bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid promotes epidermal wound healing by accelerating keratinocyte migration via the BLT2 receptor
Authors: Liu Min , Saeki Kazuko , Matsunobu Takehiko , Okuno Toshiaki , Koga Tomoaki , Sugimoto Yukihiko , Yokoyama Chieko , Nakamizo Satoshi , Kabashima Kenji , Narumiya Shuh , Shimizu Takao , Yokomizo Takehiko
Published: May 2014

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor type 2 (BLT2) is a G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR) for 12(S)-hydroxyheptadeca-5Z,8E,10E-trienoic acid (12-HHT) and LTB4. Despite the well-defined proinflammatory roles of BLT1, the in vivo functions of BLT2 remain elusive. As mouse BLT2 is highly expressed in epidermal keratinocytes, we investigated the role of the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis in skin wound healing processes. 12-HHT accumulated in the wound fluid in mice, and BLT2-deficient mice exhibited impaired re-epithelialization and delayed wound closure after skin punching. Aspirin administration reduced 12-HHT production and resulted in delayed wound closure in wild-type mice, which was abrogated in BLT2-deficient mice. In vitro scratch assay using primary keratinocytes and a keratinocyte cell line also showed that the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis accelerated wound closure through the production of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). A synthetic BLT2 agonist accelerated wound closure in cultured cells as well as in C57BL/6J and diabetic mice. These results identify a novel mechanism underlying the action of the 12-HHT/BLT2 axis in epidermal keratinocytes and accordingly suggest the use of BLT2 agonists as therapeutic agents to accelerate wound healing, particularly for intractable wounds, such as diabetic ulcers.
Functional characterization of a Na+-dependent dicarboxylate transporter from Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Mulligan Christopher , Fitzgerald Gabriel A. , Wang Da-Neng , Mindell Joseph A.
Published: May 2014

The SLC13 transporter family, whose members play key physiological roles in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis, adiposity, insulin resistance, and other processes, catalyzes the transport of Krebs cycle intermediates and sulfate across the plasma membrane of mammalian cells. SLC13 transporters are part of the divalent anion:Na+ symporter (DASS) family that includes several well-characterized bacterial members. Despite sharing significant sequence similarity, the functional characteristics of DASS family members differ with regard to their substrate and coupling ion dependence. The publication of a high resolution structure of dimer VcINDY, a bacterial DASS family member, provides crucial structural insight into this transporter family. However, marrying this structural insight to the current functional understanding of this family also demands a comprehensive analysis of the transporter’s functional properties. To this end, we purified VcINDY, reconstituted it into liposomes, and determined its basic functional characteristics. Our data demonstrate that VcINDY is a high affinity, Na+-dependent transporter with a preference for C4- and C5-dicarboxylates. Transport of the model substrate, succinate, is highly pH dependent, consistent with VcINDY strongly preferring the substrate’s dianionic form. VcINDY transport is electrogenic with succinate coupled to the transport of three or more Na+ ions. In contrast to succinate, citrate, bound in the VcINDY crystal structure (in an inward-facing conformation), seems to interact only weakly with the transporter in vitro. These transport properties together provide a functional framework for future experimental and computational examinations of the VcINDY transport mechanism.
Ion channel regulation by protein S-acylation
Authors: Shipston Michael J.
Published: May 2014

Protein S-acylation, the reversible covalent fatty-acid modification of cysteine residues, has emerged as a dynamic posttranslational modification (PTM) that controls the diversity, life cycle, and physiological function of numerous ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels. S-acylation is enzymatically mediated by a diverse family of acyltransferases (zDHHCs) and is reversed by acylthioesterases. However, for most ion channels, the dynamics and subcellular localization at which S-acylation and deacylation cycles occur are not known. S-acylation can control the two fundamental determinants of ion channel function: (1) the number of channels resident in a membrane and (2) the activity of the channel at the membrane. It controls the former by regulating channel trafficking and the latter by controlling channel kinetics and modulation by other PTMs. Ion channel function may be modulated by S-acylation of both pore-forming and regulatory subunits as well as through control of adapter, signaling, and scaffolding proteins in ion channel complexes. Importantly, cross-talk of S-acylation with other PTMs of both cysteine residues by themselves and neighboring sites of phosphorylation is an emerging concept in the control of ion channel physiology. In this review, I discuss the fundamentals of protein S-acylation and the tools available to investigate ion channel S-acylation. The mechanisms and role of S-acylation in controlling diverse stages of the ion channel life cycle and its effect on ion channel function are highlighted. Finally, I discuss future goals and challenges for the field to understand both the mechanistic basis for S-acylation control of ion channels and the functional consequence and implications for understanding the physiological function of ion channel S-acylation in health and disease.
Assouad type dimensions and homogeneity of fractals
Authors: Fraser Jonathan
Published: May 2014

