bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anterior Chamber Angle Tissue as an Incidental Optical Coherence Tomography Finding in a Large Healthy Caucasian Child Population
Authors: Fernández-Vigo José I. , De-Pablo-Gómez-de-Liaño Lucía , Kudsieh Bachar , Fernández-Vigo Cristina , Fernández-Vigo José Á. , García-Feijóo Julián
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to describe the presence of anterior chamber angle (ACA) tissue as an incidental optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding in healthy children.

Methods:

For this cross-sectional study, we reviewed Fourier-domain OCT images obtained in 422 children, who were chosen as candidates for inclusion in a prior study, and who visited our clinic for a routine vision test. The presence of angle tissue was assessed in the nasal and temporal quadrants. On tomographies showing angle tissue, several measurements were made, including ACA width and trabecular meshwork length and size.

Results:

Hyperreflective tissue was observed in the ACA recess in 14 eyes of 13 children subjected to OCT (3.3%). This tissue was only present in 1 quadrant. The mean age of the affected children was 10.1±2.5 years (range, 7 to 14); 69% were female patients. Spherical refractive error was −0.5 to +1.75 D. ACA width was 45.9±9.1 (24.8 to 57.9) in the nasal quadrant and 44.3±10.1 (23.9 to 60.1) in the temporal quadrant. Trabecular meshwork length and size were 494±94 μm (322 to 732) and 0.064±0.018 mm2 (0.03 to 0.11), respectively. In all 13 children, intraocular pressure was ≤18 mm Hg, the appearance of the optic nerve head was normal, and none had a family history of glaucoma.

Conclusions:

We, here, report the incidental observation of angle tissue in a small percentage of healthy Caucasian children. The follow-up of these children in future work could clarify the possible clinical implications of this observation.
A Sectoral Analysis of Vessel Density Measurements in Perimetrically Intact Regions of Glaucomatous Eyes: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study
Authors: Pradhan Zia S. , Dixit Shivani , Sreenivasaiah Shruthi , Rao Harsha L. , Venugopal Jayasree P. , Devi Sathi , Webers Carroll A.B.
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To study sectoral vessel density (VD) and structural alterations in the peripapillary and parafoveal hemiretina corresponding to perimetrically intact regions of glaucomatous eyes with hemifield defects and to compare these with healthy eyes using optical coherence tomography.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 37 eyes with open-angle glaucoma having visual fields defects restricted to 1 hemifield and 45 age-matched controls. Peripapillary VD and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were measured in 8 sectors. Parafoveal VD and ganglion cell complex thickness were measured in the superior and inferior hemispheres of the macula. These parameters were compared between the intact hemiretinae of glaucomatous eyes and corresponding sectors of healthy eyes using the t test.

Results:

Within the perimetrically intact regions of glaucomatous eyes, the mean VD and RNFL thickness were significantly reduced in inferotemporal, superonasal, and nasal upper peripapillary sectors as compared with healthy eyes (P<0.008). The temporal upper sector had reduced mean VD (60.3% vs. 62.9%, P=0.04) despite similar mean RNFL thickness (P=0.18). The superotemporal sector had decreased mean RNFL thickness (121 vs. 138 µm, P=0.0001) despite similar VD (P=0.06). At the macula, ganglion cell complex thickness was reduced in the superior and inferior hemispheres, but mean VD was reduced in the superior parafoveal region only.

Conclusions:

Peripapillary and parafoveal vascular changes precede functional decline. The extent of VD reduction and RNFL thinning varies in different peripapillary sectors and longitudinal studies are required to better understand the temporal relationship of vascular and RNFL loss.
Suffocation From Balloon Bronchoplasty
Authors: Morales-Estrella Jorge L. , Machuzak Michael , Pichurko Bohdan , Inaty Hanine , Mehta Atul C.
Published: March 2018

Negative pressure pulmonary edema is a well-described complication of upper airway obstruction. However, the simultaneous occurrence of blood-stained secretions and petechial tracheobronchial hemorrhage are rarely recognized and a potential complication of transient intentional occlusion of the airways. We described a case of “hemorrhagic bronchial mucosa syndrome” and asymptomatic blood-tinged pulmonary edema after balloon bronchoplasty for a concentric tracheal stenosis using a flexible bronchoscopy. This was characterized by interval appearance of diffuse petechial tracheobronchial bleeding and a persistent blood-tinged alveolar effluent after sustained occlusion of the airway. The simultaneous occurrence of both phenomena in this patient suggests different degrees of injury in a common pathogenic spectrum. We postulate that sustained, complete occlusion of the airway produces variable degrees of mechanical disruption of the bronchial and alveolar vasculature that lead to the development of negative pressure pulmonary edema and tracheobronchial hemorrhage. In this case, the syndrome was self-limited and without major consequences but highlights an unrecognized potential complication of balloon bronchoplasty.
A Xenograft Model of Vestibular Schwannoma and Hearing Loss
Authors: Dinh Christine T. , Bracho Olena , Mei Christine , Bas Esperanza , Fernandez-Valle Cristina , Telischi Fred , Liu Xue-Zhong
Published: March 2018

Hypothesis:

Microsurgical implantation of mouse merlin-deficient Schwann cells (MD-SC) into the cerebellopontine angle of immunodeficient rats will initiate tumor formation, hearing loss, and vestibular dysfunction.

