bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wit, Conversation, and Literary Transmission in Mid-Seventeenth-Century France and England: How Andrew Marvell Heard His Rabelais
Authors: McDowell Nicholas
Published: September 2016

References to Rabelais in Andrew Marvell’s prose satires against religious intolerance,The Rehearsal Transpros’d(1672–73), offer insights into the Restoration reception of Rabelaisian satire in the universities and the coffeehouses as a specifically anticlerical form of wit. But these references are either misattributed or incorrect, suggesting that Marvell may never actually have readGargantua and Pantagruel,but rather picked up Rabelaisian anecdotes when conversing in intellectual circles in France in the mid-1650s. Critical focus on the history of reading tends to neglect the inevitable role of such conversation in literary transmission, both within a national culture and across national borders.
Measurement and simulation of passive fast-ion D-alpha emission from the DIII-D tokamak
Authors: Bolte Nathan G. , Heidbrink William W. , Pace David , Van Zeeland Michael , Chen Xi
Published: September 2016

Spectra of passive fast-ion D-alpha (FIDA) light from beam ions that charge exchange with background neutrals are measured and simulated. The fast ions come from three sources: ions that pass through the diagnostic sightlines on their first full orbit, an axisymmetric confined population, and ions that are expelled into the edge region by instabilities. A passive FIDA simulation (P-FIDASIM) is developed as a forward model for the spectra of the first-orbit fast ions and consists of an experimentally-validated beam deposition model, an ion orbit-following code, a collisional-radiative model, and a synthetic spectrometer. Model validation consists of the simulation of 86 experimental spectra that are obtained using 6 different neutral beam fast-ion sources and 13 different lines of sight. Calibrated spectra are used to estimate the neutral density throughout the cross-section of the tokamak. The resulting 2D neutral density shows the expected increase toward each X-point with average neutral densities of

8
×

10
9

 

c
m

−
3

at the plasma boundary and

1
×

10

11

 

c
m

−
3

near the wall. Fast ions that are on passing orbits are expelled by the sawtooth instability more readily than trapped ions. In a sample discharge, approximately 1% of the fast-ion population is ejected into the high neutral density region per sawtooth crash.
Alterations of Enteric Microbiota in Patients with a Normal Ileal Pouch Are Predictive of Pouchitis
Authors: Maharshak Nitsan , Cohen Nathaniel Aviv , Reshef Leah , Tulchinsky Hagit , Gophna Uri , Dotan Iris
Published: September 2016

Objective:

To examine whether patients with a mature normal pouch [> 1 year post ileostomy closure] have microbial stool characteristics that can predict pouch inflammation.

Design:

Patients undergoing pouch surgery were recruited prospectively. Microbiota analysis of faecal samples was by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. All patients had a normal pouch at baseline [T1]. Those without pouchitis during the first year of follow-up [T2] comprised the ‘Normal Pouch-sustained’ group and those who had experienced an episode of pouchitis comprised the ‘Pre-Pouchitis’ group.

Results:

Twenty patients were recruited (age 53.6±13.1 years, pouch age [time from ileostomy closure] 8.1±5.1 years). Seven patients developed pouchitis during follow-up [within 265±93.6 days] and they were assigned to the Pre-Pouchitis group at T1: they had a decreased microbial diversity at T1 compared with the Normal Pouch-sustained patients [n = 13]. The Shannon diversity index for the Pre-Pouchitis patients was 3.4 vs 4.23 for the Normal Pouch-sustained patients [p = 0.011]. There were no substantial group differences in high taxonomic levels [order or above]. The genus Ruminococcus was significantly decreased in the Pre-Pouchitis patients’ samples compared with those of the Normal Pouch-sustained patients (0.19% vs 0.78%, respectively, false discovery rate [FDR] = 0.05). The linear discriminant analysis with effect size estimation algorithm revealed that Lachnospira and Coprococcus genera were also decreased among Pre-Pouchitis patients compared with Normal Pouch-sustained patients [0.6% vs 1.95% and 2.1% vs 4%, respectively].

Conclusions:

Patients with a normal mature pouch may be predisposed to acute pouchitis when faecal microbial diversity and certain microbial groups are decreased. These findings may aid in risk stratification of those patients.
New geometric flows
Authors: Tian Gang
Published: September 2016

This is an expository paper on geometric flows. I will start with a brief tour on Ricci flow, then I will discuss two geometric flows introduced in my joint work with J. Streets and some recent works on them.
Thermal and Functional Properties of Hairless Canary Seed (Phalaris canariensis L.) Starch in Comparison with Wheat Starch
Authors: Irani Mahdi , Abdel‐Aal El‐Sayed M. , Razavi Seyed M. A. , Hucl Pierre , Patterson Carol Ann
Published: September 2016