We investigate several aspects of the Assouad dimension and the lower dimension, which together form a natural ‘dimension pair’. In particular, we compute these dimensions for certain classes of self-affine sets and quasi-self-similar sets and study their relationships with other notions of dimension, such as the Hausdorff dimension for example. We also investigate some basic properties of these dimensions including their behaviour regarding unions and products and their set theoretic complexity.
Do Wealth Gains from Land Appreciation Cause Farmers to Expand Acreage or Buy Land?
Authors: Weber Jeremy G. , Key Nigel
Published: May 2014

Recent increases in farm real estate values in the United States have increased farm equity. By exploiting periods of high and low appreciation that caused various increases in wealth for farmers owning various shares of their farmland, we examine whether U.S. grain farmers expanded their acres harvested or acres owned in response to an increase in their land wealth. We find that land wealth had little effect on farm size. However, for similarly‐sized farms, a larger ownership share (10 percentage points) led to an increase in the growth of land owned (2 percentage points). Because older farmers own more of the land that they farm, greater land appreciation slows the rate at which younger farmers acquire land relative to older farmers.
‘Remarque en toy telle marque’: Étienne Jodelle's Parisian Inscriptions and Epitaphs in the French Wars of Religion
Authors: Maynard Katherine S.
Published: May 2014

This article considers the various inscriptions and epitaphs written by Étienne Jodelle (1532–1573) during the French Wars of Religion. Jodelle asserted his identity as a Parisian with an urban poetics that inscribed a pro-Catholic and pro-royal narrative upon the city itself. He sought to make Paris a readable, royal, Catholic space through his inscriptions, particularly those he composed for the Croix de Gastine, a monument erected in 1569 to commemorate the execution of a family of Protestants on the rue Saint-Denis. However, Jodelle's attempts to inscribe a narrative of royal power onto the city highlight the difficulty of creating such a narrative within the contested space of Paris at the end of the sixteenth century. The policies of oblivion of the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (August 1570) led to the removal of the Croix de Gastine. However, despite the poet's disappointment in these policies, he continued to make his work public through monumental writing in Paris. By means of this direct, material encounter with his public, Jodelle sought to preserve collective memory of royal power, appealing first and foremost to the minds of his readers in the hopes of leaving an inscription that would remain after its material source disappeared.
Habit in
À la recherche du temps perdu
Authors: Fülöp Erika
Published: May 2014

This article explores the role of habit in Proust's
À la recherche du temps perdu
in light of the history of the concept of
habitude
in French philosophy. Taking the miniature process of habituation detected in the madeleine scene as a guiding thread, it examines the major aspects of habit that this passage signals and that return in different forms to play an important role in both the narrator's life and the birth of his narrative. These include habit's impact on perception and artistic creativity, on the experience of the body and space, and on will, and the role of habit in shaping identity. The reflections on habit of Ruskin and of nineteenth- and twentieth-century philosophers, in particular Félix Ravaisson, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Paul Ricœur, help to explicate the background and implications of the narrator's experiences and account of habit's actions in these areas. While Beckett's influential reading of the novel focused exclusively on habit's negative effects, and subsequent Proust criticism has canonized his interpretation, this article argues that the image of habit is far more complex in
À la recherche
. More than a simple obstacle to perception and art, it is deeply embedded in, and indispensable for, both.
North Sea herring (Clupea harengus L.) recruitment failure may be indicative of poor feeding success
Authors: Lusseau Susan Mærsk , Gallego Alejandro , Rasmussen Jens , Hatfield Emma M. C. , Heath Mike
Published: May 2014

Recruitment of the 2002–2012 year classes to the North Sea herring stock has been below expectations given the spawning biomass, due to exceptionally low overwinter survival of larvae. Here, we investigate whether changes in survival of larvae in the northwestern North Sea could be attributed to changes in parasite prevalence or feeding conditions. We used a method that combined particle tracking models and survey data to estimate survival, and microscopic examination of gut contents of archived samples of larvae collected in February each year between 1995 and 2007 to investigate parasite prevalence and feeding. We deduced that we can use the incidence of tetraphyllidean parasites as an index of the cumulative feeding history of the larval population. We found that the prevalence of larvae of a tetraphyllidean cestode in the gut contents varied significantly between years and was positively correlated with feeding success. High feeding success, indicated by high prevalence of tetraphyllideans, influenced survival by offsetting the effect of a second parasite type, a digenean trematode. We suggest that variability in cumulative food intake over the lifespan up to February is a significant determinant of variability in survival.
Incidence of Severe Nephrotoxicity With Cisplatin Based on Renal Function Eligibility Criteria
Authors: Dahal Arati , Bellows Brandon K. , Sonpavde Guru , Tantravahi Srinivas K. , Choueiri Toni K. , Galsky Matthew D. , Agarwal Neeraj
Published: May 2014

Background:

The objective of this meta-analysis was to indirectly compare incidence of nephrotoxicity in trials using cisplatin (CIS) for treatment of solid tumors when renal function was assessed using serum creatinine (SCr) or creatinine clearance (CrCl) for eligibility criteria.

