bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contamination of skin and surfaces by cobalt in the hard metal industry
Authors: Kettelarij Jolinde , Midander Klara , Lidén Carola , Julander Anneli
Published: July 2018

Background

It is well known that hard metal workers have historically been affected by contact allergy to cobalt. Knowledge is sparse about occupational skin exposure to cobalt, in terms of skin doses and sources of exposure, which could be used to improve protection of workers.

Objectives

To improve knowledge about skin doses and sources of skin exposure to cobalt within hard metal production, thereby facilitating better protection of workers.

Methods

Forty workers were sampled on the index finger by acid wipe sampling after 2 hours of work. The samples were analysed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cobalt spot testing was performed in the work environment.

Results

The highest skin doses were found among raw material workers. Skin doses among other production workers were also significant. Most office workers had low, but measurable, levels of cobalt on the skin. Glove use varied between workers. Cobalt was found on production equipment, on items in the canteen area, and on handles and buttons throughout the company.

Conclusions

Cobalt skin doses were prominent, and originated from contact with raw materials, sintered materials, and contaminated surfaces. Cobalt was present on surfaces outside production areas. Companies need to identify and reduce skin exposure for protection of workers.
Creating a Female‐Responsive Design Framework for STEM exhibits
Authors: Dancstep (née Dancu) Toni , Sindorf Lisa
Published: July 2018

This paper describes the development of a Female‐Responsive Design Framework for Informal Science Education (ISE). The FRD Framework translates ideas from Culturally Responsive Pedagogy to discover and recommend pedagogical strategies that apply to females and design. This paper describes our synthesis of prior research about females’ social, historical, and cultural practices in STEM learning from a variety of fields. The paper further details our process of developing the FRD Framework with the help of museum practitioners, female youth, researchers, and experts from the fields of design, gender, and museums. We discuss four female‐responsive strategies, and suggest multiple STEM exhibit design attributes that support each of these strategies. This framework contributes to a growing movement to more thoughtfully consider females when designing STEM exhibits. We hope that the museum field will expand, evolve, and deeply explore the FRD Framework.
Regeneration in the enteropneust hemichordate, Ptychodera flava, and its evolutionary implications
Authors: Arimoto Asuka , Tagawa Kuni
Published: July 2018

Hemichordates are marine invertebrates that are closely related to chordates, but while their body plans are comparable to those of chordates, they possess a remarkable capacity for regeneration, even as adults. A small fragment is sufficient to form a complete individual. Unlike echinoderms, their larvae transform directly into adults; therefore, hemichordate systems offer clear morphological and molecular parallels between regeneration and development. Morphological events in regeneration are generally similar to organogenesis in juveniles. Nonetheless, comparative analysis of gene expression in these two morphological phenomena suggests that hemichordate regeneration is regulated by regeneration‐specific mechanisms, as well as by developmental mechanisms. Dependency upon resident pluripotent/multipotent stem cells is a significant difference in metazoan regeneration, and such stem cells are essential for regeneration in many lineages. Based on the present gene expression study, regeneration in acorn worms is more closely related to that in vertebrates, because it employs endogenous stem cell‐independent transdifferentiation.
Some Misconceptions About Public Investment Efficiency and Growth
Authors: Berg Andrew , Buffie Edward F. , Pattillo Catherine , Portillo Rafael , Presbitero Andrea F. , Zanna Luis‐Felipe
Published: July 2018

We reconsider the macroeconomic implications of public investment efficiency, defined as the ratio between the actual increment to public capital and the amount spent. We show that in standard neoclassical and endogenous growth models, increases in public investment spending in inefficient countries do not generally have a lower impact on growth than in efficient countries. This apparently counterintuitive result, which contrasts with earlier papers and policy analyses, follows from the standard assumption that the marginal product of public capital declines with the capital/output ratio. The implication is that efficiency and scarcity of public capital are likely to be inversely related across countries. Both efficiency and the rate of return thus need to be considered together in assessing the impact of increases in investment, and blanket recommendations against increased public investment spending in inefficient countries need to be rethought.
The loss of large wood affects rocky mountain trout populations
Authors: Herdrich Adam T. , Winkelman Dana L. , Venarsky Michael P. , Walters David M. , Wohl Ellen
Published: July 2018

Western U.S. rivers are currently influenced by legacy effects of reduced large wood (LW) loading and retention that has substantially reduced in‐stream habitat complexity. Large wood is typically associated with streams in undisturbed old‐growth forest and in the correct geomorphic context can drastically alter stream and valley habitat complexity. Streams withLWare typically multichannel and depositional, while streams lackingLW, due to relatively recent wildfire or logging (<200 years ago), are usually single channelled and erosional. We compared population biomass and individual growth rates of Brook TroutSalvelinus fontinalisin streams across a gradient of wood volumes. At both the square metre and valley length scales, standing stock biomass of aquatic invertebrates was the best predictor of trout biomass. However, at the valley scale, the number of pools was important in predicting trout biomass in combination with standing stock biomass of aquatic invertebrates. Individual growth rates of age‐1 Brook Trout were negatively affected by increasing density; however, growth rates for the largest and smallest individuals at each site were unaffected by density. Our results suggest the pool habitat created byLWacts synergistically with prey availability to dramatically increase trout populations. However, in streams lacking LW, negative effects of detrimental land use practices have persisted >100 years, suggesting that recovering lost animal production in mountain stream networks will only occur at decadal to century time scales.
Rhithronic and potamonic fishes coexist in wadeable streams under distinct metacommunity processes
Authors: Ferreira Fabio C. , Souza Ursulla P. , Cetra Maurício , Petrere Miguel
Published: July 2018

