bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burkholderia megalochromosomata sp. nov., isolated from grassland soil
Authors: Baek Inwoo , Seo Boram , Lee Imchang , Lee Kihyun , Park Sang-Cheol , Yi Hana , Chun Jongsik
Published: January 2015

A Gram-stain negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, obligate aerobic bacterial strain, JC2949T, was isolated from grassland soil in Gwanak Mountain, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA sequences, indicated that strain JC2949Tbelongs to the genusBurkholderia, showing highest sequence similarities withBurkholderia grimmiaeR27T(98.8 %),Burkholderia cordobensisLMG 27620T(98.6 %),Burkholderia jiangsuensisMP-1TT(98.6 %),Burkholderia zhejiangensisOP-1T(98.5 %),Burkholderia humiLMG 22934T(97.5 %),Burkholderia terrestrisLMG 22937T(97.3 %),Burkholderia tellurisLMG 22936T(97.2 %) andBurkholderia glatheiATCC 29195T(97.0 %). The major fatty acids of strain JC2949Twere C18 : 1ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7cand/or C16 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. Its predominant polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and an unknown amino phospholipid. The dominant isoprenoid quinone was ubiquinone Q-8. The pairwise average nucleotide identity values between strain JC2949Tand the genomes of 30 other species of the genusBurkholderiaranged from 73.4–90.4 %, indicating that the isolate is a novel genomic species within this genus. Based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic comparisons, it is clear that strain JC2949Trepresents a novel species of the genusBurkholderia. We propose the name for this novel species to beBurkholderiamegalochromosomatasp. nov. The type strain is JC2949T( = KACC 17925T = JCM 19905T).
From deep TLS validation to ensembles of atomic models built from elemental motions
Authors: Urzhumtsev Alexre , Afonine Pavel V. , Van Benschoten Andrew H. , Fraser James S. , Adams Paul D.
Published: January 2015

The widely usedTranslation Libration Screw(TLS) approximation describes concerted motions of atomic groups in X-ray refinement. TLS refinement often provides a better interpretation of diffraction data and the resulting rigid body motions may subsequently be assigned biochemical significance. In TLS refinement, three matrices (T, L and S) describe harmonic vibration, libration and their correlation. Because these matrices describe specific motions, they impose a number of conditions on their elements. Ignoring these conditions while refining the matrix elements may result in matrices that cannot be interpreted in terms of physically realistic motions. We describe a mathematical framework and the computational tools to analyze refinedTLSmatrices through their decomposition into descriptors of underlying motions. This allows for straightforward validation and identification of implausibleTLSparameters. An algorithm for the generation of structural ensembles that are consistent with givenTLSparameters, implemented as a part of thePhenixproject, is also described.

Synopsis

Procedures for the decomposition ofTLSmatrices into elementary vibrations and librations indicates possible errors in the definition of these matrices and corrects them when possible. The program outputs the corresponding vibration-libration parameters and generates structural ensembles.
Predicting X-ray Diffuse Scattering from Translation Libration Screw Structural Ensembles
Authors: Van Benschoten Andrew H. , Afonine Pavel V. , Terwilliger Thomas C. , Wall Michael E. , Jackson Colin J. , Sauter Nicholas K. , Adams Paul D. , Urzhumtsev Alexandre , Fraser James S.
Published: January 2015

Identifying the intramolecular motions of proteins and nucleic acids is a major challenge in macromolecular X-ray crystallography. While Bragg diffraction describes the average positional distribution of crystalline atoms, many different models can fit this distribution equally well. Diffuse X-ray scattering can reduce this degeneracy by directly reporting on correlated atomic displacements. Although recent technological advances are increasing the potential to accurately measure diffuse scattering, computational modeling and validation tools are still needed to quantify the agreement between experimental data and different parameterizations of crystalline disorder. A new tool,phenix.diffuse, addresses this need by employing Guinier’s equation to calculate diffuse scattering from Protein Data Bank (PDB)-formatted structural ensembles. As an example case,phenix.diffuseis applied to Translation-Libration-Screw (TLS) refinement, which models rigid body displacement for segments of the macromolecule. To enable calculation of diffuse scattering from TLS refined structures,phenix.tls_modelsbuilds multi-model PDB files that sample the underlying T, L and S tensors. In the glycerophosphodiesterase GpdQ, alternative TLS group partitioning and different motional correlations between groups yield markedly dissimilar diffuse scattering maps with distinct implications for molecular mechanism and allostery. These methods demonstrate how X-ray diffuse scattering can extend macromolecular structural refinement, validation, and analysis.

