bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Susceptible and Resistant Maize Hybrids to Colonization by Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis
Authors: Mbofung Gladys C. Y. , Sernett Jeff , Horner Harry T. , Robertson Alison E.
Published: October 2015

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis causes Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight on maize and is managed primarily with C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis-resistant hybrids. To understand the mechanisms of resistance to infection by C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, leaves of a susceptible and a resistant maize hybrid at the V4 to V5 developmental stage were wound inoculated with the pathogen. Blight lesion length was monitored, C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis colonizing ability was determined, and structural changes were observed using microscopy. Bacterial colonization preceded lesion development that occurred 4 to 5 days postinoculation in both hybrids. Lesion expansion in the susceptible hybrid was associated with a faster rate of C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis spread and multiplication in the tissues. In the resistant hybrid, spread and multiplication was reduced (P < 0.0001) and, at 16 days postinoculation, became imperceptible. Initially, C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis showed a preference for colonization of the metaxylem vessels in both hybrids. Spread from cell to cell was accomplished through disruption of cell walls, presumably from abundance of bacterial cells or enzymatic activity. Morphological responses of the resistant maize hybrid to infection by C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis were similar to those reported in maize inbred lines that were resistant to Stewart’s wilt caused by Pantoea stewartii. Resistance to C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis was associated with production of a dense matrix in the xylem that deformed and restricted movement of the bacterial cells.
Unexpected TTF-1 Positivity in a Subset of Gastric Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Choi Sarah M. , Furth Emma E. , Zhang Paul J.
Published: October 2015

Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is traditionally used to identify tumors of lung and thyroid primary. However, the specificity of this marker has recently come under increasing scrutiny as tumors from other organ systems are shown to also stain positively for TTF-1. On the basis of an index case of TTF-1-positive gastric adenocarcinomas, we evaluated a retrospective cohort (n=91) of these tumors for TTF-1 staining. Archived paraffin-embedded blocks of gastric adenocarcinoma cases from 2008 to 2013 were chosen for immunohistochemical staining. We report unexpected TTF-1 positivity in up to 25% of cases using the most sensitive TTF-1 clone SPT24. A subset of these cases also shows concurrent Napsin A positivity, including a case with lymph node metastasis, highlighting the potential for diagnostic confusion when dealing with metastatic disease of unknown origin. Because TTF-1 is not detected in the vast majority of cases using a separate antibody clone, 8G7G3/1, we conclude that aberrant staining is due to cross-reactivity to unknown antigen(s). TTF-1 positivity and even Napsin A positivity, therefore, cannot be used as conclusive evidence of pulmonary origin and gastrointestinal origin must be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Comparison of Inhibin Alpha Subunit and Antimüllerian Hormone Immunoreactivity in Granulosa Cell and Mucinous Ovarian Tumors
Authors: Lambert-Messerlian Geralyn , Steinhoff Margaret , Kumar Ajay , Eklund Elizabeth E. , Moore Richard
Published: October 2015

The inhibin alpha subunit protein is used in the histopathologic diagnosis of granulosa cell tumors (GCTs), and as a serum marker for disease progression. Yet, the availability of antibodies for inhibin has been limited. Serum antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels have also been described as a GCT marker. The goal of this study was to compare inhibin and AMH immunoreactivity in tissues and serum from GCT (n=6) using existing and new antibodies. Expression was also explored in cases of mucinous tumors (n=15), where inhibin is also a serum marker in some cases. Immunocytochemistry was performed using a commercial and newly developed inhibin alpha subunit and AMH antibodies. Serum levels were examined with total inhibin and AMH immunoassays. Inhibin alpha subunit and AMH were equivalent markers of GCT in both tissue and serum. In mucinous samples, inhibin alpha subunit was detected in tumor and stromal cells, and levels in serum were also frequently elevated. In contrast, AMH protein was detected in mucinous tissues, but there was no evidence of secretion in serum. The new inhibin alpha subunit and AMH antibodies provide needed resources for examination of granulosa cell and mucinous tumors.
Big city, small world: density, contact rates, and transmission of dengue across Pakistan
Authors: Kraemer M. U. G. , Perkins T. A. , Cummings D. A. T. , Zakar R. , Hay S. I. , Smith D. L. , Reiner R. C.
Published: October 2015