Recent metacommunity ecology research has demonstrated that local communities can be divided into different guilds. We hypothesised that wadeable streams are occupied by fishes that follow distinct metacommunity processes. The mainstem is a river corridor for the potamonic fish guild (PFG) but represents a nonhabitat matrix for the rhithronic fish guild (RFG). Accordingly, the PFG should be filtered out from the headwaters by dispersal limitations or environmental filtering along the longitudinal gradient, and the guild should have a nested pattern of beta diversity. The RFG should be structured by the local species sorting, and the species turnover component should prevail. We sampled fishes in 42 streams distributed in four subbasins that were separated by at least one mainstem channel. We modelled the influences of spatial and environmental predictors using a partial redundancy analysis and variance partitioning and by quantifying the components of beta diversity that were associated with species turnover and nestedness. Both environment and space affected the structure of the RFG, owing to the influence of substrate type, riparian cover and presence of downstream barriers. The PFG was structured by only the influence of downstream barriers. Species turnover predominated within the RFG, and species nestedness dominated within the PFG. Our results support the hypothesis that potamonic and rhithronic guilds coexist in wadeable streams and follow distinct metacommunity assembly mechanisms. Potamonic guilds are structured by regional dispersal from the mainstem channels, whereas rhithronic guilds are sorted by local filtering along the longitudinal gradient in a spatially structured environment.
WONOEP APPRAISAL: The many facets of epilepsy networks
Authors: Scott Rod C. , Menendez de la Prida Liset , Mahoney J. Matt , Kobow Katja , Sankar Raman , de Curtis Marco
Published: July 2018

The brain is a complex system composed of networks of interacting elements, from genes to circuits, whose function (and dysfunction) is not derivable from the superposition of individual components. Epilepsy is frequently described as a network disease, but to date, there is no standardized framework within which network concepts applicable to all levels from genes to whole brain can be used to generate deeper insights into the pathogenesis of seizures or the associated morbidities. To address this shortcoming, the Neurobiology Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy dedicated a Workshop on Neurobiology of Epilepsy (XIV WONOEP 2017) with the aim of formalizing network concepts as they apply to epilepsy and to critically discuss whether and how such concepts could augment current research endeavors. Here, we review concepts and strategies derived by considering epilepsy as a disease of different network hierarchies that range from genes to clinical phenotypes. We propose that the concept of networks is important for understanding epilepsy and is critical for developing new study designs. These approaches could ultimately facilitate the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
A PRRT2 variant in a Chinese family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and benign familial infantile seizures results in loss of interaction with STX1B
Authors: Ma Hongying , Feng Shenglei , Deng Xuejun , Wang Li , Zeng Sheng , Wang Cheng , Ma Xixiang , Sun Hao , Chen Rui , Du Shiyue , Mao Jinglin , Zhang Xianwei , Ma Cong , Jiang Hong , Zhang Luoying , Tang Beisha , Liu Jing Yu
Published: July 2018

Objective

To identify the causative gene of autosomal dominant paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia and benign familial infantile seizures (PKD/BFIS) in a large Chinese family and explore the potential pathogenic mechanism of a PRRT2 (proline‐rich transmembrane protein 2) variant.

Methods

Genetic testing was performed via whole exome sequencing. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the protein expression level and subcellular localization of the PRRT2 mutant in HeLa cells and N2A cells. Coimmunoprecipitation was conducted to investigate the interaction of the PRRT2 mutant with syntaxin 1B (STX1B).

Results

In a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant PKD/BFIS showing wide phenotypic heterogeneity, including patients suffering from PKD, BFIS, or epilepsy and asymptomatic variant carriers, a c.621dupA variant in PRRT2 was identified in the proband and was shown to cosegregate with the phenotype in this family. This variant results in premature termination at codon 224, producing a truncated protein (p.Ser208Ilefs*17) in which the two conserved hydrophobic segments and the cytoplasmic loop are missing. Both the expression and subcellular localization of PRRT2 are strongly affected by the c.621dupA variant. In addition, we found that PRRT2 directly interacts with STX1B, a SNARE protein critical for neurotransmitter release, whereas the truncated variant p.Ser208Ilefs*17 lacking the helix‐loop‐helix domain fails to bind to STX1B.

