bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scaly, Erythematous Rash Over the Medial Ankle
Authors: Grigsby Phillip , Jacob Sharon E.
Published: February 2018

Teledermatology is a term to describe the provision of dermatologic medical services through telecommunication technology. This is a teledermatology case of a scaly, erythematous rash over the medial ankle.
Self-assessment of Goal Achievements Within a Gynecological Cancer Rehabilitation Counseling
Authors: Adellund Holt Kamila , Hansen Dorte G. , Mogensen Ole , Jensen Pernille T.
Published: February 2018

Background

There is an increasing focus on patient involvement in cancer rehabilitation. Goal assessment may improve the patient’s self-management of life after cancer.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether (1) nurse-led supported goal setting and assessment of goal achievement were feasible in a clinical setting and (2) there was a positive association between women’s goal achievement and their self-assessed global health status (GHS).

Methods

Women surgically treated for gynecological cancer were offered rehabilitation counseling consisting of 2 face-to-face sessions and 2 phone calls carried out by a nurse. The Goal Attainment Scale evaluated goal achievement, whereas GHS was assessed with a quality-of-life questionnaire (European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30).

Results

One hundred fifty-one women consented to participate; 70% of the women at the first phone call and 72% at the second phone call achieved their goals as “expected” or “more or much more than expected.” Endometrial cancer patients more often achieved their goals than ovarian or cervical cancer patients. Approximately 32% of ovarian and 40% of cervical cancer patients scored their goal achievement “below expected.” The patients’ GHS was not associated with goal attainment measured at each phone call.

Conclusion

Goal measurement is feasible in cancer rehabilitation, in both goal setting and goal achievement. Goal achievement less than expected levels in women recovering from ovarian or cervical cancer suggests a need for additional support.

Implications for Practice

This study supports goal setting and goal achievement as a feasible approach to improve cancer rehabilitation and that nursing professionals can facilitate individualized rehabilitation efforts.
Coronary Artery Abnormalities as the Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death
Authors: Pawlowicz Bernard , Fernandes John , Nair Vidhya
Published: February 2018

In this case series, we delve into the database of medicolegal cases of the Forensic Pathology Department at Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton Ontario from the last 20 years (1996–2017), and review cases of sudden cardiac death due to coronary artery abnormalities. We found 17 cases that fit the criteria, which gave us an incidence of 1.34 per 1000 cases. These cases were further audited for age, sex, type of coronary artery abnormality, symptoms before demise, circumstances of death, presence of significant atherosclerotic disease, and toxicology. Two more recent cases underwent postmortem genetic testing, and we reported on the result of one of these molecular studies. In our case series, the most commonly affected coronary artery was the right coronary artery, with the most common anomaly being abnormal origin from the left sinus of Valsalva. Although the literature maintains that left coronary artery from the opposite sinus is associated with higher incidence of SCD, our study shows that RCAs from the opposite aortic sinus, including those deemed to be low risk by classification, can be causes of SCD.
Alternatives to Autologous Bone Graft in Alveolar Cleft Reconstruction: The State of Alveolar Tissue Engineering
Authors: Liang Fan , Leland Hyuma , Jedrzejewski Breanna , Auslander Allyn , Maniskas Seija , Swanson Jordan , Urata Mark , Hammoudeh Jeffrey , Magee William
Published: February 2018

Alveolar cleft reconstruction has historically relied on autologous iliac crest bone grafting (ICBG), but donor site morbidity, pain, and prolonged hospitalization have prompted the search for bone graft substitutes. The authors evaluated bone graft substitutes with the highest levels of evidence, and highlight the products that show promise in alveolar cleft repair and in maxillary augmentation. This comprehensive review guides the craniofacial surgeon toward safe and informed utilization of biomaterials in the alveolar cleft.

A literature search was performed to identify in vitro human studies that fulfilled the following criteria: Level I or Level II of evidence, ≥30 subjects, and a direct comparison between a autologous bone graft and a bone graft substitute. A second literature search was performed that captured all studies, regardless of level of evidence, which evaluated bone graft substitutes for alveolar cleft repair or alveolar augmentation for dental implants. Adverse events for each of these products were tabulated as well.

Sixteen studies featuring 6 bone graft substitutes: hydroxyapatite, demineralized bone matrix (DBM), β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP), calcium phosphate, recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), and rhBMP7 fit the inclusion criteria for the first search. Through our second search, the authors found that DBM, TCP, rhBMP-2, and rhBMP7 have been studied most extensively in the alveolar cleft literature, though frequently in studies using less rigorous methodology (Level III evidence or below). rhBMP-2 was the best studied and showed comparable efficacy to ICBG in terms of volume of bone regeneration, bone density, and capacity to accommodate tooth eruption within the graft site. Pricing for products ranged from $290 to $3110 per 5 mL.

