bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-assembly and structure of flagellin–polyelectrolyte composite layers: polyelectrolyte induced flagellar filament formation during the alternating deposition process
Authors: Farkas Eniko , Patko Daniel , Khanh Nguyen Quoc , Toth Eva , Vonderviszt Ferenc , Horvath Robert
Published: September 2016

This study first reveals a new type of linearly growing polyelectrolyte multilayer buildup mechanism, when one of the components (PAH) induces the self-assembly of the oppositely charged component (flagellin), creating a filamentous nanostructured coating.
Modulation of N-bonding configurations and their influence on the electrical properties of nitrogen-doped graphene
Authors: Wang Zegao , Chen Yuanfu , Li Pingjian , Zhou Jinhao , He Jiarui , Zhang Wanli , Guo Zheng , Li Yanrong , Dong Mingdong
Published: September 2016

Nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) films with controllable doping configuration have been grown on Cu foils by using imidazole (C3H4N2) and PMMA as solid N and C sources.
Synthesis of tin oxide activated by DAN grafting and Mo nanoparticle insertion for optoelectronic properties improvement
Authors: Bouazizi N. , Bargougui R. , Benghnia A. , Vieillard J. , Ammar S. , Azzouz A.
Published: September 2016

Tin oxide (SnO2) was synthesized via a co-precipitation method and activated by 1,5 diaminonaphthalene (DAN) grafting and molybdenum nanoparticle (Mo-NPs) incorporation for the first time as a new material.
Improvement of (K,Na)NbO3-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics by asymmetric octahedra
Authors: Kozuka Hisashi , Yamada Hideto , Matsuoka Takayuki , Kitamura Kazuaki , Yamazaki Masato , Kasashima Takashi , Okimura Yasuyuki , Ohbayashi Kazushige
Published: September 2016

Due to their excellent piezoelectric properties, including a kp = 0.55, εT33/ε0 = 2725, d33 = 375 pC N−1, 0.891 KNaCLN–0.041NTK–0.055BZ–0.0016Co3O4–0.0025Fe2O3–0.0069ZnO ceramic without Ta, Sb, Bi, or Hf is promising as a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic.
Rockpool ichthyofauna of Amazon coastal zone: spatial and environmental effects on species distribution
Authors: Begot Tiago Octavio , Soares Bruno Eleres , Juen Leandro , Montag Luciano Fogaça de Assis
Published: September 2016

The present study analysed the effects of environmental and spatial variables on the structure of fish communities inhabiting rockpools in the Amazon coastal zone to test the hypothesis that environmental characteristics and spatial distribution are the principal factors responsible for community structure. In all, 80 pools were sampled, 40 in the rainy season and 40 in the dry season. The pools were located on five sandy beaches of the Amazon coast. In all, 1303 fish were collected, representing 20 taxa distributed in nine orders and 14 families. The abundance and occurrence of different taxa varied considerably, as did β diversity, ranging from identical to completely different communities. Differences were found in taxa abundance between seasons (rainy and dry) and beach locality. However, for species richness, only differences between seasons were found, showing the effects of spatial and environmental variation in the structure of fish assemblages. This corroborates both spatial and environmental hypotheses of community structure, and reinforces the role of the extreme dynamic conditions, such as tidal range and influence of the rivers that flow into this estuary, in the intertidal zone fish on the Amazon coast.
Optimising camera trap deployment design across multiple sites for species inventory surveys
Authors: Smith J. , Legge S. , James A. , Tuft K.
Published: September 2016

Camera traps are being increasingly used in biological surveys. One of the most common uses of camera trap data is the generation of species inventories and estimations of species richness. Many authors have advocated for increased camera trap-nights (long deployment times or more cameras in an array) to detect rare or wide-ranging species. However, in practice, the number of traps and the duration of surveys are constrained; a survey leader must make decisions about allocating the available cameras to sites. Here we investigate the effect of deployment time, camera array size and number of sites on detection of saxicoline mammal and varanid species obtained from surveys of discrete vegetation pockets in tropical Australia. This paper provides an analysis method for optimising decisions about how a limited number of cameras should be deployed across sites. We found that increasing the number of sites leads to larger species richness estimates in a shorter period. Increasing the number of cameras per site also leads to higher species richness estimates in a shorter time, but not to the same extent as increasing the number of sites. With fewer sites used or smaller arrays deployed at each site, a longer deployment duration is required, especially for rarer or wider-ranging species, or those not attracted to bait. Finally, we compared estimates of species richness generated by our camera trapping to those generated by live trapping at a subset of our sites, and found camera traps generated much larger estimates.
Density and activity patterns of pumas in hunted and non-hunted areas in central Argentina
Authors: Zanón-Martínez Juan I. , Kelly Marcella J. , Mesa-Cruz J. Bernardo , Sarasola José H. , DeHart Clark , Travaini Alejandro
Published: September 2016

