed increased (P < .05) for both groups, although peak speed and VO2max increased more in the RPG than in the RG. In conclusion, concurrent plyometric and running training entails a reduction in step rate, as well as increases in VT speed, RCT speed, peak speed and VO2max. Athletes could benefit from plyometric training in order to improve their strength, which would contribute to them attaining higher running speeds.
SUV420H2 is an epigenetic regulator of epithelial/mesenchymal states in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Viotti Manuel , Wilson Catherine , McCleland Mark , Koeppen Hartmut , Haley Benjamin , Jhunjhunwala Suchit , Klijn Christiaan , Modrusan Zora , Arnott David , Classon Marie , Stephan Jean-Philippe , Mellman Ira
Published: December 2017

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is implicated in metastasis, where carcinoma cells lose sessile epithelial traits and acquire mesenchymal migratory potential. The mesenchymal state is also associated with cancer stem cells and resistance to chemotherapy. It might therefore be therapeutically beneficial to promote epithelial identity in cancer. Because large-scale cell identity shifts are often orchestrated on an epigenetic level, we screened for candidate epigenetic factors and identified the histone methyltransferase SUV420H2 (KMT5C) as favoring the mesenchymal identity in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Through its repressive mark H4K20me3, SUV420H2 silences several key drivers of the epithelial state. Its knockdown elicited mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition on a molecular and functional level, and cells displayed decreased stemness and increased drug sensitivity. An analysis of human pancreatic cancer biopsies was concordant with these findings, because high levels of SUV420H2 correlated with a loss of epithelial characteristics in progressively invasive cancer. Together, these data indicate that SUV420H2 is an upstream epigenetic regulator of epithelial/mesenchymal state control.
NHE- and diffusion-dependent proton fluxes across the tubular system membranes of fast-twitch muscle fibers of the rat
Authors: Launikonis Bradley S. , Cully Tanya R. , Csernoch Laszlo , Stephenson D. George
Published: December 2017

The complex membrane structure of the tubular system (t-system) in skeletal muscle fibers is open to the extracellular environment, which prevents measurements of H+ movement across its interface with the cytoplasm by conventional methods. Consequently, little is known about the t-system’s role in the regulation of cytoplasmic pH, which is different from extracellular pH. Here we describe a novel approach to measure H+-flux measurements across the t-system of fast-twitch fibers under different conditions. The approach involves loading the t-system of intact rat fast-twitch fibers with a strong pH buffer (20 mM HEPES) and pH-sensitive fluorescent probe (10 mM HPTS) before the t-system is sealed off. The pH changes in the t-system are then tracked by confocal microscopy after rapid changes in cytoplasmic ionic conditions. T-system sealing is achieved by removing the sarcolemma by microdissection (mechanical skinning), which causes the tubules to pinch off and seal tight. After this procedure, the t-system repolarizes to physiological levels and can be electrically stimulated when placed in K+-based solutions of cytosolic-like ionic composition. Using this approach, we show that the t-system of fast-twitch skeletal fibers displays amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange (NHE), which decreases markedly at alkaline cytosolic pH and has properties similar to that in mammalian cardiac myocytes. We observed mean values for NHE density and proton permeability coefficient of 339 pmol/m2 of t-system membrane and 158 µm/s, respectively. We conclude that the cytosolic pH in intact resting muscle can be quantitatively explained with respect to extracellular pH by assuming that these values apply to the t-system membrane and the sarcolemma.
Machine learning for classifying tuberculosis drug-resistance from DNA sequencing data
Authors: Yang Yang , Niehaus Katherine E , Walker Timothy M , Iqbal Zamin , Walker A Sarah , Wilson Daniel J , Peto Tim E A , Crook Derrick W , Smith E Grace , Zhu Tingting , Clifton David A
Published: December 2017

Motivation

Correct and rapid determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) resistance against available tuberculosis (TB) drugs is essential for the control and management of TB. Conventional molecular diagnostic test assumes that the presence of any well-studied single nucleotide polymorphisms is sufficient to cause resistance, which yields low sensitivity for resistance classification.

Given the availability of DNA sequencing data from MTB, we developed machine learning models for a cohort of 1839 UK bacterial isolates to classify MTB resistance against eight anti-TB drugs (isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, pyrazinamide, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, streptomycin) and to classify multi-drug resistance.

Results

Compared to previous rules-based approach, the sensitivities from the best-performing models increased by 2-4% for isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol to 97% (P < 0.01), respectively; for ciprofloxacin and multi-drug resistant TB, they increased to 96%. For moxifloxacin and ofloxacin, sensitivities increased by 12 and 15% from 83 and 81% based on existing known resistance alleles to 95% and 96% (P < 0.01), respectively. Particularly, our models improved sensitivities compared to the previous rules-based approach by 15 and 24% to 84 and 87% for pyrazinamide and streptomycin (P < 0.01), respectively. The best-performing models increase the area-under-the-ROC curve by 10% for pyrazinamide and streptomycin (P < 0.01), and 4–8% for other drugs (P < 0.01).