Recently, hairless canary seed has received generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and an approval as a novel food from Health Canada. There is a need to characterize its components for food and nonfood applications. In this study, thermal and functional properties of starch obtained from two hairless canary seed varieties were investigated and compared with commercial wheat starch. Both canary seed starches (CSS) had polygonal granules with a diameter range of 0.5–7.5 μm and average of 2.6 μm. The CSS showed a typical crystal structure (A‐type) of cereal starches but exhibited a strong amylose‐lipid complex peak at 4.4°A. DSC data showed that CSS have higher gelatinization transition temperatures (onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures) and broader gelatinization range compared with wheat starch. The CSS also exhibited higher peak, trough, final, breakdown, and setback viscosity in addition to higher swelling power and water solubility index than wheat starch. The exudate from CSS gels after freeze‐thawing treatment was lower than that of wheat starch gel, but CSS suspensions showed less clarity. The distinct properties of CSS, particularly having uniform and small granules, low amount of damaged starch and amylose, and better gel stability, would make it a promising nonconventional starch source.
Evaluating postoperative fever
Authors: Maday Kristopher R. , Hurt John B. , Harrelson Paul , Porterfield John
Published: September 2016

Fever is one of the most common postoperative complications seen in medical and surgical settings. Clinicians taking care of these patients need to be able to differentiate between a normal physiologic response to surgery and one that may be pathologic. Pathologic causes should be further separated into infectious and noninfectious causes. A systematic approach to febrile postoperative patients can help clinicians make better use of resources, limit costly workups, and improve patient outcomes.
Evaluating Pulmonary Function: An Assessment of Pao 2/Fio 2
Authors: Feiner John R. , Weiskopf Richard B.
Published: September 2016

Objectives:

Pao
2/Fio
2 is used commonly for diagnosis of lung injury (acute respiratory distress syndrome and transfusion-related acute lung injury), for assessment of pulmonary disease course and therapy, and in pulmonary transplantation for evaluation of donor lungs and clinical outcome. It was developed for convenience, without formal mathematical and graphic assessment to validate its suitability for these purposes.

Design:

We examined, mathematically and graphically, the relationship of Pao
2/Fio
2 to Fio
2 at constant normal and several degrees of increased intrapulmonary shunting (Qs/Qt
), assessing the impact of intra- and extrapulmonary factors on the relationship and thus the reliability of Pao
2/Fio
2.

Measurements and Main Results:

The relationship of Pao
2/Fio
2 varies at all shunt fractions but most with Qs/Qt
from 0.1 to 0.3 with Fio
2 approximately greater than 0.4. At higher Qs/Qt
, the relationship is more constant and changes less with Fio
2 more than 0.4. Hemoglobin concentration and arterial-venous oxygen content difference have large effects that can confound interpretation of Pao
2/Fio
2. Barometric pressure has a substantial effect; Pco
2, base excess, and respiratory quotient have small effects.

Conclusions:

At high Qs/Qt
with Fio
2 more than 0.4, the relationship of Pao
2/Fio
2 to Fio
2 is relatively constant. However, with Qs/Qt
of 0.1–0.3, Pao
2/Fio
2 changes substantially with Fio
2. Understanding the important effects of nonpulmonary factors (especially hemoglobin concentration and arterial-venous oxygen content difference) should enhance appropriate clinical use, interpretation of Pao
2/Fio
2, and interpretation of previous publications and future studies (especially those seeking to assess effects of anemia or transfusion on lung function). The ratio of Pao
2/Fio
2 is a good tool for some, but not many clinical circumstances, and is insufficiently robust for most research applications.
Caregiver Well-being and Patient Outcomes in Heart Failure
Authors: Bidwell Julie T. , Lyons Karen S. , Lee Christopher S.
Published: September 2016

Background:

Despite evidence from the broader caregiving literature about the interdependent nature of the caregiving dyad, few studies in heart failure (HF) have examined associations between caregiver and patient characteristics.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to quantitatively synthesize the relationships between caregiver well-being and patient outcomes.

Methods:

The MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases were searched for studies of adult HF patients and informal caregivers that tested the relationship between caregiver well-being (perceived strain and psychological distress) and patient outcomes of interest. Summary effects across studies were estimated using random effects meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results:

A total of 15 articles meeting inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Taking into account differences across studies, higher caregiver strain was associated significantly with greater patient symptoms (Fisher z = 0.22, P < .001) and higher caregiver strain was associated significantly with lower patient quality of life (Fisher z = −0.36, P < .001). Relationships between caregiver psychological distress and both patient symptoms and quality of life were not significant. Although individual studies largely found significant relationships between worse caregiver well-being and higher patient clinical event-risk, these studies were not amenable to meta-analysis because of substantial variation in event-risk measures.