The balance between innovation and safety is a complex process requiring constant vigilance and evaluation. Here, the authors profile several bone graft substitutes that demonstrate the most promise in alveolar cleft reconstruction.
Nasal Cavity Actinomycosis Mimicking Rhinolith
Authors: Kim Sung-Dong , Kim Deok-Soo , Choi Kyung-Un , Cho Kyu-Sup
Published: February 2018

Actinomycosis is a subacute-to-chronic bacterial infection caused by filamentous, gram-positive, non-acid-fast, anaerobic-to-microaerophilic bacteria. It is characterized by continuous spread, suppurative and granulomatous inflammation, and formation of multiple abscesses and sinus tracts that may discharge sulfur granules. Although the most common clinical forms of actinomycosis are cervicofacial, involvement of the nose and paranasal sinuses are extremely rare. Furthermore, nasal cavity actinomycosis mimicking rhinolith has not been reported in the literature previously. This article reports a patient of nasal cavity actinomycosis causing symptoms similar to those of a rhinolith, which was successfully treated by surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy.
Differences in Proinflammatory Cytokines and Monocyte Subtypes in Older as Compared With Younger Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Liang Emily C. , Rossetti Maura , Sidwell Tiffany , Groysberg Victoria , Sunga Gema , Korin Yael , Vangala Sitaram , Abdalla Basmah , Lum Erik , Bunnapradist Suphamai , Pham Phuong-Thu , Danovitch Gabriel , Reed Elaine F. , Schaenman Joanna
Published: February 2018

Background

The number of elderly patients with end-stage kidney disease requiring kidney transplantation continues to grow. Evaluation of healthy older adults has revealed proinflammatory changes in the immune system, which are posited to contribute to age-associated illnesses via “inflamm-aging.” Immunologic dysfunction is also associated with impaired control of infections. Whether these immunologic changes are found in older kidney transplant recipients is not currently known, but may have important implications for risk for adverse clinical outcomes.

Methods

Three months after transplant, innate immune phenotype was evaluated by flow cytometry from 60 kidney transplant recipients (22 older [≥60 years] and 38 younger [<60 years old]). Multiplex cytokine testing was used to evaluate plasma cytokine levels. Younger patients were matched to older patients based on transplant type and induction immune suppression.

Results

Older kidney transplant recipients demonstrated decreased frequency of intermediate monocytes (CD14++CD16+) compared with younger patients (1.2% vs 3.3%, P = 0.007), and a trend toward increased frequency of proinflammatory classical monocytes (CD14++CD16−) (94.5% vs 92.1%) (P = 0.065). Increased levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were seen in older patients.

Conclusions

In this pilot study of kidney transplant recipients, we identified differences in the innate immune system in older as compared with younger patients, including increased levels of IFN-γ. This suggests that age-associated nonspecific inflammation persists despite immune suppression. The ability to apply noninvasive testing to transplant recipients will provide tools for patient risk stratification and individualization of immune suppression regimens to improve outcomes after transplantation.
Tradeoffs and cultural diversity
Authors: Karin Omer , Alon Uri
Published: February 2018

Culture is humanity’s prime adaptation. Which cultural traits contribute to adaptive value, and how they do so, is, however, unclear and debated. Here, we apply an approach from systems biology, known as Pareto task inference (ParTI), to bring a fresh perspective to these questions. ParTI considers systems that need to perform multiple tasks. No system can be optimal at all tasks at once, leading to a fundamental tradeoff. Such tradeoffs constrain evolution, because adaptive change for one task may be prevented because it compromises other tasks. These constraints result in specific polygon patterns in multivariate trait data. ParTI detects these polygons and their vertices, in order to infer the number of adaptive tasks and their nature. Here, we applied ParTI to two datasets of human cultural traits, on Austronesian cultures and modern hunter-gatherers, adjusting for phylogeny and spatial diffusion effects. We find that these independent datasets show the hallmarks of a tradeoff between the same three tasks: resource defense, resource competition, and mobility/exchange. Specific combinations of cultural traits are adaptive for each of these tasks. We thus suggest that part of the diversity of human cultural traits is constrained by tradeoffs between key tasks.
Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency increases compulsive-like behavior and modulates palatable food intake: Implications for Prader-Willi Syndrome
Authors: Babbs Richard K , Ruan Qiu T , Kelliher Julia C , Beierle Jacob A , Chen Melanie M , Feng Ashley X , Kirkpatrick Stacey L , Benitez Fabiola A , Rodriguez Fred A , Pierre Johanne , Anandakumar Jeya , Kumar Vivek , Mulligan Megan K , Bryant Camron D
Published: February 2018

