bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How to talk with children
Authors: Clark Herbert H.
Published: July 2014

It is generally assumed that adults learn how to talk with children in a special style called child-directed speech. But this cannot be the whole story. Each child’s ability to speak and understand is a moving target, changing yearly, weekly, even daily. How could adults adapt to these changes? Evidence shows that in conversation both adults and children try to establish, as they go along, the mutual belief that they have understood each other well enough for current purposes. It is this process, called grounding, that allows adults to infer the child’s current abilities and to adapt their speech to that child. Adults, then, learn how to talk with children in the very act of talking with them.
The CRAFFT Cut-Points and DSM-5 Criteria for Alcohol and Other Drugs: A Reevaluation and Reexamination
Authors: Mitchell Shannon Gwin , Kelly Sharon M. , Gryczynski Jan , Myers C. Patrick , O'Grady Kevin E. , Kirk Arethusa S. , Schwartz Robert P.
Published: July 2014

Background

The CRAFFT, previously validated against DSM-IV ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) diagnostic criteria, is the most widely used screening instrument for alcohol and other substance misuse in adolescents. The present secondary analysis study sought to compare the CRAFFT with the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria in order to assess the CRAFFT's psychometric properties and determine the optimal cut-point for identifying adolescents in need of further assessment.

Methods

Participants were primary care patients aged 12–17 ( N = 525) who were recruited while waiting for a medical appointment in an urban federally qualified health center in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Participants were administered the CRAFFT and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, second edition, modified to include the new DSM-5 craving item. The authors examined the performance of the CRAFFT in identifying any problem use (defined as 1 or more DSM-5 criteria) and any DSM-5 substance use disorder (2 or more DSM-5 criteria) for alcohol or drugs other than tobacco. The authors examined sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic areas under the curve (AUC) to determine the optimal CRAFFT cut-point(s) for predicting any problem use and any DSM-5 substance use disorder (SUD).

Results

Examining the CRAFFT as a continuous measure, AUC values were 0.93 for problem use or higher and 0.97 for DSM-5 SUD. Consistent with previously recommended cut-points for the CRAFFT, the cut-point of 2 performed optimally for identifying adolescents both exhibiting problem use of alcohol or drugs and meeting DSM-5 SUD criteria for alcohol or other drugs.

Conclusions

Despite changes in the DSM substance use diagnostic criteria, the CRAFFT continues to demonstrate excellent sensitivity and specificity at its established cut-point of 2. Additional studies examining the CRAFFT in light of the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria with more diverse populations are warranted.
Rewiring of genetic networks in response to modification of genetic background
Authors: Bajić Djordje , Moreno Clara , Poyatos Juan F.
Published: July 2014

Genome-scale genetic interaction networks are progressively contributing to map the molecular circuitry that determines cellular behaviour. To what extent this mapping changes in response to different environmental or genetic conditions is however largely unknown. Here we assembled a genetic network using anin silicomodel of metabolism in yeast to explicitly ask how separate genetic backgrounds alter network structure. Backgrounds defined by single deletions of metabolically active enzymes induce strong rewiring when the deletion corresponds to a catabolic gene, evidencing a broad redistribution of fluxes to alternative pathways. We also show how change is more pronounced in interactions linking genes in distinct functional modules, and in those connections that present weak epistasis. These patterns reflect overall the distributed robustness of catabolism. In a second class of genetic backgrounds, in which a number of neutral mutations accumulate, we dominantly observe modifications in the negative interactions that together with an increase in the number of essential genes indicate a global reduction in buffering. Notably, neutral trajectories that originate considerable changes in the wild-type network comprise mutations that diminished the environmental plasticity of the corresponding metabolism, what emphasizes a mechanistic integration of genetic and environmental buffering. More generally, our work demonstrates how the specific mechanistic causes of robustness influence the architecture of multiconditional genetic interaction maps.
High-throughput functional testing of ENCODE segmentation predictions
Authors: Kwasnieski Jamie C. , Fiore Christopher , Chaudhari Hemangi G. , Cohen Barak A.
Published: July 2014

The histone modification state of genomic regions is hypothesized to reflect the regulatory activity of the underlying genomic DNA. Based on this hypothesis, the ENCODE Project Consortium measured the status of multiple histone modifications across the genome in several cell types and used these data to segment the genome into regions with different predicted regulatory activities. We measured the cis-regulatory activity of more than 2000 of these predictions in the K562 leukemia cell line. We tested genomic segments predicted to be Enhancers, Weak Enhancers, or Repressed elements in K562 cells, along with other sequences predicted to be Enhancers specific to the H1 human embryonic stem cell line (H1-hESC). Both Enhancer and Weak Enhancer sequences in K562 cells were more active than negative controls, although surprisingly, Weak Enhancer segmentations drove expression higher than did Enhancer segmentations. Lower levels of the covalent histone modifications H3K36me3 and H3K27ac, thought to mark active enhancers and transcribed gene bodies, associate with higher expression and partly explain the higher activity of Weak Enhancers over Enhancer predictions. While DNase I hypersensitivity (HS) is a good predictor of active sequences in our assay, transcription factor (TF) binding models need to be included in order to accurately identify highly expressed sequences. Overall, our results show that a significant fraction (∼26%) of the ENCODE enhancer predictions have regulatory activity, suggesting that histone modification states can reflect the cis-regulatory activity of sequences in the genome, but that specific sequence preferences, such as TF-binding sites, are the causal determinants of cis-regulatory activity.
Different Mechanisms Are Responsible for Chlorophyll Dephytylation during Fruit Ripening and Leaf Senescence in Tomato
Authors: Guyer Luzia , Hofstetter Silvia Schelbert , Christ Bastien , Lira Bruno Silvestre , Rossi Magdalena , Hörtensteiner Stefan
Published: July 2014