Significance

Our findings identified a PRRT2 variant in a family with PKD/BFIS and confirmed STX1B as a new binding partner of PRRT2, which suggested that the loss of the interaction between PRRT2 and STX1B may contribute to the pathogenesis of PKD/BFIS.
Stress distribution and fatigue crack propagation analyses in welded joints
Authors: Dong Y. , Guedes Soares C.
Published: July 2018

An approach is presented, based on the weight function method to calculate the stress intensity factors of semielliptical surface cracks originating from the notch root of welded joints. The stress distribution along the potential crack plane required in the weight function method is constructed on the basis of the notch stress intensity factor approach in the highly stressed zone and of the equivalent linearized stress distribution and is compared with those determined by the finite element method and existing predictions. The stress intensity factors determined by the proposed approach are compared with available solutions. These comparisons show that the results determined by the proposed approach generally agree well with the existing solutions. For the cases where the agreement is poor, the reasons are identified. One important feature of the proposed approach is that the stress singularity at sharp notch tip can be considered, which cannot be appropriately simulated by the finite element method. Finally, to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach, the fatigue life and the fatigue crack shape evolution of welded joints are predicted and they are compared with experimental results.
New frontiers of studentification: The commodification of student housing as a driver of urban change
Authors: Kinton Chloe , Smith Darren P. , Harrison John , Culora Andreas
Published: July 2018

Studentification has permeated policy‐orientated agendas on community cohesion in different national contexts and is of increasing public relevance at a time of changing systems of higher education. To date, studentification has been treated as a process of urban change that leads to the physical downgrading of neighbourhoods and social conflict, tied to concentrations of low‐quality student houses in multiple occupations (HMOs). Our aim in this paper is to widen conceptual understandings of studentification, drawing upon a novel study of this process in Loughborough, UK. Focusing on the Kingfisher Estate, we provide the first investigation of the formation of a studentified neighbourhood, using data from administrative data sets to track tenurial transformations from owner‐occupation to private rental shared housing. Our analyses are extended from a survey of student preferences for accommodation, and interviews with local community representatives, to reveal a production–consumption interface for high‐quality student housing in Kingfisher. We argue that this is illustrative of a new frontier of studentification, which emphasises the volatility of student housing markets. Crucially, these dynamics are having a significant influence on broader changing urban geographies, such as the de‐studentification of other neighbourhoods, and the overall supply of (affordable) housing. Our paper concludes by arguing for a wider conceptualisation of studentification that does not inherently view the process as a harbinger of downgraded urban environments. From a policy perspective, our research stresses the urgent need for different place‐specific solutions and policy interventions to mitigate the challenges of studentification.
Progressive changes in lithological association of the Sanbagawa metamorphic complex, Southwest Japan: Relict clinopyroxene and detrital zircon perspectives
Authors: Endo Shunsuke , Miyazaki Kazuhiro , Danhara Tohru , Iwano Hideki , Hirata Takafumi
Published: July 2018

The main tectono‐stratigraphic unit (Shirataki unit) of the Sanbagawa metamorphic complex in central Shikoku is characterized by abundant mafic schist layers that show the mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) affinity. These MORB‐derived schist layers are absent in a southern (structurally lower) domain within the unit. Instead, sporadic occurrences of small metabasite lenses that contain relict igneous minerals (Ti‐rich augite and kaersutite) indicative of alkali basalt magmatism are newly recognized in the southern domain. Compositions of relict clinopyroxene in metabasalt are useful to identify the tectonic setting and origin of the protolith basalt, and those in each unit of the Sanbagawa metamorphic complex are presented. The metamorphic grade of the Shirataki unit generally increases structurally upwards in the southern side of the highest‐grade zone, and metamorphic zonation is subparallel to lithostratigraphic succession. The protolith assemblage of the Shirataki unit shows a distinct change from the southern low‐grade domain (lower Shirataki subunit) composed of terrigenous sedimentary rocks (mudstone and sandstone) with minor alkali basalt to the northern higher‐grade domain (upper Shirataki subunit) consisting of terrigenous and pelagic sedimentary rocks with abundant MORB. The youngest detrital zircon U–Pb ages (ca 95–90 Ma) suggest that both domains have Late Cretaceous depositional ages at the trench. Progressive peeling of oceanic plate stratigraphy during subduction can account for the observed change of lithological association in the Shirataki unit.
Context‐dependent conservation of the cavity‐nesting European Roller
Authors: Finch Tom , Branston Claire , Clewlow Harriet , Dunning Jamie , Franco Aldina M. A. , Račinskis Edmunds , Schwartz Timothée , Butler Simon J.
Published: July 2018

