bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of harmonic balance method to aerodynamic characteristics prediction of spinning vehicle
Authors: Lu Tianyu , Lei Juanmian , Wu Xiaosheng , Yin Jintao
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ability of the harmonic balance method for predicting the aerodynamic characteristics of rigid finned spinning vehicle.

Design/methodology/approach

The aerodynamic characteristics of a rigid four-finned spinning vehicle at Mach number 2.5 and angle of attack of 20 degrees are simulated using the harmonic balance method and the unsteady time-accurate approach based on the dual-time method. The numerical results are analyzed, and the computed aerodynamic coefficients of the harmonic balance method are compared with those of the dual-time method. The influence of the number of harmonics is presented. The computed Magnus force and moment coefficients are compared with the experimental data. The flow fields at different roll angles are presented. The computational efficiency of harmonic balance method is analyzed.

Findings

The results show that the aerodynamic coefficients of spinning vehicle could be predicted by the harmonic balance method with reasonable accuracy compared with the dual-time method. For the harmonic balance method, the accuracy of the computed leeward side flow is relatively poor compared with that of the computed windward side flow. Meanwhile, the computational efficiency is influenced by initial guess and the intensity of unsteady effect.

Practical implications

The harmonic balance method could be used for the aerodynamic prediction of spinning vehicle, which may improve the efficiency of vehicle design.

Originality/value

This paper presents the results of the harmonic balance method for simulating the aerodynamic characteristics of finned spinning vehicle. The accuracy and efficiency of the method are analyzed.
Cycle optimization of the staged combustion rocket engines
Authors: Ramesh Davood , Karimi M. Hasan , Shahheidari Massoud
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce new and modified “staged combustion” cycles in the form of engineering algorithm as a possible propulsion contender for future aerospace vehicle to achieve the highest possible “total impulse” to “mass” of propulsion system.

Design/methodology/approach

In this regard, the mathematical cycle model is formed to calculate the engine’s parameters. In addition, flow conditions (pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc). in the chamber, nozzle and turbopump are assessed based on the results of turbo machinery power balance and initial data such as thrust, propellant mixture ratio and specifications. The developed code has been written in the modern, object-oriented C++ programming language.

Findings

The results of the developed code are compared with the Russian RD180 engine which demonstrates the superiority and capability of new “thermodynamic diagrams”.

Research limitations/implications

This algorithm is under constraint to control the critical variation of combustion pressure, turbine rpm, pump cavitation and turbine temperature. It is imperative to emphasize that this paper is limited to “oxidizer-rich staged combustion” engines with “single pre-burner”.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on using fuel booster turbopump and the second-stage fuel pump to moderate the effect of cavitation on pumps which reduces tank pressure and, as a consequence, decreases the propulsion system weight.
“We’re all in this together”? The search for collective belonging in a globalised single industry town
Authors: Hurd Fiona , Dyer Suzette
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Communities of work are a phenomenon closely associated with government social and industrial policy, and can be tracked in contemporary examples globally alongside industrial development. The purpose of this paper is to explore community identity within a town which was previously single industry, but has since experienced workforce reduction and to a large degree, industry withdrawal.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an inductive approach, the researchers interviewed 32 participants who had resided (past or present) within the instrumental case study town. A thematic analytical framework, drawing on the work of Boje (2007) was employed.

Findings

A significant theme to emerge from the participants was the public assertion of social cohesion and belonging. However, what was interesting, was that beneath this unified exterior, lay accounts of multiple forms of demarcation. Drawing on Benedict Anderson’s (1983) notion of the imagined community, and Bauman’s (2001) identity in globalisation, this contradiction is conceptualised as boundary-making moments of identification and disidentification.

Research limitations/implications

This research is specific to the New Zealand context, although holds many points of interest for the wider international audience. The research provides a broad example of the layering of the collective and individual levels of identity.

Social implications

This research provides a voice to the wider individual, community and societal implications of managerial practices entwined with political decisions. This research encourages managers and educators in our business schools to seek to understand the relationship between the political, corporate, community and individual realms.

Originality/value

This research makes a significant contribution to understandings of the interconnectedness of social policy, industry, and the lived experiences of individuals. Moreover, it contributes to the broader single industry town literature, which previously has focussed on stories of decline from a North American context.
Befriending and Re-ablement Service: a better alternative in an age of austerity
Authors: McGoldrick Chris , Barrett Giles Andrew , Cook Ian
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share the findings of a research evaluation into a Befriending and Re-ablement Service (BARS) which offers a host of positive outcomes such as reduced loneliness and keeping as well as possible for a growing segment of the world’s population. The recent increase in longevity is one of humanity’s great success stories. But ageing comes at a price, and decision takers worry about the stresses and strains of an ageing society.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a literature review, this paper presents the findings of an evaluation of an alternative innovative form of support for older people, namely BARS, that has been developed on Merseyside. Semi- and unstructured interviews were carried out with stakeholders including service users and carers. A cost-benefit analysis is also reported. Finally the theoretical and policy implications of this research are explored.