Background:

The progress in identifying effective drug therapies for treatment of Neurofibromatosis type II (NF2) is limited by the availability of animal models of VS that develop hearing loss and imbalance.

Methods:

A microsurgical technique for implanting MD-SCs onto the cochleovestibular nerve of rats was developed. Ten Rowett Nude rats were implanted with either ∼105 MD-SCs expressing luciferase (N = 5) or vehicle (N = 5). Rats received bioluminescence imaging, auditory brainstem response testing, and were observed for head tilt every 2 weeks after surgery, for a total of 6 weeks. Tumors were harvested and processed with hematoxylin & eosin staining and immunohistochemistry was performed for S100.

Results:

Rats implanted with MD-SCs developed significantly higher tumor bioluminescence measurements and hearing threshold shifts at multiple frequencies by the 4th and 6th weeks post-implantation, compared with control rats. Rats implanted with MD-SCs also developed gross tumor. The tumor volume was significantly greater than nerve volumes obtained from rats in the control group. All rats with tumors developed a head tilt, while control rats had no signs of vestibular dysfunction. Tumors demonstrated histological features of schwannoma and express S100.

Conclusion:

Using this microsurgical technique, this xenograft rat model of VS develops tumors involving the cochleovestibular nerve, shifts in hearing thresholds, and vestibular dysfunction. This animal model can be used to investigate tumor-mediated hearing loss and perform preclinical drug studies for NF2.
Hydrophilic Polymer Embolism: Implications for Manufacturing, Regulation, and Postmarket Surveillance of Coated Intravascular Medical Devices
Authors: Mehta Rashi I. , Mehta Rupal I.
Published: March 2018

Hydrophilic polymers are ubiquitously applied as surface coatings on catheters and intravascular medical technologies. Recent clinical literature has heightened awareness on the complication of hydrophilic polymer embolism, the phenomenon wherein polymer coating layers separate from catheter and device surfaces, and may be affiliated with a range of unanticipated adverse reactions. Significant system barriers have limited and delayed reporting on this iatrogenic complication, the full effects of which remain underrecognized by healthcare providers and manufacturers of various branded devices. In 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration acknowledged rising clinical concerns and stated that the agency would work with stakeholders to further evaluate gaps that exist in current national and international device standards for coated intravascular medical technologies. The present article reviews current knowledge on this complication as well as factors that played a role in delaying detection and dissemination of information and new knowledge once hazards and clinical risks were identified. Furthermore, organ-specific effects and adverse reaction patterns are summarized, along with implications for device manufacturing, safety assurance, and regulation. Qualitative and quantitative particulate testing are needed to optimize coated intravascular device technologies. Moreover, general enhanced processes for medical device surveillance are required for timely adverse event management and to ensure patient safety.
Reliability and Criterion-Related Validity of the Seated Posture Scale
Authors: Barks Lelia , Garvan Cynthia , Crane Barbara , Peterson Matthew , Brown Lisa M. , Powell-Cope Gail
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Earlier, we reported development and initial testing of a rapid, low burden measure of wheelchair seated posture (the Seated Posture Scale [SPS]) for research and clinical use. The purpose of this study was to test the intrarater reliability, interrater reliability, and criterion related validity of the SPS.

Design

We used a descriptive design to test and develop the instrument.

Methods

We used the method described by Walter, Donner, and Eliasziw to determine 46 participants were needed, from two Veterans Administration nursing homes or CLCs (community living centers). Using a digital goniometer to score rapidly and with two trained raters, we scored individual participants simultaneously and again in succession. For criterion related concurrent validity, we also scored each participant with Section 2 of the Seated Postural Control Measure for Adults. Intrarater reliability, interrater reliability, and criterion related, concurrent validity were assessed using kappa statistics for individual instrument items (and corresponding 95% confidence intervals where appropriate) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for total scores.

Findings

The intrarater intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was .995; interrater ICC was .80; interrater reliability kappas ranged from −.03 to .80. Criterion-related, concurrent validity kappas ranged from .13 to .91. ICC for total scores was .85.

Conclusion

The SPS has sufficient preliminary validity and reliability to support measurement of wheelchair-seated posture in outcomes research and clinical use.