Conclusions:

Clinical management and research approaches that acknowledge the interdependent nature of the caregiving dyad hold great potential to benefit both patients and caregivers.
Pilot Study: A Pediatric Pedestrian Safety Curriculum for Preschool Children
Authors: Bovis Stephanie E. , Harden Taijha , Hotz Gillian
Published: September 2016

To evaluate and implement the WalkSafe Pre-Kindergarten Pedestrian Safety Curriculum. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design without a control group was used to measure children's pedestrian safety knowledge. Knowledge assessments consisting of multiple-choice and short-answer questions were administered pre- and post-curriculum implementation by classroom teachers. Knowledge assessments gauged prekindergarten students' knowledge of pedestrian safety activities prior to safety curriculum implementation and, again, after the students received the curriculum. A total of 605 children (aged 3- to 5-year) from 38 prekindergarten classrooms in 16 randomly selected elementary schools participated in the pedestrian safety education pilot program. Subjects were of multiethnic and diverse backgrounds from the Miami-Dade County Public School District. Of the 605 educated subjects, 454 children completed both pre- and posttests. A statistically significant difference was found between pretest knowledge (M = 5.49, SD = 1.54) and posttest knowledge (M = 6.64, SD = 1.35) assessment scores across all 454 subjects, t(452) = −16.22, p < .001, 95% CI [−1.29, −1.01]. Previous studies have shown that classroom-based training of children as young as 4 years old can yield significant improvements in traffic safety knowledge. The statistical findings of the WalkSafe Pre-Kindergarten Pedestrian Safety Curriculum revealed statistically significant improvements in pedestrian safety knowledge of these young children. Future research efforts will focus on longitudinal behavioral changes in these students and an increase in pedestrian safety behaviors (e.g., utilization of crosswalks or sidewalks).
Management of Foreign Body Removal in Children by Flexible Bronchoscopy
Authors: Tenenbaum Tobias , Kähler Georg , Janke Christoph , Schroten Horst , Demirakca Süha
Published: September 2016

Background:

Rigid bronchoscopy remains the gold standard in many countries to remove airway foreign bodies (FBs). We aimed to analyze the feasibility of airway FB removal in children, primarily by flexible bronchoscopy through a laryngeal mask.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2013, 62 children with suspected airway FB who underwent flexible bronchoscopy were analyzed in a retrospective chart review at a tertiary university hospital with respect to clinical presentation and medical management.

Results:

In 28/62 children (45.2%) an airway FB could be found and in all patients removed by flexible bronchoscopy. Additional 19/34 children (55.8%), in which no FB was found, showed macroscopic evidence of prior FB aspiration. The most frequently removed airway FBs were nuts (13/28; 46.4%) followed by other organic airway FBs (9/28; 32.2%) and nonorganic airway FBs (6/28; 21.4%). All FBs were uneventfully removed with a grasping forceps (16/28; 57.1%), basket forceps (9/28; 32.2%), suction (2/28; 7.1%), or polypectomy snare (1/28; 3.6%). Children with proven airway FB were significantly younger than children without an airway FB (24 vs. 27 mo). Adjuvant antibiotic therapy was given in 15/28 (53.6%) children with proven airway FB and 13/34 (38.2%) without, steroids in 24/28 (85.7%) and 21/34 (61.8%), respectively. In 6/28 (9.7%) children epinephrine intrabronchial was used to mobilize the airway FB during bronchoscopy.

Conclusion:

In an optimized clinical setting, flexible bronchoscopy can be regarded as a feasible procedure to remove airway FB through a laryngeal mask. Short-term and long-term outcome is favorable.
Small Sample Lung Biopsy Findings in Patients With Clinicoradiologic Suspicion of Pulmonary Venoocclusive Disease–Pulmonary Capillary Hemangiomatosis
Authors: Bal Shakti K. , Thangakunam Balamugesh , Irodi Aparna , Gupta Mayank , Christopher Devasahayam J.
Published: September 2016

Pulmonary venoocclusive disease (PVOD) and pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH) form a sinister subgroup of pulmonary arterial hypertension where the predominant pathology lies in the pulmonary veins and capillaries, thus making the use of pulmonary vasodilators potentially dangerous in these patients. Radiologically, the presence of centrilobular nodules, interlobular septal thickening, and significant mediastinal adenopathy are useful in identifying this subgroup from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The combination of all three has a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 100% in identifying this subgroup. We present a case series of 3 patients who were radiologically suspected to have PVOD or PCH and in whom pathologic corroborative evidence suggestive of PVOD and PCH was found in small sample lung biopsy specimens: transbronchial lung biopsy (2 patients) and trucut biopsy of the postmortem lung (1 patient). Histopathology, in our patients, showed pulmonary arteriole smooth muscle proliferation and narrowing, capillary proliferation, intimal fibrosis of pulmonary veins and arteries, interstitial fibrosis, interstitial foreign body type of multinucleate giant cells, and aggregates of alveolar and interstitial hemosiderophages. In conclusion, histopathology of small lung biopsy samples can provide useful corroborative pathologic evidence in patients with clinicoradiologic suspicion of PVOD-PCH.
Intrabronchial Voriconazole is a Safe and Effective Measure for Hemoptysis Control in Pulmonary Aspergilloma
Authors: Mohan Anant , Tiwari Pawan , Madan Karan , Hadda Vijay , Poulose Rosemary , Bhalla Ashu S. , Khandelwal Rohit , Khilnani Gopi C. , Guleria Randeep
Published: September 2016