Chlorophyll breakdown occurs in different green plant tissues (e.g. during leaf senescence and in ripening fruits). For different plant species, the PHEOPHORBIDE A OXYGENASE (PAO)/phyllobilin pathway has been described to be the major chlorophyll catabolic pathway. In this pathway, pheophorbide (i.e. magnesium- and phytol-free chlorophyll) occurs as a core intermediate. Most of the enzymes involved in the PAO/phyllobilin pathway are known; however, the mechanism of dephytylation remains uncertain. During Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf senescence, phytol hydrolysis is catalyzed by PHEOPHYTINASE (PPH), which is specific for pheophytin (i.e. magnesium-free chlorophyll). By contrast, in fruits of different Citrus spp., chlorophyllase, hydrolyzing phytol from chlorophyll, was shown to be active. Here, we enlighten the process of chlorophyll breakdown in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), both in leaves and fruits. We demonstrate the activity of the PAO/phyllobilin pathway and identify tomato PPH (SlPPH), which, like its Arabidopsis ortholog, was specifically active on pheophytin. SlPPH localized to chloroplasts and was transcriptionally up-regulated during leaf senescence and fruit ripening. SlPPH-silencing tomato lines were impaired in chlorophyll breakdown and accumulated pheophytin during leaf senescence. However, although pheophytin transiently accumulated in ripening fruits of SlPPH-silencing lines, ultimately these fruits were able to degrade chlorophyll like the wild type. We conclude that PPH is the core phytol-hydrolytic enzyme during leaf senescence in different plant species; however, fruit ripening involves other hydrolases, which are active in parallel to PPH or are the core hydrolases in fruits. These hydrolases remain unidentified, and we discuss the question of whether chlorophyllases might be involved.
Nanodomains of Cytochromeb 6 fand Photosystem II Complexes in Spinach Grana Thylakoid Membranes
Authors: Johnson Matthew P. , Vasilev Cvetelin , Olsen John D. , Hunter C. Neil
Published: July 2014

The cytochrome b  6  f (cytb  6  f) complex plays a central role in photosynthesis, coupling electron transport between photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I to the generation of a transmembrane proton gradient used for the biosynthesis of ATP. Photosynthesis relies on rapid shuttling of electrons by plastoquinone (PQ) molecules between PSII and cytb  6  f complexes in the lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane. Thus, the relative membrane location of these complexes is crucial, yet remains unknown. Here, we exploit the selective binding of the electron transfer protein plastocyanin (Pc) to the lumenal membrane surface of the cytb  6  f complex using a Pc-functionalized atomic force microscope (AFM) probe to identify the position of cytb  6  f complexes in grana thylakoid membranes from spinach (Spinacia oleracea). This affinity-mapping AFM method directly correlates membrane surface topography with Pc-cytb  6  f interactions, allowing us to construct a map of the grana thylakoid membrane that reveals nanodomains of colocalized PSII and cytb6f complexes. We suggest that the close proximity between PSII and cytb  6  f complexes integrates solar energy conversion and electron transfer by fostering short-range diffusion of PQ in the protein-crowded thylakoid membrane, thereby optimizing photosynthetic efficiency.
Crystal structures of potassium trifluorido(4-methoxyphenyl)borate and potassium trifluorido(4-fluorophenyl)borate
Authors: Harrison William T. A. , Wardell James L.
Published: July 2014

The title compounds, K+·C7H7BF3O−, (I), and K+·C6H4BF4−, (II), are molecular salts containingpara-substituted phenyltrifluoridoborate anions. In each compound, the B atom adopts a distorted tetrahedral BCF3geometry. Despite their different compositions and space groups, the irregular KF8coordination polyhedra of the potassium cations in the structures are almost identical. These polyhedra share faces and edges, generating infinite (010) layers in (I) and infinite (001) layers in (II). In (I), adjacent layers are stacked in anAAA… fashion, whereas in (II), they are stacked in anABAB… sequence.
Isotypic crystal structures of 2,6-dibromo-N,N-bis(4-nitrophenyl)aniline and 2,6-dichloro-N,N-bis(4-nitrophenyl)aniline
Authors: Kautny Paul , Fröhlich Johannes , Stöger Berthold , Weil Matthias
Published: July 2014

