bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Changing Landscape of HIV Prevention in the United States: Health Department Experiences and Local Adaptations in Response to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and High-Impact Prevention Approach
Authors: Fisher Holly H. , Essuon Aba , Hoyte Tamika , Shapatava Ekaterine , Shelley Gene , Rios Aisha , Beane Stephanie , Bourgeois Stacey , Dunbar Erica , Sapiano Tobey
Published: May 2017

Objective:

HIV prevention has changed substantially in recent years due to changes in national priorities, biomedical advances, and health care reform. Starting in 2010, motivated by the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) High-Impact Prevention (HIP), health departments realigned resources so that cost-effective, evidence-based interventions were targeted to groups at risk in areas most affected by HIV. This analysis describes how health departments in diverse settings were affected by NHAS and HIP.

Methods:

We conducted interviews and a consultation with health departments from 16 jurisdictions and interviewed CDC project officers who monitored programs in 5 of the jurisdictions. Participants were asked to describe changes since NHAS and HIP and how they adapted. We used inductive qualitative analysis to identify themes of change.

Results:

Health departments improved their HIV prevention practices in different ways. They aligned jurisdictional plans with NHAS and HIP goals, increased local data use to monitor program performance, streamlined services, and strengthened partnerships to increase service delivery to persons at highest risk for infection/transmission. They shifted efforts to focus more on the needs of people with diagnosed HIV infection, increased HIV testing and routine HIV screening in clinical settings, raised provider and community awareness about preexposure prophylaxis, and used nontraditional strategies to successfully engage out-of-care people with diagnosed HIV infection. However, staff-, provider-, and data-related barriers that could slow scale-up of priority programs were consistently reported by participants, potentially impeding the ability to meet national goals.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest progress toward NHAS and HIP goals has been made in some jurisdictions but highlight the need to monitor prevention programs in different contexts to identify areas for improvement and increase the likelihood of national success. Health departments and federal funders alike can benefit from the routine sharing of successes and challenges associated with local policy implementation, considering effects on the overall portfolio of programs.
Optimal HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis Regimen Completion With Single Tablet Daily Elvitegravir/Cobicistat/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate/Emtricitabine Compared With More Frequent Dosing Regimens
Authors: Mayer Kenneth H. , Jones Daniel , Oldenburg Catherine , Jain Sachin , Gelman Marcy , Zaslow Shayne , Grasso Chris , Mimiaga Matthew J.
Published: May 2017

Structure:

The study evaluated elvitegravir/cobicistat/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC) (“Quad pill”) for postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Background:

HIV-exposed individuals may benefit from PEP, but completion rates have been suboptimal because of regimen complexity and side effects. Newer antiretroviral combinations coformulated as single daily pills may optimize PEP adherence.

Setting:

One hundred HIV-uninfected individuals who presented to a Boston community health center after an acute HIV sexual exposure were enrolled and initiated PEP with the daily, single-pill combination Quad pill for a 28-day course.

Methods:

Side effects and medication completion rates from study participants were compared with historical controls who had used PEP regimens consisting of TDF/FTC daily and raltegravir twice daily, or earlier regimens of twice daily zidovudine (AZT)/lamivudine (3TC) and a protease inhibitor, using χ2 tests for independence.

Results:

Of the 100 participants who initiated the Quad pill for PEP after a high-risk sexual exposure, 71% completed the 28-day Quad pill regimen, which was significantly greater than historical controls who used TDF/FTC and raltegravir (57%, P < 0.05) or AZT/3TC plus a protease inhibitor (39%, P < 0.001). The most common side effects reported by Quad pill users were as follows: abdominal discomfort or pain, gas or bloating (42%), diarrhea (38%), fatigue (28%), nausea or vomiting (28%), headache (14%), or dizziness or lightheadedness (6%). Most symptoms were mild, limited, and did not result in medication discontinuation. No participants became HIV infected.

Conclusions:

Fixed-dose combination of elvitegravir/cobicistat/TDF/FTC was safe and well tolerated for PEP, with higher regimen completion rates than more frequently dosed PEP regimens.
Sex-specific changes in gene expression and delayed sex differentiation in response to estrogen pollution in grayling (Salmonidae)
Authors: Selmoni Oliver M. , Maitre Diane , Roux Julien , Wilkins Laetitia G. E. , da Cunha Lucas Marques , Vermeirssen Etienne L. M. , Knörr Susanne , Robinson-Rechavi Marc , Wedekind Claus
Published: May 2017

