bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Computed Tomography
Authors: Erthal Fernanda , Inacio Joao R. , Hazra Samir , Chan Vincent , Chow Benjamin J.W.
Published: September 2017

Cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a noninvasive imaging technique that has been rapidly adopted into clinical practice. Over the past decade, technological advances have improved CCTA accuracy, and there is an increasing amount of data supporting its prognostic value in the assessment of coronary artery disease. Recently, “appropriate use criteria” has been used as a tool to minimize inappropriate testing and reduce patient exposure to unnecessary risk and inconclusive studies. This review will summarize the appropriate uses of CCTA in patients before and after cardiac surgery. Although the most common indication for CCTA is assessment of patency of native coronary arteries, other potential perioperative uses (eg, assessment of congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, pericardial disease, myocardial disease, cardiac anatomy, bypass grafts, aortic disease, and cardiac masses) will be reviewed.
Tissue Engineering Strategies for Auricular Reconstruction
Authors: Schroeder Michael J. , Lloyd Mark S.
Published: September 2017

Simulating natural characteristics and aesthetics in reconstructed ears has provided a complex 3-dimensional puzzle for those treating patients with microtia. Costochondral grafts remain the gold standard for autologous reconstruction. However, other options such as Medpor and prosthetics are indicated depending on patient circumstances and personal choice. Research into tissue engineering offers an alternative method to a traditional surgical approach that may reduce donor-site morbidity. However, tissue engineering for microtia reconstruction brings new challenges such as cell sourcing, promotion of chondrogenesis, scaffold vascularization, and prevention of scaffold contraction. Advancements in 3D printing, nanofiber utilization, stem cell technologies, and decellularization techniques have played significant roles in overcoming these challenges. These recent advancements and reports of a successful clinical-scale study in an immunocompetent animal suggest a promising outlook for future clinical application of tissue engineering for auricular reconstruction.
Implications of weight loss for cancer patients receiving radiotherapy
Authors: Lau Steven Kai Ming , Iyengar Puneeth
Published: September 2017

Purpose of review

Cancer-associated weight loss is a common comorbid condition best described among patients with advanced malignancy receiving systemic therapy, but its relationship to patients undergoing radiation treatment is less well described. We review the interaction between cancer-associated weight loss and radiation treatment as well as its prognostic significance.

Recent findings

Multiple studies demonstrate a consistent detrimental effect of cancer-associated weight loss either existing prior to treatment or developing during radiotherapy. Emerging data suggest cancer-associated weight loss independently contributes to an aggressive malignant phenotype rather than simply reflecting a consequence of disease. Novel therapies are urgently needed to address the unmet burden of cancer-associated weight loss.

Consideration of cancer-associated weight loss is important among patients receiving radiotherapy. Further study will further characterize the relationship and identify targetable biologic mechanisms of cancer cachexia.
Adaptive recursive algorithm for optimal weighted suprathreshold stochastic resonance
Authors: Xu Liyan , Duan Fabing , Gao Xiao , Abbott Derek , McDonnell Mark D.
Published: September 2017

Suprathreshold stochastic resonance (SSR) is a distinct form of stochastic resonance, which occurs in multilevel parallel threshold arrays with no requirements on signal strength. In the generic SSR model, an optimal weighted decoding scheme shows its superiority in minimizing the mean square error (MSE). In this study, we extend the proposed optimal weighted decoding scheme to more general input characteristics by combining a Kalman filter and a least mean square (LMS) recursive algorithm, wherein the weighted coefficients can be adaptively adjusted so as to minimize the MSE without complete knowledge of input statistics. We demonstrate that the optimal weighted decoding scheme based on the Kalman–LMS recursive algorithm is able to robustly decode the outputs from the system in which SSR is observed, even for complex situations where the signal and noise vary over time.
Facilitation of trace metal uptake in cells by inulin coating of metallic nanoparticles
Authors: Santillán-Urquiza Esmeralda , Arteaga-Cardona Fernando , Torres-Duarte Cristina , Cole Bryan , Wu Bing , Méndez-Rojas Miguel A. , Cherr Gary N.
Published: September 2017

Trace elements such as zinc and iron are essential for the proper function of biochemical processes, and their uptake and bioavailability are dependent on their chemical form. Supplementation of trace metals through nanostructured materials is a new field, but its application raises concerns regarding their toxicity. Here, we compared the intracellular zinc uptake of different sources of zinc: zinc sulfate, and ZnO and
core-shell
α-Fe
2
O
3
@ZnO nanoparticles, coated or uncoated with inulin, an edible and biocompatible polysaccharide. Using mussel haemocytes, a well-known model system to assess nanomaterial toxicity, we simultaneously assessed zinc accumulation and multiple cellular response endpoints. We found that intracellular zinc uptake was strongly enhanced by inulin coating, in comparison to the uncoated nanoparticles, while no significant effects on cell death, cell viability, mitochondrial membrane integrity, production of reactive oxygen species or lysosome abundance were observed at concentrations up to 20 ppm. Since no significant increments in toxicity were observed, the coated nanomaterials may be useful to increase
in vivo
zinc uptake for nutritional applications.
Genome size variation in deep-sea amphipods
Authors: Ritchie H. , Jamieson A. J. , Piertney S. B.
Published: September 2017