Context Hunting has demographic effects on large and medium carnivores, causing population reductions and even extinctions worldwide. Yet, there is little information on carnivore demographic parameters and spatial and temporal land-use patterns in areas experiencing sport hunting, thus hindering effective conservation plans for such areas. Aims We estimated densities and determined activity patterns of pumas (Puma concolor) from camera-trapping surveys in a protected area and in a game reserve with sport hunting, in the Caldén forest of central Argentina. Methods We used both non-spatial and spatial mark–resight techniques to estimate and compare puma densities and we used kernel-density estimation (KDE) techniques to analyse and compare puma activity patterns between study sites. Key results Puma densities estimated from spatial models were lower than densities estimated from non-spatial mark–resight techniques. However, estimated density of pumas in the protected area was always higher (range = 4.89–9.32 per 100 km2) than in the game reserve (range = 0.52–1.98 per 100 km2), regardless of the estimation technique used. Trapping rates for large mammal prey were similar across sites. Pumas exhibited more nocturnal behaviour and high activity peaks at 0600 hours and 1100 hours in the hunted game reserve, whereas puma activity was spread more evenly around the clock in the protected area. Conclusions The higher puma densities in the protected area reflect the potential for such areas to function as refugia in a human-dominated landscape. However, the game reserve had a lower puma density than the protected area despite high trap rates of large prey, indicating that these areas may function as attractive sinks. Implications Our results could indicate that puma sport hunting in the Caldén forest should be managed at a metapopulation, regional level, and include both no-hunting areas (protected area, as potential sources) and hunting areas (game reserves, as potential sinks). Considering that our study areas were small and that this was an unreplicated study, we urge more research to be conducted, so as to determine whether sport hunting is compatible with puma conservation in the region.
Renal Denervation vs. Spironolactone in Resistant Hypertension: Effects on Circadian Patterns and Blood Pressure Variability
Authors: de la Sierra Alejandro , Pareja Julia , Armario Pedro , Barrera Ángela , Yun Sergi , Vázquez Susana , Sans Laia , Pascual Julio , Oliveras Anna
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Sympathetic renal denervation (SRD) has been proposed as a therapeutic alternative for patients with resistant hypertension not controlled on pharmacological therapy. Two studies have suggested an effect of SRD in reducing short-term blood pressure variability (BPV). However, this has not been addressed in a randomized comparative trial. We aimed to compare the effects of spironolactone and SRD on circadian BP and BPV.

METHODS

This is a post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial in 24 true resistant hypertensive patients (15 men, 9 women; mean age 64 years) comparing 50mg of spironolactone (n = 13) vs. SRD (n = 11) on 24-hour BP. We report here the comparative effects on daytime (8 am–10 pm) and nighttime (0 am–6 am) BP, night-to-day ratios and BP and heart rate variabilities (SD and coefficient of variation of 24-hour, day and night, as well as weighted SD and average real variability (ARV)).

RESULTS

Spironolactone was more effective than SRD in reducing daytime systolic (P = 0.006), daytime diastolic (P = 0.006), and nighttime systolic (P = 0.050) BP. No differences were observed in the night-to-day ratios. In contrast, SRD-reduced diastolic BPV (24 hours, daytime, nighttime, weighted, and ARV; all P < 0.05) with respect to spironolactone, without significant differences in systolic BPV.

CONCLUSION

Spironolactone is more effective than SRD in reducing ambulatory BP. However, BPV is significantly more reduced with SRD. This effect could be important in terms of potential prevention beyond BP reduction and deserves further investigation.
Characterization of absorption and non-linear effects in infrasound propagation using an augmented Burgers’ equation
Authors: Sabatini R. , Bailly C. , Marsden O. , Gainville O.
Published: September 2016

The long-range atmospheric propagation of explosion-like waves of frequency in the infrasound range is investigated using non-linear ray theory. Simulations are performed for sources of increasing amplitude on rays up to the lower thermosphere and for distances of hundreds of kilometres. A study of the attenuation of the waveforms observed at ground level induced by both the classical mechanisms and the vibrational relaxation of the molecules comprising the atmospheric gas is carried out. The relative importance of classical absorption and vibrational relaxation along the typical atmospheric propagation trajectories is assessed. Non-linear effects are highlighted as well and particular emphasis is placed on their strong interaction with absorption phenomena. A detailed description of the propagation model and of the numerical algorithm used in this work is first reported. Results are then discussed and the importance of the different mechanisms is clarified.
Creating 21st-Century Laboratories and Classrooms for Improving Population Health: A Call to Action for Academic Medical Centers
Authors: DeVoe Jennifer E. , Likumahuwa-Ackman Sonja , Shannon Jackilen , Steiner Hayward Elizabeth
Published: September 2016

Academic medical centers (AMCs) in the United States built world-class infrastructure to successfully combat disease in the 20th century, which is inadequate for the complexity of sustaining and improving population health. AMCs must now build first-rate 21st-century infrastructure to connect combating disease and promoting health. This infrastructure must acknowledge the bio-psycho-social-environmental factors impacting health and will need to reach far beyond the AMC walls to foster community “laboratories” that support the “science of health,” complementary to those supporting the “science of medicine”; cultivate community “classrooms” to stimulate learning and discovery in the places where people live, work, and play; and strengthen bridges between academic centers and these community laboratories and classrooms to facilitate bidirectional teaching, learning, innovation, and discovery.

