bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GABAergic inhibition of leg motoneurons is required for normal walking behavior in freely movingDrosophila
Authors: Gowda Swetha B.M. , Paranjpe Pushkar D. , Reddy O. Venkateswara , Palliyil Sudhir , Reichert Heinrich , VijayRaghavan K.
Published: August 2017

Walking is a complex rhythmic locomotor behaviour generated by sequential and periodical contraction of muscles essential for coordinated control of movements of legs and leg joints. Studies of walking in vertebrates and invertebrates have revealed that premotor neural circuitry generates a basic rhythmic pattern that is sculpted by sensory feedback and ultimately controls the amplitude and phase of the motor output to leg muscles. However, the identity and functional roles of the premotor interneurons that directly control leg motoneuron activity are poorly understood. Here we take advantage of the powerful genetic methodology available inDrosophilato investigate the role of premotor inhibition in walking by genetically suppressing inhibitory input to leg motoneurons. For this, we have developed a novel algorithm for automated analysis of leg motion to characterize the walking parameters of wildtype flies from high speed video recordings. Further, we use genetic reagents for targeted RNAi knockdown of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors in leg motoneurons together with quantitative analysis of resulting changes in leg movement parameters in freely walkingDrosophila. Our findings indicate that targeted down regulation of GABAA receptor Rdl in leg motoneurons results in a dramatic reduction of walking speed and step-length without the loss of general leg coordination during locomotion. Genetically restricting the knockdown to the adult stage and subsets of motoneurons yields qualitatively identical results. Taken together, these findings identify GABAergic premotor inhibition of motoneurons as an important determinant of correctly coordinated leg movements and speed of walking in freely behavingDrosophila.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

Inhibition is an important feature of neuronal circuit and in walking it aids in controlling coordinated movement of legs, leg segments and leg joints. Recent studies inDrosophilareports the role of premotor inhibitory interneurons in regulation of larval locomotion. However, in adult walking the identity and functional role of premotor interneurons is less understood. Here, we use genetic methods for targeted knockdown of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptor in leg motoneurons that results in slower walking speed and defects in walking parameters combined with novel method we have developed for quantitative analysis of the fly leg movement and the observed changes in walking parameters. Our results indicate that GABAergic pre-motor inhibition to leg motoneurons is required to control the normal walking behaviour in adultDrosophila.
Gossypol biosynthesis in cotton revealed through organ culture, plant grafting and gene expression profiling
Authors: Zhao Tianlun , Hu Jiahui , Li Cheng , Li Cong , Mei Lei , Chen Jinhong , Zhu Shuijin
Published: August 2017

Gossypol plays an important role in defense mechanism ofGossypiumspecies and the presence of gossypol also limits the utilization of cottonseeds. However, little is known about the metabolism of gossypol in cotton plant. Here, Detection on the dynamic tendency of gossypol content illustrated that at the germination stage, the main source of gossypol was cotyledon, and at the later stages, gossypol mainly came from root system. Plant grafting between cottons and sunflower proved that gossypol was mainly synthesized in the root systems of cotton plants and both of the glanded and glandless cottons had the ability of gossypol biosynthesis. Besides, the pigment glands expression was uncoupled with gossypol biosynthesis. Root tip and rootless seedling organ culture in vitro further revealed other parts of the seedlings also got the ability to synthesize gossypol except root system. Moreover, root system produced the racemic gossypol and plant synthesized the optically active gossypol. The expression profiling of key genes in the gossypol biosynthetic pathway suggested that downstream key genes had relatively high expression levels in root systems which confirmed that gossypol was mainly synthesized in the root systems. Taken together, our results helped to clarify the complex mechanism of gossypol metabolism.
Signatures of selection at drug resistance loci inMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Mortimer Tatum D. , Weber Alexandra M. , Pepperell Caitlin S.
Published: August 2017

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death by an infectious disease, and global TB control efforts are increasingly threatened by drug resistance inMycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb).Unlike most bacteria, where lateral gene transfer is an important mechanism of resistance acquisition, resistantM. tbarises solely byde novochromosomal mutation. Using whole genome sequencing data from two natural populations ofM. tb,we characterized the population genetics of known drug resistance loci using measures of diversity, population differentiation, and convergent evolution. We found resistant sub-populations to be less diverse than susceptible sub-populations, consistent with ongoing transmission of resistantM. tb.A subset of resistance genes (“sloppy targets”) were characterized by high diversity and multiple rare variants; we posit that a large genetic target for resistance and relaxation of purifying selection contribute to high diversity at these loci. For “tight targets” of selection, the path to resistance appeared narrower, evidenced by single favored mutations that arose numerous times on the phylogeny and segregated at markedly different frequencies in resistant and susceptible sub-populations. These results suggest that diverse genetic architectures underlie drug resistance inM. tb,and combined approaches are needed to identify causal mutations. Extrapolating from patterns observed in well-characterized genes, we identified novel candidate variants involved in resistance. The approach outlined here can be extended to identify resistance variants for new drugs, to investigate the genetic architecture of resistance, and, when phenotypic data are available, to find candidate genetic loci underlying other positively selected traits in clonal bacteria.