Synopsis

A method of simulating X-ray diffuse scattering from multi-model PDB files is presented. Despite similar agreement with Bragg data, different Translation-Libration-Screw refinement strategies produce unique diffuse intensity patterns.
How rural-urban identification influences consumption patterns? Evidence from Chinese migrant workers
Authors: Chu Rongwei , Liu Matthew , Shi Guicheng James
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine spending pattern of Chinese migrant workers from rural regions to urban cities from a social identity perspective, which stems from Chinese Hukou system (household registry system). This study proposes a theoretical model for consumer utility function (a combination of economic utility and social utility) which takes into account the choice of social identification.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study focusses on the influence of rural and urban identification on consumption patterns of Chinese migrant workers. These assumptions were verified based on a survey with 650 samples in Shanghai, one of the most developed cities in China.

Findings

– Results indicate that affirmative social identification has a significantly positive effect on the level of consumption for migrant workers. High level of rural identification has a more significant impact than urban identification on survival consumption including food, medicine and family support. On the other hand, high level of urban identification has a more significant impact than rural identification on development consumption including education for children, training and recreation. Besides, there are significant interaction effects between income and identity on consumption, which confirms the identity effect on classical economic model and is in line with identity economics’ arguments.

Originality/value

– This study outlines the importance of social identity in both economics and marketing domains and proposes a theoretical model which advances understanding of a model on similar lines proposed by Akerlof and Kranton’s (2000) and Benjamin et al. (2010). Empirical tests with Chinese migrant workers’ data present that their consumption patterns are influenced by their level of social identifications.
Luxury branding: the industry, trends, and future conceptualisations
Authors: Seo Yuri , Buchanan-Oliver Margo
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the emergence of a global luxury brand industry and discusses previous conceptualisations of luxury brands. In this endeavour, the study illustrates the unique context of luxury consumption, to highlight several developments in extant literature, and to advocate for the advancement of the consumer-centric paradigm of luxury branding.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study reviews the emergence of a global luxury brand industry, discusses macro-environmental trends that have influenced luxury brand consumption, critically evaluates the existing literature on luxury brands, and offers directions for future research.

Findings

– The study highlights that luxury brands have emerged as a special form of branding that conveys the unique sociocultural and individual meanings to their adherents. Moreover, it was found that these meanings have been shaped by a number of important cultural, social, and external trends, which call researchers and practitioners to consider the consumer-centric paradigm of luxury branding.

Originality/value

– The study calls for a shift in the focus from the characteristics of luxury brandsper se, and towards phenomenological experiences and socio-cultural influences, in the pursuits to understand what brand luxury conveys in the broader context of post-modern consumer culture. The study offers two distinct areas for future research to address these developments.
Finite set model predictive control to a shunt multilevel active filter
Authors: Saldías Molina Hernaldo , Dixon Rojas Juan , Morán Tamayo Luis
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to implement a finite set model predictive control algorithm to a shunt (or parallel), multilevel (cascaded H-bridge) active power filter (APF). Specifically, the purpose is to get a controller that could compensate the mains current and, at the same time, to control the voltages of its capacitors. This strategy avoids the use of multiple PWM carriers or another type of special modulator, and requires a relatively low processing power.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is focussed in the application of the predictive controller to a single-phase parallel APF composed for two H-bridges connected in series. The same methodology can be applied to a three-phase APF. In the DC buses of each H-bridge, a floating capacitor was connected, whose voltage is regulated by the predictive controller. The controller is composed by, first, a model for the charge/discharge dynamics for each floating capacitor and a model for the output current of the APF; second, a cost function; and third, an optimization algorithm that is able to control all these variables at the same time, choosing in each sample period the best combination of firing pulses.

Findings

– The controller can track the voltage references, compensate the current harmonics and compensate reactive power with an algorithm that evaluates only the three nearest voltage levels to the last voltage level applied in the inverter. This strategy decreases the number of calculations required by the predictive algorithm. This controller can be applied to the general case of a single-phase multilevel APF of N-levels and extend it to the three-phase case without major problems.

Research limitations/implications

– The implemented controller, when the authors consider a constant sample time, gives a mains current with a Total Harmonic Distortion (THD-I) slightly greater in comparison with the base algorithm (that evaluates all the voltage levels). However, when the authors consider the processing times under the same processor, the implemented algorithm requires less time to get the optimal values, can get lower sampling times and then a best performance in terms of THD-I. To implement the controller in a three-phase APF, a faster Digital Signal Processor would be required.