Findings

Befriending and re-ablement officers is both a socially and economically cost effective means of enhancing independent living among older people, reducing loneliness and isolation that can contribute to ill health. The research shows that funding for the BARS scheme should be sustained and expanded, despite or because of the current era of cutbacks in UK and international service provision.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the value, role and importance of both befriending and re-ablement in a time of acute public and voluntary sector funding pressures. The paper is of value to a range of stakeholder groups such as older people, local and central governments and health care commissioners.
Training frontline community agency staff in dialectical behaviour therapy: building capacity to meet the mental health needs of street-involved youth
Authors: McCay Elizabeth , Carter Celina , Aiello Andria , Quesnel Susan , Howes Carol , Beanlands Heather , Langley John , MacLaurin Bruce , Hwang Steven , Cooper Linda , Lord Christina
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) training which was provided to community agency staff (N=18) implementing DBT in the community with street-involved youth.

Design/methodology/approach

Staff participated in a multi-component approach to training which consisted of webinars, online training, self-study manuals, and ongoing peer consultation. To evaluate assess the effectiveness of the training, questionnaires assessing evaluating DBT skills knowledge, behavioral anticipation and confidence, and DBT skills use, were completed at baseline, immediately post-training, four to six months post-training, and 12-16 months post-training. Additionally, the mental health outcomes for youth receiving the DBT intervention are reported to support the effectiveness of the training outcomes.

Findings

Results demonstrate that the DBT skills, knowledge, and confidence of community agency staff improved significantly from pre to post-training and that knowledge and confidence were sustained over time. Additionally, the training was clinically effective as demonstrated by the significant improvement in mental health outcomes for street-involved youth participating in the intervention.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that this evidence-based intervention can be taught to a range of staff working in community service agencies providing care to street-involved youth and that the intervention can be delivered effectively.

Originality/value

These findings help to close the knowledge-practice gap between evidence-based treatment (EBT) research and practice while promoting the implementation of EBT in the community to enhance positive youth outcomes.
A scientometric review of hotspots and emerging trends in additive manufacturing
Authors: Jin Yuran , Ji Shoufeng , Li Xin , Yu Jiangnan
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Additive manufacturing has achieved rapid development in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to visualize the intellectual landscapes of additive manufacturing and identify the hotspots and emerging trends of additive manufacturing, which can provide references for scholars, enterprises and governments to promote the development of theory and practice in the additive manufacturing field.

Design/methodology/approach

Science mapping is a fast-growing interdisciplinary field originated in information science and technology. Based on this methodology, guided by a computational approach, the paper visualizes the co-occurring keywords network and co-citation references network by CiteSpaceIII software to explore the hotspots and emerging trends of additive manufacturing by the following five indicators: highly cited keywords, burst keywords, clusters, landmark references and burst references.

Findings

“Additive manufacturing,” “3D printing,” “3D powder printing,” “consolidation phenomena,” “microstructure,” “rapid prototyping,” etc., are the main hotspots of additive manufacturing. The trends of additive manufacturing generally consist of three stages: the fundamental concepts stage from 1995 to 2000 (“rapid prototyping,” “additive manufacturing,” etc.), the approaches and techniques applications stage from 2001 to 2010 (“stereolithography,” “scaffold,” etc.), and the emerging trends stage from 2011 to the present (“stem cell”, “selective laser,” “ti-6al-4v,” etc.). The research is most abundant in 2010 and 2012. The medical field is an important hotspot of additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has been researched in interdiscipline.

Originality/value

The paper maps the perspective of additive manufacturing and explore the hotspots and emerging trends of additive manufacturing.
The impact of global financial market uncertainty on the risk-return relation in the stock markets of G7 countries
Authors: Loudon Geoffrey
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effect of global financial market uncertainty on the relation between risk and return in G7 stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Market uncertainty is quantified using a probability-based measure derived from a regime-switching model in which the state transition probabilities are time-varying in response to leading economic indicators. Time variation in the risk return relation is estimated using a GARCH-M model.

Findings

While the regime-switching model successfully distinguishes between crisis and normal states, there remains substantial variability through time in the level of uncertainty about which state prevails. Results show that a strong negative relation exists between this uncertainty and the reward-to-variability ratio across all G7 stock markets. This finding is qualitatively consistent at both monthly and weekly horizons.

Originality/value

Extant evidence on the risk-return relation is conflicting. Most papers assume the relation is time constant. Allowing the reward-to-variability ratio to vary through time in response to return regime uncertainty increases the understanding of asset pricing. It also has important implications for asset allocation decisions by investors.
Credit ratings, relationship lending and loan market efficiency
Authors: Bauer Keldon , Esqueda Omar A.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Using the small-business loan market, this paper aims to test whether a structural shift in access to borrowers’ financial information (i.e. credit ratings) improves market efficiency, thereby improving entrepreneurs’ access to external capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses the National Survey of Small Business Finance in a conditional logistic regression framework to tease out the marginal propensity to grant lines of credit given the firm’s credit rating – treating both of the events, namely, line of credit and credit ratings, as endogenous variables. This methodology overcomes potential reverse causality issues.

