bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Achieving success with Lean
Authors: Sisson Julie , Elshennawy Ahmad
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this research is to identify key interrelated components of successful, sustained lean transformation. When implemented successfully, lean not only allows for cost reduction while improving quality but it can also position a company to achieve tremendous growth. However, although many companies are attempting to implement lean, only an estimated 2-3 per cent are achieving the desired level of success.

Design/methodology/approach

– A thorough literature review was conducted and the findings indicated six key constructs that can act as enablers or inhibitors to implementing and sustaining lean. A theoretical framework was developed that integrates these constructs and develops research propositions for each. A multiple-case study analysis was used to test the framework on four companies that have achieved successful lean transformations to validate the model.

Findings

– Sixteen propositions were supported in all four of the case studies and one proposition was supported in three of the four case studies.

Originality/value

– This research proposed and tested a model lean transformation on cases drawn from the very small number of companies in the USA that have achieved successful, sustained lean improvement. The case studies represented a broad variety of manufacturing industries, increasing the likelihood of the research being able to be broadly generalized and applied. The model provides a set of related tangible actions that organizations planning to undertake a lean transformation can focus on to help insure successful implementation and sustainment.
From law to folklore: work stress and the Yerkes-Dodson Law
Authors: Corbett Martin
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how a speculative animal behaviour modification experiment conducted over 100 years ago evolved into a scientific law of human behaviour that is now widely cited in managerial psychology texts and journals. The paper considers the implications of this evolution for the theory and practice of work stress management in particular, and managerial psychology in general.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using insights from social constructivist studies of science the empirical evidence supporting the Yerkes-Dodson Law (YDL) is examined and found wanting. The role played by the simple graphical representation of the YDL in its popularisation is considered.

Findings

– Analysis reveals that the YDL has no basis in empirical fact but continues to inform managerial practices which seek to increase or maintain, rather than minimise, levels of stress in the workplace as a means to enhance employee performance.

Practical implications

– Practitioners should not seek to increase performance through the manipulation of employee stress levels.

Originality/value

– The paper brings attention to the potentially harmful ways the publication of long-discredited models of stress and performance can influence management practice.
Subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism: a scale development
Authors: Wagstaff María Fernanda , Collela Adrienne , Triana María del Carmen , Smith Alexis Nicole , Watkins Marla Baskerville
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Drawing from social dominance theories and conceptualizations of paternalism, the purpose of this paper is to define and develop a measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism (SPSP).

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors assess the validity of the measure using Hinkin’s (1998) scale development steps.

Findings

– The authors found evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism drawing from three different samples. Participants in the study were also able to differentiate a low from a high paternalism condition using the measure of paternalism. Finally, as expected, the interaction between a supervisor’s benevolence and control was significantly associated with subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors provide evidence for the validity of a measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism while controlling for various status signals represented by demographic variables. Results may have been influenced by common method variance. However, there is no theoretical reason to expect any such interactions. Additionally, as the authors limited the data collection to the USA, the authors caution against generalizing beyond that context.

Practical implications

– The authors provide validity and reliability evidence for a unidimensional measure that is short and easy to administer in future research to further examine the consequences of perceptions of supervisor paternalism.

Social implications

– Defining and measuring subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism is important to society given the potential adverse consequences of these perceptions. Because paternalistic relationships pervade many supervisor-subordinate interactions, both subordinates and supervisors can become more sensitive to the consequences of such interactions by understanding the conditions under which supervisor paternalism manifests itself.

Originality/value

– Conceptually, in this study, the authors build on prior research and define supervisor paternalism from a social dominance perspective. Empirically, the authors contribute a statistically valid and reliable unidimensional measure.
An empirical investigation for alignment of communities of practice with organization using fuzzy Delphi panel
Authors: Jassbi Abdollah , Jassbi Javad , Akhavan Peyman , Chu Mei-Tai , Piri Morteza
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to design a model to outline the structure of communities of practice (CoPs) corresponding to organizational context.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research utilizes both descriptive and prescriptive approaches, as the authors are looking for a comprehensive relational model to deal with the problem of selecting suitable CoPs concerning organizational context. Thus, this study applies interviewing and fuzzy Delphi methods to explore the model.

Findings

– The work provides a new and comprehensive relational model of CoPs and organizational variables affecting CoPs structure. In this model, three basic concepts of the literature were developed. First, the components concerning types of CoPs were identified and then the organizational variables related to CoPs were determined. Finally, the authors extracted the relationships between the organizational variables and the components of CoPs.

Practical implications

– From a practical perspective, the relationships among the components concerning types of CoPs and the organizational variables may provide a model which can effectively guide firms how to promote, design and manage CoPs within organizational contexts.

