bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Torque and back-emf in hybrid excited claw pole generator
Authors: Wardach Marcin
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The paper aims to present the hybrid excited claw pole generator design, simulation and experimental results. The prototype has claw poles on two rotor sections, between which an excitation coil is located. The innovation of this machine is permanent magnets location on claws of one part of the rotor. The paper presents construction of the machine and analysis of the current in the excitation control coil influence on the electromagnetic torque, cogging torque and back-emf values. Presented studies enabled the determination of the torque and the back-emf for both: the strengthening and the weakening of magnetic field.

Design/methodology/approach

In the study, finite element analysis was used to perform simulation research. Then, based on the simulation studies, an experimental model was built. The paper also presents selected experimental results.

Findings

Achieved results show that the proposed machine topology allows to eliminate the disadvantages mentioned in paper, i.e. necessary to introduce special areas inside the machine to limit magnetic flux leakage or its complicated construction.

Research limitations/implications

The obtained cogging torque values and back-emf pulsation are still relatively high. In the near future, some of known techniques for reducing these pulsations can be applied, including the use of magnetic wedges, changing shapes of rotor’s poles and/or skewing of permanent magnets.

Practical implications

The proposed solution can be used in wind turbines as a generator.

Originality/value

The paper presents an original design of a new construction of a hybrid-excited claw pole machine and also an excitation current influence on cogging torque and back-emf values.
On defining and modeling context-awareness
Authors: Rodis Panteleimon
Published: August 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to present a methodology for defining and modeling context-awareness and describing efficiently the interactions between systems, applications and their context. Also, the relation of modern context-aware systems with distributed computation is investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

On this purpose, definitions of context and context-awareness are developed based on the theory of computation and especially on a computational model for interactive computation which extends the classical Turing Machine model. The computational model proposed here encloses interaction and networking capabilities for computational machines.

Findings

The definition of context presented here develops a mathematical framework for working with context. Also, the modeling approach of distributed computing enables us to build robust, scalable and detailed models for systems and application with context-aware capabilities. Also, it enables us to map the procedures that support context-aware operations providing detailed descriptions about the interactions of applications with their context and other external sources.

Practical implications

A case study of a cloud-based context-aware application is examined using the modeling methodology described in the paper so as to demonstrate the practical usage of the theoretical framework that is presented.

Originality/value

The originality on the framework presented here relies on the connection of context-awareness with the theory of computation and distributed computing.
Warehouse management system customization and information availability in 3pl companies
Authors: Baruffaldi Giulia , Accorsi Riccardo , Manzini Riccardo
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate an original decision-support tool (DST) that aids 3PL managers to decide on the proper warehouse management system (WMS) customization. The aim of this tool is to address to the three main issues affecting such decision: the cost of the information sharing, the scarce visibility of the client’s data and the uncertainty of quantifying the return from investing into a WMS feature.

Design/methodology/approach

The tool behaves as a digital twin of a WMS. In addition, it incorporates a set of WMS’s features based both on heuristics and optimization techniques and uses simulation to perform what-if multi-scenario analyses of alternative management scenarios. In order to validate the effectiveness of the tool, its application to a real-world 3PL warehouse operating in the sector of biomedical products is illustrated.

Findings

The results of a simulation campaign along an observation horizon of ten months demonstrate how the tool supports the comparison of alternative scenarios with theas-is, thereby suggesting the most suitable WMS customization to adopt.

Practical implications

The tool supports 3PL managers in enhancing the efficiency of the operations and the fulfilling of the required service level, which is increasingly challenging given the large inventory mix and the variable clients portfolio that 3PLs have to manage. Particularly, the choice of the WMS customization that better perform with each business can be problematic, given the scarce information visibility of the provider on the client’s processes.

Originality/value

To the author’s knowledge, this paper is among the first to address a still uncovered gap of the warehousing literature by illustrating a DST that exploits optimization and simulation techniques to quantify the impacts of the information availability on the warehousing operations performance. As a second novel contribution, this tool enables to create a digital twin of a WMS and foresee the evolution of the warehouse’s performance over time.
An empirical investigation on disclosure about mobile banking on bank websites
Authors: de Oliveira Malaquias Fernanda Francielle , Hwang Yujong
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of disclosure about mobile banking (MB) on bank websites.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample comprises Brazilian and American banks, and the authors employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the data. An index of 14 items was used to measure levels of disclosure. The quantitative stage involved descriptive analysis of disclosure levels, which was associated with other variables through the application of multivariate regression analysis. The qualitative stage involved a content analysis technique.

Findings

The statistical analysis indicated that size and country were significant explanatory variables for the level of information disclosed on bank websites. American banks disclosed more information about MB on their websites than Brazilian banks.