Findings

The results show that information brokers have allowed small firms to break away from long-term monopolistic lending relationships, thus contributing to more informationally efficient markets. Small businesses benefit from better-informed lenders by having better access to capital. Also, women appear less likely to receive a line of credit even after adjusting for credit ratings.

Practical implications

This research highlights the importance of credit report awareness/monitoring by entrepreneurs, as the small-business credit rating grows rapidly. Relationship lending is not enough to reach optimal financing costs. These papers call for more regulated credit ratings industry to reduce potential moral hazards.

Originality/value

This paper tests whether bank lending relationships (soft information) still matter after accounting for credit ratings (hard information). Additionally, this study measures the extent to which information sharing by data services bureaus, a proxy for informational efficiency, has increased allocation efficiency in the small-business loan market.
Differential responses by stream and riparian biodiversity to in‐stream restoration of forestry‐impacted streams
Authors: Turunen Jarno , Aroviita Jukka , Marttila Hannu , Louhi Pauliina , Laamanen Tiina , Tolkkinen Mikko , Luhta Pirkko‐Liisa , Kløve Bjørn , Muotka Timo
Published: March 2017

Forestry can have detrimental impacts on stream ecosystems, particularly via excessive sedimentation. A key challenge to stream management is therefore to identify the best restoration practices to mitigate the harmful impacts of fine sediments on stream biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

We studied the effects of restoration of sediment‐impacted headwater streams on the habitat structure, hydrologic retention, biodiversity (microbes, bryophytes, benthic macroinvertebrates, riparian plants) and ecosystem functions (periphyton accrual rate and leaf breakdown) by comparing four treatments: wood‐restored, boulder‐restored, impacted (by fine sediments) and near‐natural streams. The restored streams were sampled 3–7 years post‐restoration. Restoration by wooden or boulder structures aimed to reduce deposited sediments and increase channel heterogeneity and hydraulic retention.

Wooden structures were ineffective in removing fine bed sediments and did not induce positive responses in aquatic biota. Boulder additions reduced substrate limitation and thereby proved beneficial for aquatic bryophytes. Benthic macroinvertebrates were clearly impaired by sedimentation but responded weakly to restoration. Leaf‐decomposing microbes and ecosystem functions were unresponsive to restoration but neither did they differ between near‐natural and impacted streams, suggesting that they were little harmed by sedimentation.

Wood addition enhanced hydraulic retention, and riparian plant assemblages along wood‐restored streams resembled those in near‐natural streams, suggesting that increased retention re‐established a more natural flood regime. By contrast, riparian plant assemblages in boulder‐restored streams did not differ from those in impacted streams.

Synthesis and applications. Restoration improved several aspects of stream and/or riparian biodiversity, but had limited effects on ecosystem functions. Different restoration measures resulted in differing biodiversity outcomes: boulder addition was more effective at restoring in‐stream heterogeneity and aquatic biodiversity, whereas wooden structures helped restore channel hydrology and retentiveness, and, consequently, riparian vegetation. Therefore applying both measures in the restoration of forested headwater streams with naturally stony substrates enhances stream habitat variability at the watershed scale, providing the most promising scenario for biodiversity benefits in broad‐scale restoration designs. In‐stream restoration that increases hydraulic retention has impacts that extend beyond ecosystem boundaries, reinforcing the need to restore, manage and protect streams and their riparian forests in an integrated effort.
Impact of the Local Public Hospital Reform on the Efficiency of Medium‐Sized Hospitals in Japan: An Improved Slacks‐Based Measure Data Envelopment Analysis Approach
Authors: Zhang Xing , Tone Kaoru , Lu Yingzhe
Published: March 2017

Objective

To assess the change in efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) of the local public hospitals in Japan after the local public hospital reform launched in late 2007, which was aimed at improving the financial capability and operational efficiency of hospitals.

Data Sources and Data Collection

Secondary data were collected from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on 213 eligible medium‐sized hospitals, each operating 100–400 beds from FY2006 to FY2011.

Study Design

The improved slacks‐based measure nonoriented data envelopment analysis models (Quasi‐Max SBM nonoriented DEA models) were used to estimate dynamic efficiency score and Malmquist Index.

Principal Findings

The dynamic efficiency measure indicated an efficiency gain in the first several years of the reform and then was followed by a decrease. Malmquist Index analysis showed a significant decline in the TFP between 2006 and 2011. The financial improvement of medium‐sized hospitals was not associated with enhancement of efficiency. Hospital efficiency was not significantly different among ownership structure and law‐application system groups, but it was significantly affected by hospital location.