Originality/value

– The results of this study contribute to CoPs literature in terms of identification of two variables (CoPs components and organizational variables) to produce a matrix for the construction of a holistic CoPs model. The significant finding of this research is the guidance it provides for designing a relational model involving relations between organizational variables and CoPs components.
Knowledge management, research data management, and university scholarship
Authors: Makani Joyline
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to synthesize existing research on research data management (RDM), academic scholarship and knowledge management and provide a conceptual framework for an institutional research data management support-system (RDMSS) for systems development, managerial and academic use.

Design/methodology/approach

– Viewing RDMSS from multiple theoretical perspectives, including data management, knowledge management, academic scholarship and the practice-based perspectives of knowledge and knowing, this paper conceptually explores the systems’ elements needed in the development of an institutional RDM service by considering the underlying data discovery and application issues, as well as the nature of academic scholarship and knowledge creation, discovery, application and sharing motivations in a university environment.

Findings

– The paper provides general criteria for an institutional RDMSS framework. It suggests that RDM in universities is at the very heart of the knowledge life cycle and is a central ingredient to the academic scholarships of discovery, integration, teaching, engagement and application.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a conceptual exploration and as a result, the research findings may lack generalisability. Researchers are therefore encouraged to further empirically examine the proposed propositions.

Originality/value

– The broad RDMSS framework presented in this paper can be compared with the actual situation at universities and eventually guide recommendations for adaptations and (re)design of the institutional RDM infrastructure and knowledge discovery services environment. Moreover, this paper will help to address some of the identified underlying scholarship and RDM disciplinary divides and confusion constraining the effective functioning of the modern day university’s RDM and data discovery environment.
Clinical profiles and treatment outcomes of systemic corticosteroids for toxic epidermal necrolysis: A retrospective study
Authors: Choonhakarn Charoen , Limpawattana Panita , Chaowattanapanit Suteeraporn
Published: July 2015

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is an uncommon severe cutaneous adverse reaction. Although controversies remain in the pathophysiology and management of this condition, improvements in survival and morbidity have been observed over the past decade. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the clinical profiles of TEN in Thai patients and the treatment outcome with dexamethasone pulse therapy assessed by using the Severity of Illness Score for Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SCORTEN). Medical records of all patients with TEN were collected retrospectively from January 2002 to December 2012. Epidemiological features, etiologies, treatments and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Of 18 patients, the female to male ratio was 1:1 and the mean age was 49.7 years. Cephalosporins (27.8%), phenytoin (16.7%), carbamazepine, sulfonamide drugs and allopurinol (11.1% each) were implicated as leading causes of TEN. Hepatitis was the most frequent complication (77.8%). Pulsed high doses of dexamethasone 1–1.5 mg/kg per day for a short period were administrated in all cases. Two of the 18 patients receiving corticosteroids (SCORTEN 5 and 6) died. The mortality rate was 11% (2/18 patients), however, no patient receiving systemic corticosteroids died if the patients had less than 4 points on SCORTEN. The clinical features of Thai patients with TEN were similar to other reports. In conclusion, in addition to withdrawal of the suspected agent and intensive supportive care, the administration of short‐term dexamethasone pulse therapy, particularly during the initial phase, may be beneficial in reducing the mortality rate.
Physical constraints on c13 and δ for transversely isotropic hydrocarbon source rocks
Authors: Yan Fuyong , Han De‐Hua , Yao Qiuliang
Published: July 2015

Based on the theory of anisotropic elasticity and observation of static mechanic measurement of transversely isotropic hydrocarbon source rocks or rock‐like materials, we reasoned that one of the three principal Poisson's ratios of transversely isotropic hydrocarbon source rocks should always be greater than the other two and they should be generally positive. From these relations, we derived tight physical constraints on c13, Thomsen parameter δ, and anellipticity parameter η. Some of the published data from laboratory velocity anisotropy measurement are lying outside of the constraints. We analysed that they are primarily caused by substantial uncertainty associated with the oblique velocity measurement. These physical constraints will be useful for our understanding of Thomsen parameter δ, data quality checking, and predicting δ from measurements perpendicular and parallel to the symmetrical axis of transversely isotropic medium. The physical constraints should also have potential application in anisotropic seismic data processing.
A quantitative framework for investigating risk of deadly collisions between marine wildlife and boats
Authors: Martin Julien , Sabatier Quentin , Gowan Timothy A. , Giraud Christophe , Gurarie Eliezer , Calleson Charles Scott , Ortega‐Ortiz Joel G. , Deutsch Charles J. , Rycyk Athena , Koslovsky Stacie M.
Published: July 2015

Speed regulations of watercraft in protected areas are designed to reduce lethal collisions with wildlife but can have economic consequences. We present a quantitative framework for investigating the risk of deadly collisions between boats and wildlife.

We apply encounter rate theory to demonstrate how marine mammal–boat encounter rate can be used to predict the expected number of deaths associated with management scenarios. We illustrate our approach with management scenarios for two endangered species: the Florida manatee Trichechus manatus latirostris and the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis. We used a Monte Carlo simulation approach to demonstrate the uncertainty that is associated with our estimate of relative mortality.