Binge eating (BE) is a heritable trait associated with eating disorders and involves rapid consumption of large quantities of food. We identified cytoplasmic FMRP-interacting protein 2 (Cyfip2) as a major genetic factor underlying BE and concomitant compulsive-like behaviors in mice. CYFIP2 is a gene homolog of CYFIP1 - one of four paternally-deleted genes in patients with the more severe Type I Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). PWS is a neurodevelopmental disorder where 70% of cases involve paternal deletion of 15q11-q13. PWS symptoms include hyperphagia, obesity (if untreated), cognitive deficits, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. We tested whether Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency (+/-) would enhance premorbid compulsive-like behavior and palatable food (PF) intake in a parent-of-origin-selective manner. We tested Cyfip1+/- mice on a C57BL/6N (N) background that were homozygous for the BE-associated missense mutation in Cyfip2 (S968F) as well as mice that we backcrossed to homozygosity for the C57BL/6J (J) allele at Cyfip2 (Cyfip2J/J). Cyfip1+/- mice showed increased compulsive-like behavior on both backgrounds, increased PF consumption on the Cyfip2N/N background in a paternally-enhanced manner, and decreased PF consumption in male Cyfip1+/- mice on the Cyfip2J/J background in a maternally selective manner. In the hypothalamus, there was a maternally-enhanced reduction of Cyfip1 transcription, but a paternally-enhanced reduction in CYFIP1 protein. In the nucleus accumbens, there was a maternally-enhanced reduction in CYFIP1 protein. Together, increased compulsive-like behavior, parent-of-origin-, and genetic background-dependent effects of Cyfip1 haploinsufficiency on PF consumption implicate CYFIP1 in behaviors in neurodevelopmental disorders involving reduced expression of CYFIP1, including PWS, Fragile X Syndrome, and 15q11.2 Microdeletion Syndrome.
Occipitotemporal Representations Reflect Individual Differences in Conceptual Knowledge
Authors: Braunlich K. , Love B. C.
Published: February 2018

Through selective attention, decision-makers can learn to ignore behaviorally-irrelevant stimulus dimensions. This can improve learning and increase the perceptual discriminability of relevant stimulus information. To account for this effect, popular contemporary cognitive models of categorization typically include of attentional parameters, which provide information about the importance of each stimulus dimension in decision-making. The effect of these parameters on psychological representation is often described geometrically, such that perceptual differences over relevant psychological dimensions are accentuated (or stretched), and differences over irrelevant dimensions are down-weighted (or compressed). In sensory and association cortex, representations of stimulus features are known to covary with their behavioral relevance. Although this implies that neural representational space might closely resemble that hypothesized by formal categorization theory, to date, attentional effects in the brain have been demonstrated through powerful experimental manipulations (e.g., contrasts between relevant and irrelevant features). This approach sidesteps the role of idiosyncratic conceptual knowledge in guiding attention to useful information sources. To bridge this divide, we used formal categorization models, which were fit to behavioral data, to make inferences about the concepts and strategies used by individual participants during decision-making. We found that when greater attentional weight was devoted to a particular visual feature (e.g., “color”), its value (e.g., “red”) was more accurately decoded from occipitotemporal cortex. We additionally found that this effect was sufficiently sensitive to reflect individual differences in conceptual knowledge. The results indicate that occipitotemporal stimulus representations are embedded within a space closely resembling that proposed by classic categorization models.
Information use during movement regulates how fragmentation and loss of habitat affect body size
Authors: Hillaert Jasmijn , Vandegehuchte Martijn L. , Hovestadt Thomas , Bonte Dries
Published: February 2018

An individual's body size is central to its behavior and physiology, and tightly linked to its dispersal ability. The spatial arrangement of resources and a consumer's capacity to locate them are therefore expected to exert strong selection on consumer body size.

We investigated the evolutionary impact of both the fragmentation and loss of habitat on consumer body size and its feedback effects on resource distribution, under varying levels of information use during the settlement phase of dispersal. We developed a mechanistic, individual-based, spatially explicit model, including several allometric rules for key consumer traits. Our model reveals that as resources become more fragmented and scarce, informed settlement selects for larger body sizes while random settlement promotes small sizes. Information use may thus be an overlooked explanation for the observed variation in body size responses to habitat fragmentation. Moreover, we find that resources can accumulate and aggregate if information on resource abundance is incomplete. Informed movement results in stable resource-consumer dynamics and controlled resources across space. However, habitat fragmentation and loss destabilize local dynamics and disturb resource suppression by the consumer. Considering information use during movement is thus critical to understand the eco-evolutionary dynamics underlying the functioning and structuring of consumer communities.
A Highly Efficient and Faithful MDS Patient-Derived Xenotransplantation Model for Pre-Clinical Studies
Authors: Song Yuanbin , Rongvaux Anthony , Taylor Ashley , Jiang Tingting , Tebaldi Toma , Balasubramanian Kunthavai , Bagale Arun , Terzi Yunus Kasim , Gbyli Rana , Wang Xiaman , Zhao Jun , Podoltsev Nikolai , Xu Mina , Neparidze Natalia , Wong Ellice , Torres Richard , Bruscia Emanuela M. , Kluger Yuval , Manz Markus G. , Flavell Richard A. , Halene Stephanie
Published: February 2018

