bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Capital Resource Pipelines
Authors: Nyberg Anthony , Weller Ingo , Abdulsalam Dhuha
Published: October 2016

The “Human Capital Resource (HCR) pipeline” is an organizational capacity that involves the internal, external, horizontal, and vertical flow of human capital resources in and out of an organization. The goal of an HCR pipeline is to ensure that the appropriate quality and quantity of HCRs are in place for the ongoing functioning of organizations. In turn, managing the HCR pipeline is the organizational capability to acquire, develop, and align individual or unit-level capacities to match unit-relevant purposes as they arise. It is necessary for organizations to think of managing the HCR pipeline as an ongoing process that involves the horizontal alignment, or congruence, of several human resources (HR) functions. This includes Staffing, through attraction, Selection, and Attrition. Once talent is in place, then it must be developed through Performance Appraisal, Succession Planning, and Training. It is also essential to align that talent with the organization’s objectives. This involves continuously matching talent with the appropriate role, including focusing on Internal Mobility, Fit, and Flexibility. Compensation also affects the HCR pipeline through Sorting (e.g., who is attracted to the pipeline) and its effects on how the HCR pipeline coordinates; however, heretofore, compensation has not been explicitly tied to the HCR pipeline. The HCR pipeline may also need to focus extra and different attention on star employees and executives or other employees who disproportionately contribute to organizational performance. The general idea of considering the HCR pipeline has been growing in importance, including the creation of a special interest group at the Strategic Management Society, and two journal special issues dedicated to the topic. Therefore, the concept of the HCR pipeline is an extension of this literature that highlights the dynamic nature of HCR that has thus far been looked at in a static lens.
Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Causing Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: A Genetic-Based Chronicle of Evolving Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Domitrovic T. Nicholas , Hujer Andrea M. , Perez Federico , Marshall Steven H. , Hujer Kristine M. , Woc-Colburn Laila E. , Parta Mark , Bonomo Robert A.
Published: October 2016

Background.  Successful treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa is thwarted by the emergence of antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation on prosthetic devices. Our aims were to decipher the molecular basis of resistance in a unique case of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) caused by MDR P. aeruginosa.

Methods.  Five sequential MDR P. aeruginosa blood isolates collected during a 7-month period were recovered from a patient suffering from PVE previously exposed to β-lactam antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of several classes of antibiotics were used to indicate clinical resistance characteristics; relatedness of the isolates was determined using multilocus sequence typing and repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction. Amplification and sequencing of regulatory and resistance genes was performed.

Results.  All isolates belonged to ST 298, possessed blaPDC-16, and were resistant to fluoroquinolones and carbapenems. In the course of therapy, we observed a >2-fold increase in cephalosporin resistance (4 µg/mL to >16 µg/mL). Sequencing of the AmpC regulator, ampR, revealed a D135N point mutation in cephalosporin-resistant isolates. Common carbapenemase genes were not identified. All isolates demonstrated a premature stop codon at amino acid 79 of the outer membrane protein OprD and mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions of gyrA and parC. Point mutations in nalC, an efflux pump regulator, were also observed.

Conclusions.  In this analysis, we chart the molecular evolution of β-lactam resistance in a case of PVE. We show that mutations in regulatory genes controlling efflux and cephalosporinase production contributed to the MDR phenotype.
Analysis of the Survival of Arterialized Venous Toenail Flap with Reference to Changes in Blood Circulation during the Postoperative Period in 2 Patients
Authors: Ishii Naohiro , Shimizu Yusuke , Aoki Marie , Suzuki Ayaka , Kishi Kazuo
Published: October 2016

Various techniques for nail reconstruction have been reported until now; however, a simple one providing good esthetic results was difficult to find. Arterialized venous toenail flap is a free flap that includes the nail bed and matrix with a pedicle formed solely by the subcutaneous vein of the toe. The use of this flap is minimally invasive and easy, and the flap has a high survival rate. The mechanism of graft survival remains unknown given the nonphysiologic circulation. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have explained this mechanism with reference to detailed postoperative course. We herein present 2 cases of nail reconstruction performed using arterialized venous toenail flap. We analyzed the postoperative course in detail, which enabled us to postulate on the mechanism of graft survival.
Platelet-derived Factor Concentrates with Hyaluronic Acid Scaffolds for Treatment of Deep Burn Wounds
Authors: Mashiko Takanobu , Minabe Toshiharu , Yamakawa Tomomi , Araki Jun , Sano Hitomi , Yoshimura Kotaro
Published: October 2016

A deep burn wound is a critical condition that generally necessitates vascularized tissue coverage. We performed the injection of platelet-derived factor concentrates combined with non–cross-linked hyaluronic acid scaffolds for 2 patients with critical burn wounds with bone and tendon exposure and achieved successful healing. Hyaluronic acid was considered to have served as a controlled-release carrier of platelet-derived factors, being clinically effective for the treatment of deep burn wounds.
OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND INFRARED IMAGES OF ASTROCYTIC HAMARTOMAS NOT REVEALED BY FUNDUSCOPY IN TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX
Authors: Mutolo Maria G. , Marciano Sara , Benassi Francesca , Pardini Matteo , Curatolo Paolo , Emberti Gialloreti Leonardo
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

To detect, describe, and classify the morphologic characteristics of astrocytic hamartomas in tuberous sclerosis complex, using both spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and infrared images.