Conclusions

The results indicate a need for region‐tailored health care policies and for a more comprehensive reform to overcome the systemic constraints that might contribute to the decline of the TFP.
Is there consensus across international evidence‐based guidelines for the management of bipolar disorder?
Authors: Parker G. B. , Graham R. K. , Tavella G.
Published: March 2017

Objective

To examine the level of agreement across professionally auspiced evidence‐based guidelines for managing the bipolar disorders.

Methods

A literature search in PubMed, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PsycInfo was undertaken using the search terms ‘bipolar disorder’ and ‘guidelines’, generating 11 evidence‐based guidelines published by professional organisations over the 2002–2015 period. Each guideline was reviewed by two independent reviewers and key themes extracted via qualitative analyses.

Results

There was agreement on issues such as the first‐line treatment of mania where mood‐stabilising and/or an antipsychotic medication together with tapering or ceasing antidepressant medications was most commonly recommended. Differences included the extent to which (i) the different bipolar disorders were defined or not, (ii) there were separate recommendations for bipolar I and bipolar II disorders vs. non‐differentiating general bipolar management strategies, (iii) ‘general’ vs. severity‐based recommendations were made, and (iv) narrow vs. broad sets of candidate medications were nominated, while there was variable consideration of treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

Conclusions

While there was some consistency across guidelines on key recommendations, there was also substantial inconsistencies, limiting the generation of any ‘meta‐consensus’ model for managing the bipolar disorders.
Transforming Transformers into Militainment: Interrogating the DoD‐Hollywood Complex
Authors: Mirrlees Tanner
Published: March 2017

This article examines how the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Hollywood collaborated to manufacture the blockbuster films Transformers (T) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (TRF) to sell in global markets and to sell a positive image of DoD personnel, policy, technology, and practice to the world. T and TRF are global militainment films made by the “DoD‐Hollywood complex” to make money in markets and put the U.S. military before the world in a positive light. To show how, the article's first section defines the “DoD‐Hollywood complex,” presents a brief 20th‐century history of its formation, and describes the current DoD institutions, policies, and practices that fuse DoD publicity agencies to Hollywood filmmakers. The second section highlights how DoD assisted T and TRF's production and contemplates why Hollywood solicited DoD support. The third section shows how T and TRF put DoD in a positive light. The conclusion addresses some of the consequences of T and TRF with regard to democratic theory. By showing T and TRF to be global militainment commodities, this article interrogates the nexus of “reel” and “real” U.S. military power and sheds light on how DoD interacts with Hollywood studios to influence how it gets screened by entertainment media and seen by global spectators.
The Soviet‐Afghan War in Fiction
Authors: Secker Tom
Published: March 2017

Fictionalized accounts, particularly feature films, about the Soviet‐Afghan War in the 1980s have played a significant role in shaping public opinion about the history of the region and issues related to Islamic militancy. Novels and films in the West have portrayed the Soviet army as brutal and genocidal and the mujahideen who resisted the invaders as “freedom fighters.” Russian movies have also portrayed the soldiers in a somewhat negative light and the mujahideen as evil terrorists. No fictional treatment has provided enough background to the conflict to reveal that the Russians entered Afghanistan only to provide support to a communist regime that had gained power on its own, and none have revealed the extent of aid from the United States, the United Kingdom, Iran, Pakistan, and China to the mujahideen. The CIA sponsored Charlie Wilson's War, the movie that comes closest to capturing the larger context of the war, but even in that case, crucial elements were removed from early drafts of the script that presented a more complex and accurate picture of the war. In particular, movies have failed to explore the possible links between U.S. support for mujahideen in the 1980s and violent attacks by Islamic extremists since 2001. The one exception is Charlie Wilson's War, where changes to the script had the result of downplaying and trivializing those links.
Dispelling misconceptions in the management of familial adenomatous polyposis
Authors: Chittleborough Timothy J. , Warrier Satish K. , Heriot Alexander G. , Kalady Matthew , Church James
Published: March 2017

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis require surgical intervention at some point in their lives. The diagnosis is often apparent from their phenotype and family history, however, this is not always the case. Many factors can influence the surgical strategy although the polyposis burden and distribution remain the main consideration. While prophylactic removal of the rectum and colon is often required, sparing the rectum at the index surgery is safe in select patients. This article aims to dispel misconceptions in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis.
The influence of donor factors on corneal organ culture contamination
Authors: Gruenert Anja K. , Rosenbaum Katja , Geerling Gerd , Fuchsluger Thomas A.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

To evaluate the contamination rate and the corresponding spectrum of microbes and to identify donor risk factors for corneal organ culture contaminations.

Methods

A total of 3306 organ‐cultured donor corneas were included in the study. We performed a retrospective database analysis to evaluate donor factors such as gender, age, death‐to‐explantation interval (DEI), procurement site and cause of death and to determine their influence on donor cornea contaminations. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for each factor.