Comprehensive preclinical studies of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) have been elusive due to limited ability of MDS stem cells to engraft current immunodeficient murine hosts. We developed a novel MDS patient-derived xenotransplantation model in cytokine-humanized immunodeficient "MISTRG" mice that for the first time provides efficient and faithful disease representation across all MDS subtypes. MISTRG MDS patient-derived xenografts (PDX) reproduce patients' dysplastic morphology with multi-lineage representation, including erythro- and megakaryopoiesis. MISTRG MDS-PDX replicate the original sample's genetic complexity and can be propagated via serial transplantation. MISTRG MDS-PDX demonstrate the cytotoxic and differentiation potential of targeted therapeutics providing superior readouts of drug mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy. Physiologic humanization of the hematopoietic stem cell niche proves critical to MDS stem cell propagation and functionin vivo. The MISTRG MDS-PDX model opens novel avenues of research and long-awaited opportunities in MDS research.
The transcription factor Tfap2e/AP-2ε plays a pivotal role in maintaining the identity of basal vomeronasal sensory neurons
Authors: Lin Jennifer M , Taroc Ed Zandro M , Frias Jesus A , Prasad Aparna , Catizone Allison N , Sammons Morgan A , Forni Paolo E.
Published: February 2018

The identity of individual neuronal cell types is defined by the expression of specific combinations of transcriptional regulators that control cell type-specific genetic programs. The epithelium of the vomeronasal organ of mice contains two major types of vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs): 1) the apical VSNs which express vomeronasal 1 receptors (V1r) and the G-protein subunit Gαi2 and; 2) the basal VSNs which express vomeronasal 2 receptors (V2r) and the G-protein subunit Gαo. Both cell types originate from a common pool of progenitors and eventually acquire apical or basal identity through largely unknown mechanisms. The transcription factor AP-2ε, encoded by the Tfap2e gene, plays a role in controlling the development of GABAergic interneurons in the main and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), moreover AP-2ε has been previously described to be expressed in the VSNs. Here we show that AP-2ε is expressed in postmitotic VSNs after they commit to the basal differentiation program. Loss of AP-2ε function resulted in reduced number of basal VSNs and in an increased number of neurons expressing markers of the apical lineage. Our work suggests that AP-2ε, which is expressed in late phases of differentiation, is not needed to initiate the apical-basal differentiation dichotomy but for maintaining the basal VSNs' identity by preventing the expression of apical genes. Moreover, our data suggest that differentiated VSNs of mice retain a notable level of plasticity.
The DNA repair associated protein Gadd45γ regulates the temporal coding of immediate early gene expression and is required for the consolidation of associative fear memory
Authors: Li Xiang , Marshall Paul R. , Leighton Laura J. , Zajaczkowski Esmi L. , Bredy Timothy W. , Wei Wei
Published: February 2018

Visual abstract

We have identified a member of the Growth arrest and DNA damage (Gadd45) family, Gadd45γ, which is known to be involved in the regulation of DNA repair, as a key player in the formation of associative fear memory. Gadd45γ regulates the temporal dynamics of learning-induced immediate early gene (IEG) expression in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex through its interaction with DNA double-strand break (DSB)-mediated changes in DNA methylation. Our findings suggest a two-hit model of experience-dependent IEG activity and learning that comprises 1) a first wave of IEG expression governed by DSBs followed by an increase in DNA methylation, and 2) a second wave of IEG expression associated with Gadd45γ and active DNA demethylation at the same site, which is necessary for memory consolidation.