Background:

Hemoptysis is common in pulmonary aspergilloma. Current treatment modalities such as surgical resection or bronchial artery embolization (BAE) are limited by lack of technical expertise and risk of recurrence, respectively. We describe our experience of treating aspergilloma and hemoptysis with bronchoscopic instillation of voriconazole.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed records of patients with symptomatic aspergilloma undergoing bronchoscopic voriconazole instillation. Four sessions were carried out at weekly intervals using 400 mg voriconazole dissolved in 20 mL 0.9% normal saline.

Results:

A total of 82 subjects were evaluated [66 males; mean (SD) age, 43.2 (14.1) y]. The commonest underlying etiology was posttubercular sequelae (95.1%). Of these, 18 patients (22%) had BAE within the last 1 year. The mean (SD) size of aspergilloma was 4.5 cm (1.5 cm). Following voriconazole instillation, 25 patients (30.5%) had significant resolution of hemoptysis after first session, and 52 patients (68.3%) after the second session. Transient postprocedure cough (n=38; 46.3%) was the commonest procedure-related adverse event. Follow-up CT (n=47) showed reduction in aspergilloma size in 54% and no change in 40.4%. The median (IQR) hemoptysis-free period was 12 months (IQR, 9 to 15.5 mo). Recurrence of significant hemoptysis occurred in 24 (29.3%) patients during a median follow-up of 14.5 months (IQR, 9-18 mo). A history of prior BAE and baseline aspergilloma size were significantly associated with recurrence of significant hemoptysis.

Conclusion:

Intrabronchial voriconazole instillation seems to be a safe and effective modality for hemoptysis control in pulmonary aspergilloma.
The Management of Patients With Diverticulosis and Diverticular Disease in Primary Care
Authors: De Bastiani Rudi , Sanna Guido , Fracasso Pierluigi , D’Urso Maurizio , Benedetto Edoardo , Tursi Antonio
Published: September 2016

Goals:

To investigate the current opinion of Italian general practitioners (GPs) on the management of patients with diverticular disease (DD) of the colon.

Background:

The management of DD remains a point of debate, and guidelines are not uniform in their advice.

Study:

A web-based survey was conducted among Italian GPs. Twelve questions were aimed at the diagnosis, treatment, and management options for diverticulosis and symptomatic DD.

Results:

In total, 245 surveys were filled out. A high-fiber diet was prescribed widely in diverticulosis (44%), together with advice to allow seeds (30%). Rifaximin (26%) and probiotics (25%) were the most frequently prescribed drugs in this population. Colonoscopy was the most prescribed instrumental tool in the diagnosis (77%) and follow-up (21%) of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease patients. Rifaximin, probiotics, and mesalazine were the most frequently prescribed drugs in symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease patients (82.8, 59.5%, and 36.3%, respectively). Finally, 77% of the Italian GPs prescribed laboratory exams in the follow-up of these patients. The vast majority of the Italian GPs (83%) managed suspected acute diverticulitis at home, and did not consider two episodes of acute diverticulitis as a strict surgical indication (86%). Rifaximin, probiotics, and mesalazine were the most frequently prescribed drugs to prevent recurrence of the disease (42.5%, 28.2%, and 12.4%, respectively). Finally, 87% of the Italian GPs prescribed laboratory examinations in the follow-up of these patients.

Conclusions:

This survey shows that the current management of DD in primary care by Italian GPs is not fully in line with current guidelines and more recent literature data.
Inflammation, Genetics, Dysbiosis, and the Environment
Authors: Walker Marjorie M.
Published: September 2016

Chronic and complex gut syndromes are complex to diagnose and manage, but good clinicopathologic correlation, recognition of new entities, understanding (and understanding the limits) of genetic susceptibility and the importance of the microbiome, dysbiosis and influence of the environmental allows development of new models for diagnosis. An awareness of overlap in chronic gut syndromes has been clarified by the realization that inflammatory pathways involved in chronic gut disease can arise through variable gene expression that is influenced by the environment in susceptible individuals. Recent advances in diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease and diverticular disease may be aided by genetic tests but at present, pathology and some simple biomarkers such as C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin are still mainstream investigative measures. When made aware of the importance of these recent developments in chronic gut disease, histopathologists can easily recognize colonic spirochetosis and microscopic colitis. The role of the microbiome alongside interaction with the environment, are now recognized as key players in complex diseases. Integration of appropriate and cost-effective tests into new paradigms will surely advance patients’ well-being and allow development of curative-targeted therapies rather than current treatments which, in many cases, merely alleviate symptoms.
German Guidelines
Authors: Kruis Wolfgang , Nguyen Gia P. , Leifeld Ludger
Published: September 2016

