bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing the university-industry collaborative innovation in China
Authors: Li Fei , Chen Jin , Su Yu-Shan
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Collaboration with universities is an important innovation strategy for enterprises. However, currently very little research has focused on how such university-industry collaborative innovation activities should be managed. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces the university-industry collaborative innovation practices of Zhejiang NHU Company in China. By using a case study as the method, this paper aims to illustrate the mechanism of university-industry collaborative innovation and how to manage the collaborative innovation activities efficiently.

Findings

Zhejiang NHU Company established a university-industry collaborative innovation link through three innovation platforms: the technology R&D center, the ZJU-NHU joint-research center, and the national engineer center. Zhejiang NHU Company manages its collaborative relationships with universities through this innovation network.

Originality/value

NHU Company managed the collaborative relationship efficiently with the institutions, representing an effective degree of university-industry collaborative innovation management.
Human resource management and performance at the Indian Railways
Authors: Pereira Vijay Edward , Fontinha Rita , Budhwar Pawan , Arora Bimal
Published: February 2018

Purpose

High-performance work practices (HPWPs) have been well documented within private organisations in developed country economies. Such practices, however, remain under-investigated in the public sector and in emerging economies. The purpose of this paper is to work towards filling this void, by empirically evaluating HPWP within an Indian public sector undertaking (PSU), also the world’s largest commercial public sector employer: the Indian Railways (IR).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors investigate whether the practices implemented in this organisation are consistent with the idea of HPWPs, and analyse how they are influenced by different stakeholders and ultimately associated with different indicators of organisational performance. The authors focused on six railway zones and interviewed a total of 62 HR practitioners.

Findings

The results show that most practices implemented are aligned with the idea of HPWPs, despite the existence of context-specific unique practices. Furthermore, the authors identify the influence of multiple stakeholders in decision making concerning different practices. The authors additionally found that the measurement of performance goes beyond financial indicators and several context-specific non-financial indicators are identified and their social importance is reiterated.

Originality/value

Theoretically, this paper utilises and contributes to the resource-based view of firms by identifying a distinctive bundle of competencies in human resources through HPWS in the IR.
Life enrichment for workers in contemporary China
Authors: Zhao Yang , Fujimoto Yuka , Gaur Sanjaya Singh
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify key antecedents of work-family enrichment (WFE) for Chinese workers in China. The paper adopts the Chinese cultural perspectives (i.e. philosophy of Confucian: Chinese family orientation and collectivism) as well as traditional Chinese philosophies of life as a whole.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper. Therefore, this section does not apply.

Findings

The key antecedents of Chinese WFE have been identified and presented in the conceptual framework. Testable propositions have also been developed and presented in this paper.

Practical implications

The conceptual framework showing the identified key antecedents of Chinese WFE highlights the necessity for the corporate leaders to rethink the ways to promote well-being and productivity of Chinese workforce in China. Meanwhile, managers should rethink about WFE among Chinese employees and regard employees as a whole person rather than just a worker with certain skills or abilities.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to propose the concept of life enrichment by examining the antecedents of WFE particularly from the Chinese philosophical and cultural perspective.
Epilogue – service innovation actor engagement: an integrative model
Authors: Hollebeek Linda D. , W. Andreassen Tor , Smith Dale L.G. , Grönquist Daniel , Karahasanovic Amela , Márquez Álvaro
Published: February 2018

Purpose

While (customer) engagement has been proposed as a volitional concept, our structuration theory/S-D logic-informed analyses of actors’ (e.g. employees’) engagement in service innovation reveal engagement as a boundedly volitional theoretical entity, which arises from actors’ structural and agency-based characteristics and constraints. In line with this observation, the purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of actor (i.e. customer, firm, employee) engagement with service innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the observed gap, the authors propose an integrative S-D logic/structuration theoretical model that outlines three particular service innovation actors’ (i.e. customers’, the firm’s and employees’) engagement, which comprises institution-driven (i.e. fixed) and agency-driven (i.e. variable) engagement facets. In addition, the authors integrate the key expected characteristics of positively (vs negatively) valenced service innovation engagement for each of these actor groups in the analyses.

Findings

The authors develop a 12-cell matrix (conceptual model) that outlines particular service innovation actors’ institution-driven and agency-driven engagement facets and outline their expected impact on actors’ ensuing positively and negatively valenced engagement.

Research limitations/implications

The authors discuss key theoretical implications arising from the analyses.

Originality/value

Outlining service innovation actors’ structure- and agency-driven engagement facets, the authors’ model can be used to explain or predict customers’, the firm’s or employees’ service innovation engagement-based activities.
Analytical study of crowdsourced GLAM digital repositories
Authors: Gupta Dinesh K. , Sharma Veerbala
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out the status/levels of using crowdsourcing in galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM) around the globe and to give suggestions on how Indian GLAM can take the benefit of this global trend.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the analytical study of the literature available on the embracing crowdsourcing for diverse tasks with special emphasis on the efforts of GLAM domain regarding the development of digital repositories.