Private and public entities made deep financial investments that contributed to the AMC disease-centered approach to clinical care, education, and research in the 20th century. Many of these same funders now recognize the need to transform U.S. health care into a system that is accountable for population health and the need for a medical workforce equipped with the skills to measure and improve health. Innovative ideas about communities as centers of learning, the importance of social factors as major determinants of health, and the need for multidisciplinary perspectives to solve complex problems are not new; many are 20th-century ideas still waiting to be fully implemented. The window of opportunity is now. The authors articulate how AMCs must take bigger and bolder steps to become leaders in population health.
Radiotherapy to Control Limited Melanoma Progression Following Ipilimumab
Authors: Kropp Lauren M. , De Los Santos Jennifer F. , McKee Svetlana B. , Conry Robert M.
Published: September 2016

Durable local control of irradiated cancer and distant abscopal effects are presumably immune mediated. To evaluate the role of radiotherapy (RT) for limited progression after anti-CTLA4 checkpoint inhibition, medical records of all patients with surgically incurable stage III or IV melanoma from a single institution who received ipilimumab as first-line immunotherapy and subsequent RT were reviewed. Sixteen patients who received RT to all sites of limited melanoma progression were analyzed. Eight patients with an incomplete initial response to ipilimumab received RT to new or progressive disease, whereas the remaining 8 patients with a complete initial response to ipilimumab received RT to sites of subsequent recurrence. The median interval from ipilimumab initiation to start of RT was 30 weeks (range, 15–130 wk), a timeframe where delayed response to ipilimumab is rare. The RT dose was predominantly 30 Gy in 5 fractions (41%) or 36 Gy in 6 fractions (26%). Brain radiation was limited to stereotactic radiosurgery in a single patient. The median local control with RT was 31.4 months. The median disease control was 18.7 months, defined as the interval from completion of RT to the start of additional systemic therapy known to impact survival (anti-programmed death-1 or targeted BRAF therapy), hospice enrollment, or death. The overall survival at 1 and 2 years was 87% and 61%, respectively. Seven patients (44%) had no evidence of melanoma at median follow-up of 29.5 months since completion of RT with no additional therapy. This series supports use of RT to limited sites of progression following ipilimumab as an alternative to other systemic treatments such as anti-programmed death-1 antibodies.
Intranasal oxytocin administration improves depression-like behaviors in adult rats that experienced neonatal maternal deprivation
Authors: Ji Haoyi , Su Wenlong , Zhou Ruchen , Feng Jing , Lin Yue , Zhang Yumin , Wang Xinmei , Chen Xiaoyang , Li Jing
Published: September 2016

Oxytocin (OT), a hypothalamic neuropeptide, has been implicated in the regulation of social behaviors in rodents and humans. This study assessed the effects of intranasal administration of OT on depressive-like behaviors and hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rats following neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD). Here, we show that NMD resulted in significant depression-like behaviors, as indicated by decreases in physical activity and emotional reactivity in a novel environment, in 2-month-old animals. Notably, the OT levels in the plasma, hypothalamus, and hippocampus were decreased in these animals. Intranasal administration of OT reduced the depressive-like behaviors in NMD rats and rescued hippocampal long-term plasticity impaired by NMD stress in rats by promoting hippocampal neurogenesis. These results indicate that OT alleviates the depressive-like behaviors in NMD adult rats, probably mediated by improving adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
Shoulder Dystocia: Incidence and Risk Factors
Authors: OUZOUNIAN JOSEPH G.
Published: September 2016

Shoulder dystocia complicates ∼1% of vaginal births. Although fetal macrosomia and maternal diabetes are risk factors for shoulder dystocia, for the most part its occurrence remains largely unpredictable and unpreventable.
Efficacy of the Additional Use of Ripasudil, a Rho-Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Glaucoma Inadequately Controlled Under Maximum Medical Therapy
Authors: Inazaki Hiroshi , Kobayashi Satoshi , Anzai Yoko , Satoh Hisayoshi , Sato Shimpei , Inoue Maiko , Yamane Shin , Kadonosono Kazuaki
Published: September 2016

Purpose of the Study:

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect and tolerability of ripasudil, a rho-kinase inhibitor, in patients with glaucoma inadequately controlled with maximum medical therapy.

Patients and Methods:

This prospective, noncomparative, interventional case series study included 35 patients with primary open angle glaucoma, in whom the glaucoma was poorly controlled with maximum medical therapy before starting the treatment with ripasudil. Ripasudil was instilled twice a day as adjunctive therapy to the ongoing glaucoma treatment. The primary end point was the degree of IOP reduction after 3 months of treatment, whereas the secondary end points were the percentage of patients reaching the predefined target IOP and the incidence of adverse events.