We show that encounter rate increased with vessel speed but that the expected number of encounters varies depending on the boating activities considered. For instance, in a scenario involving manatees and boating activities such as water skiing, the expected number of encounters in a given area (in a fixed time interval) increased with vessel speed. In another scenario in which a vessel made a transit of fixed length, the expected number of encounters decreases slightly with boat speed. In both cases, the expected number of encounters increased with distanced travelled by the boat. For whales, we found a slight reduction (˜0·1%) in the number of encounters under a scenario where speed is unregulated; this reduction, however, is negligible, and overall expected relative mortality was ˜30% lower under the scenario with speed regulation. The probability of avoidance by the animal or vessel was set to 0 because of lack of data, but we explored the importance of this parameter on the model predictions. In fact, expected relative mortality under speed regulations decreases even further when the probability of avoidance is a decreasing function of vessel speed.

By applying encounter rate theory to the case of boat collisions with marine mammals, we gained new insights about encounter processes between wildlife and watercraft. Our work emphasizes the importance of considering uncertainty when estimating wildlife mortality. Finally, our findings are relevant to other systems and ecological processes involving the encounter between moving agents.
Physically Meaningful Rendering using Tristimulus Colours
Authors: Meng Johannes , Simon Florian , Hanika Johannes , Dachsbacher Carsten
Published: July 2015

In photorealistic image synthesis the radiative transfer equation is often not solved by simulating every wavelength of light, but instead by computing tristimulus transport, for instance using sRGB primaries as a basis. This choice is convenient, because input texture data is usually stored in RGB colour spaces. However, there are problems with this approach which are often overlooked or ignored. By comparing to spectral reference renderings, we show how rendering in tristimulus colour spaces introduces colour shifts in indirect light, violation of energy conservation, and unexpected behaviour in participating media.

Furthermore, we introduce a fast method to compute spectra from almost any given XYZ input colour. It creates spectra that match the input colour precisely. Additionally, like in natural reflectance spectra, their energy is smoothly distributed over wide wavelength bands. This method is both useful to upsample RGB input data when spectral transport is used and as an intermediate step for corrected tristimulus‐based transport. Finally, we show how energy conservation can be enforced in RGB by mapping colours to valid reflectances.
Modeling Luminance Perception at Absolute Threshold
Authors: Kellnhofer Petr , Ritschel Tobias , Myszkowski Karol , Eisemann Elmar , Seidel Hans‐Peter
Published: July 2015

When human luminance perception operates close to its absolute threshold, i. e., the lowest perceivable absolute values, appearance changes substantially compared to common photopic or scotopic vision. In particular, most observers report perceiving temporally‐varying noise. Two reasons are physiologically plausible; quantum noise (due to the low absolute number of photons) and spontaneous photochemical reactions. Previously, static noise with a normal distribution and no account for absolute values was combined with blue hue shift and blur to simulate scotopic appearance on a photopic display for movies and interactive applications (e.g., games). We present a computational model to reproduce the specific distribution and dynamics of “scotopic noise” for specific absolute values. It automatically introduces a perceptually‐calibrated amount of noise for a specific luminance level and supports animated imagery. Our simulation runs in milliseconds at HD resolution using graphics hardware and favorably compares to simpler alternatives in a perceptual experiment.
Nebenwirkungen ästhetischer Eingriffe an der Haut
Authors: Hartmann Daniela , Ruzicka Thomas , Gauglitz Gerd G.
Published: July 2015

In den letzten Jahren sind im Gebiet der ästhetischen Dermatologie eine Vielzahl von neuartigen therapeutischen Ansätzen zur Bekämpfung von Alterserscheinungen und zur Beeinflussung des äußeren Körpererscheinungsbildes verfügbar geworden. Umfangreiche Forschung auf diesem Gebiet hat zu einem erweiterten Verständnis der Anatomie und Physiologie des alternden Gesichtes geführt. Um die komplizierten altersbedingen Veränderungen anzugehen, erfordert die Anti‐Aging‐Behandlung heutzutage eine multidimensionale Herangehensweise. Zu den häufigsten ästhetischen Eingriffen gehören die Verwendung von Botulinumtoxin, eine Vielzahl von Füll materialien, Microneedling (Kollageninduktionstherapie), chemische Peelings, Laserbehandlung, Radiofrequenzbehandlung, Faden‐Facelifting, und Injektions‐Lipolyse mit Phosphatidylcholin/Deoxycholat.