Significance statement

How does the pattern of immediate early gene (IEG) transcription in the brain relate to the storage and accession of information, and what controls these patterns? This paper explores how GADD45γ, a gene that is known to be involved with DNA modification and repair, regulates the temporal coding of IEGs underlying associative learning and memory. We reveal that, during fear learning, GADD45γ serves to act as a coordinator of IEG expression and subsequent memory consolidation by directing temporally specific changes in active DNA demethylation at the promoter of plasticity-related IEGs.
Variation among intact tissue samples reveals the core transcriptional features of human CNS cell classes
Authors: Kelley Kevin W. , Inoue Hiromi , Molofsky Anna V. , Oldham Michael C.
Published: February 2018

It is widely assumed that cells must be physically isolated to study their molecular profiles. However, intact tissue samples naturally exhibit variation in cellular composition, which drives covariation of cell-class-specific molecular features. By analyzing transcriptional covariation in 7221 intact CNS samples from 840 individuals representing billions of cells, we reveal the core transcriptional identities of major CNS cell classes in humans. By modeling intact CNS transcriptomes as a function of variation in cellular composition, we identify cell-class-specific transcriptional differences in Alzheimer’s disease, among brain regions, and between species. Among these, we show that PMP2 is expressed by human but not mouse astrocytes and significantly increases mouse astrocyte size upon ectopic expression in vivo, causing them to more closely resemble their human counterparts. Our work is available as an online resource (http://oldhamlab.ctec.ucsf.edu) and provides a generalizable strategy for determining the core molecular features of cellular identity in intact biological systems.
A functional landscape of chronic kidney disease entities from public transcriptomic data
Authors: Tajti Ferenc , Kuppe Christoph , Antoranz Asier , Ibrahim Mahmoud M. , Kim Hyojin , Ceccarelli Francesco , Holland Christian , Olauson Hannes , Floege Jürgen , Alexopoulos Leonidas G. , Kramann Rafael , Saez-Rodriguez Julio
Published: February 2018

To develop efficient therapies and identify novel early biomarkers for chronic kidney disease an understanding of the molecular mechanisms orchestrating it is essential. We here set out to understand how differences in CKD origin are reflected in gene expression. To this end, we integrated publicly available human glomerular microarray gene expression data for nine kidney disease entities that account for a majority of CKD worldwide. We included data from five distinct studies and compared glomerular gene expression profiles to that of non-tumor parts of kidney cancer nephrectomy tissues. A major challenge was the integration of the data from different sources, platforms and conditions, that we mitigated with a bespoke stringent procedure. This allowed us to perform a global transcriptome-based delineation of different kidney disease entities, obtaining a landscape of their similarities and differences based on the genes that acquire a consistent differential expression between each kidney disease entity and nephrectomy tissue. Furthermore, we derived functional insights by inferring activity of signaling pathways and transcription factors from the collected gene expression data, and identified potential drug candidates based on expression signature matching. We validated representative findings by immunostaining in human kidney biopsies indicating e.g. that the transcription factor FOXM1 is significantly and specifically expressed in parietal epithelial cells in RPGN whereas not expressed in control kidney tissue. These results provide a foundation to comprehend the specific molecular mechanisms underlying different kidney disease entities, that can pave the way to identify biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. To facilitate this, we provide our results as a free interactive web application:https://saezlab.shinyapps.io/ckd_landscape/.

Translational Statement

Chronic kidney disease is a combination of entities with different etiologies. We integrate and analyse transcriptomics analysis of glomerular from different entities to dissect their different pathophysiology, what might help to identify novel entity-specific therapeutic targets.
Uncertainty and Exploration
Authors: Gershman Samuel J.
Published: February 2018

In order to discover the most rewarding actions, agents must collect information about their environment, potentially foregoing reward. The optimal solution to this “explore-exploit” dilemma is often computationally challenging, but principled algorithmic approximations exist. These approximations utilize uncertainty about action values in different ways. Somerandomexploration algorithms scale the level of choice stochasticity with the level of uncertainty. Otherdirectedexploration algorithms add a “bonus” to action values with high uncertainty. Random exploration algorithms are sensitive tototaluncertainty across actions, whereas directed exploration algorithms are sensitive torelativeuncertainty. This paper reports a multi-armed bandit experiment in which total and relative uncertainty were orthogonally manipulated. We found that humans employ both exploration strategies, and that these strategies are independently controlled by different uncertainty computations.
A Model for Resource Competition in CRISPR-Mediated Gene Repression
Authors: Chen Pin-Yi , Qian Yili , Vecchio Domitilla Del
Published: February 2018

CRISPR-mediated gene regulation is known for its ability to control multiple targets simultaneously due to its modular nature: the same dCas9 effector can target different genes simply by changing the associated gRNA. However, multiplexing requires the sharing of limited amounts of dCas9 proteins among multiple gRNAs, leading to resource competition. In turn, competition between gRNAs for the same resource may hamper network function. In this work, we develop a general model that takes into account the sharing of a limited amount of dCas9 protein for arbitrary CRISPR-mediated gene repression networks. We demonstrate that, as a result of resource competition, hidden interactions appear, that modify the intended network regulations. As a case study, we analyze the effects of these hidden interactions in repression cascades. In particular, we illustrate that perfect adaptation to resource fluctuations can be achieved in cascades with an even number of repressors. In contrast, cascades with an odd number of repressors are substantially impacted by resource competition.
A Barnes maze for juvenile rats delineates the emergence of spatial navigation ability
Authors: McHail Daniel G. , Valibeigi Nazanin , Dumas Theodore C.
Published: February 2018