Methods:

Ten subjects (20 eyes) with tuberous sclerosis complex underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination and multimodality imaging with spectral-domain OCT and infrared images. The imaging protocol included a 30°scan angle of the posterior pole and of the four quadrants. Line scans, detail, raster, and posterior pole patterns were used. The identified astrocytic hamartomas were described and characterized qualitatively and quantitatively.

Results:

Forty-four hamartomas were detected in 8 patients. In five cases, lesions were bilateral. Thirty of these hamartomas had not been revealed by previous ophthalmoscopy. Through multimodality imaging, it was possible to define multiple lesions with characteristic optical reflective qualities. All the 44 hamartomas were measured and morphologically characterized in terms of the type of tumor, retinal and/or vitreous involvement, calcifications, and posterior optical shadowing.

Conclusion:

The combined imaging with spectral-domain OCT and infrared images improves the detection of hamartomas if compared with the spectral-domain OCT technique alone. Moreover, a new subtype of hamartoma is proposed to complete a previous classification based on OCT.
RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT AFTER INTRAARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RETINOBLASTOMA
Authors: Shields Carol L. , Say Emil A. T. , Pefkianaki Maria , Regillo Carl D. , Caywood Emi H. , Jabbour Pascal M. , Shields Jerry A.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:

To evaluate rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in eyes with retinoblastoma after intraarterial chemotherapy (IAC).

Design:

Retrospective case series.

Methods:

Chart review.

Main outcome measure:

Development of RRD in the IAC era.

Results:

Of 167 eyes in 157 consecutive patients, mean patient age at diagnosis of retinoblastoma was 19 months. Intraarterial chemotherapy was primary (75/167, 45%) or secondary (92/167, 55%). There were 10 eyes (10/167, 6%) that developed RRD after IAC. The RRD was mostly related to rapid tumor regression with atrophic retinal hole, occurring within one month (n = 8) or 12 months (n = 2) of IAC. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was found after primary (6/75, 8%) or secondary (4/92, 4%) IAC. Of primary cases, RRD was found in Group D (1/38 [3%], P = 0.1075) or Group E (5/30 [17%], P = 0.0348). For primary IAC (n = 75 eyes), RRD was found in endophytic (5/22 [23%], P = 0.0073), exophytic (0/29 [0%], P = 0.0760), or combined endophytic/exophytic pattern (1/24 [4%], P = 0.6575). A comparison of eyes with RRD (n = 10) versus without RRD (n = 157) found significant differences including greater mean age at presentation (38 vs. 18 months, P = 0.0522), greater 4-quadrant vitreous seeding (5/10, 50% vs. 27/157, 17%, P = 0.0236), and absence of subretinal fluid (3/10, 30% vs. 102/157, 65%, P = 0.0236). The cause of RRD was tumor regression–related atrophic retinal hole(s) in 7 (7/10, 70%) (unifocal [1/10, 10%] or multifocal [6/10, 60%] holes), cryotherapy-induced single atrophic hole in 2 (2/10, 20%), and single flap-tear from posterior vitreous detachment in one (1/10, 10%). In 4 (4/10, 40%) eyes with RRD, proliferative vitreoretinopathy was noted. The RRD was not related to intravitreal injection in any case, as in primary IAC no case had previous injection and in secondary IAC the injections were performed many months previously. Primary RRD repair involved pars plana vitrectomy in three, scleral buckle without drainage in one, laser barricade in one, and observation in five eyes. After 24 months mean follow-up, the retina showed complete reattachment (3/10, 30%), partial reattachment (2/10, 20%), and persistent detachment in all observed eyes (5/10, 50%). Enucleation was necessary for tumor recurrence (4/10, 40%) or neovascular glaucoma (1/10, 10%). There were no tumor-related metastases or death.

Conclusion:

After IAC for retinoblastoma, RRD occurs in 6%, mostly in advanced eyes with extensive endophytic tumor and generally from atrophic retinal hole after rapid tumor regression.
Cyclosporine in the Treatment of Psoriasis
Authors: Vassantachart Janna M. , Jacob Sharon E.
Published: October 2016

By definition, a drug is a medicine or substance that exerts a physiologic effect on an organism. In dermatology, medications and substances are utilized on a daily basis from topical treatments to anesthetics in micrographic surgery. The purpose of this section is to focus on some of the more common substances, specifically how they work, how they are utilized, and their routine alternatives. This brief focuses on cyclosporine and its utilization, mechanism of action, efficacy and dosage, adverse effects, special considerations, and alternatives in the treatment of psoriasis.
Hyperlipidemia and Medical Expenditures by Cardiovascular Disease Status in US Adults
Authors: Zhang Donglan , Wang Guijing , Fang Jing , Mercado Carla
Published: October 2016

Background:

Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), affecting 73.5 million American adults. Information about health care expenditures associated with hyperlipidemia by CVD status is needed to evaluate the economic benefit of primary and secondary prevention programs for CVD.