Importance

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb),the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a significant burden on global health. Antibiotic treatment imposes strong selective pressure onM. tbpopulations. Identifying the mutations that cause drug resistance inM. tbis important for guiding TB treatment and halting the spread of drug resistance. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) ofM. tbisolates can be used to identify novel mutations mediating drug resistance and to predict resistance patterns faster than traditional methods of drug susceptibility testing. We have used WGS from natural populations of drug resistantM. tbto characterize effects of selection for advantageous mutations on patterns of diversity at genes involved in drug resistance. The methods developed here can be used to identify novel advantageous mutations, including new resistance loci, inM. tband other clonal pathogens.
Suppression and facilitation of human neural responses
Authors: Schallmo M-P. , Kale A.M. , Millin R. , Flevaris A.V. , Brkanac Z. , Edden R.A.E. , Bernier R.A. , Murray S.O.
Published: August 2017

Efficient neural processing depends on regulating responses through suppression and facilitation of neural activity. Utilizing a well-known visual motion paradigm that evokes behavioral suppression and facilitation, and combining 5 different methodologies (behavioral psychophysics, computational modeling, functional MRI, pharmacology, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy), we provide evidence that challenges commonly held assumptions about the neural processes underlying suppression and facilitation. We show that: 1) both suppression and facilitation can emerge from a single, computational principle – divisive normalization; there is no need to invoke separate neural mechanisms, 2) neural suppression and facilitation in the motion-selective area MT mirror perception, but strong suppression also occurs in earlier visual areas, and 3) suppression is not driven by GABA-mediated inhibition. Thus, while commonly used spatial suppression paradigms may provide insight into neural response magnitudes in visual areas, they cannot be used to infer neural inhibition.
Cell growth rate dictates the onset of glass to fluid-like transition and long time super-diffusion in an evolving cell colony
Authors: Malmi-Kakkada Abdul N , Li Xin , Samanta Himadri S. , Sinha Sumit , Thirumalai D.
Published: August 2017

Collective migration dominates many phenomena, from cell movement in living systems to abiotic self-propelling particles. Focusing on the early stages of tumor evolution, we enunciate the principles involved in cell dynamics and highlight their implications in understanding similar behavior in seemingly unrelated soft glassy materials and possibly chemokine-induced migration of CD8+T cells. We performed simulations of tumor invasion using a minimal three dimensional model, accounting for cell elasticity and adhesive cell-cell interactions as well as cell birth and death to establish that cell growth rate-dependent tumor expansion results in the emergence of distinct topological niches. Cells at the periphery move with higher velocity perpendicular to the tumor boundary, while motion of interior cells is slower and isotropic. The mean square displacement, Δ(t), of cells exhibits glassy behavior at times comparable to the cell cycle time, while exhibiting super-diffusive behavior, Δ(t) ≈tα(α> 1), at longer times. We derive the value ofα≈ 1.33 using a field theoretic approach based on stochastic quantization. In the process we establish the universality of super-diffusion in a class of seemingly unrelated non-equilibrium systems. Super diffusion at long times arises only if there is an imbalance between cell birth and death rates. Our findings for the collective migration, which also suggests that tumor evolution occurs in a polarized manner, are in quantitative agreement within vitroexperiments. Although set in the context of tumor invasion the findings should also hold in describing collective motion in growing cells and in active systems where creation and annihilation of particles play a role.
Regressions Fit for Purpose: Models of Locust Phase State Must Not Conflate Morphology With Behaviour
Authors: Ott Swidbert R.
Published: August 2017

Locusts are defined by their capacity to transform between two very distinct integrated phenotypes or ‘phases’ in response to changes in population density: a solitarious phase, which occurs when densities are low, and a gregarious phase, which arises as a consequence of crowding and can form very large and economically damaging swarms. The two phases differ fundamentally in their behaviour, physiology and morphology. A large body of work on the mechanistic basis of behavioural phase transitions has relied on multivariate logistic regression (LR) models to estimate the probability of behavioural gregariousness from multiple behavioural variables. Martín-Blázquez and Bakkali (2017,Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata163, 9–25) have recently proposed standardised LR models for estimating an overall ‘gregariousness level’ from a combination of behavioural and, unusually, morphometric variables. Here I develop a detailed argument to demonstrate that the premise of such an overall ‘gregariousness level’ is fundamentally flawed. Since locust phase transformations intrinsically entail a decoupling of behaviour and morphology, phase state cannot meaningfully be conflated onto a single axis. LR models that do so are therefore of very limited value for any analysis of phase transitions. I furthermore show why behavioural predictor variables should not be adjusted by measures of body size that themselves differ between phases. I discuss the models fitted by Martín-Blázquez and Bakkali (2017) to highlight potential pitfalls in statistical methodology that must be avoided when applying LR to the analysis of behavioural phase state. Finally, I reject the idea that ‘standardised models’ provide a valid shortcut to estimating phase state across different developmental stages, strains or species. The points addressed here are pertinent to any research on transitions between complex phenotypes and behavioural syndromes.
A unique spliced varicella-zoster virus latency transcript represses expression of the viral transactivator gene 61
Authors: Depledge Daniel P. , Ouwendijk Werner J. D. , Sadaoka Tomohiko , Braspenning Shirley E. , Mori Yasuko , Cohrs Randall J. , Verjans Georges M. G. M. , Breuer Judith
Published: August 2017