To maximize the effectiveness of conservation interventions, it is crucial to have an understanding of how intraspecific variation determines the relative importance of potential limiting factors. For bird populations, limiting factors include nest‐site availability and foraging resources, with the former often addressed through the provision of artificial nestboxes. However, the effectiveness of artificial nestboxes depends on the relative importance of nest‐site vs. foraging resource limitations. Here, we investigate factors driving variation in breeding density, nestbox occupation and productivity in two contrasting study populations of the European Roller Coracias garrulus, an obligate cavity‐nesting insectivorous bird. Breeding density was more than four times higher at the French study site than at the Latvian site, and there was a positive correlation between breeding density (at the 1‐km2 scale) and nest‐site availability in France, whereas there was a positive correlation between breeding density and foraging resource availability in Latvia. Similarly, the probability of a nestbox being occupied increased with predicted foraging resource availability in Latvia but not in France. We detected no positive effect of foraging resource availability on productivity at either site, with most variation in breeding success driven by temporal effects: a seasonal decline in France and strong interannual fluctuations in Latvia. Our results indicate that the factors limiting local breeding density can vary across a species' range, resulting in different conservation priorities. Nestbox provisioning is a sufficient short‐term conservation solution at our French study site, where foraging resources are typically abundant, but in Latvia the restoration of foraging habitat may be more important.
Social support for elderly people over 65 years in Spain
Authors: López‐Cerdá E. , Carmona‐Torres J.M. , Rodríguez‐Borrego M.A.
Published: July 2018

Aims

To determine what social support is available in Spain to people over 65 who also dedicate hours of their time to the care of others who are older.

Background

Demographic and social changes are leading to growth of the population. The social support available to older people in the final stage of life affects their health.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted involving the records of older, non‐institutionalized individuals residing in Spain, obtained from the European Health Survey of 2014. The method of collecting information used in the European Survey was personal interviews assisted by a computer.

Results

The records of 6520 older people were studied; 40.1% of the participants studied had expressed the possibility of having three to five people available in case of a serious problem, and 83.6% reported that the rest of the people around them were very interested in what happens to them. With respect to care, only 7% of the older people studied mentioned performing care tasks.

Conclusions

Social support is beneficial to older people, regardless of whether they perform care tasks, because it acts as a protective factor against problems such as loneliness, stress and depression. The profile of a primary caregiver in this age range is a married, middle‐class woman with primary schooling who is caring for a first‐degree relative.

Implications for nursing and health policy

These data suggest that it is necessary for nurses to know about the needs of older people to implement societal measures of health promotion, prevention and education that favour social cohort. In addition, health policymakers should establish programmes that improve the social support of non‐institutionalized older people.
Different associations between body composition and alcohol when assessed by exposure frequency or by quantitative estimates of consumption
Authors: Lean M. E. J. , Vlachou P. , Govan L. , Han T. S.
Published: July 2018

Background

Alcohol intake is widely assumed to contribute to excess body fatness, especially among young men; however, the evidence is inconsistent. We have addressed this research question by investigating associations between reported alcohol consumption and body composition from large representative national surveys in a high alcohol‐consuming country with a high obesity prevalence.

Methods

The present study comprised a secondary analysis of combined cross‐sectional nationally representative Scottish Health Surveys (1995–2010). Reported alcohol‐drinking frequency was divided into five groups: from ‘nonfrequent drinking’ (reference) to daily/‘almost every day’ among 35 837 representative adults [mean (SD) age: 42.7 (12.7) years (range 18–64 years)]. Quantitative alcohol consumption was categorised into seven groups: from ‘1–7 to ≥50 10 g units per week’. Regression models against measured body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were adjusted for age, physical activity, income, smoking, deprivation category and economic status.

Results

Among alcohol‐consuming men, heavier drinking (21–28 units per week) was associated with a higher BMI by +1.4 kg m–2 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.38–1.43] and higher WC by +3.4 cm (95% CI = 3.2–3.6) than drinking 1–7 units per week. However, those who reported daily drinking frequency were associated with a lower BMI by −2.45 kg m–2 (95% CI = −2.4 to −2.5) and lower WC by −3.7 cm (95% CI = −3.3 to −4.0) than those who reported less‐frequent drinking. Similar associations were found for women. Most of these associations were restricted to subjects aged >30 years. Unexplained variances in BMI and WC are large.

Conclusions

Quantitative alcohol consumption and frequency of consumption were positively and inversely associated, respectively, with both BMI and WC among alcohol‐consuming adults. Surveys are needed that evaluate both the quantity and frequency of consumption. The lowest BMI and WC were associated with a ‘Mediterranean’ drinking style (i.e. relatively little, but more frequently).
The State of Sex Research in MFT and Family Studies Literature: A Seventeen‐Year Content Analysis
Authors: Jones Adam C. , Johnson Natalie C. , Wenglein Sydney , Elshershaby Sara T.
Published: July 2018

The ability to conceptualize and treat sexual problems has been widely accepted as a crucial skill to master the MFT training. However, clients’ sexual relationships are often ignored by clinicians because of a lack of experience or training, or personal discomfort. In this content analysis, we review sex and sex therapy research within MFT and family studies journals since the turn of the century. Of the 13,919 articles published within the 15 journals, 137 focused on sexuality or sex therapy. The articles were divided into five themes: sexual and relational health, sexual diversity, treatment and contributors of sexual dysfunction, sex therapy practices, and sexual education and development. Implications for clinical practices, sex therapy integration, and future research are discussed.
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: How Humanized, Retargeted Ads Intrude in Social Contexts
Authors: Hamby Anne , Ilyuk Veronika
Published: July 2018