Genome size varies considerably across taxa, and extensive research effort has gone into understanding whether variation can be explained by differences in key ecological and life-history traits among species. The extreme environmental conditions that characterize the deep sea have been hypothesized to promote large genome sizes in eukaryotes. Here we test this supposition by examining genome sizes among 13 species of deep-sea amphipods from the Mariana, Kermadec and New Hebrides trenches. Genome sizes were estimated using flow cytometry and found to vary nine-fold, ranging from 4.06 pg (4.04 Gb) in
Paralicella caperesca
to 34.79 pg (34.02 Gb) in
Alicella gigantea
. Phylogenetic independent contrast analysis identified a relationship between genome size and maximum body size, though this was largely driven by those species that display size gigantism. There was a distinct shift in the genome size trait diversification rate in the supergiant amphipod
A. gigantea
relative to the rest of the group. The variation in genome size observed is striking and argues against genome size being driven by a common evolutionary history, ecological niche and life-history strategy in deep-sea amphipods.
Caching for where and what: evidence for a mnemonic strategy in a scatter-hoarder
Authors: Delgado Mikel M. , Jacobs Lucia F.
Published: September 2017

Scatter-hoarding animals face the task of maximizing retrieval of their scattered food caches while minimizing loss to pilferers. This demand should select for mnemonics, such as chunking, i.e. a hierarchical cognitive representation that is known to improve recall. Spatial chunking, where caches with the same type of content are related to each other in physical location and memory, would be one such mechanism. Here we tested the hypothesis that scatter-hoarding eastern fox squirrels (
Sciurus niger
) are organizing their caches in spatial patterns consistent with a chunking strategy. We presented 45 individual wild fox squirrels with a series of 16 nuts of four different species, either in runs of four of the same species or 16 nuts offered in a pseudorandom order. Squirrels either collected each nut from a different location or collected all nuts from a single location; we then mapped their subsequent cache distributions using GPS. The chunking hypothesis predicted that squirrels would spatially organize caches by nut species, regardless of presentation order. Our results instead demonstrated that squirrels spatially chunked their caches by nut species but only when caching food that was foraged from a single location. This first demonstration of spatial chunking in a scatter hoarder underscores the cognitive demand of scatter hoarding.
Bi-logistic model for disease dynamics caused by
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
in Russia
Authors: Lavrova Anastasia I. , Postnikov Eugene B. , Manicheva Olga A. , Vishnevsky Boris I.
Published: September 2017

In this work, we explore epidemiological dynamics by the example of tuberculosis in Russian Federation. It has been shown that the epidemiological dynamics correlates linearly with the virulence of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
during the period 1987–2012. To construct an appropriate model, we have analysed (using LogLet decomposition method) epidemiological World Health Organization (WHO) data (period 1980–2014) and obtained, as result of their integration, a curve approximated by a bi-logistic function. This fact allows a subdivision of the whole population into parts, each of them satisfies the Verhulst-like models with different constant virulences introduced into each subsystem separately. Such a subdivision could be interconnected with the heterogeneous structure of mycobacterial population that has a high ability of adaptation to the host and strong mutability.
How tight are beetle hugs? Attachment in mating leaf beetles
Authors: Voigt Dagmar , Tsipenyuk Alexey , Varenberg Michael
Published: September 2017

Similar to other leaf beetles, rosemary beetlesChrysolina americanaexhibit a distinct sexual dimorphism in tarsal attachment setae. Setal discoid terminals occur only in males, and they have been previously associated with a long-term attachment to the female's back (elytra) during copulation and mate guarding. For the first time, we studied living males and females holding to female's elytra. Pull-off force measurements with a custom-made tribometer featuring a self-aligning sample holder confirmed stronger attachment to female elytra compared with glass in both males and females; corresponding to 45 and 30 times the body weight, respectively. In line with previous studies, males generated significantly higher forces than females on convex elytra and flat glass, 1.2 times and 6.8 times, respectively. Convex substrates like elytra seem to improve the attachment ability of rosemary beetles, because they can hold more strongly due to favourable shear angles of legs, tarsi and adhesive setae. A self-aligning sample holder is found to be suitable for running force measurement tests with living biological samples.
Accuracy of the hypothetical sky-polarimetric Viking navigation versus sky conditions: revealing solar elevations and cloudinesses favourable for this navigation method
Authors: Száz Dénes , Farkas Alexandra , Barta András , Kretzer Balázs , Blahó Miklós , Egri Ádám , Szabó Gyula , Horváth Gábor
Published: September 2017

