bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symbiont switching and alternative resource acquisition strategies drive mutualism breakdown
Authors: Werner Gijsbert DA , Cornelissen Johannes HC , Cornwell William K , Soudzilovskaia Nadejda A , Kattge Jens , West Stuart A , Kiers E Toby
Published: January 2018

Cooperative interactions among species, termed mutualisms, have played a crucial role in the evolution of life on Earth. However, despite key potential benefits to partners, there are many cases where two species cease to cooperate, and mutualisms break down. What factors drive the evolutionary breakdown of mutualism? We examined the pathways towards breakdowns of the mutualism between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Using a comparative approach, we identify ~25 independent cases of complete mutualism breakdown across global seed plants. We found that breakdown of cooperation was only stable when host plants either: (i) partner with other root symbionts or (ii) evolve alternative resource acquisition strategies. Our results suggest that key mutualistic services are only permanently lost if hosts evolve alternative symbioses or adaptations.

Significance Statement

Cooperative interactions among species – mutualisms – are major sources of evolutionary innovation. However, despite their importance, two species that formerly cooperated sometimes cease their partnership. Why do mutualisms breakdown? We asked this question in the partnership between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and their plant hosts, one of the most ancient mutualisms. We analyse two potential trajectories towards evolutionary breakdown of their cooperation, symbiont switching and mutualism abandonment. We find evidence that plants stop interacting with AM fungi when they switch to other microbial mutualists or when they evolve alternative strategies to extract nutrients from the environment. Our results show vital cooperative interactions can be lost - but only if successful alternatives evolve.
Transient N-6-methyladensosine Transcriptome sequencing reveals a regulatory role of m6A in splicing efficiency
Authors: Louloupi Annita , Ntini Evgenia , Conrad Thomas , Ørom Ulf Andersson
Published: January 2018

Splicing efficiency varies among transcripts, and tight control of splicing kinetics is crucial for coordinated gene expression. N-6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant RNA modification and is involved in regulation of RNA biogenesis and function. The impact of m6A on the regulation of RNA splicing kinetics has not been investigated. Here, we provide the first time-resolved high-resolution assessment of m6A on nascent RNA transcripts and unveil its importance for the control of RNA splicing kinetics. We identify that early co-transcriptional m6A deposition near splice junctions promotes fast splicing, while m6A modification of introns is associated with long, slowly processed introns and alternative splicing events. In conclusion, by directly comparing the processing dynamics of individual transcripts in the methylated versus unmethylated state on a transcriptome-wide scale we show that early m6A deposition marks transcripts for a fast-track processing.
Identifying associations in dense connectomes using structured kernel principal component regression
Authors: Gong Weikang , Cheng Fan , Rolls Edmund T. , Zhang Lingli , Grünewald Stefan , Feng Jianfeng
Published: January 2018

A powerful and computationally efficient multivariate approach is proposed here, called structured kernel principal component regression (sKPCR), for the identification of associations in the voxel-level dense connectome. The method can identify voxel-phenotype associations based on the voxels’ whole-brain connectivity pattern, which is applicable to detect linear and non-linear signals for both volume-based and surface-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. For each voxel, our approach first extracts signals from the spatially smoothed connectivities by structured kernel principal component analysis, and then tests the voxel-phenotype associations via a general linear model. The method derives its power by appropriately modelling the spatial structure of the data. Simulations based on dense connectome data have shown that our method can accurately control the false-positive rate, and it is more powerful than many state-of-the-art approaches, such as the connectivity-wise general linear model (GLM) approach, multivariate distance matrix regression (MDMR), adaptive sum of powered score (aSPU) test, and least-square kernel machine (LSKM). To demonstrate the utility of our approach in real data analysis, we apply these methods to identify voxel-wise difference between schizophrenic patients and healthy controls in two independent resting-state fMRI datasets. The findings of our approach have a better between-sites reproducibility, and a larger proportion of overlap with existing schizophrenia findings. Code for our approach can be downloaded from https://github.com/weikanggong/vBWAS.
Reward signalling in brainstem nuclei under glycemic flux
Authors: Morville Tobias , Madsen Kristoffer , Siebner Hartwig R. , Hulme Oliver J.
Published: January 2018