Results:

We examined 35 eyes of 35 patients with primary open angle glaucoma. The IOP reduction (relative percentage IOP reduction) from baseline was −2.8 mm Hg (−15.5%; 95% confidence interval, −1.6 to −3.9 mm Hg; P<0.001) after 3 months of treatment. The predefined target IOP was achieved in 48.5% (17/35) of the patients. The adverse events were conjunctival hyperemia (all patients), allergic conjunctivitis (2 patients), and ophthalmalgia (1 patient).

Conclusions:

The addition of ripasudil was effective in lowering the IOP in patients with glaucoma poorly controlled with maximal medical therapy; moreover, the drug was well tolerated. In 48.5% of the patients in whom the predefined target IOP was achieved, this adjunctive therapy helped avoid glaucoma surgery at least in the short term.
HDL infusion for the management of atherosclerosis: current developments and new directions
Authors: Zheng Kang H. , Stroes Erik S.G.
Published: September 2016

Purpose of review

Because human genetic studies and large clinical trials have demonstrated that HDL-cholesterol levels are not causally related to cardiovascular disease risk, attention has shifted toward the functional properties of HDL. Infusion of HDL mimetics containing apolipoprotein A-I remains a potential strategy to exploit the atheroprotective effects of HDL.

Recent findings

Three HDL mimetic drugs are under development and currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Upon infusion, these drugs increase cholesterol efflux capacity. Although proof-of-concept studies are promising, large outcome studies are awaited. Alternatively, HDL particles may be used for targeted drug delivery in a nanomedicine approach. Finally, links between cholesterol efflux and myelopoeisis may prove to be a target for HDL infusion in the future.

Clinical studies are currently ongoing to evaluate the potential of several HDL mimetic drugs. Novel nanomedicinal approaches and emerging pathophysiological insights may further expand the relevance of HDL infusion.
Emotional arousal when watching drama increases pain threshold and social bonding
Authors: Dunbar R. I. M. , Teasdale Ben , Thompson Jackie , Budelmann Felix , Duncan Sophie , van Emde Boas Evert , Maguire Laurie
Published: September 2016

Fiction, whether in the form of storytelling or plays, has a particular attraction for us: we repeatedly return to it and are willing to invest money and time in doing so. Why this is so is an evolutionary enigma that has been surprisingly underexplored. We hypothesize that emotionally arousing drama, in particular, triggers the same neurobiological mechanism (the endorphin system, reflected in increased pain thresholds) that underpins anthropoid primate and human social bonding. We show that, compared to subjects who watch an emotionally neutral film, subjects who watch an emotionally arousing film have increased pain thresholds and an increased sense of group bonding.
Energy-based constitutive modelling of local material properties of canine aortas
Authors: Laksari Kaveh , Shahmirzadi Danial , Acosta Camilo J. , Konofagou Elisa
Published: September 2016

This study aims at determining the
in vitro
anisotropic mechanical behaviour of canine aortic tissue. We specifically focused on spatial variations of these properties along the axis of the vessel. We performed uniaxial stretch tests on canine aortic samples in both circumferential and longitudinal directions, as well as histological examinations to derive the tissue's fibre orientations. We subsequently characterized a constitutive model that incorporates both phenomenological and structural elements to account for macroscopic and microstructural behaviour of the tissue. We showed the two fibre families were oriented at similar angles with respect to the aorta's axis. We also found significant changes in mechanical behaviour of the tissue as a function of axial position from proximal to distal direction: the fibres become more aligned with the aortic axis from 46° to 30°. Also, the linear shear modulus of media decreased as we moved distally along the aortic axis from 139 to 64 kPa. These changes derived from the parameters in the nonlinear constitutive model agreed well with the changes in tissue structure. In addition, we showed that isotropic contribution, carried by elastic lamellae, to the total stress induced in the tissue decreases at higher stretch ratios, whereas anisotropic stress, carried by collagen fibres, increases. The constitutive models can be readily used to design computational models of tissue deformation during physiological loading cycles. The findings of this study extend the understanding of local mechanical properties that could lead to region-specific diagnostics and treatment of arterial diseases.
Transition from one- to two-dimensional development facilitates maintenance of multicellularity
Authors: Manjarrez-Casas Alejandra M. , Bagheri Homayoun C. , Dobay Akos
Published: September 2016

Filamentous organisms represent an example where incomplete separation after cell division underlies the development of multicellular formations. With a view to understanding the evolution of more complex multicellular structures, we explore the transition of multicellular growth from one to two dimensions. We develop a computational model to simulate multicellular development in populations where cells exhibit density-dependent division and death rates. In both the one- and two-dimensional contexts, multicellular formations go through a developmental cycle of growth and subsequent decay. However, the model shows that a transition to a higher dimension increases the size of multicellular formations and facilitates the maintenance of large cell clusters for significantly longer periods of time. We further show that the turnover rate for cell division and death scales with the number of iterations required to reach the stationary multicellular size at equilibrium. Although size and life cycles of multicellular organisms are affected by other environmental and genetic factors, the model presented here evaluates the extent to which the transition of multicellular growth from one to two dimensions contributes to the maintenance of multicellular structures during development.
Neuroplasticity of language in left-hemisphere stroke: evidence linking subsecond electrophysiology and structural connections
Authors: Piai Vitória , Meyer Lars , Dronkers Nina F. , Knight Robert T.
Published: September 2016