Clinical Relevance

In the future, rehabilitation nurses may use the SPS to improve management of wheelchair seated posture, to improve clinical outcomes, particularly for those who do not reposition themselves.
Current Management and Predictive Factors of Lymph Node Metastasis of Appendix Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Rault-Petit Bérénice , Do Cao Christine , Guyétant Serge , Guimbaud Rosine , Rohmer Vincent , Julié Catherine , Baudin Eric , Goichot Bernard , Coriat Romain , Tabarin Antoine , Ramos Jeanne , Goudet Pierre , Hervieu Valérie , Scoazec Jean-Yves , Walter Thomas
Published: March 2018

Objective:

The primary endpoint was to analyze the predictive factors of lymph node involvement (LN+).

Background:

Indications for additional right hemicolectomy (RHC) with lymph node (LN) resection after appendectomy for appendix neuroendocrine tumor (A-NET) remain controversial, especially for tumors between 1 and 2 cm in size.

Methods:

National study including all patients with nonmetastatic A-NET diagnosed after January, 2010 in France.

Results:

In all, 403 patients were included. A-NETs were: within tip (67%), body (24%) or base (9%) of the appendix; tumor size was < 1 cm (62%), 1 to 2 cm (30%), or >2 cm (8%); grade 1 (91%); mesoappendix involvement 3 mm (5%); lymphovascular (15%) or perineural (24%) invasion; and positive resection margin (8%). According to the European NeuroEndocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) recommendations, 85 patients (21%) should have undergone RHC. The agreement between ENETS guidelines and the multidisciplinary tumor board for complementary RHC was 89%. In all, 100 (25%) patients underwent RHC with LN resection, 26 of whom had LN+. Tumor size (best cut-off at 1.95 cm), lymphovascular and perineural invasion, and pT classifications were associated with LN+. Among the 44 patients who underwent RHC for a tumor of 1 to 2 cm in size, 8 (18%) had LN+. No predictive factor of LN+ (base, resection margins, grade, mesoappendix, lymphovascular, perineural involvement) was found in this subgroup of patients.

Conclusions:

In the largest study using the latest pathological criteria for completion RHC in A-NET, a quarter of patients had residual tumor. Further studies are warranted to demonstrate the survival impact of RHC in this setting.
Single Graft Utilization From Donors With Severe Acute Kidney Injury After Circulatory Death
Authors: Tomita Yusuke , Iwadoh Kazuhiro , Ogawa Yuichi , Miki Katsuyuki , Kai Kotaro , Sannomiya Akihito , Murakami Toru , Koyama Ichiro , Kitajima Kumiko , Nakajima Ichiro , Fuchinoue Shohei
Published: March 2018

Chronic shortages of organs for transplantation have led to the use of marginal kidneys from donors after circulatory death with acute kidney injury (AKI), but the utilization of kidneys with severe AKI is not well established. We retrospectively analyzed eight kidney transplantation (KTx) cases from donation after circulatory death (DCD) with terminal creatinine (t-Cr) concentrations higher than 10.0 mg/dL and/or oliguria for more than 5 days (AKI network criteria: stage III). Although all patients showed delayed graft function, no cases of primary nonfunction (PNF) were found. Five patients maintained stable renal function for approximately 15.5, 10, 10, 5, and 0.5 years after KTx. Only 1 patient showed biopsy-proven acute rejection. Also, 2 patients developed graft failure: one attributable to chronic antibody mediated rejection at 11.3 years after KTx, and one attributable to recurrence of IgA nephropathy at 4.6 years after KTx. Kidneys with AKI stage III yielded great outcomes without the risk of primary nonfunction and rejection. Although the AKI kidneys were associated with delayed graft function, these results suggest that even the most severe kidneys with AKI stage III from DCD donors can be considered a valid alternative for recipients on a waiting list for KTx.
MRI in multiple sclerosis: clinical and research update
Authors: Inglese Matilde , Petracca Maria
Published: March 2018

Purpose of review

Clinical MRI is of paramount importance for multiple sclerosis diagnosis but lacks the specificity to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression. The application of advanced MR sequences allows the characterization of diverse and complex pathological mechanisms, granting insights into multiple sclerosis natural history and response to treatment.

Recent findings

This review provides an update on the most recent international guidelines for optimal standard imaging of multiple sclerosis and discusses advantages and limitations of advanced imaging approaches for investigating inflammation, demyelination and neurodegeneration. An overview is provided for methods devoted to imaging leptomeningeal enhancement, microglial activation, demyelination, neuronal metabolic damage and neuronal loss.