Findings

Meticulous analysis of literature and case studies give an overview of the diverse practices of public participation/crowd collaboration in the development of digital repositories around the globe. However, Indian GLAM are far behind in adopting such practices.

Practical implications

With the rapid growth in digital information and Web-based technology, GLAM around the world encourage and engage public participation in various digitization projects to enrich and enhance their digital collections and place them on the Web. However, Indian GLAM still refrain to accept and adopt such practices. Thus, this paper will encourage and motivate the Indian GLAM to enrich and enhance their collection with crowd contribution and uploading them on Web.

Originality/value

This is an original paper and has great implementation value. During the study, enormous literature was available on crowd participation in various areas around the globe, as well as in India. International examples of crowd participation in GLAM creation are found in the literature; however, not sufficient evidences are found regarding crowd contribution in Indian GLAM. Hence, the paper, by presenting the evidences of crowd participation in GLAM domain, proposes the Indian GLAM to exploit the benefits of this practice for Indian digital repositories to expedite the creation and development of various national digital repositories.
A cross-country comparison of green initiatives, green performance and financial performance
Authors: Chen Fang , Ngniatedema Thomas , Li Suhong
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between green initiatives, green performance, and a firm’s financial performance in the world. The existing literature on environmental initiatives and their impacts is limited to the context of a particular country. This gap points to a lack of clarification of variations in environmental regulation and in economic disparity which may affect the impact of green initiatives on green performance and on financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on the world top 500 publicly traded companies are collected from Compustat, a database of financial, statistical and market information on global companies, and from Newsweek, an information gatekeeper that enables consumers to access a list of environmentally friendly companies. The paper adopts linear regression to test the relationships between variables.

Findings

The results show that green initiatives have a positive impact on green performance, which in turn has a positive impact on financial performance. However, the impact of green initiatives varies by country. The study revealed that companies in European countries and Canada lead in the green initiatives and green performance, followed by the USA and Japan. China and Hong Kong lag behind compared to other countries.

Research limitations/implications

The small sample size in some of the countries used in this study may impact the validity of the results.

Practical implications

This study suggests that companies that seek financial benefits of pursuing green initiatives should have a long-term orientation when implementing these initiatives and should consider the country where they operate.

Originality/value

The current study provides a global understanding of the relationship between green initiatives, green performance, and financial performance, and contributes to the literature by highlighting variation among countries and by year.
Mapping the sharing economy for sustainability research
Authors: Plewnia Frederik , Guenther Edeltraud
Published: February 2018

Purpose

In order to guide sustainability research on the sharing economy, the purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework that captures the wide range of activities and business models that are considered to be part of the sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a systematic literature review and a content analysis, existing typologies are identified and analyzed for their conceptual intersections. Finally, categorizations from 43 documents are integrated into one framework.

Findings

Four main dimensions are identified as being used in different contexts to characterize sharing systems and were combined to form one comprehensive typology: shared good or service, market structure, market orientation, and industry sector.

Originality/value

The proposed typology is able to distinguish sharing activities based on their similarities and differences. Social, economic, and communicational avenues for the term “sharing” are merged into a conceptual foundation of the sharing economy. This enables researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to position their projects in the broad field of sharing. By discussing inherent tensions with regard to sustainability of the sharing economy, the offered categorizations can help to guide future research and policy intervention. Last but not least, professional managers should find valuable ideas for new business models.
Arrival: Anthropology in Hollywood
Authors: Sutton David
Published: February 2018

The recent Hollywood science fiction film Arrival features as its main character a linguist who explicitly references the Sapir‐Whorf hypothesis and linguistic relativism. Unusually for a mainstream film, Arrival presents the insights of linguistic anthropology as a key to the human‐alien encounter and combines these concerns with other key anthropological insights, particularly in relation to notions of time and the embodied nature of writing/drawing. In this article, the author argues that the film can be useful in thinking about anthropological debates on ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ versions of Sapir‐Whorf and suggests that a careful parsing of the anthropological concepts drawn on in the film provides food for thought about the possible usefulness of popular fictional concoctions for thinking through contemporary issues in anthropology and conveying them to a wider audience.
Use of the Nursing Outcomes Classification for Falls and Fall Prevention by Nurses in South Korea
Authors: Lee Eunjoo
Published: February 2018

PURPOSE

To estimate the use of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) for falls and fall prevention.

METHODS

This cross‐sectional, descriptive study enrolled 196 registered nurses in South Korea.