Our understanding of neuroplasticity following stroke is predominantly based on neuroimaging measures that cannot address the subsecond neurodynamics of impaired language processing. We combined behavioral and electrophysiological measures and structural-connectivity estimates to characterize neuroplasticity underlying successful compensation of language abilities after left-hemispheric stroke. We recorded the electroencephalogram from patients with stroke lesions to the left temporal lobe and matched controls during context-driven word retrieval. Participants heard lead-in sentences that either constrained the final word (“He locked the door with the”) or not (“She walked in here with the”). The last word was shown as a picture to be named. We conducted individual-participant analyses and focused on oscillatory power as a subsecond indicator of a brain region's functional neurophysiological computations. All participants named pictures faster following constrained than unconstrained sentences, except for two patients, who had extensive damage to the left temporal lobe. Left-lateralized alpha-beta oscillatory power decreased in controls pre-picture presentation for constrained relative to unconstrained contexts. In patients, the alpha-beta power decreases were observed with the same time course as in controls but were lateralized to the intact right hemisphere. The right lateralization depended on the probability of white-matter connections between the bilateral temporal lobes. The two patients who performed poorly behaviorally showed no alpha-beta power decreases. Our findings suggest that incorporating direct measures of neural activity into investigations of neuroplasticity can provide important neural markers to help predict language recovery, assess the progress of neurorehabilitation, and delineate targets for therapeutic neuromodulation.
Chromatin Landscapes and Genetic Risk For Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: Zhu Lisha , Jiang Kaiyu , Webber Karstin , Wong Laiping , Liu Tao , Chen Yanmin , Jarvis James N.
Published: September 2016

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is considered to be an autoimmune disease mediated by interactions between genes and the environment. To gain a better understanding of the cellular basis for genetic risk, we studied known JIA genetic risk loci, the majority of which are located in non-coding regions, in human neutrophils and CD4 primary T cells to identify genes and functional elements located within those risk loci. We analyzed RNA-Seq data, H3K27ac and H3K4me1 chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-Seq) data, and previously published chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET) data to characterize the chromatin landscapes within the know JIA-associated risk loci. In both neutrophils and primary CD4+ T cells, the majority of the JIA-associated LD blocks contained H3K27ac and/or H3K4me1 marks. These LD blocks were also binding sites for a small group of transcription factors, particularly in neutrophils. Furthermore, these regions showed abundant intronic and intergenic transcription in neutrophils. In neutrophils, none of the genes that were differentially expressed between untreated JIA patients and healthy children was located within the JIA risk LD blocks. In CD4+ T cells, multiple genes, including HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB2, TRAF1, and IRF1 were associated with the long-distance interacting regions within the LD regions as determined from ChIA-PET data. These findings suggest that aberrant transcriptional control is the underlying pathogenic mechanism in JIA. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate the challenges of identifying the actual causal variants within complex genomic/chromatin landscapes.
Quorum sensing integrates environmental cues, cell density and cell history to control bacterial competence
Authors: Moreno-Gámez Stefany , Sorg Robin A. , Domenech Arnau , Kjos Morten , Weissing Franz J. , van Doorn G. Sander , Veening Jan-Willem
Published: September 2016

Streptococcus pneumoniaebecomes competent for genetic transformation when exposed to an autoinducer peptide named CSP. This peptide was originally described as a quorum-sensing (QS) signal, enabling individual cells to regulate competence in response to population density. However, recent studies suggest that CSP may instead serve as a probe for sensing environmental cues, such as antibiotic stress or environmental diffusion. Here, we show that competence induction can be simultaneously influenced by cell density, external pH, antibiotic-induced stress and cell history. Our experimental data is explained by a mathematical model where the environment and cell history modify how cells produce or sense CSP. Taken together, model and experiments indicate that autoinducer concentration can function as an indicator of cell density across environmental conditions, while also incorporating information on environmental factors or cell history, allowing cells to integrate cues such as antibiotic stress into their QS response. This unifying perspective may apply to other debated QS systems.
Industrial relations (IR) changes in China: a foreign employer’s perspective
Authors: Chung Sun Wook
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Although studies on Chinese industrial relations (IR) have examined topics such as unionization and collective bargaining, little is known about employers’ reactions to recent IR changes. In particular, researchers have not thoroughly considered foreign employers’ labor relations strategies. Amidst this background, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a foreign employer perceives and responds to the recent IR changes in China.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted an exploratory, inductive study of the Chinese subsidiary of one multinational corporation. The data were collected through the author’s extensive fieldwork at its headquarters and Chinese subsidiary.