Results

The overall contamination rate was 7.8% (n = 259). Younger donor age (OR: 2.2, p = 0.003, chi‐squared test), a DEI of more than 24 hr (OR: 1.6, p < 0.001), hospitalization prior to death (OR: 2.2, p < 0.001) and death caused by sepsis (OR: 2.7, p < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of contamination, whereas donor gender did not have an effect on donor cornea contaminations. The most frequently isolated microbes were Enterococci (19%), Staphylococci (10.8%) and Candida (37.4%).

Conclusion

This study helps to estimate the contamination risk of a cultured cornea based on specific donor factors. However, donors with risk factors should not be generally excluded from cornea donation. Further studies including antibiograms might clarify whether a change in the antibiotic composition of the culture medium would be useful to deal with the increasing number of multi‐resistant microbes.
Quality evaluation of investigator‐initiated trials using post‐approval cancer drugs in Japan
Authors: Kondo Shunsuke , Hosoi Hiroko , Itahashi Kota , Hashimoto Jun
Published: March 2017

Investigator‐initiated trials (IIT) are important aspects of medical research and have contributed substantially to modern oncology. IIT using post‐approval drugs have been conducted by domestic institutions in Japan. Data from the present study were obtained by all IIT registered clinical trials for five cancers (lung, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer) using drugs approved from 1999 to 2009 in Japan. Kaplan–Meier method, analysis of variance (anova), and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to estimate time to enrolment completion (TTEC) and time to enrolment per patient (TTEP). Of 1222 trials eligible for analysis, 465 trials (38%) completed enrolment to the studies, and 203 trials (17%) published results. In the distribution according to trial phase, 98 (8%) were phase I, 1058 (87%) were phase I/II + II, and 66 (5%) were phase II/III + III. Accrual achievement and publication rates were higher in late‐phase than in early‐phase trials. Median TTEC was 1387 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 1302–1472). Median TTEP was 38.5 days (95% CI, 34.5–42.5). The median TTEC and TTEP were significantly different in each trial phase (P < 0.01), funding source (P < 0.01), and publication status (median TTEC published trials versus unpublished trial; 720 days vs 1672 days, median TTEP; 16 days vs 55.8 days; P < 0.001). Many IIT using approved cancer drugs have been conducted; however, the quality of the clinical trials was low in terms of accrual achievement, publication rate, and time to publication of trial results.
Recent advances in genetic modification of adenovirus vectors for cancer treatment
Authors: Yamamoto Yuki , Nagasato Masaki , Yoshida Teruhiko , Aoki Kazunori
Published: March 2017

Adenoviruses are widely used to deliver genes to a variety of cell types and have been used in a number of clinical trials for gene therapy and oncolytic virotherapy. However, several concerns must be addressed for the clinical use of adenovirus vectors. Selective delivery of a therapeutic gene by adenovirus vectors to target cancer is precluded by the widespread distribution of the primary cellular receptors. The systemic administration of adenoviruses results in hepatic tropism independent of the primary receptors. Adenoviruses induce strong innate and acquired immunity in vivo. Furthermore, several modifications to these vectors are necessary to enhance their oncolytic activity and ensure patient safety. As such, the adenovirus genome has been engineered to overcome these problems. The first part of the present review outlines recent progress in the genetic modification of adenovirus vectors for cancer treatment. In addition, several groups have recently developed cancer‐targeting adenovirus vectors by using libraries that display random peptides on a fiber knob. Pancreatic cancer‐targeting sequences have been isolated, and these oncolytic vectors have been shown by our group to be associated with a higher gene transduction efficiency and more potent oncolytic activity in cell lines, murine models, and surgical specimens of pancreatic cancer. In the second part of this review, we explain that combining cancer‐targeting strategies can be a promising approach to increase the clinical usefulness of oncolytic adenovirus vectors.
MD simulations and multivariate studies for modeling the antileishmanial activity of peptides
Authors: Guerra Mirian Elisa Rodrigues , Fadel Valmir , Maltarollo Vinícius Gonçalves , Baldissera Gisele , Honorio Kathia Maria , Ruggiero José Roberto , dos Santos Cabrera Marcia Perez
Published: March 2017