In the molecules of the two isotypic title compounds, C18H11Br2N3O4(I) and C18H11Cl2N3O4(II), the triphenylamine N atoms show no sign of pyramidalization, with marginal displacements of the N atoms from the mean plane of the three connecting C atoms: 0.0058 (13) Å for the Br compound (I) and 0.0074 (9) Å for the Cl compound (II). In the crystals, molecules are linked through C—H...O hydrogen bonds between phenyl rings and nitro groups and byX...O (X= Br, Cl) interactions, that are shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii, leading to a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of a new monoclinic polymorph ofN-(4-methylphenyl)-3-nitropyridin-2-amine
Authors: Aznan Aina Mardia Akhmad , Abdullah Zanariah , Lee Vannajan Sanghiran , Tiekink Edward R. T.
Published: July 2014

The title compound, C12H11N3O2, is a second monoclinic polymorph (P21, withZ′ = 4) of the previously reported monoclinic (P21/c, withZ′ = 2) form [Akhmad Aznanet al.(2010).Acta Cryst.E66, o2400]. Four independent molecules comprise the asymmetric unit, which have the common features of asyndisposition of the pyridine N atom and the toluene ring, and an intramolecular amine–nitro N—H...O hydrogen bond. The differences between molecules relate to the dihedral angles between the rings which range from 2.92 (19) to 26.24 (19)°. The geometry-optimized structure [B3LYP level of theory and 6–311 g+(d,p) basis set] has the same features except that the entire molecule is planar. In the crystal, the three-dimensional architecture is consolidated by a combination of C—H...O, C—H...π, nitro-N—O...π and π–π interactions [inter-centroid distances = 3.649 (2)–3.916 (2) Å].
Crystal structures oftrans-dichloridotetrakis[1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1H-imidazole-κN3]iron(II),trans-dibromidotetrakis[1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1H-imidazole-κN3]iron(II) andtrans-dibromidotetrakis[1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1H-imidazole-κN3]iron(II) diethyl ether disolvate
Authors: Mafua Roger , Jenny Titus , Labat Gael , Neels Antonia , Stoeckli-Evans Helen
Published: July 2014

The title compounds, [FeCl2(C15H20N2)4], (I), [FeBr2(C15H20N2)4], (II), and [FeBr2(C15H20N2)4]·2C4H10O, (IIb), respectively, all have triclinic symmetry, with (I) and (II) being isotypic. The FeIIatoms in each of the structures are located on an inversion center. They have octahedral FeX2N4(X= Cl and Br, respectively) coordination spheres with the FeIIatom coordinated by two halide ions in atransarrangement and by the tertiary N atom of four arylimidazole ligands [1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-1H-imidazole] in the equatorial plane. In the two independent ligands, the benzene and imidazole rings are almost normal to one another, with dihedral angles of 88.19 (15) and 79.26 (14)° in (I), 87.0 (3) and 79.2 (3)° in (II), and 84.71 (11) and 80.58 (13)° in (IIb). The imidazole rings of the two independent ligand molecules are inclined to one another by 70.04 (15), 69.3 (3) and 61.55 (12)° in (I), (II) and (IIb), respectively, while the benzene rings are inclined to one another by 82.83 (13), 83.0 (2) and 88.16 (12)°, respectively. The various dihedral angles involving (IIb) differ slightly from those in (I) and (II), probably due to the close proximity of the diethyl ether solvent molecule. There are a number of C—H...halide hydrogen bonds in each molecule involving the CH groups of the imidazole units. In the structures of compounds (I) and (II), molecules are linkedviapairs of C—H...halogen hydrogen bonds, forming chains along theaaxis that encloseR22(12) ring motifs. The chains are linked by C—H...π interactions, forming sheets parallel to (001). In the structure of compound (IIb), molecules are linkedviapairs of C—H...halogen hydrogen bonds, forming chains along thebaxis, and the diethyl ether solvent molecules are attached to the chainsviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds. The chains are linked by C—H...π interactions, forming sheets parallel to (001). In (I) and (II), the methyl groups of an isopropyl group are disordered over two positions [occupancy ratio = 0.727 (13):0.273 (13) and 0.5:0.5, respectively]. In (IIb), one of the ethyl groups of the diethyl ether solvent molecule is disordered over two positions (occupancy ratio = 0.5:0.5).
Crystal structure of (1Z)-1-(4-chlorobenzylidene)-5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxopyrazolidin-1-ium-2-ide
Authors: Mangwala Kimpende Peter , Doan Thi Kieu Oanh , Vu Quoc Trung , Van Meervelt Luc
Published: July 2014

The title molecule, C17H15ClN2O2, is L-shaped with the 4-chlorobenzylidene ring almost coplanar with the planar pyrazolidine ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.020 Å), making a dihedral angle of 4.83 (17)°. The 4-methoxyphenyl ring is almost normal to the mean plane of the pyrazolidine ring and the 4-chlorobenzylidene ring, with dihedral angles of 87.36 (17) and 89.23 (16)°, respectively. The pyrazolidine ring occurs in the betaine form with aZconfiguration for the exocyclic C=N bond. In the crystal, C—H...O and C—H...π interactions generate ribbons of molecules along [1-10].
Crystal structure ofcatena-poly[[aquadi-n-propyltin(IV)]-μ-oxalato]
Authors: Reichelt Martin , Reuter Hans
Published: July 2014