The application of magnetic resonance (MR) guidelines to standard-of-care MR protocols, although still limited, would substantially contribute to the optimization of multiple sclerosis management. From an academic perspective, different mechanism-specific imaging techniques are available and offer a powerful tool to elucidate multiple sclerosis pathogenesis, monitor disease progression and guide therapeutic choices.
Comparative 'omics analyses differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis and reveal distinct macrophage responses to infection with the human and bovine tubercle bacilli
Authors: Malone Kerri M. , Rue-Albrecht Kévin , Magee David A. , Conlon Kevin , Schubert Olga T. , Nalpas Nicolas C. , Browne John A. , Smyth Alicia , Gormley Eamonn , Aebersold Ruedi , MacHugh David E. , Gordon Stephen V.
Published: March 2018

Members of theMycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex (MTBC) are the causative agents of tuberculosis in a range of mammals, including humans. A key feature of MTBC pathogens is their high degree of genetic identity yet distinct host tropism. Notably, whileMycobacterium bovisis highly virulent and pathogenic for cattle, the human pathogenM. tuberculosisis attenuated in cattle. Previous research also suggests that host preference amongst MTBC members has a basis in host innate immune responses. To explore MTBC host tropism, we present in-depth profiling of the MTBC reference strainsM. bovisAF2122/97 andM. tuberculosisH37Rv at both the global transcriptional and the translational level via RNA-sequencing and SWATH MS. Furthermore, a bovine alveolar macrophage infection time course model was used to investigate the shared and divergent host transcriptomic response to infection withM. tuberculosisH37Rv orM. bovisAF2122/97. Significant differential expression of virulence-associated pathways between the two bacilli was revealed, including the ESX-1 secretion system. A divergent transcriptional response was observed betweenM. tuberculosisH37Rv andM. bovisAF2122/97 infection of bovine alveolar macrophages, in particular cytosolic DNA-sensing pathways at 48 h post-infection, and highlights a distinct engagement ofM. boviswith the bovine innate immune system. The work presented here therefore provides a basis for the identification of host innate immune mechanisms subverted by virulent host-adapted mycobacteria to promote their survival during the early stages of infection.
The infection dynamics of vertically transmitted viruses in a two-population model
Authors: Strauß Jakob Friedrich , Chauvet Marina , Telschow Arndt
Published: March 2018

1

There is a growing interest in vertically transmitted viruses. Field studies show that virus infection frequency often varies in space and time. In order to understand the spatial variation of virus prevalence, we designed a mathematical model describing the infection dynamics of a biparentally inherited virus in a two-population model. Model parameters are paternal and maternal transmission rates, cost of infection, and up to two migration rates. We investigated three different population structures: (1) a single panmictic host population, (2) two populations connected by unidirectional migration (mainland-island model), and (3) two populations connected by two-way migration. According to the results, the parameter space can be divided in three zones: (1) viral spread, (2) no viral spread, (3) bistability (in a single population) or stable infection polymorphism (in the two-population models). The finding of bistability is interesting and new. It shows that infected and uninfected populations can stably coexist, if migration is below a critical value, and if the cost of infection is moderately high. In summary, our results show that spatial structure of host populations is an important factor in determining geographical differences of vertically transmitted viruses.
Holocene DNA sequences – a dream come true
Authors: Sanyal Anushree , Larsson Josefine , van Wirdum Falkje , Andrén Thomas , Moros Matthias , Lönn Mikael , Andrén Elinor
Published: March 2018

Microscopic marine planktons have played a major role in the Earth’s ecosystem and accounts for half the globe’s primary production. Predicting the fate of marine planktons is imperative to understanding how ocean life will change in future centuries and how organisms have adapted to changes in the past over long timescales (over thousands of years). Studies of revived resting spores of marine diatoms will serve as excellent proxies of environmental change in marine environments. Thus far, only about a century old marine diatom resting spores could be revived. This severely limited the use of diatom resting spores to investigate the effects of environmental perturbations over longer time scales. Here, we, for the first time report revival of thousands of years old resting spores from the deposits of ancient diatoms (Chaetoceros) in sub-seafloor sediments using a revival protocol that involved recreating the ancient environmental conditions (salinity, temperature and light). Our revived diatom resting spores samples range from recent (0-80 years) to ∼7200 years old. Importantly, we also extracted the DNA from the ancient resting spores ofChaetocerosspecies from the Baltic Sea. Our findings will enable us to compare DNA sequence data obtained from these natural archives of resurrected organisms and provide predictive models to forecast evolutionary responses of natural populations to environmental changes resulting from natural and anthropogenic stressors, including climate change

Significance Statement

Our results address the important topic of adaptive evolution in marine species due to climate and environmental change induced due to anthropogenic perturbations. We present a new model systemChaetoceros muelleriwhich will help us address important evolutionary and long-term adaptation questions across evolutionary timescales. Our study reports (1) the revival of recent (0-80 years) to ancient (7200 years old) resting spores ofChaetoceros(2) the extraction of DNA and amplification of chloroplast and ribosomal genes from recent and ancient (∼1300 years old) resting spores ofChaetoceros(3) Radiocarbon dating to determine age of sediments (4) Identification of species by reviving the resting spores (5) Baltic sea an excellent ecosystem to study long-term effects of environment on species adaptation
A genetic link between whole-plant water use efficiency and leaf carbon isotope composition in the C4 grass Setaria
Authors: Ellsworth Patrick Z. , Feldman Max J. , Baxter Ivan , Cousins Asaph B.
Published: March 2018