During primary infection, neurotropic alphaherpesviruses (αHVs) gain access to neurons in sensory and cranial ganglia establishing lifelong latent infection from which they can later reactivate to cause debilitating disease1. For most αHVs, including the best-studied herpes simplex type 1 ( HSV-1), viral latency is characterized by expression of a single or restricted set of transcripts that map antisense to the open reading frame (ORF) homologous to the major HSV immediate early viral transactivator, ICP02. These latency transcripts, either directly or through encoded miRNAs or proteins, repress expression of the ICP0 orthologues3–5. The exception is varicella-zoster virus (VZV), an αHV which infects over 90% of adults and for which neither a canonical latency transcript1,6–8nor a putative mechanism for repressing lytic transcription during latency have been identified. Here, we describe the discovery and functional characterization of a VZV latency transcript (VLT), that maps antisense to VZV ORF 61 (the VZV ICP0 homologue9,10), and which is consistently expressed in neurons of latently infected human trigeminal ganglia (TG). VLT encodes a protein with late kinetics during lytic VZV infectionin vitroand in zoster skin lesions. Whereas multiple alternatively spliced VLT isoforms are expressed during lytic VZV infection, a single unique VLT isoform that specifically suppresses ORF61 gene expression predominates in latently VZV-infected human TG. The discovery of VLT directly unifies the latent VZV transcription program with those of better-characterized αHVs, removing longstanding barriers to understanding VZV latency and paving the way for research into the development of vaccines that do not establish latency or reactivate, and drugs that eradicate latent VZV.
Large-Scale Comparative Analysis of Codon Models Accounting for Protein and Nucleotide Selection
Authors: Davydov Iakov I. , Salamin Nicolas , Robinson-Rechavi Marc
Published: August 2017

There are numerous sources of variation in the rate of synonymous substitutions inside genes, such as direct selection on the nucleotide sequence, or mutation rate variation. Yet scans for positive selection rely on codon models which incorporate an assumption of effectively neutral synonymous substitution rate, constant between sites of each gene. Here we perform a large-scale comparison of approaches which incorporate codon substitution rate variation and propose our own simple yet effective modification of existing models. We find strong effects of substitution rate variation on positive selection inference. More than 70% of the genes detected by the classical branch-site model are presumably false positives caused by the incorrect assumption of uniform synonymous substitution rate. We propose a new model which is strongly favored by the data while remaining computationally tractable. With the new model we can capture signatures of nucleotide level selection acting on translation initiation and on splicing sites within the coding region. Finally, we show that rate variation is highest in the highly recombining regions, and we propose that recombination and mutation rate variation, such as high CpG mutation rate, are the two main sources of nucleotide rate variation. While we detect fewer genes under positive selection in Drosophila than without rate variation, the genes which we detect contain a stronger signal of adaptation of dynein, which could be associated withWolbachiainfection. We provide software to perform positive selection analysis using the new model.
DEET as a feeding deterrent
Authors: Lu WeiYu , Hwang Justin , Zeng Fangfang , Leal Walter S.
Published: August 2017

The insect repellentN,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), is a multimodal compound that acts as a spatial repellent as well as an irritant (contact repellent), thus being perceived by the insect’s olfactory and gustatory systems as an odorant and a tastant, respectively. Soon after DEET was developed, almost 6 decades ago, it was reported that it reduced mosquito feeding on blood mixed with this repellent. It is now known that the mosquito proboscis senses contact repellents with the tips (labella) of the labium, which remain in direct contact with the outer layers of the skin, while the stylets, including the feeding deterrent sensor (labrum), penetrate the skin. We designed a behavioral assay that allowed us to tease apart contact repellency from feeding deterrence. First, we demonstrate here that when DEET was mixed with blood and covered by Parafilm® layers, it did not leak to the outer surface. In our assays, the mean number of landings and duration of contacts with surfaces covering blood mixed with DEET or blood plus solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide) did not differ significantly. The feeding times, however, were significantly different. When blood was mixed either with 0.1 or 1% DEET, female southern house mosquitoes spent significantly less time feeding than the time spent feeding on blood mixed only with the solvent. By contrast, there were no significant differences in the mean times of feeding on blood containing 1% picaridin and blood plus solvent. Like DEET, the contact repellent and insecticide, permethrin, caused a significant reduction in feeding time. We, therefore, concluded, that in this context, DEET and permethrin act as feeding deterrents.
Micro-beam Laue alignment of multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction imaging measurements
Authors: Hofmann Felix , Phillips Nicholas W. , Harder Ross J. , Liu Wenjun , Clark Jesse N. , Robinson Ian K. , Abbey Brian
Published: August 2017

Multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction imaging has the potential to allow three-dimensional (3D) resolved measurements of the full lattice strain tensor in specific micro-crystals. Until now such measurements were hampered by the need for laborious, time-intensive alignment procedures. Here a different approach is demonstrated, using micro-beam Laue X-ray diffraction to first determine the lattice orientation of the micro-crystal. This information is then used to rapidly align coherent diffraction measurements of three or more reflections from the crystal. Based on these, 3D strain and stress fields in the crystal are successfully determined. This approach is demonstrated on a focused ion beam milled micro-crystal from which six reflections could be measured. Since information from more than three independent reflections is available, the reliability of the phases retrieved from the coherent diffraction data can be assessed. Our results show that rapid, reliable 3D coherent diffraction measurements of the full lattice strain tensor in specific micro-crystals are now feasible and can be successfully carried out even in heavily distorted samples.
Crystal structures of the 2:2 complex of 1,1′-(1,2-phenylene)bis(3-m-tolylurea) and tetrabutylammonium chloride or bromide
Authors: Huang Chao , Wang Ruyu , Shu Xi , Fan Yu , Qi Yue , Li Shoujian , Xia Chuanqin
Published: August 2017

The title compounds, tetrabutylammonium chloride–1,1′-(1,2-phenylene)bis(3-m-tolylurea) (1/1), C16H36N+·Cl−·C22H22N4O2or [(n-Bu4N+·Cl−)(C22H22N4O2)] (I) and tetrabutylammonium bromide–1,1′-(1,2-phenylene)bis(3-m-tolylurea) (1/1), C16H36N+·Br−·C22H22N4O2or [(n-Bu4N+·Br−)(C22H22N4O2)] (II), both comprise a tetrabutylammonium cation, a halide anion and anortho-phenylene bis-urea molecule. Each halide ion shows four N—H...X(X= Cl or Br) interactions with two urea receptor sites of different bis-urea moieties. A crystallographic inversion centre leads to the formation of a 2:2 arrangement of two halide anions and two bis-urea molecules. In the crystals, the dihedral angle between the two urea groups of the bis-urea molecule in (I) [defined by the four N atoms, 165.4 (2)°] is slightly smaller than that in (II) [167.4 (2)°], which is probably due to the smaller ionic radius of chloride compared to bromide.
Crystal structure of penoxsulam
Authors: Park Hyunjin , Kim Jineun , Chiang Hojae , Kim Tae Ho
Published: August 2017

The title compound, C16H14F5N5O5S [systematic name: 2-(2,2-difluoroethoxy)-N-(5,8-dimethoxy-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidin-2-yl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonamide], is used as a herbicide. The asymmetric unit of this structure comprises two independent molecules,AandB. The dihedral angles between the ring planes of the triazolopyrimidine ring systems and the benzene rings are 68.84 (7)° forAand 68.05 (6)° forB. In the crystal, weak intermolecular π–π interactions, with centroid–centroid separations of 3.4456 (17) and 3.5289 (15) Å and C—F...π [3.5335 (17) Å and 107.92 (13)°] contacts link adjacent molecules into chains along [001]. C—H...O and C—H...F hydrogen bonds link typeBmolecules into chains parallel to (100). Additional C—H...F hydrogen bonds together with short F...F contacts further aggregate the structure into a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of (E)-furan-2-carbaldehydeO-benzoyloxime
Authors: Hijji Yousef M. , Rajan Rajeesha , Mansour Said , Ben Yahia Hamdi
Published: August 2017

In the title compound, C12H9NO3, the benzoate and furan rings are almost coplanar, making a dihedral angle of 11.68 (9)°. The twist angle between the –COO group and the benzene ring is only 2.79 (16)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along [100]. The molecules stack in a herringbone fashion and inversion-related chains are linked by offset π–π interactions [intercentroid distance = 3.931 (1) Å], forming ribbons propagating along thea-axis direction.
AUSPEX: a graphical tool for X-ray diffraction data analysis
Authors: Thorn Andrea , Parkhurst James , Emsley Paul , Nicholls Robert A. , Vollmar Melanie , Evans Gwyndaf , Murshudov Garib N.
Published: August 2017