Phasic dopamine release from mid-brain dopaminergic neurons signals errors of reward prediction (RPE). If reward maximisation is to maintain homeostasis, then the value of primary rewards should be coupled to the homeostatic errors they remediate. This leads to the prediction that RPE signals should be configured as a function of homeostatic state and thus, diminish with the attenuation of homeostatic error. To test this hypothesis, we collected a large volume of functional MRI data from five human volunteers on four separate days. After fasting for 12 hours, subjects consumed preloads that differed in glucose concentration. Participants then underwent a Pavlovian cue-conditioning paradigm in which the colour of a fixation-cross was stochastically associated with the delivery of water or glucose via a gustometer. This design afforded computation of RPE separately for better- and worse-than expected outcomes during ascending and descending trajectories of physiological serum glucose fluctuations. In the parabrachial nuclei, variations in regional activity coding positive RPEs scaled positively with serum glucose for ascending and descending glucose levels. The ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra became more sensitive to negative RPEs when glucose levels were ascending. Together, the results show that RPE signals in key brainstem structures are modulated by homeostatic trajectories of naturally occurring glycemic flux, revealing a tight interplay between homeostatic state and the neural encoding of primary reward in the human brain.
RNA-binding proteins with mixed charge domains self-assemble and aggregate in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Bishof Isaac , Dammer Eric B. , Duong Duc M. , Gearing Marla , Lah James J. , Levey Allan I. , Seyfried Nicholas T.
Published: January 2018

U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein 70 kDa (U1-70K) and other RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are mislocalized to cytoplasmic neurofibrillary Tau aggregates in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet understanding of the mechanisms that cause their aggregation is limited. Many RBPs that aggregate in neurodegenerative diseases self-assemble into RNA granules through intrinsically disordered low complexity (LC) domains. We report here that a LC domain within U1-70K of mixed charge, containing highly repetitive complementary repeats of basic (R/K) and acidic (D/E) residues, shares many of the same properties of the Q/N-rich LC domains found in the RBPs TDP-43 and FUS. These properties include the ability to self-assemble into oligomers, and to form nuclear granules. To analyze the functional roles of the U1-70K LC domains, we performed co-immunoprecipitation and quantitative mass spectrometry analysis of recombinant U1-70K and deletions lacking the C-terminal LC domain(s). A network-driven approach resolved functional classes of U1-70K interacting proteins that showed dependency on the U1-70K LC domain(s) for their interaction. This included structurally similar RBPs, such as LUC7L3 and RBM25, which require their respective mixed charge domains for reciprocal interactions with U1-70K and for participation in nuclear RNA granules. Strikingly, a significant proportion of RBPs with mixed charge domains have elevated insolubility in AD brain proteome compared to controls. Furthermore, we show that the mixed charge LC domain of U1-70K can interact with Tau from AD brain. These findings highlight mechanisms for mixed charge domains in stabilizing RBP interactions and in potentially mediating co-aggregation with pathological Tau isoforms in AD.
MiCoP: Microbial Community Profiling method for detecting viral and fungal organisms in metagenomic samples
Authors: LaPierre Nathan , Mangul Serghei , Alser Mohammed , Mandric Igor , Wu Nicholas C. , Koslicki David , Eskin Eleazar
Published: January 2018

Background

High throughput sequencing has spurred the development of metagenomics, which involves the direct analysis of microbial communities in various environments such as soil, ocean water, and the human body. Many existing methods based on marker genes or k-mers have limited sensitivity or are too computationally demanding for many users. Additionally, most work in metagenomics has focused on bacteria and archaea, neglecting to study other key microbes such as viruses and eukaryotes.

Results

Here we present a method, MiCoP (Microbiome Community Profiling), that uses fast-mapping of reads to build a comprehensive reference database of full genomes from viruses and eukaryotes to achieve maximum read usage and enable the analysis of the virome and eukaryome in each sample. We demonstrate that mapping of metagenomic reads is feasible for the smaller viral and eukaryotic reference databases. We show that our method is accurate on simulated and mock community data and identifies many more viral and fungal species than previously-reported results on real data from the Human Microbiome Project.

Conclusions

MiCoP is a mapping-based method that proves more effective than existing methods at abundance profiling of viruses and eukaryotes in metagenomic samples. MiCoP can be used to detect the full diversity of these communities. The code, data, and documentation is publicly available on GitHub at: https://github.com/smangul1/MiCoP
A testosterone metabolite 19-hydroxyandrostenedione induces neuroendocrine trans-differentiation of prostate cancer cells via an ectopic olfactory receptor
Authors: Abaffy Tatjana , Bain James R. , Muehlbauer Michael J. , Spasojevic Ivan , Lodha Shweta , Bruguera Elisa , O’Neal Sara K. , Kim So Young , Matsunami Hiroaki
Published: January 2018

Olfactory receptor OR51E2, also known as a Prostate Specific G-Protein Receptor, is highly expressed in prostate cancer but its function is not well understood. Throughin silicoandin vitroanalyses, we identified 24 agonists and 1 antagonist for this receptor. We detected that agonist 19-hydroxyandrostenedione, a product of the aromatase reaction, is endogenously produced upon receptor activation. We characterized the effects of receptor activation on metabolism using a prostate cancer cell line and demonstrated decreased intracellular anabolic signals and cell viability, induction of cell cycle arrest, and increased expression of neuronal markers. Furthermore, upregulation of neuron-specific enolase by agonist treatment was abolished in OR51E2-KO cells. The results of our study suggest that OR51E2 activation results in neuroendocrine trans-differentiation. These findings reveal a new role for OR51E2 and establish this G-protein coupled receptor as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Significance