The neural bases of cognition may be greatly informed by relating temporally defined developmental changes in behavior with concurrent alterations in neural function. A robust improvement in performance in spatial learning and memory tasks occurs at 3 wk of age in rodents. We reported that the developmental increase of spontaneous alternation in a Y-maze was related to changes in temporal dynamics of fast glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. We also showed that, during allothetic behaviors in the Y-maze, network oscillation power increased at frequency bands known to support spatial learning and memory in adults. However, there are no discrete learning and memory phases during free exploration in the Y-maze. Thus, we adapted the Barnes maze for use with juvenile rats. Following a single platform exposure in dim light on the day before training (to encourage exploration), animals were trained on the subsequent 2 d in bright light to find a hidden escape box and then underwent a memory test 24 h later. During escape training, the older animals learned the task in 1 d, while the younger animals required 2 d and did not reach the performance of older animals. Long-term memory performance was also superior in the older animals. Thus, we have validated the use of the Barnes maze for this developmental period and established a timeline for the ontogeny of spatial navigation ability in this maze around 3 wk of age. Subsequent work will pair in vivo recording of hippocampal oscillations and single units with this task to help identify how hippocampal maturation might relate to performance improvements.
Nuclear resonance reflectivity from a [57Fe/Cr]30multilayer with the Synchrotron Mössbauer Source
Authors: Andreeva Marina A. , Baulin Roman A. , Chumakov Aleksandr I. , Rüffer Rudolf , Smirnov Gennadii V. , Babanov Yurii A. , Devyaterikov Denis I. , Milyaev Mikhail A. , Ponomarev Dmitrii A. , Romashev Lazar N. , Ustinov Vladimir V.
Published: February 2018

Mössbauer reflectivity spectra and nuclear resonance reflectivity (NRR) curves have been measured using the Synchrotron Mössbauer Source (SMS) for a [57Fe/Cr]30periodic multilayer, characterized by the antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling between adjacent57Fe layers. Specific features of the Mössbauer reflectivity spectra measured with π-polarized radiation of the SMS near the critical angle and at the `magnetic' maximum on the NRR curve are analyzed. The variation of the ratio of lines in the Mössbauer reflectivity spectra and the change of the intensity of the `magnetic' maximum under an applied external field has been used to reveal the transformation of the magnetic alignment in the investigated multilayer.
Transmission of an X-ray beam through a two-dimensional photonic crystal and the Talbot effect
Authors: Kohn V. G.
Published: February 2018

Results of computer simulations of the transmission of an X-ray beam through a two-dimensional photonic crystal as well as the propagation of an X-ray beam in free space behind the photonic crystal are reported. The photonic crystal consists of a square lattice of silicon cylinders of diameter 0.5 µm. The amount of matter in the path of the X-ray beam rapidly decreases at the sides of the cylinder projections. Therefore the transmission is localized near the boundaries, and appears like a channeling effect. The iterative method of computer simulations is applied. This method is similar to the multi-slice method that is widely used in electron microscopy. It allows a solution to be obtained with acceptable accuracy. A peculiarity in the intensity distribution inside the Talbot periodzTin free space was found when the intensity is approximately equal to the initial value at a distance 0.46zT, and it is shifted by half a period at distance 0.5zT. The reason for this effect is the existence of a periodic phase of the wavefunction of radiation inside the intensity peaks. Simulations with zero phase do not show this effect. Symmetry rules for the Talbot effect are discussed.
Asset concentration in the US agricultural balance sheet: a relative information approach
Authors: Onel Gulcan , Kropp Jaclyn , Moss Charles B.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Over the past four decades, real values of farm real estate and the share of assets on farmers’ balance sheets attributed to farm real estate have increased. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that explain the concentration of the US agricultural balance sheet around a particular asset, farm real estate, and the extent to which the degree of asset concentration varies across United States Department of Agriculture production regions.

Design/methodology/approach

State-level data from 48 states and entropy-based inequality measures are used to examine changes in asset distributions (real estate vs non-real estate assets) both within and between regions over time.

Findings

The agricultural balance sheet is found to concentrate into real estate in the USA over the period 1960-2003 with the rate of concentration varying across production regions. In some regions, the concentration is mainly due to changes in real estate prices, while in other regions concentration is also driven by changes in real estate holdings or changes in total factor productivity.