FINDINGS

Outcome assessments for falls and fall prevention were performed for 30–50% of hospitalized patients. The NOC outcomes related to falls and fall prevention were used more in surgical units than medical units.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance rates of the outcomes related to falls and fall prevention were not high in hospitalized patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Strategies should be developed to increase the use of the NOC by nurses for fall prevention. In this way, nurses’ contributions to patient outcomes would be recognized and the safety of patients would be enhanced.
German Literary Studies and the Nation
Authors: Norberg Jakob
Published: February 2018

This paper argues that German literary studies was, from its inception, an entirely nationalist and nation‐building endeavor, perhaps the quintessential nationalist project. Among the discipline's foundational premises are its belief in and commitment to a diversity of culturally individuated national communities (rather than one uniform humanity), a non‐hierarchical plurality of vernaculars (rather than classical languages), and historically inflected and culturally expressive aesthetic forms (rather than transhistorically and transregionally valid templates of excellence). Three disciplinary activities of early Germanistik—Germanic historical linguistics, vernacular canon formation, and national literary history—are introduced as key instruments of nationalization. In conclusion, the paper claims that contemporary German Studies in the US, thankfully a reflective and critical enterprise, nonetheless remains institutionally completely dependent on the paradigm of the linguistically and culturally defined nation.
Agronomic, forage quality and economic advantages of red pea (Lathyrus cicera L.) intercropping with wheat and oat under low‐input farming
Authors: Vlachostergios D. N. , Lithourgidis A. S. , Dordas C. A.
Published: February 2018

Red pea–cereal intercropping could provide animal feed with agronomic and economic advantages. The growth rate, forage yield, quality, interspecific competition and financial outcome of intercrops of red pea (Lathyrus cicera L.) with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) in two different seeding ratios (60:40, 80:20) were estimated. Growth rate of species was lower in the intercrops than in monocrops, especially in red pea–oat intercrops due to the strong competitive ability of oat. Red pea–oat intercrop of 60:40 produced the highest biomass (10.83 Mg/ha) and crude protein yield (1,116 kg/ha). Land equivalent ratio (LER) values were greater for the red pea with wheat (1.13) and oat 60:40 (1.09) indicating an advantage of intercropping in terms of dry‐matter (DM) yield, while red pea:oat 60:40 ranked first for LER for nitrogen yield. Aggressivity and partial actual yield loss indicated cereals as the dominant species. The highest monetary advantage index was recorded for the red pea:wheat 60:40 and the highest intercropping advantage value was recorded for the red pea:oat 80:20. In conclusion, most intercrops of red pea with wheat and oat showed significant advantages relative to their monocrops due to better DM production, resource‐use efficiency and economics under low‐input farming.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia and tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy: assessment and management of cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Ross David M. , Arthur Chris , Burbury Kate , Ko Brian S. , Mills Anthony K. , Shortt Jake , Kostner Karam
Published: February 2018

Several BCR‐ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are approved for the first‐line treatment of chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Disease control is achieved in the vast majority of patients and disease‐specific survival is excellent. Consequently, there is now emphasis on managing comorbidities and minimising treatment‐related toxicity. Second‐generation TKIs have cardiovascular risks that are greater than with imatinib treatment, but these risks must be balanced against the superior CML responses encountered with more potent TKIs. Cardiovascular risk should be assessed at baseline using a locally validated model based on the Framingham risk equation. Clinicians involved in the care of CML patients should be aware of the vascular complications of TKIs and manage cardiovascular risk factors early to mitigate treatment‐related risks. Reversible risk factors, such as dyslipidaemia, smoking, diabetes and hypertension, should be addressed. We summarise the available data on cardiovascular complications in CML patients treated with TKIs. Using the latest evidence and collective expert opinion, we provide practical advice for clinicians to assess, stratify and manage cardiovascular risk in people with CML receiving TKI therapy.
Community‐Level Exposure to the Rural Mining Industry: The Potential Influence on Early Adolescent Alcohol and Tobacco Use
Authors: Gay Christopher , Clements‐Nolle Kristen , Packham John , Ackerman Gerald , Lensch Taylor , Yang Wei
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Rural youth have higher rates of alcohol and tobacco use compared to their urban counterparts. However, the economic dependence of rural communities may differentially influence risk behaviors. While research has shown that adults working in mining have elevated rates of alcohol and tobacco use, the influence of living in a mining community on early adolescent substance use is unknown.

Methods

Using data from a representative sample of 4,535 middle school students in a state with heavy reliance on mining, we conducted weighted logistic regression to investigate whether community‐level mining economic dependence influences rural‐urban differences in adolescent alcohol and tobacco use. All models adjusted for sociodemographics, military family involvement, parental monitoring, and length of residence.