Leishmaniasis, a protozoan‐caused disease, requires alternative treatments with minimized side‐effects and less prone to resistance development. Antimicrobial peptides represent a possible choice to be developed. We report on the prospection of structural parameters of 23 helical antimicrobial and leishmanicidal peptides as a tool for modeling and predicting the activity of new peptides. This investigation is based on molecular dynamic simulations (MD) in mimetic membrane environment, as most of these peptides share the feature of interacting with phospholipid bilayers. To overcome the lack of experimental data on peptides’ structures, we started simulations from designed 100% α‐helices. This procedure was validated through comparisons with NMR data and the determination of the structure of Decoralin‐amide. From physicochemical features and MD results, descriptors were raised and statistically related to the minimum inhibitory concentration against Leishmania by the multivariate data analysis technique. This statistical procedure confirmed five descriptors combined by different loadings in five principal components. The leishmanicidal activity depends on peptides’ charge, backbone solvation, volume, and solvent‐accessible surface area. The generated model possesses good predictability (q2 = 0.715, r2 = 0.898) and is indicative for the most and the least active peptides. This is a novel theoretical path for structure–activity studies combining computational methods that identify and prioritize the promising peptide candidates.
Development of dental anxiety in schoolchildren: A 2‐year prospective study
Authors: Soares Fernanda C. , Lima Rodrigo A. , de Barros Mauro V. G. , Dahllöf Göran , Colares Viviane
Published: March 2017

Aim

To assess the development of high dental anxiety and the factors that are associated with it over a 2‐year period.

Design

This longitudinal study focused on 416 Brazilian children aged 5‐7 years over 2 years. Interviews were conducted with the children's parents to investigate the children's health‐related behaviours. Additionally, the children's dental caries experience was clinically evaluated to obtain information about DMFT/dmft (decayed, filled and missing teeth) indices. Using the Dental Anxiety Question, children whose parents responded “yes” to the prompt “Is he/she very afraid of going to the dentist?” were classified as having high dental anxiety. Multilevel mixed‐effects logistic regression was used to analyse factors to determine the extent to which they were associated with high dental anxiety longitudinally.

Results

The prevalence of high dental anxiety in children at baseline was 16.2%, whereas it was 19.8% at follow‐up. Additionally, 38% of the children with high dental anxiety at baseline still had the condition after two years, although 62% of them no longer had high dental anxiety. The incidence of high dental anxiety at 2‐year follow‐up was 15.0%. Children who used medication chronically had a 2.1 times greater likelihood of having high dental anxiety. Furthermore, children whose parents reported high dental anxiety had a 2.6 times greater likelihood of having high dental anxiety themselves. A one‐unit increase in a child's dmft score increased the risk of high dental anxiety by 1.1 times at follow‐up.

Conclusion

After two years, the incidence of high dental anxiety was 15.0%. Poor oral health, unstable general health and parents with high dental anxiety were factors that were associated with this type of anxiety in schoolchildren. It is important that dentists are aware of children's high dental anxiety and the associated factors so that they can appropriately intervene. Dentists fulfil an important role and should stimulate and promote good general hygiene habits that may prevent future problems.
SNORD116 deletions cause Prader‐Willi syndrome with a mild phenotype and macrocephaly
Authors: Fontana P. , Grasso M. , Acquaviva F. , Gennaro E. , Galli M.L. , Falco M. , Scarano F. , Scarano G. , Lonardo F.
Published: March 2017

Prader‐Willi syndrome is a complex condition caused by lack of expression of imprinted genes in the paternally derived region of chromosome 15 (15q11q13). A small number of patients with Prader‐Willi phenotype have been discovered to have narrow deletions, not encompassing the whole critical region, but only the SNORD116 cluster, which includes genes codifying for small nucleolar RNAs. This kind of deletion usually is not detected by the classic DNA methylation analysis test. We present the case of a male patient with a mild Prader‐Willi phenotype and a small deletion including SNORD116, diagnosed by methylation‐sensitive multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA. The patient showed neonatal hypotonia, hyperphagia, obesity, central hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, strabismus. Stature and intellectual development are within the normal range. The presence of macrocephaly, observed in other cases of SNORD116 deletions as well, is uncommon for the classic phenotype of the syndrome.
Immigrant inviability promotes reproductive isolation among host‐associated populations of the gall wasp Belonocnema treatae
Authors: Zhang Linyi , Driscoe Amanda , Izen Rebecca , Toussaint Calli , Ott Jim R. , Egan Scott P.
Published: March 2017

Ecological speciation describes the evolutionary process whereby divergent natural selection between environments generates reproductive isolation. Studying the magnitude of sequential reproductive barriers between ecologically divergent populations improves our understanding of the way these barriers evolve and how each contributes to the speciation process. Immigrant inviability describes the lower fitness of immigrants in non‐native environments and is an important, but long underexplored, reproductive barrier. In this study, we test the role of immigrant inviability among host‐associated populations of the gall wasp Belonocnema treataeMayr (Hymenoptera: Cynipini: Cynipidae) by measuring the ability of gall wasps to initiate and complete gall formation, while avoiding host immune responses, on closely related native and non‐native live oaks, Quercus virginianaMill., Quercus fusiformisSmall, and Quercus geminataSmall (Fagaceae). In general, we found evidence for immigrant inviability when B. treatae populations colonized non‐native host species. However, patterns were variable among years, suggesting that episodic events may play an important role in connecting ecologically divergent populations.
Effect of host deprivation on the foraging behavior of the Asian citrus psyllid parasitoid Tamarixia radiata: observations from the laboratory and the field
Authors: Tena A. , Stouthamer R. , Hoddle M.S.
Published: March 2017