Leider fehlt vielen Medizinern immer noch ein fundiertes Verständnis möglicher Komplikationen, Risikofaktoren, und Nebenwirkungen in Verbindung mit minimalinvasiven Eingriffen. Der folgende Bericht zielt darauf ab, einen breiten Überblick über die heutzutage meistverwendeten Ansätze im dermato‐ästhetischen Bereich und die damit verbundenen Komplikationen zu geben.
Long‐term trends in books of terms related to forest pathology
Authors: Pautasso M.
Published: July 2015

Scientometric and bibliometric methods are increasingly applied to study temporal trends in scientific outputs, but there has been little application in plant and forest health. This research note uses the Google Books N‐Grams search engine to explore temporal trends in the use of terms related to forest pathology in published books. The search was performed for books in American and British English, French, German and Italian. There is evidence for a relative decline in the use of the term ‘forest pathology’, since the 1950s in books in American English and since the 1990s in books in British English. This decline was counterbalanced by a relative increase in the use of the term ‘forest health’ between the 1980s and the end of the 1990s, whereas the term ‘tree diseases’ roughly followed the same trend as ‘forest pathology’. A declining trend was observed for ‘pathologie forestière’ (since the 1980s), both ‘Waldschutz’ and ‘Forstschutz’ (since the 1990s), as well as ‘patologia forestale’ (since the 1950s). The use of the terms ‘dendrology’, ‘forest entomology’, ‘forest genetics’, ‘mycology’, ‘plant pathology’ appears to have followed the trend observed for ‘forest pathology’ in all studied languages. Conversely, there has been an increase in books mentioning topics such as ‘ecosystem health’ and ‘old‐growth forests.’ The trends observed here call for increased efforts to make the public aware of trees, their diseases and the health of forests.
State and Religion in the Formative Stage of Islam (7th–11th Centuries C.E.)
Authors: Hurvitz Nimrod
Published: July 2015

Questions related to state and religion, in the formative centuries of Islam, are often viewed through the “opposition paradigm,” which asserts that the relations between the rulers and the scholars were primarily a protracted struggle over religious authority. However, recent studies point to a more collaborative relationship between these two pillars of Muslim societies. This essay brings together the assessments of several studies that undermine the “opposition paradigm.” After pointing to its flaws, the essay suggests that an additional venue of scholarship, governance, will shed much light on the relations between the state and men of religion. It argues that from what we know about governance, the state was free of detailed religious injunctions and was, therefore, capable of adapting itself to historical circumstances, from its inception to the present. Furthermore, it asserts that deepening our understanding of political practice is critical to improve our understanding of state and religion in Muslim societies.
Testing a novel agri‐environment scheme based on the ecology of the target species, Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Authors: Schlaich Almut E. , Klaassen Raymond H. G. , Bouten Willem , Both Christiaan , Koks Ben J.
Published: July 2015

Farmland birds are in steep decline and agri‐environment schemes (AES) to counteract these biodiversity losses are expensive and inefficient. Here we test a novel AES, ‘Birdfields’, designed using detailed ecological knowledge of the target species, Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus. Current AES, such as field margins, that aim to improve foraging conditions (i.e. vole densities) for harriers are inefficient, as prey are difficult to capture in tall set‐aside habitat. ‘Birdfields’ combines strips of set‐aside to boost vole numbers and strips of alfalfa, as voles are accessible after alfalfa has been harvested. We found that vole numbers were generally highest in set‐aside. Montagu's Harriers fitted with GPS‐loggers used ‘Birdfields’ intensively after mowing, preferring mown to unmown strips. Thus, prey availability appeared more important than prey abundance. Thus, ‘Birdfields’, as a targeted AES for Montagu's Harriers, is more effective than previous AES due to increased prey accessibility. An additional advantage of ‘Birdfields’ is that it is considerably cheaper, due to the harvest of alfalfa. We advocate that AES should always include monitoring and research activities, aiming at a more adaptive conservation approach.
Impressions That Arouse an Auditor's Suspicion of Lying in an Interview
Authors: Lee Chih‐Chen , Welker Robert B.
Published: July 2015

This study models the process by which auditors draw a suspicion of lying from an interviewee's behavior and tests the model with perceptions and beliefs collected from 147 auditors after they observed an interview. An understanding of the way auditors become suspicious of lying may lead to improvements in their deception‐detection training. The proposed structural model includes impressions of the interviewee as intervening variables between perceptions of behavior and suspicion of lying. It was evaluated using SEM. The results show the instrumentality of two impressions, uneasiness and non‐informativeness. An additional finding is that mental stress, which can be more intense for liars than for truth tellers, is not a suspicious behavior. Auditors may disregard signs of mental stress because interviewees typically have to answer thought‐provoking questions, thereby confounding the mental stress of lying with the mental stress of the interview.
The evolution of fecundity is associated with female body size but not female‐biased sexual size dimorphism among frogs
Authors: Monroe M. J. , South S. H. , Alonzo S. H.
Published: July 2015