The synthetic 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is an estrogenic compound of oral contraceptives and therefore a common pollutant that has been suspected to affect the demography of river-dwelling salmonids. We study a population of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus) that suffers from sex ratio distortions. Here we test how ecologically relevant concentrations of EE2 affect sex-specific gene expression around early stages of sex differentiation. We collected gametes from F1s of wild spawners, used them forin vitrofertilizations, and raised the resulting embryos singly under experimentally controlled conditions. Embryos were either exposed to 1ng/L EE2 or sham-exposed. RNA was collected from samples taken 10 days before hatching, at the day of hatching, and towards the end of the yolk-sac stage, to study gene expression and relate it to genetic sex (sdY genotype). We found that EE2 affects gene expression of a very large number of genes especially at the day of hatching. The effects of EE2 on gene expression is strongly sex-specific. At the day of hatching, EE2 affected about twice as many genes in females than in males, and towards the end of the yolk-sac larval stage, EE2 effects were nearly exclusively observed in females. Among the many effects was, for example, a surprising EE2-induced molecular masculinization in the females’ heads. Histological examination of gonadal development of EE2-treated or sham-exposed juveniles during the first 4.5 months after hatching revealed a delaying effect of EE2 on sex differentiation. Because grayling sex determination goes through an all-male stage (a rare case of undifferentiated gonochorism), the rate of EE2-induced sex reversal could not be unequivocally determined during the observational period. However, two EE2-treated genetic males had ovarian tissues at the end of the study. We conclude that common levels of EE2 pollution affect grayling from very early stages on by interfering with male and female gene expression around the onset of sex differentiation, by delaying sex differentiation, and by feminizing some males.

Author contribution

MRR and CW initiated the project. OS, DM, LW, LMC, and CW sampled the adult fish, did the experimentalin vitrofertilizations, and prepared the embryos for experimental rearing in the laboratory. All further manipulations on the embryos and the larvae were done by OS, DM, LW, and LMC. The RNA-seq data were analyzed by OS, JR, and MRR, the histological analyses were done by DM, supervised by SK, the molecular genetic sexing was performed by OS and DM, and EV supervised the EE2 analytics. OS and CW performed the remaining statistical analyses and wrote the first version of the manuscript that was then critically revised by all other authors.
Multiple poliovirus-induced organelles suggested by comparison of spatiotemporal dynamics of membranous structures and phosphoinositides
Authors: Oh Hyung S. , Banerjee Sravani , Aponte-Diaz David , Aligo Jason , Lodeiro Maria F. , Cameron Craig E.
Published: May 2017

Poliovirus (PV) infection induces membranes with elevated levels of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI4P) and invaginated, tubular structures that appear as vesicular clusters in cross section. Here, we characterize PV mutants, termed EG and GG, which exhibit aberrant proteolytic processing of the P3 precursor that can delay the onset of genome replication and/or impair virus assembly. For WT PV, changes to the PI4P pool were observed as early as 30 min post-infection. PI4P remodeling occurred even in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride, a replication inhibitor. Vesicular clusters were not apparent until 3 h post-infection, a time too slow for these structures to be responsible for genome replication. Delays in the onset of genome replication observed for EG and GG PVs were explained completely by the reduced kinetics of virus-induced remodeling of PI4P pools, consistent with PI4P serving as a marker of the genome-replication organelle. Infectious virus produced by GG PV is known to be reduced nearly 5 logs. We show that GG PV was unable to make virus-induced vesicular clusters. Instead, GG PV-infected cells accumulated elongated tubules. Our results are consistent with the existence of distinct organelles for genome-replication and virus assembly. We suggest that the pace of formation and spatiotemporal dynamics of PV induced organelles may be set by the rate of P3 precursor processing to form 3AB and/or 3CD proteins.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

All positive-strand RNA viruses replicate their genomes in association with host cell membranes. PV does not just remodel existing membranes, but induces membranes with unique structure and lipid composition. There has been some suggestion that the functions of the PV induced structures observed during infection may not be those that perform genome-replication. This study uses kinetic analysis of virus-induced membrane formation and PI4P induction by two PV mutants to provide evidence for the existence of a virus-induced genome-replication organelle distinct from a second organelle, the absence of which impairs virus assembly. In addition, our studies suggest that formation of both organelles may require participation of viral proteins, 3AB and/or 3CD. Therefore, this study provides a new perspective on the cell biology of PV infection and should inspire a fresh look at picornavirus-induced organelles, their functions and the role of P3 proteins in their formation.
Wolbachiaeffects on Rift Valley fever virus infection inCulex tarsalismosquitoes
Authors: Dodson Brittany L. , Andrews Elizabeth S. , Turell Michael J. , Rasgon Jason L.
Published: May 2017

Innovative tools are needed to alleviate the burden of mosquito-borne diseases, and strategies that target the pathogen instead of the mosquito are being considered. A possible tactic is the use ofWolbachia, a maternally inherited, endosymbiotic bacterium that can suppress diverse pathogens when introduced to naive mosquito species. We investigated effects of somaticWolbachia(strainwAlbB) infection on Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) inCulex tarsalismosquitoes. When compared toWolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes, there was no significant effect ofWolbachiainfection on RVFV infection, dissemination, or transmission frequencies, nor on viral body or saliva titers. WithinWolbachia-infected mosquitoes, there was a modest negative correlation between RVFV body titers andWolbachiadensity, suggesting thatWolbachiamay suppress RVFV in a density-dependent manner in this mosquito species. These results are contrary to previous work in the same mosquito species, showingWolbachia-induced enhancement of West Nile virus infection rates. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of exploring the breadth of phenotypes induced byWolbachia.