Methods:

The study sample includes 48,050 men and nonpregnant women ≥18 from 2010 to 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. A 2-part econometric model was used to estimate annual hyperlipidemia-associated medical expenditures by CVD status. The estimation results from the 2-part model were used to calculate per-capita and national medical expenditures associated with hyperlipidemia. We adjusted the medical expenditures into 2012 dollars.

Results:

Among those with CVD, per person hyperlipidemia-associated expenditures were $1105 [95% confidence interval (CI), $877–$1661] per year, leading to an annual national expenditure of $15.47 billion (95% CI, $5.23–$27.75 billion). Among people without CVD, per person hyperlipidemia-associated expenditures were $856 (95% CI, $596–$1211) per year, resulting in an annual national expenditure of $23.11 billion (95% CI, $16.09–$32.71 billion). Hyperlipidemia-associated expenditures were attributable mostly to the costs of prescription medication (59%–90%). Among people without CVD, medication expenditures associated with hyperlipidemia were $13.72 billion (95% CI, $10.55–$15.74 billion), higher in men than in women.

Conclusions:

Hyperlipidemia significantly increased medical expenditures and the increase was higher in people with CVD than without. The information on estimated expenditures could be used to evaluate and develop effective programs for CVD prevention.
Fibrin Ring Granulomas in Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Hepatitis
Authors: Everett Jamie , Srivastava Amitabh , Misdraji Joseph
Published: October 2016

Fibrin ring granulomas are an uncommon finding in liver biopsies although they have been described in liver injury secondary to several infectious and noninfectious entities, most notably Q fever. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are recent advances in cancer therapy, and stimulate the immune system to cause antitumoral effects but may also lead to adverse immune events such as hepatitis and colitis. We report 2 patients on combination ipilimumab/nivolumab who developed hepatitis and had fibrin ring granulomas in their liver biopsies.
Primary Colonic Eosinophilia and Eosinophilic Colitis in Adults
Authors: Turner Kevin O. , Sinkre Richa A. , Neumann William L. , Genta Robert M.
Published: October 2016

The normal content of eosinophils in the adult colon and the criteria for the histopathologic diagnosis of eosinophilic colitis remain undefined. This study aimed at: (1) establishing the numbers of eosinophils in the normal adult colon; and (2) proposing a clinicopathologic framework for the diagnosis of primary colonic eosinophilia and eosinophilic colitis. To accomplish these goals, we counted the eosinophils in the right, transverse, and left colon of 159 adults with normal colonic histology. Using a database of 1.2 million patients with colonic biopsies, we extracted all adults with a diagnosis of colonic eosinophilia. We reviewed the slides from all cases and captured demographic, clinical, and pathologic data, including information about eosinophilia in other organs. We then compared the clinical manifestations of the study patients (those with no identifiable cause of eosinophilia) to those of patients with other types of colitis. The normal eosinophil counts (per mm2) were 55.7±23.4 in the right, 41.0±18.6 in the transverse, and 28.6±17.2 in the left colon. Of the 194 study patients (eosinophil counts 166–5050/mm2), 63 were asymptomatic and had a normal colonoscopy. Diarrhea and abdominal pain were the commonest indications for colonoscopy (38% and 27%, respectively) among the 131 patients who had symptoms, endoscopic abnormalities, or both. Neither clinical manifestations nor endoscopic appearance were sufficiently characteristic to elicit the suspicion of colonic eosinophilia. In conclusion, primary colonic eosinophilia was extremely rare in this series (<1 in 6000 patients); one third of these patients were asymptomatic. Their clinical manifestations were not distinctive and could not have led clinicians to suspect this condition; one third of the patients were asymptomatic. We suggest that regularly reporting high colonic eosinophilia may result in increased opportunities for clinicopathologic studies that might lead to a better definition of this still elusive entity.
HBP: an integrative and flexible pipeline for the interaction analysis of Hi-C dataset
Authors: He Chao , Li Ping , Shi Minglei , Zhang Yan , Ye Bingyu , Xie Dejian , Shen Wenlong , Zhao Zhihu
Published: October 2016

Background

The spatial organization of interphase chromatin in the nucleus play an important role in gene expression regulation and function. With the rapid development of revolutionized chromosome conformation capture technology and its genome-wide derivatives such as Hi-C, investigation of the genome folding becomes more efficient and convenient. How to robustly deal with these massive datasets and infer accurate 3D model and within-nucleus compartmentalization of chromosomes becomes a new challenge.

Result

The implemented pipeline HBP (Hi-CBED file analysisPipeline) integrates existing pipelines focusing on individual steps of Hi-C data processing into an all-in-one package with adjustable parameters to infer the consensus 3D structure of genome from raw Hi-C sequencing data. What’s more, HBP could assign statistical confidence estimation for chromatin interactions, and clustering interaction loci according to enrichment tracks or topological structure automatically.