Originality/value

This study formally estimates the degree to which the concentration of balance sheet items can be explained by the observed changes in farm real estate prices relative to observed changes in agricultural factor productivity or changes in farm real estate holdings. The computed regional differences in asset concentration and its main drivers have implications for changes in equity and solvency positions of farmers as well as agricultural lenders’ risk exposure.
Grey game research about customer preference, international competition and the choice of industrial type
Authors: Zhang Yuhang , Wang Ying , Liu Qixin
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the market share of two competing enterprises from the perspective of consumer preferences on both of their products. For different industrial types, this paper discusses how domestic firms make decisions to compete with the multinational company based on consumer’s preferences on different types of products from different companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering the different types of equipment manufacturing industries, consumers’ differentiated preferences for Chinese domestic equipment manufacturers and multinational equipment manufacturers, as well as the uncertainty of technological level and dependence on production factor in reality, this paper introduces the interval grey number into the Stackelberg game model and analyzes the market share of two competing enterprises and the consumer preferences for both of their products based on different industrial types.

Findings

The results show that when both of the two competing firms are engaged in R&D activities, consumers prefer domestic products, and with the improvement of technological level, this preference grows stronger, but the market share of the multinational enterprise is higher than that of the local enterprises. When the two competing enterprises are engaged in manufacturing activities, consumers are more inclined to choose products of the multinational company, and with the increasing dependence on production factors, the preference becomes stronger. Meanwhile, the market share of the multinational company is higher than the local enterprise. Therefore, from the perspective of consumer preference, China’s domestic equipment manufacturing enterprises should choose technology-intensive or technology and labor-intensive industries (or dual-intensive industries).

Originality/value

In the context of international competition, from the perspective of consumer preference, the research on industrial selection is relatively rare, and does not take into account the influence of the uncertain influence brought by technological-level and production factor dependency. Therefore, this paper analyzes the influence of technological-level and production factor dependency on consumer preference among various types of industries. Based on the concept of consumer preference, and combining with the interval grey number, the improved grey game model is constructed to analyze the influence of the uncertainty of enterprise’s technological-level and production factor dependency on the market share of two competing companies, finally coming up with the direction into which the Chinese equipment manufacturing industries should develop.
Thermo-physiological comfort of business clothing incorporating phase change materials in a cold environment
Authors: Celcar Damjana
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermo-physiological comfort of male business garments made of common textiles, as well as business clothing that contains phase change materials (PCMs) as a lining or outerwear material. In view of the fact that people wear business clothing throughout the whole day in different environmental conditions, this study investigate the effect of PCMs incorporated in male business clothing systems on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer under different cold environmental conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The influence of particular business garments on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer during different physical activities and cold environmental temperatures was determined experimentally with the help of study participants, as a change of two physiological parameters: mean skin temperature and heart rate. A questionnaire and an assessment scale were also used in order to evaluate the wearer’s subjective feeling of comfort. In this investigation, all tests with study participants were performed under artificially created environmental conditions in a climate chamber at different cold environmental temperatures ranging from 10°C to −5°C with increments of 5°C, and different physical activities that simulate as closely as possible real life activities such as sitting and walking.

Findings

The results of the performed research work show that PCMs provide a small temporary thermal effect that is reflected in small increases or decreases in mean skin temperature during changes in activity. Furthermore, it was concluded that the small effect of PCMs in business clothing systems on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer in a cold environment, which is shown as a change of mean skin temperature when subjects walk on a treadmill and subsequently move to a sitting position, should not be ignored in a cold environment where low skin temperatures were measured.

Practical implications

The results of this study demonstrate that the physiological parameters of thermo-physiological comfort, in combination with subjective evaluation, provide valuable information for textile and clothing manufactures as well as scientists and engineers involved in the design and development of new products with thermal comfort as a quality criterion.

Originality/value

The investigation shows that different environmental conditions, activity levels and thermal properties of clothing systems have a considerable impact on the physiological parameters of the subjects and subjective assessment of thermal comfort in a cold environment, and that PCMs incorporated in business clothing systems provide a small temporary thermal effect that is reflected in small increases or decreases in mean skin temperature during changes in activity, such as when subjects walk on a treadmill and subsequently move to a sitting position.
Omni-channel retailing research – state of the art and intellectual foundation
Authors: Galipoglu Erdem , Kotzab Herbert , Teller Christoph , Yumurtaci Hüseyinoglu Isik Özge , Pöppelbuß Jens
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify, evaluate and structure the research that focusses on omni-channel retailing from the perspective of logistics and supply chain management; and to reveal the intellectual foundation of omni-channel retailing research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies a multi-method approach by conducting a content-analysis-based literature review of 70 academic papers. Based on the reference lists of these papers, the authors performed a citation and co-citation analysis based on the 34 most frequently cited papers. This analysis included multidimensional scaling, a cluster analysis and factor analysis.