Macroscopic descriptions of populations commonly assume that encounters between individuals are well mixed; i.e. each individual has an equal chance of coming into contact with any other individual. Relaxing this assumption can be challenging though, due to the difficulty of acquiring detailed knowledge about the non-random nature of encounters. Here, we fitted a mathematical model of dengue virus transmission to spatial time-series data from Pakistan and compared maximum-likelihood estimates of ‘mixing parameters’ when disaggregating data across an urban–rural gradient. We show that dynamics across this gradient are subject not only to differing transmission intensities but also to differing strengths of nonlinearity due to differences in mixing. Accounting for differences in mobility by incorporating two fine-scale, density-dependent covariate layers eliminates differences in mixing but results in a doubling of the estimated transmission potential of the large urban district of Lahore. We furthermore show that neglecting spatial variation in mixing can lead to substantial underestimates of the level of effort needed to control a pathogen with vaccines or other interventions. We complement this analysis with estimates of the relationships between dengue transmission intensity and other putative environmental drivers thereof.
Structure–mechanics relationships of collagen fibrils in the osteogenesis imperfecta mouse model
Authors: Andriotis O. G. , Chang S. W. , Vanleene M. , Howarth P. H. , Davies D. E. , Shefelbine S. J. , Buehler M. J. , Thurner P. J.
Published: October 2015

The collagen molecule, which is the building block of collagen fibrils, is a triple helix of two α1(I) chains and one α2(I) chain. However, in the severe mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta (OIM), deletion of the COL1A2 gene results in the substitution of the α2(I) chain by one α1(I) chain. As this substitution severely impairs the structure and mechanics of collagen-rich tissues at the tissue and organ level, the main aim of this study was to investigate how the structure and mechanics are altered in OIM collagen fibrils. Comparing results from atomic force microscopy imaging and cantilever-based nanoindentation on collagen fibrils from OIM and wild-type (WT) animals, we found a 33% lower indentation modulus in OIM when air-dried (bound water present) and an almost fivefold higher indentation modulus in OIM collagen fibrils when fully hydrated (bound and unbound water present) in phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS) compared with WT collagen fibrils. These mechanical changes were accompanied by an impaired swelling upon hydration within PBS. Our experimental and atomistic simulation results show how the structure and mechanics are altered at the individual collagen fibril level as a result of collagen gene mutation in OIM. We envisage that the combination of experimental and modelling approaches could allow mechanical phenotyping at the collagen fibril level of virtually any alteration of collagen structure or chemistry.
Multi-Unit Activity contains information about spatial stimulus structure in mouse primary visual cortex
Authors: Tolkiehn Marie , Schultz Simon R.
Published: October 2015

This study investigates the spatial and directional tuning of Multi-Unit Activity (MUA) in mouse primary visual cortex and how MUA can reflect spatiotemporal structures contained in moving gratings. Analysis of multi-shank laminar electrophysiological recordings from mouse primary visual cortex indicates a directional preference for moving gratings around 180°, while preferred spatial frequency peaks around 0.02 cycles per degree, which is similar as reported in single-unit studies. Using only features from MUA, we further achieved a significant performance in decoding spatial frequency or direction of moving gratings, with average decoding performances of up to 58.54% for 8 directions, and 44% correctly identified spatial frequencies against chance level of 16.7%.
Spike Detection Using FRI Methods and Protein Calcium Sensors: Performance Analysis and Comparisons
Authors: Reynolds Stephanie , Oñativia Jon , Copeland Caroline S , Schultz Simon R , Dragotti Pier Luigi
Published: October 2015

Fast and accurate detection of action potentials from neurophysiological data is key to the study of information processing in the nervous system. Previous work has shown that finite rate of innovation (FRI) theory can be used to successfully reconstruct spike trains from noisy calcium imaging data. This is due to the fact that calcium imaging data can be modeled as streams of decaying exponentials which are a subclass of FRI signals. Recent progress in the development of genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs) has produced protein calcium sensors that exceed the sensitivity of the synthetic dyes traditionally used in calcium imaging experiments. In this paper, we compare the suitability for spike detection of the kinetics of a new family of GECIs (the GCaMP6 family) with the synthetic dye Oregon Green BAPTA-1. We demonstrate the high performance of the FRI algorithm on surrogate data for each calcium indicator and we calculate the Cramér-Rao lower bound on the uncertainty of the position of a detected spike in calcium imaging data for each calcium indicator.
Crystal chemistry and photomechanical behavior of 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid: correlation between maximum yield in the solid-state topochemical reaction and cooperative molecular motion
Authors: Mishra Manish Kumar , Mukherjee Arijit , Ramamurty Upadrasta , Desiraju Gautam R.
Published: October 2015