In this paper,AUSPEX, a new software tool for experimental X-ray data analysis, is presented. Exploring the behaviour of diffraction intensities and the associated estimated uncertainties facilitates the discovery of underlying problems and can help users to improve their data acquisition and processing in order to obtain better structural models. The program enables users to inspect the distribution of observed intensities (or amplitudes) against resolution as well as the associated estimated uncertainties (sigmas). It is demonstrated howAUSPEXcan be used to visually and automatically detect ice-ring artefacts in integrated X-ray diffraction data. Such artefacts can hamper structure determination, but may be difficult to identify from the raw diffraction images produced by modern pixel detectors. The analysis suggests that a significant portion of the data sets deposited in the PDB contain ice-ring artefacts. Furthermore, it is demonstrated how other problems in experimental X-ray data caused, for example, by scaling and data-conversion procedures can be detected byAUSPEX.
Ponzi schemes and the roles of trust creation and maintenance
Authors: Carey Catherine , Webb John K.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to elaborate on how schemers build and maintain trust essential for financial fraud that persists over many years. A Ponzi scheme is a form of financial fraud that involves repeated interaction with an increasingly large number of individuals over a long period time. This type of fraud involves the building and maintenance of each individual’s trust. All Ponzi schemes come to a dramatic conclusion. Either the schemer defaults on payments, or someone gets suspicious and the scheme is uncovered. Understanding how schemers build and maintain trust may help prevent or uncover the fraud earlier, limiting financial devastation endured by unsuspecting investors, as well as externalities inflicted on the financial system as investors lose trust.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combines an understanding of trust accumulation from multiple disciplines in the existing literature to build a comprehensive model of trust creation and maintenance in Ponzi schemes.

Findings

This study finds that key characteristics of both the trustor and trustee contribute to long term financial arrangements. Schemers prey on individuals with specific characteristics that indicate they are more trusting. Trusting individuals are less likely to conduct due diligence to detect fraud. Prevention and detection of fraud are made more difficult by convincing, yet false, mimicry used by schemers to signal trustworthiness.

Originality/value

Bringing together multiple views on trust allows creation of a comprehensive model of trust that captures key characteristics of unsuspecting investors and schemers who prey on them in financial fraud.
Financial crime – is there any way out of the theoretical deadlock?
Authors: Eisenberg Paul
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to approach fundamental topics of financial crime and the law. What does constitute financial crime? Which field of law is best suited to address the threats of transgression by financial executives? What does motivate highly rewarded financiers to become white collar criminals?

Design/methodology/approach

To answer these research questions, contemporary theories of criminology in general and of white collar crime in particular, as well as theories on motivation, are critically discussed. Benefits and limitations of the theories in use are exemplified on the background of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) scandal.

Findings

The paper criticises that the state-of-the-art theories are not able to embrace financial criminality in its entirety. A provoking pace for further research might be that of psychopathic disorders among white collar criminals. Thus, white collar crime maintains its challenging character.

Originality/value

This paper provides a thorough testing of multidisciplinary theories that emerged over the past decades against the recent LIBOR scandal. The research questions addressed and the methodologies applied provide a framework for the assessment of the prevailing theories against other financial scandals.
Too big to fail, too big to jail: restoring liability a lesson from HSBC case
Authors: Hardouin Patrick
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the shift of impunity from institutions to individuals within the “too big to fail, too big to jail” paradigm and to restore individual liability in the financial industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the analysis of HSBC deferred prosecution agreement concluded on December 10, 2012 and of a report by the US House of Representatives Financial Committee released in July 2016.

Findings

“Too big to fail, too big to jail” is a paradigm which contains justice. It leads to the impunity of individuals involved due to the absence of trial. Containment of justice is denial of justice. However, the systemic risk is attached to institutions, not to individuals. Therefore, it should not hamper the prosecution of individuals.

Practical implications

Setting sanctions applicable to individuals and proportionate to the crime would contribute to deter financial misconducts.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is the demonstration that there is no basis for a limited personal liability in the financial industry.
Variation in rates of inpatient admissions and lengths of stay experienced by adults with learning disabilities in England
Authors: James Elaine , Hatton Chris , Brown Mark
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse rates of inpatient admissions for people with learning disabilities in England and to identify factors associated with higher rates of inpatient admission.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary analysis of data submitted as part of the Transforming Care programme in England.

Findings

2,510 people with learning disabilities in England were inpatients on 31st March 2016. Findings indicate that people with learning disabilities are at risk of higher rate of inpatient admission than can be explained by prevalence within the general population; this risk may be associated with areas where there are higher numbers of inpatient settings which provide assessment and treatment for people with learning disabilities.

Research limitations/implications

Variability in the quality of the data submitted by commissioners across the 48 Transforming Care Plan areas mean that greater attention needs to be paid to determining the validity of the common reporting method. This would improve the quality of data and insight from any future analysis.

Practical implications

The study’s findings are consistent with the hypothesis that geographical variations in the risk of people with learning disabilities being admitted to inpatient services are not consistent with variations in prevalence rates for learning disability. The findings support the hypothesis that building alternatives to inpatient units should impact positively on the numbers of learning disabled people who are able to live independent lives.