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is one of the most common ways in which males and females differ. Male‐biased SSD (when males are larger) is often attributed to sexual selection favouring large males. When females are larger (female‐biased SSD), it is often argued that natural selection favouring increased fecundity (i.e. larger clutches or eggs) has coevolved with larger female body size. Using comparative phylogenetic and multispecies regression model selection approaches, we test the hypothesis that among‐species variation in female fecundity is associated with the evolution of female‐biased SSD. We also ask whether the hypothesized relationship between SSD and fecundity is relaxed upon the evolution of parental care. Our results suggest a strong relationship between the evolution of fecundity and body size, but we find no significant relationship between fecundity and SSD. Similarly, there does not appear to be a relationship between fecundity and the presence or absence of parental care among species. Thus, although female body size and fecundity coevolve, selection for increased fecundity as an explanation for female‐biased SSD is inconsistent with our analyses. We caution that a relationship between female body size and fecundity is insufficient evidence for fecundity selection driving the evolution of female‐biased SSD.
Consumer Standards as a Strategic Device to Mitigate Ratchet Effects in Dynamic Regulation
Authors: Fiocco Raffaele , Strausz Roland
Published: July 2015

Strategic delegation to an independent regulator with a pure consumer standard improves dynamic regulation by mitigating ratchet effects associated with short‐term contracting. A pure consumer standard alleviates the regulator's myopic temptation to raise output after learning the firm is inefficient. Anticipating this tougher regulatory behavior, efficient firms find it less attractive to exaggerate costs. This reduces the need for long‐term rents and mitigates ratchet effects. A welfare standard biased toward consumers entails, however, allocative costs arising from partial separation of the firms' cost types. A trade‐off results, which favors strategic delegation when efficient firms are relatively likely.
Stress‐gradient hypothesis explains susceptibility to Bromus tectorum invasion and community stability in North America's semi‐arid Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis ecosystems
Authors: Reisner Michael D. , Doescher Paul S. , Pyke David A.
Published: July 2015

Questions

(1) What combinations of overlapping water and heat stress and herbivory disturbance gradients are associated with shifts in interactions between Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis (Artemisia) and herbaceous beneficiary species? (2) Do interactions between Artemisia and beneficiaries shift from competition to facilitation with increasing stress‐disturbance where facilitation and competition are most frequent and strongest at the highest and lowest levels, respectively? (3) Do such relationships differ for native and non‐native beneficiaries? (4) What are the implications of any observed shifts in interactions between community compositional stability in space and susceptibility to invasion?

Location

North American Artemisia communities.

Methods

We tested the stress‐gradient hypothesis (SGH) in an observational study consisting of 75 sites located along overlapping water and heat stress and disturbance gradients. We used spatial patterns of association among Artemisia and six native and two non‐native beneficiary species; including the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum, representing a diverse array of life history strategies, to infer whether the net outcome of interactions was facilitation or competition. We assessed implications for community stability by examining shifts in community composition in space and resistance to invasion.

Results/Conclusions

Cattle herbivory, a novel disturbance and selective force, was a significant component of two overlapping stress gradients most strongly associated with observed shifts in interactions. Facilitation and competition were strongest and most frequent at the highest and lowest stress levels along both gradients, respectively. Contrasting ecological optima among native and non‐native beneficiaries led to strikingly different patterns of interactions. The four native bunchgrasses with the strongest competitive response abilities exhibited the strongest facilitation at their upper limits of stress tolerance, while the two non‐natives exhibited the strongest competition at the highest stress levels, which coincided with their maximum abundance. Artemisia facilitation enhanced stability at intermediate stress levels by providing a refuge for native bunchgrasses, which in turn reduced the magnitude of B. tectorum invasion. However, facilitation was a destabilizing force at the highest stress levels when native bunchgrasses became obligate beneficiaries dependent on facilitation for their persistence. B. tectorum dominated these communities, and the next fire may convert them to annual grasslands.
Optimal Sequencing of Unpunctual Patients in High‐Service‐Level Clinics
Authors: Samorani Michele , Ganguly Subhamoy
Published: July 2015

Even though patients often arrive early and out of turn for scheduled appointments in outpatient clinics, no research has been undertaken to establish whether an available provider should see an early patient right away (preempt) or wait for the patient scheduled next. This problem, which we call the “Wait‐Preempt Dilemma,” is particularly relevant for “high‐service‐level” clinics (such as psychotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture), where preempting may cause the missing patient to wait for an excessively long time, should she show up soon. Typically, the dilemma is resolved by preemption, where the provider starts serving the patient who has already arrived to avoid staying idle. By contrast, we analytically determine the time intervals where it is optimal to preempt and those where it is optimal to wait, and find that in some cases the provider should in fact stay idle, even in the presence of waiting patients. Our results suggest that the proposed analytical method outperforms the always‐preempt policy in clinics that do not overbook and have service times longer than 30 minutes. In these cases, the analytical method dramatically reduces patient waiting times at the cost of a modest increase in overtime. By contrast, in clinics that overbook or have short service times, the two policies perform similarly, and hence the always‐preempt policy is preferable due to its simplicity. A software application is provided that clinics can readily use to solve the wait‐preempt dilemma.
Quality Management in Multi‐Level Supply Chains with Outsourced Manufacturing
Authors: Dong Yan , Xu Kefeng , Xu Yi , Wan Xiang
Published: July 2015