A new monoclinic polymorph, form II (P21/c,Z= 4), has been isolated for 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid (DMCA). Its solid-state 2 + 2 photoreaction to the corresponding α-truxillic acid is different from that of the first polymorph, the triclinic form I (P\bar 1,Z= 4) that was reported in 1984. The crystal structures of the two forms are rather different. The two polymorphs also exhibit different photomechanical properties. Form I exhibits photosalient behavior but this effect is absent in form II. These properties can be explained on the basis of the crystal packing in the two forms. The nanoindentation technique is used to shed further insights into these structure−property relationships. A faster photoreaction in form I and a higher yield in form II are rationalized on the basis of the mechanical properties of the individual crystal forms. It is suggested that both Schmidt-type and Kaupp-type topochemistry are applicable for the solid-statetrans-cinnamic acid photodimerization reaction. Form I of DMCA is more plastic and seems to react under Kaupp-type conditions with maximum molecular movements. Form II is more brittle, and its interlocked structure seems to favor Schmidt-type topochemistry with minimum molecular movement.
A contextual approach to supply chain risk mitigation
Authors: Chang Woojung , Ellinger Alexander E. , Blackhurst Jennifer
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– As global supply networks proliferate, the strategic significance of supply chain risk management (SCRM) – defined as the identification, evaluation, and management of supply chain-related risks to reduce overall supply chain vulnerability – also increases. Yet, despite consistent evidence that firm performance is enhanced by appropriate fit between strategy and context, extant SCRM research focusses more on identifying sources of supply chain risk, types of SCRM strategy, and performance implications associated with SCRM than on the relative efficacy of alternative primary supply chain risk mitigation strategies in different risk contexts. Drawing on contingency theory, a conceptual framework is proposed that aligns well-established aspects of SCRM to present a rubric for matching primary alternative supply chain risk mitigation strategies (redundancy and flexibility) with particular risk contexts (severity and probability of risk occurrence). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Conceptual paper.

Findings

– The proposed framework addresses supply chain managers’ need for a basic rubric to help them choose and implement risk mitigation approaches. The framework may also prove helpful for introducing business students to the fundamentals of SCRM.

Originality/value

– The framework and associated research propositions provide a theoretically grounded basis for managing the firm’s portfolio of potential supply chain risks by applying appropriate primary risk mitigation strategies based on the specific context of each risk rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach to risk mitigation. An agenda for progressing research on contingency-based approaches to SCRM is also presented.
Cloud computing, Web 2.0, and operational performance
Authors: Bruque Cámara Sebastián , Moyano Fuentes José , Maqueira Marín Juan Manuel
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of two technologies, cloud computing and Web 2.0, on a firm’s operational performance, examining the relationship between these two technologies and operational performance, and the mediating role played by supply chain integration.

Design/methodology/approach

– A random sample of 394 companies taken from the DUNS 50,000 database in Spain is used to test the paper’s hypotheses. The data were gathered by telephone survey using the CATI computerized system to manage interviewees’ answers, obtaining a 19.36 percent response rate. Factorial analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– The results suggest that cloud computing requires the mediating support of supply chain integration. However, there is no concluding evidence that Web 2.0 has a positive effect on either supply chain integration or operational performance. A positive, significant relationship was found between supply chain integration and operational performance in all the models used.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research and longitudinal analyses should be carried out in a range of industrial and geographical settings to confirm the findings of this study. Further analyses could also extend the scope and generalizability of results by analyzing the assimilation of supply chain integration-related inter-organizational information systems, such as the effect of ERP systems on performance. Another future direction for research is a study of the impact of the joint assimilation of internal and external integration practices on operational performance.

Practical implications

– Managers should be aware of the key role that trust plays in the information-sharing process in conjunction with supply chain management. Trust and information-sharing are two inextricably linked elements that enable greater supply chain integration to translate into better operational performance. This paper can also make managers more aware of the powerful tools that exist in the cloud computing universe and those that come under the umbrella of Web 2.0. Companies can use the findings of this paper to create new applications to facilitate supply chain integration. Some examples are also given of how cloud applications can be applied to better integrate the supply chain and, ultimately, to improve overall operational performance.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first attempts to disentangle the effects exerted by cloud computing on company performance through the mediating role of a higher supply chain integration. The value of this study relies in that academics and practitioners may have a supporting evidence on the role played by a new, disruptive technology such us cloud computing in, internal, operationally linked structures such as supply chain integration and how this combination transforms into better operational outcomes.
An empirical examination of the determinants of trust in Ghana
Authors: Sulemana Iddisah , Issifu Ibrahim
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– How trust affects political, social, and economic phenomena have been studied by scholars for many years. However, not many studies have examined what factors determine trust among people and trust in public institutions. There is particularly a dearth of research on trust in Ghana. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use data from the 2012 Afrobarometer Surveys to mimic four sets of variables that Alesina and La Ferrara (2002) find as significant determinants of trust – recent traumatic experiences, having been historically discriminated against, being economically unsuccessful, and living in a mixed community. The authors apply these variables to the Ghanaian context to explore how they affect generalized trust, trust in relatives, neighbors, and other people the respondent knows, as well as trust in six public institutions (i.e. The President, Parliament, Electoral Commission, Police, Army, and the Courts of Law).