Findings

The study reveals the limited consideration of logistics and supply chain management literature in the foundation of the omni-channel retailing research. Further, the authors see a dominance of empirical research as compared to conceptual and analytical research. Overall, there is a focus on the Western retail context in this research field. The intellectual foundation is embedded in the marketing discipline and can be characterised as lacking a robust theoretical foundation.

Originality/value

The contribution of this research is identifying, evaluating and structuring the literature of omni-channel research and providing an overview of the state of the art of this research area considering its interdisciplinary nature. This paper thus supports researchers looking to holistically comprehend, prioritise and use the underpinning literature central to the phenomena of omni-channel retailing. For practitioners and academics alike, the findings can trigger and support future research and an evolving understanding of omni-channel retailing.
Improving FM task efficiency through BIM: a proposal for BIM implementation
Authors: Carbonari Giulia , Stravoravdis Spyridon , Gausden Christine
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of the presented research is to investigate which tasks among the ones performed during a buildings’ operational phase are perceived to be more inefficient and to investigate if the information within a building information model (BIM) can help improve task efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The Digital Built Britain (BIM Level 3) aims to extend BIM into operation by promoting a life cycle approach for buildings through an integrated digital environment. Nevertheless, the main focus of both BIM Level 2 and Level 3 is mainly on design, construction and hand over; therefore, the current understanding and use of BIM for a buildings’ occupancy phase is still limited. Current literature and research focusing on BIM and building management show only marginal use of the technology, especially in terms of how BIM can be used beside for maintenance.

Findings

The paper presents the results of an online questionnaire survey aimed to ascertain the level of perceived inefficiencies of operational tasks. Through the analysis of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data models, the research identifies the data set needed to improve the efficiency of the tasks and presents a structured implementation plan to identify the information that should be prioritized in the model implementation.

Originality/value

The study presents part of a methodology developed by the author aimed to implement a BIM model for existing buildings including information that would support the management of the single facility/portfolio. While other studies have considered BIM and the operational phase, especially in relation to asset maintenance, this study has focused on understanding how the information included in the model can improve task efficiency.
The effectiveness of physical office environments for employee outcomes
Authors: Appel-Meulenbroek Rianne , Clippard Maria , Pfnür Andreas
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This study aims at understanding academic practice in the field of physical office environment research and providing recommendations for further enhancement of the field. It shows which effects of the physical office environment on employee outcomes are studied by which disciplines, and which methodologies are used by whom and on which variables. Existing gaps in research that are confirmed by these analyses are discussed and “assigned” to obvious, best suited combinations of future multi-disciplinary research projects to call for studies that would help practice in better decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach

After a systematic search and selection of studies, an exploratory analysis of 134 empirical studies from 50 different journals (and other sources) was performed. The selected studies were entered into a database with information on the empirical parameters of the study, the methodology and author information. From this database, cross-tables were built and tested with Canonical Correspondence analyses.

Findings

Results of the analyses showed that each discipline has its preferred topics and methods of research. In general, questionnaires are preferred over hard data from physical and physiological recordings. Still many important gaps exist in fully clarifying workplace effectiveness. This paper suggests which disciplines would be capable of taking up which challenges in future studies through interdisciplinary cooperation to further advance the field and corporate real estate management/FM in practice.

Originality/value

The Correspondence analyses not only confirmed important gaps for future research but also identified which disciplines would be best suited to take up these challenges.
Application of constraint infeasibility detection methods in engineering design problems
Authors: Khorshid Emad , Alfadli Abdulaziz , Falah Abdulazim
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present numerical experimentation of three constraint detection methods to explore their main features and drawbacks in infeasibility detection during the design process.

Design/methodology/approach

Three detection methods (deletion filter, additive method and elasticity method) are used to find the minimum intractable subsystem of constraints in conflict. These methods are tested with four enhanced NLP solvers (sequential quadratic program, multi-start sequential quadratic programing, global optimization solver and genetic algorithm method).

Findings

The additive filtering method with both the multistart sequential quadratic programming and the genetic algorithm solvers is the most efficient method in terms of computation time and accuracy of detecting infeasibility. Meanwhile, the elasticity method has the worst performance.

Research limitations/implications

The research has been carried out for only inequality constraints and continuous design variables. This research work could be extended to develop computer-aided graphical user interface with the capability of including equality constraints and discrete variables.

Practical implications

These proposed methods have great potential for finding and guiding the designer to detect the infeasibility for ill-posed complex design problems.

Originality/value

The application of the proposed infeasibility detection methods with their four enhanced solvers on several mechanical design problems reduces the number of constraints to be checked from full set to a much smaller subset.