Author Summary

An integrated vector management program utilizes several practices, including pesticide application and source reduction, to reduce mosquito populations. However, mosquitoes are developing resistance to some of these methods and new control approaches are needed. A novel technique involves the bacteriumWolbachiathat lives naturally in many insects.Wolbachiacan be transferred to uninfected mosquitoes and can block pathogen transmission to humans. Additionally,Wolbachiais maternally inherited, allowing it to spread quickly through uninfected field populations of mosquitoes. We studied the impacts ofWolbachiaon Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in the naturally uninfected mosquito,Culex tarsalis.Wolbachiahad no effects on the ability ofCulex tarsalisto become infected with or transmit RVFV. High densities ofWolbachiawere associated with no virus infection or low levels of virus, suggesting thatWolbachiamight suppress RVFV at high densities. These results contrast with our previous study that showedWolbachiaenhances West Nile virus infection inCulex tarsalis.Together, these studies highlight the importance of studyingWolbachiaeffects on a variety of pathogens so that control methods are not impeded.
A neuropeptide signaling system that rapidly enforces paternity in theAedes aegyptimosquito
Authors: Duvall Laura B. , Basrur Nipun S. , Molina Henrik , McMeniman Conor J. , Vosshall Leslie B.
Published: May 2017

Female Dengue and Zika vector mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti)generally mate once, with sperm from this male fertilizing all eggs produced in her lifetime. Here we implicate HP-I, anAedes- and male-specific neuropeptide transferred to females, and its cognate receptor in the female, NPYLR1, in rapid enforcement of paternity.HP-Imutant males were ineffective in enforcing paternity when a second male was given access to the female within 1 hour.NPYLR1mutant females produced mixed paternity offspring at high frequency. Synthetic HP-I injected into wild-type virgins reduced successful matings, but had no effect onNPYLR1mutant females. Asian tiger mosquito (Ae. albopictus) HP-I potently activatedAe. aegyptiNPYLR1. InvasiveAe. albopictusmales are known to copulate with and sterilizeAe. aegyptifemales, and cross-species transfer of HP-I may contribute to this phenomenon. This neuropeptide system promotes rapid paternity enforcement withinAe. aegypti, but may promote local extinction in areas where they compete withAe. albopictus.

One Sentence Summary

Aedes-specific peptide rapidly enforces paternity

Text

Ae. aegyptifemales typically mate only once with one male in their lifetime, a behavior known as “monandry” (1). This single mating event provisions the female with sufficient sperm to fertilize the >500 eggs she will produce during her ∼4-6 week lifespan in the laboratory (2). Successful mating is capable of inducing lifetime refractoriness to subsequent insemination by other males, enforcing the paternity of the first male (3-5). In other species, males use diverse strategies to assure the paternity of their offspring, for instance physical barriers such as mating plugs found in mice (6) andAnophelinemosquitoes (7), and anti-aphrodisiac pheromones used byDrosophila melanogastermales to tag female flies as non-virgin (8). Another widely used strategy in insects is the transfer of biologically active male seminal proteins, produced by the male accessory gland and secreted into the ejaculatory duct along with sperm during insemination, to affect the sexual receptivity of the female (3, 9-13). Perhaps the best-characterized male seminal fluid protein in insects is theDrosophilafly sex peptide (11), which acts on the sex peptide receptor in the female to suppress receptivity and trigger egg production (12).Drosophilasex peptide receptor mutant females will readily remate with multiple males, and wild-type females that mate with sex peptide mutant males remain sexually receptive.
Evaluating app bundling strategy for selling mobile apps: an ambivalent perspective
Authors: Wan Jinlin , Zhao Ling , Lu Yaobin , Gupta Sumeet
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Mobile appstores have fast sprung up during the last few years. The large number of apps in these appstores results in increased search effort for the customer as well as fierce competition leading to poorer revenues for both appstores as well as developers. Therefore, appstores allow developers to resort to bundling apps so as to increase the revenues and improve customer loyalty. Since an app-bundle is a mix of two or more apps, it may induce both positive and negative emotions simultaneously in the consumer. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of app-bundling strategy from consumers’ perspective, and help developers design app-bundles.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on ambivalence theories, this research investigate different antecedents and influence of positive attitude and negative attitude on purchase behavior, and derives seven key app-bundles attributes through an exploratory study. The data were collected from 930 consumers of app-bundles in China and analyzed using SEM approach.