Methods:

Randomized trials comparing CIS-containing with non-CIS-containing chemotherapy regimens were identified in PubMed. Included studies were performed from 1990 to 2010, used SCr or CrCl as an eligibility criterion, and reported incidence of grade ≥3 nephrotoxicity for both treatment arms using World Health Organization (WHO) or National Cancer Institute (NCI) toxicity criteria. The relative risk (RR) of grade ≥3 nephrotoxicity associated with CIS versus non-CIS regimens was examined. Subgroup analyses, adjusted indirect comparison, and metaregression were used to compare SCr and CrCl.

Results:

The literature search identified 2359 studies, 42 studies met all the inclusion criteria (N=9521 patients). SCr was used as an eligibility criterion in 20 studies (N=4704), CrCl was used in 9 studies (N=1650), and either was used in 13 studies (N=3167). The overall RR for developing nephrotoxicity with CIS versus non-CIS treatment was 1.75 (P=0.005). Subgroup analyses showed an increased risk when SCr was used (RR=2.60, P=0.005) but not when CrCl was used (RR=1.50, P=0.19). Both the adjusted indirect comparison and metaregression showed a nonsignificantly reduced risk of nephrotoxicity when CrCl was used.

Conclusions:

CIS-based therapy was associated with a significant increase in severe nephrotoxicity. The risk of severe nephrotoxicity appears to be lower when CrCl was used to determine whether people should be treated with CIS.
Design and Implementation of INSPPIRE
Authors: Morinville Veronique D. , Lowe Mark E. , Ahuja Monika , Barth Bradley , Bellin Melena D. , Davis Heather , Durie Peter R. , Finley Brian , Fishman Douglas S. , Freedman Steven D. , Gariepy Cheryl E. , Giefer Matthew J. , Gonska Tanja , Heyman Melvin B. , Himes Ryan , Husain Sohail , Kumar Soma , Ooi Chee Y. , Pohl John F. , Schwarzenberg Sarah Jane , Troendle David , Werlin Steven L. , Wilschanski Michael , Yen Elizabeth , Uc Aliye
Published: May 2014

Objectives:

Acute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) are rare and poorly understood diseases in children. Better understanding of these disorders can only be accomplished via a multicenter, structured, data collection approach.

Methods:

The International Study Group of Pediatric Pancreatitis: In Search for a Cure (INSPPIRE) consortium was created to investigate the epidemiology, etiologies, pathogenesis, natural history, and outcomes of pediatric ARP and CP. Patient and physician questionnaires were developed to capture information on demographics, medical history, family and social history, medications, hospitalizations, risk factors, diagnostic evaluation, treatments, and outcome information. Information collected in paper questionnaires was then transferred into Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), tabulated, and analyzed.

Results:

The administrative structure of the INSPPIRE consortium was established, and National Institutes of Health funding was obtained. A total of 14 sites (10 in the United States, 2 in Canada, and 2 overseas) participated. Questionnaires were amended and updated as necessary, followed by changes made into the REDCap database. Between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013, a total of 194 children were enrolled into the study: 54% were girls, 82% were non‐Hispanic, and 72% were whites.

Conclusions:

The INSPPIRE consortium demonstrates the feasibility of building a multicenter patient registry to study the rare pediatric diseases, ARP and CP. Analyses of collected data will provide a greater understanding of pediatric pancreatitis and create opportunities for therapeutic interventional studies that would not otherwise be possible without a multicenter approach.
Co‐infection in Children With Bloody Diarrhea Caused by Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli
Authors: Ardissino Gianluigi , Possenti Ilaria , Salardi Stefania , Tel Francesca , Colombo Elisa , Testa Sara , Daprai Laura , Picicco Damiano , Colombo Rosaria Maria , Torresani Erminio
Published: May 2014

Hemolytic‐uremic syndrome (HUS) is an important cause of acute kidney injury in children often caused by Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) enterocolitis. In a screening program for STEC infection in children with bloody diarrhea in northern Italy for early diagnosis of HUS, co‐infection with Salmonella or Campylobacter was documented in as many as 35.6% of Shiga toxin–positive patients. It is speculated that infection by Salmonella or Campylobacter may increase the risk of STEC enterocolitis and therefore of HUS. The isolation of microorganisms (other then STEC) in HUS should not be necessarily regarded as the etiological agent for the thrombotic microangiopathy.
Who will develop new antibacterial agents?
Authors: Cole Stewart T.
Published: May 2014