Outsourcing stretches supply chains longer with added contract manufacturers responsible for the manufacturing of parts and final products. Should a firm change its quality management approach as its supply chain becomes longer with outsourced manufacturing? This paper studies a brand owner's optimal choice between two commonly used quality management approaches: an inspection‐based approach and an external failure‐based approach, in two supply chains – a dyadic supply chain and a multi‐level supply chain where the brand owner outsources manufacturing to an independent contract manufacturer. Our study finds that the brand owner's optimal choice between the two quality management approaches could be opposite in the two supply chains. Specifically, we show that if agency costs exist between the contract manufacturer and the brand owner, the brand owner may prefer an inspection‐based approach in the multi‐level supply chain in contrast to preferring an external failure‐based approach in the dyadic supply chain. In particular, inspections can be effective for the brand owner to limit the manufacturer's profit by excluding defective finished products and components, which in turn reduce agency costs in the multi‐level supply chain. Hence, the efficiency of an inspection‐based approach relative to an external failure‐based approach can be higher in the multi‐level supply chain as compared to the dyadic one. Our findings suggest that firms should adjust to changes in supply chain structures and re‐evaluate the efficiencies of different quality management approaches accordingly.
Vegetation removal and seed addition contribute to coastal sandplain grassland establishment on former agricultural fields
Authors: Wheeler Megan M. , Neill Christopher , Loucks Elizabeth , Weiler Annalisa , Von Holle Betsy , Pelikan Matthew , Chase Tom
Published: July 2015

Creating native‐species‐rich grasslands to replace agricultural grasslands can be an important strategy for supplementing the area of grasslands, which are in decline in many regions. In the northeastern United States, sandplain grasslands support a diverse plant community and rare plant and animal species that are declining because of reductions in historical disturbances such as fire and grazing. We designed an experiment on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, to test methods of establishing native‐species‐rich coastal sandplain grassland on former agricultural land. We tested the efficacy of: (1) tilling, herbicide, hot foam, and plastic cover in removing initial nonnative vegetation, and (2) combinations of tilling and seeding for establishing native species. We measured native and nonnative species richness and percent cover before and for 5 years after treatment. Herbicide, plastic cover, and spring, summer, and fall tilling were about equally effective in reducing nonnative species cover and promoting native species cover. Tilling and seeding each increased native species richness and percent cover, and seeding and tilling together increased native species richness and cover more than either treatment alone. Combined seeding and disturbance also reduced the cover of nonnative species, but nonnative species cover remained higher than in adjacent reference sandplain grassland. Results indicated that native species establishment was enhanced by the availability of seeds and by reduction of initial nonnative plant cover. The most efficient method of converting coastal agricultural grasslands to sandplain grassland with a higher number and proportion of native species is a single season of plant removal and seeding.
Limiting processes for perennial plant reintroduction to restore dry grasslands
Authors: Buisson Elise , Corcket Emmanuel , Dutoit Thierry
Published: July 2015

In restored grasslands of southern Europe, perennial plants remain highly underrepresented compared with the reference ecosystems. We tested various treatments to reintroduce common perennial plant species (Brachypodium retusum, Poaceae, and Thymus vulgaris, Lamiaceae), which are usually not or poorly reintroduced via soil and hay transfer. Treatments included microenvironmental manipulations (rock cover and plant interactions) and two grazing intensities. Target perennial species were transplanted in 2002 in the reference grassland ecosystem (intact grassland area used as a control) and in two abandoned fields. Survival was assessed in June 2003 and June 2004. Target species shoot and root biomass were measured in June 2004. Grazing greatly reduced the survival and biomass of both target species and its effects were reinforced by summer drought: plants that did not establish well enough during the autumn and spring did not survive summer. The restored rock cover had a mild positive effect, particularly on B. retusum. There were no negative or positive plant neighbor interactions in the steppe, while there was competition in both abandoned fields. Competition was particularly intense in the abandoned melon field, composed of a dense sward of annual grasses (Bromus sp.). In order to reintroduce perennial species to dry grasslands, the ideal combination of treatments is to exclude or reduce grazing during the first year to allow seedlings to establish and to recreate adequate microenvironmental conditions. Reducing competition from arable weeds may help but is not essential in such dry grasslands.
Evaluation of Patients with Community‐Acquired Pneumonia Caused by Zoonotic Pathogens in an Area with a High Density of Animal Farms
Authors: Huijskens E. G. W. , Smit L. A. M. , Rossen J. W. A. , Heederik D. , Koopmans M.
Published: July 2015