Findings

The findings indicate that positive attitude and negative attitude are two separate concepts and the identified seven app-bundling attributes have distinct effect on shaping consumers’ positive and negative attitude.

Originality/value

This study makes three key contributions to theory and practice. First, this study identifies the specific attributes of app-bundles using exploratory study. Second, this study addresses the challenges involved in examining bundles using ambivalence theory. In doing so, it characterizes attitude as positive and negative and treats them as separate constructs. Third, as called forth by previous studies, this study establishes the co-existence of positive attitude and negative attitude.
The moderating effects of organisational culture on the relationship between absorptive capacity and software process improvement success
Authors: Lee Jung-Chieh , Chen Chung-Yang , Shiue Yih-Chearng
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships among absorptive capacity (AC), organisational culture (OC), and software process improvement (SPI) implementation success based on capability maturity model integration (CMMI). Specifically, the aim of this study is to understand the roles of potential and realised AC in SPI success.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a research model and examines the relations among firm AC, SPI success, and OC. The authors surveyed 56 Taiwanese firms that adopted the CMMI-based SPI programme and received official certification.

Findings

The findings indicate that potential and realised AC have significantly positive effects on SPI success. In particular, realized (AC) partially mediates the effects of potential AC on SPI success. Furthermore, the effects of potential and realised AC on SPI success are significantly moderated by the adhocracy and hierarchy OCs, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

Given that the scope of this empirical study was limited to Taiwan, the findings might lack generalisability; however, this provides an opportunity for future research.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study investigating the influence of AC on CMMI-based SPI success. The proposed research model also examines the moderating relationships of two types of OCs, namely adhocracy and hierarchy, on AC (potential and realized) and SPI success.
Universities’ third mission and the entrepreneurial university and the challenges they bring to higher education institutions
Authors: Rubens Arthur , Spigarelli Francesca , Cavicchi Alessio , Rinaldi Chiara
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Over the past few decades, higher education institutions (HEIs) have become key players in regional economic development and knowledge transfer, which has led to a third mission for HEIs and the entrepreneurial university. The purpose of this paper is to assess the challenges of HEIs in fulfilling the third mission for economic development and the changing role of being an entrepreneurial university, and the changes that need to be implemented to fulfill this new mission.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have drawn on current literature to examine academic entrepreneurism and the entrepreneurial university, and how universities are fulfilling their third mission.

Findings

The findings from our review of the literature demonstrated the varied economic and social benefit of universities conducting external third mission/entrepreneurial activities in the community, as well as how the changing role and expectations of universities to become more entrepreneurial, has not only changed the expectations and role of university administrators, faculty and staff but also the business community which they serve. The review also showed the varied challenges for universities in fulfilling the third mission of economic development.

Research limitations/implications

Although ample literature and cases about universities’ third mission of economic development and the new entrepreneurial university (especially with research universities) were available, literature or research was limited on the specific challenges and obstacles faced by administrators, faculty and departments in fulfilling this mission, and few studies recommended changes that needed to be implemented in HEIs to support this new mission.

Practical/implications

The paper supports the potential role that HEIs play in implementing economic development in their communities or region. The paper also highlights some of the necessary resources and policy changes that policymakers and university administrators need to implement to reward and recognize faculty in conducting outreach activities as part of the university’s third mission.

Originality/value

The findings from this study highlight the challenges and barriers for faculty, staff and HEIs in fulfilling the third mission and becoming an entrepreneurial university.
Content analysis within intangible assets disclosure: a structured literature review
Authors: Castilla-Polo Francisca , Ruiz-Rodríguez Consuelo
Published: May 2017

Purpose

In this paper, the authors analyze the use of content analysis in disclosing voluntarily information on intangible assets, the intangible assets disclosures (IAD). The purpose of this paper is to conduct a structured literature review (SLR) that assesses the possibilities and limitations of content analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

To that end, the authors analyze the existing literature on the topic in the main international databases. In all, 74 empirical articles utilizing content analysis as a research methodology for IAD were reviewed. Regarding the selection of sources, the authors should indicate that the SLR performed includes academic studies published in journals or presented at conferences and that are always subject to a double process of anonymous review.

Findings

The obtained results indicate that despite the frequent use of content analysis in studies on IAD, its use does not meet all expectations.

Research limitations/implications

The study synthesizes the research on content analysis for the case of information on intangible assets, offering an updated and global framework for future researchers through the SLR.

Practical implications

Among other problems, the authors found its excessive emphasis on the amount disclosed in the annual report, ignoring other reports in which more information regarding intangible assets is available, such as in the case of the sustainability reports. Furthermore, the use of very different coding systems and its exclusive use without being combined with other methodologies are detected. These aspects affect the quality problems of the sources used, which directly results in the utility of the evidenced findings.

Social implications

These conclusions allow the authors to conclude on the need to open different lines of study that review the use of content analysis in this topic.