Availability and implementation

The details of source code are provided at http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~davidc/code.php.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Stearic Acid Supplementation in High Protein to Carbohydrate (P:C) Ratio Diet Improves Physiological and Mitochondrial Functions of Drosophila melanogaster parkin Null Mutants
Authors: Bajracharya Rijan , Bustamante Sonia , O Ballard John William
Published: December 2017

Optimizing dietary macronutrients benefits the prevention and management of many human diseases but there is conflicting dietary advice for Parkinson’s disease (PD), and no single strategy is universally recommended. Recently, it was shown that dietary stearic acid (C18:0) improves survival and mitochondrial functions in the parkin null Drosophila model of PD. Here, we incorporate stearic acid into high protein and high carbohydrate diets and study survival, climbing ability, mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration, basal reactive oxygen species, and conduct lipidomics assays. We observed that parkin null flies showed improvement in all assays tested when stearic acid was added to the high protein diet but not to the high carbohydrate diet. When lipid proportion was examined, we observed higher levels in flies fed the high protein diet with stearic acid diet and the high carbohydrate diet. Unexpectedly, free levels of fatty acids exhibited opposite trend. Combined, these data suggest that dietary Protein: Carbohydrate ratio and stearic acid influences levels of bound fatty acids. The mechanisms that influence free and bound fatty-acid levels remain to be explored, but one possible explanation is that breakdown products can bind to membranes and improve the mitochondrial functions of parkin null flies.
The bias of the log power spectrum for discrete surveys
Authors: Repp Andrew , Szapudi István
Published: December 2017

A primary goal of galaxy surveys is to tighten constraints on cosmological parameters, and the power spectrum P(k) is the standard means of doing so. However, at translinear scales P(k) is blind to much of these surveys’ information – information which the log density power spectrum recovers. For discrete fields (such as the galaxy density), A* denotes the statistic analogous to the log density: A* is a ‘sufficient statistic’ in that its power spectrum (and mean) capture virtually all of a discrete survey's information. However, the power spectrum of A* is biased with respect to the corresponding log spectrum for continuous fields, and to use $P_{A^*}(k)$ to constrain the values of cosmological parameters, we require some means of predicting this bias. Here, we present a prescription for doing so; for Euclid-like surveys (with cubical cells 16h−1 Mpc across) our bias prescription's error is less than 3 per cent. This prediction will facilitate optimal utilization of the information in future galaxy surveys.
Early Antimicrobial De-escalation and Stewardship in Adult Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients: Retrospective Review
Authors: Snyder Matthew , Pasikhova Yanina , Baluch Aliyah
Published: December 2017

Background

Antimicrobial stewardship in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients remains underutilized in North America. European guidelines advise de-escalation of broad-spectrum therapy after 72 hours in select patients with neutropenic fever of unknown origin. This is not commonplace in the United States, as current guidelines recommend broad-spectrum therapy until neutrophil engraftment. If de-escalating after at least 5 days of broad-spectrum therapy and defervescence in neutropenic allo-HSCT recipients does not predispose them to recurrent fever or infection, the practice could afford several benefits.

Methods

The primary end point was rate of recurrent fever. Secondary outcomes included Clostridium difficile–associated infections, length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission incidence, in-hospital mortality rate, need for re-escalation of therapy, rate of positive blood cultures for patients who had recurrent fevers, overall antimicrobial utilization from neutropenic fever onset, and pharmacoeconomic impact.

Results

A total of 120 patients were assessed in 2 groups as cohort 1 (n = 46), which received early de-escalation, and cohort 2 (n = 74), which did not. The primary end point met criteria for noninferiority, as 7 patients (15%) in cohort 1 had recurrent fever within the specified time frame compared with 14 (19%) in cohort 2 (90% CI, –0.0878 to 0.1629, P = .026). Patients in cohort 1 received significantly less gram-positive broad-spectrum antimicrobials, with trends toward lower use of broad-spectrum gram-negative agents and lower associated costs and no differences in length of stay, ICU admission incidence, need for re-escalation of therapy, rate of culture-positive bacteremia after de-escalation or discontinuation of broad-spectrum therapy, or in-hospital mortality rate.