Originality/value

This is the first study which examines the data which commissioners in England have reported to NHS England on the experience of people with learning disabilities who are admitted as inpatients and to report on the possible factors which result in higher rates of inpatient admission.
Rodent, snake and raptor use of restored native perennial grasslands is lower than use of unrestored exotic annual grasslands
Authors: Wolf Kristina M. , Whalen Matthew A. , Bourbour Ryan P. , Baldwin Roger A.
Published: August 2017

In California's Central Valley, most native grasslands have been destroyed or degraded due to invasion, farming and development. Grassland restoration is often assumed to provide improved wildlife habitat, ostensibly increasing the abundance and diversity of at least some native wildlife species relative to unrestored, invaded annual grasslands.

We compared rodent, snake and raptor activity and species richness at paired unrestored and restored grasslands across four blocked locations in the Central Valley using trapping and observational surveys in up to four seasons per guild from 2014 to 2015. Restored treatments were planted with native perennial grasses 13–24 years prior to study initiation but were partially re‐invaded by Mediterranean annual grasses and forbs. Unrestored treatments contained similar non‐native plant species assemblages as restored treatments, but did not contain any native grass.

Rodent, snake and raptor activity was generally higher in unrestored relative to restored treatments. For rodents, the non‐native Mus musculus (house mouse) showed the greatest disparity in abundance, while greater raptors and snakes likely responded to greater rodent abundance.

Within treatments, species‐specific rodent responses were related to structure of physical vegetation. In particular, Peromyscus maniculatus (native deer mouse) was associated with more bare ground and shorter vegetation, while the house mouse was associated with less bare ground and taller vegetation, regardless of treatment type. Substantial changes in rodent species composition were observed over short periods of time (<3 months) after unplanned manipulation of vegetation structure via livestock grazing, with patterns reflecting the species‐specific response to physical vegetation structure.

Synthesis and applications. Our results reveal that while grassland restoration may promote persistence of native plant communities, restoration may not be beneficial to some higher trophic levels, and in fact may reduce habitat value for some native predators in grasslands invaded by Mediterranean plant species. Changes in vegetation structure can strongly impact wildlife species composition, suggesting a more nuanced approach is required for the restoration of desired wildlife communities. Thus, species‐specific goals should be carefully considered to ensure improved alignment of restoration methods with expected restoration outcomes.
The Potential of Labour−Management Partnership: A Longitudinal Case Analysis
Authors: Johnstone Stewart , Wilkinson Adrian
Published: August 2017

Issues of labour−management cooperation have long attracted the attention of management researchers, practitioners and policymakers. In Britain, the most recent wave of interest has been under the rubric of labour−management partnership, normally concerning the development of cooperative relations between unions and employers. A recurring theme is that cooperative relations can be difficult to develop and sustain, especially in liberal market economies. This paper advances the debate by examining the dynamics of labour−management partnership within the context of a British financial services organization over a 25‐year period. Drawing upon empirical case study data collected between 1990 and 2014, we assess the dynamics of the relationship between a building society and the recognized staff union. We confirm the possibility of sustaining collaborative relationships associated with a mutual gains agenda within a liberal market economy as well as the fragility of such arrangements. While we acknowledge that sustaining cooperative regimes can be difficult, we also caution against the tendency towards institutional determinism and underplaying of agency in many of the partnership critiques. Given the lack of a credible alternative, we conclude that labour−management partnership remains an important public policy goal and should not be dismissed as a chimera.
Changes in physicochemical properties and DNA quality of milk as affected by different heat treatments
Authors: Liao Jing , Liu Yongfeng , Ku Ting
Published: August 2017

The effects of three common heat treatments (pasteurisation, boiling and autoclaving) on milk physicochemical properties and DNA quality were investigated. Milk composition, colour and pH value varied significantly during the heating process. The heat treatment also affected the DNA quality of the milk and, in particular, reduced the content of both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA). These reached their lowest values when autoclaving was conducted, but the content of nDNA was never greater than that of mtDNA. The physicochemical and DNA quality changes in milk are crucial factors in any authentication process using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based methods.
Rapid Flood Damage Prediction and Forecasting Using Public Domain Cadastral and Address Point Data with Fuzzy Logic Algorithms
Authors: Gutenson J.L. , Ernest A.N.S. , Oubeidillah A.A. , Zhu L. , Zhang X. , Sadeghi S.T.
Published: August 2017