Conclusion

The freely available HBP is an optimized and flexible pipeline for analyzing the folding of whole chromosome and interactions between some specific sites from the Hi-C raw sequencing reads to the partially processed datasets. The other complex genetic and epigenetic datasets from public sources such as GWAS, ENCODE consortiums etc. will also easily be integrated into HBP, hence the final output results of HBP could provide a comprehensive in-depth understanding for the specific chromatin interactions, potential molecular mechanisms and biological significance. We believe that HBP is a reliable tool for the rapidly analysis of Hi-C data and will be very useful for a wide range of researchers, particularly those who lack of background in computational biology. HBP is freely accessible athttps://github.com/hechao0407/HBP/blob/master/HBP_1.0.tar.gz.
Reconstruction of the Cortical Maps of the Tasmanian Tiger and Comparison to the Tasmanian Devil
Authors: Berns Gregory S. , Ashwell Ken W.S.
Published: October 2016

The last known Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) – aka the thylacine – died in 1936. Because its natural behavior was never documented, we are left to infer aspects of its behavior from museum specimens and unreliable historical recollections. Recent advances in brain imaging have made it possible to scan postmortem specimens of a wide range of animals, even more than a decade old. Any thylacine brain, however, would be more than 100 years old. Here, we show that it is possible to reconstruct white matter tracts in two thylacine brains. For functional interpretation, we compare to the white matter reconstructions of the brains of two Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). We reconstructed the cortical projection zones of the basal ganglia and major thalamic nuclei. The basal ganglia reconstruction showed a more modularized pattern in the cortex of the thylacine, while the devil cortex was dominated by the putamen. Similarly, the thalamic projections had a more orderly topography in the thylacine than the devil. These results are consistent with theories of brain evolution suggesting that larger brains are more modularized. Functionally, the thylacine’s brain may have had relatively more cortex devoted to planning and decision-making, which would be consistent with a predatory ecological niche versus the scavenging niche of the devil.

SIGNIFICANCE

The Tasmanian tiger – aka the thylacine – was a carnivorous marsupial and apex predator in Tasmania until the last one died in 1936. Very little is known about its natural behavior. Only four intact brain specimens are known to have survived. We used diffusion-weighted MRI to reconstruct the white matter pathways in two of these specimens, and for comparison, the brains of two Tasmanian devils. By comparing the maps of these projections in the cortex, we show that the thylacine’s brain is consistent with a more complex predatory strategy than the scavenging strategy of the Tasmanian devil.
UP-DOWN cortical dynamics reflect state transitions in a bistable balanced network
Authors: Jercog Daniel , Roxin Alex , Barthó Peter , Luczak Artur , Compte Albert , Rocha Jaime de la
Published: October 2016

In the idling brain, neuronal circuits often exhibit transitions between periods of sustained firing (UP state) and quiescence (DOWN state). Although these dynamics occur across multiple areas and behavioral conditions, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we analyze spontaneous population activity from the somatosensory cortex of urethane-anesthetized rats. We find that UP and DOWN periods are variable (i.e. non-rhythmic) and that the population rate shows no significant decay during UP periods. We build a network model of excitatory (E) and inhibitory (I) neurons that exhibits a new bistability between a quiescent state and a balanced state of arbitrarily low rate. Fluctuating inputs trigger state transitions. Adaptation in E cells paradoxically causes a marginal decay of E-rate but a marked decay of I-rate, a signature of balanced bistability that we validate experimentally. Our findings provide evidence of a bistable balanced network that exhibits non-rhythmic state transitions when the brain rests.
Direct monitoring of calcium-triggered phase transitions in cubosomes using small-angle X-ray scattering combined with microfluidics
Authors: Ghazal Aghiad , Gontsarik Mark , Kutter Jörg P. , Lafleur Josiane P. , Labrador Ana , Mortensen Kell , Yaghmur Anan
Published: October 2016

This article introduces a simple microfluidic device that can be combined with synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for monitoring dynamic structural transitions. The microfluidic device is a thiol–ene-based system equipped with 125 µm-thick polystyrene windows, which are suitable for X-ray experiments. The device was prepared by soft lithography using elastomeric molds followed by a simple UV-initiated curing step to polymerize the chip material and simultaneously seal the device with the polystyrene windows. The microfluidic device was successfully used to explore the dynamics of the structural transitions of phytantriol/dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol-based cubosomes on exposure to a buffer containing calcium ions. The resulting SAXS data were resolved in the time frame between 0.5 and 5.5 s, and a calcium-triggered structural transition from an internal inverted-type cubic phase of symmetry Im3m to an internal inverted-type cubic phase of symmetry Pn3m was detected. The combination of microfluidics with X-ray techniques opens the door to the investigation of early dynamic structural transitions, which is not possible with conventional techniques such as glass flow cells. The combination of microfluidics with X-ray techniques can be used for investigating protein unfolding, for monitoring the formation of nanoparticles in real time, and for other biomedical and pharmaceutical investigations.
High-density stacking faults in a supersaturated nitrided layer on austenitic stainless steel
Authors: Tong Ke , Ye Fei , Che Honglong , Lei Ming Kai , Miao Shu , Zhang Chi
Published: October 2016