Conclusions

De-escalating after at least 5 days of broad-spectrum therapy and defervescence did not appear to affect the rate of recurrent fever. This allowed for significant reductions in gram-positive broad-spectrum antimicrobial utilization, with trends toward lower use of broad-spectrum gram-negative agents and associated costs and no difference in clinical outcomes compared with those continuing such therapy until neutrophil engraftment.
Gram-Positive Rods on a Cerebrospinal Fluid Gram Stain
Authors: Thompson Amelia B , Wrubel David , Berkowitz Frank E
Published: December 2017

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) access device placement in the pediatric population presents challenges due to the development of infections following placement, access or revision, and/or shunt malfunctions. Here we report an unusual pediatric case of L. monocytogenes ventriculitis/VP shunt (VPS) infection and associated pseudocyst with an emphasis on the importance of VPS removal in clearing the infection due to biofilm formation.
Incidence and Distribution of Puccinia coronata and P. graminis on Turfgrass in the Midwestern United States
Authors: Karakkat Brijesh B. , Jackson Vonte L. , Koch Paul L.
Published: December 2017

Crown rust (caused by Puccinia coronata) and stem rust (caused by P. graminis) are two common and destructive diseases of turfgrass in the United States. Crown rust has been associated with perennial ryegrass and stem rust with Kentucky bluegrass when identified based solely on fungal morphology. However, recent studies using molecular identification methods have indicated the host–pathogen relationship of rusts on turf to be more complex. Our primary objective was to quickly and accurately identify P. coronata and P. graminis in symptomatic turfgrass leaves over 3 years on turfgrass samples from across the Midwestern United States. Between 2013 and 2015, 413 samples of symptomatic cool-season turfgrass from Wisconsin and surrounding states were screened using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Of these samples, 396 were Kentucky bluegrass and 17% of them contained P. coronata, 69% contained P. graminis, and 13% contained both P. coronata and P. graminis. In addition, both year and location effects were observed on the distribution of Puccinia spp. collected annually from two locations in southern Wisconsin. This research supports previous conclusions that have identified variability among P. graminis and P. coronata host relationships on turfgrass, and further demonstrates that rust fungal populations on Kentucky bluegrass may not be consistent between locations in the same year or over multiple years at the same location. The increasing evidence of variation in the turfgrass rust populations will likely affect future rust management and turfgrass breeding efforts.
Influence of Beet necrotic yellow vein virus and Freezing Temperatures on Sugar Beet Roots in Storage
Authors: Strausbaugh Carl A. , Eujayl Imad A.
Published: December 2017

Rhizomania caused by Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV) is a yield-limiting sugar beet disease that was observed to influence root resistance to freezing in storage. Thus, studies were conducted to gain a better understanding of the influence of BNYVV and freezing on sugar beet roots to improve pile management decisions. Roots from five commercial sugar beet cultivars (one susceptible and four resistant to BNYVV) were produced in fields under high and trace levels of rhizomania pressure and subjected to storage using five temperature regimes ranging from 0 to −4.4°C for 24 h. After cold treatment, eight-root samples were stored in a commercial indoor storage building (set point 1.1°C) for 50 days in 2014 and 57 days in 2015. Internal root temperature, frozen and discolored tissue, and moisture and sucrose loss were evaluated. The air temperature at 0, −1.1, and −2.2°C matched internal root temperature but internal root remained near −2.2°C when air temperature was dropped to −3.3 and −4.4°C. In a susceptible cultivar produced under high rhizomania pressure, the percentage of frozen tissue increased (P < 0.0001) from an average of 0 to 7% at 0, −1.1, and −2.2°C up to 16 to 63% at −3.3°C and 63 to 90% at −4.4°C, depending on year. Roots from the susceptible cultivar produced under low rhizomania pressure and those from the resistant cultivars from both fields only had elevated (P ≤ 0.05) frozen tissue at −4.4°C in 15 of 18 cultivar–year combinations. Frozen tissue was related to discolored tissue (r2 = 0.91), weight loss (r2 = 0.12 to 0.28), and sucrose reduction (r2 = 0.69 to 0.74). Consequently, BNYVV will not only lead to yield and sucrose loss in susceptible sugar beet cultivars but also to more frozen root tissue as temperatures drop below −2.2°C. Based on these observations, the air used to cool roots in nonfrozen sugar beet piles throughout the winter should not drop below −2.2°C to maximize sucrose retention.
Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the Parotid Gland in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Ash Shifra , Yaniv Isaac , Feinmesser Raphael , Konen Osnat , Feinmesser Meora
Published: December 2017