Originality/value

– The implemented solution uses a model for the charge/discharge of the capacitors and for the filter current that enable to operate the cascaded multilevel inverter with asymmetrical voltages while compensates the mains currents, with a predictive algorithm that requires a relatively low amount of calculations.
Design of a hybrid propulsion system for a three wheeled bicycle
Authors: Cossalter Vittore , Doria Alberto , Ferrari Marco , Giolo Enrico , Bianchi Nicola , Martignoni Claudio , Bovi Fabio
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– Velomobiles or bicycles cars are human-powered vehicles, enclosed for improving aerodynamic performance and protection from weather and collisions. The purpose of this paper is to design and develop a three-wheeled velomobile equipped with a hybrid human-electric propulsion system.

Design/methodology/approach

– The mechanical layout has been developed in order to improve safety, a CAD code has been used for the design and the dynamic performances have been studied by means of specific multi-body codes. The electric propulsion system has been designed both with analytical and FEM methods.

Findings

– A special three-wheeled tilting vehicle layout equipped with a four-bar linkage connection has been developed. A particular synchronous reluctance machine has been developed, which is very suitable for human-electric hybrid propulsion. A MATLAB code for integrated mechanical and electrical analysis has been developed.

Originality/value

– A new kind of light vehicle has been conceived. A new synchronous reluctance machine with high efficiency has been developed. A performance analysis in electric, human and hybrid working modes has been presented, which takes into account the specific features of both the electric motor and the pedaling legs. A prototype of the vehicle has been built.
Energy efficiency improvement adopting synchronous motors
Authors: Bianchi Nicola , Alberti Luigi , Bottesi Omar
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare different types of electric motor drives for high-efficiency applications: an induction motor (IM) drive, a synchronous reluctance motor drive and a permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motor drive. An innovative field-oriented analysis technique is applied to estimate the performance of the IM drive. This method of analysis is particularly advantageous in comparing the IM performance to those of synchronous machines.

Design/methodology/approach

– The comparison among the capabilities of the three electric drives is carried out combining both analytical and finite element methods.

Findings

– From the analysis, it results that the REL motor exhibits higher torque density than IM, but lower losses since there are no Joule losses in the rotor. On the contrary, the REL motor exhibits a very power factor, which corresponds to a high-volt-ampere ratings of the inverter that supplies the motor itself.

Originality/value

– A new analysis technique is adopted to investigate and compare the energy efficiency performance of different machines.
The effectiveness of multi-criteria decision aid methodology
Authors: Marafon Alysson Diego , Ensslin Leonardo , Lacerda Rogério Tadeu de Oliveira , Ensslin Sandra Rolim
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The innovation expected by clients is identified as a business success factor of industrial companies in the current decade and the accountability of it is primarily attributable to Research and Development (R&D), which makes it a strategic topic for studies on the decision-making process. In light of this, the purpose of this paper is to present a decision aiding methodology used to support R&D management in the technology-based company, specialised in refrigeration solutions and world leader in the hermetic compressor market.

Design/methodology/approach

– It is an exploratory study and has deductive-inductive logic and uses a quail-quantitative approach. It uses the Knowledge Development Process Constructivist (ProKnow-C) to systemically revise the literature surrounding the theme in order to identify research opportunities in the subject and adopts the Multi-Criteria Decision Aiding Constructivist (MCDA-C) methodology as an instrument of organisational performance evaluation to fulfil the research opportunities identified.

Findings

– In the theoretical aspect, this research fulfilled the opportunities observed in recent and qualified literature about R&D performance evaluation. The paper also offers practical implications for the performance evaluation in R&D, since the methodology allowed the R&D manager to build knowledge to understand the consequences of his decisions in the criteria deemed important by himself.

Originality/value

– The importance of this work covers academic and practical interests, as it documents the application of MCDA-C and increases knowledge concerning R&D management, whilst developing a recurrent tool of decision aiding in the context of the company studied.
Improvement of fast fluid dynamics with a conservative semi-Lagrangian scheme
Authors: Jin Mingang , Chen Qingyan
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a simple and efficient conservative semi-Lagrangian scheme (SL) for solving advection equation in fast fluid dynamics (FFD), so FFD can provide fast indoor airflow simulations while preserving conservation for energy and species transport.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study thus proposed a mass-fixing type conservative SL that redistributes global surplus/deficit on the advected field after performing the standard semi-Lagrangian advection. The redistribution weights were designed to preserve the properties of conservatives and monotonicity.

Findings

– The effectiveness of the conservative SL was validated with several test cases, and the results show that the proposed scheme is indeed conservative with negligible impact on the accuracy of the standard solutions. The numerical tests show that the proposed scheme was indeed conservative with negligible impact on the accuracy of the flow prediction.