Originality/value

In the approach, using elements of voluntary disclosure theories, the authors expect to provide insights on how to increase MB information for potential users through a low-cost mechanism, web-based disclosure.
Enhancement of vibration characteristics in filament wound FRP composite shafts using nitinol wires
Authors: Murugesan Kannan , K. Kalaichelvan , Jenarthanan M.P. , T. Sornakumar
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of embedded Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) nitinol wire for the enhancement of vibration and damping characteristics of filament-wound fiber-reinforced plastic composite hollow shafts.

Design/methodology/approach

The plain Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) and plain Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) hollow shafts were manufactured by filament winding technique. Experimental modal analysis was conducted for plain hollow shafts of C1045 steel, GFRP and CFRP by subjecting them to flexural vibrations as per ASTM standard C747, with both ends clamped (C-C) end condition to investigate their vibration and damping behavior in terms of first natural frequency, damping time and damping ratio. Nitinol wires pre-stressed at various pre-strains (2, 4 and 6 per cent) were embedded with CFRP hollow shafts following same manufacturing technique, and similar experimental modal analysis was carried out by activating nitinol wires. The first natural frequencies of all the shaft materials were also predicted theoretically and compared with experimental measurements.

Findings

Among the three materials C1045 steel, plain GFRP and plain CFRP, the vibration and damping behavior were found to be the best for plain CFRP. Hence, CFRP shafts were considered for further improvement by embedding nitinol wires at pre-stressed condition. For CFRP shafts embedded with nitinol wires, the damping time decreased; and damping ratio and first natural frequency increased with increase in percentage of pre-strain. In comparison with plain CFRP, 7 per cent increase in first natural frequency and 100 per cent increase in damping ratio were observed for nitinol embedded CFRP shafts with 6 per cent pre-strain. Theoretical predictions of the first natural frequencies agree well with the experimental results for all the shaft materials.

Originality/value

The effect of nitinol on vibration and damping characteristics of filament wound hollow CFRP composite shafts with different pre-strains has not been studied extensively by the previous researchers. This paper addresses the effect of embedded nitinol wires pre-stressed at three varied pre-strains, that is, 2, 4 and 6 per cent on the vibration and damping characteristics of composite hollow CFRP shafts manufactured by filament winding technique.
Obese individuals are at increased risk of recurrence following open closure of midline incisional hernia using retromuscular repair
Authors: Stodolski Maciej , Zirngibl Hubert , Ambe Peter C.
Published: August 2018

Aim

Obesity is considered a risk factor for recurrence following hernia surgery. However, data on long‐term recurrence following open closure of midline incisional hernia in obese patients are scarce. The present study was designed to investigate the rate of long‐term recurrence in patients with obesity.

Patients and Methods

This was a single centre retrospective analysis. The outcomes of obese patients were compared with those of patients who were not obese. Outcomes included the duration of surgery, the rate of morbidity and the rate of recurrence. Retromuscular repair was used in all cases.

Results

The outcomes of 56 obese patients were compared to those of 59 patients who were not obese. No significant differences were seen among both groups with regard to the duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, rate of seroma formation, postoperative haematoma formation and surgical site infection. However, the rate of long‐term recurrence was significantly higher in obese patients (19.9 per cent vs 5.2 per cent, P = 0.04).

Conclusion

In our retrospective study, obese patients had an increased risk of long‐term recurrence following closure of midline incisional hernia with retromuscular repair.
A mini‐STR typing system for degraded equine DNA
Authors: Kun T. J. , Wictum E. J. , Penedo M. C. T.
Published: August 2018

Degraded biological samples are a challenge for testing laboratories. Genotyping success can be improved through the use of mini‐STRs, by which primers are placed adjacent to the repeat motifs to reduce amplicon size. Here, we present a genetic profiling system comprising 13 autosomal and one X‐linked dinucleotide‐repeat markers and the SRY gene based on the internationally accepted equine parentage panel. The markers are divided into two panels with all alleles falling at or below 182 bp. The application of this method significantly increases the ability to profile difficult samples and to provide discriminating results to clients.
Asinamali: Aspiration, debt and citizenship in South Africa's #FeesMustFall protests
Authors: Webb Christopher
Published: August 2018

South Africa's #FeesMustFall protests have widely been seen as a reckoning with the limitations of post‐apartheid citizenship and young people's frustrations over the slow pace of socio‐economic transformation. This paper seeks to analyse how working‐class students from one township community interpreted these protests. It argues that the protests reflected collective aspirations toward social mobility among working‐class students and concerns over the threat that high levels of future debt posed to this mobility. It contributes to geographical research on young people's experiences of debt by highlighting how the burden of debt intersects with experiences of racialised poverty and inequality. It suggests that young people's aspirations, even in the context of neoliberalism, frequently focused on collective social mobility and family well‐being. Finally, it proposes global comparative research on young people's experiences of debt and economic uncertainty in order to understand this increasingly globalised phenomenon and its political consequences.
Educational inclusion of students with rare diseases: Schooling students with spina bifida
Authors: Gaintza Zuriñe , Ozerinjauregi Nagore , Aróstegui Igone
Published: August 2018

Accessible Summary

We talked to students with spina bifida and their families about how to improve their schooling.