Acinic cell carcinoma of the parotid gland is a rare low-grade malignant neoplasm. Data on children are sparse. For the present study, the database of a tertiary pediatric medical center was reviewed for all patients with parotid gland acinic cell carcinoma diagnosed and treated between 2004 and 2013. Clinical, histologic, treatment, and outcome parameters were collected from the medical files. Four patients were identified, 3 female and 1 male, aged 13.5 to 18 years (median 15.7) at diagnosis. One patient had a family history of parotid tumor and 1 of hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism. Two patients had l-thyroxin-treated Hashimoto thyroiditis, and 1 had a thyroid nodule. All presented with a localized parotid mass and negative lymph nodes. Treatment consisted of partial parotidectomy, with no damage to the facial nerve. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of acinic cell carcinoma with low proliferation rate (Ki67 immunostaining 1% to 8%). No evidence of disease was found on any patient with a median follow-up at 83 months (range, 32 to 93 mo) from presentation. In our experience, the prognosis of pediatric parotid gland acinic cell carcinoma is good, and surgery alone is sufficient for treatment of early stage tumors. This is the first report of findings of a family history of thyroid disease and/or thyroid abnormalities in patients with parotid gland acinic cell carcinoma.
Thiamylal Plus Pentazocine Shows Similar Efficacy as Ketamine Plus Midazolam for Painful Procedures in Children With Leukemia
Authors: Nakagawa Shunsuke , Okamoto Yasuhiro , Kodama Yuichi , Nishikawa Takuro , Tanabe Takayuki , Kawano Yoshifumi
Published: December 2017

This retrospective study compared the use of thiamylal plus pentazocine (TP) to ketamine plus midazolam (KM) in children with leukemia who were undergoing bone marrow aspiration and/or intrathecal chemotherapy. A total of 268 procedures in 35 children with leukemia were retrospectively analyzed for efficacy and adverse events. All procedures were successfully completed without severe adverse events. TP induced significantly faster sedation. The incidents of desaturation were significantly greater in the TP group, but were transient and recovered by oxygen supplementation alone. Therefore, TP can be a useful combination with a similar efficacy as KM for painful procedures in children.
A Mild Laryngeal Cleft Causes Severe Symptoms
Authors: Mandadi Akhila Reddy , Saeed Wajeeha , Suneja Upma , Waseem Muhammad
Published: December 2017

Diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal clefts (LCs) particularly type I pose a challenge. Although rare, type I LCs are becoming increasingly identified in recent years, and this is perhaps due to both an increased awareness and better diagnostic modalities. We report a young infant presenting with feeding difficulty and respiratory distress related to LC. The pertinent literature is also reviewed.
Intense 68Ga-PSMA Uptake in Diverticulum of the Sigmoid Colon
Authors: Jochumsen Mads Ryø , Bouchelouche Kirsten
Published: December 2017

We present a case of a diverticulum of the sigmoid colon with intense prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) activity on 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. CT scan and colonoscopy showed no signs of inflammation or malignancy. This case presents an addition to the collection of benign pitfalls when reporting PSMA PET/CT; however, a 68Ga-PSMA up-taking focus in the colon should always cause further examination, as malignant etiology must be ruled out.
Generation of Variation and Mean Fitness Increase: Necessity is the Mother of Genetic Invention
Authors: Ram Yoav , Altenberg Lee , Liberman Uri , Feldman Marcus W.
Published: December 2017

Generation of variation may be detrimental in well-adapted populations evolving under constant selection. In a constant environment, genetic modifiers that reduce the rate at which variation is generated by processes such as mutation and migration, succeed. However, departures from thisreduction principlehave been demonstrated. Here we analyze a general model of evolution under constant selection where the rate at which variation is generated depends on the individual. We find that if a modifier allele increases the rate at which individuals of below-average fitness generate variation, then it will increase in frequency and increase the population mean fitness. This principle applies to phenomena such as stress-induced mutagenesis and condition-dependent dispersal, and exemplifies“Necessity is the mother of genetic invention.”
Non-native Interactions Explain the Folding Rate Differences in α-Spectrin Domains and the Origin of Internal Friction Effects
Authors: da Silva Fernando Bruno , Contessoto Vinícius G. , de Oliveira Vinícius M. , Clarke Jane , Leite Vitor B. P.
Published: December 2017

Recent experimental and computational studies have shown the influence of internal friction in protein folding dynamics. However, uncertainty remains over its molecular origin. α-spectrin experimental results indicate that R15 domain folds three orders of magnitude faster than its homologous R16 and R17. Such anomalous observations are usually attributed to the influence of internal friction on protein folding rates. To study this phenomenon, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations with structure-based Cα models, in which the folding process of α-spectrin domains was investigated by adding non-native interactions. The simulations take into account the hydrophobic and the electrostatic contributions separately. The folding time results have shown a qualitative agreement with experimental data. We have also investigated mutations in R16 and R17, and the simulation folding time results correlate with the observed experimental ones. We suggest that the origin of the internal friction emerges from a cooperativity effect of these non-native interactions.
Detecting differential copy number variation between groups of samples
Authors: Lowe Craig B. , Sanchez-Luege Nicelio , Howes Timothy R. , Brady Shannon D. , Daugherty Rhea R. , Jones Felicity C. , Bell Michael A. , Kingsley David M.
Published: December 2017