A great deal of past work has demonstrated that ads that “fit” or blend into their context evoke favorable responses because consumers perceive such ads as less intrusive. The current work posits that when aspects of the ad make persuasive intent salient—such as exposure to retargeted ads, which are generated based on consumers' past online browsing behavior—this relationship reverses such that fit between an ad and its context elicits higher perceptions of intrusiveness. Specifically, ads that present ad copy in a conversational style “fit” with a social media context on the dimension of social presence. Across three studies, we show that retargeted ads that “fit” the context on the dimension of social presence evoke higher levels of perceived intrusiveness, which, in turn, influence downstream responses such as attitudes toward the ad.
Multipolydioxanone scaffold improves upper lip and forehead wrinkles: A 12‐month outcome
Authors: Ko Hyun Ju , Choi Sun Young , Kim Jae Min , Kim Hyuk , Choi Jin Kyu , Bae Il‐Hong , Lee Jin Woo , Ko Eun Jung , Kim Beom Joon
Published: July 2018

Background

The safety and wrinkle‐reducing effects of multipolydioxanone (PDO) scaffold have been confirmed in animal, and clinical tests for 3 months, but the 12‐month outcomes, are unknown.

Objective

The safety and efficacy of multi‐PDO scaffold were tested in animal models and in humans for 12 months.

Methods

In the animal study, a multi‐PDO scaffold was implanted into the panniculus carnosus of rat dorsal skin (n = 18) and into the subcutaneous layer of minipig dorsal skin (n = 2) followed by histological staining and analysis. In a human study, a multi‐PDO scaffold was implanted deep into the periosteal subcutaneous layer under the wrinkles on the upper lips and forehead, followed by evaluation of clinical changes using digital photography and PRIMOS.

Results

A multi‐PDO scaffold was not observed after 6 months in rats and minipigs. However, the newly formed tissues within the hollow body of the scaffolds were maintained for up to 12 months. The enhanced effect on the upper lips and forehead wrinkles lasted up to 12 months without any side effects.

Conclusion

A multi‐PDO scaffold represents a new tool to improve upper lips and forehead wrinkles.
“I Shot the Sheriff”: Irony, Sarcasm and the Changing Nature of Workplace Resistance
Authors: Alcadipani Rafael , Hassard John , Islam Gazi
Published: July 2018

The spread of Lean management has fuelled debates over the changing nature of workplace domination. While Lean discourses often espouse a ‘human relations’ approach, research has suggested the proliferation of coercion systems and questioned whether Lean is instead shorthand for cost‐cutting and new forms of domination. The varied interpretations of Lean have explained the heterogeneity of worker responses, including forms of resistance. Our ethnography explores this heterogeneity by examining the implementation of Lean in a printing factory and tracing the emergence of shopfloor opposition. Various tactics were devised by workers, ranging from tangible procedures such as sabotage and working‐to‐rule to more subtle forms reflecting irony and contempt. We argue that the distinctive manifestations of domination emerging during the Lean programme stimulated particular forms of worker reaction, which are explained through fieldwork illustrations. Overall, we produce a theoretical explanation of domination and resistance that builds upon and extends the extant scholarship.
Follow the Crowd or Follow the Trailblazer? The Differential Role of Firm Experience in Product Entry Decisions in the US Video Game Industry
Authors: Ozalp Hakan , Kretschmer Tobias
Published: July 2018

Firms take cues from their external environment under uncertainty and imitate the actions of others. However, a firm’s own experience may either substitute for these external clues because the firm can evaluate uncertain situations more accurately, or it may complement them because the firm can act more successfully on the external cues. We argue that the type of external cues determines which of the two holds in the context of product entry decisions into market niches. If firms observe a large wave of entrants, own experience conveys more information than the imprecise signal of a mass of other firms. Conversely, if firms observe trailblazers, i.e., highly successful and influential products in a niche, own experience can help firms develop a strategy as a fast follower in a growing niche. We expect the supporting role of own experience in following trailblazers to be especially pronounced in niches that have not been discovered by a large mass of other firms. We study and test our hypotheses in the context of the US PC video game industry between 1991 and 2010 and find support for both the substitutive relationship between own experience and niche popularity and the complementary relationship of own experience and niche trailblazers. However, support for the complementary relationship is limited to less populated niches.
How Competitive Action Mediates the Resource Slack–Performance Relationship: A Meta‐Analytic Approach
Authors: Carnes Christina Matz , Xu Kai , Sirmon David G. , Karadag Reha
Published: July 2018