Because of its frequency, diverticular disease is a burden on health care systems. Only few formal guidelines covering all aspects of the disease exist. Here, some selected statements from the German guidelines are given. The guidelines include significant recommendations for the diagnosis and management of diverticular disease. Both diagnosis and management depend definitely on clear definitions of the situation of an individual patient. Therefore, a new classification is proposed that is based on earlier suggestions. An internationally established classification would not only enable better patient care but could also lead to studies with comparable results.
Myths and Evidences in Diverticular Disease
Authors: Bafutto Mauro , Oliveira Enio C.
Published: September 2016

Diverticular disease is a very common entity affecting the elders, but also a few people in the young age group. Most patients are asymptomatic, but about 30% of them will have abdominal complaints. As the pathophysiology of diverticular disease has changed since its description, we address some important points about the disease. Recent knowledge has changed the way we treat the patients with diverticular disease: conservatively or surgically.
Diverticular Disease and Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Regula Jaroslaw
Published: September 2016

Associations between diverticular disease of the colon and the colorectal cancer has been studied for >60 years. Observational, cross-sectional, and case-control studies as well as large population-based studies gave conflicting results and association was not fully proven. Obtaining the proof was difficult because both diseases share similar clinical characteristics, both increase with age, and both involve similar dietary factors. Long-term observations are difficult as diagnostic methods changed over time from barium enema 50 to 60 years ago, through endoscopy, up to CT and MR in recent years. Cancer or adenomas may be missed within diverticular segment; diverticula may be underreported in patients with colon cancer diagnosis. Most recent 2 large cohort studies have solved the dilemma. These studies have clearly shown that diverticular disease does not increase the risk of colon cancer after the first year of diagnosis. Within the first year of diagnosis the association is strong, most probably due to difficulties with differential diagnosis and misclassifications and shared symptoms. Findings of these studies have led to the conclusion that colon cancer has to be excluded using modern techniques after the first episode of suspected diverticulitis.
Open or Laparoscopic Treatment
Authors: Oliveira Enio C. , Bafutto Mauro , Almeida Jose R.
Published: September 2016

Surgical treatment of diverticulitis is still characterized by high morbidity and mortality. Surgical approach evolved from the early 20th century with 3-stage laparotomy to colon resection with primary anastomosis. In the last 2 decades, laparoscopic colectomy has been applied to elective and emergency setting of diverticular disease. Recently, laparoscopic lavage and drainage has been used to treat purulent peritonitis. All those modalities of treatment have been discussed and pointed pros and cons.
Emergency Heart Failure Mortality Risk Grade score performance for 7-day mortality prediction in patients with heart failure attended at the emergency department: validation in a Spanish cohort
Authors: Gil Víctor , Miró Òscar , Schull Michael J. , Llorens Pere , Herrero-Puente Pablo , Jacob Javier , Ríos José , Lee Douglas S. , Martín-Sánchez Francisco J.
Published: September 2016

Objective

The Emergency Heart Failure Mortality Risk Grade (EHMRG) scale, derived in 86 Canadian emergency departments (EDs), stratifies patients with acute-decompensated heart failure (ADHF) according to their 7-day mortality risk. We evaluated its external validity in a Spanish cohort.

Patients and methods

We applied the EHMRG scale to ADHF patients consecutively included in the Epidemiology of Acute Heart Failure in Emergency departments (EAHFE) registry (29 Spanish EDs) and measured its performance. Patients were distributed into quintiles according to the original and their self-defined score cutoffs. The 7-day mortality rates were compared internally among different categories and with categories of Canadian cohorts.

Results

The EAHFE group [n: 1553 patients; 80 (10) years; 55.6% women] had a 5.5% 7-day mortality rate and the EHMRG scale c-statistic was 0.741 (95% confidence interval: 0.688–0.793) compared with 0.807 (0.761–0.842) and 0.804 (0.763–0.840) obtained in the Canadian derivation and validation cohorts. The mortality rate of the EAHFE group mortality increased progressively as the quintile categories increased using intervals defined by either the Canadian or the Spanish EHMRG score cutoffs, although with more regular increments with the EAHFE-defined intervals; using the latter, patients at quintiles 2, 3, 4, 5a and 5b had (compared with quintile 1) odds ratios of 1.77, 3.36, 4.44, 9.39 and 16.19, respectively.