The golden age of antimicrobial drug development is a distant memory, and the likelihood of there being another seems slim. In part, this is because the pharmaceutical industry, which has now adopted an unsustainable business model, abandoned the anti-infective sector, and the pipeline is almost empty. The contribution to this crisis of national governments, health agencies and funders also merits discussion. Much of the basis for drug discovery is funded by the public sector, thereby generating intellectual property and leads for drug development that are often not pursued owing to funding gaps. In particular, the cost of testing drug efficacy in clinical trials is beyond the means of most companies and organizations. Lack of a concerted international effort to develop new antimicrobials is particularly alarming at a time when multidrug-resistant bacteria threaten all areas of human medicine globally. Here, the steps that led to this situation are retraced, and some possible solutions to the dilemma are proposed.
Immune responses during spontaneous control of HIV and AIDS: what is the hope for a cure?
Authors: Saez-Cirion A. , Jacquelin B. , Barré-Sinoussi F. , Müller-Trutwin M.
Published: May 2014

HIV research has made rapid progress and led to remarkable achievements in recent decades, the most important of which are combination antiretroviral therapies (cART). However, in the absence of a vaccine, the pandemic continues, and additional strategies are needed. The ‘towards an HIV cure’ initiative aims to eradicate HIV or at least bring about a lasting remission of infection during which the host can control viral replication in the absence of cART. Cases of spontaneous and treatment-induced control of infection offer substantial hope. Here, we describe the scientific knowledge that is lacking, and the priorities that have been established for research into a cure. We discuss in detail the immunological lessons that can be learned by studying natural human and animal models of protection and spontaneous control of viraemia or of disease progression. In particular, we describe the insights we have gained into the immune mechanisms of virus control, the impact of early virus–host interactions and why chronic inflammation, a hallmark of HIV infection, is an obstacle to a cure. Finally, we enumerate current interventions aimed towards improving the host immune response.
The ongoing challenge of latent tuberculosis
Authors: Esmail H. , Barry C. E. , Young D. B. , Wilkinson R. J.
Published: May 2014

The global health community has set itself the task of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) as a public health problem by 2050. Although progress has been made in global TB control, the current decline in incidence of 2% yr−1is far from the rate needed to achieve this. If we are to succeed in this endeavour, new strategies to reduce the reservoir of latently infected persons (from which new cases arise) would be advantageous. However, ascertainment of the extent and risk posed by this group is poor. The current diagnostics tests (tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assays) poorly predict who will develop active disease and the therapeutic options available are not optimal for the scale of the intervention that may be required. In this article, we outline a basis for our current understanding of latent TB and highlight areas where innovation leading to development of novel diagnostic tests, drug regimens and vaccines may assist progress. We argue that the pool of individuals at high risk of progression may be significantly smaller than the 2.33 billion thought to be immune sensitized byMycobacterium tuberculosisand that identifying and targeting this group will be an important strategy in the road to elimination.
Diversity and evolution of centromere repeats in the maize genome
Authors: Bilinski Paul , Distor Kevin , Gutierrez-Lopez Jose , Mendoza Gabriela Mendoza , Shi Jinghua , Dawe R. Kelly , Ross-Ibarra Jeffrey
Published: May 2014

Centromere repeats are found in most eukaryotes and play a critical role in kinetochore formation. Though CentC repeats exhibit considerable diversity both within and among species, little is understood about the mechanisms that drive centromere repeat evolution. Here, we use maize as a model to investigate how a complex history involving polyploidy, fractionation, and recent domestication has impacted the diversity of the maize CentC repeat. We first validate the existence of long tandem arrays of repeats in maize and other taxa in the genusZea. Although we find considerable sequence diversity among CentC copies genome-wide, genetic similarity among repeats is highest within these arrays, suggesting that tandem duplications are the primary mechanism for the generation of new copies. Genetic clustering analyses identify similar sequences among distant repeats, and simulations suggest that this pattern may be due to homoplasious mutation. Although the two ancestral subgenomes of maize have contributed nearly equal numbers of centromeres, our analysis shows that the vast majority of all CentC repeats derive from one of the parental genomes. Finally, by comparing maize with its wild progenitor teosinte, we find that the abundance of CentC has decreased through domestication while the pericentromeric repeat Cent4 has drastically increased.
Use of Multicopy Transposons Bearing Unfitness Genes in Weed Control: Four Example Scenarios
Authors: Gressel Jonathan , Levy Avraham A.
Published: May 2014