National Flood Interoperability Experiment (NFIE) derived technologies and workflows will offer the ability to rapidly forecast flood damages. Address Points used by emergency management personnel approximate the locations of buildings, and they are a common operating picture for emergency responders. Most United States (U.S.) county tax assessment offices throughout the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) produce georeferenced cadastral data. To varying degrees, these parcel data describe building characteristics of structures within the parcel. Address Point data with cadastral data offers the ability to rapidly develop building inventories for flood damage estimation. Flood damage forecasts can expedite recovery and improve short‐term flood resilience. In this work the authors evaluate Flood Damage Wizard, a proposed open source platform independent methodology. Flood Damage Wizard uses point shapefile building information to estimate flood damage to buildings by finding the appropriate depth‐damage function using fuzzy‐text matching. The authors apply Flood Damage Wizard using Address Point and parcel datasets to demonstrate a method of estimating flood damage to buildings nearly anywhere within the CONUS. Results indicate using Address Point and cadastral datasets can generate total flood damage estimates approximate to those estimated using existing software solutions Hazus‐MH and HEC‐FIA with minimal manual processing of input data.
Do Clients’ Enterprise Systems Affect Audit Quality and Efficiency?
Authors: Pincus Morton , Tian Feng , Wellmeyer Patricia , Xu Sean Xin
Published: August 2017

Enterprise systems (ESs) are widely used to support business processes along the enterprise value chain. It has been shown thatESs, by integrating business functions and making information about day‐to‐day activities available, enhance operational transparency and improve the internal information environment. However, whileES‐based business infrastructures can offer many benefits, their prevalence and increased complexity have also brought new challenges to external auditors. Motivated by the prominence of this issue for auditors and regulators and by the scarcity of research jointly examiningESs and auditors’ work, we investigate whether the presence and extent of client firms’ESimplementations are related to the quality and efficiency of auditors’ work. Using proprietary archival data onESimplementations and controlling for self‐selection, we find thatESimplementation improves the quality and efficiency of current and future years’ audit work. Specifically, there are fewer restatements, a greater likelihood of auditors issuing going‐concern opinions to firms that do not survive, higher accruals‐based auditing quality, a lower likelihood of Form 10‐K filing delays, and generally lower audit fees. We further show that the benefits ofESs generally increase with the scope of implementation and are generally greater when theESincludes accounting and finance systems. Inconsistent with improvement in the quality of auditors’ work, we find no evidence thatESs help auditors identify material weaknesses in advance of restatement announcements and we find that, even in the presence ofESs, auditors issue an excessive number of going‐concern opinions to clients that survive.
Pulmonary Embolism Testing Among Emergency Department Patients Who Are Pulmonary Embolism Rule‐out Criteria Negative
Authors: Buchanan Ian , Teeples Troy , Carlson Margaret , Steenblik Jacob , Bledsoe Joseph , Madsen Troy
Published: August 2017

Objective

Previous studies have demonstrated that rates of pulmonary embolism (PE) testing have increased without a concomitant decrease in PE‐related mortality. The Pulmonary Embolism Rule‐out Criteria (PERC) intend to reduce testing for PE in the emergency department (ED) by identifying low‐risk patients (“PERC‐negative”) who do not require D‐dimer, computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA), or ventilation/perfusion (VQ) scan for PE. This study assesses PE testing rates among PERC‐negative patients presenting to an urban academic ED.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled a convenience sample of ED patients with chest pain and/or shortness of breath presenting between June 2010 and December 2015. We recorded baseline variables at the time of ED presentation, information on testing performed in the ED, and the diagnosis of acute PE during the ED visit. We classified patients as PERC‐positive or PERC‐negative utilizing baseline variables and clinical characteristics.

Results

Of the 3,024 study patients, 54.8% (95% confidence interval = 53%–56.5%) were female and the mean age was 51.7 (51.1–52.3) years. A total of 17.5% (16.2%–18.9%) of study patients were PERC‐negative and 33.7% (32%–35.4%) of all patients underwent testing for PE. A total of 25.5% (22%–29.4%) of PERC‐negative patients had PE testing compared to 35.4% (33.6%–37.3%) of PERC‐positive patients (p < 0.001). A total of 7.2% (5.3%–9.7%) of PERC‐negative patients had advanced imaging without a D‐dimer compared to 19.2% (17.8%–20.8%) of PERC‐positive patients (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, factors associated with PE testing in PERC‐negative patients included age, white non‐Hispanic race/ethnicity, pleuritic chest pain, and a complaint of both chest pain and shortness of breath. Two PERC‐negative patients (0.4%) were diagnosed with an acute PE in the ED compared to 2.2% of PERC‐positive patients (p = 0.008). The overall testing yield for PE was 1.6% (0.4%–9.2%) among PERC‐negative patients versus 6.3% (4.9%–8.1%) among PERC‐positive patients (p = 0.017).

Conclusion

In an academic ED, a significant proportion of PERC‐negative patients underwent testing for PE, including CT or VQ scan without D‐dimer risk stratification. Future areas of research may include evaluating factors that lead clinicians to pursue PE testing in PERC‐negative patients and implementing clinical pathways to minimize practice variability among these patients.
Qualitative research
Authors: Maher Lisa , Dertadian George
Published: August 2017

Background and aims

This narrative review aims to highlight key insights from qualitative research on drug use and drug users by profiling a selection of classic works.

Methods

Consensus methods were used to identify and select four papers published in 1938, 1969, 1973 and 1984 considered to be classics.