Conclusion

The EHMRG scale stratified risk in an ADHF cohort that included both palliative and nonpalliative patients in Spanish EDs, showing an extrapolation to a higher mortality risk cohort than the original derivation sample. Stratification improved when the score was recalibrated in the Spanish cohort.
Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation
Authors: Ambur Ole Herman , Engelstädter Jan , Johnsen Pål J. , Miller Eric L. , Rozen Daniel E.
Published: September 2016

Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes.

 This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’.
Gamete signalling underlies the evolution of mating types and their number
Authors: Hadjivasiliou Zena , Pomiankowski Andrew
Published: September 2016

The gametes of unicellular eukaryotes are morphologically identical, but are nonetheless divided into distinct mating types. The number of mating types varies enormously and can reach several thousand, yet most species have only two. Why do morphologically identical gametes need to be differentiated into self-incompatible mating types, and why is two the most common number of mating types? In this work, we explore a neglected hypothesis that there is a need for asymmetric signalling interactions between mating partners. Our review shows that isogamous gametes always interact asymmetrically throughout sex and argue that this asymmetry is favoured because it enhances the efficiency of the mating process. We further develop a simple mathematical model that allows us to study the evolution of the number of mating types based on the strength of signalling interactions between gametes. Novel mating types have an advantage as they are compatible with all others and rarely meet their own type. But if existing mating types coevolve to have strong mutual interactions, this restricts the spread of novel types. Similarly, coevolution is likely to drive out less attractive mating types. These countervailing forces specify the number of mating types that are evolutionarily stable.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’.
The frequency of sex in fungi
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Bart P. S. , James Timothy Y.
Published: September 2016

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms with a huge variation in reproductive strategy. While almost all species can reproduce sexually, many reproduce asexually most of the time. When sexual reproduction does occur, large variation exists in the amount of in- and out-breeding. While budding yeast is expected to outcross only once every 10 000 generations, other fungi are obligate outcrossers with well-mixed panmictic populations. In this review, we give an overview of the costs and benefits of sexual and asexual reproduction in fungi, and the mechanisms that evolved in fungi to reduce the costs of either mode. The proximate molecular mechanisms potentiating outcrossing and meiosis appear to be present in nearly all fungi, making them of little use for predicting outcrossing rates, but also suggesting the absence of true ancient asexual lineages. We review how population genetic methods can be used to estimate the frequency of sex in fungi and provide empirical data that support a mixed mode of reproduction in many species with rare to frequent sex in between rounds of mitotic reproduction. Finally, we highlight how these estimates might be affected by the fungus-specific mechanisms that evolved to reduce the costs of sexual and asexual reproduction.

This article is part of the themed issue ‘Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction’.
Prefrontal cortical control of a brainstem social behavior circuit
Authors: Franklin Tamara B. , Silva Bianca A. , Perova Zina , Marrone Livia , Masferrer Maria E. , Zhan Yang , Kaplan Angie , Greetham Louise , Verrechia Violaine , Halman Andreas , Pagella Sara , Vyssotski Alexei L. , Illarionova Anna , Grinevich Valery , Branco Tiago , Gross Cornelius T.
Published: September 2016

The prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in adjusting an organism’s behavior to its environment. In particular, numerous studies have implicated the prefrontal cortex in the control of social behavior, but the neural circuits that mediate these effects remain unknown. Here we investigated behavioral adaptation to social defeat in mice and uncovered a critical contribution of neural projections from the medial prefrontal cortex to the dorsal periaqueductal grey, a brainstem area vital for defensive responses. Social defeat caused a weakening of functional connectivity between these two areas and selective inhibition of these projections mimicked the behavioral effects of social defeat. These findings define a specific neural projection by which the prefrontal cortex can control and adapt social behavior.
Who’s who? Detecting and resolving sample anomalies in human DNA sequencing studies with peddy
Authors: Pedersen Brent S. , Quinlan Aaron R.
Published: September 2016

The potential for genetic discovery in human DNA sequencing studies is greatly diminished if DNA samples from the cohort are mislabelled, swapped, contaminated, or include unintended individuals. Unfortunately, the potential for such errors is significant since DNA samples are often manipulated by several protocols, labs or scientists in the process of sequencing. We have developed peddy to identify and facilitate the remediation of such errors via interactive visualizations and reports comparing the stated sex, relatedness, and ancestry to what is inferred from each individual’s genotypes. Peddy predicts a sample’s ancestry using a machine learning model trained on individuals of diverse ancestries from the 1000 Genomes Project reference panel. Peddy’s speed, text reports and web interface facilitate both automated and visual detection of sample swaps, poor sequencing quality and other indicators of sample problems that, were they left undetected, would inhibit discovery.