We present a method to detect copy number variants (CNVs) that are differentially present between two groups of sequenced samples. We use a finite-state transducer where the emitted read depth is conditioned on the mappability and GC-content of all reads that occur at a given base position. In this model, the read depth within a region is a mixture of binomials, which in simulations matches the read depth more closely than the often-used negative binomial distribution. The method analyzes all samples simultaneously, preserving uncertainty as to the breakpoints and magnitude of CNVs present in an individual when it identifies CNVs differentially present between the two groups. We apply this method to identify CNVs that are recurrently associated with postglacial adaptation of marine threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to freshwater. We identify 6664 regions of the stickleback genome, totaling 1.7 Mbp, which show consistent copy number differences between marine and freshwater populations. These deletions and duplications affect both protein-coding genes andcis-regulatory elements, including a noncoding intronic telencephalon enhancer ofDCHS1. The functions of the genes near or included within the 6664 CNVs are enriched for immunity and muscle development, as well as head and limb morphology. Although freshwater stickleback have repeatedly evolved from marine populations, we show that freshwater stickleback also act as reservoirs for ancient ancestral sequences that are highly conserved among distantly related teleosts, but largely missing from marine stickleback due to recent selective sweeps in marine populations.
H3S10ph broadly marks early-replicating domains in interphase ESCs and shows reciprocal antagonism with H3K9me2
Authors: Chen Carol C.L. , Goyal Preeti , Karimi Mohammad M. , Abildgaard Marie H. , Kimura Hiroshi , Lorincz Matthew C.
Published: December 2017

Phosphorylation of histone H3 at serine 10 (H3S10ph) by Aurora kinases plays an important role in mitosis; however, H3S10ph also marks regulatory regions of inducible genes in interphase mammalian cells, implicating mitosis-independent functions. Using the fluorescent ubiquitin-mediated cell cycle indicator (FUCCI), we found that 30% of the genome in interphase mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) is marked with H3S10ph. H3S10ph broadly demarcates gene-rich regions in G1 and is positively correlated with domains of early DNA replication timing (RT) but negatively correlated with H3K9me2 and lamin-associated domains (LADs). Consistent with mitosis-independent kinase activity, this pattern was preserved in ESCs treated with Hesperadin, a potent inhibitor of Aurora B/C kinases. Disruption of H3S10ph by expression of nonphosphorylatable H3.3S10A results in ectopic spreading of H3K9me2 into adjacent euchromatic regions, mimicking the phenotype observed in Drosophila JIL-1 kinase mutants. Conversely, interphase H3S10ph domains expand in Ehmt1 (also known as Glp) null ESCs, revealing that H3S10ph deposition is restricted by H3K9me2. Strikingly, spreading of H3S10ph at RT transition regions (TTRs) is accompanied by aberrant transcription initiation of genes co-oriented with the replication fork in Ehmt1−/− and Ehmt2−/− ESCs, indicating that establishment of repressive chromatin on the leading strand following DNA synthesis may depend upon these lysine methyltransferases. H3S10ph is also anti-correlated with H3K9me2 in interphase murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and is restricted to intragenic regions of actively transcribing genes by EHMT2. Taken together, these observations reveal that H3S10ph may play a general role in restricting the spreading of repressive chromatin in interphase mammalian cells.
X-ray Fourier transform holography by amplitude-division-type Fresnel zone plate interferometer
Authors: Balyan Minas , Haroutunyan Levon
Published: December 2017

A two-block X-ray Fresnel zone plate system forms two-beams – a plane wave and a spherical wave – which interfere at the focal distance of the virtual source of the spherical wave. An object placed in the path of the plane wave forms an object wave and the spherical wave is the reference wave. The recorded intensity distribution is the Fourier transform hologram of the object. Analytical and numerical calculations show the possibilities of this scheme to record the hologram and reconstruct the object image. Examples of recording holograms of a one-dimensional cosine-like grating and a two-dimensional grid object as well as reconstruction of the images are considered.
Transient thermal stress wave and vibrational analyses of a thin diamond crystal for X-ray free-electron lasers under high-repetition-rate operation
Authors: Yang Bo , Wang Songwei , Wu Juhao
Published: December 2017