According to Thorkild Ramskou's theory proposed in 1967, under overcast and foggy skies, Viking seafarers might have used skylight polarization analysed with special crystals called sunstones to determine the position of the invisible Sun. After finding the occluded Sun with sunstones, its elevation angle had to be measured and its shadow had to be projected onto the horizontal surface of a sun compass. According to Ramskou's theory, these sunstones might have been birefringent calcite or dichroic cordierite or tourmaline crystals working as polarizers. It has frequently been claimed that this method might have been suitable for navigation even in cloudy weather. This hypothesis has been accepted and frequently cited for decades without any experimental support. In this work, we determined the accuracy of this hypothetical sky-polarimetric Viking navigation for 1080 different sky situations characterized by solar elevationθand cloudinessρ, the sky polarization patterns of which were measured by full-sky imaging polarimetry. We used the earlier measured uncertainty functions of the navigation steps 1, 2 and 3 for calcite, cordierite and tourmaline sunstone crystals, respectively, and the newly measured uncertainty function of step 4 presented here. As a result, we revealed the meteorological conditions under which Vikings could have used this hypothetical navigation method. We determined the solar elevations at which the navigation uncertainties are minimal at summer solstice and spring equinox for all three sunstone types. On average, calcite sunstone ensures a more accurate sky-polarimetric navigation than tourmaline and cordierite. However, in some special cases (generally at 35° ≤ θ ≤ 40°, 1 okta ≤ ρ ≤ 6 oktas for summer solstice, and at 20° ≤ θ ≤ 25°, 0 okta ≤ ρ ≤ 4 oktas for spring equinox), the use of tourmaline and cordierite results in smaller navigation uncertainties than that of calcite. Generally, under clear or less cloudy skies, the sky-polarimetric navigation is more accurate, but at low solar elevations its accuracy remains relatively large even at high cloudiness. For a givenρ, the absolute value of averaged peak North uncertainties dramatically decreases with increasingθuntil the sign (±) change of these uncertainties. For a givenθ, this absolute value can either decrease or increase with increasingρ. The most advantageous sky situations for this navigation method are at summer solstice when the solar elevation and cloudiness are 35° ≤ θ ≤ 40° and 2 oktas ≤ ρ ≤ 3 oktas.
Genetic analysis of very obese children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Cortes Herman D. , Wevrick Rachel
Published: September 2017

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by the triad of deficits in social interactions, deficits in communication, and repetitive behaviors. Common co-morbidities in syndromic forms of ASD include intellectual disability, seizures, and obesity. We asked whether very obese children with ASD had different behavioral, physical and genetic characteristics compared to children with ASD who were not obese. We found that very obese children with ASD had significantly poorer scores on standardized behavioral tests. Very obese boys with ASD had lower full scale IQ and increased impairments with respect to stereotypies, communication and social skills. Very obese girls with ASD had increased impairments with respect to irritability and oppositional defiant behavior. We identified genetic lesions in a subset of the children with ASD and obesity and attempted to identify enriched biological pathways. Our study demonstrates the value of identifying co-morbidities in children with ASD as we move forward towards understanding the biological processes that contribute to this complex disorder and prepare to design customized treatments that target the diverse genetic lesions present in individuals with ASD.
KoVariome: Korean National Standard Reference Variome database of whole genomes with comprehensive SNV, indel, CNV, and SV analyses
Authors: Kim Jungeun , Weber Jessica A. , Jho Sungwoong , Jang Jinho , Jun JeHoon , Cho Yun Sung , Kim Hak-Min , Kim Hyunho , Kim Yumi , Chung OkSung , Kim Chang Geun , Lee HyeJin , Kim Byung Chul , Han Kyudong , Koh InSong , Chae Kyun Shik , Lee Semin , Edwards Jeremy S. , Bhak Jong
Published: September 2017

High-coverage whole-genome sequencing data of a single ethnicity can provide a useful catalogue of population-specific genetic variations. Herein, we report a comprehensive analysis of the Korean population, and present the Korean National Standard Reference Variome (KoVariome). As a part of the Korean Personal Genome Project (KPGP), we constructed the KoVariome database using 5.5 terabases of whole genome sequence data from 50 healthy Korean individuals with an average coverage depth of 31×. In total, KoVariome includes 12.7M single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), 1.7M short insertions and deletions (indels), 4K structural variations (SVs), and 3.6K copy number variations (CNVs). Among them, 2.4M (19%) SNVs and 0.4M (24%) indels were identified as novel. We also discovered selective enrichment of 3.8M SNVs and 0.5M indels in Korean individuals, which were used to filter out 1,271 coding-SNVs not originally removed from the 1,000 Genomes Project data when prioritizing disease-causing variants. CNV analyses revealed gene losses related to bone mineral densities and duplicated genes involved in brain development and fat reduction. Finally, KoVariome health records were used to identify novel disease-causing variants in the Korean population, demonstrating the value of high-quality ethnic variation databases for the accurate interpretation of individual genomes and the precise characterization of genetic variations.
Findings of a retrospective, controlled cohort study of the impact of a change in Nature journals' editorial policy for life sciences research on the completeness of reporting study design and execution
Authors: Macleod Malcolm Robert ,   The NPQIP Collaborative group
Published: September 2017

Objective

To determine whether a change in editorial policy, including the implementation of a checklist, has been associated with improved reporting of measures which might reduce the risk of bias.