The nitrogen-supersaturated phase produced by low-temperature plasma-assisted nitriding of austenitic stainless steel usually contains a high density of stacking faults. However, the stacking fault density observed in previous studies was considerably lower than that determined by fitting the X-ray diffraction pattern. In this work, it has been confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy that the strip-shaped regions of about 3–25 nm in width observed at relatively low magnification essentially consist of a series of stacking faults on every second {111} atomic plane. A microstructure model of the clustered stacking faults embedded in a face-centred cubic structure was built for these regions. The simulated X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results based on this model are consistent with the observations.
Development of a high-throughput crystal structure-determination platform for JAK1 using a novel metal-chelator soaking system
Authors: Caspers Nicole L. , Han Seungil , Rajamohan Francis , Hoth Lise R. , Geoghegan Kieran F. , Subashi Timothy A. , Vazquez Michael L. , Kaila Neelu , Cronin Ciarán N. , Johnson Eric , Kurumbail Ravi G.
Published: October 2016

Crystals of phosphorylated JAK1 kinase domain were initially generated in complex with nucleotide (ADP) and magnesium. The tightly bound Mg2+-ADP at the ATP-binding site proved recalcitrant to ligand displacement. Addition of a molar excess of EDTA helped to dislodge the divalent metal ion, promoting the release of ADP and allowing facile exchange with ATP-competitive small-molecule ligands. Many kinases require the presence of a stabilizing ligand in the ATP site for crystallization. This procedure could be useful for developing co-crystallization systems with an exchangeable ligand to enable structure-based drug design of other protein kinases.
Promoting service excellence for tourist destinations
Authors: Engeset Marit Gundersen , Hull John S. , Velvin Jan
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to understand the relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction and its impacts on the long-term sustainability of Hemsedal Ski Resort, Norway.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed method approach. Focusing on the case of Hemsedal, Norway, the authors employ survey design to measure employee service attitudes as well as guest satisfaction and loyalty. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis is used to investigate the relationships between the constructs.

Findings

Results from the four-year programme reveal that the correlation between employee service attitude and customer experience is strongest for behavioural loyalty which was found to have a direct and observable effect for the customer and that working to teach and train employees is important. Further, results showed that guest satisfaction with service not only influenced loyalty to the company that provided the service, but also loyalty to the destination where the company was situated. In explaining the relationships between levels of employee service attitude, customer satisfaction and community sustainability at Hemsedal ski resort, results showed that through partnership and cooperation, training and development have benefitted the individual companies, the destination and local community at large.

Practical implications

Results suggest that managers of tourism destinations should focus on employee motivation and training to improve their guests’ satisfaction and loyalty, their competitiveness and sustainability for the future.

Originality/value

The Service Excellence Project at Hemsedal, Norway demonstrates that mountain destinations can have a positive influence on their competitiveness and their sustainability by instituting a programme that works with employees, customers and businesses to promote a climate of service excellence.
Environmental liabilities in insolvency – an area ripe for reform?
Authors: Mamutse Blanca
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the question whether legislative reform is the silver bullet for the problems generated by the failure of a company which is exposed to claims arising from the non-fulfilment of its environmental obligations. The limited capacity of the UK insolvency regime to facilitate the fulfilment of a debtor company’s environmental obligations is often illustrated with reference to some significant judicial decisions. However, no real picture has emerged of the frequency with which these issues arise, based on which firm proposals for reform could be advanced. This paper argues that greater regard should be paid to existing mechanisms which provide a means of enabling insolvency risks to be managed or minimised because these point towards the scope for these issues to be resolved through the environmental protection framework rather than through reliance on company and/or insolvency law.

Design/methodology/approach

Research was conducted into the statutory and non-statutory regulations (such as statutory guidance) and case law principles, which underpin the treatment of the claims against an insolvent (or potentially insolvent) company resulting from its environmental activities. This included research into policies which have a bearing on this area, developed through governmental and civic consultations and studies.

Findings

The paper concludes that the likelihood of a case for legislative reform being made out is weak, and the focus should accordingly shift to strengthening the effectiveness of existing law, policy and practice.

Originality/value

This paper is the first (in the UK context) to challenge the perceived need for reform in this area, engaging with recent examples of such corporate failures and the impact of recent legislative and policy developments.
Sustainability and planning law in Australia: achievements and challenges
Authors: Williams Peter John , Williams Angelique Mary
Published: October 2016

Purpose

Since 1992, all levels of government in Australia have pursued a policy of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). Crafted in response to the World Commission on Environment and Development 1987 report Our Common Future (the Brundtland Report), the principles contained in the Australian Government’s National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development have been progressively implemented at the national, state and local levels of government. The purpose of this paper is not only to track the implementation of these principles, through both policy and law in Australia, but also to highlight recent challenges to the concept of ESD using the state of New South Wales (NSW) as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

Beginning with a description of the Australian concept of ESD, this paper first examines the implementation of ESD through both policy and legislation at the national level. The state of NSW is then selected for more detailed assessment, with examples of key State government legislation and court decisions considered. Equal emphasis is placed on both the achievements in ESD policy development and implementation through legislation, statutory planning procedures and litigation, as well as the challenges that have confronted the pursuit of ESD in NSW.