Originality/value

The work focuses on the quality of disclosures more so than on the quantity, offering a critical view that summarizes the utility of the employment of content analysis for this type of disclosure and its implications for future research on this topic. Despite previous studies, the authors highlight the new insights revealed from IAD research, especially since the seminal paper of Dumay and Cai (2014).
Representation of intellectual capital’s components amongst Italian social enterprises
Authors: Benevene Paula , Kong Eric , Barbieri Barbara , Lucchesi Massimiliano , Cortini Michela
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the representation that senior managers of Italian social enterprises have about their organization’s intellectual capital (IC), precisely about the human capital, relational capital and organizational capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used a qualitative approach. A total of 81 senior managers were interviewed individually. Interview data were analyzed using different techniques of content analysis, particularly by using the T-Lab software (analysis of word occurrence and co-word mapping, analysis of Markovian sequences).

Findings

Findings confirm the divide between theory and practice of IC. The representation of the IC dimensions is rather different from the definition that is found in the academic literature. Limited awareness about IC components and their generative power of knowledge determines a limited exploitation of the social enterprises’ organizational knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

The group reached is limited to Italy and is not statistically representative of all Italian social enterprises.

Practical implications

Social enterprises are crucial in the development and well-being of societies. However, the findings suggest that many social enterprises managers are not fully aware of the importance of IC and how it may create value for their organizations. This paper stresses that senior managers of social enterprises need to, through various methods, have a better understanding of IC management and knowledge creation if they are to fully utilise the potential of IC in their organizations for survival and growth.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to explore the perception of IC’s components among social enterprises, which represent an important development of non-profit organizations.
Healthcare sustainability and the role of intellectual capital
Authors: Cavicchi Caterina
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of intellectual capital (IC) in promoting the sustainable development (SD) program of the Emilia-Romagna Health Service. The contributions of the following assets were investigated: leadership and competences, culture, performance measurement and incentives systems, social capital and technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study was conducted following a hierarchical approach: perceptions of the regional directorate of public and social health, the general directors and healthcare professionals of the regional health system (the setting) were analyzed through interviews, focus groups and documentation in order to investigate: the emerging definition of SD within the setting; the role of IC, if any, in the achievement of the regional SD goals.

Findings

SD culture did not expand at the operative level because of the lack of involvement of healthcare professionals in a permanent dialogue for sustainability. Sustainability projects were not systematic which restricted the development of staff awareness of sustainability issues. Social capital enabled environmental projects and medical projects that increased patients’ involvement in disease management. Technology could help the shift toward sustainability, but it requires consideration of tangible and intangible costs for its successful adoption. SD performance measurement and incentives were in their infancy and cost accounting continues to dominate the healthcare sustainability debate.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the low number of healthcare professionals involved in the focus groups, the paper represents one of the first attempts to frame their perceptions on SD implementation in healthcare.

Practical implications

Regional institutions should consider new ways of enacting SD which should be more inclusive of healthcare professionals. The establishment of a permanent interdisciplinary dialogue on sustainability would develop human, social and structural capital for sustainability. Healthcare organizations should monitor the environmental and social effects of their operations to enact their primary mission: the promotion of health.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to theory development related to the role of IC for SD in the public sector context and, in particular, in the healthcare sector where evidence is currently limited.
Vulnerable young people’s experiences of child and adolescent mental health services
Authors: Davison Jo , Zamperoni Victoria , Stain Helen J.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of vulnerable young people in using a local child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS).

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods design was employed in which participants completed the self-report Experience of Service Questionnaire (CHI ESQ) (n=34), and a subgroup completed individual semi-structured interviews (n=17). CHI ESQ satisfaction data were also compared with a national data sample provided by the Child Outcomes Research Consortium (n=621).

Findings

Many young people appeared to have a mixed or negative experience of the CAMHS service. They strongly emphasised that feeling listened to, cared for, and supported, in addition to access and continuity of care, are key methods to enhance their experience. They also reported a lack of knowledge and stigma associated with mental health as key barriers to engagement with services more widely.

Research limitations/implications

Purposive sampling was used to recruit a carefully defined group of vulnerable young people from one school using a single CAMHS service.

Practical implications

A number of recommendations were identified that could enhance the service experience of young people.

Originality/value

There is a significant paucity of knowledge regarding young people’s views and experiences of CAMHS, especially those with high vulnerability for mental health difficulties. This exploratory study offers methods for capturing the opinions of underrepresented young people to inform future service design.
Study on prawn shell waste into chitosan and its derivatives as value added products for cellulosic fibres
Authors: Islam Md. Mofakkharul , Mondal Md. Ibrahim H. , Ahmed Firoz
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize chitosan, N-octyl chitosan (NOCh) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) derivative from prawn shell wastes and identify their applications as modifiers on cellulosic fibres, jute and cotton, to develop quality textile fibres.