The title compound, [Sn(C3H7)2(H2O)(C2O4)]n, represents the first diorganotin(IV) oxalate hydrate to be structurally characterized. The tin(IV) atom of the one-dimensional coordination polymer is located on a twofold rotation axis and is coordinated by two chelating oxalate ligands with two slightly different Sn—O bond lengths of 2.290 (2) and 2.365 (2) Å, two symmetry-relatedn-propyl groups with a Sn—C bond lengths of 2.127 (3) Å, and a water molecule with a Sn—O bond length of 2.262 (2) Å. The coordination polyhedron around the SnIVatom is a slightly distorted pentagonal bipyramid with a nearly linear axis between thetrans-orientedn-propyl groups [C—Sn—C = 176.8 (1)°]. The bond angles between the oxygen atoms of the equatorial plane range from 70.48 (6)° to 76.12 (8)°. A one-dimensional coordination polymer results from the less asymmetric bilateral coordination of the centrosymmetric oxalate anion, internally reflected by two slightly different C—O bond lengths of 1.248 (3) and 1.254 (3) Å. The chains of the polymer propagate parallel to [001] and are held together by hydrogen bonds between water molecules and oxalate anions of neighboring chains, leading to a two-dimensional network parallel to (100).
dxtbx: the diffraction experiment toolbox
Authors: Parkhurst James M. , Brewster Aaron S. , Fuentes-Montero Luis , Waterman David G. , Hattne Johan , Ashton Alun W. , Echols Nathaniel , Evans Gwyndaf , Sauter Nicholas K. , Winter Graeme
Published: July 2014

Data formats for recording X-ray diffraction data continue to evolve rapidly to accommodate new detector technologies developed in response to more intense light sources. Processing the data from single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments therefore requires the ability to read, and correctly interpret, image data and metadata from a variety of instruments employing different experimental representations. Tools that have previously been developed to address this problem have been limited either by a lack of extensibility or by inconsistent treatment of image metadata. The dxtbx software package provides a consistent interface to both image data and experimental models, while supporting a completely generic user-extensible approach to reading the data files. The library is written in a mixture of C++ and Python and is distributed as part of the cctbx under an open-source licence at http://cctbx.sourceforge.net.
Rocking curve measurements revisited
Authors: Masiello Fabio , Cembali Gianfranco , Chumakov Alexander I. , Connell Simon H. , Ferrero Claudio , Härtwig Jürgen , Sergeev Ilya , Van Vaerenbergh Pierre
Published: July 2014

In order to correctly analyse high-resolution rocking curves of high-quality crystals, a special effort is needed to estimate the systematic contributions coming from the experimental setup. This article highlights the main areas that require special analytical treatment and presents results obtained using different approaches to the problem, as well as some typical results for high-quality silicon and diamond crystals.
A study of as-grown, poled and reduced Rh-doped KNbO3 single crystals by high-resolution X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, photoluminescence and dielectric measurements
Authors: Bhagavannarayana G. , Choubey A. , Kushwaha S. K. , Sharma S. N. , Rani R. , Vijayan N.
Published: July 2014

As-grown and chemically reduced Rh-doped (1500 p.p.m.) KnbO3 single crystals grown by the Czochralski method have been characterized. Reduction of the grown crystals at different levels was carried out under a mixture of CO and CO2 gases as the crystals were grown with excess oxygen. The effect of reduction and poling on crystalline perfection was studied by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) using a multi-crystal X-ray diffractometer developed in-house. The diffraction curves of the as-grown, electrically poled, moderately reduced and heavily reduced single-crystal specimens show remarkable differences. The studies by HRXRD reveal that poling has some influence on the improvement of crystalline perfection, while chemical reduction has a great influence on crystalline perfection; at moderate reduction the crystal becomes nearly perfect, but when the reduction is very heavy the crystal quality decreases slightly, although it is still better than for unreduced samples. Asymmetry of the diffraction curves with respect to the peak position reveals that the as-grown specimens contain a high concentration of both vacancies and self-interstitials. After poling, the concentration of self-interstitial defects is lowered to some extent. When the specimen is moderately chemically reduced, the scattered intensity on both sides of the peak is greatly reduced, showing that the concentrations of both vacancies and interstitials are reduced to a great extent owing to chemical reduction. This clearly indicates that, as a result of the chemical reduction of oxygen in the crystal, crystalline perfection is enhanced significantly. However, under heavy chemical reduction, the number of vacancy defects is increased to a significant extent. Raman scattering, dielectric and photoluminescence studies also show interesting features, with excellent correlation with the degree of crystalline perfection influenced by the processes of reduction and poling.
EBSDL: a computer program for determining an unknown Bravais lattice using a single electron backscatter diffraction pattern
Authors: Li Lili , Ouyang Sheng , Yang Yanqing , Han Ming
Published: July 2014