Methods

The study protocol has been published at DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-1964-8.

Design

Observational cohort study.

Population

Articles describing research in the life sciences published in Nature journals, submitted after May 1st 2013.

Intervention

Mandatory completion of a checklist at the point of manuscript revision.

Comparators

(1) Articles describing research in the life sciences published in Nature journals, submitted before May 2013; (2) Similar articles in other journals matched for date and topic.

Primary Outcome

Change in proportion of Nature publications describing in vivo research published before and after May 2013 reporting the Landis 4 items (randomisation, blinding, sample size calculation, exclusions).

We included 448 NPG papers (223 published before May 2013, 225 after) identified by an individual hired by NPG for this specific task, working to a standard procedure; and an independent investigator used Pubmed Related Citations to identify 448 non-NPG papers with a similar topic and date of publication in other journals; and then redacted all publications for time sensitive information and journal name. Redacted manuscripts were assessed by 2 trained reviewers against a 74 item checklist, with discrepancies resolved by a third.

Results

394 NPG and 353 matching non-NPG publications described in vivo research. The number of NPG publications meeting all relevant Landis 4 criteria increased from 0/203 prior to May 2013 to 31/181 (16.4%) after (2-sample test for equality of proportions without continuity correction, X2= 36.2, df = 1, p = 1.8 x 10-9). There was no change in the proportion of non‐ NPG publications meeting all relevant Landis 4 criteria (1/164 before, 1/189 after). There were more substantial improvements in the individual prevalences of reporting of randomisation, blinding, exclusions and sample size calculations for in vivo experiments, and less substantial improvements for in vitro experiments.

Conclusions

There was a substantial improvement in the reporting of risks of bias in in vivo research in NPG journals following a change in editorial policy, to a level that to our knowledge has not been previously observed. However, there remain opportunities for further improvement.
CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell morphologies under Alzheimer’s disease Amyloid beta interaction
Authors: Rodrigues Yuri Elias , da Silva Freitas Josiane
Published: September 2017

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, which imposes a growing burden on society and health systems worldwide. Remarkable, computational models for AD are rare in comparison to epilepsy and other neuropathologies. Also, neuromorphologi-cal variability in the available models is usually neglected. Here, we evaluated geometrically detailed CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurons from rat’s hippocampus and its firing probability face to Amyloid-β (Aβ), a pre-plaque soluble confirmation. Such comparison is invaluable since the hippocampus acts as a structural predictor of AD progression. A stimulation protocol designed to elicit a single spike is used to access neuronal vulnerability against the Aβ oligomers. Our experiment shows that under the same conditions there is a firing facilitation for CA3 neurons in comparison to CA1.
Early developmental morphology reflects independence from parents in social beetles
Authors: Benowitz Kyle M. , Sparks Madeline E. , McKinney Elizabeth C. , Moore Patricia J. , Moore Allen J.
Published: September 2017

The variation in degree of offspring dependence in parents where parental care has evolved is striking, from feeding independence at birth to complete dependence on parents for all nutritional resources. This presents an evolutionary puzzle. Why lose the ability to feed as a contingency when parents may die or abandon broods? Comparisons of altricial and precocial vertebrates suggest that there may be life-history and developmental costs to early independence1-3. The generality of this beyond vertebrates is unclear, but we can extend the comparison as invertebrate species also vary in the level of independence in early life-history stages. For example, larvae of several burying beetle species (Nicrophorus), a genus in which parents regurgitate pre-digested food to begging larvae, have lost the ability to self-feed thus creating complete parental dependency for first instars4. Here, we ask whether variation in dependency amongst burying beetles is related to heterochrony in development of a more complex morphological structures. We show that the rate of development and allometry of mandibles of precocial larvae that can self-feed from birth are the same as those in altricial larvae that cannot survive without parenting. Instead, self-feeding is associated with shape variation in mandibles. In altricial species first instar larvae have smooth mandibles, whereas in precocial species mandibles are serrated. Later instars, which can self-feed in all species, have serrated mandibles. Serrations on teeth generally function to “grip and rip”5, whereas smooth blades function more to puncture6, and broods of altricial but not precocialNicrophoruslarvae show evidence for siblicide. We therefore suggest that altricial first-instar mandibles function more as weapons than feeding tools when released from self-feeding. This study presents a novel coevolution between developmental timing and parenting potentially mediated by sibling competition.
Elastase-2 knockout mice display anxiogenic‐ and antidepressant-like phenotype: putative role for BDNF metabolism in prefrontal cortex
Authors: Diniz CRAF , Becari C , Lesnikova A , Biojone C , Salgado MCO , Salgado HC , Resstel LBM , Guimaraes FS , Castren E , Casarotto PC , Joca SRL
Published: September 2017