Increasing whole plant water use efficiency (yield per transpiration; WUEplant) through plant breeding can benefit the sustainability of agriculture and improve crop yield under drought. To select for WUEplant, an efficient phenotyping method that reports on the genetic contribution of component traits such as transpiration efficiency (TEi; rate of CO2 assimilation per stomatal conductance) must be developed. Leaf carbon stable isotope composition (δ13Cleaf) has been proposed as a high-throughput proxy for TEi, and a negative correlation between δ13Cleaf and both WUEplant and TEi has previously been demonstrated in several C4 grass species. Therefore, the aim of the research presented here was to determine if the same loci control δ13Cleaf, WUEplant, and TEi under well-watered and water-limited conditions in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population of closely related C4 grasses Setaria viridis and S. italica. Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for δ13Cleaf were co-localized with transpiration, biomass, and a linear model of WUE. When WUEplant was calculated for allele classes based on the three QTL for δ13Cleaf, δ13Cleaf was negatively correlated with WUEplant as theory predicts when WUEplant is in part driven by differences in TEi. In any population, multiple traits can influence WUEplant; however, the analysis of δ13Cleaf in this RIL population demonstrates that there is genetic control of TEi that significantly contributes to WUEplant. Furthermore, this research suggests that δ13Cleaf can be used in marker-assisted breeding to select for TEi and as a tool to better understand the physiology and genetic architecture of TEi and WUEplant in C4 species.

Significance Statement

Overextended water resources and drought are major agricultural problems worldwide. Therefore, selection for increased plant water use efficiency (WUEplant) in food and biofuel crop species is an important trait in plant breeding programs. Leaf carbon isotopic composition (δ13Cleaf) has potential as a rapid and effective high throughput phenotyping method for intrinsic transpiration efficiency (TEi), an important leaf-level component trait of WUEplant. Our research shows that δ13Cleaf and WUEplant share a common genetic architecture through their shared relationship with TEi. This suggests that δ13Cleaf can be used as a screen for TEi in marker-assisted plant breeding programs to improve crop drought resistance and decrease agricultural water consumption.
The Genomic Prediction of Disease: Example of type 2 diabetes (T2D)
Authors: Sirovich Lawrence
Published: March 2018

Application of concepts from information theory have revealed new features of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) organization.. These features lead to effective classifiers by which to distinguish genomic sequences of contrasting phenotypes; as in case/control cohorts.

When applied to a disease/control database, a disease classifier results; a parallel analysis leads to the determination of a wellness classifier. The classifiers have non-intersecting loci, and each involves roughly 100 alleles.

The effectiveness of this framework is illustrated by application to adult onset, type 2, diabetes (T2D), as represented in the Wellcome Trust ((WT) Case/Control database.

Simultaneous use of the two classifiers on the WT database leads to successful prediction of disease versus wellness; to the extent that near certain genomic forecasting is achieved.

This framework gives a resolution to the oft posed uncertainty: “Where is the missing heritability?”

Application of both classifiers on two additional T2D databases produced informative consequences.

A fully independent, compelling, confirmation of the present results is obtained by means of the machine learning algorithm, Random Forests.

The analytical model presented here is generalizable to other diseases.

One Sentence Summary

Discovery of intrinsic chromosomal SNP organizations leads to near certain genomic disease prediction.
Ipsilateral finger representations are engaged in active movement, but not sensory processing
Authors: Berlot Eva , Prichard George , O’Reilly Jill , Ejaz Naveed , Diedrichsen Jörn
Published: March 2018

Hand and finger movements are mostly controlled through crossed corticospinal projections from the contralateral hemisphere. During unimanual movements, activity in the contralateral hemisphere is increased while the ipsilateral hemisphere is suppressed below resting baseline. Despite this suppression, unimanual movements can be decoded from ipsilateral activity alone. This indicates that ipsilateral activity patterns represent parameters of ongoing movement, but the origin and functional relevance of these representations is unclear. Here, we asked whether human ipsilateral representations are caused by active movement, or whether they are driven by sensory input. Participants alternated between performing single finger presses and having fingers passively stimulated, while we recorded brain activity using high-field (7T) functional imaging. We contrasted active and passive finger representations in sensorimotor areas of ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. Finger representations in the contralateral hemisphere were equally strong under passive and active conditions, highlighting the importance of sensory information in feedback control. In contrast, ipsilateral finger representations were stronger during active presses. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of finger representations differed between hemispheres: the contralateral hemisphere showed the strongest finger representations in Brodmann area 3a and 3b, while the ipsilateral hemisphere exhibited stronger representations in premotor and parietal areas. This suggests that finger representations in the two hemispheres have different origins – contralateral representations are driven by both active movement and sensory stimulation, whereas ipsilateral representations are mainly engaged during active movement. This suggests that a possible contribution of the ipsilateral hemisphere lies in movement planning, rather than in the dexterous feedback control of the movement.