We speculate that multicopy transposons, carrying both fitness and unfitness genes, can provide new positive and negative selection options to intractable weed problems. Multicopy transposons rapidly disseminate through populations, appearing in approximately 100% of progeny, unlike nuclear transgenes, which appear in a proportion of segregating populations. Different unfitness transgenes and modes of propagation will be appropriate for different cases: (1) outcrossing Amaranthus spp. (that evolved resistances to major herbicides); (2) Lolium spp., important pasture grasses, yet herbicide-resistant weeds in crops; (3) rice (Oryza sativa), often infested with feral weedy rice, which interbreeds with the crop; and (4) self-compatible sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), which readily crosses with conspecific shattercane and with allotetraploid johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense). The speculated outcome of these scenarios is to generate weed populations that contain the unfitness gene and thus are easily controllable. Unfitness genes can be under chemically or environmentally inducible promoters, activated after gene dissemination, or under constitutive promoters where the gene function is utilized only at special times (e.g. sensitivity to an herbicide). The transposons can be vectored to the weeds by introgression from the crop (in rice, sorghum, and Lolium spp.) or from planted engineered weed (Amaranthus spp.) using a gene conferring the degradation of a no longer widely used herbicide, especially in tandem with an herbicide-resistant gene that kills all nonhybrids, facilitating the rapid dissemination of the multicopy transposons in a weedy population.
A Functional Antagonistic Relationship between Auxin and Mitochondrial Retrograde Signaling Regulates Alternative Oxidase1a Expression in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ivanova Aneta , Law Simon R. , Narsai Reena , Duncan Owen , Lee Jae-Hoon , Zhang Botao , Van Aken Olivier , Radomiljac Jordan D. , van der Merwe Margaretha , Yi KeKe , Whelan James
Published: May 2014

The perception and integration of stress stimuli with that of mitochondrion function are important during periods of perturbed cellular homeostasis. In a continuous effort to delineate these mitochondrial/stress-interacting networks, forward genetic screens using the mitochondrial stress response marker alternative oxidase 1a (AOX1a) provide a useful molecular tool to identify and characterize regulators of mitochondrial stress signaling (referred to as regulators of alternative oxidase 1a [RAOs] components). In this study, we reveal that mutations in genes coding for proteins associated with auxin transport and distribution resulted in a greater induction of AOX1a in terms of magnitude and longevity. Three independent mutants for polarized auxin transport, rao3/big, rao4/pin-formed1, and rao5/multidrug-resistance1/abcb19, as well as the Myb transcription factor rao6/asymmetric leaves1 (that displays altered auxin patterns) were identified and resulted in an acute sensitivity toward mitochondrial dysfunction. Induction of the AOX1a reporter system could be inhibited by the application of auxin analogs or reciprocally potentiated by blocking auxin transport. Promoter activation studies with AOX1a::GUS and DR5::GUS lines further confirmed a clear antagonistic relationship between the spatial distribution of mitochondrial stress and auxin response kinetics, respectively. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses revealed that mitochondrial stress stimuli, such as antimycin A, caused a transient suppression of auxin signaling and conversely, that auxin treatment repressed a part of the response to antimycin A treatment, including AOX1a induction. We conclude that mitochondrial stress signaling and auxin signaling are reciprocally regulated, balancing growth and stress response(s).
Factors influencing national rollout of quality improvement approaches to public hospitals in Tanzania
Authors: Ishijima Hisahiro , Eliakimu Eliudi , Takahashi Shizu , Miyamoto Noriyuki
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influence the implementation of the rollout of the 5S approach in public hospitals in Tanzania, and share the way to scale this up for similar setting in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The effect size was calculated from pre- and post-assessment results of Training of Trainers (ToT) to examine the effectiveness of ToT. A questionnaire with 14 explanatory variables was developed and completed based on information collected during Consultation visits (CVs) and progress report meetings (PRMs). Then, data were analysed to identify the influencing factors in relation to outcome variables (CV average score).

Findings

– Among 14 explanatory variables, five explanatory variables showed statistical significant association with the CV average score. Those are: “Feedback and information sharing,” (p=0.031), “Quality Improvement Team roles and responsibility” (p=0.002), “5S knowledge,” “Involvement and commitment,” and “5S guidelines use and availability,” (p=0.000). When the explanatory variables were controlled by levels of hospitals; “involvement and commitment” was the only explanatory variable for national level hospitals. For regional referral hospitals, “QIT roles and responsibility” (p=0.02) and “5S knowledge” (p=0.03) were statistically significant. For district hospitals, “involvement and commitment” (p=0.01) and “availability of guideline (p=0.001)” were statistically significant.

Research limitations/implications

– This study has the following limitations. The data were collected from existing reports and presentation materials only. There might be reporting bias, as PRM data is self-reported from the hospitals. Caution is therefore needed in extrapolating the study results to other settings. Despite these caveats, the findings will provide important insights for designing and implementing QI programs in Tanzania and in other African countries.