Several pieces of evidence indicate that elastase-2 (ELA2; chymotrypsin-like ELA2) is an alternative pathway to the generation of angiotensin II (ANG II). Elastase-2 knockout mice (ELA2KO) exhibit alterations in the arterial blood pressure and heart rate. However, there is no data on the behavioral consequences of ELA2 deletion. In this study we addressed this question, submitting ELA2KO and wild-type (WT) mice to several models sensitive to anxiety‐ and depression-like, memory, and repetitive behaviors. Our data indicates a higher incidence of barbering behavior in ELA2KO compared to WT, as well as an anxiogenic phenotype, evaluated in the elevated plus maze (EPM). While a decrease in locomotor activity was observed in ELA2KO in EPM, this feature was not the main source of variation in the other parameters analyzed. The marble burying test (MBT) indicated increase in repetitive behavior, observed by a higher number of buried marbles. The actimeter test indicated a decrease in total activity and confirmed the increase in repetitive behavior. The spatial memory was tested by repeated exposure to the actimeter in a 24h interval. Both ELA2KO and WT exhibited decreased activity compared to the first exposure, without any distinction between the genotypes. However, when submitted to the cued fear conditioning, ELA2KO displayed lower levels of freezing behavior in the extinction session when compared to WT, but no difference was observed during the conditioning phase. Increased levels of BDNF were found in the prefrontal cortex but not in the hippocampus of ELA2KO mice compared to WT. Finally, in silico analysis indicates that ELA2 is putatively able to cleave BDNF, and incubation of the purified enzyme with BDNF led to the degradation of the later. Our data suggested an anxiogenic‐ and antidepressant-like phenotype of ELA2KO, possibly associated with increased levels of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex.
Multispecies coalescent analysis unravels the non-monophyly and controversial relationships of Hexapoda
Authors: Freitas Lucas A. , Mello Beatriz , Schrago Carlos G.
Published: September 2017

With the increase in the availability of genomic data, sequences from different loci are usually concatenated in a supermatrix for phylogenetic inference. However, as an alternative to the supermatrix approach, several implementations of the multispecies coalescent (MSC) have been increasingly used in phylogenomic analyses due to their advantages in accommodating gene tree topological heterogeneity by taking account population-level processes. Moreover, the development of faster algorithms under the MSC is enabling the analysis of thousands of loci/taxa. Here, we explored the MSC approach for a phylogenomic dataset of Insecta. Even with the challenges posed by insects, due to large effective population sizes coupled with short deep internal branches, our MSC analysis could recover several orders and evolutionary relationships in agreement with current insect systematics. However, some phylogenetic relationships were not recovered by MSC methods. Most noticeable, a remiped crustacean was positioned within the Insecta. Additionally, the interordinal relationships within Polyneoptera and Neuropteroidea contradicted recent works, by suggesting the non-monophyly of Neuroptera. We notice, however, that these phylogenetic arrangements were also poorly supported by previous analyses and that they were sensitive to gene sampling.
hmmIBD: software to infer pairwise identity by descent between haploid genotypes
Authors: Schaffner Stephen F. , Taylor Aimee R. , Wong Wesley , Wirth Dyann F. , Neafsey Daniel E.
Published: September 2017

We introduce hmmIBD, software to estimate pairwise identity by decent between haploid genomes, such as those of the malaria parasite, sampled from one or more populations. We verified hmmIBD using simulated data, benchmarked it against a previously published method for detecting IBD within populations, and demonstrated its utility usingPlasmodium falciparumdata from Cambodia and Ghana.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data include Appendices S1, S2 and S3, and are available online.

Availability and Implemetation

Source code written in C99/C11-compliant C and requiring no external libraries, is freely available for download athttps://github.com/glipsnort/hmmIBD/releases, alongside test datasets.