Originality/value

– The FFD with conservative SL can effectively enforce the energy and species conservation for indoor airflow and predict airflow distributions with reasonable accuracy.
New travelling wave solutions for coupled fractional variant Boussinesq equation and approximate long water wave equation
Authors: Yan Limei
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to apply the fractional sub-equation method to research on coupled fractional variant Boussinesq equation and fractional approximate long water wave equation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The algorithm is implemented with the aid of fractional Ricatti equation and the symbol computational system Mathematica.

Findings

– New travelling wave solutions, which include generalized hyperbolic function solutions, generalized trigonometric function solutions and rational solutions, for these two equations are obtained.

Originality/value

– The algorithm is demonstrated to be direct and precise, and can be used for many other nonlinear fractional partial differential equations. The fractional derivatives described in this paper are in the Jumarie's modified Riemann-Liouville sense.
Elementary art & science: observational drawing in lesson study
Authors: Dotger Sharon , Walsh Deborah
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on elementary students’ observational drawings, which were produced from two science lesson study cycles.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors collaboratively studied student work from two science research lessons. The authors evaluated 50 students’ science notebook entries, paying specific attention to their observational sketches. The authors wanted to understand how fourth grade students approach observational drawing in science class to better inform science and art pedagogy.

Findings

– Students represented their observations in a variety of ways. The structure of the lessons might have influenced students’ drawings, as did students’ orientation when constructing their representations.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is limited in that it only analyzes observational drawing from two research lessons.

Practical implications

– Through cross-disciplinary collaboration between a science educator and an art teacher, the authors developed shared ideas that were applicable in both spaces. In the near term, the authors have each changed the instructional practices to include more observational drawing.

Social implications

– This paper could impact public attitudes about the inclusion of science and art in the elementary curriculum. The authors would expect that through articulating the purpose of observational drawing for the artist and the scientist, the public would be more supportive of teaching these skills in school.

Originality/value

– This paper documents teacher learning across two content areas which students have limited access to in the USA during elementary school. It explains how science and art share objectives and can thus advocate for each other’s inclusion in the school day.
Potential of manure based biogas to replace conventional and non-conventional fuels in India
Authors: Nautiyal Sunil , Goswami Mrinalini , Manasi S. , Bez Prasanta , Bhaskar K. , Khan Y.D. Imran
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of biogas in India for energy conservation and its potential in emission reduction through proper manure management and utilizing the tappable droppings while replacing the conventional and non-conventional fuel.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have looked at the production, use and tappability of animal excreta for possible biogas generation and reduction in fuelwood consumption on one hand and emission reduction across the Indian states on the other. The average percentage of Biogas potential is created in the GIS database for analyzing the data set in the spatial domain using ArcGIS 9.2 software.

Findings

– The paper examines that unused manure contributes to the greenhouse gas (GHG) and has huge potential of reducing the emission through proper utilization across the Indian states. Keeping current climate change dilemma in view this could be one of the feasible options to cope with the climate change and mitigating the threats.

Research limitations/implications

– A comprehensive data regarding methane emission from various sources is not readily available so far. With the help of this research work the authentic data has been collected from different government departments’ data banks and past research work. However, the authors have limited to few conversion aspects in quantifying the emission factor due to complexity of the various data sets.

Practical implications

– Looking at the availability of usable animal excreta in different climatic regions, the attempt has been made in demarcating economically viable and technically feasible areas for biogas generation in India. An environmental and economic cost benefit analysis for adopting this renewable energy source has also been incorporated within this research.

Originality/value

– The paper examined the GHG contribution of unused manure and the possibility of reducing it through proper utilization. The adverse environmental consequences of the use of conventional and non-conventional cooking fuels have also been analyzed in terms of GHG emissions. The same was assessed for the whole lifecycle of liquefied petroleum gas, which is commonly assumed as a clean fuel.
Documentality and legitimacy in future libraries – an analytical framework for initiated speculation
Authors: Hansson Joacim
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to contribute to a discussion about the future of librarianship.

Design/methodology/approach

– An analytical framework is used to discuss the future of libraries. The framework is based on current trends in contemporary librarianship and is used as a way of structuring predictions about the future of librarianship. Special attention is given to public libraries and academic libraries.

Findings

– Libraries are seen moving from a traditional situation with a high degree of constitutive documentality and internal legitimacy with collections in focus to one with a high degree of performative documentality and external legitimacy, with adjustment to user needs as the prime goal. This development is related to the emergence of New Public Management and can be seen both in public and academic libraries. It is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.