Findings

Over one quarter of the sampled students lived in rural counties and approximately half of these counties met the USDA mining economic typology. After stratifying rural counties by mining and nonmining economic dependence, students in rural mining counties had significantly higher odds of all measures of alcohol use (AORs ranged from 1.83 to 3.99) and tobacco use (AORs ranged from 1.61 to 5.05) compared to students in urban counties. Only use of smokeless tobacco was higher among students in rural nonmining counties.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate rural‐urban disparities in adolescent substance use that are particularly pronounced among youth living in counties with economic dependence on mining. Future research on this subject should include a wider range of community‐level factors that may have specific relevance in rural settings to inform the development of population‐level interventions.
Structure and ontogeny of successive cambia in Tetrastigma (Vitaceae), the host plants of Rafflesiaceae
Authors: Pace Marcelo R. , Angyalossy Veronica , Acevedo‐Rodríguez Pedro , Wen Jun
Published: February 2018

Successive cambia in Vitaceae have been reported solely for Tetrastigma, a diverse genus of lianas found primarily in tropical Asia, extending into Australia. However, the structure and origin of these successive cambia have never been fully studied. Here we report the presence of this cambial variant in Tetrastigma retinervum and T. voinierianum, and describe its ontogeny in detail in the latter. New cambia appear successively in stems of Tetrastigma differentiating from the innermost parenchyma cells of the primary phloem, which are located interior to the pericyclic fiber strands. This study constitutes the first report of successive cambia being derived from primary phloem parenchyma in woody plants as a whole. Both species are members of Tetrastigma clade VI, the most species‐rich lineage within the genus. The examination of mature stems of additional species of Tetrastigma should determine the distribution of this unique type of cambial variant in the genus and enhance our understanding of the adaptive significance of this unusual character.
Offspring size–number tradeoffs and food quality feedbacks impact population dynamics in aDaphnia–algae system
Authors: Bovyn Ryan A. , McCauley Edward , LaMontagne Jalene M.
Published: February 2018

Population fluctuations can be affected by both extrinsic (e.g. weather patterns, food availability) and intrinsic (e.g. life‐history) factors. A key life‐history tradeoff is the production of offspring size versus number, ranging from many small offspring to few large offspring. Models show that this life‐history tradeoff in offspring size and number, through maturation time, can have significant impacts on population dynamics. However, few manipulative experiments have been conducted that can isolate life‐history effects from impacts of extrinsic factors in consumer–resource systems. We experimentally tested the effect of an offspring size–number tradeoff on population stability and food availability in a consumer–resource system. UsingDaphnia pulex, we created a shift from many, small offspring being produced to fewer, larger offspring. Two sets of experiments were performed to examine the interaction of an extrinsic factor (light levels) and intrinsic population structure on dynamics, and we controlled for the ingestion pressure on algal prey at the time of the manipulation. We predicted that the tradeoff would impact internal consumer population characteristics, including biasing the stage structure towards adults, increasing adult size, and increasing average population‐level reproduction. This adult‐dominated stage structure was predicted to then lead to instability and a low quantity–high quality food state. Under all light levels, the manipulated populations became dominated by large adults. Contrary to predictions, the amplitudes of fluctuations inDaphniabiomass were lower in populations shifted to few–large offspring, representing higher stability in these populations. Furthermore, in high light conditions, a stable lowDaphnia– high algae biomass (low food quality) state was observed in few–large offspring treatments but not in control (many–small offspring) treatments. Our results show a strong link between light levels as an extrinsic factor and the life‐history tradeoff of consumer offspring size versus number that impacts consumer–resource population dynamics through feedbacks with resource quality.
Specific substitutions of light‐harvesting complex I proteins associated with photosystem I are required for supercomplex formation with chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase‐like complex
Authors: Otani Takuto , Kato Yoshinobu , Shikanai Toshiharu
Published: February 2018

In Arabidopsis, the chloroplast NADH‐dehydrogenase‐like (NDH) complex is sandwiched between two copies of photosystem I (PSI) supercomplex, consisting of a PSI core and four light‐harvesting complex I (LHCI) proteins (PSI‐LHCI) to form the NDH–PSI supercomplex. Two minor LHCI proteins, Lhca5 and Lhca6, contribute to the interaction of each PSI–LHCI copy with the NDH complex. Here, large‐pore blue‐native gel electrophoresis revealed that, in addition to this complex, there were at least two types of higher‐order association of more LHCI copies with the NDH complex. In single‐particle images, this higher‐order association of PSI–LHCI preferentially occurs at the left side of the NDH complex when viewed from the stromal side, placing subcomplex A at the top (Yadav et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta ‐ Bioenerg., 1858, 2017, 12). The association was impaired in the lhca6 mutant but not in the lhca5 mutant, suggesting that the left copy of PSI–LHCI was linked to the NDH complex via Lhca6. From an analysis of subunit compositions of the NDH–PSI supercomplex in lhca5 and lhca6 mutants, we propose that Lhca6 substitutes for Lhca2 in the left copy of PSI–LHCI, whereas Lhca5 substitutes for Lhca4 in the right copy. In the lhca2 mutant, Lhca3 was specifically stabilized in the NDH–PSI supercomplex through heterodimer formation with Lhca6. In the left copy of PSI–LHCI, subcomplex B, Lhca6 and NdhD likely formed the core of the supercomplex interaction. In contrast, a larger protein complex, including at least subcomplexes B and L and NdhB, was needed to form the contact site with Lhca5 in the right copy of PSI–LHCI.
Droplet Cloaking Imaging and Characterization
Authors: Wu Alex , Miljkovic Nenad
Published: February 2018