Contact

sfs@broadinstitute.org
Quantitative characterization of new supramolecular synthons involving fluorine atoms in the crystal structures of di- and tetrafluorinated benzamides
Authors: Mondal Pradip Kumar , Yadav Hare Ram , Choudhury Angshuman Roy , Chopra Deepak
Published: September 2017

Strong hydrogen bonds play a significant role in crystal packing. In particular, the involvement of interactions involving fluorine in controlling the crystal packing requires appropriate attention, especially in the presence of other strong hydrogen bonds. In the present study, a detailed quantitative assessment has been performed of the nature, energetics and topological properties derived from the electron density in model compounds based on fluorinated benzamides (a total of 46 fluorine-substituted benzamides containing multiple fluorine atoms) in the solid state. The primary motivation in the design of such molecules is to enhance the acidity of the interacting H atoms in the presence of an increasing number of F atoms on the molecular scaffold, resulting in increased propensity towards the formation of intermolecular interactions involving organic fluorine. This exercise has resulted in the identification of new and frequently occurring supramolecular synthons involving F atoms in the packing of molecules in the solid state. The energetics associated with short and directional intermolecular Csp
2—H...F—Csp
2 interactions with significantly high electrostatic contributions is noteworthy, and the topological analysis reveals the bonding character of these ubiquitous interactions in crystal packing in addition to the presence of Csp
2—F...F—Csp
2 contacts.
Quantitative analysis of solid-state diversity in trifluoromethylated phenylhydrazones
Authors: Dey Dhananjay , Chopra Deepak
Published: September 2017

The cooperative roles of various structural motifs associated with the presence of different intermolecular interactions in the formation of molecular crystals are investigated in a series of trifluoromethylated phenylhydrazones. Out of the six compounds analysed, two exhibit three-dimensional structural similarities with geometrically equivalent building blocks, while a third exists as two polymorphic forms crystallized from ethanol solutions at low temperature (277 K) and room temperature (298 K), respectively. The compounds were characterizedviasingle-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction techniques and differential scanning calorimetry. In the absence of any strong hydrogen bonding, the supramolecular constructs are primarily stabilizedviamolecular pairs with a high dispersion-energy contribution, due to the presence of molecular stacking along the molecular backbone along with C—H...π interactions in the solid state, in preference to an electrostatic contribution. The interaction energies for the most stabilizing molecular building blocks are in the range −29 to −43 kJ mol−1. In addition, weak N—H...F, C—H...F and N—H...C interactions and F...F, F...C, F...N and C...N contacts act as secondary motifs, providing additional stability to the crystal packing. The overall molecular arrangements are carefully analysed in terms of their nature and energetics, and the roles of different molecular pairs towards the crystal structure are delineated. A topological study using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules was used to characterize all the atomic interactions in the solid state. It established the presence of (3, −1) bond critical points and the closed-shell nature of all the interactions.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) for ethical corporate identity management
Authors: Wong Jia Yun , Dhanesh Ganga Sasidharan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the framing and rhetorical devices employed by luxury brands to build CSR-based, ethical corporate identities while managing complexities of the CSR-luxury paradox, the perceived clash between the self-transcendent values of CSR, and the self-enhancement values of luxury.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative frame analysis was conducted to create detailed frame matrices for each dimension of CSR message content, followed by quantitative content analysis to establish the extent of usage of these frames across 43 luxury brand websites in the apparel, beauty, jewelry, and watch categories.

Findings

Luxury brands predominantly framed their CSR efforts as discretionary, driven by altruistic motives. They foregrounded brand over social issue and highlighted substantial input into CSR efforts consistently over a period. CSR efforts were put into programs that were congruent with the brands’ business and that conveyed impact in abstract terms, evoking emotions over logic. Such framing across the CSR message-dimensions of issues, motives, importance, commitment, fit, and impact reflected a sophisticated understanding of communicating to a socially and environmentally conscious demographic while simultaneously aligning with the central, enduring, and distinctive characteristics of luxury.

Originality/value

This study contributes to emerging empirical work on CSR as a tool to build ethical corporate identity. This study also adds to the literature on identity management and CSR communication in the luxury industry, a sector that exceeded €1 trillion in retail sales in 2016.
Professor Ruth Simpson, Sydney Ruth and gendering management
Authors: Pullen Alison , Ross-Smith Anne
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to review Ruth Simpson’s contribution to the field of gender and management.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper looks at Ruth Simpson’s body of work over her career through a conversation that took place between Pullen and Ross-Smith.

Findings

Ruth Simpson’s contribution to gender, class, work and organizations is discussed.

Originality/value

This piece remembers Ruth Simpson’s feminist scholarship to the field of gender and management.
Reference to healthy food menu on iOS platform
Authors: Fajri Arrad , Salman Afan Galih
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to build an iOS-based application to provide quick and easy access to information on food and beverages that are tailored to an illness.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used is the method of analysis, i.e. collect the necessary data from various sources that contain the issues to be examined. Software development life cycle used the Waterfall Model that has seven stages to its completion: the requirements analysis and specification, architectural design, detailed design, coding, unit testing, integration testing and system testing and acceptance.

Findings

Existing applications were evaluated from the user point of view. The evaluation was performed by 25 users trying directly on the application. After conducting experiments on the application, users were asked to answera questionnaire that included questions on the problems they may have faced and whether the problem was solved. The results of user evaluation were as follows: 72 per cent of users found that the application view is quite good and 88 per cent of users felt the speed and ease of getting enough information.