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns provide a wealth of crystallographic information but disappointingly low accuracy. Adopting a strategy of compensating the poor accuracy by the large amount of information, a computer program, EBSDL, has been successfully developed to determine the unknown Bravais lattice of bulk crystalline materials using a single EBSD pattern. Unlike programs that perform phase identification, the new application is completely independent of chemical information.
Distinguishing tautomerism in the crystal structure of (Z)-N-(5-ethyl-2,3-dihydro-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylidene)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide using DFT-D calculations and13C solid-state NMR
Authors: Li Xiaozhou , Bond Andrew D. , Johansson Kristoffer E. , Van de Streek Jacco
Published: July 2014

The crystal structure of the title compound, C11H13N3O2S2, has been determined previously on the basis of refinement against laboratory powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data, supported by comparison of measured and calculated13C solid-state NMR spectra [Hanganet al.(2010).Acta Cryst.B66, 615–621]. The molecule is tautomeric, and was reported as an amine tautomer [systematic name:N-(5-ethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-p-toluenesulfonamide], rather than the correct imine tautomer. The protonation site on the molecule's 1,3,4-thiadiazole ring is indicated by the intermolecular contacts in the crystal structure: N—H...O hydrogen bonds are established at the correct site, while the alternative protonation site does not establish any notable intermolecular interactions. The two tautomers provide essentially identical Rietveld fits to laboratory PXRD data, and therefore they cannot be directly distinguished in this way. However, the correct tautomer can be distinguished from the incorrect one by previously reported quantitative criteria based on the extent of structural distortion on optimization of the crystal structure using dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) calculations. Calculation of the13C SS-NMR spectrum based on the correct imine tautomer also provides considerably better agreement with the measured13C SS-NMR spectrum.
The two-dimensional coordination polymer poly[diaqua(μ2-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline)-μ4-sulfato-μ3-sulfato-dicadmium(II)]
Authors: Hao Xiao-Min , Chen Gang , Gu Chang-Sheng , Liu Ji-Wei
Published: July 2014

In the title coordination polymer, [Cd2(SO4)2(C13H8N4)(H2O)2]n, there are two crystallographically independent CdIIcentres with different coordination geometries. The first CdIIcentre is hexacoordinated by four O atoms of four sulfate ligands, one water O atom and one N atom of a 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (IP) ligand, giving a distorted octahedral coordination environment. The second CdIIcentre is heptacoordinated by four O atoms of three sulfate ligands, one water O atom and two N atoms of one chelating IP ligand, resulting in a distorted monocappedanti-trigonal prismatic geometry. The symmetry-independent CdIIions are bridged in an alternating fashion by sulfate ligands, forming one-dimensional ladder-like chains which are connected through the IP ligands to form two-dimensional layers. These two-dimensional layers are linked by interlayer hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional supramolecular network.
Technical efficiency analysis of the Indian drug and pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Mahajan Varun , Nauriyal D.K. , Singh S.P.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to measure technical efficiencies, slacks and input/output targets for 50 large Indian pharmaceutical firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data are collected from Prowess of Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy for the financial year 2010-2011. This study uses data envelopment analysis approach, taking raw material, salaries and wages, advertisement and marketing and capital usage cost as input variables and net sales revenue as output variable.

Findings

– The paper finds that out of 50 firms, nine firms were overall technical efficient while 19 firms pure technical efficient and thus defined the efficient frontier. The BCC model identified that the inefficiency is either due to inefficient managerial performance or scale utilization. Further, firms are classified as high, low and middle robust firms on the basis of peer count. The study also analysed the slacks which were found to be significant in regard of some inputs, especially advertisement and marketing. The targets setting results have shown that all the inputs have significant scope for reduction.

Practical implications

– The empirical results are useful in assessing the relative efficiency of the large Indian drug and pharmaceutical industry (ID&P) firms. The managers and owners can take corrective actions to reduce the cost of operations by optimizing advertising and marketing cost, capital usage cost and salary and wages so as to improve their efficiency.

Originality/value

– Unlike the previous studies on the efficiency of the ID&P industry, the paper have shown the significance of improvement in managerial performance and scale utilization. In addition to this, excess inputs used in the production process and also possible target values of inputs and outputs are shown in the study. The robustness and stability of efficiency scores is also checked.
Fabric defects detection using adaptive wavelets
Authors: Wen Zhijie , Cao Junjie , Liu Xiuping , Ying Shihui
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Fabric defects detection is vital in the automation of textile industry. The purpose of this paper is to develop and implement a new fabric defects detection method based on adaptive wavelet.

Design/methodology/approach

– Fabric defects can be regarded as the abrupt features of textile images with uniform background textures. Wavelets have compact support and can represent these textures. When there is an abrupt feature existed, the response is totally different with the response of the background textures, so wavelets can detect these abrupt features. This method designs the appropriate wavelet bases for different fabric images adaptively. The defects can be detected accurately.

Findings

– The proposed method achieves accurate detection of fabric defects. The experimental results suggest that the approach is effective.