We identified five areas for improvement: accessibility, times of transition, personal attitude, educational response and coordinated work.

They told us that coordinated work between professionals is essential to facilitate their schooling.

Background

More and more voices have pointed out the need to improve the quality of life of people with rare diseases. Given the diversity of this group, we wanted to focus on the educational context for students with spina bifida (SB). The purpose was to analyse these people's experiences in the school context with the aim of fostering good practices resulting in higher quality education.

Methodology

It was conducted based on the qualitative methodology of focus groups to give a voice to students with SB and their families.

Results

We identified five areas for improvement: accessibility, times of transition, personal attitude, educational response and coordinated work.

Conclusions

The main conclusion was that the responsibility for educational needs lies not only with the teacher or the school. It is necessary to work together, not only on the part of professionals in the educational context, but also between professionals from different contexts (educational, medical and social) and between school and families.
Collaboration: The Politics of Working Together
Authors: Shuffelton Amy B.
Published: August 2018

“Collaboration” is frequently urged on students, who are praised for being “good collaborators.” Yet collaboration has two senses: a positive sense of autonomously undertaken joint endeavor, but also a sinister implication of treacherous cooperation with enemies. In this article, Amy Shuffelton probes the uses and misuses of collaboration as an educational aim. She engages Josiah Royce's Philosophy of Loyalty and John Dewey's The Public and Its Problems, as well as contemporary critiques of neoliberal workplace structures, to explore the loyalties that shape what we do and who we are. Education for democratic citizenship, Shuffelton concludes, demands that children be provided opportunities to undertake conjoint activities that go beyond the limitations of conventional school collaborations.
Teacher as Tragic Ironist
Authors: Hostetler Karl D.
Published: August 2018

In this article Karl Hostetler portrays teachers as tragic ironists whose existence is prone to “playful disruptions of the soul,” when the meaning and value of ideas pertinent to teaching — including “teaching” itself — become puzzling, prompting a reassessment and reinvigoration of those ideas. In developing his concept of tragic irony, Hostetler draws particularly on Jonathan Lear's A Case for Irony and the Greek tragedies Oedipus Tyrannus and Medea. According to Lear, the aim of irony is “to inject a certain form of not‐knowing into polis life.” Relatedly, Hostetler observes, a frequent theme in classical Greek tragedy is the misery that can result from purporting to “know.” Tragedy and irony, he argues, can be particularly powerful and unsettling avenues for introducing uncertainty. He further contends that teachers as tragic ironists maintain a measure of uncertainty about their craft, not only recognizing that they do not know everything, but sometimes questioning whether they know anything. In a culture that tends to valorize certainty, Hostetler concludes, this is an essential attitude in the practice of and discourse about education.
Losing my hand. Body ownership attenuation after virtual lesion of the primary motor cortex
Authors: Fossataro Carlotta , Bruno Valentina , Giurgola Serena , Bolognini Nadia , Garbarini Francesca
Published: August 2018

A fundamental component of the self‐awareness is the sensation that we are acting with our own body. Thus, a coherent sense of self implies the existence of a tight link between the sense of body ownership and the motor system. Here, we investigated this issue by taking advantage of a well‐known experimental manipulation of body ownership, i.e., the rubber hand illusion (RHI), during which the subjects perceive a fake hand as part of their own body. To test the effect of the motor system down‐regulation on the RHI susceptibility, we designed a sham‐controlled study, where the primary motor cortex (M1) excitability was modulated by off‐line low‐frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). After rTMS (real or sham), subjects underwent the RHI either on the right hand, contralateral to the inhibited hemisphere (Experiment 1), or on the left hand, ipsilateral to the inhibited hemisphere (Experiment 2). Only in Experiment 1, the procedure strengthened the illusory experience, as proved by a significant increase, in rTMS compared to Sham, of both subjective (Embodiment/Disembodiment Questionnaires) and objective (Proprioceptive Drift) RHI measures. This evidence demonstrates that, when the M1 activity is down‐regulated, the sense of body ownership is attenuated and the subjects become more prone to incorporate an alien body part. This, in turn, supports the existence of a mutual interaction between the sense of body ownership and the motor system, shedding new light on the construction of a coherent sense of self as an acting body.
Prevalence and pathogenesis of osteopenia and osteoporosis in epidermolysis bullosa: An evidence‐based review
Authors: Chen Jessica Szu‐Chia , Yang Anes , Murrell Dédée F.
Published: August 2018

Background

Osteopenia or osteoporosis is one of the many comorbidities in patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Current literature on the prevalence of osteoporosis in EB is scarce.