Originality/value

The authors report that the development of the application reference, menu of healthy food on the IOS platform, can make users get a healthy diet and abortion based on the illness quickly and easily.
Internal auditors’ reputation and managers’ reliance decision
Authors: Tang Fengchun , Yang Ling , Gan Huiqi
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how internal auditors’ performance reputation for auditing and assurance engagements affects corporate managers’ reliance on their consulting recommendations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment in which 103 MBA students were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. This paper uses analysis of covariance to analyze the data.

Findings

The results show that internal auditors’ reputation for performing assurance engagements positively influences managers’ reliance on their consulting recommendations. In addition, managers’ compensation structure affects their perceptions of the importance of the decision, and the perceived decision importance in turn partially moderates the effect of internal auditors’ performance reputation on managers’ reliance decision.

Research limitations/implications

This paper advances the understanding of the consulting function of the internal audit function (IAF) and provides evidence on how internal auditors’ performance in one field (assurance) affects management’s perception of their performance in the other field (consulting).

Practical implications

The findings of this paper should be particularly interesting to the parties that are responsible for training internal auditors by highlighting the importance of strengthening internal auditors’ capability of performing consulting service with respect to business operation.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few studies that examine how internal auditors’ consulting recommendations affect managerial decisions in an operational setting. The findings of the interdependence between the assurance and consulting components of the IAF advance the growing research stream of internal audit and its impact on management decision-making.
A global analysis of elevational gradients in leaf herbivory and its underlying drivers: Effects of plant growth form, leaf habit and climatic correlates
Authors: Galmán Andrea , Abdala‐Roberts Luis , Zhang Shuang , Berny‐Mier y Teran Jorge C. , Rasmann Sergio , Moreira Xoaquín
Published: September 2017

Research on elevational gradients in species interactions holds that herbivore pressure increases towards warmer and more stable climates found at lower elevations. However, the generality of this expectation has been challenged by recent studies reporting no evidence of expected trends or even positive associations between elevation and herbivory, presumably due to uncontrolled biotic and abiotic factors influencing such relationships.

Using a world‐wide dataset of insect leaf herbivory including 1,027 plant species and spanning an elevation gradient of 2,755 m, we tested if elevational gradients in herbivory were contingent on whether species were found at tropical vs. temperate latitudes, plant growth form (non‐woody vs. woody species), and leaf habit (deciduous vs. evergreen woody species). In addition, we tested the influence of climatic correlates of elevation presumably underlying such elevational gradients.

Although there was no evidence of an overall relationship between elevation and damage, we found that elevational gradients in herbivory were contingent on species growth form whereby herbivory increased towards lower elevations for woody species, but no gradient was observed for non‐woody species. We further found that elevational gradients in herbivory were contingent on leaf habit as herbivory increased towards lower elevations for deciduous species, but no gradient was present for evergreen species. Elevational variation in damage was not contingent upon latitudinal region. Finally, analyses of climatic factors indicated that although a significant association between temperature and herbivory for woody species was detected, the elevational gradient in leaf herbivory remained largely unchanged after accounting for temperature and precipitation, suggesting that climate does not fully account for the gradient.

Synthesis. This study delivers the first global assessment of elevational gradients in leaf herbivory and emphasizes the role of plant (e.g. life‐history or defensive) traits and climatic factors in shaping elevational gradients in herbivory.
The Formation of GM‐free and GM Coasean Clubs: Will They Form and If So How Much Can They Achieve?
Authors: Punt Maarten J. , Wesseler Justus
Published: September 2017

The unintended presence of traces of genetically modified (GM) crops in the harvests of non‐GM crops plays a prominent role in the debate over the coexistence of GM and non‐GM crops. One way to address the issue is the formation of GM‐free or GM‐only clubs. We model the decisions of individual farmers to cultivate either GM or non‐GM crops and combine this with a game theoretic model of club formation to investigate the feasibility of such clubs. We consider two liability regimes: GM farmers are liable or they are not. We consider two benchmarks: Nash equilibrium without negotiations and the efficient allocation and compare those with partial co‐operation through a Coasean club. We find that in both regimes a relatively large club can form but they are not always necessary to reach the efficient allocation. In fact, if farmers can freely decide under profit maximisation what to cultivate, they reach 95% of an efficient allocation. This holds independent of the property rights system and provides strong support for coexistence policies based on ex‐post liability such as in the US and Spain.
Incidence and control of black spot syndrome of tiger nut
Authors: Alvares D. , Armero C. , Forte A. , Serra J. , Galipienso L. , Rubio L.
Published: September 2017

Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentum) is a very profitable crop in Valencia, Spain, but in the last years, part of the harvested tubers presents black spots in the skin making them unmarketable. Surveys performed in two consecutive years showed that about 10% of the tubers were severely affected by the black spot syndrome whose aetiology is unknown. Disease control procedures based on selection of tubers used as seed (seed tubers) or treatment with hot‐water and/or chemicals were assayed in greenhouse. These assays showed that that this syndrome had a negative impact on the germination rate, tuber size and yield. Selection of asymptomatic seed tubers reduced drastically the incidence of the black spot syndrome with respect to using seed tubers with severe symptoms (selection of healthy seed tubers was not possible because the causal agent is undetermined). Thermal treatment of seed tubers with severe symptoms reduced the number of unmarketable harvested tubers by half but was detrimental for the germination. Chemical treatments of seed tubers with severe symptoms decreased the incidence of the black spot syndrome about 40% for sodium hypochlorite and about 10% for hydrochloric acid, trisodium phosphate and the fungicide trioxystrobin.
Public health agencies’ obligations and the case of Zika
Authors: Luna Florencia
Published: September 2017

This article focuses on the initial reactions to the Zika epidemic by national and international public health agencies. It presents and analyzes some responses public officials made about sexual and reproductive health at the inception of the epidemic. It also describes the different challenges and obligations faced by local and international public health agencies, as these have not been clearly outlined. The article argues that these agencies have different obligations and should fulfill them despite existing obstacles. While international agencies should honor their leadership role and make recommendations at a meta‐level, local agencies should provide, in the case of Zika, a framework for empowerment and grant women the freedom to achieve sexual and reproductive health so that they can avoid the consequences of this epidemic.
A mindfulness‐based group for young people with learning disabilities: A pilot study
Authors: Thornton Victoria , Williamson Rachel , Cooke Bronwen
Published: September 2017

Accessible summary

This study talks about a group for young people with learning disabilities

The group helped the young people to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness practices can help when we feel worried, angry or upset.

The young people in the group gave really helpful feedback that will help to make the next group even better.

Background

Mindfulness is becoming increasingly reported as an effective way to support well‐being and reduce mental health difficulties.

Materials and Methods

This study reports on the development and pilot of a mindfulness‐based group for young people with learning disabilities and their carers.

Results

Group participants reported that the group was helpful. Reports from carers show that the young people continued to use mindfulness‐based practices in their daily lives even after the completion of the group.

Conclusion

Mindfulness can be effective and accessible for young people with learning disabilities. More research is needed to increase our understanding of how and why participation in a mindfulness‐based group is helpful to young people with learning disabilities.
Pharmacology of cognition: a panacea for neuropsychiatric disease?
Authors: Bailey Sarah J , Neill Joanna C , Moran Paula M
Published: September 2017

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Pharmacology of Cognition: a Panacea for Neuropsychiatric Disease? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.19/issuetoc
Growing Food, Growing Consciousness: Gardening and Social Justice in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Authors: Mello Christina , King Lisa Oliver , Adams Inez
Published: September 2017

Our Kitchen Table (OKT) is a female‐led organization that advocates on behalf of women with children as well as low‐income earners afflicted by food insecurity and environmental health disparities in Southeast Grand Rapids, MI. OKT created the Food Diversity Project (FDP) to address the structural causes of these disparities. Premised on the principle of food justice, the FDP supplies community members with the tools and the education that they need to take ownership of their food system, while also addressing structural racism. Organizational activities focus on the relationship between growing food and reducing exposure to environmental toxins. Residents are informed about environmental threats linked to food insecurity and equipped with skills in agriculture and activism to effectively address these problems within their households and beyond. In this report, the founding member and consulting anthropologists outline the instrumental importance of this work, as well as provide a summary of the FDP, its activities, and measurable outcomes.
Analysis of serum levels and cutaneous expression of lipoprotein (a) in 38 patients with livedoid vasculopathy
Authors: Espinel Danielle P.G.S. , Di Giacomo Thais B. , Pincelli Thais P. , Pereira Naiura V. , Sotto Miriam N. , Kirsner Robert S. , Criado Paulo R.
Published: September 2017

Background

Coagulation disorders contribute to the development of livedoid vasculopathy (LV). Elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and associated with hypercoagulable states. Increased serum Lp(a) levels have been reported in patients with LV and may have an important role in the pathogenesis of LV.

Objectives

To investigate Lp(a) expression in skin lesions and circulating serum Lp(a) levels in patients with LV.

Methods

Skin biopsy samples from 38 patients (27 women and 11 men) with active lesions diagnosed as LV and 9 samples of normal skin (5 women and 4 men) from control patients without LV were evaluated for skin expression of Lp(a) by immunohistochemistry. Plasma levels of Lp(a) were analyzed by immunoturbidimetry.

Results

We found that lesional skin in patients with LV expressed 10‐fold higher Lp(a) immunostaining than controls. High plasma levels of Lp(a) were observed in LV patients. We did not find a correlation (P = .02) between expression of Lp(a) in the skin and plasma levels of Lp(a) in patients with LV.

Conclusions

Increased Lp(a) expression in lesional skin of LV patients suggests the role of Lp(a) in the thrombo‐occlusive vasculopathy observed in this disease.