Originality/value

– This paper develops an appropriate method to design wavelet filter coefficients for detecting fabric defects, which is called adaptive wavelet. And it is helpful to realize the automation of textile industry.
Prediction of deformation behavior of single jersey cotton knitted fabrics using finite element method
Authors: Perumalsamy E. , Sakthivel J.C. , Anbumani N.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the stress-strain relationships of single-jersey knitted fabrics from uniaxial tensile test followed by deformation behavior using finite element analysis. In order to elaborate the study, high, medium and low tightness knitted fabrics were selected and deformation of fabrics analyzed in course, wales and bias directions (0, 45 and 90 degrees).

Design/methodology/approach

– This study focussed on uni-axial tensile test of produced test samples using Instron 6021 tester and a development of single-jersey knitted loop model using Auto Desk Inventor software (ADI). The knitted fabric material properties and knitted loop model was imported to ANSYS 12.0 software.

Findings

– Due to structural changes the tightness and thickness of knitted fabric decreases with increase in loop length The tensile result shows maximum breaking strength at course direction (13.43 kg f/mm2 at 2.7 mm) and maximum extension at wales direction (165.77 kg f/mm2 at 3.3 mm). When the loop length increases, the elongation of fabrics increased and load carrying capacity of fabrics reduced. The Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and shear modulus of fabrics reduced with increase in loop length. The deformation of fabrics increased with increase in loop length. The increase in loop length gives large amount of structural changes and it is due to slacking or jamming in loops and loosening in dimensions. When comparing the deformation results, the variation within the fabric is higher and structural damage little more when increasing the loop length of the fabric.

Originality/value

– From ANOVA test, stress and strain distribution was statistically significant among course, wales and bias directions at 95 percent confidence level. The values got from Instron test indicates that testing direction can alter its deformation. In deformation analysis, comparing both experimental and prediction, high amount of structural changes observed in wales direction. The used tetrahedral elements can be used for contact analysis with high accuracy. For non-linear problems, consistent approach was proposed which makes the sense to compare with experimental methods. The proposed model will make possible developments and the preliminary validation tests shows good agreement with experimental data.
Development of fuzzy U control chart for monitoring defects
Authors: Avakh Darestani Soroush , Moradi Tadi Azam , Taheri Somayeh , Raeiszadeh Maryam
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Shewhart's control charts are the most important statistical process control tools that play a role in inspecting and producing quality control. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attributes of fuzzy U control chart.

Design/methodology/approach

– If the data were uncertain, they were converted into trapezoidal fuzzy number and the fuzzy upper and lower control limits were trapezoidal fuzzy number calculated using fuzzy mode approach. The result was grouped into four categories (in control, out of control, rather in control, rather out of control). Finally, a case study was presented and the method coding was done in MATLAB software using design U control chart; then, the results were verified.

Findings

– The definition of fuzzy numbers for each type of defect sensitivity and the unit can be classified into four groups: in-control and out-of-control, rather in-control and rather out-of-control which represent the actual quality of the products. It can be concluded that fuzzy control chart is more sensitive on recognition out of control patterns.

Originality/value

– This paper studies the use of control charts, specifically the attributes of a fuzzy U control chart, for monitoring defects in the format of a case study.
The verification of effective leadership style for TQM
Authors: Sik Cho Young , Y. Jung Joo
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to verify the universal applicability of total quality management (TQM) across national boundaries. Specifically, the authors examined the validity of the isomorphic nature of TQM leadership style by comparing survey samples from both USA-based firms (n=112) and China-based firms (n=121).

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors collected the primary data through a survey research method. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were adopted to test the hypothesized research model.

Findings

– The study results did not support the universality of TQM practices. For example, the results reveal that in the USA-based firms, transformational leadership has a more significant positive influence on TQM practices, while in the China-based firms, transactional leadership has a more significant positive impact on TQM practices.

Originality/value

– Most of the existing literature on TQM assumed that the most effective TQM leadership style would be universal across organizational or international boundaries. However, our findings imply that the effective leadership style for successful implementation of TQM practices could be contingent on the cultural background embedded within the firms. Therefore, the authors anticipate the findings of the study will guide future research on TQM and create a new path to find solutions not only for optimizing the successful implementation of TQM, but also for minimizing the current high level of TQM failures.
Measuring patient satisfaction
Authors: Ghosh Manimay
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to understand the different dimensions patients staying in a hospital perceived as important for satisfaction and how those dimensions affected their overall satisfaction levels.

Design/methodology/approach

– A scale comprising 21 items to measure patient experience in a hospital was developed based on literature review. After purification of the scale, a field survey was administered to patients who were discharged in the recent past from a public or a private hospital in the city. The data collected were analyzed using multivariate techniques.

Findings

– The data analysis highlighted four important dimensions of patient satisfaction. The four dimensions significantly and positively affected patient’s overall satisfaction level.

Research limitations/implications

– This research study was conducted in one of the four major metropolitan cities of India. Nonetheless, the study provides valuable insights into the patient satisfaction dimensions in an Indian context and how those dimensions affected patient’s overall satisfaction.