Objective

This review will analyse the current literature in the field of patients with compromised bone health in EB and any articles on the prevalence of such diseases in EB groups.

Methods

A systematic search for articles related to bone health and epidermolysis bullosa (EB) (1946‐2017) was performed on seven databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE and EBM, PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus and Web of Science. Search terms: epidermolysis bullosa, osteop*, bone mass, bone mineral*, fracture, dual X‐ray absorptiometry, vitamin D, calcium, nutrition, exercise and physical activity. Abstracts from all search results were screened, and reference scanning of the search results was performed. Eighty‐three articles met the selection criteria and were considered for review. Letters to the editor and abstract‐only articles were excluded. Articles were favoured based on citation count, impact factor of their journal and study sample size. The search included all languages.

Results

The searches yielded a total of 1309 articles including 717 duplicates. The remaining 592 articles were screened by title and abstracts. Eighty‐three full‐text articles were analysed. Twenty‐one articles directly relating to bone health in EB were included. Three descriptive studies and one case‐control study were found, indicating a need for research of larger scale.

Conclusion

Further investigations into osteoporosis in EB, especially the milder forms of EB, are valuable in providing evidence to support guideline developments for EB bone health management.
Feature selection in single and ensemble learning‐based bankruptcy prediction models
Authors: Lin Wei‐Chao , Lu Yu‐Hsin , Tsai Chih‐Fong
Published: August 2018

Feature selection is an important data preprocessing step for the construction of an effective bankruptcy prediction model. The prediction performance can be affected by the employed feature selection and classification techniques. However, there have been very few studies of bankruptcy prediction that identify the best combination of feature selection and classification techniques. In this study, two types of feature selection methods, including filter‐ and wrapper‐based methods, are considered, and two types of classification techniques, including statistical and machine learning techniques, are employed in the development of the prediction methods. In addition, bagging and boosting ensemble classifiers are also constructed for comparison. The experimental results based on three related datasets that contain different numbers of input features show that the genetic algorithm as the wrapper‐based feature selection method performs better than the filter‐based one by information gain. It is also shown that the lowest prediction error rates for the three datasets are provided by combining the genetic algorithm with the naïve Bayes and support vector machine classifiers without bagging and boosting.
Identification of stylo lines with potential to compose mixed pastures with higher productivity
Authors: de Assis Giselle M. L. , Beber Paulo M. , Miqueloni Daniela P. , Simeão Rosangela M.
Published: August 2018

Forage legumes from the genus Stylosanthes are frequently used as pasture cover crops with positive effects in controlling weeds, soil fertility and crop yield while providing livestock feed and additional income for farmers through seed production. Stylosanthes guianensis is native to South America and extensively grown worldwide. Therefore, efforts to improve this species may help the sustainability of livestock production in pasture areas managed with this legume. We evaluated 12 sister lines spread through seeds under clippings in the western Amazon region, Brazil. The results were analysed using the methodology of mixed models. Five sister lines mixed with the grass Brachiaria brizantha were evaluated under continuous grazing for two consecutive years. We estimated the genetic and phenotypic parameters of the forage legume and then identified and validated, under grazing, the sister lines most promising to be used in an area of the western Brazilian Amazon. Total dry‐matter yield, soil coverage, height before clipping, height after clipping and seed production showed low‐to‐moderate broad‐sense heritability (0.1–0.5), contrasting with reduced genetic variability for the characters associated with nutritive value. The S. guianensis lines had, on average, 278 g/kg of crude protein in the dry matter of the leaves and 200 g/kg in the stems, suggesting that the use of this species may help to overcome the low protein content of tropical pastures. There are promising stylo lines that can be used in mixed pastures in humid tropical regions.
Effects of selected processing treatments on antigenicity of banana prawn (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) tropomyosin
Authors: Faisal Md , Vasiljevic Todor , Donkor Osaana N.
Published: August 2018

Different processing techniques were assessed to attenuate the antigenicity of banana prawn tropomyosin (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis). Frying and boiling at different temperatures, acid treatment using different acids and storage at −20 °C up to 3 months were investigated. Untreated prawn sample was used as a control. Frying significantly increased antigenicity (6–8 times) in temperature‐dependent manner, whereas the trend was fundamentally reversed with boiling. Boiling at 121 °C resulted in the lowest antigenicity (12.99 mg mL−1) among all heat‐treated samples, yet higher than the control (5.06 mg mL−1). Freezing had initially very minor impact, although prolonged storage at −20 °C increased antigenicity slightly (2.29 mg mL−1) compared with control. Antigenicity was impacted the most by a reduction in pH independent on the type of acid as both acetic and HCl acids significantly reduced antigenicity of tropomyosin by ~90% compared with control. This could be considered as a new approach to processing that may potentially reduce tropomyosin‐derived antigenicity in prawns and prawn products. This study also confirmed the actual molecular weight of banana prawn tropomyosin was 37 kDa implementing a new methodology using unstained gel.
Polyphenolic composition, antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of wild and cultivated blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L.) pomace
Authors: Jazić Miodrag , Kukrić Zoran , Vulić Jelena , Četojević‐Simin Dragana
Published: August 2018