The fungibility of organizational slack provides firms significant latitude in addressing both internal and market pressures. A vast literature suggests that slack influences firm performance; however, the empirical record is mixed, and the underlying mechanism linking slack to performance remains ambiguous. We address these issues by theoretically expanding the slack–performance model to include mediation. Specifically, we develop and test a model in which a firm’s competitive behaviours direct the utilization of slack toward the realization of firm performance. Our meta‐analytic‐based structural equation model supports partial mediation, showing that competitive behaviours provide some resolution to the conflicted understanding of how slack affects performance. Further, we provide value to the slack literature by consolidating the evidence for the effects of various types and forms of organizational slack. Beyond providing robustness to our theoretical model, doing so offers a more complete understanding of how operationalizations of slack and performance outcomes matter.
Alliance Portfolio Diversity and Innovation: The Interplay of Portfolio Coordination Capability and Proactive Partner Selection Capability
Authors: Degener Philip , Maurer Indre , Bort Suleika
Published: July 2018

This study seeks to explain how the innovation potential entailed in the structural characteristics of a diverse alliance portfolio can be leveraged by two different alliance management capabilities of a focal firm: portfolio coordination and proactive partner selection. An analysis of German biotechnology firms, based on database and survey data, indicates that each alliance management capability positively interacts with portfolio diversity to foster innovation. In addition, regarding their joint influence as capability bundle on the portfolio diversity–innovation link, portfolio coordination and proactive partner selection seem to substitute rather than complement each other. These results suggest that firms realize innovation benefits from a diverse set of external alliance partners only when they focus on and apply internal coordination or partner selection routines to manage these alliances, thus acting as either portfolio coordinators or portfolio configurators.
β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate promotes leucine metabolism and improves muscle fibre composition in growing pigs
Authors: Duan Yehui H. , Zeng Liming M. , Li Fengnan N. , Kong Xiangfeng F. , Xu Kang , Guo Qiuping P. , Wang Wenlong L. , Zhang Lingyu Y.
Published: July 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of excess leucine (Leu) vs. its metabolites α‐ketoisocaproate (KIC) and β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate (HMB) on Leu metabolism, muscle fibre composition and muscle growth in growing pigs. Thirty‐two pigs with a similar initial weight (9.55 ± 0.19 kg) were fed 1 of 4 diets for 45 days: basal diet, basal diet + 1.25% L‐Leu, basal diet + 1.25% KIC‐Ca, basal diet + 0.62% HMB‐Ca. Results indicated that relative to the basal diet and HMB groups, Leu and KIC groups exhibited increased Leu concentrations and decreased concentrations of isoleucine, valine and EAAs in selected muscle (p < 0.05) and had lower mRNA levels of MyHC I and higher expression of MyHC IIx/IIb (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the basal and HMB‐supplemented groups. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of AMPKα and UCP3 were higher but the myostatin mRNA levels were lower in the soleus muscle of the HMB group than those from other groups (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrated that doubling dietary Leu content exerted growth‐depressing effects in growing pigs; dietary KIC supplementation induced muscular branched‐chain amino acid imbalance and promoted muscle toward a more glycolytic phenotype; while dietary HMB supplementation promoted the generation of more oxidative muscle types and increased muscle growth specially in oxidative skeletal muscle, and these effects of HMB might be associated with the AMPKα‐Sirt1‐PGC‐1α axis and mitochondrial biogenesis.
Collaboration in Inclusive Research: Competencies Considered Important for People With and Without Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Embregts Petri J. C. M. , Taminiau Elsbeth F. , Heerkens Luciënne , Schippers Alice P. , van Hove Geert
Published: July 2018

With inclusive research being an emerging field of interest, there is growing recognition that establishing collaborative relationships between researchers with and without ID entails specific demands. However, since studies on collaboration in inclusive research merely provide individual reports on experiences and challenges in one particular research project, building a shared knowledge base of concrete competencies considered important for those involved merits attention. This study contributes to a shared knowledge base in asking people with and without ID with (experiential) knowledge of inclusive research for competencies they consider important in collaborating in inclusive research in general, that is, without reference to a specific research project they participated in. Researchers with and without ID, coaches, policy makers, and teachers involved in the education of people with ID participated in this study. Data were collected from a focus group, individual interviews, and expert meetings. Qualitative analysis was carried out immediately after each moment of data collection, providing the use of increasing insights in each consecutive phase of data collection. Participants describe that establishing collaborative relationships between researchers with and without ID in inclusive research requires the commitment of both parties. They mentioned concrete competencies they consider important for people with and without ID to collaborate in inclusive research in the categories: building a mutual relationship, communicating, achieving a collaboration in which everyone involved can contribute, being aware of skills and developmental needs, and being aware of impact. Clearly, describing competencies for people with and without ID is not intended to exclude anyone who does not possess these competencies from collaboration in inclusive research. However to avoid “tokenism,” this study might contribute to effective participation of people with ID in inclusive research in providing concrete competencies considered important in collaboration.
Long‐term outcome and recurrence of hepatitis B virus following liver transplantation from hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive donors in a Chinese population
Authors: Wei Lai , Chen Dong , Zhang Bo , Zhao Yuanyuan , Liu Bin , Shi Huibo , Zeng Fanjun , Ming Changsheng , Jiang Jipin , Du Dunfeng , Chen Zhishui
Published: July 2018