Practical implications

– Hospitals, in general, can use the study findings to measure and improve their operational performance.

Originality/value

– This study was not limited to one or few hospitals, but covered many hospitals in one of the four metropolitan cities of India. It provides a comprehensive picture of how many hospitals in the city fared in terms of satisfying their patients.
Occupational stress and its consequences
Authors: Mohammad Mosadeghrad Ali
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to identify the status of occupational stress among a sample of hospital employees in Iran. It further intended to reveal the harmful effects of occupational stress on employees’ health and well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used a cross-sectional research design. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from hospital employees.

Findings

– Job-related, working environment, interpersonal and organisational factors were related to occupational stress. One-fourth of employees rated their occupational stress high. The major sources of occupational stress were inadequate pay, inequality at work, too much work, staff shortage, poor recognition and promotion, time pressure, job insecurity and lack of management support. High levels of occupational stress have been linked to an increased risk of physical injuries, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, depression and increases in negative personal behaviours such as anger, anxiety and irritability. Occupational stress was positively associated with employees’ turnover intentions.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this study are not generalisable to the wider population of hospital employees in Iran due to the small sample size. Thus, future research should involve additional samples.

Practical implications

– The study has practical relevance for designing and implementing strategies to decrease occupational stress among hospital employees.

Originality/value

– This article contributes to health care theory and practise by identifying factors contributing to employees’ occupational stress and examining the association between occupational stress and two important employee outcomes – health status and turnover intention.
Fair trade consumption from the perspective of US Baby Boomers
Authors: Benson Ebony , Y. Hiller Connell Kim
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge base of Baby Boomers’ attitudes, behaviours and perceived barriers related to fair trade purchasing.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study included 168 Baby Boomers. Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Data analysis included a combination of both quantitative (descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests and correlation analysis) and qualitative techniques.

Findings

– Findings indicated that the participants exhibited positive attitudes towards fair trade but were minimally engaged in fair trade purchasing. Furthermore, the participants perceived numerous barriers to purchasing fair trade products including the incompatibility of fair trade merchandise with lifestyles, the inability to touch and see fair trade products prior to purchase and difficulty in identifying fair trade items.

Research limitations/implications

– A limitation of this study is that the sample was well-educated university faculty and it is not representative of all Baby Boomers.

Practical implications

– Fair trade entities need to be more effective in marketing the advantages of the fair trade. Fair trade organizations should consider targeting marketing strategies specific to the unique demographic and psychographic characteristics of Baby Boomer consumers.

Originality/value

– This research expands understanding of the consumer behaviours of US Baby Boomers related to fair trade. An additional contribution is the comparison of differences in fair trade knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of Early vs Late Baby Boomers. It also has potentially important implications for fair trade organizations, as the paper discusses marketing strategies specific to Baby Boomers.
The mediating role of trust to managers on the relationship between corporate reputation practices and employees’ course of actions to customers
Authors: Erkmen Turhan , Esen Emel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the role of trust to managers on the relationship between corporate reputation practices and employees’ course of actions to customers in airline sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– A research questionnaire which measures corporate reputation, trust to managers and employees’ course of actions to customers was designed by the researchers. Three hundred forty-three employees who are working in nine different companies in an airline sector have participated in the research.

Findings

– According to the results of the study, corporate reputation practices and trust to managers have an effect on employees’ course of actions to customers; also trust to managers does not have any mediating role between these variables.

Research limitations/implications

– As this study is conducted in airline companies, we cannot generalize the results to the companies in other sectors. In addition, during the application of questionnaires, some participants found the questionnaire too long and they withdrew. This yielded to a lower participation rate.

Practical implications

– The findings of the study may get the board of directors’ or managers’ attention to the point that they should become aware of the importance of corporate reputation, corporate social responsibility, employees’ behaviors and trust in their organizations.

Originality/value

– This study aims to make several contributions to the marketing and management literature. Firstly, it extends the recent marketing and management literature on corporate reputation by examining trust to managers and employees’ behaviors.
Gesture–speech integration in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Mainela‐Arnold Elina , Alibali Martha W. , Hostetter Autumn B. , Evans Julia L.
Published: July 2014

Background

Previous research suggests that speakers are especially likely to produce manual communicative gestures when they have relative ease in thinking about the spatial elements of what they are describing, paired with relative difficulty organizing those elements into appropriate spoken language. Children with specific language impairment (SLI) exhibit poor expressive language abilities together with within‐normal‐range nonverbal IQs.

Aims

This study investigated whether weak spoken language abilities in children with SLI influence their reliance on gestures to express information. We hypothesized that these children would rely on communicative gestures to express information more often than their age‐matched typically developing (TD) peers, and that they would sometimes express information in gestures that they do not express in the accompanying speech.

Methods & Procedures

Participants were 15 children with SLI (aged 5;6–10;0) and 18 age‐matched TD controls. Children viewed a wordless cartoon and retold the story to a listener unfamiliar with the story. Children's gestures were identified and coded for meaning using a previously established system. Speech–gesture combinations were coded as redundant if the information conveyed in speech and gesture was the same, and non‐redundant if the information conveyed in speech was different from the information conveyed in gesture.