Significance statement

Movements of the human body are mostly controlled by contralateral cortical regions. However, activity in ipsilateral sensorimotor regions is also modulated during active movements. The origin and functional relevance of these ipsilateral representations is unclear. Here we used high-field neuroimaging to investigate how human contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres represent active finger presses and passive finger stimulation. We report that while the contralateral hemisphere was equally strongly recruited during active and passive conditions, the ipsilateral hemisphere was mostly recruited during active movement. We propose that the ipsilateral hemisphere may play a role in bilateral movement planning.
Learning from the professionals: film tourists’ “authentic” experiences on a film studio tour
Authors: Wohlfeil Markus
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how consumers perceive, experience and engage with the art of filmmaking and the industrial film production process that the film studios present to them during their guided film studio tours.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the author’s own film tourist experiences, observations and participatory interactions with fellow visitors at a major Hollywood film studio, this paper takes an autoethnographic “I’m-the-camera”-perspective and a hermeneutic data analysis approach.

Findings

The findings reveal that visitors experience the “authentic” representation of the working studio’s industrial film production process as an opportunity and “invitation to join” a broader filmmaker community and to share their own amateur filmmaking experiences with fellow visitors and professionals – just to discover eventually that the perceived community is actually the real “simulacrum”.

Research limitations/implications

Although using an autoethnographic approach means that the breadth of collected data is limited, the gain in depth of insights allows for a deeper understanding of the actual visitor experience.

Practical implications

The findings encourage film studio executives, managers and talent agents to reconsider current practices and motivations in delivering film studio tours and to explore avenues for harnessing their strategic potential.

Originality/value

Contrary to previous studies that have conceptualised film studio tours as simulacra that deny consumers a genuine access to the backstage, the findings of this study suggest that the real simulacrum is actually the film tourists’ “experienced feeling” of having joined and being part of a filmmaker community, which raises question regarding the study of virtual communities.
Improvement attributes in healthcare: implications for integrated care
Authors: Harnett Patrick John
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Healthcare quality improvement is a key concern for policy makers, regulators, carers and service users. Despite a contemporary consensus among policy makers that integrated care represents a means to substantially improve service outcomes, progress has been slow. Difficulties achieving sustained improvement at scale imply that methods employed are not sufficient and that healthcare improvement attributes may be different when compared to prior reference domains. The purpose of this paper is to examine and synthesise key improvement attributes relevant to a complex healthcare change process, specifically integrated care.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on an integrative literature review on systemic improvement in healthcare.

Findings

A central theme emerging from the literature review indicates that implementing systemic change needs to address the relationship between vision, methods and participant social dynamics.

Practical implications

Accommodating personal and professional network dynamics is required for systemic improvement, especially among high autonomy individuals. This reinforces the need to recognise the change process as taking place in a complex adaptive system where personal/professional purpose/meaning is central to the process.

Originality/value

Shared personal/professional narratives are insufficiently recognised as a powerful change force, under-represented in linear and rational empirical improvement approaches.
Conceptualizing employees’ digital skills as signals delivered to employers
Authors: Bokek-Cohen Ya’arit
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize employees’ digital skills as signals with which employees tacitly deliver information about their competence and suitability to the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on the Spence’s signaling theory.

Findings

Applying Spence’s signaling theory and Walther and Parks’s warranting theory enables the conceptualization of digital skills as signals and warrants among older workers who have been employed in their position for a longer period but nevertheless wish to demonstrate ongoing productivity.

Practical implications

It is recommended to use information about prospective or existent employees’ digital literacy as an indicator of high priority for the purpose of personnel selection, as it entails the acquisition of digital skills, which facilitate high productivity of most industries in today’s era.

Social implications

Older workers may wish to acquire digital skills in order to improve their career chances.

Originality/value

The paper is a theoretical contribution to the scholarship of digital literacy as well as to both signaling and warranting theories.
A new approach to retailing for successful competition in the new smart scenario
Authors: Pantano Eleonora , Priporas Constantinos Vasilios , Dennis Charles
Published: March 2018

Purpose

This study develops the idea of smart retailing, exemplified in innovative, technology-enriched retail services as part of service-oriented strategies. In particular, the purpose of this paper is to provide a new integrated framework to understand the emerging retail scenario based on the smart usage of technologies to improve retail service and develop innovation management strategies. This framework will provide a comprehensive understanding the basic forms of smart retailing as the current competitive scenario.

Design/methodology/approach

As a viewpoint, this paper employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon the actual challenges in retailing, to propose a new perspective, the smart retailing one, to describe the new competitive scenario and formulates an emerging research agenda.

Findings

The present paper contributes to research on innovation and technology management for retailing by examining the key dimensions of smart retailing, which aims to enhancing retail service quality and retailers’ performance.