Originality/value

– The analytical framework and concepts used are originally developed for this text and prove to be valuable tools in fulfilling the purpose of the article. It represents a new and original way of discussing the future of libraries.
Trust development and horizontal collaboration in logistics: a theory based evolutionary framework
Authors: Pomponi Francesco , Fratocchi Luciano , Rossi Tafuri Silvia
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to provide academicians and practitioners alike with a theory-based framework regarding horizontal collaboration in logistics. The proposed tool is based on an incremental perspective, according to two main dimensions: mutual trust among partners and the extent of the cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used a “synthesising” approach to gauge potential contributions previously spread across different streams of research and disciplines that are now integrated into the framework. We conduct a deep literature review to characterise the horizontal collaboration phenomenon along two levels of analysis. In doing so, we examined relevant literature in the field of horizontal cooperation in logistics to critically appraise aims of, impediments to and existing models for horizontal collaboration. Additionally, we reviewed seminal literature of four organisational theories to assess their potential to contribute to the theoretical foundations of the growing topic of horizontal collaboration. Transaction Cost Economics, Social Exchange, Resource Dependence and Social Dilemma represent the theoretical foundations to cast light to how to design and implement inter-organisational horizontal initiatives.

Findings

– The proposed tool organises horizontal collaborations within three steps for each of the two levels of classification: trust and extent of the cooperation. The organisational theories reviewed play different roles to help in different stages of the horizontal collaboration. Additionally, for each combination of trust/extent of the cooperation coherent pairs of aims of the collaboration and assets that are to be shared are defined.

Research limitations/implications

– The article represents the first attempt to analyse horizontal collaboration from within the discipline itself and from the wider field of SCM through other well-established theoretical lenses. The proposed tool has shed some light into the black box of (un)successful horizontal collaboration, but it is theory based – which represents its main limitations – thus, requiring further testing of the research streams suggested in the paper.

Practical implications

– The article not only gives insights into theoretical challenges of horizontal collaborations that needs further investigation but is also useful to companies involved in horizontal collaborations by helping define coherent assets that are to be shared to achieve specific goals. In its more theoretical underpinning, the framework can also inspire the partnership philosophy and help sketch a collaborative evolutionary path.

Originality/value

– The lack of a theoretically robust landmark that could help understand, design and implement horizontal collaborations has been defined as a major theoretical and practical shortcoming. The article represents the first contribution aimed at filling that gap.
Engineering behaviour change in an epidemic: the epistemology of NIH‐funded HIV prevention science
Authors: Green Adam , Kolar Kat
Published: January 2015

Social scientific and public health literature on National Institutes of Health‐funded HIV behavioural prevention science often assumes that this body of work has a strong biomedical epistemological orientation. We explore this assumption by conducting a systematic content analysis of all NIH‐funded HIV behavioural prevention grants for men who have sex with men between 1989 and 2012. We find that while intervention research strongly favours a biomedical orientation, research into the antecedents of HIV risk practices favours a sociological, interpretive and structural orientation. Thus, with respect to NIH‐funded HIV prevention science, there exists a major disjunct in the guiding epistemological orientations of how scientists understand HIV risk, on the one hand, and how they engineer behaviour change in behavioural interventions, on the other. Building on the extant literature, we suggest that the cause of this disjunct is probably attributable not to an NIH‐wide positivist orientation, but to the specific standards of evidence used to adjudicate HIV intervention grant awards, including randomised controlled trials and other quantitative measures of intervention efficacy.
Proprietary Estoppel and Responsibility for Omissions
Authors: Samet Irit
Published: January 2015

The ‘acquiescence’ category of proprietary estoppel is a rare example of responsibility for pure omissions in private law. On liberal‐individualistic theories of ownership, the policy considerations against liability for nondoing are exceptionally powerful in the context of rights over land. Nevertheless, I argue that in proprietary estoppel the law is justified in imposing a duty on the right‐holder to alert a stranger when his actions are based on a mistake. Owners of property rights are under what Honoré termed a ‘special duty’ to contribute to the social good of efficient market for land by publicising their rights. This ‘duty to speak’ is however relatively weak and cannot completely suppress considerations against liability for omission. While liability in the acquiescence category can be justified in principle, the current law, in which owners who failed to correct the mistake of the relying party incur similar liability to owners who actively encouraged the other party to rely, is untenable.
Social Citizenship, Housing Wealth and the Cost of Social Care: Is theCareAct 2014 ‘Fair'?
Authors: Hopkins Nicholas , Laurie Emma
Published: January 2015