High-brightness X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) are perceived as fourth-generation light sources providing unprecedented capabilities for frontier scientific researches in many fields. Thin crystals are important to generate coherent seeds in the self-seeding configuration, provide precise spectral measurements, and split X-ray FEL pulses, etc. In all of these applications a high-intensity X-ray FEL pulse impinges on the thin crystal and deposits a certain amount of heat load, potentially impairing the performance. In the present paper, transient thermal stress wave and vibrational analyses as well as transient thermal analysis are carried out to address the thermomechanical issues for thin diamond crystals, especially under high-repetition-rate operation of an X-ray FEL. The material properties at elevated temperatures are considered. It is shown that, for a typical FEL pulse depositing tens of microjoules energy over a spot of tens of micrometers in radius, the stress wave emission is completed on the tens of nanoseconds scale. The amount of kinetic energy converted from a FEL pulse can reach up to ∼10 nJ depending on the layer thickness. Natural frequencies of a diamond plate are also computed. The potential vibrational amplitude is estimated as a function of frequency. Due to the decreasing heat conductivity with increasing temperature, a runaway temperature rise is predicted for high repetition rates where the temperature rises abruptly after ratcheting up to a point of trivial heat damping rate relative to heat deposition rate.
Assessment of the effectiveness of green practices in the management of two supply chains
Authors: Sellitto Miguel Afonso
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and test a model for numerical evaluation of the effectiveness of green practices implemented in two industrial supply chains (SCs). Two real case applications were made: footwear and metal-mechanics industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The research method is quali-quantitative modeling. By literature review, a model based on three constructs was proposed (green strategy, green innovation, and green operations), organized in 16 categorical indicators, prioritized with analytic hierarchy process. Three practitioners of each focal companies assessed the indicators fulfilling scales (very good to very bad).

Findings

The overall performance reached 51 and 57 percent, respectively of the maximum possible. The indicators that most jeopardized the performance were complexity management and communication, barriers to green supply chain management, green products, and green market (first case) and innovation in processes, and green market (second case).

Research limitations/implications

The model cannot be generalized or extended to other SCs. Further refinement and testing are required.

Practical implications

Managers and practitioners can improve the eco-efficiency of SC, focusing on the green practices that should be prioritized in greening strategies for the entire chain.

Social implications

Improvement of eco-efficiency is positively correlated with corporate social responsibility.

Originality/value

The model can produce a numerical overall value that represents the level or degree of implementation of green practices in the context of a SC management.
Building excellence through the Agile Reengineering Performance Model (ARPM)
Authors: Petrillo Antonella , Di Bona Gianpaolo , Forcina Antonio , Silvestri Alessandro
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a theoretic and practical framework, based on agile project management, to support the decision-making process in order to help companies in optimizing the reengineering production processes and improve management costs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper seeks to propose an agile Reengineering Performance Model (ARPM) for managing projects of reengineering of processes and applies it in a real case study concerning a water bottling plant.

Findings

The proposed model should serve as a valuable tool to facilitate a successful business process reengineering design in the project management and intends to assist companies as they operate projects of transferring and optimizing production lines. Thanks to the use of ARPM tools, it is easy to modify the evolution of the project, with the possibility of extending or enhancing the application if necessary.

Research limitations/implications

The main limits of the ARPM model are: it requires close collaboration among team; it is rather intense for developers; and it is necessary flexibility to change course as needed and to ensure delivery of the right product.

Practical implications

The main implications of the authors’ work for research and business are to propose a structured methodological approach, rigorous but simple, suitable to implement in any companies.

Originality/value

The novelty of the approach is to apply the agile approach not for software development but in a manufacturing company.
ERP benefits capability framework: orchestration theory perspective
Authors: Badewi Amgad , Shehab Essam , Zeng Jing , Mohamad Mostafa
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer two research questions: what are the ERP resources and organizational complementary resources (OCRs) required to achieve each group of benefits? And on the basis of its resources, when should an organization invest more in ERP resources and/or OCRs so that the potential value of its ERP is realised?

Design/methodology/approach

Studying 12 organizations in different countries and validating the results with 8 consultants.

Findings

ERP benefits realization capability framework is developed; it shows that each group of benefits requires ERP resources (classified into features, attached technologies and information technology department competences) and OCRs (classified into practices, attitudes, culture, skills and organizational characteristics) and that leaping ahead to gain innovation benefits before being mature enough in realising a firm’s planning and automation capabilities could be a waste of time and effort.

Research limitations/implications

It is qualitative study. It needs to be backed by quantitative studies to test the results.