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. Most deaths from prostate cancer are due to the progression of localized disease into metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer characterized by increased number of neuroendocrine-like cells. These neuroendocrine-like cells are non-proliferating, terminally differentiated cells. Olfactory receptor OR51E2, also known as a Prostate Specific G-Protein Receptor, is highly expressed in prostate cancer, and its expression correlates with disease progression. Here, we identify and validate novel endogenous ligands for this receptor. We show that activation of OR51E2 by newly-discovered prostate cancer-relevant agonists facilitates cellular transformation, resulting in neuroendocrine trans-differentiation, a characteristic phenotype of castrate resistant prostate cancer. Our results establish this G-protein coupled receptor as a novel and therapeutic target for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Highlights

Discovery of novel agonists for olfactory receptor OR51E2/PSGR highly relevant to prostate cancer pathology

Activation of OR51E2 receptor by agonistN-acetyl-N-formyl-5-methoxykynurenamine (AFMK) results in release of 19-hydroxyandrostenedione (19-OH AD) from the prostate cancer cells indicating its endogenous production

Activation of OR51E2 receptor by 19-OH AD, AFMK, and propionic acid decreases anabolic and proliferative signals

Activation of OR51E2 receptor by 19-OH AD and AFMK increases markers specific for neuroendocrine trans-differentiation (NEtD)

Ablation of the OR51E2 gene in prostate cancer cells treated with agonist 19-OH AD significantly reduces neuron-specific enolase
Exploratory study of personal health information management using health literacy model
Authors: Kim Sujin , Syn Sue Yeon , Sinn Donghee
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically test whether individuals’ internal factors (prior knowledge, resources, and capability) and environmental factors (stimuli, limitation) have any influence on the development of personal health information management (PHIM) literacy skills and which constructs are statistically associated with general health-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey responses were collected from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (mTurk), a crowdsourcing internet service, in December 2013. A total of 578 responses were analyzed using partial-least squares structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The model as a whole exhibited 62.8 percent of variance in health-related outcomes. The findings suggest that prior knowledge has a direct effect on health literacy (HL) skills (H3:β=0.212,p<0.001). The PHIM stimuli (H4:β=0.475,p<0.001) have a direct impact on HL skills, and they have an indirect effect on the comprehension of stimuli (H6:β=0.526,p<0.001) through the mediator of stimuli and the knowledge variable.

Research limitations/implications

One possible limitation of this study is that the study may include a highly technology literate group, as survey respondents were recruited from the online service mTurk.

Practical implications

The study poses implications for further research and practice. This research was an exploratory work for further model development so future studies should investigate deeper into real personal health record (PHR) user groups (e.g. patients and caregivers). For example, studies by White and Horvitz (2009a, b) conducted real-time user studies that the authors could apply to the authors’ future PHR studies. Since the findings cannot be generalizable to these specific groups, similar research may be conducted. Using caregiver groups of PHR users in comparison to patient groups could determine the similarities and differences of their PHIM activities and related outcomes for optimal design of self-care management.

Social implications

Further, it is suggested to conduct large scale, real-time-based studies using a PHR transaction log analysis to achieve conclusiveness and generalizability. Additionally, future studies should address not only diverse real-time user groups, but also various PHR data sources and their presentation issues.

Originality/value

This study model offers an important perspective on PHIM and its causal pathway for use not only by patient educators and healthcare providers but also information providers, personal health record (PHR) system developers, and PHR users.
Collaborative information searching as learning in academic group work
Authors: Wu Dan , Liang Shaobo , Yu Wenting
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore users’ learning in the collaborative information search process when they conduct an academic task as a group.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a longitudinal study for a three-month period on an actual task. The participants, who were undergraduate students, needed to write a research proposal in three months to apply for funding for a research project, including a three-hour experiment.

Findings

The results show that undergraduates’ learning in the collaborative search process for academic group work included knowledge reconstruction, tuning, and assimilation. Their understanding of the topic concepts improved through the process, and their attitudes became more optimistic. Besides, the learning in the collaborative information search process also enhanced participants’ skills in communication, research, information search, and collaboration. To improve learning outcomes, professional and appropriate academic resources are required, as well as effective division of labor, positive sharing behaviors, and use of collaborative systems.

Practical implications

The future development of collaborative information search systems should focus on the needs of academic research and support for elements such as instant communication and knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to research into searching as learning by understanding undergraduates’ collaborative search behavior for writing a proposal.
Role of libraries in promoting education: a bibliometric analysis (2012-2016)
Authors: Sahu Archana , Jena Puspanjali
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the authorship patterns and the relationship between them based on some statistical indices for the role of libraries in promoting education at the global level.