Originality/value

– The authors' conceptual framework is based on the existing literature on the science of diffusion and scale up of innovation in the health sector. Few studies are known from resource constrain settings in Africa which assess the determinants of the process of nationwide scale-up of proven interventions.
Food insecurity, diet quality, and mental health in culturally diverse adolescents
Authors: Lachance Laura , Sean Martin Michael , Kaduri Pamela , Godoy-Paiz Paula , Ginieniewicz Jorge , Tarasuk Valerie , McKenzie Kwame
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of adolescents’ perceptions of food insecurity and diet quality, and the impact that these factors have on mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used a community-based research approach. It gathered qualitative data from 11 in-depth interviews conducted with adolescents aged 13-19. Participants were recruited through various programmes they attended at a community organization in Toronto.

Findings

– Overall, results indicate that respondents clearly identified a linkage between food insecurity and mental health. They also identified several effects of poor diet quality on mental health. Respondents understood food insecurity and poor diet quality to exist on a continuum. However, they also identified other reasons for making poor dietary choices such as peer pressure. Mental health effects of food insecurity and poor diet quality included sadness, stress, worry, anger, shame, impaired concentration, and fatigue.

Practical implications

– This research will help to inform future research design in the field of social determinants of mental health. As well, the findings will help guide the development of interventions targeted towards this vulnerable age group.

Originality/value

– This is the first qualitative study to explore food insecurity and poor diet quality, as existing on a continuum, from the perspective of adolescents. The authors are also the first to explore the impact of these factors on the mental health of adolescents, based on their own understanding. What is more, the authors focused on a culturally diverse population living in an underprivileged neighbourhood in Toronto. The authors chose this population because they are at higher risk of both food insecurity and poor diet quality.
Organizing product recovery in industrial networks
Authors: Insanic Igor , Gadde Lars-Erik
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Increasing attention to sustainability has made product recovery issues increasingly significant. Although several studies portray product recovery arrangements as networks, these constellations have not been analyzed with network models. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizing of product recovery networks.

Design/methodology/approach

– Previous research highlighted the need for a holistic perspective on product recovery. Industrial network theory provides such a framework, based on three dimensions of business reality: activities, resources and actors. The research method applied is a qualitative case study approach of product recovery in the PC industry.

Findings

– The most significant issues in the organizing of product recovery concern the coordination of interdependent activities and the combining of physical and organizational resources. Effective organizing is contingent on interaction and information exchange among firms. Furthermore, the sorting rules applied in the product recovery process are crucial for the performance in the activity chain from disposer to end-user.

Research limitations/implications

– The study deals with product recovery of PCs, and needs to be supplemented with research in other empirical contexts.

Practical implications

– The study offers companies broader perspective on their product recovery operations by illustrating how they are related to a wider network.

Originality/value

– The study applies a novel perspective on product recovery. The analytical framework and the qualitative approach complement mainstream approaches.
Playing and (not?) understanding the game: ECRs and university support
Authors: Orlando Joanne , Gard Michael
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aging research community and current research accountability frameworks raise concerns about developing future researchers who have the capacity and commitment to undertake and lead quality research in the future. The aim of this paper is to focus on the support that Australian universities currently provide to build the capacity of their ECR staff and how ECRs are experiencing this support.

Design/methodology/approach

– Email interviews were used with early career education researchers (ECRs) to ask them how they experienced the research support structures provided by their institutions.

Findings

– It was found that the anxiety and frustration some ECRs feel about their research careers may stem from the appropriateness or otherwise of the kinds of immediate goals they are choosing for themselves and, perhaps more important, the extent to which they see themselves working in isolation from their colleagues.

Practical implications

– While different kinds of material support, such as reduced teaching loads and access to internal grant funds will always be important, it is argued that more attention needs to be given to realistic goal-setting for ECRs and a more patient, long-term approach to producing high-quality research.

Originality/value

– Developing a sustainable research community means building a supportive environment in which ECRs can achieve satisfaction and success. The research presented in this paper seeks to contribute to this goal by trying to learn more about the support ECRs currently experience in Australian universities.
Friction and wear behavior of Cu–Cr–Zr alloy lubricated with acid rain
Authors: Jia Zhengfeng , Su Yuchang , Xia Yanqiu , Shao Xin , Song Yanxin , Ni Junjie
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tribological properties of a Cu–Cr–Zr alloy lubricated with acid rain.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Cu 2.5 weight per cent–Cr-0.08 weight per cent–Zr alloy was produced in a vacuum induction furnace. The H2SO4 + H2O, HNO3 + H2O and H2SO4 + HNO3 + H2O mixtures with pH of 5 were used as acid rain. Pure water was used as rain. The friction and wear properties of Cu–Cr–Zr alloy/American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 52100 steel couples lubricated with acid rain were investigated using a reciprocating ball-on-disc friction and wear tester (Optimol SRV, Germany). For investigating the properties of the alloy and wear scars, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope were used.

Findings

– The wear rate of the Cu–Cr–Zr alloy lubricated with H2O containing HNO3 (pH = 5) was larger than pure water under the same conditions. The tribofilms containing Cu, Cr, Zr, S and N formed during sliding with acid rain, but corrosion also took place at that time.