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is a significant citrus pest and the parasitoid Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) has been released in various citrus‐producing areas in classical biological control programs targeting D. citri. We investigated the effect of host deprivation on the foraging behavior and patch utilization by T. radiata. In the laboratory, females deprived of hosts for 3 days tended to leave patches of 12 nymphs without parasitizing hosts during the ca. 30 min they spent in the patch before leaving. Moreover, half of these females failed to host feed, and those that did host feed, on average, needed more than 15 min to complete feeding. Conversely, non‐host‐deprived females parasitized on average three nymphs before leaving patches without host feeding during the ca. 39 min they spent in the patch. These laboratory observations were compared to mass‐reared female T. radiata that were released onto colonies of D. citri nymphs infesting citrus in the field. Release vials were provisioned with honey and these females had no opportunities to host feed over the 1‐ to 2‐day containment period prior to release. When introduced onto D. citri colonies, 68% T. radiata females abandoned D. citri patches prior to probing hosts, in part, because Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), tending colonies disturbed searching parasitoids. These results from laboratory and field studies are discussed in the context of classical biological control, with the aim of understanding how to manipulate host availability and ant activity so establishment rates and impact of T. radiata can be improved.
Low dimensional representation of face space by face‐selective inferior temporal neurons
Authors: Salehi Sina , Dehaqani Mohammad‐Reza A. , Esteky Hossein
Published: March 2017

The representation of visual objects in primate brain is distributed and multiple neurons are involved in encoding each object. One way to understand the neural basis of object representation is to estimate the number of neural dimensions that are needed for veridical representation of object categories. In this study, the characteristics of the match between physical‐shape and neural representational spaces in monkey inferior temporal (IT) cortex were evaluated. Specifically, we examined how the number of neural dimensions, stimulus behavioral saliency and stimulus category selectivity of neurons affected the correlation between shape and neural representational spaces in IT cortex. Single‐unit recordings from monkey IT cortex revealed that there was a significant match between face space and its neural representation at lower neural dimensions, whereas the optimal match for the non‐face objects was observed at higher neural dimensions. There was a statistically significant match between the face and neural spaces only in the face‐selective neurons, whereas a significant match was observed for non‐face objects in all neurons regardless of their category selectivity. Interestingly, the face neurons showed a higher match for the non‐face objects than for the faces at higher neural dimensions. The optimal representation of face space in the responses of the face neurons was a low dimensional map that emerged early (~150 ms post‐stimulus onset) and was followed by a high dimensional and relatively late (~300 ms) map for the non‐face stimuli. These results support a multiplexing function for the face neurons in the representation of very similar shape spaces, but with different dimensionality and timing scales.
Controlling the marginal false discovery rate in inferences from a soil dataset withα‐investment
Authors: Lark R. M.
Published: March 2017

Large datasets on soil provide a temptation to search for relations between variables and then to model and make inferences about them with statistical methods more properly used to test preplanned hypotheses on data from designed experiments or sample surveys. The control of family‐wise error rate (FWER) is one way to improve the robustness of inferences from tests of multiple hypotheses. In its simplest form, hypothesis testing with FWER control lacks statistical power. Theα‐investment approach to controlling the marginal false discovery rate is one method proposed to improve statistical power. In this paper I outline theα‐investment approach and then demonstrate it in the analysis of a dataset on the rate of CO2emission from incubated intact cores of soil from a transect over Cretaceous rocks in eastern England. Hypotheses are advanced after considering the literature and examining relations among the available soil variables that might be proposed as explanatory factors for the variation of CO2emissions. They are then tested in sequence withα‐investment, such that the rejection of null hypotheses increases the power to reject later ones, while controlling the overall marginal false discovery rate at a specified value. This paper illustrates the use ofα‐investment to test a multiple set of hypotheses on a soil dataset; statistical power is improved by ordering the sequence of hypotheses on the basis of process knowledge. The approach could be useful in other areas of soil science where covariates must be selected for predictive statistical models, notably in the development of pedotransfer functions and in digital soil mapping.

Highlights

α‐investment controls marginal false discovery rate in statistical inference.

Hypotheses were advanced about soil factors that affect CO2emission from soil.

These hypotheses were tested in sequence with control of marginal false discovery rate.