Design/methodology/approach

The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) database was searched for the peer-reviewed and full text available journal articles that contained specific words related to either libraries and education or libraries and e-learning in. Data were analysed based on certain statistical calculations to find out the degree of collaboration, collaborative coefficient, Shannon index, Simpson’s indices, Spearman’s coefficient and co-authorship pattern.

Findings

The criteria were met by 262 publications by 517 authors. The highest number of articles related with the role of libraries in education was published in the year 2013, and the highest numbers of articles were authored by a single author rather than multiple authors. The degree of collaboration was found to be highest in the year 2015 and 2016 with a value of 0.66, whereas the collaborative coefficient was highest in the year 2016 with a value 0.42. The Shannon’s diversity index was found to be 2.73705 with an evenness of 1.24568. The Simpson’s index, Simpson’s index of diversity and Simpson’s reciprocal index were found to be 0.299, 0.701 and 3.3444, respectively. The Spearman’s coefficient was found to be highest with a positive correlation of value 0.95 in the year 2013. Furthermore, six co-occurrences by eight authors were found.

Research limitations/implications

Only the ERIC database was chosen for the study and only articles published from the year 2012 to 2016 were included in the analysis.

Originality/value

This study will be useful for researchers to get an insight into the collaborative research patterns demonstrated by the authors in understanding the role of libraries in education using different statistical approaches.
Non-fiction: an unnaturally naturalised concept for collection development
Authors: Kelly Matthew
Published: January 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to problematise the basis of the use of non-fiction as an explanatory category in libraries that have mandates to deliver information to civil society users to initiate debate on its ongoing value.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of literature from the fields of information science, philosophy, literary studies and the sociology of knowledge was critically surveyed to uncover reasons for the use of the non-fiction concept when librarians are dealing with documentary knowledge. A process of thematisation of relevant material was then conducted using a methodology informed by historicist and hermeneutic-phenomenological approaches to social scientific inquiry.

Findings

The extreme simplicity of the concept of non-fiction masks a complex range of factors associated with common sense understanding of life and our conceptualisation of what constitutes knowledge in civil society information environments. By restricting the nature of questions associated with knowledge and documentary knowledge the non-fiction concept contributes to a far too narrow view of how these concepts interrelate.

Practical implications

Preliminary reasons are offered for why the non-fiction concept is problematic, and an alternative discursive formation is put forward which may enable more fruitful caretaking of documentary collections in school and public libraries.

Originality/value

This paper helps to open discussion among collection management theorists and practitioners regarding how the concept of documentary knowledge can be more usefully theorised so that it is better able to support the epistemic learning and socialisation goals of libraries characterised by their civil society setting.
In vivo effects of prebiotic sugar free Brazilian cerrado fruits jam
Authors: Gonzaga Driene Gomes , Pereira Rafaela Corrêa , Silva Andressa Alvarenga , Borges Soraia Vilela , Carneiro João de Deus Souza , de Sousa Raimundo Vicente , de Angelis-Pereira Michel Cardoso
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to develop and characterize a sugar-free Brazilian mixed fruit jam, containing marolo, sweet passion fruit and soursop, enriched with polydextrose and fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and evaluate in vivo the effect of consumption of this product.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 48 male rats were divided into six groups and fed a AIN-93M rodent diet supplemented with 10% jam enriched with different proportions of FOS and polydextrose. The effects on glycemic response, mineral utilization and fecal and histological characteristics were evaluated.

Findings

The addition of the jams enriched with the fibers in different levels based on current legislation, in the diet of the rats, for 30 days, did not affect significantly (p = 0.05) parameters such as daily mean consumption (DMC) and daily weight gain (DWG), fecal weight, mineral absorption, glycemic responses and glycemic index of the diets and histological parameters. Moisture and ether extract contents of the stool, however, were positively affect by these ingredients. These parameters were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in groups treated with FOS and polydextrose.

Originality/value

The sugar-free Brazilian mixed fruit jam besides to increase availability and add value to exotic Brazilian fruits could be an alimentary source of interest. However, more specific studies, aimed at questioning and confirming the optimal doses of prebiotics to normal and dysglycemic individuals and with longer duration, are needed.
Hypocalcaemia and its contributing factors among first trimester pregnant women in an urban area in Malaysia
Authors: Yeop Noor Sharifatul Hana , Md Isa Zaleha , Shamsuddin Khadijah , Lin Khor Geok , Abdullah Mahdy Zaleha , Hassan Haslinda , Ghazi Hasanain
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of hypocalcaemia among first-trimester pregnant women and its contributing factors.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was carried out among first-trimester pregnant women who were recruited during their first antenatal visit. A total of 396 respondents of age 18-40 years completed the self-administered questionnaire (socio-demographic, socio-economic, obstetric information), validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for calcium (FFQ-calcium), anthropometric measurements (weight and height) and blood test for serum calcium during their first trimester.