Findings

– The authors find that trust among Ghanaians is generally low. Women are significantly less trusting of public institutions, although they do not trust people (e.g. relatives, neighbors, etc.) any less than men. Both people of the North and South are generally less trusting of public institutions compared to people of the Volta Region. The authors also find that, to a large extent, satisfaction with democracy and political affiliation are significantly correlated with trust in public institutions.

Practical implications

– Because trust is very crucial for political, economic, and social development, especially good governance, there is an urgent need for public policy interventions that could increase trust among Ghanaians.

Originality/value

– The authors provide a Ghanaian perspective on the determinants of trust.
Empowering front office employees with counseling affordances
Authors: Giesbrecht Tobias , Schenk Birgit , Schwabe Gerhard
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the face-to-face citizen service encounter in public administrations’ front offices, and present a novel qualification approach to empower service personnel on-the-job, and thereby deepen the knowledge on the role of information and communication technology for advancing governmental reforms.

Design/methodology/approach

– The presented study follows a design science research methodology, conducted in collaboration with the public administration of a major German city. Data were collected using multiple quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and video analysis.

Findings

– A novel on-the-job qualification approach for empowering public employees in their job-related skills, building on the concept of affordances, is developed. Thereto, six design principles for equipping artifacts with counseling affordances are presented. Evaluations in real-world environments provide first evidence that “learning with counseling affordances” constitutes an effective qualification measure to initiate experiential learning on-the-job, helping employees in the resource-restricted work environment of public front offices to obtain the skills to provide superior advisory services.

Research limitations/implications

– The “learning with counseling affordances” approach was developed in collaboration with an individual major German city and the paper provides first evidence of its effectiveness and suitability. Hence, the study’s insights should be approved by further research to strengthen generalizability.

Originality/value

– The paper highlights the previously neglected aspects of employee’s skills and qualification for promoting governmental transformation. By highlighting the beneficial relationship between affordances and on-the-job learning, the paper provides novel insights on the role of information and communication technology to promote governmental transformation.
Rural realities
Authors: Freeman Julie , Park Sora
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This article explores challenges for rural Australian local governments during the transition to high-speed broadband infrastructure. Despite the National Broadband Network’s promised ubiquitous connectivity, significant access discrepancies remain between rural and urban areas.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical findings are drawn from a full-day workshop on digital connectivity, which included participants from seven rural local governments in New South Wales, Australia. Thematic analysis of the workshop transcript was undertaken to extrapolate recurring nuances of rural digital exclusion.

Findings

– Rural communities face inequitable prospects for digital inclusion, and authorities confront dual issues of accommodating connected and unconnected citizens. Many areas have no or poor broadband access, and different digital engagement expectations are held by citizens and local governments. Citizens seek interactive opportunities, but rural authorities often lack the necessary resources to offer advanced participatory practices.

Research limitations/implications

– While this research draws from a small sample of government officials, their insights are, nonetheless, heuristically valuable in identifying connectivity issues faced in rural Australia. These issues can guide further research into other regions as well as civic experiences of digital inclusion.

Practical implications

– There is a need to reconceive Australia’s current policy approach to broadband. Greater rural digital inclusion may be achieved by focusing on connectivity as a public interest goal, targeting infrastructure developments to suit local contexts and implementing participatory digital government practices.

Originality/value

– The actions suggested would help ensure equity of digital inclusion across Australian municipal areas. Without such changes, there is a risk of rural citizens facing further marginalisation through digital exclusion.
Readiness assessment of e-government: a developing country perspective
Authors: Waheduzzaman Wahed , Miah Shah J.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to describe an assessment methodology of e-Government readiness through an empirical study that investigates collaborative needs in operating effective governance at root-level public service delivery in a developing country context. Broader methodology that accommodates collective functions of the government should be used while assessing the readiness of e-Government implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is based on interview data collected from a total of 13 government officials, 21 elected representatives and 106 targeted citizens in the local government of Bangladesh.

Findings

– Through a qualitative case study, this paper empirically investigated a proposition of e-Government readiness within local government cases. The findings of the study may help rectify existing assessment methodologies in e-Government implementation.

Research limitations/implications

– The data analysis used a collaborative perspective subjectively rather than focusing on the objective manner to capture technological aspects.

Practical implications

– This finding could benefit various e-Government initiatives in developing countries, especially for addressing critical collaborative needs of e-Government implementation.

Social implications

– The findings of the paper represent social perspectives of new e-Government system implementation.