Lubricant infused surfaces (LIS or SLIPS) have potential to enhance a variety of applications due to their non-wetting characteristics. Recently, LIS and SLIPS have been shown to greatly improve dropwise condensation heat transfer performance by enabling ultra-low contact angle hysteresis (< 5°) and droplet-surface adhesion. The low adhesion characteristics arise from the ultra-smooth liquid-liquid interface that depends on the lubricating fluid remaining infused into the surface by capillary forces. A key limiting phenomenon of LIS and SLIPS is cloaking, whereby the infused lubricant spreads and forms a very thin layer (∼100 nm) over liquid droplet residing on the substrate. This can lead to degradation due to drainage of the lubricant layer. Cloaking involves several fluid interfaces between the lubricant, droplet and air, and the resolution of the lubricant-droplet interface is essential to cloaking imaging and characterization. Our work involves goniometric measurements of advancing and receding contact angles, imaging of cloaked water droplets on LIS and SLIPS, and the characterization of cloaking during shear induced flow. The LIS and SLIPS substrates were created by spin coating lubricants of various viscosities (5 – 2712 cSt) onto superhydrophobic nanostructured boehmite (AlO(OH)). Cloaking effects were observed by inhibition of water droplet evaporation (Fig. a). Furthermore, the lubricantdroplet interface for non-cloaking droplets was resolved using lubricant-miscible dyes (Fig. a). Cloaking was also characterized by studying shear induced flow of both condensate and artificially injected droplets, resulting in lubricant drainage as shown in Figures (b) and (c). The results of this work not only provide a basis for understanding the lubricant-droplet interactions on LIS and SLIPS, but also material design guidelines for future LIS and SLIPS coatings.
Validating Fatigue Safety Factor Calculation Methods for Cardiovascular Stents
Authors: Marrey Ramesh , Baillargeon Brian , Dreher Maureen L. , Weaver Jason D. , Nagaraja Srinidhi , Rebelo Nuno , Gong Xiao-Yan
Published: February 2018

Evaluating risk of fatigue fractures in cardiovascular implants via nonclinical testing is essential to provide an indication of their durability. This is generally accomplished by experimental accelerated durability testing and often complemented with computational simulations to calculate fatigue safety factors (FSFs). While many methods exist to calculate FSFs, none have been validated against experimental data. The current study presents three methods for calculating FSFs and compares them to experimental fracture outcomes under axial fatigue loading, using cobalt-chromium test specimens designed to represent cardiovascular stents. FSFs were generated by calculating mean and alternating stresses using a simple scalar method, a tensor method which determines principal values based on averages and differences of the stress tensors, and a modified tensor method which accounts for stress rotations. The results indicate that the tensor method and the modified tensor method consistently predicted fracture or survival to 107 cycles for specimens subjected to experimental axial fatigue. In contrast, for one axial deformation condition, the scalar method incorrectly predicted survival even though fractures were observed in experiments. These results demonstrate limitations of the scalar method and potential inaccuracies. A separate computational analysis of torsional fatigue was also completed to illustrate differences between the tensor method and the modified tensor method. Because of its ability to account for changes in principal directions across the fatigue cycle, the modified tensor method offers a general computational method that can be applied for improved predictions for fatigue safety regardless of loading conditions.
Effects of Increased Arterial Stiffness on Atherosclerotic Plaque Amounts
Authors: Stoka Kellie V. , Maedeker Justine A. , Bennett Lisa , Bhayani Siddharth A. , Gardner William S. , Procknow Jesse D. , Cocciolone Austin J. , Walji Tezin A. , Craft Clarissa S. , Wagenseil Jessica E.
Published: February 2018

Increased arterial stiffness is associated with atherosclerosis in humans, but there have been limited animal studies investigating the relationship between these factors. We bred elastin wildtype (Eln+/+) and heterozygous (Eln+/−) mice to apolipoprotein E wildtype (Apoe+/+) and knockout (Apoe−/−) mice and fed them normal diet (ND) or Western diet (WD) for 12 weeks. Eln+/− mice have increased arterial stiffness. Apoe−/− mice develop atherosclerosis on ND that is accelerated by WD. It has been reported that Apoe−/− mice have increased arterial stiffness and that the increased stiffness may play a role in atherosclerotic plaque progression. We found that Eln+/+Apoe−/− arterial stiffness is similar to Eln+/+Apoe+/+ mice at physiologic pressures, suggesting that changes in stiffness do not play a role in atherosclerotic plaque progression in Apoe−/− mice. We found that Eln+/−Apoe−/− mice have increased structural arterial stiffness compared to Eln+/+Apoe−/− mice, but they only have increased amounts of ascending aortic plaque on ND, not WD. The results suggest a change in atherosclerosis progression but not end stage disease in Eln+/−Apoe−/− mice due to increased arterial stiffness. Possible contributing factors include increased blood pressure and changes in circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL6) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) that are also associated with Eln+/− genotype.
Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth P. , Jenkins Clinton N. , Heilpern Sebastian , Maldonado-Ocampo Javier A. , Carvajal-Vallejos Fernando M. , Encalada Andrea C. , Rivadeneira Juan Francisco , Hidalgo Max , Cañas Carlos M. , Ortega Hernan , Salcedo Norma , Maldonado Mabel , Tedesco Pablo A.
Published: February 2018