Design/methodology/approach

Chitosan was obtained by deacetylation of chitin. NOCh was obtained by reductive amination of chitosan. Water-soluble CMCh was prepared by reacting chitosan with monochloroacetic acid in aqueous alkaline media at ambient conditions. Chitosan, NOCh and CMCh were applied on cellulosic fibres, and structure and physico-chemical characteristics of chitosan derivatives and modified fibres were investigated and analysed.

Findings

The molecular weight, degree of deacetylation and ash content of prepared chitosan were 1,39,958 Da, 85 and 2.33 per cent, respectively. The moisture content, water holding capacity and total nitrogen content were above 10, 450 and 6.5 per cent, respectively. Average degree of substitution of CMCh was 0.82 as determined by titrimetric analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed characteristic peaks of carbonyl group at 1,659 cm−1, –NH2 at 1,600 cm−1, symmetric stretching of C-H in the methyl group at 1,520 cm−1 and carboxylic group at 1,737 cm−1. Thermograms showed moderate thermal stability in treated fibres compared to untreated fibres. Surface morphology of the modified fibres exhibited smoother surface due to the absorption of chitosan, NOCh and CMCh.

Originality/value

Modification of jute and cotton by sorption of NOCh and CMCh introduced new functional groups on the fibre surface with chemical bonding, which was confirmed by FTIR. Surface morphology of the fibres was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. As the modified fibres also showed good dyeability and colour fastness as well as other properties, the chitosan derivatives as a textile modifier would be helpful to avoid synthetic petroleum-based chemical modifiers as well as to manage the environmental pollution from prawn shell waste and other toxic chemicals.
Residents’ quality of life and visitors’ quality of experience
Authors: Dioko Leonardo (Don) A.N. , So Amy S.I.
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose a destination-level framework incorporating subjective and overall assessments of residents’ quality of life (QOL) and visitors’ quality of experience (QOE) as a means for managing optimum levels of visitor volume at destinations.

Design

The proposed framework is empirically tested and applied using a large-scale survey of residents and visitors across a four-year time span in Macao, a Special Administrative Region of China that counts among the smallest and densest city-states in the world and which has borne the full force of extraordinary rapid tourism growth in recent years.

Findings

The study’s findings suggest that subjective assessments of residents’ QOL and visitors’ QOE interact and must be considered together when assessing sustainable levels of tourism at the level of a destination.

Originality

The study’s value lies in its use of a large-scale survey across a four-year time span to empirically validate theorized maximal values of QOL assessments from the point of view of residents as well as quality of visiting experience from the point of view of visitors. This finding lays future groundwork for more robust management of tourism growth in destinations.
Perceptions of support for secondary school learners with dyslexia in France and in Wales: case study analyses
Authors: Mccormack‐Colbert Anna , Wyn Jones Susan , Ware Jean
Published: May 2017

The lack of consensus over the origins of dyslexia, assessment practices and the impact on learners across languages has led to different approaches to support being adopted across Europe. This study uses a case study design and aims at gaining an understanding of learners with dyslexic tendencies’ experiences and perceptions of Welsh and French support systems. The cross‐cultural dimension of the study makes the analysis pivot around some cultural differences which provide new insights.
Single‐centre experience with perioperative use of hypothermic fibrillatory arrest without aortic occlusion in left ventricular aneurysm resection concomitant with on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Zheng Yong , Zhu Shenghua
Published: May 2017

Aim

Hypothermic fibrillatory arrest (HFA) without aortic occlusion has been long used for preserving the myocardium in cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether HFA can affect clinical outcomes in patients undergoing left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) resection concomitant with on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Patients and methods

From March 2005 to November 2012, 11 men and one woman (mean age: 53 ± 7 years) were subjected to LVA resection and subsequent on‐pump CABG during HFA. Primary indications for operation were angina pectoris (unstable angina in 7), congestive heart failure in four and ventricular arrhythmias in three. The mean New York Heart Association Class was 2.8. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 0.34 ± 0.05.

Results

Five patients had linear closure, and seven had left ventricular reconstruction. Coronary surgery was performed in all patients, with an average of 2.3 grafts/patient. The mean duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was 97 ± 38 min, and the mean ventilation time was 21 ± 15 h. The mean postoperative LVEF was 0.41 ± 0.08. The overall hospital mortality rate was zero. No patient had died when followed up 8–24 months’ postoperatively.