Software Availability

https://github.com/brentp/peddy

Demonstration (Chrome suggested)

http://home.chpc.utah.edu/∼u6000771//plots/ceph1463.html
First the seed, next the smolt?
Authors: Borgen Svein Ole , Aarset Bernt
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of biotechnological inventions and innovations on the organization of the burgeoning Atlantic salmon farming industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors study how novel biotechnological inventions are utilized within Atlantic salmon aquaculture. The authors compare the findings with the historical development path of invention and innovation in the plant sector, and explore parallels and dissimilarities between the plant breeding sector and Atlantic salmon aquaculture.

Findings

The innovation capacity within Atlantic salmon aquaculture is distinct from the plant sector, but nonetheless likely to become equifinal. Similar to plants, the female fecundity of salmon is high. Hybridization, which is an effective mechanism for protection of investments in high fecundity organisms, is less effective in salmon farming because the genetic variability is higher in salmon. Hybridization provides plant breeders with significant power over grow-out farmers. The development path in Atlantic salmon sector is distinctively dissimilar from plants, but salmon farmers nonetheless appear to move toward the structural configurations that are parallel to the plant sector. The significance of new breeding technologies in Atlantic salmon farming ascends, and will play an increasingly important role in the further development of this industry.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to the prevailing knowledge of how inventions and innovations influence the future development of the Atlantic salmon industry.

Originality/value

Biotechnological inventions are evolving within aquaculture. So far, the implications of novel biotechnological possibilities for the Atlantic salmon sector have been underanalyzed. The paper explores these implications from the perspective of political economy.
The role of packaging within marketing and value creation
Authors: Rundh Bo
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of innovative packaging for marketing purposes in a food supply chain. The intent is also to understand the function of packaging as a marketing tool. The outcome of the study is expected to contribute to the link between packaging and marketing literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study method was chosen in order to assess and investigate how packaging can be used in marketing. The study focuses on narrating the use of packaging for different customer applications and the unit of analyses was the packaging product. In order to analyse the five sub-cases or “corporate stories” a cross-case analysis was used and the analysis of data was carried out in different stages. This approach treats each sub-case as a separate entity and the analysis reveal both similarities and differences among the sub-cases.

Findings

The present study demonstrates that packaging has become an important tool in marketing of different products either this is for end-consumers, or customers in a supply chain. This has become more essential as more products are introduced on a market. The study shows the significance of linking packaging to marketing strategy. An important ingredient for that is the use of packaging design for differentiation purposes. The results support also that packaging has become an essential factor for a secure and efficient distribution in a food supply chain. In addition, packaging and packaging design is contributing to value creation for different actors in a food supply chain.

Practical implications

The managerial implication from the case study shows that packaging can be used together with the product concept to create a competitive offering in a market. This gives managers the possibility to differentiate their products from competitive offerings by using packaging and packaging design in a creative manner.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need for contributions to more research on packaging and marketing strategy. The study shows the influence of packaging on marketing.
Bridging the traditional-progressive education rift through entrepreneurship
Authors: Lackéus Martin , Lundqvist Mats , Middleton Karen Williams
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to use entrepreneurship to bridge the traditional-progressive education rift.

Design/methodology/approach

The rift between traditional and progressive education is first deconstructed into five dualisms. Conceptual question-based analysis is then applied to determine if and how three entrepreneurial tools could contribute to bridging this rift; effectuation, customer development and appreciative inquiry. Finally, pattern-based generalizations are drawn from this analysis.

Findings

Patterns in the analysis motivate the articulation of an overarching educational philosophy –learning-through-creating-value-for-others– grounded in entrepreneurship and capable of bridging the educational rift.

Research limitations/implications

Only three entrepreneurial tools are included in the conceptual analysis, signifying a need to explore whether other tools could also help teachers bridge the traditional-progressive education rift. Entrepreneurial tools and the new educational philosophy manifesting entrepreneurship could also need to be further contextualized in order to be useful in education.

Practical implications

The tentatively new educational philosophy has been shown to be capable of bridging five dualisms in education which are currently problematic for teachers in their daily practice, and to remedy teacher challenges such as complexity, lack of resources, assessment difficulties and student disengagement.

Originality/value

An educational philosophy grounded in entrepreneurship has arguably not been proposed previously. Contrasting existent educational philosophies, this new philosophy goes beyond learning-through to also emphasize creating-value-for-others. This could facilitate bridging between traditional and progressive education, one of the most important challenges in education. It could also be used to facilitate the infusion of entrepreneurship into general education.
Surface modification model of long afterglow phosphors by saturated fatty acid based Al-Zr coupling agent
Authors: Yin Peng , Xue Can , Guo Bin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of different carbon chain lengths in coupling agents on the water resistance and compatibility of modified long afterglow phosphors and attempt to obtain their modification model and mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Three saturated-fatty-acid (caprylic, lauric, stearic acid)-based Al-Zr CAs (coupling agent) was synthesised and applied to modify the long afterglow phosphors SrMgAl4O8:Eu2+,Dy3+.