Originality/value

– The study proposed a holistic methodology of e-Government readiness assessment that can broaden existing assessment methodologies.
Barriers to transforming government in Jamaica
Authors: Waller Lloyd , Genius Aldrane
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to highlight the barriers inhibiting the implementation of initiatives that seek to transform the efficiency, effectiveness and service delivery of government processes and systems through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs, e-Government) in Jamaica.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology used for this study was “Qualitative Description”. Qualitative Description is guided by the Qualitative Descriptive Research Design and is epistemologically located within the Interpretivist Paradigm. The data collected for this study were based on the principle of judgmental sampling. In total, 23 experts working at various levels of e-Government implementation in Jamaica were interviewed for this study.

Findings

– It can be argued from the data analyzed that the factors which undermine the use of ICTs to improve government efficiency, effectiveness and public service delivery in Jamaica include: technical issues (ICT infrastructure, privacy and security), social issues (culture and the digital divide) and financial issues. Organizational issues such as top management support, resistance to change to electronic ways, lack of collaboration, lack of qualified personnel and training courses were not identified as barriers to e-Government in Jamaica.

Research limitations/implications

– The direct implications of the study are confined to the shores of Jamaica.

Practical implications

– This study provides government agencies in Jamaica with an opportunity to identify the practical gaps in e-Government implementation. At the global level, the study provides international development agencies that are currently funding, and those that have an interest in funding e-Government initiatives in Jamaica, with an understanding of the challenges to e-Government implementation in the country. Additionally, the study provides an opportunity for scholars doing cross-national qualitative study to compare and contrast the e-Government barriers identified in Jamaica with other countries and to further determine factors which may contribute to these similarities and differences and explore a possible holistic solution to these barriers.

Social implications

– The study draws attention to the problem of exclusion for those citizens affected by the digital divide, the problem of infrastructure and/or structural challenges such as poverty and are unable to access e-Government services. The study also highlights the problem of trust in the government by Jamaican citizens and the implication of this trust issue for e-Government implementation in the country.

Originality/value

– The study addresses the global scholarly and policy gap in the literature, as it relates to Caribbean experiences with barriers to e-Government implementation and, therefore, provides data for global comparative analysis. The study also contributes to global attempts to holistically understand the e-Government phenomenon by extending the current discourse to the Caribbean.
The Contingent Tariff of the Special Safeguard Mechanism: What Happens When Markets are Imperfectly Competitive?
Authors: MacLaren Donald
Published: October 2015

Contingent tariffs for agri‐food commodities have been proposed as a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) in the Doha Round negotiations by the G33 group of countries as an instrument to control downward spikes in their border prices and/or surges of imports. The objective is to safeguard the livelihood security of farm households in poor countries. To date, most analysis of such tariffs uses stochastic partial equilibrium models with perfect competition. Yet in many markets for such commodities, imperfectly competitive market intermediaries play an important role in determining producers' prices, as do state trading enterprises (STEs). A stochastic partial equilibrium model of a typical importing country situation is specified in which there are either imperfectly competitive domestic intermediaries with a contingent tariff or an STE. The role of these intermediaries in influencing price behaviour and livelihood security in the presence of contingent tariffs alters the conclusion based on models of perfect competition. Using Monte‐Carlo simulation, it is shown that the efficacy of a contingent tariff is substantially reduced as the number of firms declines because increasingly they absorb the tariff, and the procurement price and producer surplus do not increase to the extent that they do under perfect competition.
Review: Milk Proteins as Nanocarrier Systems for Hydrophobic Nutraceuticals
Authors: Kimpel Florian , Schmitt Joachim J.
Published: October 2015

Milk proteins and milk protein aggregates are among the most important nanovehicles in food technology. Milk proteins have various functional properties that facilitate their ability to carry hydrophobic nutraceutical substances. The main functional transport properties that were examined in the reviewed studies are binding of molecules or ions, surface activity, aggregation, gelation, and interaction with other polymers. Hydrophobic binding has been investigated using caseins and isolated β‐casein as well as whey proteins. Surface activity of caseins has been used to create emulsion‐based carrier systems. Furthermore, caseins are able to self‐assemble into micelles, which can incorporate molecules. Gelation and interaction with other polymers can be used to encapsulate molecules into protein networks. The release of transported substances mainly depends on pH and swelling behavior of the proteins. The targeted use of nanocarrier systems requires specific knowledge about the binding mechanisms between the proteins and the carried substances in a certain food matrix.
Antilisterial Peptides Released by Enzymatic Hydrolysis from Grass Carp Proteins and Activity on Controlling L. monocytogenes Inoculated in Surimi Noodle
Authors: Xiao Jianhui , Niu Liya
Published: October 2015