Hydropower development in the Andean Amazon has been underestimated and will disrupt connected human and natural systems.
Agriculture is a major source of NO

x

pollution in California
Authors: Almaraz Maya , Bai Edith , Wang Chao , Trousdell Justin , Conley Stephen , Faloona Ian , Houlton Benjamin Z.
Published: February 2018

Agriculturally fertilized soil is a dominant source of NO

x

pollution in California.
An Mll4/COMPASS-Lsd1 epigenetic axis governs enhancer function and pluripotency transition in embryonic stem cells
Authors: Cao Kaixiang , Collings Clayton K. , Morgan Marc A. , Marshall Stacy A. , Rendleman Emily J. , Ozark Patrick A. , Smith Edwin R. , Shilatifard Ali
Published: February 2018

The counterbalance between coactivator and co-repressor complexes at enhancers instructs stem cell pluripotency transition.
Correction of diverse muscular dystrophy mutations in human engineered heart muscle by single-site genome editing
Authors: Long Chengzu , Li Hui , Tiburcy Malte , Rodriguez-Caycedo Cristina , Kyrychenko Viktoriia , Zhou Huanyu , Zhang Yu , Min Yi-Li , Shelton John M. , Mammen Pradeep P. A. , Liaw Norman Y. , Zimmermann Wolfram-Hubertus , Bassel-Duby Rhonda , Schneider Jay W. , Olson Eric N.
Published: February 2018

CRISPR-mediated genome editing efficiently corrected cardiac abnormalities associated with DMD in human engineered heart tissue.
Judge orders unmasking of anonymous peer reviewers
Authors: Han Andrew P.
Published: February 2018

Bitter legal battle between two physical fitness groups produces unusual court decision.
Forever young? Naked mole rats may know the secret
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: February 2018

A new study claims the strange rodents flout the mathematics of mortality—but not everyone is convinced.
Scientifically assess impacts of sustainable investments
Authors: Vörösmarty C. J. , Osuna V. Rodríguez , Koehler D. A. , Klop P. , Spengler J. D. , Buonocore J. J. , Cak A. D. , Tessler Z. D. , Corsi F. , Green P. A. , Sánchez R.
Published: February 2018

Metrics can inform investors wary of “green washing”
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Safety of Antistaphylococcal Penicillins Compared to Cefazolin
Authors: Eljaaly Khalid , Alshehri Samah , Erstad Brian L.
Published: February 2018

Recent studies and experience suggest that cefazolin might be equally as effective as antistaphylococcal penicillins for methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus
(MSSA), with a better safety profile and lower cost. The objective of these meta-analyses was to compare the safeties of antistaphylococcal penicillins and cefazolin. The PubMed, Embase, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases and websites for clinical trial registries through 23 June 2017 were searched. In addition, recent abstracts from infectious disease and pharmacy conferences were reviewed. We estimated Peto odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effects models. One analysis focused on hospitalized patients, and the other focused on outpatients. Eleven retrospective studies of hospitalized patients and three retrospective studies of outpatients were included. In hospitalized patients, lower rates of nephrotoxicity (Peto OR, 0.225; 95% CI, 0.127 to 0.513), acute interstitial nephritis (Peto OR, 0.189; 95% CI, 0.053 to 0.675), hepatotoxicity (Peto OR, 0.160; 95% CI, 0.066 to 0.387), and drug discontinuation due to adverse reactions (Peto OR, 0.192; 95% CI, 0.089 to 0.414) were found with cefazolin. In outpatients, lower rates of nephrotoxicity (Peto OR, 0.372; 95% CI, 0.192 to 0.722), hepatotoxicity (Peto OR, 0.313; 95% CI, 0.156 to 0.627), and hypersensitivity reactions (Peto OR, 0.372; 95% CI, 0.201 to 0.687) were observed with cefazolin. Compared to antistaphylococcal penicillins, cefazolin was associated with significant reductions in nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in hospitalized patients and outpatients. Additionally, cefazolin was associated with lower likelihoods of discontinuation due to side effects in hospitalized patients and hypersensitivity reactions in outpatients. Cefazolin should be considered a first-line option for patients with MSSA infections for which efficacy is presumed to be similar to that of antistaphylococcal penicillin therapy.
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Activities of DS86760016, a Novel Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase Inhibitor for Gram-Negative Pathogens
Authors: Purnapatre Kedar P. , Rao Madhvi , Pandya Manisha , Khanna Alka , Chaira Tridib , Bambal Ramesh , Upadhyay Dilip J. , Masuda Nobuhisa
Published: February 2018