Due to the severe shortage of the donor pool in China, a large number of patients are waiting for a suitable liver, or even worse lose the opportunity of transplantation. Reasonable use of hepatitis B surface antigen‐positive (HBsAg‐positive) donors is one possible strategy to increase the donor pool but the long‐term outcome in a Chinese population is unknown. To evaluate the safety of using of HBsAg‐positive donor for liver transplantation, we set up a multicentric retrospective study from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012. A total of 8632 patients underwent liver transplantation during the period and 282 (2.97%) received a liver from a HBsAg‐positive donor. A total of 259 cases in both the case and control groups were matched. The incidence of postoperative liver dysfunction, early‐stage and long‐term complications and the 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year patient survival (78.92% vs 85.65%, 60.41% vs 69.14%, 58.08% vs 69.14%, respectively) showed no difference between the two groups (P value > 0.05). However, the 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year HBV recurrence for patients received the HBsAg‐positive donor was higher compared with controls (5.85% vs 1.97%, 11.63% vs 4.46%, 17.94% vs 4.46%, respectively, P value = 0.016). Our results showed the use of HBsAg‐positive donors is feasible and postoperative antiviral therapy should be managed.
Lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with prostate cancer under and after intensity‐modulated radiation therapy
Authors: Hayama Yuka , Doi Hiroshi , Hasegawa Tae , Minami Yumi , Ichimura Noriko , Koike Mariko , Shiomi Hiroya , Oh Ryoong‐Jin , Oishi Fumiko
Published: July 2018

Objective

The aim of the present study was to collect data on the characteristics, degree, and natural course of urinary complications, as well as self‐care for such complications, in patients during and after prostate intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Methods

Quality of life data were collected retrospectively for all eligible patients who underwent IMRT. In all eligible patients, urinary symptoms were evaluated using questionnaires and face‐to‐face interview. Participants were asked to respond to a self‐administered questionnaire concerning the core lower urinary tract symptom score during the course of IMRT and up to 12 months after the completion of IMRT.

Results

In all, 29 eligible patients were included in the study. The frequency of urinary symptoms increased over of the course of IMRT, decreased at ≥3 months after completion of IMRT, and disappeared 6 months after IMRT. Responses to the questionnaire revealed a variety of approaches to self‐care and adaptations by patients to manage urinary symptoms.

Conclusions

During and after IMRT for localized prostate cancer, patients often developed more frequent urination and urgency than at the start of IMRT, and recovered 3–6 months after the completion of IMRT. Based on the present study, clinicians and nurses could help convey this information to patients and thus offer better support.
Value of computed tomography in calculating prostate volume when transrectal ultrasonography is not applicable
Authors: Lee Young Ju , Kim Sung Han , Kim Hwanik , Lee Joong Sub , Piao Songzhe , Oh Seung‐June
Published: July 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of computed tomography (CT) in determining total prostate volume (TPV), as an alternative to transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) when TRUS is not available.

Methods

The patient cohort included patients who underwent both CT and TRUS within a 3‐month interval from January 2012 to December 2013 at a single institution. In all, 67 non‐contrast and 217 contrast‐enhanced CT images were reviewed twice by 3 independent observers 2 months after the initial evaluation. Prostate length and width were measured on axial images and height was measured on sagittal images. To compare differences between CT and TRUS in TPV estimation, the CT/TRUS ratio of TPV was calculated and a Bland–Altman plot was constructed. Inter‐ and intraobserver variabilities and the effect of contrast enhancement were also evaluated statistically.

Results

The mean (± SD) age of patients was 64.5 ±10.8 years and the mean time interval between CT and TRUS was 16.3 ± 22.6 days. The mean TRUS‐measured TPV was 44.7 ± 24.9 mL and the mean CT/TRUS TPV ratio was 0.80 ± 0.20, indicating that TPV estimated by CT is 20% lower than that determined by TRUS, regardless of contrast enhancement (P > .05). The mean difference in TPV between TRUS and CT was 11.3 ± 14.3 mL, with differences of 1.7, 9.9, and 32.9 mL for prostate volumes of ≤30, >30–60, and >60 mL, respectively. Interobserver variability was excellent (r > 0.9), whereas intraobserver variability was very good (r > 0.7).