Findings

The prevalence of hypocalcaemia based on serum calcium level of less than 2.11 mmol/L was 26.0 per cent (n = 103). The median serum calcium level was 2.2 mmol/L (IQR, 25th and 75th percentile – 2.1 and 2.3, respectively). Milk intake of less than two glasses per day during pregnancy showed a twofold increase in developing hypocalcaemia (OR, 2.231; 95 per cent CI, 1.399, 3.588). Other than that, underweight (aOR, 2.038; 95 per cent SK, 1.088, 3.820) and obese before pregnancy (aOR, 1.954; 95 per cent SK, 1.007, 3.790) are also predictors of hypocalcaemia.

Originality/value

The prevalence of hypocalcaemia among first-trimester pregnant women in this study was 26.0 per cent. Intake of two or more glasses of milk per day can help prevent hypocalcaemia at this stage of pregnancy.
Genetic variation in the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor and overweight among adults in Southwest Finland
Authors: Hoppu Ulla , Lagström Hanna , Sandell Mari
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Polymorphisms in taste receptor genes may be associated with taste sensitivity and possibly with food consumption and body weight. Previous studies relating bitter taste sensitivity to body mass index (BMI) had inconsistent findings. This paper aims to investigate the weight and body composition indicators among the TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor genotype groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Adults participating in the STEPS study (steps to the healthy development and well-being of children) cohort in Southwest Finland have been investigated. DNA has been extracted from buccal cell samples, and alleles of the gene TAS2R38 have been determined. Measurements at the follow-up visit include weight and height to calculate BMI, waist circumference (WC) and body composition with bioimpedance (women n = 757, men n = 714).

Findings

The mean BMI was 25.3 (SD 5.4) kg/m2 among women and 26.7 (SD 3.9) kg/m2 among men. BMI, WC and body fat percentage did not differ significantly between the TAS2R38 genotype groups in either gender. The proportion of subjects classified as overweight (BMI ≥ 25) did not vary significantly between the genotype groups.

Originality/value

The TAS2R38 genotype is not associated with being overweight in this cohort. Determinants of body weight are complex, and the role of other taste genotypes and phenotypes should be investigated in the future.
Application of DSM in process management of a PE commercial real estate development project
Authors: Ma Guofeng , Zhu Tiancheng
Published: January 2018

Purpose

After the drawbacks in the process management of China PE commercial real estate development project are analyzed, it is necessary to introduce a more integrated and advanced tool to solve them. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

A standard process model was proposed first. Based on the model, a coupled activity dependency model was also built by structural tool design structure matrix (DSM), the detailed matrix involving 119 activities and 322 information dependencies. Next, two large processes coupled blocks were generated by the sequencing algorithm and tearing algorithm. Then, the general simulation framework with rework probability and rework effect was introduced to do empirical research for one of the activities blocks due to the merit of solving rework of DSM.

Findings

These results showed that key activities were rearranged, that information interactive scope for them was optimized and that collaborative organization interface was built. And the expected duration after simulation was 131 days at 90 percent percentile, providing the objective basis of process arrangement to some extent and decreasing the risk of prospective yields during fund period.

Originality/value

This paper is a qualitative and quantitative practical research for the process management of PE commercial real estate development projects in China based on a real project which has begun construction in 2014.
Is there such a thing as school quality culture?
Authors: Markowitsch Jörg
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of “school quality management culture” in relation to the general notion of “school organizational culture” and to review empirical studies that scrutinised the relation between organisational culture and quality management practices in education and business.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds on an extensive literature review that was conducted as part of a project, which intends to develop an instrument to diagnose schools’ quality management culture in initial vocational education.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that school quality (management) culture exists and differs from school (organisational) culture. A pluralist view of culture and a differentiation perspective are more appropriate to explain the complex relationship between culture and quality practices than unified or integrated approaches. However, they also pose a challenge to empirical studies because they call for longitudinal and multi-method research designs.

Research limitations/implications

The reciprocal relation between quality practices and school culture asks for a longitudinal and comparative research design. The findings also suggest using multi-perspective and multi-method approaches, and recommend cooperation between different but comparable fields such as education, health or social work.

Practical implications

This paper offers a literature base and a theoretical model to improve existing data collection tools to support quality management in vocational and other educational institutions.

Originality/value

Apart from the ideological question on whether “culture” is something an organisation is or an organisation has, the paper examines the question as to whether more “quality”-conducive cultures can be discerned from less conducive ones in schools. Furthermore, it deliberates on whether an organisation’s quality management culture is part of, or different from, an organisation’s overall culture and presents models to guide empirical analyses.
Recordkeeping in an outsourcing public agency
Authors: Klareld Ann-Sofie
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implications of an outsourcing policy for public recordkeeping. The research question addressed is as follows: What are the current impediments to create, capture, organize and pluralize records produced by contractors to whom work has been outsourced?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses four dimensions of the records continuum model (RCM) as a structure for understanding what important aspects of recordkeeping that can be affected by an outsourcing policy and discuss the consequences for the creation of public archives. An investment project at a Swedish public agency with a far-reaching outsourcing policy in the form of a client–contractor model is used as a case to exemplify the problem.