Practical implications

Although the “P” in ERP stands for planning, many academics and practitioners still believe that ERP applies to automation only. This research spotlights that the ability to invest in ERP can increase the innovation and planning capabilities of the organization only if it is extended and grown at the right time and if it is supported by OCRs. It is not cost effective to push an organization to achieve all the benefits at the same time; rather, it is clear that an organization would not be able to enjoy a higher level of benefits until it achieves a significant number of lower-level benefits. Thus, investing in higher-level benefit assets directly after an ERP implementation, when there are no organizational capabilities available to use these assets, could be inefficient. Moreover, it could be stressful to users when they see plenty of new ERP resources without the ability to use them. Although it could be of slight benefit to introduce, for example, business intelligence to employees in the “stabilizing period” (Badewiet al., 2013), from the financial perspective, it is a waste of money since the benefits would not be realised as expected. Therefore, orchestrating ERP assets with the development of organizational capabilities is important for achieving the greatest effectiveness and efficiency of the resources available to the organization. This research can be used as a benchmark for designing the various blueprints required to achieve different groups of benefits from ERP investments.

Originality/value

This research addresses two novel questions:RQ1: what are the ERP resources and OCRs required to achieve the different kinds of ERP benefits?RQ2: when, and on what basis, should an organization deploy more resources to leverage the ERP business value?
Creative collaboration: student creative works in the institutional repository
Authors: Sliger Krause Rose , Langhurst Eickholt Andrea , Otto Justin L.
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the music performance collection preserved in Eastern Washington University’s institutional repository (IR). This collection of recordings of student music performances is the result of an ongoing collaboration between the university?s library and music department, which serves to provide discoverability, preservation and access to a collection of student creative works, which had heretofore been a hidden collection.

Design/methodology/approach

This collection of student creative work was identified as a suitable project for the Eastern Washington University’s IR while it was still in the planning stages because it was identified as an existing need that the new IR could address. Much of the groundwork for the collaboration between the library and music department was completed prior to IR implementation. Thus, the library was ready to begin work on this collection once the IR was operational.

Findings

The student music performance collection has been a successful project for the IR, which benefits the music department by making student performances discoverable and accessible, and benefits the library by providing the opportunity to demonstrate that the then-new IR could support the university’s student-centered focus on teaching and learning.

Originality/value

While there is a growing body of literature on IRs emphasizing student work, there is little literature on music or other creative works’ collections in IRs, much less on creative works by students. This paper adds to the limited body of literature on student creative works in the IR by describing the development, implementation and lessons learned from the successful music performances collection.
Creating capacity for digital projects
Authors: Newman Jess , Bonefas Suzanne , Trenthem Wendy
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper offers a case study in creating capacity for digital initiatives at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee through an exploration of the Crossroads to Freedom program, a decade-long digital public history initiative. At present, digital scholarship and preservation work falls under the purview of information services (IS), a merged information technology (IT) and library division and home to the digital preservation and scholarship (DPS) team. DPS is a multidisciplinary group of undergraduate students, IS staff and various internal and external partners.

Design/methodology/approach

By exploring the evolution of digital projects at a small, liberal arts college, this paper will introduce readers to one dynamic path to cultivating capacity and support for digital initiatives within the confines of limited staffing and monetary resources.

Findings

Topics and strategies include working effectively with community partners, leveraging existing strengths, building and sustaining a community of practice (CoP), integrating undergraduates as full staff members and navigating cultural change within the library and higher education more broadly.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates a decade of successful innovation and adaptation to the changing landscape of digital initiatives and the library’s role in higher education that is rooted in community-centric commitment to social justice. Discussion of these strategies and theoretical frameworks should prove helpful to institutions looking to reimagine traditional approaches to digital archives and scholarship programs.
Culturally varied relationality in buyer-supplier negotiations: a multi-session simulation
Authors: Cheng Junjun , Huang Yimin , Su Yong
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the role of relationality in buyer–supplier negotiations and how it varies across cultural settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a multisession simulation design, this study recruited research participants (n = 82) from diverse cultural backgrounds to play the role of either buyer or supplier for two negotiation tasks. Regression analyses were used to test the relationships among relational constructs as well as the moderating role of relational culture.

Findings

Results show that negotiators’ relational self-construal enhances their relational commitment to the ongoing negotiations, which leads to a higher level of relational capital accumulated at the end of negotiations. The impact of relational self-construal on relational commitment and that of relational commitment on counterparts’ relational capital are stronger for negotiators from a high (as opposed to low) relational cultural background. Furthermore, intercultural negotiation context, when compared with intracultural context, weakens the impact of relational commitment on relational capital.

Originality/value

This research is among the first to empirically examine the culturally varied relationality in negotiations. The findings offer important theoretical and practical implications regarding how relationality, when interacting with cultural factors, has varying impacts on business negotiations.
A quantum-based semiotic model for textual semantics
Authors: Galofaro Francesco , Toffano Zeno , Doan Bich-Liên
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The paper aims to provide a semiotic interpretation of the role played by entanglement in quantum-based models aimed to information retrieval and suggests possible improvements. Actual models are capable of retrieving documents relevant to a query composed of a keyword and its acceptation expressed by a given context. The paper also considers some analogies between this technique and quantum-based approaches in other disciplines to discuss the consequence of this quantum turn, as epistemology and philosophy of language are concerned.