This article assesses the extent to which it is ‘fair’ for the government to require owner‐occupiers to draw on the equity accumulated in their home to fund their social care costs. The question is stimulated by the report of the Commission on Funding of Care and Support,Fairer Care Funding(theDilnotCommission) and the subsequentCareAct 2014. The enquiry is located within the framework of social citizenship and the new social contract. It argues that the individualistic, contractarian approach, exemplified by theDilnotCommission and reflected in theAct, raises questions when considered from the perspective of intergenerational fairness. We argue that our concerns with the Act could be addressed by inculcating an expectation of drawing on housing wealth to fund older age: a policy of asset‐based welfare.
Effects of oleanolic acid on the insulin signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic male Sprague‐Dawley rats
Authors: Mukundwa Andrew , Mukaratirwa Samson , Masola Bubuya
Published: January 2015

Background

  The pant‐derived triterpene oleanolic acid (OA) has been shown to have antidiabetic effects, but its action on the insulin signaling cascade has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of OA on aspects of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt insulin signaling cascade in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin‐induced type 1 diabetic male Sprague‐Dawley rats.

Methods

Diabetic and non‐diabetic rats were treated with insulin (4 IU/kg), OA (80 mg/kg), and the combination of OA + insulin in acute 60‐min and sub‐chronic 14‐day studies. Single and daily doses were administered in the acute and sub‐chronic studies, respectively. In acute studies, phosphorylated (p‐) Akt and p‐glycogen synthase (GS) expression was evaluated. In sub‐chronic studies, GS and glycogen phosphorylase (GP) expression and activity were evaluated, as were glycogen levels.

Results

  The findings show that OA enhances insulin‐stimulated hypoglycemic effects in diabetic rats. In the acute study, OA increased levels of p‐Akt and decreased levels of p‐GS. In the sub‐chronic study, OA increased both GS and GP activity, whereas OA + insulin increased GS and decreased GP activity. Treatment of rats with OA and OA + insulin increased GS expression in the skeletal muscle of diabetic rats and decreased GP expression. Glycogen levels were increased by OA but decreased OA + insulin treatment.

Conclusion

  Oleanolic acid in synergy with insulin can enhance activation of the insulin signaling pathway. Furthermore, the present study provides evidence of OA activation of insulin signaling enzymes independent of insulin.
Risk of tuberculosis in patients treated with anti‐tumor necrosis factor therapy: a nationwide study in South Korea, a country with an intermediate tuberculosis burden
Authors: Jung Seung Min , Ju Ji Hyeon , Park Mi‐Sun , Kwok Seung‐Ki , Park Kyung‐Su , Kim Ho‐Youn , Yim Hyeon Woo , Park Sung‐Hwan
Published: January 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) following anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in an intermediate TB burden area and to compare the risk between drugs and diseases.

Methods

The data were obtained from a nationwide database maintained by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The study population comprised of patients who were prescribed with TNF inhibitors from 2005 to 2009. TB cases were selected based on prescription of anti‐TB medications.

Results

Of 8421 patients in the study population, 1729 patients with latent TB prophylaxis were identified and 102 patients developed TB. The incidence of TB was 1017 per 100 000 person‐years. When divided into four groups according to the main diagnosis and using an ankylosing spondylitis group as a reference, the incidence of TB was highest in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 5.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.34–10.66), followed by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (IRR 1.02, 95% CI 0.57–1.83) and those with psoriatic arthritis (IRR 1.00, 95% CI 0.14–7.30). Comparison between drugs showed a significantly lower incidence of TB in patients treated with etanercept (reference), highest incidence in those treated with infliximab (IRR 6.8, 95% CI 3.74–12.37) and an intermediate incidence in patients treated with adalimumab (IRR 3.45, 95% CI 1.82–6.55).

Conclusions

The difference in TB risk between TNF inhibitors was similar with countries of low TB burden. This study suggests that particular attention is required for patients treated with TNF monoclonal antibodies.
Observed range dynamics ofSouthAfrican amphibians under conditions of global change
Authors: Botts Emily A. , Erasmus Barend F. N. , Alexander Graham J.
Published: January 2015