Findings

The findings indicate that the legal framework for recordkeeping needs further development, or clarification as to how it should be interpreted in the outsourcing context. More case studies are needed to provide richer data about recordkeeping challenges arising from outsourcing and further opportunities for theoretical analysis using the RCM.

Originality/value

The RCM has been used in a first attempt to understand various aspects of records management practices and what principles need to be taken into account when making such significant organizational structural and cultural changes.
Gangs, music and the mediatisation of crime: expressions, violations and validations
Authors: Pinkney Craig , Robinson-Edwards Shona
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The way in which criminologists understand, contextualise and theorise around the mediatised world has raised some critical new questions. The purpose of this paper is to report on qualitative research which looks at the ways in which some forms of social media are utilised by gang members. Gang research in the main is predicated on the notion that gangs are deviant products of social disorganisation; however, there is little written on the “specific” forms of expression used by those associated with gangs.

Design/methodology/approach

The lyrical content of three music videos has been analysed using narrative analysis.

Findings

Music videos have been used as a form of expression for decades. More recently in some cases they have been used as a tool to send threats, promote gang culture and flaunt illegal substances, which is fairly a new concept, in the UK at least. Social media and music videos are not the sole reason why there has been a rise in violence amongst young people; however, this paper aims to further explore some of these notions.

Originality/value

The authors suggest that this form of expression presents challenges in the understanding of gang activity in a mediatised world. The intention is not to further criminalise young people, but to seek understanding and explore the phenomenon of music videos and its position their gang research.
Identification of Asynchronous Blade Vibration Parameters by Linear Regression of Blade Tip Timing Data
Authors: Bastami Abbas Rohani , Safarpour Pedram , Mikaeily Arash , Mohammadi Mohammad
Published: January 2018

Fracture of blades is usually catastrophic and creates serious damages in the turbomachines. Blades are subjected to high centrifugal force, oscillating stresses, and high temperature which makes their life limited. Therefore, blades should be checked and replaced at specified intervals or utilize a health monitoring method for them. Crack detection by nondestructive tests can only be performed during machine overhaul which is not suitable for monitoring purposes. Blade tip timing (BTT) method as a noncontact monitoring technique is spreading for health monitoring of the turbine blades. One of the main challenges of BTT method is identification of vibration parameters from one per revolution samples which is quite below Nyquist sampling rate. In this study, a new method for derivation of blade asynchronous vibration parameters from BTT data is proposed. The proposed method requires only two BTT sensors and applies least mean square algorithm to identify frequency and amplitude of blade vibration. These parameters can be further used as blade health indicators to predict defect growth in the blades. Robustness of the proposed method against measurement noise which is an important factor has been examined by numerical simulation. An experimental test was conducted on a bladed disk to show efficiency of the proposed method.
Optimized Time-Resolved Echo Particle Image Velocimetry– Particle Tracking Velocimetry Measurements Elucidate Blood Flow in Patients With Left Ventricular Thrombus
Authors: Sampath Kaushik , Harfi Thura T. , George Richard T. , Katz Joseph
Published: January 2018

Contrast ultrasound is a widely used clinical tool to obtain real-time qualitative blood flow assessments in the heart, liver, etc. Echocardiographic particle image velocimetry (echo-PIV) is a technique for obtaining quantitative velocity maps from contrast ultrasound images. However, unlike optical particle image velocimetry (PIV), routine echo images are prone to nonuniform spatiotemporal variations in tracer distribution, making analysis difficult for standard PIV algorithms. This study introduces optimized procedures that integrate image enhancement, PIV, and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) to obtain reliable time-resolved two-dimensional (2D) velocity distributions. During initial PIV analysis, multiple results are obtained by varying processing parameters. Optimization involving outlier removal and smoothing is used to select the correct vector. These results are used in a multiparameter PTV procedure. To demonstrate their clinical value, the procedures are implemented to obtain velocity and vorticity distributions over multiple cardiac cycles using images acquired from four left ventricular thrombus (LVT) patients. Phase-averaged data elucidate flow structure evolution over the cycle and are used to calculate penetration depth and strength of left ventricular (LV) vortices, as well as apical velocity induced by them. The present data are consistent with previous time-averaged results for the minimum vortex penetration depth associated with LVT occurrence. However, due to decay and fragmentation of LV vortices, as they migrate away from the mitral annulus, in two cases with high penetration, there is still poor washing near the resolved clot throughout the cycle. Hence, direct examination of entire flow evolution may be useful for assessing risk of LVT relapse before prescribing anticoagulants.
Stochastic Modeling and Diagnosis of Leak Areas for Surface Assembly
Authors: Ren Jie , Park Chiwoo , Wang Hui
Published: January 2018