The primary objective of this study was to prepare the antilisterial peptides by enzymatic (pepsin, trypsin, protamex, neutrase, flavourzyme, papain, alcalase, and acid protease) hydrolysis of grass carp proteins with various degree of hydrolysis. The second objective was to evaluate the antilisterial activity of grass carp proteins hydrolysates (GCPH) at differnet levels in the surimi noodle samples with or without boiling treatment inoculated with 104 CFU/g of Listeria monocytogenes for storage at 4 and 25 °C up to 20 d. These results revealed that GCPH, obtained by treatment with the neutrase hydrolysates at degree of hydrolysis of 19% (NSH19), showed the highest antilisterial activity reaching up to 64.8% inhibition of bacterial growth. The antilisterial activity of NSH19 in the raw surimi noodle was stronger than that of the boiled group, and the samples treated by NSH19 at 10 g/100 g level had no‐detectable numbers of L. monocytogenes for both raw and boiled noodle samples within 20 d of storage at 4 and 25 °C. The results of this study indicated that antilisterial peptides generated via neutrase from grass carp proteins can efficiently inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes in surimi noodle, which was useful as natural preservatives for storage and distribution of meat based products.
Using Video‐recorded Laryngoscopy to Evaluate Laryngoscopic Blade Approach and Adverse Events in Children
Authors: Green‐Hopkins Israel , Werner Heidi , Monuteaux Michael C. , Nagler Joshua
Published: October 2015

Objectives

Using recordings of endotracheal intubation attempts obtained with a video‐enabled laryngoscope with Miller and Macintosh blades, the authors sought to evaluate the association between laryngoscopic approach (right‐sided vs. midline) and intubation success, as well as adverse event rates in the pediatric emergency department (ED).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of children younger than 21 years who underwent endotracheal intubation with a C‐MAC video laryngoscope in a tertiary care ED between August 2009 and May 2013. The primary outcome was successful endotracheal intubation on the first attempt. The secondary outcomes included time to intubation, video‐recorded adverse events (oropharyngeal mucosal injury and aspiration), and physiologic adverse events. Multivariate regression models were used to determine the relationship between laryngoscope blade position and outcome measures adjusted for patient and provider factors.

Results

The cohort consisted of complete video recordings for 105 of 143 (73%) patient encounters with intubations. The first‐pass success rate did not significantly differ based on laryngoscopic approach (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29 to 2.0). Among patients successfully intubated on the first attempt, the median time to intubation was longer for the right‐sided approach compared to the midline approach (42 seconds vs. 31.5 seconds; p < 0.05). The odds of mucosal injury and aspiration were higher among patients intubated using a right‐sided approach compared to a midline approach (aOR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1.2 to 14.5; aOR = 7.7, 95% CI = 1.5 to 39.5, respectively). Rates of physiologic adverse events did not differ based on approach.

Conclusions

First‐pass success rate did not differ based upon laryngoscopic approach type; however, a right‐sided approach was associated with a longer time to intubation, as well as higher rates of mucosal injury and aspiration among patients undergoing video‐enabled intubation in a pediatric ED.
Women's Suggestions for Improving Midwifery Care in The Netherlands
Authors: Baas Carien I. , Erwich Jan Jaap H. M. , Wiegers Therese A. , de Cock T. Paul , Hutton Eileen K.
Published: October 2015

Background

The experience of the care a woman receives during pregnancy and childbirth has an immediate and long‐lasting effect on her well being. The involvement of patients and clients in health care has increased over the last decades. The Dutch maternity care system offers an excellent opportunity to explore and involve women's suggestions for the improvement of midwifery care in the current maternity care model.

Methods

This qualitative study is part of the “DELIVER” study. Clients were recruited from 20 midwifery practices. Purposive sampling was used to select the practices. The clients received up to three questionnaires, in which they could respond to the question; “Do you have any suggestions on how your midwife could improve his/her provision of care?” The answers were analyzed with a qualitative thematic content analysis, using the software program MAXQDA.

Results

Altogether, 3,499 answers were provided. One overarching concept emerged: clients' desire for individualized care. Within this concept, suggestions could be clustered around 1) provider characteristics: interpersonal skills, communication, and competence, and 2) service characteristics: content and quantity of care, guidance and support, continuity of care provider, continuity of care, information, and coordination of care.

Conclusions

Informed by the suggestions of women, care to women and their families could be improved by the following: 1) more continuity of the care provider during the prenatal, natal, and postnatal periods, 2) more information and information specifically tailored for the person, 3) client‐centered communication, and 4) a personal approach with 5) enough time spent per client.
DYNAMIC CORRELATION BETWEEN STOCK RETURNS AND EXCHANGE RATE AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON THE CONDITIONAL VOLATILITIES – THE CASE OF SEVERAL EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Authors: Živkov Dejan , Njegić Jovan , Pavlović Jasmina
Published: October 2015