Originality/value

The paper clearly explains how current retailing is moving to a smart perspective, and how retail management should be adapted to successfully perform in the current service-dominant logic scenario, as consequence of the increasing consumer involvement in service co-production and the rapid growth of digital technologies.
Determinants of FDI in developed and developing countries: a quantitative analysis using GMM
Authors: Saini Neha , Singhania Monica
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential determinants of FDI, in developed and developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates FDI determinants based on panel data analysis using static and dynamic modeling for 20 countries (11 developed and 9 developing), over the period 2004-2013. For static model estimations, Hausman (1978) test indicates the applicability of fixed effect/random effect, while generalized moments of methods (GMM) (dynamic model) is used to capture endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity.

Findings

The outcome across different countries depicts diverse results. In developed countries, FDI seeks policy-related determinants (GDP growth, trade openness, and freedom index), and in developing country FDI showed positive association for economic determinants (gross fixed capital formulation (GFCF), trade openness, and efficiency variables).

Research limitations/implications

The destination of FDI is limited to 20 countries in the present paper. The indicator of the institutional environment, namely economic freedom index, used in this paper has received some criticism in calculations.

Practical implications

The paper enlists recommendations for future FDI policies and may assist government in providing a tactical framework for skill development, thereby increasing manufacturing growth rate. The paper also throws light on vertical and horizontal capital inflows considering resource, strategy, and market-seeking FDI.

Social implications

FDI may bring significant benefits by creating high-quality jobs, introducing modern production and management practices. It highlights how multinational corporations and government contribute to better working conditions in host countries.

Originality/value

The paper uncovers important features like macroeconomic variables, especially country-wise efficiency scores, policy variables, GFCF, and freedom index, for determining FDI inflows in 20 countries using panel data methods and provides a roadmap for developed and developing countries. The study highlights endogeneity and unobserved heteroscedasticity by applying GMM one- and two-step procedure.
Using the business model canvas to improve investment processes
Authors: Sort Jesper C. , Nielsen Christian
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how entrepreneurs market their business opportunities towards business angels in the investment process. This is achieved by introducing the business model canvas as a mitigating framework to help entrepreneurs in communicating and structuring the information desired by business angels.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper mobilises a case study approach by following a series of investment processes and investment meetings between entrepreneurs and business angels through 27 semi-structured interviews as well as participant observation and qualitative participant feedback from 13 investment processes.

Findings

The findings illustrate how introducing a framework like the business model canvas helps alleviate the informational and communication challenges between entrepreneurs and business angels. However, some problems occurred when the entrepreneurs and the business angels did not fully agree on the value proposition of the investment opportunity.

Research limitations/implications

The findings show that entrepreneurs who market their business cases to investors obtain better feedback and a higher chance of funding using the business model canvas. Implications of this paper also relate to the preparation of the entrepreneurs and that matchmakers between entrepreneurs and investors can use the business model canvas to facilitate such processes.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to both the theory of the investment process as well as the application of the business model canvas.
Children aged 6–24 months like to watch YouTube videos but could not learn anything from them
Authors: Yadav Savita , Chakraborty Pinaki , Mittal Prabhat , Arora Udit
Published: March 2018

Aim

Parents sometimes show young children YouTube videos on their smartphones. We studied the interaction of 55 Indian children born between December 2014 and May 2015 who watched YouTube videos when they were 6–24 months old.

Methods

The children were recruited by the researchers using professional and personal contacts and visited by the same two observers at four ages, for at least 10 minutes. The observers recorded the children's abilities to interact with touch screens and identify people in videos and noted what videos attracted them the most.

Results

The children were attracted to music at six months of age and were interested in watching the videos at 12 months. They could identify their parents in videos at 12 months and themselves by 24 months. They started touching the screen at 18 months and could press the buttons that appeared on the screen, but did not understand their use. The children preferred watching dance performances by multiple artists with melodical music, advertisements for products they used and videos showing toys and balloons.

Conclusion

Children up to two years of age could be entertained and kept busy by showing them YouTube clips on smartphones, but did not learn anything from the videos.
Lower Postsurgical Mortality for Individuals with Dementia with Better‐Educated Hospital Workforce
Authors: White Elizabeth M. , Smith Jessica G. , Trotta Rebecca L. , McHugh Matthew D.
Published: March 2018

Objectives

To investigate whether care in a hospital with more nurses holding at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is associated with lower mortality for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) undergoing surgery ADRD.

Design

Cross‐sectional data from 2006–07 Medicare claims were linked with the Multi‐State Nursing Care and Patient Safety Survey of nurses in 4 states.

Setting

Adult, nonfederal, acute care hospitals in California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania (N=531).

Participants

Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with and without ADRD undergoing general, orthopedic, or vascular surgery (N=353,333; ADRD, n=46,163; no ADRD, n=307,170).

Measurements

Thirty‐day mortality and failure to rescue (death after a complication).

Results

Controlling for hospital, procedure, and individual characteristics, each 10% increase in the proportion of BSN nurses was associated with 4% lower odds of death (odds ratio (OR)=0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.93–0.98) for individuals without ADRD, but 10% lower odds of death (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.87–0.94) for those with ADRD. Each 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding a BSN degree or higher was associated with 5% lower odds of failure to rescue (OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.92–0.98) for individuals without ADRD but 10% lower odds of failure to rescue (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.87–0.94) for those with ADRD.