Conclusion

CT is a reliable method for prostate volume measurement and is well correlated with TRUS. Although CT estimates of TPV are 20% lower than those obtained using TRUS, CT can be used as an alternative to TRUS when TRUS is not available.
Identifying genomic hotspots of differentiation and candidate genes involved in the adaptive divergence of pea aphid host races
Authors: Nouhaud Pierre , Gautier Mathieu , Gouin Anaïs , Jaquiéry Julie , Peccoud Jean , Legeai Fabrice , Mieuzet Lucie , Smadja Carole M. , Lemaitre Claire , Vitalis Renaud , Simon Jean‐Christophe
Published: July 2018

Identifying the genomic bases of adaptation to novel environments is a long‐term objective in evolutionary biology. Because genetic differentiation is expected to increase between locally adapted populations at the genes targeted by selection, scanning the genome for elevated levels of differentiation is a first step towards deciphering the genomic architecture underlying adaptive divergence. The pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum is a model of choice to address this question, as it forms a large complex of plant‐specialized races and cryptic species, resulting from recent adaptive radiation. Here, we characterized genomewide polymorphisms in three pea aphid races specialized on alfalfa, clover and pea crops, respectively, which we sequenced in pools (poolseq). Using a model‐based approach that explicitly accounts for selection, we identified 392 genomic hotspots of differentiation spanning 47.3 Mb and 2,484 genes (respectively, 9.12% of the genome size and 8.10% of its genes). Most of these highly differentiated regions were located on the autosomes, and overall differentiation was weaker on the X chromosome. Within these hotspots, high levels of absolute divergence between races suggest that these regions experienced less gene flow than the rest of the genome, most likely by contributing to reproductive isolation. Moreover, population‐specific analyses showed evidence of selection in every host race, depending on the hotspot considered. These hotspots were significantly enriched for candidate gene categories that control host–plant selection and use. These genes encode 48 salivary proteins, 14 gustatory receptors, 10 odorant receptors, five P450 cytochromes and one chemosensory protein, which represent promising candidates for the genetic basis of host–plant specialization and ecological isolation in the pea aphid complex. Altogether, our findings open new research directions towards functional studies, for validating the role of these genes on adaptive phenotypes.
Evolutionary dynamics of quantitative variation in an adaptive trait at the regional scale: The case of zinc hyperaccumulation in Arabidopsis halleri
Authors: Babst‐Kostecka Alicja , Schat Henk , Saumitou‐Laprade Pierre , Grodzińska Krystyna , Bourceaux Angélique , Pauwels Maxime , Frérot Hélène
Published: July 2018

Metal hyperaccumulation in plants is an ecological trait whose biological significance remains debated, in particular because the selective pressures that govern its evolutionary dynamics are complex. One of the possible causes of quantitative variation in hyperaccumulation may be local adaptation to metalliferous soils. Here, we explored the population genetic structure of Arabidopsis halleri at fourteen metalliferous and nonmetalliferous sampling sites in southern Poland. The results were integrated with a quantitative assessment of variation in zinc hyperaccumulation to trace local adaptation. We identified a clear hierarchical structure with two distinct genetic groups at the upper level of clustering. Interestingly, these groups corresponded to different geographic subregions, rather than to ecological types (i.e., metallicolous vs. nonmetallicolous). Also, approximate Bayesian computation analyses suggested that the current distribution of A. halleri in southern Poland could be relictual as a result of habitat fragmentation caused by climatic shifts during the Holocene, rather than due to recent colonization of industrially polluted sites. In addition, we find evidence that some nonmetallicolous lowland populations may have actually derived from metallicolous populations. Meanwhile, the distribution of quantitative variation in zinc hyperaccumulation did separate metallicolous and nonmetallicolous accessions, indicating more recent adaptive evolution and diversifying selection between metalliferous and nonmetalliferous habitats. This suggests that zinc hyperaccumulation evolves both ways—towards higher levels at nonmetalliferous sites and lower levels at metalliferous sites. Our results open a new perspective on possible evolutionary relationships between A. halleri edaphic types that may inspire future genetic studies of quantitative variation in metal hyperaccumulation.
Ecology can inform genetics: Disassortative mating contributes to MHC polymorphism in Leach’s storm‐petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)
Authors: Hoover Brian , Alcaide Miguel , Jennings Sarah , Sin Simon Yung Wa , Edwards Scott V. , Nevitt Gabrielle A.
Published: July 2018

Studies of MHC‐based mate choice in wild populations often test hypotheses on species exhibiting female choice and male–male competition, which reflects the general prevalence of females as the choosy sex in natural systems. Here, we examined mutual mate‐choice patterns in a small burrow‐nesting seabird, the Leach’s storm‐petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), using the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The life history and ecology of this species are extreme: both partners work together to fledge a single chick during the breeding season, a task that requires regularly travelling hundreds of kilometres to and from foraging grounds over a 6‐ to 8‐week provisioning period. Using a 5‐year data set unprecedented for this species (n = 1078 adults and 925 chicks), we found a positive relationship between variation in the likelihood of female reproductive success and heterozygosity at Ocle‐DAB2, a MHC class IIB locus. Contrary to previous reports rejecting disassortative mating as a mechanism for maintaining genetic polymorphism in this species, here we show that males make significant disassortative mate‐choice decisions. Variability in female reproductive success suggests that the most common homozygous females (Ocle‐DAB2*01/Ocle‐DAB2*01) may be physiologically disadvantaged and, therefore, less preferred as lifelong partners for choosy males. The results from this study support the role of mate choice in maintaining high levels of MHC variability in a wild seabird species and highlight the need to incorporate a broader ecological framework and sufficient sample sizes into studies of MHC‐based mating patterns in wild populations in general.