The objective of the paper is to determine whether the linkage between stock returns and exchange rates in several Eastern European countries was in accordance with the flow oriented model or the portfolio‐balance approach. The dynamic interdependence between exchange rate and stock returns is determined using the Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) framework. The results pointed to a negative dynamic correlation which is in line with portfolio‐balance approach. Rolling regression revealed that conditional correlation was affected primarily by conditional volatility of currency, while the impact of stock returns volatility was negligible.
A Survey of Real‐Time Crowd Rendering
Authors: Beacco A. , Pelechano N. , Andújar C.
Published: October 2015

In this survey we review, classify and compare existing approaches for real‐time crowd rendering. We first overview character animation techniques, as they are highly tied to crowd rendering performance, and then we analyze the state of the art in crowd rendering. We discuss different representations for level‐of‐detail (LoD) rendering of animated characters, including polygon‐based, point‐based, and image‐based techniques, and review different criteria for runtime LoD selection. Besides LoD approaches, we review classic acceleration schemes, such as frustum culling and occlusion culling, and describe how they can be adapted to handle crowds of animated characters. We also discuss specific acceleration techniques for crowd rendering, such as primitive pseudo‐instancing, palette skinning, and dynamic key‐pose caching, which benefit from current graphics hardware. We also address other factors affecting performance and realism of crowds such as lighting, shadowing, clothing and variability. Finally we provide an exhaustive comparison of the most relevant approaches in the field.
Delayed clearance of triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins in young, healthy obese subjects
Authors: Larsen M. A. , Goll R. , Lekahl S. , Moen O. S. , Florholmen J.
Published: October 2015

Obesity is associated with the metabolic syndrome. The aims were, first, to study the postprandial triglyceride clearance in young, healthy obese subjects and, second, to investigate if fasting triglycerides can predict delayed postprandial triglyceride clearance. Eighteen apparently healthy, obese subjects with no clinical signs of metabolic disturbances participated. Controls were age‐ and sex‐matched, healthy, normal weight subjects. Subclinical markers of metabolic disturbances were assessed by measuring postprandial triglycerides in serum and in chylomicrons by oral fat tolerance test. Postprandial triglyceride clearance for 8 h was assessed indirectly as removal of the lipid from serum during the oral fat tolerance test. Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR). Twelve (66%) of the apparently healthy obese individuals had insulin resistance measured by HOMA‐IR. There was a delayed clearance of serum triglycerides and chylomicron triglycerides at 6 h when compared with the control group, while, at 8 h, the differences were only detected for the chylomicron triglyceride clearance. Triglyceride response was significantly greater in the obese subjects. Fasting triglycerides in upper normal level predicted a delayed postprandial triglyceride clearance and insulin resistance. In young, apparently healthy obese subjects early metabolic disturbances including insulin resistance and delayed postprandial triglyceride clearance can be detected. Fasting serum triglyceride in upper normal level predicted delayed postprandial triglyceride clearance and insulin resistance.
Increased 30‐day mortality in patients with diabetes undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer
Authors: Fransgaard T. , Thygesen L. C. , Gögenur I.
Published: October 2015

Aim

The primary aim of the study was to determine whether preexisting diabetes is associated with increased 30‐day mortality after curative resection of colorectal cancer (CRC). The association between antidiabetic treatment and 30‐day mortality was also examined.

Method

Patients diagnosed with CRC between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2012 were identified through the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group National Clinical Database (DCCG). The Danish National Patient Register (NPR) collated all hospital contacts in Denmark and the diagnosis of diabetes was identified by combining NPR data with the use of antidiabetic drugs identified through the Danish National Prescription Registry and DCCG. The 30‐day mortality was examined by the Kaplan–Meier method with the log‐rank test and the Cox regression model used to test statistical significance.

Results

The study included 29 353 patients, of whom 3250 had preexisting diabetes. The 30‐day mortality was significantly increased in patients with CRC and preexisting diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio 1.17, 95% CI 1.01–1.35, P = 0.03). The type of antidiabetic medication used was not associated with 30‐day mortality.

Conclusion

Preexisting diabetes was associated with a higher short‐term mortality in patients with CRC. No association between the type of antidiabetic medication and short‐term mortality could be shown.
Archaeology Through Computational Linguistics: Inscription Statistics Predict Excavation Sites of Indus Valley Artifacts
Authors: Recchia Gabriel L. , Louwerse Max M.
Published: October 2015

Computational techniques comparing co‐occurrences of city names in texts allow the relative longitudes and latitudes of cities to be estimated algorithmically. However, these techniques have not been applied to estimate the provenance of artifacts with unknown origins. Here, we estimate the geographic origin of artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, applying methods commonly used in cognitive science to the Indus script. We show that these methods can accurately predict the relative locations of archeological sites on the basis of artifacts of known provenance, and we further apply these techniques to determine the most probable excavation sites of four sealings of unknown provenance. These findings suggest that inscription statistics reflect historical interactions among locations in the Indus Valley region, and they illustrate how computational methods can help localize inscribed archeological artifacts of unknown origin. The success of this method offers opportunities for the cognitive sciences in general and for computational anthropology specifically.
Landscape composition, not connectivity, determines metacommunity structure across multiple scales
Authors: Ryberg Wade A. , Fitzgerald Lee A.
Published: October 2015