Findings

Since its introduction in 1992, the concept of ESD has matured into a key guiding principle for development and environmental decision-making in Australia. However, in recent years, ESD has been the target of significant challenge by some areas of government. Noteworthy among these challenges has been a failed attempt by the NSW Government to introduce new planning legislation which sought to replace ESD with the arguably weaker concept of “sustainable development”. Apparent from this episode is strong community and institutional support for robust sustainability provisions “manifested through ESD” within that State’s statutory planning system.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of the implementation of ESD in Australia within both a broader international context of sustainable development and specific instances of domestic interpretation and application. It extends this analysis by examining recent public policy attempts to reposition sustainability in the context of statutory planning system reform in NSW.
A farewell from the editor to Interlending and Document Supply
Authors: McGrath Mike
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This study aims to reflect on developments in document supply and scholarly communications and to look into the future of the service.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides an informal overview.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that Interlending and Document Supply (ILDS) as a service has a long future ahead of it albeit at a lower level than in the recent past.

Originality/value

As a farewell to ILDS, it is inevitably original; its value will be judged by the reader.
Happiness and the city
Authors: Potapov Dmitriy , Shafranskaya Irina , Bozhya-Volya Anastasiya
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce and apply an assessment method designed to measure city satisfaction in relation to the subjective perception of individual well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural model of residential satisfaction assessment is developed. To test the model, the authors have carried out an empirical research study, using a representative sample (1,636 respondents) of the residents of Perm, a large Russian city.

Findings

This study demonstrates both the direct and indirect influence of satisfaction with urban services, respondents’ individual characteristics, life satisfaction and happiness on overall city satisfaction. Moreover, this study attempts to explore the causality between subjective well-being and city satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical research is limited to the one-city case.

Practical implications

This study aimed to provide local policy makers with a more refined tool for decision-making in urban policy, which could be of great importance as far as the city authorities need to set up priorities in urban management, especially under the pressure of limited budgets.

Originality/value

The results allow for the illustration of the cumulative and hierarchical nature of city satisfaction and highlight the relation of various life and urban domains and their influence on happiness, life satisfaction and city satisfaction.
Comparative Evaluation of Potentially Radiolucent Projectile Components by Radiographs and Computed Tomography
Authors: Miller Catherine R. , Haag Michael , Gerrard Chandra , Hatch Gary M. , Elifritz Jamie , Simmons Michael C. , Lathrop Sarah , Nolte Kurt B.
Published: October 2016

Projectile components that are traditionally radiolucent can be of considerable importance in determination of weapon type and caliber, but they are often missed on evaluation of postmortem radiographs. We hypothesized that these components would be significantly better visualized by evaluation of computed tomography (CT) scans compared to the practice standard of radiography alone. In this project, potentially radiolucent projectile components were both pulled apart and fired, and the radiolucent components were recovered. These components were embedded in blocks of ballistics gelatin and were imaged using both radiography and CT. The scans were evaluated by three blinded, board‐certified radiologists for the presence/absence of projectile components and true‐negative regions in each block. If a radiologist indicated visualization of a projectile component, they were further requested to describe their observation. It was found that traditionally radiolucent projectile components are not significantly more often identified on CT scans than radiography (p < 0.05).
Hyperosmolarity Induces Armanni‐Ebstein‐like Renal Tubular Epithelial Swelling and Cytoplasmic Vacuolization
Authors: Zhou Chong , Vink Robert , Byard Roger W.
Published: October 2016

Armanni–Ebstein lesions have been considered pathognomonic for diabetes mellitus and appear as markedly swollen renal tubular epithelial cells with cytoplasmic clearing and glycogen accumulation. However, the extent to which hyperosmolarity contributes to the Armanni–Ebstein phenotype is unclear. Ten sheep were injected intravenously with 20% mannitol at 11 mOsm/kg, and subsequent histological evaluation of the kidneys showed variable degrees of osmotic nephrosis and cytoplasmic clearing of renal tubular epithelial cells similar to that seen with Armanni–Ebstein lesions. However, although morphological changes similar to Armanni–Ebstein lesions could be produced, no intracytoplasmic glycogen was demonstrated with periodic Acid–Schiff (PAS) stain. This suggests that while hyperosmolarity may contribute to the development of an Armanni–Ebstein phenotype, glycogen accumulation may result from the more complex metabolic effects of glucose on renal tubular epithelial cells. Thus, when Armanni/Ebstein‐like vacuolizations are seen at autopsy, a confirmatory PAS stain is recommended because of the potential effect of hyperosmolar states.
Prevalence of obesity and owners’ perceptions of body condition in pleasure horses and ponies in south‐eastern Australia
Authors: Potter SJ , Bamford NJ , Harris PA , Bailey SR
Published: October 2016

Objective

To determine the prevalence of obesity within a population of pleasure horses and ponies in Victoria, Australia, and to compare owners’ perceptions of their animals’ body condition with researchers’ assessments.