Conclusion

HFA is a safe and effective technique in the procedure of LVA resection concomitant with on‐pump CABG. Low hospital mortality, improved cardiac function status and survival are potential advantages.
Caecal volvulus: A sequel of cholecystitis
Authors: Noor Mohamed Mohamed S. , Chandramoorthy Sujeen , Liossis Christos , McIlroy Brendan , Leung Edmund
Published: May 2017

Caecal volvulus is a sobriquet, which is described anatomically by abnormal omphalic rotation of the right hemicolon. It is an infrequently encountered clinical condition with higher prevalence in women, and an anomalous cause of intestinal obstruction. Patients with this condition might present with greatly vacillating clinical symptoms ranging from discontinuous, self‐limiting abdominal pain to acute abdominal pain associated with intestinal strangulation and sepsis. Paucity of experience with this condition is a factor contributing to diagnostic and treatment delays. It has been reported that radiological abnormalities are identifiable in nearly all patients with acute caecal volvulus. It is generally agreed that patients with acute caecal volvulus benefit from surgical intervention for correction of intestinal obstruction. In the present study, we report the first case of an atypical cause of a caecal volvulus, which was not initially identified from the abdominal computed tomography. We present the case, discuss management and discuss literature.
Pharmacogenomics of angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor and its long‐term side effects
Authors: Krittanawong Chayakrit , Kitai Takeshi
Published: May 2017

The development of the promising agent sacubitril/valsartan, known as an angiotensin receptor blocker‐neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), to improve heart failure (HF) management, may benefit morbidity, mortality, and readmission rates in patients with HF. The PARADIGM‐HF trial demonstrated that the ARNI can reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), while ongoing PARAMOUNT and PARAGON‐HF trials determined whether the ARNI has morbidity and mortality benefits in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the risk of long‐term side effects of the ARNI such as cognitive dysfunction or Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown. In fact, neprilysin (NEP), encoded by NEP or MME gene, is a principal peptidase involved in the degradation of β‐amyloid (Aβ) protein. Several studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms of the NEP gene may be associated with AD and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Pharmacogenomics, the study of variability in drug response due to genetic polymorphisms, can potentially explain the variability in the effect of the ARNI and their side effects. Therefore, we have attempted to highlight pharmacogenomic factors and potential long‐term side effects of the ARNI. Physicians should carefully monitor elderly patients with genetic risk factors for AD and CAA. In the future, genetic testing and genomic testing for NEP polymorphisms may play an important role in monitoring long‐term side effects in ARNI‐treated HF patients.
A revised stratigraphical framework for the Quaternary deposits of the German North Sea sector: a geological‐geotechnical approach
Authors: Coughlan Mark , Fleischer Matthias , Wheeler Andrew J. , Hepp Daniel A. , Hebbeln Dierk , Mörz Tobias
Published: May 2017

Using extensive data sets from three separate areas in the German North Sea sector, consisting of seismic grids, cores and in‐situ cone penetration tests (CPT), we have established a revised stratigraphical framework for the mid to late Quaternary deposits of the German North Sea sector. This framework consists of four regional unconformities and 15 other local unconformities derived from seismic profiles. Using these unconformities, along with lithological and geotechnical data, it was possible to define and correlate 14 major units and 21 subunits within the framework. The Quaternary cover in the area is characterized by a variety of environmental settings ranging from glacial terrestrial and fluvial to lacustrine as well as brackish and marine environments with associated erosion, reworking and deposition. The complexity of Quaternary deposits within the area is explained by its history of repeated ice advances interrupted by marine transgressions and exposed periglacial landscapes. Within the framework, eight buried tunnel valleys and two shallow buried river valleys are identified from seismic profiles with four phases of tunnel valley generation inferred. These phases of tunnel valley generation are associated with the Elsterian (three) and Saalian (one) glacial stages. Infill of these tunnel valleys consists of glaciofluvial sands, thick sequences of marine and lacustrine fine‐grained sediments and some reworked till remnants. Elsewhere, extensive tabular units have formed consisting of marine and fluvial sediments. We compare this new stratigraphy with previous stratigraphies for the German North Sea sector, attribute informal stratigraphical names and offer preliminary correlations with established stratigraphies from other sectors of the North Sea.
Bone mineral density in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and the timing of gonadectomy
Authors: King Thomas F. J. , Wat Winnie Z. M. , Creighton Sarah M. , Conway Gerard S.
Published: May 2017

Summary

Objective

Low bone mineral density (BMD) has been reported in complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS), but the impact of timing of gonadectomy is not known. We aimed to assess the relationship between age of gonadectomy and BMD in women with CAIS.

Design

Retrospective analysis of pre‐ and post‐gonadectomy parameters in women with CAIS attending an adult Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) clinic in a tertiary centre.

Patients

One hundred and thirteen women with CAIS.

Measurements

Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) before and after gonadectomy; and pre‐gonadectomy hormone profile.

Results

Mean BMD was reduced (95% confidence interval); T‐score −1.34 (−1.55 to −1.13; P<.001) at the lumbar spine and −0.3 (−0.49 to −0.12; P=.001) at the hip. There was no relationship between age of gonadectomy and BMD. Thirty‐two subjects had BMD measured before or within 2 years of gonadectomy, and mean BMD was reduced (95% CI) at the lumbar spine; T‐score: −1.05 (−1.54 to −0.57; P<.001), but was normal at the hip; T‐score −0.04 (−0.35 to 0.28; P=.8). There was no relationship between BMD and history of hernia, testosterone, oestradiol or follicle stimulating hormone levels. Twelve subjects had DXA both before and after gonadectomy, and after 4.3 (1.7‐12.8) years, there was no change in BMD.