The content of total polyphenolics, antioxidative capacity and antiproliferative activity were tested in wild and cultivated blackberry pomace. Wild blackberry pomace extract Tw2 showed the highest following contents: total polyphenolics (50.16 mg GAE g−1 dw), flavonoids (7.73 mg Qc g−1 dw), flavonols (6.63 mg Qc g−1 dw) and total monomeric anthocyanins (13.40 mg Cy g−1). Tw2 extract significantly inhibited free radicals: IC50DPPH = 127.76 μg mL−1, IC50ABTS = 26.53 μg mL−1 and IC50˙OH = 168.62 μg mL−1, and the growth of breast adenocarcinoma IC50MCF7 = 306.68 μg mL−1 and cervix epitheloid carcinoma cell lines IC50HeLa = 315.49 μg mL−1. Wild blackberry varieties had higher extraction yields, higher total polyphenolic contents and possessed stronger biological effects compared to cultivated blackberries (P < 0.05). All blackberry extracts showed high biological potential that could be attributed to high total polyphenols and flavonoids content and could be utilised as value‐added functional food.
Virtual reality and situated experiential education: A conceptualization and exploratory trial
Authors: Schott Christian , Marshall Stephen
Published: August 2018

Virtual reality is widely recognized as offering the potential for fully immersive environments. This paper introduces a framework that guides the creation and analysis of immersive environments that are pedagogically structured to support situated and experiential education. The “situated experiential education environment” framework described in this paper is used to examine the impact that a virtual environment can have on the user experience of participants in a virtual space. The analysis of a virtual environment implemented to support learner exploration of issues of tourism development and the related impacts, suggest that this type of experience is capable of providing participants with a holistic experience of real‐world environments that are otherwise too expensive, impractical, or unethical for large groups of people to visit in person. The pedagogical value of such experiences is enabled through immersion in a reality‐based environment, engagement with complex and ambiguous situations and information, and interaction with the space, other students, and teachers. The results demonstrate that complex immersive learning environments are readily achievable but that high levels of interactivity remain a challenge.
The effect of web‐based education on the self‐confidence and anxiety levels of paediatric nursing interns in the clinical decision‐making process
Authors: Bektaş İlknur , Yardımcı Figen
Published: August 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of web‐based teaching on paediatric nursing internship students' self‐confidence and anxiety levels in the clinical decision‐making process. The study sample consisted of 61 students who received internship training in the Pediatric Nursing department. There were 30 students in the control group and 31 students in the experimental group. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form, and nursing anxiety and self‐confidence levels were measured using a clinical decision‐making scale. The data were analysed using a t test, a Mann‐Whitney U test, a correlation analysis, and a regression analysis, along with power and effect size. The self‐confidence scores of the experimental group were higher than the scores of the control group (p < 0.05), and the anxiety scores of the experimental group were lower than the scores of the control group (p < 0.05). The web‐based training program accounted for 17.8% of the change in self‐confidence and 12.8% of the change in anxiety level. Therefore, the web‐based training program was effective in increasing nursing students' self‐confidence levels and decreasing their anxiety levels in the clinical decision‐making process.
Transcription factor ATF3 mediates the radioresistance of breast cancer
Authors: Zhao Wenyan , Sun Ming , Li Shuqiang , Chen Zhaofu , Geng Donghua
Published: August 2018

This study was designed to research the influence of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) on the radioresistance of breast cancer. ATF3 expression was measured by qRT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry. Cancerous cell lines were cultured in vitro, and the expression of ATF3 was gauged by both qRT‐PCR and Western blot before and after the radiation therapy. Cellular cycle and apoptosis were analysed by flow cytometry. Changes in the expression of corresponding proteins in the downstream pathways were identified by Western blot. Tumour xenograft was used to evaluate the effect of ATF3 in vivo. ATF3 was observed stronger in breast cancer tissues and cells. After radiation therapy, the expression of ATF3 in breast cancer cells was up‐regulated. Silencing ATF3 could promote G2/M phase block, facilitate cell apoptosis and decrease clonogenic survival rate. The overexpression of ATF3 could curb G2/M‐phase block, cell apoptosis and increase clonogenic survival rate. Overexpression ATF3 could increase radioresistance by up‐regulating the level of phosphorylation of Akt in the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. Radioresistance of breast cancer cells could be alleviated by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. ATF3 could also promote radioresistance in vivo. ATF3 gene was able to promote radioresistance of breast cancer cells.
Retracted: Epigenetic silenced miR‐125a‐5p could be self‐activated through targeting Suv39H1 in gastric cancer
Authors: Cai Mingzhi , Chen Qiuxian , Shen Juntao , Lv Chenbing , Cai Lisheng
Published: August 2018

Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) serve an important role in tumorigenesis and development. Although the low expression of miR‐125a‐5p in gastric cancer has been reported, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the current study, the low expression of miR‐125a‐5p in gastric cancer was verified in paired cancer tissues and adjacent non‐tumour tissues. Furthermore, the GC islands in the miR‐125a‐5p region were hypermethylated in the tumour tissues. And the hypermethylation was negatively correlated with the miR‐125a‐5p expression. Target gene screening showed that the histone methyltransferase Suv39H1 was one of the potential target genes. In vitro studies showed that miR‐125a‐5p could directly suppress the Suv39H1 expression and decrease the H3K9me3 levels. On the other hand, the Suv39H1 could induce demethylation of miR‐125a‐5p, resulting in re‐activation of miR‐125a‐5p. What is more, overexpessing miR‐125a‐5p could also self‐activate the silenced miR‐125a‐5p in gastric cancer cells, which suppressed cell migration, invasion and proliferation in vitro and inhibited cancer progression in vivo. Thus, we uncovered here that the epigenetic silenced miR‐125a‐5p could be self‐activated through targeting Suv39H1 in gastric cancer, suggesting that miR‐125a‐5p might be not only the potential prognostic value as a tumour biomarker but also potential therapeutic targets in gastric cancer.
Material Recycling and the Myth of Landfill Diversion
Authors: Zink Trevor , Geyer Roland
Published: August 2018

Proponents of material recycling typically point to two environmental benefits: disposal (landfill/incinerator) reduction and primary production displacement. However, in this paper we mathematically demonstrate that, without displacement, recycling can delay but not prevent any existing end‐of‐life material from reaching final disposal. The only way to reduce the amount of material ultimately landfilled or incinerated is to produce less in the first place; material that is not made needs not be disposed. Recycling has the potential to reduce the amount of material reaching end of life solely by reducing primary production. Therefore, the “dual benefits” of recycling are in fact one, and the environmental benefit of material recycling rests in its potential to displace primary production. However, displacement of primary production from increased recycling is driven by market forces and is not guaranteed. Improperly assuming all recycled material avoids disposal underestimates the environmental impacts of the product system. We show that the potential magnitude of this error is substantial, though for inert recyclables it is lower than the error introduced by improperly assuming all recycled material displaces primary material production. We argue that life cycle assessment end‐of‐life models need to be updated so as not to overstate the benefits of recycling. Furthermore, scholars and policy makers should focus on finding and implementing ways to increase the displacement potential of recyclable materials rather than focusing on disposal diversion targets.
Bone cortical compactness in ‘tree sloths’ reflects convergent evolution
Authors: Montañez‐Rivera Irene , Nyakatura John A. , Amson Eli
Published: August 2018

Bone remodeling, one of the main processes that regulate bone microstructure, consists of bone resorption followed by the deposition of secondary bone at the same location. Remodeling intensity varies among taxa, but a characteristically compact cortex is ubiquitous in the long bones of mature terrestrial mammals. A previous analysis found that cortical bone in a few ‘tree sloth’ (Bradypus and Choloepus) specimens is heavily remodeled and characterized by numerous immature secondary osteons, suggesting that these animals were remodeling their bones at high rate until late in their ontogeny. This study aims at testing if this remodeling is generally present in ‘tree sloths’, using a quantitative analysis of the humeral cortical compactness (CC) among xenarthrans. The results of the investigation of humeral diaphyseal cross‐sections of 26 specimens belonging to 10 xenarthran species including specimens from both extinct and extant species indicate that in ‘tree sloths’ the CC is significantly lower than in the other sampled xenarthrans. No significant difference was found between the CC of the two genera of ‘tree sloths’. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the cortical bone of ‘tree sloths’ in general undergoes intense and balanced remodeling that is maintained until late (possibly throughout) in their ontogeny. In the light of xenarthran phylogeny, low CC represents another convergence between the long‐separated ‘tree sloth’ lineages. Although the exact structural and/or functional demands that are associated with this trait are hitherto unknown, several hypotheses are suggested here, including a relationship to their relatively low metabolism and to the mechanical demands imposed upon the bones by the suspensory posture and locomotion, which was independently acquired by the two genera of ‘tree sloths’.
Role of the Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in the Cognitive Process of Matching Between Action and Visual Feedback
Authors: Shibata Hiroshi , Onuma Takuya , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Penwannakul Yuwadee , Sakai Nobuyuki
Published: August 2018