Changes in the size and location of species ranges are a recognized response to environmental changes. We assessed recent range dynamics ofSouthAfrican amphibians using data consolidated by theSouth African Frog Atlas Project, which provided both historical (1905–1995) and recent distribution data (1996–2003). Sampling differences were accounted for using a correction factor and subsampling protocols. Changes to the size of species ranges and shifts in the mean range centre for latitude, longitude and altitude were assessed. Most (70%) of the assessed species showed range contractions. Of the expected climate change predictions, only upslope shifts were supported (mean 47.6 m). There were no significant mean latitudinal shifts for the assessed group of species. Species of the Bushveld region shifted northwesterly and upslope, while species of theWinterRainfall region also shifted northwesterly. The small, though significant, general taxon‐wide trends where minor in comparison to the wide variety of idiosyncratic, species‐specific range changes that were observed. The species‐specific observed range changes that were documented should be used to further investigate range change drivers on an individual species basis.
Shining light in dark corners: Diagnosis and management of late‐onset fetal growth restriction
Authors: MacDonald Teresa M. , McCarthy Elizabeth A. , Walker Susan P.
Published: January 2015

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is the single biggest risk factor for stillbirth. In the absence of any effective treatment for fetal growth restriction, the mainstay of management is close surveillance and timely delivery. While such statements are almost self‐evident, the daily clinical challenge of late‐onset fetal growth restriction remains; the competing priorities of minimising stillbirth risk, while avoiding excessive obstetric intervention and the neonatal sequelae of iatrogenic preterm birth. This dilemma is made harder because the tools for late‐onset FGR diagnosis and surveillance compare poorly to those used in early‐onset FGR; screening tests in early pregnancy have limited predictive value; most cases escape clinical detection, a phenomenon set to worsen given the obesity epidemic; there is a failure of consensus on the definition of small for gestational age, and ancillary tools, such as umbilical artery Doppler – of value in identification of preterm FGR – are less useful in the late‐preterm period and at term. Most importantly, the problem is common; 96% of all births occur after 32 weeks. This means a poor noise/signal ratio of any test or management algorithm will inevitably have large clinical consequences. Into such a dark corner, we cast some light; a summary on diagnostic criteria, new developments to improve the diagnosis of late‐onset FGR and a suggested approach to management.
Anthropology Matters
Authors: Mullings Leith
Published: January 2015

The following is the text of the presidential address, slightly revised and with references added, presented on November 23, 2013, at the 113th Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Chicago, Illinois. I begin by contextualizing the development of anthropological theory in some of the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, with particular reference to Chicago. After exploring contemporary challenges to the academy and to the discipline of anthropology, I close with a discussion of relevant research projects, new publics, and the future of anthropology. The original address, which included a PowerPoint presentation illustrating some of the ideas, is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb8yLzXPH5M.
Virtues in action – the new look of character traits
Authors: Bleidorn Wiebke , Denissen Jaap J. A.
Published: January 2015

The present study aimed to take fresh look at the nature and psychological meaning of consistency in character traits and virtuous behaviour as manifested in everyday life. To this end, a 10‐day experience‐sampling study was conducted. Using smartphone technology, a sample of 83 working mothers and fathers provided a total of 4,342 momentary behavioural reports while being in the role of the parent versus being in the job role. Consistent with recent research on personality traits, the findings of the present study showed that people express a wide range of virtue states in their everyday lives. Within‐person changes in virtue states were not random but were contingent on people's current role context and also meaningfully related to their momentary affective experiences. At the same time, people's average level of virtue states, their degree of variation in virtue states, and their signature ways of reacting to role contexts turned out to be stable, trait‐like individual difference characteristics. Discussion focuses on the implications for the conception of character traits in scientific psychology and beyond.
Immunomodulatory role of microRNAs transferred by extracellular vesicles
Authors: Fernández‐Messina Lola , Gutiérrez‐Vázquez Cristina , Rivas‐García Eva , Sánchez‐Madrid Francisco , de la Fuente Hortensia
Published: January 2015

The immune system is composed of different cell types localised throughout the organism to sense and respond to pathological situations while maintaining homeostasis under physiological conditions. Intercellular communication between immune cells is essential to coordinate an effective immune response and involves both cell contact dependent and independent processes that ensure the transfer of information between bystander and distant cells. There is a rapidly growing body of evidence on the pivotal role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cell communication and these structures are emerging as important mediators for immune modulation upon delivery of their molecular cargo. In the last decade, EVs have been shown to be efficient carriers of genetic information, including microRNAs (miRNAs), that can be transferred between cells and regulate gene expression and function on the recipient cell. Here, we review the current knowledge of intercellular functional transfer of EV‐delivered miRNAs and their putative role in immune regulation.
Hope thinking and past trauma mediate the relationships of body mass index with perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use
Authors: Hendricks A. N. , Dhurandhar E. J. , Fontaine K. R. , Hendricks P. S.
Published: January 2015

Greater body mass is associated with a greater risk of mental health conditions and more frequent mental health treatment use. However, factors that might influence perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use among those of greater weight, including hope thinking, trauma history and perceived mental health treatment stigma, are not well understood.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine if hope thinking, trauma history and/or perceived mental health treatment stigma mediate the relationships of body mass index [BMI] with perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use.