Intensive animal farming could potentially lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases. Clinicians are at the forefront of detecting unusual diseases, but the lack of specificity of zoonotic disease symptoms makes this a challenging task. We evaluated patients with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) with known and unknown aetiology in an area with a high livestock density and a potential association with animal farms in the proximity. Between 2008 and 2009, a period coinciding with a large Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands, patients with CAP were tested for the presence of possible respiratory pathogens. The presence and number of farm animals within 1 km of the patients' home address were assessed using geographic information system (GIS) and were compared between cases and age‐matched control subjects. Of 408 patients with CAP, pathogens were detected in 275 (67.4%) patients. The presence of sheep and the number of goats were associated with CAP caused by Coxiella burnetii in a multiple logistic regression model (P < 0.05). CAP with unknown aetiology was not associated with the presence of animal farms (P > 0.10). The use of GIS in combination with aetiology of CAP could be potentially used to target diagnostics and to identify outbreaks of rare zoonotic disease.
Changes in a Starting Pitcher’s Performance Characteristics Across the Duration of a Major League Baseball Game
Authors: Whiteside David , Martini Douglas N. , Zernicke Ronald F. , Goulet Grant C.
Published: July 2015

Purpose:

With a view to informing in-game decision making as it relates to strategy and pitcher health, this study examined changes in pitching-performance characteristics across 9 innings of Major League Baseball (MLB) games.

Methods:

129 starting MLB pitchers met the inclusion criteria for this study. Pitch type, speed, ball movement, release location, and strike-zone data—collected using the MLB’s ball-tracking system, PITCHf/x—were obtained for 1,514,304 pitches thrown from 2008 to 2014.

Results:

Compared with the 1st inning, the proportion of hard pitches thrown decreased significantly until the 7th inning, while the proportions of breaking and off-speed pitches increased. Significant decreases in pitch speed, increases in vertical movement, and decreases in release height emerged no later than the 5th inning, and the largest differences in all variables were generally recorded between the 1st inning and the late innings (7–9). Pitchers were most effective during the 2nd inning and significantly worse in innings 4 and 6.

Conclusion:

These data revealed that several aspects of a starting pitcher’s pitching characteristics exhibited changes from baseline as early as the 2nd or 3rd inning of an MLB game, but this pattern did not reflect the changes in his effectiveness. Therefore, these alterations do not appear to provide reasonable justification for relieving a starting pitcher, although future work must address their relevance to injury. From an offensive standpoint, batters in the MLB should anticipate significantly more hard pitches during the early innings but more breaking and off-speed pitches, with decreasing speed, as the game progresses.
Mast cell degranulation by a hemolytic lipid toxin decreases GBS colonization and infection
Authors: Gendrin Claire , Vornhagen Jay , Ngo Lisa , Whidbey Christopher , Boldenow Erica , Santana-Ufret Veronica , Clauson Morgan , Burnside Kellie , Galloway Dionne P. , Adams Waldorf Kristina M. , Piliponsky Adrian M. , Rajagopal Lakshmi
Published: July 2015

GBS hemolytic lipid/pigment and hyperpigmented GBS activate mast cells triggering the release of preformed and proinflammatory mediators.
Quantification of Azospirillum brasilense FP2 Bacteria in Wheat Roots by Strain-Specific Quantitative PCR
Authors: Stets Maria Isabel , Alqueres Sylvia Maria Campbell , Souza Emanuel Maltempi , Pedrosa Fábio de Oliveira , Schmid Michael , Hartmann Anton , Cruz Leonardo Magalhães
Published: July 2015

Azospirillum
is a rhizobacterial genus containing plant growth-promoting species associated with different crops worldwide.
Azospirillum brasilense
strains exhibit a growth-promoting effect by means of phytohormone production and possibly by N
2
fixation. However, one of the most important factors for achieving an increase in crop yield by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria is the survival of the inoculant in the rhizosphere, which is not always achieved. The objective of this study was to develop quantitative PCR protocols for the strain-specific quantification of
A. brasilense
FP2. A novel approach was applied to identify strain-specific DNA sequences based on a comparison of the genomic sequences within the same species. The draft genome sequences of
A. brasilense
FP2 and Sp245 were aligned, and FP2-specific regions were filtered and checked for other possible matches in public databases. Strain-specific regions were then selected to design and evaluate strain-specific primer pairs. The primer pairs AzoR2.1, AzoR2.2, AzoR5.1, AzoR5.2, and AzoR5.3 were specific for the
A. brasilense
FP2 strain. These primer pairs were used to monitor quantitatively the population of
A. brasilense
in wheat roots under sterile and nonsterile growth conditions. In addition, coinoculations with other plant growth-promoting bacteria in wheat were performed under nonsterile conditions. The results showed that
A. brasilense
FP2 inoculated into wheat roots is highly competitive and achieves high cell numbers (∼10
7
CFU/g [fresh weight] of root) in the rhizosphere even under nonsterile conditions and when coinoculated with other rhizobacteria, maintaining the population at rather stable levels for at least up to 13 days after inoculation. The strategy used here can be applied to other organisms whose genome sequences are available.
A Gnotobiotic Pig Model for Determining Human Norovirus Inactivation by High-Pressure Processing
Authors: Lou Fangfei , Ye Mu , Ma Yuanmei , Li Xinhui , DiCaprio Erin , Chen Haiqiang , Krakowka Steven , Hughes John , Kingsley David , Li Jianrong
Published: July 2015