Findings

Results show that the coated amount on phosphors decreased from 13.41 to 6.53 per cent with the increased carbon chain length of fatty acid, and the better water resistant and suitability with organic resin can be obtained by lauric-based Al-Zr CA.

Originality/value

Considering that the decomposition process of modified phosphor was related with the decomposition performance of corresponding coupling agents and original phosphor, a method was first proposed to calculate the coated amount on phosphors by thermogravimetric analyser parameters.
Antecedents and consequences of sponsor-stadium fit
Authors: Nakazawa Makoto , Yoshida Masayuki , Gordon Brian S.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Integrating several streams of theoretical reasoning such as social identity theory, congruity theory and the customer gratitude approach, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model of the antecedents and consequences of sponsor-stadium fit and examine the hypothesised relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from professional football spectators in a non-historic stadium context (n=342). Through a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, the authors assessed the antecedents and consequences of sponsor-stadium fit.

Findings

Based on the results, team identification and prior sponsor attitude were found to be the dominant factors in enhancing sponsor-stadium fit. Furthermore, the indirect effects of team identification on purchase intentions through sponsor-stadium fit and gratitude towards the sponsor were positive and significant.

Research limitations/implications

When renaming non-historic stadiums of relatively new sport teams, sponsors that present a team-related brand identity can create a preference and image fit with stadiums. The findings serve to advance the literature on stadium sponsorship particularly at non-historic stadiums.

Originality/value

In its conceptualisation of sponsor-stadium fit, the current study extends previous research that has focused primarily on sponsor-event fit.
Measuring the livelihood vulnerability index of a dry region in Indonesia
Authors: Tjoe Yenny
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the study of sustainable rural livelihoods by developing a model to measure vulnerability of subsistence communities in dryland regions and identifying the major determinants that contribute to the livelihood vulnerability of these communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The author conducted a household survey across three subsistence communities in West Timor (n=627), from June to November 2013. Based on the guideline of the OECD (2008), the author developed a series of indicators and constructed a composite index to measure the vulnerability of dryland communities. The author adapted the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) measure from Hahn et al. (2009) but refined it by using Shannon’s entropy method in deciding the weights of indicators and statistically tested the correlation between indicators using Kendall’s correlations.

Findings

Six major determinants were identified: education (EDU), children’s participation in agriculture (CPA), agricultural income (AI), subsistence food reserve (SUBSIST), social-cultural participation (SCP) and access to water, health clinic and market (ACC). LVI in all communities shows significant and strong relationships with SCP (0.594, p<0.01), AI (0.545, p<0.01) and CPA (0.434, p<0.01). This signifies that constraints to engage in social gatherings, market the harvest and obtain additional labour input are currently the major contributor to the vulnerability in these communities.

Research limitations/implications

Shannon’s entropy is one of the methods for assisting in making decision (ranking) objectively. The results may need to be tested further using other methods.

Practical implications

Using objective weight provides additional information useful for identifying and prioritising areas (sub-components) which require attention and appropriate solutions to prevent households from further impoverishment and increased vulnerability.

Social implications

Livelihood vulnerability of subsistence community in dry region is closely related to local survival skills and customs. Differences in the level of vulnerability across communities are due not only to geographical location and physical infrastructure, but also the leadership of local customary leaders and village government in looking for ways to improve the livelihoods of community members.

Originality/value

This paper is based on part of the results of a PhD thesis supported and approved by Griffith University. It has not been published before.
Efficient and accurate edge‐preserving smoothing for 3D hexagonally sampled seismic data
Authors: Ashraf Haroon , Mousa Wail A. , Al‐Dossary Saleh
Published: September 2016

The automatic detection of geological features such as faults and channels is a challenging problem in today's seismic exploration industry. Edge detection filters are generally applied to locate features. It is desirable to reduce noise in the data before edge detection. The application of smoothing or low‐pass filters results in noise suppression, but this causes edge blurring as well. Edge‐preserving smoothing is a technique that results in simultaneous edge preservation and noise suppression. Until now, edge‐preserving smoothing has been carried out on rectangular sampled seismic data. In this paper, an attempt has been made to detect edges by applying edge‐preserving smoothing as a pre‐processing step in the hexagonally sampled seismic‐data spatial domain. A hexagonal approach is an efficient method of sampling and has greater symmetry than a rectangular approach. Here, spiral architecture has been employed to handle the hexagonally sampled seismic data. A comparison of edge‐preserving smoothing on both rectangular and hexagonally sampled seismic data is carried out. The data used were provided by Saudi Aramco. It is shown that hexagonal processing results in well‐defined edges with fewer computations.