Outcomes & Results

Children with SLI produced more gestures than children in the TD group; however, the likelihood that speech–gesture combinations were non‐redundant did not differ significantly across the SLI and TD groups. In both groups, younger children were significantly more likely to produce non‐redundant speech–gesture combinations than older children.

Conclusions & Implications

The gesture–speech integration system functions similarly in children with SLI and TD, but children with SLI rely more on gesture to help formulate, conceptualize or express the messages they want to convey. This provides motivation for future research examining whether interventions focusing on increasing manual gesture use facilitate language and communication in children with SLI.
Host‐dependent differences in abundance, composition and host range of cyanophages from the Red Sea
Authors: Dekel‐Bird Naama P. , Sabehi Gazalah , Mosevitzky Bar , Lindell Debbie
Published: July 2014

Cyanobacteria coexist in the oceans with a wealth of phages that infect them. While numerous studies have investigated Synechococcus phages, much less data are available for Prochlorococcus phages. Furthermore, little is known about cyanophage composition. Here, we examined the abundance and relative composition of cyanophages on six cyanobacterial hosts in samples collected during spring and summer from the Red Sea. Maximal abundances found on Synechococcus of 35 000 phages/ml are within ranges found previously, whereas the 24 000 phages/ml found on Prochlorococcus are approximately 10‐fold higher than previous findings. T7‐like, T4‐like and ‘unknown’ phages were isolated on all hosts, including many T4‐like phages on high‐light adapted Prochlorococcus strains, whereas TIM5‐like phages were found only on Synechococcus. Large differences in cyanophage abundance and composition were found for different hosts on the same sampling date, as well as for the same host on different dates, with few predictable patterns discerned. Host range analyses showed that T7‐like and TIM5‐like phages were quite host‐specific, whereas the breadth of hosts for T4‐like phages was related to host type: those isolated on high‐light adapted Prochlorococcus were considerably more host‐specific than those on low‐light adapted Prochlorococcus or Synechococcus. These host‐related differences likely contribute to the complexity of host–phage interactions in the oceans.
The efficacy, safety and acceptability of medical termination of pregnancy provided by standard care by doctors or by nurse‐midwives: a randomised controlled equivalence trial
Authors: Kopp Kallner H , Gomperts R , Salomonsson E , Johansson M , Marions L , Gemzell‐Danielsson K
Published: July 2014

Objective

To assess nurse‐midwife provision of early medical termination of pregnancy (TOP) in a high‐resource setting where ultrasound examination for dating of pregnancy is part of the protocol.

Design

Randomised controlled equivalence trial.

Setting

Out‐patient family planning unit at a university hospital.

Population

Women seeking early medical TOP.

Methods

A total of 1180 women were randomised, without any prior examination, to counselling, examination, and treatment by either nurse‐midwife or gynaecologist. Ultrasound was performed in all cases by the allocated provider.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was efficacy, defined as the successful completion of TOP without need for vacuum aspiration. Secondary outcomes were safety, defined as need for hospitalisation or blood transfusion, and acceptability, defined as preferred provider were the women to have a medical TOP in the future.

Results

A total of 481 women in the nurse‐midwife group and 457 women in the doctor group were available for the final analysis. The effectiveness of provision of medical TOP by nurse‐midwife providers was superior to that provided by doctors (risk difference 1.6%, 95% confidence interval 0.2–3.0%, which was within the set margin of equivalence). There were no significant differences in safety parameters. Women examined and counselled by a nurse‐midwife were significantly more likely (P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval 0.308–0.394) to prefer seeing a nurse‐midwife for the consultation were they to have another medical TOP in the future.

Conclusions

These findings show that nurse‐midwife provision of early medical TOP in a high‐resource setting, where ultrasound is part of the protocol, is effective, and can be safely implemented with high acceptability among women.
Effectiveness of Single‐Nucleotide Polymorphisms to Investigate Cattle Rustling
Authors: Fernández María E. , Rogberg‐Muñoz Andrés , Lirón Juan P. , Goszczynski Daniel E. , Ripoli María V. , Carino Mónica H. , Peral‐García Pilar , Giovambattista Guillermo
Published: July 2014

Short tandem repeats (STR)s have been the eligible markers for forensic animal genetics, despite single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)s became acceptable. The technology, the type, and amount of markers could limit the investigation in degraded forensic samples. The performance of a 32‐SNP panel genotyped through OpenArraysTM (real‐time PCR based) was evaluated to resolve cattle‐specific forensic cases. DNA from different biological sources was used, including samples from an alleged instance of cattle rustling. SNPs and STRs performance and repeatability were compared. SNP call rate was variable among sample type (average = 80.18%), while forensic samples showed the lowest value (70.94%). The repeatability obtained (98.7%) supports the used technology. SNPs had better call rates than STRs in 12 of 20 casework samples, while forensic index values were similar for both panels. In conclusion, the 32‐SNPs used are as informative as the standard bovine STR battery and hence are suitable to resolve cattle rustling investigations.