Human norovirus (NoV) is responsible for over 90% of outbreaks of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide and accounts for 60% of cases of foodborne illness in the United States. Currently, the infectivity of human NoVs is poorly understood due to the lack of a cell culture system. In this study, we determined the survival of a human NoV genogroup II, genotype 4 (GII.4) strain in seeded oyster homogenates after high-pressure processing (HPP) using a novel receptor binding assay and a gnotobiotic pig model. Pressure conditions of 350 MPa at 0°C for 2 min led to a 3.7-log
10
reduction in the number of viral RNA copies in oysters, as measured by the porcine gastric mucin-conjugated magnetic bead (PGM-MB) binding assay and real-time RT-PCR, whereas pressure conditions of 350 MPa at 35°C for 2 min achieved only a 1-log
10
reduction in the number of RNA copies. Newborn gnotobiotic piglets orally fed oyster homogenate treated at 350 MPa and 0°C for 2 min did not have viral RNA shedding in feces, histologic lesions, or viral replication in the small intestine. In contrast, gnotobiotic piglets fed oysters treated at 350 MPa and 35°C for 2 min had high levels of viral shedding in feces and exhibited significant histologic lesions and viral replication in the small intestine. Collectively, these data demonstrate that (i) human NoV survival estimated by an
in vitro
PGM-MB virus binding assay is consistent with the infectivity determined by an
in vivo
gnotobiotic piglet model and (ii) HPP is capable of inactivating a human NoV GII.4 strain at commercially acceptable pressure levels.
Small RNA Transcriptome of the Oral Microbiome during Periodontitis Progression
Authors: Duran-Pinedo Ana E. , Yost Susan , Frias-Lopez Jorge
Published: July 2015

The oral microbiome is one of the most complex microbial communities in the human body, and due to circumstances not completely understood, the healthy microbial community becomes dysbiotic, giving rise to periodontitis, a polymicrobial inflammatory disease. We previously reported the results of community-wide gene expression changes in the oral microbiome during periodontitis progression and identified signatures associated with increasing severity of the disease. Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) are key players in posttranscriptional regulation, especially in fast-changing environments such as the oral cavity. Here, we expanded our analysis to the study of the sRNA metatranscriptome during periodontitis progression on the same samples for which mRNA expression changes were analyzed. We observed differential expression of 12,097 sRNAs, identifying a total of 20 Rfam sRNA families as being overrepresented in progression and 23 at baseline. Gene ontology activities regulated by the differentially expressed (DE) sRNAs included amino acid metabolism, ethanolamine catabolism, signal recognition particle-dependent cotranslational protein targeting to membrane, intron splicing, carbohydrate metabolism, control of plasmid copy number, and response to stress. In integrating patterns of expression of protein coding transcripts and sRNAs, we found that functional activities of genes that correlated positively with profiles of expression of DE sRNAs were involved in pathogenesis, proteolysis, ferrous iron transport, and oligopeptide transport. These findings represent the first integrated sequencing analysis of the community-wide sRNA transcriptome of the oral microbiome during periodontitis progression and show that sRNAs are key regulatory elements of the dysbiotic process leading to disease.
Time to return to full training is delayed and recurrence rate is higher in intratendinous (‘c’) acute hamstring injury in elite track and field athletes: clinical application of the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification
Authors: Pollock Noel , Patel Anish , Chakraverty Julian , Suokas Anu , James Stephen L J , Chakraverty Robin
Published: July 2015

Background

The British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification describes acute muscle injuries and their anatomical site within muscle based on MRI parameters of injury extent. It grades injuries from 0 to 4 and classifies location based on a myofascial (a), musculotendinous (b) or intratendinous (c) description. This is a retrospective cohort study that assessed time to return to full training (TRFT) and injury recurrence in the different British Athletics classifications for hamstring injuries sustained by elite track and field (T&F) athletes over a 4-year period.

Methods

The electronic medical records (EMRs) of 230 elite British T&F athletes were reviewed. Athletes who sustained an acute hamstring injury, with MRI investigation within 7 days of injury, were included. MRI were graded by two musculoskeletal radiologists using the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification. The EMRs were reviewed by 2 sports physicians, blinded to the new classification; TRFT and injury recurrence were recorded.

Results

There were 65 hamstring injuries in 44 athletes (24±4.4 years; 28 male, 16 female). TRFT differed among grades (p<0.001). Grade 3 injuries and ‘c’ injuries took significantly longer and grade 0 injuries took less TRFT. There were 12 re-injuries; the injury recurrence rate was significantly higher in intratendinous (c) injuries (p<0.001). There was no difference in re-injury rate between number grades 1–3, hamstring muscle affected, location (proximal vs central vs distal), age or sex.

Conclusions

This study describes the clinical application of the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification. Different categories of hamstring injuries had different TRFT and recurrence rate. Hamstring injuries that extend into the tendon (‘c’) are more prone to re-injury and delay TRFT.