Soil properties, land use and parent material were significant predictors.
Disease spread in age structured populations with maternal age effects
Authors: Clark Jessica , Garbutt Jennie S. , McNally Luke , Little Tom J.
Published: March 2017

Fundamental ecological processes, such as extrinsic mortality, determine population age structure. This influences disease spread when individuals of different ages differ in susceptibility or when maternal age determines offspring susceptibility. We show that Daphnia magna offspring born to young mothers are more susceptible than those born to older mothers, and consider this alongside previous observations that susceptibility declines with age in this system. We used a susceptible‐infected compartmental model to investigate how age‐specific susceptibility and maternal age effects on offspring susceptibility interact with demographic factors affecting disease spread. Our results show a scenario where an increase in extrinsic mortality drives an increase in transmission potential. Thus, we identify a realistic context in which age effects and maternal effects produce conditions favouring disease transmission.
The Kollias legacy: Skin autofluorescence and beyond
Authors: Bargo Paulo R. , Doukas Apostolos , González Salvador , Menon Gopinathan , Pappas Apostolos , Ruvolo Eduardo C. , Stamatas Georgios N.
Published: March 2017

In a paper published at the J Invest Dermatol in 1998 Nik Kollias and coworkers described distinct changes in skin native fluorescence associated with skin aging and photoaging, using in vivo fluorescence excitation spectroscopy. The assignment of the 295 nm band to tryptophan fluorescence had a profound significance influencing many later studies from multiple groups. The reproducible changes in skin native fluorescence suggested that aging causes predictable alterations in both the epidermis and the dermis, whereas chronic UV exposure induces the appearance of new fluorophores. This seminal, but insufficiently widely appreciated work deserves re‐examination as it points to important horizons in future experimental dermatology, such as cancer diagnostics, diabetes, wound healing, and understanding skin aging and photoaging mechanisms.
Epidermal keratinocytes sense dsRNA via the NLRP3 inflammasome, mediating interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐18 release
Authors: Dai Xiuju , Tohyama Mikiko , Murakami Masamoto , Sayama Koji
Published: March 2017

Skin epidermis, in addition to its barrier function, is able to actively sense harmful pathogens using pattern recognition receptors. In immune cells, the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain, leucine‐rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome can mediate innate immunity against viral infection via a mechanism involving viral dsRNA recognition. Epidermal keratinocytes express NLRP3 inflammasome, which can sense contact sensitizers and mite allergens, leading to pro‐interleukin (IL)‐1β and pro‐IL‐18 cleavage into their active forms. Skin often faces viral infection. However, it is unknown whether viral dsRNA can be detected by the keratinocyte NLRP3 inflammasome. We transfected polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C), a synthetic viral dsRNA analogue, into cultured primary human keratinocytes at the aid of Lipofectamine 2000, and found that transfected poly I:C activated caspase‐1 and induced caspase‐1‐dependent release of IL‐1β and IL‐18, which were suppressed on transfection with NLRP3 siRNA. The activation of keratinocyte NLRP3 inflammasome by transfected poly I:C was dependent on dsRNA‐induced protein kinase (PKR) activation, and priming with type I interferons upregulated NLRP3 inflammasome activation through promoting PKR activation in poly I:C‐transfected keratinocytes. In conclusion, the NLRP3 inflammasome can act as a sensor of dsRNA in epidermal keratinocytes, which may be important in both skin innate immune defense against viral infection and skin inflammation.
Leaf and canopy scale drivers of genotypic variation in soybean response to elevated carbon dioxide concentration
Authors: Sanz‐Sáez Álvaro , Koester Robert P. , Rosenthal David M. , Montes Christopher M. , Ort Donald R. , Ainsworth Elizabeth A.
Published: March 2017

The atmospheric [CO2] in which crops grow today is greater than at any point in their domestication history and represents an opportunity for positive effects on seed yield that can counteract the negative effects of greater heat and drought this century. In order to maximize yields under future atmospheric [CO2], we need to identify and study crop cultivars that respond most favorably to elevated [CO2] and understand the mechanisms contributing to their responsiveness. Soybean (Glycine max Merr.) is a widely grown oilseed crop and shows genetic variation in response to elevated [CO2]. However, few studies have studied the physiological basis for this variation. Here, we examined canopy light interception, photosynthesis, respiration and radiation use efficiency along with yield and yield parameters in two cultivars of soybean (Loda and HS93‐4118) previously reported to have similar seed yield at ambient [CO2], but contrasting responses to elevated [CO2]. Seed yield increased by 26% at elevated [CO2] (600 μmol/mol) in the responsive cultivar Loda, but only by 11% in HS93‐4118. Canopy light interception and leaf area index were greater in HS93‐4118 in ambient [CO2], but increased more in response to elevated [CO2] in Loda. Radiation use efficiency and harvest index were also greater in Loda than HS93‐4118 at both ambient and elevated [CO2]. Daily C assimilation was greater at elevated [CO2] in both cultivars, while stomatal conductance was lower. Electron transport capacity was also greater in Loda than HS93‐4118, but there was no difference in the response of photosynthetic traits to elevated [CO2] in the two cultivars. Overall, this greater understanding of leaf‐ and canopy‐level photosynthetic traits provides a strong conceptual basis for modeling genotypic variation in response to elevated [CO2].