Design

An observational study plus owner questionnaire.

Methods

Ten Pony Club rallies in different regions of Victoria were attended. Information regarding 229 horses and ponies were obtained from owner questionnaires, and owners’ perceptions of the current body condition of their animals were assessed using a visual analogue scale. Body condition score (BCS) was assessed by the researchers using the modified Henneke method.

Results

The prevalence of researcher‐assessed obesity (BCS ≥7/9) in the total surveyed population was 23.1%. A higher prevalence of obesity was identified in Shetland ponies (71.5%) and other pony types (32.0%) compared with horse breeds (9.3%). Owners perceived their animals to be in significantly lower body condition compared with the researchers’ assessments (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Although the overall prevalence of obesity within Australian pleasure horses and ponies was 24.5%, a considerably higher proportion of pony breeds fell into this category. Owners frequently underestimated their own animal's body condition. Knowing the prevalence of obesity in this population and understanding how owners perceive the body condition of their animals may help with targeting education around preventative health care, with the aim of reducing the risk of conditions such as insulin dysregulation and laminitis.
Unusual presentation of neosporosis in a neonatal puppy from a litter of bulldogs
Authors: McAllister MM , Funnell O , Donahoe SL , Šlapeta J
Published: October 2016

Case report

A 17‐day‐old Bulldog puppy died soon after presentation for weakness and tachypnoea. Gross lesions included diffuse pulmonary oedema and a region of myocardial pallor that resembled an infarct. Inflammation was observed histopathologically in many organs, with numerous clusters of intracellular protozoa that stained positively using Neospora caninum immunohistochemistry. Myocarditis was severe and had associated necrosis of individual myocytes, but the tissue was not infarcted. The bitch had an antibody titre of 1 : 1600 for N. caninum. All six littermates were sold and reported to be healthy at 6 months of age.

Conclusion

Unusual aspects of this case include the occurrence of clinical disease in only 1 of 7 neonatal puppies, widespread dissemination of the organism in multiple tissues, and regional pallor associated with myocarditis that gave a false gross appearance of infarction. This report also adds Bulldogs to the list of dog breeds shown to be susceptible to clinical neosporosis.
An Eulerian approach for constructing a map between surfaces with different topologies
Authors: Park Hangil , Cho Youngjin , Bang Seungbae , Lee Sung‐Hee
Published: October 2016

3D objects of the same kind often have different topologies, and finding correspondence between them is important for operations such as morphing, attribute transfer, and shape matching. This paper presents a novel method to find the surface correspondence between topologically different surfaces. The method is characterized by deforming the source polygonal mesh to match the target mesh by using the intermediate implicit surfaces, and by performing a topological surgery at the appropriate locations on the mesh. In particular, we propose a mathematically well‐defined way to detect the topology change of surface by finding the non‐degenerate saddle points of the velocity fields that tracks implicit surfaces. We show the effectiveness and possible applications of the proposed method through several experiments.
Spatial Matching of Animated Meshes
Authors: Seo H. , Cordier F.
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a new technique which makes use of deformation and motion properties between animated meshes for finding their spatial correspondences. Given a pair of animated meshes exhibiting a semantically similar motion, we compute a sparse set of feature points on each mesh and compute spatial correspondences among them so that points with similar motion behavior are put in correspondence. At the core of our technique is our new, dynamic feature descriptor named AnimHOG, which encodes local deformation characteristics. AnimHOG is ob‐tained by computing the gradient of a scalar field inside the spatiotemporal neighborhood of a point of interest, where the scalar values are obtained from the deformation characteristic associated with each vertex and at each frame. The final matching has been formulated as a discreet optimization problem that finds the matching of each feature point on the source mesh so that the descriptor similarity between the corresponding feature pairs as well as compatibility and consistency as measured across the pairs of correspondences are maximized. Consequently, reliable correspondences can be found even among the meshes of very different shape, as long as their motions are similar. We demonstrate the performance of our technique by showing the good quality of matching results we obtained on a number of animated mesh pairs.
Automatic Modeling of Urban Facades from Raw LiDAR Point Data
Authors: Wang J. , Xu Y. , Remil O. , Xie X. , Ye N. , Yi C. , Wei M.
Published: October 2016