Originality/value

– The wear rate of the Cu–Cr–Zr alloy lubricated with H2O containing HNO3 (pH = 5) was larger than pure water, the wear and corrosion took place during sliding. As the trolley wires, the life of the Cu–Cr–Zr alloy was influenced by the environment.
Effect of silver-organic precursor on friction and wear
Authors: Hu Ningning , Han Jiguang , Hu Bo
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of silver (Ag) precursor on friction and wear.

Design/methodology/approach

– Thermogravimetric analysis of the oil with Ag precursor and X-ray diffraction of the decomposition product of the Ag complex were performed. The tribological behavior was evaluated on a UMT-3M Tribometer (CETR) using pure military-grade oil lubricant and the prepared lubricant at room temperature and at 300°C. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy of the chemical composition on the wear scar was performed.

Findings

– When there is 1 weight per cent Ag precursor in the lubricant, the coefficient friction reduces by about 8 per cent at room temperature and by about 14 per cent at 300°C, and the wear probability also decreases, from moderate wear to mild wear at 300°C. There were more productions which could form metal Ag boundary films possessing low shearing stress and excellent lubricity at 300°C.

Originality/value

– Ag precursors used as additives in a military-grade oil lubricant and excellent lubricity found at high temperature.
Static analysis of hydrostatic conical bearings using flow resistance network method
Authors: Hsiao Shun-Te , Kang Yuan , Jong Shyh-Ming , Lee Hsing-Han , Peng De-Xing , Chang Yeon-Pun
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to study the static characteristics of the hydrostatic conical journal bearings by utilizing single-action membrane restrictors to compensate the working pressures of recesses.

Design/methodology/approach

– The flow resistance network method is used to analyze the influences of load capacity and static stiffness of bearing with the design parameters, including the number of recesses, radial eccentricity ratio, axial displacement ratio, restriction constant, membrane compliance, length-diameter ratio, circumferential land width ratio, axial land width ratio and half of cone angle.

Findings

– This study shows the infinite stiffness of the oil produced in the first and second recesses while single-action membrane restriction constant of 2 and 3, respectively, as well as in the fourth recess while single-action membrane restriction constant of 0.01 and 0.1, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

– This article provides the hydrostatic conical bearings in static and unbiased states for analyses of design parameters. The analyses ignore dynamic pressure effect and do not use the Reynolds equation, and assuming that each oil recesses pressure is constant.

Practical implications

– The influences of the design parameters including the number of recesses, membrane restriction, membrane compliance, length-diameter ratio, half of con-angle, circumferential land width ratio, and axial land width ratio are discussed to the load capacity and static stiffness of conical bearing.

Originality/value

– Based on the characteristics of the conical bearing through analysis, this article suggests the front bearing with hard membrane restrictor (capillary) and the back bearing with soft membrane restrictor are the most appropriate for axial stiffness.
A study of 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives as multifunctional additives in water-based hydraulic fluid
Authors: Wang Junming , Wang Jianhua , Li Chunsheng , Zhao Gaiqing , Wang Xiaobo
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the tribological, anticorrosion and antirust properties of three 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD) derivatives as water-soluble additives in water–glycol hydraulic fluid.

Design/methodology/approach

– DMTD derivatives possessing excellent corrosion inhibiting and extreme-pressure (EP) properties have long been used as metal passivators and load-carrying additives in lubricating oils and grease. However, there are seldom literatures about DMTD derivatives as water-soluble lubricant additives as yet. In this work, three DMTD derivatives were synthesized and investigated as water-soluble additives in the water–glycol hydraulic fluid. Their tribological properties were evaluated in detail by four-ball wear test machine and Optimol SRV-IV oscillating friction and wear tester. Meanwhile, their anticorrosion and antirust properties were also investigated by copper strip corrosive tests and antirust tests, respectively. The worn surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photonelectron spectroscope, and the EP, antiwear and friction-reducing mechanisms were primarily proposed.

Findings

– The synthesized three DMTD derivatives (coded as A, B and C) have excellent solubility in the base liquid of the water–glycol hydraulic fluid. The experimental results demonstrated that all these compounds, especially A, could remarkably improve the EP, antiwear and friction-reducing properties of the base liquid. Furthermore, they all have perfect copper corrosion inhibiting and antirust properties with low adding concentration (< 3 weight per cent) in the base liquid and hence could be used as multifunctional additives in the water–glycol hydraulic fluid.

Research limitations/implications

– This research only focused on the synthesized DMTD derivatives. If possible, some other thiadiazole derivatives also should be investigated.

Practical implications

– The synthesized DMTD derivatives, especially compound A, can be used as multifunctional water-soluble additives in the water–glycol hydraulic fluid.