In this functional near‐infrared spectroscopy study, we measured brain activity during the recognition of congruence between one's action and its visual feedback (vFB) in an experimental environment with few spatial limitations. We manipulated (a) action–category congruence, during which participants performed either a precision grip or a full grip on an object and observed the picture of either a precision grip or a full grip as vFB; and (b) spatial–position congruence, during which participants’ actions were performed either on an object located in the front (i.e., a vFB presented on a monitor spatially overlapping the participant's hand) or to the right (spatially non‐overlapped). There was a significant increase in oxy‐hemoglobin concentration in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the category‐match condition compared with the category‐mismatch condition. However, no significant effect related to the spatial position was found. The results suggest that right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity is modulated by cognitive processes associated with the matching of the action category between one's action and its vFB in natural environments with few spatial limitations.
Use of agroecosystem matrix habitats by mammalian carnivores (Carnivora): a global‐scale analysis
Authors: Ferreira Aluane S. , Peres Carlos A. , Bogoni Juliano André , Cassano Camila Righetto
Published: August 2018

Less than a quarter of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems remain intact. Protected areas (PAs) are far exceeded in area by natural habitats that have been transformed for agriculture, and PAs are too small to safeguard viable wildlife populations. It is therefore imperative to understand the use of agricultural matrix habitats by native wildlife.

In this study we seek to understand how the world's mammalian carnivore species (order Carnivora) use agricultural land. We assessed relationships between agroecosystem type, carnivore species traits and conservation status, and carnivore occurrence at agricultural sites, investigated the prevalent human–carnivore conflicts in anthropogenic landscapes, and identified knowledge gaps.

We reviewed 129 studies reporting agroecosystem use by native carnivores to understand which agroecosystem types are used by different species, and which factors may affect their occurrence in these habitats.

We uncovered records of 97 wild and two domesticated carnivore species within 41 types of crop in temperate and tropical regions that we classified into four agroecosystem types (agroforestry, tree plantations, perennial cropland, and annual cropland).

Non‐threatened carnivore species were more likely to use agricultural ecosystems than threatened species. Adult body mass, energetic trophic level, and locomotion mode were significant predictors of carnivore occupancy in agricultural lands.

Our results depict a globally consistent pattern, in which the use of agroecosystem landscapes by mammalian carnivores is related to both species traits and habitat quality. We emphasise the rarity of threatened carnivore and apex predator species in agroecosystems, which strengthens the paramount importance of retaining native habitat within agricultural landscapes. Understanding the role of agricultural habitat matrices, the influence of management intensification, and the threshold areas of native habitats within anthropogenic landscapes are essential for prescribing ways to prevent further erosion of the world's carnivores in human‐modified landscapes.
Local Labour Markets and Theft: New Evidence from Canada
Authors: Summerfield Fraser
Published: August 2018

This paper provides causal evidence that labour market opportunities affect theft‐related crime rates in Canada. Synthetic panel data from 2007–2011 combine the Labour Force Survey and Uniform Crime Reports microdata. Low‐skill unemployment rates and corresponding crime rates are measured for age‐city‐specific groups of young males. IV estimates exploit the exposure of low‐skill employment to exogenous demand for exports to the US. Causal estimates of the elasticity of theft‐related crimes with respect to low‐skill unemployment range from 0.357 to 0.654. The use of aggregated unemployment rates appears to bias OLS estimates downward. IV estimates are found to mitigate this aggregation bias.
Cross‐ecosystem effects of a large terrestrial herbivore on stream ecosystem functioning
Authors: MacSween Jessica , Leroux Shawn J. , Oakes Ken D.
Published: August 2018

Large terrestrial consumers have direct and indirect effects on forest ecosystem function, but few studies have investigated the impacts of terrestrial consumers on freshwater ecosystems. In the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia, browsing by hyper‐abundant moose following a spruce budworm outbreak has transformed boreal forest into grasslands. We conducted a field study to investigate the potential for cross‐ecosystem effects of hyper‐abundant moose following budworm outbreak on small boreal stream ecosystem structure and function. With our field study, we tested the prediction that watersheds with higher levels of moose‐mediated grasslands in their sub‐basin would have higher stream temperatures, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity, periphyton biomass and macroinvertebrate abundances. While our data supported several of our predictions pertaining to moose impacts on the abiotic variables (i.e. temperature range, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity) we found evidence of variable moose impacts on the benthic community. Specifically, we observed lower relative abundance of predatory invertebrates in streams with high moose impacts compared to streams with low moose impacts in their watersheds but no evidence of moose impacts on the relative abundance of shredders, filterers, gatherers, and grazers. This empirical study fills a key gap in our understanding of spatial ecosystem ecology by providing insight into the effects of large terrestrial consumers across ecosystem boundaries with potential implications for landscape‐scale management of hyper‐abundant ungulates. Given the broad availability and improvement in remote sensing technology, the novel integration of remote sensing and field studies employed here may provide a roadmap for future studies of meta‐ecosystem dynamics.
Employer engagement in active labour market programmes: The role of boundary spanners
Authors: Ingold Jo
Published: August 2018