Method

Primary care clinic patients in the Midwest United States (N = 196; BMI range = 18.5 to 47.0, mean = 29.26 ± 6.61, median = 27.90) were recruited to complete a battery of self‐report measures that assessed perceived mental health treatment need, mental health treatment use, hope thinking (Trait Hope Scale), trauma history (a single‐item traumatic event history screen from the posttraumatic stress disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition), and perceived mental health treatment stigma (Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help).

Results

Reduced hope thinking and a greater incidence of past trauma accounted for greater perceived mental health treatment need and greater mental health treatment use among those of greater BMI. BMI was not related to perceived unmet mental health treatment need.

Conclusion

Increased perceived mental health treatment need and mental health treatment use among those of greater BMI may be explained by lower hope thinking and a greater incidence of trauma in this population. Heavier patients may benefit from interventions designed to augment hope and address traumatic histories.
Causal Networks or Causal Islands? The Representation of Mechanisms and the Transitivity of Causal Judgment
Authors: Johnson Samuel G. B. , Ahn Woo‐kyoung
Published: January 2015

Knowledge of mechanisms is critical for causal reasoning. We contrasted two possible organizations of causal knowledge—an interconnected causalnetwork, where events are causally connected without any boundaries delineating discrete mechanisms; or a set of disparate mechanisms—causalislands—such that events in different mechanisms are not thought to be related even when they belong to the same causal chain. To distinguish these possibilities, we tested whether people maketransitivejudgments about causal chains by inferring, givenA causes BandB causes C, thatA causes C. Specifically, causal chains schematized as one chunk or mechanism in semantic memory (e.g., exercising, becoming thirsty, drinking water) led to transitive causal judgments. On the other hand, chains schematized as multiple chunks (e.g., having sex, becoming pregnant, becoming nauseous) led to intransitive judgments despite strong intermediate links ((Experiments 1–3). Normative accounts of causal intransitivity could not explain these intransitive judgments (Experiments 4 and 5).
Motor endplate‐targeted botulinum toxin injections of the gracilis muscle in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Van Campenhout Anja , Bar‐On Lynn , Desloovere Kaat , Huenaerts Catherine , Molenaers Guy
Published: January 2015

Aim

Intramuscular botulinum toxin‐A (BoNT‐A) injections reduce spasticity by blocking neurotransmission at the motor endplate (MEP). The goal of this study was to assess the reduction in spasticity achieved by injecting BoNT‐A at different sites of the gracilis muscle.

Method

Thirty‐four gracilis muscles, in 27 children (10 females and 17 males, mean age of 8.6y [SD 2.5y]) with spastic cerebral palsy (unilateral and bilateral, Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I–IV), were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In one group BoNT‐A was injected proximally (at a site 25% of the distance from the pubic tubercle and the medial epicondyle) and in the other it was injected at the MEP zones (half of the dose was administered at 30% of this distance and half at 60%). Spasticity was assessed before and after BoNT‐A injection using simultaneous measurements of surface electromyography (sEMG) and angular velocity during passive muscle stretch applied at different velocities. The primary outcome measure included the velocity‐dependent change in average root mean square electromyography (RMS‐EMG). Secondary outcome was assessed with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS).

Results

Spasticity decreased more in MEP‐targeted muscles than in proximally injected muscles, as demonstrated by a larger reduction in average RMS‐EMG values (p=0.04), though this difference was not found with the MAS or MTS.

Interpretation

The results suggest that BoNT‐A injection of the gracilis at sites with a high concentration of MEPs is effective at reducing spasticity. These preliminary findings should be confirmed by larger studies. In the case of long muscles, such as the gracilis, the injection site is important.
Gargantuan Left Atrium: A Sequela of Mitral Regurgitation and Mitral Stenosis
Authors: Omslaer Brian T. , Biederman Robert W. W.
Published: January 2015

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography revealed a gargantuan left atrium measuring 18.9 cm × 15.7 cm × 11.3 cm in a 56‐year‐old patient diagnosed with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis, severe pulmonary hypertension, and permanent atrial fibrillation. A chest x‐ray also revealed a cardiothoracic ratio approaching 1.0 and a transthoracic echocardiogram measured diameters as large as 19.2 cm. The patient then underwent mitral valve replacement and left atrial reduction surgery and has had no further admissions or complications.