Originality/value

– In this paper, three DMTD derivatives were synthesized and their tribological behaviors as water-soluble lubricant additives were investigated for the first time. In addition, the EP, antiwear and friction-reducing mechanisms were also put forward.
Effect of surface roughness, viscosity-pressure relationship and elastic deformation on lubrication performance of misaligned journal bearings
Authors: Sun Jun , Zhu Xinlong , Zhang Liang , Wang Xianyi , Wang Chunmei , Wang Hu , Zhao Xiaoyong
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Current lubrication analyses of misaligned journal bearings were generally performed under some given preconditions. To make the lubrication analysis closer to the actual situation and usable to the journal bearing design, the purpose of this paper was to calculate the lubrication characteristics of misaligned journal bearings considering the viscosity-pressure effect of the oil, the surface roughness and the elastic deformation of the journal bearing at the same time.

Design/methodology/approach

– The lubrication of bearings was analyzed using the average Reynolds equation. The deformation of the bearing surface under oil film pressure was calculated by a compliance matrix method. The compliance matrix was established by finite element analysis of the bearing housing. The viscosity-pressure and viscosity–temperature equations were used in the analysis.

Findings

– The oil viscosity-pressure relationship has a significant effect on the lubrication of misaligned journal bearings. The surface roughness will affect the lubrication of misaligned journal bearings when the eccentricity ratio and angle of journal misalignment are all large. The directional parameter of the surface has an obvious effect on the lubrication of misaligned journal bearings. The deformation of the bearing surface has a remarkable effect on the lubrication of misaligned journal bearings.

Originality/value

– The lubrication characteristics of misaligned journal bearings were calculated considering the viscosity-pressure effect of the oil, the surface roughness and the elastic deformation of the journal bearing at the same time. The results of this paper are helpful to the design of the bearing.
The tribochemical study of novel phosphorous-nitrogen (P-N) type phosphoramidate additives in water
Authors: Yan Jincan , Bai Xuefeng , Li Jing , Ren Tianhui , Zhao Yidong
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tribological properties of novel phosphorous-nitrogen (P-N) type additives in water.

Design/methodology/approach

– The tribological properties of the novel P-N additives in water are compared with a commercial lubricant additive of the P-N type using a four-ball machine. The tribological mechanism was investigated by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy.

Findings

– The experimental results indicate that the phosphoramidate derivatives possess good anti-wear and friction-reducing properties. The XANES analysis shows that the prepared compounds can form a protective film containing phosphate and/or polyphosphate that affects the tribological behavior.

Originality/value

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tribological properties of the novel P-N type additives in water.
Understanding online shopping intention: the roles of four types of trust and their antecedents
Authors: Hsu Meng-Hsiang , Chuang Li-Wen , Hsu Cheng-Se
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a better picture of factors influencing behavioral decisions in online shopping by identifying different targets of trust and discussing their antecedents and outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Online survey data from 242 ihergo members were used to test the proposed model, and structural equation modeling with partial least squares was performed to analyze the measurement and structural models.

Findings

– The findings show that the four types of trust identified in this study are critical determinants of perceived risk and attitude. In addition, the majority of the antecedents are found to be associated with their respective types of trust.

Research limitations/implications

– The research extends the theory of reasoned action and prior research to discuss four types of consumer trust, as well as their respective antecedents and subsequent consequences. The result is a more descriptive model that better explicates consumers’ decision-making processes in online shopping.

Practical implications

– Given the intense competition between online shopping sites, web site managers should strive to provide a safe and user-friendly shopping environment. In addition, the vendor can enhance trust by encouraging satisfied customers to provide positive endorsements.

Originality/value

– This study is possibly the first of its kind, in identifying the four types of trust and their respective antecedents in the context of an online group-buying auction, and thus serves to enrich the existing literature concerning trust-building factors.
Firm web visibility and its business value
Authors: Wang Fang , Vaughan Liwen
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to theoretically analyze and empirically test the business value of firm web visibility, including its relationship to advertising efficiency and long-term financial performance (i.e. shareholder value).

Design/methodology/approach

– A conceptual framework is established to analyze firm value of web visibility through its market effects. Hypotheses on the associations between firm web visibility and advertising efficiency and shareholder value are tested by cross-sectional analysis of 1,331 firms in six industries and four industry sectors. The authors control for several firm- and industry-level factors.

Findings

– The results consistently support the two hypotheses, i.e., first, a positive and significant relationship between firm web visibility and advertising efficiency; and second, a positive and significant relationship between firm web visibility and shareholder value.

Practical implications

– In addition to increasing web traffic, firm web visibility has business value and helps to enhance advertising efficiency and shareholder value. Managers can use the web references as a valuable tool for marketing success when the use of traditional advertising reaches saturation. Managers should actively monitor and use web visibility as a web management measure in practice.

Originality/value

– This research provides convincing evidence to support both short-term and long-term business value of web visibility and suggests that web visibility be recognized and managed as a market-based asset.