Assembly through mating a pair of machined surfaces plays a crucial role in many manufacturing processes such as automotive powertrain production, and the mating errors during the assembly (i.e., gaps between surfaces) can cause significant internal leakage and functional performance problems. The surface mating errors are difficult to diagnose because they are not measurable. Current in-plant quality control for surface mating focuses on controlling the surface flatness of each individual part before they are mated, and the mating errors are indirectly evaluated by a pressurized sealing test to check whether any pressure drop occurs. However, it does not provide any clue to engineers about the origins and the root cause of the internal leakage. To address these limitations, this paper presents a pressurized color-tracking method to directly measure internal leak areas. By using the measurements of leak areas and the profiles of surfaces mated as training data along with Hagen–Poiseuille law, this paper develops a novel diagnostic method to predict potential leak areas (leakage paths) given the measurements on the profiles of mating surfaces. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method are verified by a simulation study and an experiment. The approach provides practical guidance for the subsequent assembly process as well as troubleshooting in surface machining processes.
Low-Cost Thermal Shield for Rapid Diagnostic Tests Using Phase Change Materials
Authors: Soenksen Luis R. , Martínez-Corona David A. , Iñiguez de Gante Sofía , Phabmixay Pierre S. , Marongiu Maggi Mauricio J.
Published: January 2018

The shelf life of point-of-care and rapid diagnostic tests (POC-RDTs) is commonly compromised by abrupt temperature changes during storage, transportation, and use. This situation is especially relevant in tropical regions and resource-constrained settings where cold chain may be unreliable. Here, we report the use of novel and low-cost passive thermal shield (TS) made from laminated phase change material (PCM) to reduce thermal overload in POC-RDTs. Validation of the proposed design was done through numerical simulation and testing of an octadecane shield prototype in contact with a lateral flow immunoassay. The use of our TS design provided 30–45 min delay in thermal equilibration under constant and oscillating heat load challenges resembling those of field use. The addition of a thin PCM protection layer to POC-RDTs can be a cost-effective, scalable, and reliable solution to provide additional thermal stability to these devices.
A Simple Methodology of Pipe Route for Providing Enough Flexibility
Authors: Lai Fukun , MacGregor Alex , Fraczek Justin
Published: January 2018

Flexibility is the most important requirement of the pipe system. A general approach is to include pipe bends in the system to provide flexibility. The design of the pipe routing requires either rigorous pipe stress analysis or hand calculation based on the beam theory and finite element method. In this paper, a simple methodology has been developed for pipe routing to provide flexibility to absorb thermal expansion and other secondary displacements. The method uses the basic theory of beam and based on the data fitting from the pipe stress analysis results. This method provides general and simple equations of the common bends in the pipeline industry including L, Z, and U bends, for determination of the minimum length requirement for enough flexibility.
On Fatigue Design Curves for 2.25Cr-1Mo-V Steel Reactors at Elevated Temperature in Code Case 2605
Authors: Gong Jian-Guo , Liu Fang , Xuan Fu-Zhen
Published: January 2018

Fatigue design method for 2.25Cr-1Mo-V steel reactors in code case 2605 (CC 2605) is reviewed. Main factors such as the accelerating function of fatigue action, the cyclic frequency, the strain damage factor (β) related to the fatigue design curves are addressed, and the applicable stress level for pure creep rupture analysis in CC 2605 is also discussed. Results indicate that, for the high loading levels, the accelerating function of fatigue action and strain damage factor contribute relatively remarkably to the fatigue design curve. The increase of cyclic frequency leads to a remarkable increase of the allowable fatigue cycle number and hence reduces the conservativeness of fatigue design curve. It should be stipulated in CC 2605 that the applicable stress level is higher than a value of around 200 MPa (slightly dependent on temperature) for the adjusted uniaxial Omega damage parameter and 16 MPa for the creep strain rate when the Omega creep-damage method is employed.
Antimicrobial Activity of Ibuprofen against Cystic Fibrosis-Associated Gram-Negative Pathogens
Authors: Shah Parth N. , Marshall-Batty Kimberly R. , Smolen Justin A. , Tagaev Jasur A. , Chen Qingquan , Rodesney Christopher A. , Le Henry H. , Gordon Vernita D. , Greenberg David E. , Cannon Carolyn L.
Published: January 2018

Clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of ibuprofen therapy in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, an effect that is currently attributed to ibuprofen's anti-inflammatory properties. Yet, a few previous reports demonstrated an antimicrobial activity of ibuprofen as well, although none investigated its direct effects on the pathogens found in the CF lung, which is the focus of this work. Determination of ibuprofen'sin vitroantimicrobial activity againstPseudomonas aeruginosaandBurkholderiaspecies strains through measurements of the endpoint number of CFU and growth kinetics showed that ibuprofen reduced the growth rate and bacterial burden of the tested strains in a dose-dependent fashion. In anin vitroPseudomonasbiofilm model, a reduction in the rate of biomass accumulation over 8 h of growth with ibuprofen treatment was observed. Next, an acutePseudomonaspneumonia model was used to test this antimicrobial activity after the oral delivery of ibuprofen. Following intranasal inoculation, ibuprofen-treated mice exhibited lower CFU counts and improved survival compared with the control animals. Preliminary biodistribution studies performed after the delivery of ibuprofen to mice by aerosol demonstrated a rapid accumulation of ibuprofen in serum and minimum retention in lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Therefore, ibuprofen-encapsulated polymeric nanoparticles (Ibu-NPs) were formulated to improve the pharmacokinetic profile. Ibu-NPs formulated for aerosol delivery inhibited the growth ofP. aeruginosa in vitroand may provide a convenient dosing method. These results provide an additional explanation for the previously observed therapeutic effects of ibuprofen in CF patients and further strengthen the argument for its use by these patients.
In Vitro
Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Amikacin, Kanamycin, and Capreomycin
Authors: Dijkstra J. A. , van der Laan T. , Akkerman O. W. , Bolhuis M. S. , de Lange W. C. M. , Kosterink J. G. W. , van der Werf T. S. , Alffenaar J. W. C. , van Soolingen D.
Published: January 2018

Amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin are among the most important second-line drugs for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Although amikacin and kanamycin are administered at the same dose and show the same pharmacokinetics, they have different WHO breakpoints, suggesting that the two drugs have different MICs. The aim of this study was to investigate possible differences in MICs between the aminoglycosides and capreomycin. Using the direct concentration method, a range of concentrations of amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin (0.25, 0.50, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0, 32.0, and 64.0 mg/liter) were tested against 57 clinical
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strains. The 7H10 agar plates were examined for mycobacterial growth after 14 days. At 2 mg/liter, 48 strains (84%) were inhibited by amikacin and only 5 strains (9%) were inhibited by kanamycin (
P
< 0.05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The median MICs of amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin were 2, 4, and 8 mg/liter, respectively. No difference in amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin MIC distributions was observed between multidrug-resistant strains and fully susceptible strains. The results indicate that amikacin is more active than kanamycin and capreomycin against
M. tuberculosis
with the absolute concentration method. Determination of the impact of this difference on clinical outcomes in daily practice requires a prospective study, including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluations.
Mycobacterium abscessus Smooth and Rough Morphotypes Form Antimicrobial-Tolerant Biofilm Phenotypes but Are Killed by Acetic Acid
Authors: Clary Gillian , Sasindran Smitha J. , Nesbitt Nathan , Mason Laurel , Cole Sara , Azad Abul , McCoy Karen , Schlesinger Larry S. , Hall-Stoodley Luanne
Published: January 2018

Mycobacterium abscessushas emerged as an important pathogen in people with chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis, and recent reports suggest that it may be transmissible by fomites.M. abscessusexhibits two major colony morphology variants: a smooth morphotype (MaSm) and a rough morphotype (MaRg). Biofilm formation, prolonged intracellular survival, and colony variant diversity can each contribute to the persistence ofM. abscessusand other bacterial pathogens in chronic pulmonary diseases. A prevailing paradigm of chronicM. abscessusinfection is thatMaSmis a noninvasive, biofilm-forming, persistent phenotype andMaRgan invasive phenotype that is unable to form biofilms. We show thatMaRgis hyperaggregative and forms biofilm-like aggregates, which, likeMaSmbiofilm aggregates, are significantly more tolerant than planktonic variants to acidic pHs, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and treatment with amikacin or azithromycin. We further show that both variants are recalcitrant to antibiotic treatment inside human macrophage-like cells and thatMaRgis more refractory thanMaSmto azithromycin. Our results indicate that biofilm-like aggregation and protracted intracellular survival may each contribute to the persistence of this problematic pathogen in the face of antimicrobial agents regardless of morphotype. Biofilms of eachM. abscessusvariant are rapidly killed, however, by acetic acid, which may help to prevent local fomite transmission.
Identification of a Novel Genomic Island Associated with
vanD
-Type Vancomycin Resistance in Six Dutch Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Isolates
Authors: Top Janetta , Sinnige Jan C. , Brouwer Ellen C. , Werner Guido , Corander Jukka , Severin Juliëtte A. , Jansen Rogier , Bathoorn E. , Bonten Marc J. M. , Rossen John W. A. , Willems Rob J. L.
Published: January 2018

Genomic comparison of the first six Dutch
vanD
-type vancomycin-resistant
Enterococcus faecium
(VRE) isolates with four
vanD
gene clusters from other enterococcal species and anaerobic gut commensals revealed that the
vanD
gene cluster was located on a genomic island of variable size. Phylogenetic inferences revealed that the Dutch VRE isolates were genetically not closely related and that genetic variation of the
vanD
-containing genomic island was not species specific, suggesting that this island is transferred horizontally between enterococci and anaerobic gut commensals.