Modeling of urban facades from raw LiDAR point data remains active due to its challenging nature. In this paper, we propose an automatic yet robust 3D modeling approach for urban facades with raw LiDAR point clouds. The key observation is that building facades often exhibit repetitions and regularities. We hereby formulate repetition detection as an energy optimization problem with a global energy function balancing geometric errors, regularity and complexity of facade structures. As a result, repetitive structures are extracted robustly even in the presence of noise and missing data. By registering repetitive structures, missing regions are completed and thus the associated point data of structures are well consolidated. Subsequently, we detect the potential design intents (i.e., geometric constraints) within structures and perform constrained fitting to obtain the precise structure models. Furthermore, we apply structure alignment optimization to enforce position regularities and employ repetitions to infer missing structures. We demonstrate how the quality of raw LiDAR data can be improved by exploiting data redundancy, and discovering high level structural information (regularity and symmetry). We evaluate our modeling method on a variety of raw LiDAR scans to verify its robustness and effectiveness.
Adaptive Bas‐relief Generation from 3D Object under Illumination
Authors: Zhang Yu‐Wei , Zhang Caiming , Wang Wenping , Chen Yanzhao
Published: October 2016

Bas‐relief is designed to provide 3D perception for the viewers under illumination. For the problem of bas‐relief generation from 3D object, most existing methods ignore the influence of illumination on bas‐relief appearance. In this paper, we propose a novel method that adaptively generate bas‐reliefs with respect to illumination conditions. Given a 3D object and its target appearance, our method finds an adaptive surface that preserves the appearance of the input. We validate our approach through a variety of applications. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is effective in producing bas‐reliefs with desired appearance under illumination.
An Interactive Design System of Free‐Formed Bamboo‐Copters
Authors: Nakamura Morihiro , Koyama Yuki , Sakamoto Daisuke , Igarashi Takeo
Published: October 2016

We present an interactive design system for designing free‐formed bamboo‐copters, where novices can easily design free‐formed, even asymmetric bamboo‐copters that successfully fly. The designed bamboo‐copters can be fabricated using digital fabrication equipment, such as a laser cutter. Our system provides two useful functions for facilitating this design activity. First, it visualizes a simulated flight trajectory of the current bamboo‐copter design, which is updated in real time during the user's editing. Second, it provides an optimization function that automatically tweaks the current bamboo‐copter design such that the spin quality—how stably it spins—and the flight quality—how high and long it flies—are enhanced. To enable these functions, we present non‐trivial extensions over existing techniques for designing free‐formed model airplanes [UKSI14], including a wing discretization method tailored to free‐formed bamboo‐copters and an optimization scheme for achieving stable bamboo‐copters considering both spin and flight qualities.
The Illegal Wildlife Trade Is a Likely Source of Alien Species
Authors: García‐Díaz Pablo , Ross Joshua V. , Woolnough Andrew P. , Cassey Phillip
Published: October 2016

The illegal wildlife trade is driving biodiversity declines worldwide, yet its role in transporting alien species with a high likelihood of establishment is seldom considered. We demonstrate the threat posed by the illegal reptile trade in Australia. We modeled the establishment success of alien reptiles in Australia, revealing the importance of both minimum number of release events and the body length of the species. Using our model, we screened 28 alien reptiles illegally traded in Victoria, Australia. Establishment risk varied widely across species, and a whole‐pathway analysis revealed that 5 out of the 28 species (17.9%) are likely to become established if released. The global dimension of the illegal wildlife trade calls for a tight transnational collaboration, via multilateral cooperation agreements arranging the share of resources. Complementary to this, we encourage conducting campaigns to raise public awareness about the risk and legal consequences of participating in the wildlife black market.
A systematic review of the prevalence of comorbid mental health disorders in people presenting for substance use treatment in Australia
Authors: Kingston Rosemary E. F. , Marel Christina , Mills Katherine L.
Published: October 2016

Issues

The aim of this paper was to conduct a systematic review of the prevalence of comorbid mental health conditions in people accessing treatment for substance use in Australia.

Approach

A systematic review identified studies meeting the following eligibility criteria: reporting original data published in English; sample presenting for substance use treatment in Australia; assessing the prevalence of mental health and substance use conditions and reporting the percentage of participants with co‐occurring mental health and substance use conditions. A narrative analysis was conducted because of the heterogeneity of methods used to assess key outcome variables and small number of studies assessing particular mental health outcomes. The abstracts of 1173 records were screened, and 59 full articles were assessed for eligibility. Eighteen studies were included in the review.

Key Findings

Prevalence estimates of current mental disorders in substance use treatment clients varied (47 to 100%). Mood and anxiety disorders were particularly prevalent, with the prevalence of current depression ranging from 27 to 85% and current generalised anxiety disorder ranging from 1 to 75%.

Implications

The high prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in substance use treatment settings indicates a need for clinicians to screen and assess for these disorders as part of routine clinical care, and be familiar with evidence‐based management and treatment strategies.

Conclusion

Although further studies are required to determine the prevalence of the full range of mental health disorders in this population, these findings emphasise the high prevalence of comorbid mental disorders are among individuals accessing substance use treatment in Australia. [Kingston REF, Marel C, Mills KL. A systematic review of the prevalence of comorbid mental health disorders in people presenting for substance use treatment in Australia. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:527–539]