Findings

This paper shows that the union of a foreign firm in China serves three major functions – a collective voice, a monopoly, and an external affairs function – and that the firm’s interpretation of these functions has changed within China’s dynamic IR environment. Further, this paper finds that an employer has initiated its own compliance strategies, such as forming a friendly union, decoupling the union’s functions, de-collectivizing employment relations through effective HR practices and stricter policies, and scaling down in size to reduce administrative burden.

Originality/value

By introducing an employer perspective regarding recent IR changes, this paper provides a nuanced understanding of unionization and collective bargaining implementation in China. In addition, this paper identifies an emerging pattern of employer perception and response in China, highlighting unique features that have not been addressed in the existing literature on employers’ anti-union behavior. This study’s contributions also facilitate further research encompassing different contexts.
Discussing employability: current perspectives and key elements from a bioecological model
Authors: Llinares Insa Lucia Inmaculada , Zacarés González Juan Jose , Córdoba Iñesta Ana Isabel
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concept of employability. It reviews and systematizes the two main current perspectives about employability, the individual and the critical. The individual perspective is dominant and currently determines the term; its basic premise is that an individual is responsible for his/her socio-professional career. By contrast, the critical perspective deconstructs the former concept and analyzes its role in maintaining the status quo.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a review of literature about employability this paper analyses the different conceptions and the consequences of the assumption of each perspective nowadays.

Findings

This paper provides an analytical framework of all the key elements involved in the notion of employability based upon the bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 2006). This model offers a vision that encompasses the different explanatory elements of the employability concept.

Originality/value

The ultimate goal of this paper is to rekindle the debate on employability and to do so, it is necessary to explore the origins of the concept, the contexts it affects, who it benefits and, conversely, who it jeopardizes.
Definitive superparamagnetic source identification through spatial, temporal, and amplitude analysis of airborne electromagnetic data
Authors: Macnae James
Published: September 2016

The aim of this paper is to add confidence to existing methods using decay shape analysis to detect superparamagnetic responses in airborne electromagnetic data. While expensive to acquire, vertical spatial gradient measurements of the electromagnetic signals can discriminate near‐surface superparamagnetic sources. This research investigated the use of horizontal spatial gradients and amplitude information as further indicators of superparamagnetic. High horizontal gradients were shown both theoretically and in field data to help discriminate superparamagnetic from deep mineral targets. Further, superparamagnetic responses have characteristically small amplitudes inconsistent with realistic mineral exploration targets at shallow depths.
Effect of obesity on sperm retrieval outcome and reproductive hormone levels in Japanese azoospermic men with and without Klinefelter syndrome
Authors: Iwatsuki S. , Sasaki S. , Taguchi K. , Hamakawa T. , Mizuno K. , Okada A. , Kubota Y. , Umemoto Y. , Hayashi Y. , Yasui T.
Published: September 2016

Obesity is reported to have adverse effects on semen quality and the endocrine system. In this study, we evaluated the effect of obesity on sperm retrieval outcome and reproductive hormone levels in Japanese men with non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA). This study is based on the clinical records of 217 men [172 with a 46,XY karyotype, 45 with Klinefelter syndrome (KS)] with NOA who underwent microdissection testicular sperm extraction at Nagoya City University Hospital between January 2004 and December 2014. Body mass index (BMI) and serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), and total testosterone (TT) were measured in all patients. In a subset of patients, bioavailable testosterone (cBAT) also was calculated. Values were evaluated separately in patients with and without KS. Sperm retrieval rates (SRRs) in 46,XY men with a BMI <25 kg/m2 and ≥25 kg/m2 were 29.3% and 18.4%, respectively (p = 0.142), while SRRs in KS men with a BMI <25 kg/m2 and ≥25 kg/m2 were 25.0% and 35.3%, respectively (p = 0.460). TT level in men with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 was lower than that in men with a BMI <25 kg/m2, regardless of KS status. According to Pearson product‐moment correlation coefficients, TT and cBAT levels tended to have negative correlations with BMI; however, statistical significance was observed only for TT level in 46,XY men (r = 0.340, p < 0.001). LH and FSH levels were negatively correlated with BMI in KS men (r = −0.466, p = 0.001 and r = −0.647, p < 0.001, respectively), but not in 46,XY men. These results suggest that obesity may be irrelevant to sperm retrieval outcome in patients with NOA. The negative correlations between gonadotropins and BMI in patients with KS suggest an underlying suppressive effect on gonadotropin excretion, which is distinctive in obese patients with KS.
Evaluation of two assays for CXCL13 analysis in cerebrospinal fluid for laboratory diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis
Authors: Henningsson Anna J. , Gyllemark Paula , Lager Malin , Skogman Barbro Hedin , Tjernberg Ivar
Published: September 2016