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli is a major concern in the treatment of nosocomial infections. Antibacterial agents with novel modes of action can be useful, as these pathogens have become resistant to almost all existing standard-of-care agents. GSK2251052, a leucyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor, has a novel mode of action against Gram-negative bacteria. However, the phase 2 studies with this drug were terminated due to microbiological failures based on the rapid emergence of drug resistance during the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. DS86760016 is a novel leucyl-tRNA synthetase inhibitor active against MDR Gram-negative bacteria, such as
Escherichia coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, with an improved pharmacokinetic profile. DS86760016 showed lower plasma clearance, longer plasma half-life, and higher renal excretion than GSK2251052 did in mice, rats, monkeys and dogs. DS86760016 also showed lower mutant prevention concentrations against
P. aeruginosa
than did GSK2251052. No resistant bacteria were observed in murine urinary tract infection models at a dose that maintained urinary concentrations above the mutant prevention concentration. DS86760016 also showed a lower risk of resistance development than did GSK2251052 in comparative
in vivo
studies with murine urinary tract infection models. These results suggest that DS86760016 has potential as a new drug for the treatment of MDR Gram-negative bacterial infections, with a lower risk of drug resistance development than that of GSK2251052.
Effect of spinal orthoses and postural taping on balance, gait and quality of life in older people with thoracic hyperkyphosis: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aboutorabi Atefeh , Arazpour Mokhtar , Ahmadi Bani Monireh , Keshtkar Abbas Ali
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Thoracic hyperkyphosis is one of the most common spinal disorders in older people, creating impairment, postural instability, gait disorders and a reduced quality of life. The use of spinal orthoses and/or postural taping may be feasible conservative interventions, but their efficacy is uncertain. The aim of this review is therefore to investigate the effectiveness of spinal orthoses and taping on the balance and gait of older people with hyperkyphosis.

Methods and analysis

We will include randomised controlled trials and clinical trial studies which assess the efficacy of spinal orthoses and taping using the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) outcome measures in older people with hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine. A search will be performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, ISI Web of Knowledge, CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PEDro, REHAB DATA and RECAL databases with no restriction of language. Two independent reviewers will perform the study selection and data extraction. Quality assessment will be implemented using modified Down and Black checklists. Publication bias and data synthesis will be assessed by funnel plots, Begg’s and Egger’s tests, and plots using STATA software V.12.1 version.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical issues are predicted. These findings will be published in a peer reviewed journal and presented at national and international conferences.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42016045880.
Are self-reported telemonitored blood pressure readings affected by end-digit preference: a prospective cohort study in Scotland
Authors: Parker Richard A , Paterson Mary , Padfield Paul , Pinnock Hilary , Hanley Janet , Hammersley Vicky S , Steventon Adam , McKinstry Brian
Published: February 2018

Objective

Simple forms of blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring require patients to text readings to central servers creating an opportunity for both entry error and manipulation. We wished to determine if there was an apparent preference for particular end digits and entries which were just below target BPs which might suggest evidence of data manipulation.

Design

Prospective cohort study

Setting

37 socioeconomically diverse primary care practices from South East Scotland.

Participants

Patients were recruited with hypertension to a telemonitoring service in which patients submitted home BP readings by manually transcribing the measurements into text messages for transmission (‘patient-texted system’). These readings were compared with those from primary care patients with uncontrolled hypertension using a system in which readings were automatically transmitted, eliminating the possibility of manipulation of values (‘automatic-transmission system’).

Methods

A generalised estimating equations method was used to compare BP readings between the patient-texted and automatic-transmission systems, while taking into account clustering of readings within patients.

Results

A total of 44 150 BP readings were analysed on 1068 patients using the patient-texted system compared with 20 705 readings on 199 patients using the automatic-transmission system. Compared with the automatic-transmission data, the patient-texted data showed a significantly higher proportion of occurrences of both systolic and diastolic BP having a zero end digit (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.7 to 2.6) although incidence was <2% of readings. Similarly, there was a preference for systolic 134 and diastolic 84 (the threshold for alerts was 135/85) (134 systolic BP OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.8; 84 diastolic BP OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.9).