Design/methodology/approach

We use quantum geometry to design a formal model for textual semiotics. In particular, the authors refer to Greimas’s work on semantics and information theory, to Eco’s writings on semantic memory and to Lotman’s work on a cybernetic notion of culture.

Findings

Quantum approaches imply a particular point of view on meaning. Meaning is not a real, positive quality of a given word. It is a net of relations constructed in the text, whose value is progressively determined during the reading process. Furthermore, reading is not a neutral operation: to read is to determine meaning. If it is said that, from a general semiotic point of view, meaning is stored in quantum semantic memories and is read/written by semantic machines, then the operation of “reading/writing” is analogous to the operation of measuring in quantum theory: in other terms, meaning is a value, and this implies an instance (not necessarily human) according to which values are valuable.

Research limitations/implications

The authors are not proposing a complete quantum semantics. At the present, quantum information retrieval can detect the presence of semantic relations. The authors suggest a way to characterize them, leaving open the problem on how to formalize the document as a vector in four-state semantic space.

Practical implications

A quantum turn shows deep semiotic implications on the approach to language, which shows an immanent semantic organization not reducible to syntax and morphology. This organization is probabilistic and indeterministic and explains to what extent text fixes the meaning of its lexical units.

Social implications

In the authors’ perspective, signification is not the exclusivity of a human subject. Criticizing Turing test, the great semiotic and cybernetic scholar Jurij Lotman wrote that if we identify “intelligent” and “human”, we raise the failings of an actual form of intelligence to the rank of an essential characteristic. On this line, meaning is considered as a feature of social, artificial and biological systems.

Originality/value

The adoption of quantum formalism seems in line with cybernetic framework, involving a probabilistic, non-cartesian point of view on meaning aimed to critically discuss the human–machine relation. Furthermore, Quantum theory (QT) implies a phenomenological point of view on the conditions of possibility of meaning.
Systemic sclerosis
Authors: Asano Yoshihide
Published: December 2017

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by vasculopathy and tissue fibrosis of the skin and various internal organs. A series of genetic and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that SSc onset is determined by the accumulation of predisposing factors related to environmental influences, while genetic factors affect the susceptibility to and the severity of this disease. This notion has been confirmed by recent advance in animal models. The initial trigger of SSc is believed to be autoimmune attacks to endothelial cells, which occur in individuals with the genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases and/or the cumulative exposure to certain SSc‐related environmental influences. Then, endothelial cells are aberrantly activated or damaged, leading to the development of vascular structural changes, such as destructive vasculopathy and proliferative obliterative vasculopathy, and tissue fibrosis. In parallel, inflammatory cells activate SSc fibroblasts and modify the metabolism of extracellular matrix by soluble factors and autoantibodies. Prior to or during these processes, SSc fibroblasts acquire the ability to selectively respond to profibrotic growth factors and cytokines, persistently producing excessive amount of extracellular matrix. SSc fibroblasts also modify immune responses, at least those of CD4+ T cells, in the microenvironment through the secretion of immune regulatory molecules. Thus, various types of individually activated cells interact with each other and coordinately drive an SSc‐specific disease cascade, leading to the development of unique clinical symptoms. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of the pathogenesis of SSc with the recent advance in the research field of this disease.
Medical Malpractice Liability Exposure and OB/GYN Physician Delivery Decisions
Authors: Durrance Christine Piette , Hankins Scott
Published: December 2017

Objective

This study examines the effect of physician medical malpractice liability exposure on primary Cesarean and vaginal births after Cesarean (VBACs).

Data Sources/Study Setting

Secondary data on hospital births from Florida Hospital Inpatient File, physician characteristics from American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, and physician malpractice claim history from Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

Study Design

Our study estimates the effects of physician malpractice liability exposure on Cesareans and VBACs using panel data and a multivariate, fixed effects model.

Data Collection

We merge three secondary data sources based on unique physician license numbers between 1994 and 2010.

Principal Findings

We find no evidence that the first malpractice claim affects primary Cesarean deliveries. We find, however, that the first malpractice claim decreases the likelihood of a VBAC (conditional on a prior Cesarean delivery) by 1.2–1.9 percentage points (approximately 10 percent relative to mean VBAC incidence). This finding is robust to focusing on obstetrics‐related malpractice claims, as well as to considering different malpractice claims (first report, first severe report, and first lawsuit).

Conclusions

Given the increase in both primary and repeat Cesarean deliveries, our results suggest that physician malpractice liability exposure is responsible for a relatively small share of the VBAC decrease.