Results

These landmark qualitative studies included the first account of addiction as a social process, demonstrating that people have meaningful responses to drug use that cannot be reduced to their pharmacological effects; the portrayal of inner‐city heroin users as exacting, energetic and engaged social agents; identification of the interactive social learning processes involved in becoming a drug user; the application of the ‘career’ concept to understanding transitions and trajectories of drug use over time; and the articulation of a framework for understanding drug use that incorporates the interaction between pharmacology, psychology and social environments.

Conclusions

These classic sociological and anthropological studies deployed qualitative research methods to show how drug use is shaped by complex sets of factors situated within social contexts, viewing drug users as agents engaged actively in social processes and worlds. Their findings have been used to challenge stereotypes about drug use and drug users, develop a deeper understanding of drug use among hidden, hard‐to‐research and under‐studied populations, and provide the foundations for significant developments in scientific knowledge about the nature of drug use. They continue to retain their relevance, providing important correctives to biomedical and behaviourist paradigms, reminding us that drug use is a social process, and demonstrating how the inductive approach of qualitative research can strengthen the way we understand and respond to drug use and related harms.
E‐cigarette use in pregnancy: a human rights‐based approach to policy and practice
Authors: van der Eijk Yvette , Petersen Anne Berit , Bialous Stella A.
Published: August 2017

The health risks associated with e‐cigarette use in pregnancy are mostly unknown. Guidelines by the World Health Organization and national health agencies warn women against using e‐cigarettes in pregnancy; however, in the UK, a recent multiagency guideline takes a different approach by not discouraging e‐cigarette use in pregnancy. Furthermore, e‐Voke™, an e‐cigarette, has been approved for use in pregnancy in the UK. We analyze United Nations human rights treaties to examine how they might inform best practice recommendations for e‐cigarette use in pregnancy. These treaties oblige Parties to adopt policies that protect children's and women's right to health, appropriate pregnancy services, and health education. We argue that clinical practice guidelines related to use of e‐cigarettes in pregnancy should consider both evidence and human rights principles, and ensure that healthcare providers and patients are given clear, accurate messages about the known and potential risks associated with e‐cigarette use in pregnancy.
Introduction: Decolonising geographical knowledge in a colonised and re‐colonising postcolonial world
Authors: Noxolo Patricia
Published: August 2017

A short and direct introduction sets out the context for this special section. After a brief sketch of each of the commentary pieces and how they fit together, the key question will then be posed: how are geographers now inserting themselves into these ongoing dynamics, and which particular aspects of the present moment are geography academics well‐placed to address?
The 2017 RGS‐IBG chair's theme: decolonising geographical knowledges, or reproducing coloniality?
Authors: Esson James , Noxolo Patricia , Baxter Richard , Daley Patricia , Byron Margaret
Published: August 2017

The theme for the chair's plenaries at the 2017 Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) (RGS‐IBG) Annual Conference is ‘Decolonising geographical knowledges: opening geography out to the world’. This commentary explains why this pursuit of critical consciousness via decolonial thinking could do more harm than good. We show how the emphasis on decolonising geographical knowledges rather than structures, institutions and praxis reproduces coloniality, because it recentres non‐Indigenous, white and otherwise privileged groups in the global architecture of knowledge production. It is argued that an effective decolonial movement within geography must recognise the intersectionality of indigeneity and race, and necessitates that the terms on which the discipline starts debates about decolonisation and decoloniality are determined by those racialised as Indigenous and non‐white by coloniality.
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) student and staff in contemporary British Geography
Authors: Desai Vandana
Published: August 2017

This commentary examines the profile of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students and staff in contemporary UK geography. National data from HESA and other studies on ethnicity in academia are used to provide an overview of diversity and equality issues affecting UK‐based geography departments. The findings from the data analysis highlight the predominant ‘whiteness’ of the discipline when compared with the number of BME student and staff, in turn raising troubling equality and diversity issues.
The moult cycle of the terrestrial isopodArmadillo officinalisDuméril, 1816 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea)
Authors: Montesanto Giuseppe , Cividini Sofia
Published: August 2017

The present work focuses on the moult cycle ofArmadillo officinalis. For a 100‐day period, 134 animals were observed and routinely examined with the aim of detecting distinctive morphological characters in the several stages and substages of the moult cycle and of disclosing their duration. Statistical tests and Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to investigate differences and relationships between moult and the size and gender of the animals. The appearance of the calcium carbonate deposits on the pereon sternites during the premoult stage was documented in detail, and three main substages were identified. The average duration of the premoult and of the biphasic ecdysis was about 12 and 1.5 days, respectively. This observation period, however, did not allow to establish a determined average duration of the intermoult stage, which was extremely variable. This stage lasted for 2 months or more in most of the cases observed, but about 1‐month‐long intermoult stages were also recorded. No statistically significant association was found between the number of moults and gender and size of the animals.