The involvement (or engagement) of employers is critical to the success and effectiveness of active labour market programmes (ALMPs), yet little is known about how street‐level organizations (SLOs) delivering them interact with employers. This article draws on interviews with ‘employer engagement’ staff in SLOs contracted to deliver the UK's principal ALMP, the ‘Work Programme’. Conceptualizing these staff as ‘boundary spanners’ who operated both within SLOs and at the physical boundaries between SLOs and employers, the study found that their day‐to‐day work involved three key types of activities. First, initial business‐to‐business ‘sales’ approaches to employers; second, a complex process of matching of clients to employers’ requirements through intra‐organizational interactions; third, the building and maintenance of trusting inter‐organizational relationships with employers. The strategies and tensions revealed emphasize the under explored, but critical, role of inter‐personal dynamics, both within and at the boundary of SLOs, in the aim of assisting people into employment.
Progress to publication of survey research presented at anesthesiology society meetings
Authors: Geyer Emily D. , Tumin Dmitry , Miller Rebecca , Cartabuke Richard S. , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: August 2018

Background

Understanding how survey methodology and quality measures are associated with progress from abstract presentation to manuscript publication can help optimize the design of survey research in anesthesiology, and enhance respondents’ confidence in the value of survey participation.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine if adherence to survey method recommendations and attainment of high response rates are associated with faster progress to publication among abstracts initially presented at anesthesiology society meetings.

Methods

Abstracts from the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) Annual Meeting, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) Annual Congress, and the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS) Annual Meeting from 2011‐2014 were reviewed. Abstracts reporting original survey data collection were included in a systematic search for resulting publications in peer‐reviewed academic journals. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze progress to publication.

Result

Ninety‐nine ASA, 76 AAGBI, and 30 IARS abstracts met inclusion criteria. Among these abstracts, 43 (43%) from ASA, none from AAGBI, and 7 (23%) from IARS have been published as original research articles or brief reports. Surveying patients or caregivers, as opposed to medical professionals, was associated with increased likelihood of publication (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6, 12.4, P = 0.005) as was a larger sample size (eg, >500 vs <100; HR = 12.9, 95% CI: 3.8, 43.6, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

While abstract presentation facilitates rapid dissemination of survey research findings, the impact and utility of such studies may be limited until a full manuscript is published. In our review, 25% of abstracts presenting survey data at major anesthesiology meetings were eventually published. Larger sample sizes and a target population of patients or caregivers increased the likelihood of survey research being published in full form.
Seroprevalence and risk factors for Toxocara infection among children in a rural community in Fars province, southern Iran
Authors: Sarkari Bahador , Alirezaei Roya , Layegh Gigloo Akram , Rezaei Zahra , Mikaeili Fataneh , Bahreini Mohammad Saleh , Fararouei Mohammad
Published: August 2018

The current study was performed to find out the seroprevalence of Toxocara infection in children living in a rural community in Fars province, southern Iran. Venous blood was taken from 617 children and evaluated for anti‐Toxocara antibodies, using an ELISA system. Of the 617 studied children, 318 (51.5%) were boys and 299 (48.5%) were girls. Mean age of the participants was 9.2 (±10.7) years. Most cases of the recruited subjects (37.4%) were in the age group of 0‐5 years. Anti‐Toxocara antibodies were detected in sera of 39 (6.3%) of children. From these, 23 (62.2%) were boys and 14 (37.8%) were girls. The infection rate was almost the same in different age groups. No statistically significant differences were seen between seropositivity to Toxocara infection and gender or age of the participants. Dogs or cats ownership was not associated with Toxocara seropositivity. The adjusted associations of the study variables suggested that the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) seropositivity is significantly associated with the seroprevalence of Toxocara infection (P < 0.001). Findings of the current study revealed that Toxocara infection is a common infection among children in the studied rural community in Iran. Preventive measurements are necessary to minimize the rate of Toxocara infection in children in such communities.
A Network Perspective of Organizational Innovation
Authors: Dahlin Eric
Published: August 2018

Current explanations undertheorize success across the broad stages of innovation, which include product invention, development, implementation, and success. While existing scholarship typically examines one, sometimes two, of these stages, innovation must be viewed more broadly with success resulting from the involvement of a wide range of actors including the firm, alliance partner, and overall network. In this article, I apply a network perspective to explain success across these stages. The argument I develop is that different types of networks are more relevant to certain stages of innovation. Network activity that increases from lower to higher levels of analysis is associated with success across the stages of innovation. Specifically, firm inventors influence product invention, successful product development and implementation are associated with dyadic‐level relationships between strategic alliance partners, and product success is impacted by a firm's central location in its entire network of strategic alliances. Results from regression models provide broad support for network approach advocated in this article.