Conclusions

We found reduced BMD at the spine and hip in subjects with CAIS. We found no relationship between age of gonadectomy and BMD, and we also found no drop in BMD in subjects followed up after gonadectomy.
Next‐generation sequencing targeted disease panel in rod‐cone retinal dystrophies in Māori and Polynesian reveals novel changes and a common founder mutation
Authors: Vincent Andrea L , Abeysekera Nandoun , van Bysterveldt Katherine A , Oliver Verity F , Ellingford Jamie M , Barton Stephanie , Black Graeme CM
Published: May 2017

Importance

This study identifies unique genetic variation observed in a cohort of Māori and Polynesian patients with rod‐cone retinal dystrophies using a targeted next‐generation sequencing retinal disease gene panel.

Background

With over 250 retinal disease genes identified, genetic diagnosis is still only possible in 60–70% of individuals and even less within unique ethnic groups.

Design

Prospective genetic testing in patients with rod‐cone retinal dystrophies identified from the New Zealand Inherited Retinal Disease Database,

Participants

Sixteen patients of Māori and Polynesian ancestry.

Methods

Next‐generation sequencing of a targeted retinal gene panel. Sanger sequencing for a novel PDE6B mutation in subsequent Māori patients.

Main Outcome Measures

Genetic diagnosis, genotype–phenotype correlation.

Results

Thirteen unique pathogenic variants were identified in 9 of 16 (56.25%) patients in 10 different genes. A definitive genetic diagnosis was made in 7/16 patients (43.7%). Six changes were novel and not in public databases of human variation. In four patients, a homozygous, novel pathogenic variant (c.2197G > C, p.(Ala 733Pro)) in PDE6B was identified and also present in a further five similarly affected Māori patients.

Conclusions and Relevance

Over half of the Māori and Polynesian patients with inherited rod‐cone diseases have no pathogenic variant(s) detected with a targeted retinal next‐generation sequencing strategy, which is supportive of novel genetic mechanisms in this population. A novel PDE6B founder variant is likely to account for 16% of recessive inherited retinal dystrophy in Māori. Careful characterization of the clinical presentation permits identification of further Māori patients with a similar phenotype and simplifies the diagnostic algorithm.
859. GENTIANA PARADOXA
Authors: Wilford Richard
Published: May 2017

The western Caucasian endemic Gentiana paradoxa Albov, from the ancient region of Colchis, is described and illustrated, and its place in the genus Gentiana discussed. Cultivation notes are provided.
How does water scarcity affect spatial and temporal patterns of diatom community assemblages in Mediterranean streams?
Authors: Piano Elena , Falasco Elisa , Bona Francesca
Published: May 2017

Mediterranean streams are mostly characterised by intermittent flow regime, with droughts in summer followed by floods in autumn. During droughts, the creation of lentic habitats (i.e. lentification process) and isolated pools in the riverbeds (i.e. fragmentation process) represents a strong selective pressure on biotic communities, which might be intensified by human‐induced water scarcity. In the highly heterogeneous habitat patches created by these processes, species sorting may be driven by stochastic mechanisms, as well as by environmental filtering. In this work, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns in the assemblage of diatom communities during water scarcity periods in Mediterranean streams.

Five oligotrophic streams, which were similar in terms of physical and chemical parameters, were sampled in the Ligurian Alps (NW Italy). Data were collected during moderate flow in April 2014 and then at least monthly during water scarcity, from June to September 2014, in: (1) lentic sites, where the water flow became slower but was permanent all year around, (2) fragmented sites, where the riverbed stretch dried out creating isolated pools. For each sampling site, we collected six benthic diatom samples from different microhabitats.

We examined which type of factors, i.e. spatial or environmental, better explained the temporal and spatial variation in diatom communities. We then calculated the turnover and nestedness components of dissimilarity by comparing samples collected during moderate flow with samples obtained during a period of water scarcity. We further investigated if the idiosyncrasy of diatom species, i.e. a measure of their discrepancy from a nested pattern, could be explained by the ecological niche width of species and/or by species traits.

Our results showed a contribution of both environmental and spatial factors in determining species composition during water scarcity, with the overall trends in community structure being driven by species turnover. The percentage of idiosyncratic species (those departing from the nested pattern) increased with increasing water scarcity, but showed no differences in terms of species traits.

According to our results, species turnover, with replacement of sensitive species by tolerant species, seemed to be the dominating process in diatom benthic communities during water scarcity in the streams under investigation. A better evaluation of species autecology could improve the evaluation of water quality in Mediterranean streams.