Conclusion

End-digit preference for zero numbers and specific-value preference for readings just below the alert threshold exist among patients in self-reporting their BP using telemonitoring. However, the proportion of readings affected is small and unlikely to be clinically important.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN72614272; Post-results.
Protocol for Pertussis Immunisation and Food Allergy (PIFA): a case–control study of the association between pertussis vaccination in infancy and the risk of IgE-mediated food allergy among Australian children
Authors: Estcourt Marie J , Marsh Julie A , Campbell Dianne E , Gold Michael S , Allen Katrina J , Richmond Peter , Waddington Claire S , Snelling Thomas L
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Atopic diseases, including food allergy, have become a predominant cause of chronic illness among children in developed countries. In Australia, a rise in hospitalisations among infants coded as anaphylaxis to foods coincided with the replacement of whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine with subunit acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine on the national immunisation schedule in the late 1990s. Atopy is characterised by a tendency to mount T helper type 2 (Th2) responses to otherwise innocuous environmental antigens. Compared with infants who receive aP as their first pertussis vaccine, those who receive wP appear less likely to mount Th2 immune responses to either vaccine or extraneous antigens. We therefore speculate that removal of wP from the vaccine schedule contributed to the observed rise in IgE-mediated food allergy among Australian infants.

Methods and analysis

This is a retrospective individually matched case–control study among a cohort of Australian children born from 1997 to 1999, the period of transition from wP to aP vaccines; we include in the cohort children listed on Australia’s comprehensive population-based immunisation register as having received a first dose of either pertussis vaccine by 16 weeks old. 500 cohort children diagnosed as having IgE-mediated food allergy at specialist allergy clinics will be included as cases. Controls matched to each case by date and jurisdiction of birth and regional socioeconomic index will be sampled from the immunisation register. Conditional logistic regression will be used to estimate OR (±95% CI) of receipt of wP (vs aP) as the first vaccine dose among cases compared with controls.

Ethics and dissemination

The study is approved by all relevant human research ethics committees: Western Australia Child and Adolescent Health Services (2015052EP), Women’s and Children’s Hospital (HREC/15/WCHN/162), Royal Children’s Hospital (35230A) and Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (HREC/15/SCHN/405). Outcomes will be disseminated through publication and scientific presentation.

Trial registration number

NCT02490007.
Investigating the long-term impact of a childhood sun-exposure intervention, with a focus on eye health: protocol for the Kidskin-Young Adult Myopia Study
Authors: Lingham Gareth , Milne Elizabeth , Cross Donna , English Dallas R , Johnston Robyn S , Lucas Robyn M , Yazar Seyhan , Mackey David A
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Excessive and insufficient sun exposure during childhood have been linked to serious diseases in later life; for example, insufficient sun exposure during childhood may increase the risk of developing myopia. The Kidskin-Young Adult Myopia Study (K-YAMS) is a follow-up of participants in the Kidskin Study, a non-randomised controlled trial that evaluated the effect of a 4-year educational intervention on sun-protection behaviours among primary school children in the late 1990s. Children who received the Kidskin intervention had lower levels of sun exposure compared with peers in the control group after 2 and 4 years of the intervention, but this was not maintained 2  years after the intervention had ceased. Thus, a follow-up of Kidskin Study participants provides a novel opportunity to investigate the associations between a childhood sun-exposure intervention and potentially related conditions in adulthood.

Methods and analysis

The K-YAMS contacts Kidskin Study participants and invites them to participate using a variety of methods, such as prior contact details, the Australian Electoral Roll and social media. Self-reported and objective measures of sun-exposure and sun-protection behaviours are collected as well as a number of eye measurements including cycloplegic autorefraction and ocular biometry. Data will be analysed to investigate a possible association between myopic refractive error and Kidskin intervention group or measured sun exposure.

Ethics and dissemination

The K-YAMS is approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of Western Australia (RA/4/1/6807). Findings will be disseminated via scientific journals and conferences.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12616000812392; Pre-results.
Supplemental surveillance: a review of 2015 and 2016 agricultural injury data from news reports on AgInjuryNews.org
Authors: Weichelt Bryan , Gorucu Serap
Published: February 2018

Background

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry is the most hazardous occupational sector in the USA. Even with this level of occupational risk, several national and state-level occupational injury surveillance programmes have been eliminated, leaving regional efforts to analyse multiple sources and compile data on agricultural injuries and fatalities. No up-to-date centralised national database for agricultural injuries/fatalities in the USA currently exists.

Objective

Using the public data on AgInjuryNews.org, this study considered a wide range of variables to examine fatalities and injuries of the industry in 2015 and 2016. The results reported in this paper sought to explore and understand common data elements of US news reports.

Methods

As of 5 April 2017, more than 3000 articles across 36 years were contained in the dataset. We selected 2 years to review, 2015 and 2016, which represented the most complete years to date; 2015 was the first year in which systematic collection was initiated by the AgInjuryNews.org team. Data were coded based on the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System source and event/exposure types.

Results

A total of 1345 victims were involved in 1044 incidents. Leading sources of injuries were vehicles and machinery, and the most common event/exposure type was transportation.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that data from AgInjuryNew.org is consistent with previous literature, and it can supply up-to-date data as an open-source surveillance supplement, disseminated for health and safety stakeholders.