We evaluated the diagnostic performance of two assays, one bead‐based assay and one enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for the determination of CXCL13 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with suspected Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB). Patients investigated for LNB were retrospectively included (n = 132): 35 with definite LNB, 8 with possible LNB with CSF pleocytosis but normal antibody index (AI), 6 with possible LNB with elevated AI but no CSF pleocytosis and 83 non‐LNB patients. CSF samples had been drawn before antibiotic treatment and were analysed for CXCL13 by Quantikine ELISA (R&D Systems) and recomBead (Mikrogen). Receiver operating characteristic analyses based on the definite LNB and non‐LNB groups revealed a best performance cut‐off of 56 pg/mL for Quantikine and 158 pg/mL for recomBead (sensitivity and specificity 100% for both assays). When applying these cut‐off levels on the study groups, the two assays performed equally well regarding sensitivity and specificity. In the group of patients with pleocytosis but negative AI, the majority of whom were children with short symptom duration, the CXCL13 analysis supported the LNB diagnosis in half of the cases. We consider CSF‐CXCL13 analysis a useful diagnostic tool, in addition to Borrelia‐specific AI, in laboratory diagnostics of LNB.
Absolute bioavailability and safety of a novel rivastigmine nasal spray in healthy elderly individuals
Authors: Morgan Timothy M. , Soh Bob
Published: September 2016

Aims

To test the feasibility of a novel rivastigmine nasal spray as prospective treatment for dementia.

Methods

A single dose, crossover absolute bioavailability and safety study was conducted with rivastigmine intravenous solution (1 mg) and nasal spray (3.126 mg) in eight healthy elderly individuals, aged 58–75 years.

Results

Absolute bioavailability (F) of the nasal spray was significant at 0.62 (0.15) for F > 0 (P < 0.001, n = 8). The systemic dose absorbed was 2.0 (0.6) mg, time to maximum plasma concentration was 1.1 (0.5) h and maximum plasma concentration was 6.9 (2.0) ng ml−1. The NAP226–90 to rivastigmine AUC0–∞ ratio was 0.78 (0.19). The single dose safety was good with two of five mild adverse events related to the nasal spray. Nasal and throat irritation were perceived as mild and transient, and both had resolved at 20 min post‐nasal dose. An estimated dose of two or three sprays twice‐daily with nasal spray would deliver comparable rivastigmine exposure and efficacy as a 6–9.7 mg day–1 oral dose and a 10 cm2 transdermal patch, respectively.

Conclusions

The rivastigmine nasal spray had superior absolute bioavailability compared to historical values for oral capsule and transdermal patch determined by other researchers. It had rapid onset of action, low NAP226–90 to rivastigmine exposure ratio and a favourable safety and tolerability profile. The ability to achieve adjustable, individual, twice‐daily dosing during waking hours has good potential to minimise undesirable cholinergic burden and sleep disturbances whilst delivering an effective dose for the treatment of dementia associated with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Isthmic‐vaginal cytological findings after a trachelectomy for early‐stage cervical cancer
Authors: Sonoda K. , Yahata H. , Okugawa K. , Kaneki E. , Nakatsuki K. , Naka M. , Terado N. , Ookubo F. , Oda Y. , Kaku T. , Kato K.
Published: September 2016

Cytological diagnosis after trachelectomy is challenging. Sharing information can help cytopathologists and gynecologic oncologists to acquire sufficient information and to provide patients with appropriate care.
3D fluid flow in fault zones of crystalline basement rocks (Poehla‐Tellerhaeuser Ore Field, Ore Mountains, Germany)
Authors: Achtziger‐Zupančič P. , Loew S. , Hiller A. , Mariethoz G.
Published: September 2016

A comprehensive dataset for discrete groundwater inflows to mines in the Poehla‐Tellerhaeuser Ore Field and the mining scale fault zones has been compiled from unpublished data recorded by eastern German and Soviet hydrogeologists at the Soviet‐German stock company (SDAG) Wismut. This dataset has been analyzed to provide novel insights into the 3D distribution of preferential groundwater pathways and the impacts of faulting on the distribution of hydraulic parameters in crystalline rocks at site scale. The sampled 1030 discrete inflows include flow rates ranging from 1.7E‐8 to 3.7E‐2 m3 sec−1, which were transformed into mesoscale fracture transmissivity values ranging between 3E‐13 and 2E‐4 m2 sec−1. These mesoscale fracture transmissivities were spatially correlated with fault zones exhibiting trace lengths between 0.3 and 30 km, which were mainly formed during and reactivated several times since Variscan orogeny. The statistical correlations are based on a 3D geological model composed of 14 litho‐stratigraphic units and 131 mining scale faults, separated into five main strike directions. These fault zones strongly overlap and cover about 90% of the investigated rock mass volume with a decreasing percentage of overlap in the investigated depth range (0–900 mbgs). 97% of all inflows are located within fault damage zones, and most of the flow occurs within the overlap of multiple fault damage zones. A dimensionless hydraulic model for the distribution of flow Q as a function of the position x within mining scale fault zones has been derived as Q = 1.1e−4.5x (where x decreases from the fault core to the protolith and the exponent varies as a function of fault orientation). 75–95% of the flow occurs within the inner 50% of the damage zone, and mainly NW‐SE and NE‐SW striking mining scale faults are transmissive. The orientations of conductive mesoscale fractures within these damage zones show a larger variability than the corresponding mining scale faults.
Time orientation and construal level: effects on eating and exercising behaviour and preferences
Authors: van Beek Jannette , Handgraaf Michel J.J. , Antonides Gerrit
Published: September 2016