Conclusion

Individuals undergoing surgery who have coexisting ADRD are more likely to die within 30 days of admission and die after a complication than those without ADRD. Having more BSN nurses in the hospital improves the odds of good outcomes for all individuals and has a much greater effect in individuals with ADRD.
Trajectory Tracking and Rate of Penetration Control of Downhole Vertical Drilling System
Authors: Ghasemi Masood , Song Xingyong
Published: March 2018

This paper investigates a nonlinear control design for trajectory tracking and rate of penetration (ROP) control of the vertical downhole drilling process. The drilling system dynamics are first built incorporating the coupled axial and torsional dynamics together with a velocity-independent drill bit–rock interaction model. Given the underactuated, nonlinear, and nonsmooth feature of the drilling dynamics, we propose a control design that can prevent significant downhole vibrations, enable accurate tracking, and achieve desired rate of penetration. It can also ensure robustness against modeling uncertainties and external disturbances. The controller is designed using a sequence of hyperplanes given in a cascade structure. The tracking control is achieved in two phases, where in the first phase the drilling system states converge to a high-speed drilling regime free of stick–slip behavior, and in the second phase, the error dynamics can asymptotically converge. Finally, we provide simulation results considering different case studies to evaluate the efficacy and the robustness of the proposed control approach.
Analysis of Filtered Thermal-Fluid Video Data From Downward Facing Boiling Experiments
Authors: Jao Chi-Shih , Beck Faith R. , Virani Nurali , Cheung Fan-Bill , Ray Asok
Published: March 2018

During severe accidents in a nuclear power plant, in-vessel cooling may be required to mitigate the risk of vessel failure in the event of core meltdown and subsequent corium contamination. This cooling technique, known as in-vessel retention (IVR), entails flooding the reactor cavity with water. If the temperatures are sufficiently high, IVR may cause downward facing boiling (DFB) on the outer surface of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV), which gives rise to two-phase thermal-hydraulic phenomena. The regimes in DFB may range from film boiling to nucleate boiling, where the efficiency of cooling varies immensely between these two. In the DFB geometry under consideration (i.e., a hemispherical vessel), the collected signals/images are heavily contaminated by unavoidable noise and spurious disturbances, which hinder the extraction of pertinent information, such as film thickness and the boiling cycle. This paper proposes a wavelet-based filtering of sensor measurements for denoising of the nonstationary signals with the future objective of estimating the thickness of vapor films in real time, as needed for process monitoring and control. The proposed concept has been validated with experimental data recorded from a pool boiling apparatus for physics-based understanding of the associated phenomena.
A Multiscale Formulation for Reducing Computation Time in Atomistic Simulations
Authors: Guy Ashley , Bowling Alan
Published: March 2018

Molecular dynamics simulations require significant computational resources to generate modest time evolutions. Large active forces lead to large accelerations, requiring subfemtosecond integration time steps to capture the resultant high-frequency vibrations. It is often necessary to combine these fast dynamics with larger scale phenomena, creating a multiscale problem. A multiscale method has been previously shown to greatly reduce the time required to simulate systems in the continuum regime. A new multiscale formulation is proposed to extend the continuum formulation to the atomistic scale. A canonical ensemble model is defined using a modified Nóse–Hoover thermostat to maintain the constant temperature constraint. Results show a significant reduction in computation time mediated by larger allowable integration time steps.
Steady-State Kink Band Propagation in Layered Materials
Authors: Skovsgaard Simon P. H. , Jensen Henrik Myhre
Published: March 2018

Failure by steady-state kink band propagation in layered materials is analyzed using three substantially different models. A finite element model and an analytical model are developed and used together with a previously introduced constitutive model. A novel methodology for simulating an infinite kink band is used for the finite element model using periodic boundary conditions on a skewed mesh. The developed analytical model results in a transcendental equation for the steady-state kink band propagation state. The three models are mutually in good agreement and results obtained using the models correlate well with the previous experimental findings.
Resonance Analysis of Fractional-Order Mathieu Oscillator
Authors: Niu Jiangchuan , Gutierrez Hector , Ren Bin
Published: March 2018

The resonant behavior of fractional-order Mathieu oscillator subjected to external harmonic excitation is investigated. Based on the harmonic balance (HB) method, the first-order approximate analytical solutions for primary resonance and parametric-forced joint resonance are obtained, and the higher-order approximate steady-state solution for parametric-forced joint resonance is also obtained, where the unified forms of the fractional-order term with fractional order between 0 and 2 are achieved. The correctness of the approximate analytical results is verified by numerical results. The effects of the fractional order and parametric excitation frequency on the resonance response of the system are analyzed in detail. The results show that the HB method is effective to analyze dynamic response in a fractional-order Mathieu system.