Metacommunities occupy landscapes, yet few studies of metacommunity structure consider contributions of multiple landscape elements explicitly. Previous studies have focused on measures of focal habitat connectivity as proxies for dispersal to distinguish among alternative metacommunity models. However, it is also clear that dispersal of species and metacommunity structure are also shaped by landscape composition and configuration. Slow integration of explicit landscape heterogeneity into the metacommunity concept has both limited our understanding of how landscape–dispersal interactions shape metacommunity structure and constrained the practical relevance of metacommunity theory. In this study, we encourage integration by developing an approach that characterizes how multiple landscape elements simultaneously contribute to metacommunity structure. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by characterizing how landscape heterogeneity shapes metacommunity structure of lizards at multiple spatial scales in the Mescalero Sands. We found diversity and spatial configuration of habitats in the surrounding landscape matrix best explained the pattern of nested subsets with clumped species loss observed in this lizard metacommunity across scales. Although our analyses included connectivity metrics for focal habitats, they were not shown to be important at any scale in this study. Our results were consistent with mass effects models of metacommunity theory as interpreted through landscape contrast. By integrating explicit landscape heterogeneity into the metacommunity framework, our approach provided a spatially explicit description of how and where landscape–dispersal interactions shaped metacommunity structure across scales and is directly applicable to many systems, especially those with indistinct boundaries. Our approach complements other analytical methods designed to tease apart relative roles of environmental filtering and spatial structure in metacommunity data. Finally, our approach enhances the practical relevance of metacommunity theory for future research in ecosystems subject to increasing landscape contrast as environments continue to be fragmented, habitats become further degraded and homogenized, and matrix habitats become more inhospitable.
Attractiveness of host volatiles combined with background visual cues to the tea leafhopper, Empoasca vitis
Authors: Cai Xiao‐Ming , Xu Xiu‐Xiu , Bian Lei , Luo Zong‐Xiu , Xin Zhao‐Jun , Chen Zong‐Mao
Published: October 2015

The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca vitis (Göthe) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a serious pest of tea plants. We examined the behavioral responses of E. vitis adults to odors from the shoots of three host plants in a Y‐tube olfactometer with background visual cues. The host plants were tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (Theaceae)], peach [Prunus persica (L.) Siebold & Zucc. (Rosaceae)], and grapevine [Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae)]. Volatiles from the shoots were analyzed. Both yellow‐green and gold backgrounds enhanced the olfactory responses of E. vitis adults to tea plant odors, and this enhancement was stronger under a high light intensity. On the yellow‐green background, E. vitis adults significantly preferred the odors from shoots of the three host plants compared with clean air. Moreover, E. vitis adults preferred grapevine odor over the tea plant odor. The volatile blends of the three plant species were distinctly different. Peach plant shoots emitted the greatest amount of volatiles, whereas grapevine shoots released the greatest diversity of compounds. These results provide evidence that background visual cues could enhance the response of E. vitis adults to host‐plant volatiles. The leafhoppers can discern different host odors, suggesting the possibility of using peach plant and grapevine odors to monitor and manage this pest in tea plantations.
Blow fly artifacts from blood and putrefaction fluid on various surfaces: a source for forensic STR typing
Authors: Kulstein Galina , Amendt Jens , Zehner Richard
Published: October 2015

Adult blow flies can deposit small spots (‘artifacts’) containing biological fluids like blood on various surfaces at a crime scene, either by regurgitation or defecation, and thereby create new or modify existing stains. These minute traces may represent evidence for the past presence of a certain person or victim in crime scene scenarios where nobody is present or all other crime‐related biological traces have been cleaned up. We analyzed artifacts on crime scene relevant surfaces (glass, wood, concrete, wallpaper, carpet, plastic wrap), produced by the forensically important blow fly Calliphora vicina Robineau‐Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) after ingesting fresh and degraded porcine blood as well as putrefaction fluid from a pig's trotter and evaluated the potential of these spots for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis at various time intervals after deposition. Genotyping was possible on single fly artifacts on all surfaces up to 300 days after deposition by the flies after both blood or putrefaction fluid intake. The results indicate that the suitability for STR typing of those spots mainly depends on the time since deposition. The activity of flies at a crime scene can lead to artifacts which are – even 300 days after deposition – a valuable source of case‐related DNA. Sometimes those traces may even be the only source of information for DNA profiling.