Eating and exercising behaviour are both characterized by immediate and future consequences. Consequently, consideration of these consequences (i.e. time orientation) predicts eating and exercising behaviour. We investigate whether construal level acts as an underlying mechanism of these relations. Students (N = 101) completed measures of consideration of immediate and future consequences (i.e. CFC‐food and CFC‐exercise), construal level, eating and exercising behaviour and preferences. For self‐reported eating and exercising behaviour, only direct effects of consideration of immediate and future consequences were found. For eating preferences, however, there was evidence of an indirect effect through construal level. A stronger tendency to consider future consequences led to a stronger preference for utilitarian (as compared with hedonic) food products through a more abstract construal level. All in all, construal level partially explains the differential relations between consideration of immediate and future consequences and eating and exercising behaviour and preferences.
Is it ‘all about having an opinion’? Challenging the Dominance of Rationality and Cognition in Democratic Education via Research in a Gallery Setting
Authors: McDonnell Jane
Published: September 2016

This article reports on findings from a research study exploring the potential for democratic learning in a gallery education project which took place in the UK in 2006–7. In doing so, it also explores a pressing issue for education today: the question of young people's democratic education in a time of political crisis in Europe. The focus of the article lies in a critique of the primacy of rational thought, cognitive skills and verbal discussion within democratic education, and an exploration of the potential role of the arts and art education in challenging this. Specifically, the article argues that there has been an affective and corporeal deficit in democratic education, and that some forms of gallery education are well placed to address this. Although the data discussed derive from a particular time and place (the UK in the latter days of a government that rigorously pursued an agenda of social and economic inclusion through both education and cultural policy), they also have relevance beyond their immediate context, illuminating the nature and dynamics of the process of democratic learning, and its aesthetic and artistic dimensions.
Telocytes in pancreas of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus)
Authors: Zhang Hui , Yu Pengcheng , Zhong Shengwei , Ge Tingting , Peng Shasha , Guo Xiaoquan , Zhou Zuohong
Published: September 2016

Telocytes (TCs), novel interstitial cells, have been identified in various organs of many mammals. However, information about TCs of lower animals remains rare. Herein, pancreatic TCs of the Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus) were identified by CD34 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The IHC micrographs revealed CD34+ TCs with long telopodes (Tps) that were located in the interstitium of the pancreas. CD34+ TCs/Tps were frequently observed between exocrine acinar cells and were close to blood vessels. The TEM micrographs also showed the existence of TCs in the interstitium of the pancreas. TCs had distinctive ultrastructural features, such as one to three very long and thin Tps with podoms and podomers, caveolae, dichotomous branching, neighbouring exosomes and vesicles. The Tps and exosomes were found in close proximity to exocrine acinar cells and α cells. It is suggested that TCs may play a role in the regeneration of acinar cells and α cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrated the presence of TCs in the pancreas of the Chinese giant salamander. This finding will assist us in a better understanding of TCs functions in the amphibian pancreas.
The impact of rate heterogeneity on inference of phylogenetic models of trait evolution
Authors: Chira A. M. , Thomas G. H.
Published: September 2016

Rates of trait evolution are known to vary across phylogenies; however, standard evolutionary models assume a homogeneous process of trait change. These simple methods are widely applied in small‐scale phylogenetic studies, whereas models of rate heterogeneity are not, so the prevalence and patterns of potential rate variation in groups up to hundreds of species remain unclear. The extent to which trait evolution is modelled accurately on a given phylogeny is also largely unknown because studies typically lack absolute model fit tests. We investigated these issues by applying both rate‐static and variable‐rates methods on (i) body mass data for 88 avian clades of 10–318 species, and (ii) data simulated under a range of rate‐heterogeneity scenarios. Our results show that rate heterogeneity is present across small‐scaled avian clades, and consequently applying only standard single‐process models prompts inaccurate inferences about the generating evolutionary process. Specifically, these approaches underestimate rate variation, and systematically mislabel temporal trends in trait evolution. Conversely, variable‐rates approaches have superior relative fit (they are the best model) and absolute fit (they describe the data well). We show that rate changes such as single internal branch variations, rate decreases and early bursts are hard to detect, even by variable‐rates models. We also use recently developed absolute adequacy tests to highlight misleading conclusions based on relative fit alone (e.g. a consistent preference for constrained evolution when isolated terminal branch rate increases are present). This work highlights the potential for robust inferences about trait evolution when fitting flexible models in conjunction with tests for absolute model fit.