bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ergonomic layout optimization of a smart assembly workbench
Authors: Wu Shi-qing , Shen Bin , Tang Yun-zhe , Wang Jia-hai , Zheng Da-teng 
Published: March 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study a method to optimize the arrangement of the devices on a smart assembly workbench, which help to reduce fatigue and improve efficiency for the worker.

Design/methodology/approach
The optimization priority is studied based on the users’ decisions, a mathematical model of the layout optimization is established from ergonomic perspective and an improved algorithm is adopted to solve the built the mathematical model.

Findings
Ergonomic software Jack is chosen to simulate the four layout schemes obtained. Through comparative analysis of the simulation results, it is proven that the optimal solution can be obtained using the improved algorithm.

Originality/value
The mathematical model built on observation comfort, operation comfort and device accessibility, as well as the improved algorithm in this paper, has some reference values for the layout design of smart assembly workbench.
Comparison studies of the protective properties of silane/polyrhodanine and polyrhodanine/silane bilayer coatings applied on stainless steel
Authors: Owczarek Edyta 
Published: March 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the protective, anticorrosion properties of silane- and polyrhodanine-based bilayer coatings pRh/IBTES and IBTES/pRh on an X20Cr13 stainless steel substrate.

Design/methodology/approach
IBTES/pRh and pRh/IBTES have been coated using the dip-coating method and the cyclic voltammetry technique. The electrochemical measurements have been used to assess the anticorrosion properties of the resulting bilayer coatings. Morphological and chemical characterizations have been performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Findings
The results clearly show that the combination of both the deposits of polyrhodanine and silane yields a more protective structure that affords better protection against corrosion with time. The best barrier properties are achieved by the substrates coated with polyrhodanine film upon which silane is subsequently adsorbed – the pRh/IBTES bilayer coating.

Originality/value
The paper reveals that the procedure of modification of silane films with polyrhodanine had a marked effect on the anti-corrosive performance of the obtained two types of bilayers coatings (pRh/IBTES, IBTES/pRh) applied on a stainless steel surface. The coating where polyrhodanine was first electrodeposited on the steel surface and then the silane layer adsorbed (pRh/IBTES) achieved the best protective properties.
The myth of the “good governance code”: an analysis of the relationship between ownership structure and the comply-or-explain disclosure
Authors: Lepore Luigi , Pisano Sabrina , Di Vaio Assunta , Alvino Federico 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to assess the degree of disclosure about compliance with corporate governance code and the explanations provided by Italian firms and second, to analyze the relationships between this disclosure and different variables of ownership structure.Design/methodology/approachThe sample was composed of 75 non-financial companies listed in Italy in 2016. Content analysis of the corporate governance statement and ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression models were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsCompanies tended to comply with the corporate governance code and to disclose this information, but when they decided to not comply, they did not provide adequate explanations. Findings revealed a negative relation between ownership concentration and the disclosure analyzed. Results also highlight that a more equal distribution of shares among larger shareholders is beneficial for disclosure. Moreover, the presence of a dominant financial shareholder at a high level of ownership concentration creates inefficiency of the degree of adherence to the comply-or-explain principle.Originality/valueThis study examines in depth the underexplored issue of “explanation” and exceeds the issue of ownership concentration, which has already been examined extensively, raising the issues of counterweight power and shareholders’ identities, which remain underexplored. In this way, results presented contribute to explaining some causes of the diverse findings that research has found about the relationship between ownership concentration and voluntary disclosure, demonstrating the importance of counterweight power and largest shareholder’s identity. Consequently, when self-regulating initiatives are designed and implemented, legislators, regulators and managers should not ignore the characteristics of the firms’ ownership structure.
How does working capital management affect the profitability of Indian companies?
Authors: Altaf Nufazil , Shah Farooq Ahmad 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between working capital management (WCM) and firm profitability for a sample of 437 non-financial Indian companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on secondary financial data obtained from Capitaline database, pertaining to a period of ten years. This study employs two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) techniques to arrive at results.FindingsThe results of the study confirm the inverted U-shape relationship between WCM and firm profitability. In addition, the authors also found that the firms should complete its CCC on an average by 63 days.Originality/valueUnlike prior studies that found a linear relationship between WCM and firm profitability. This study provides newer evidence for an inverted U-shaped relation between investment in working capital and firm profitability in India. In addition, this study uses GMM to control the potential problems of endogeneity.
Developing a camp performance indicator system and its application to Zaatari, Jordan
Authors: Schön Anna-Mara , Al-Saadi Shahad , Grubmueller Jakob , Schumann-Bölsche Dorit 
Published: March 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the initial results of the Camp Performance Indicator (CPI) system to illustrate the importance of self-reliance of refugee camp dwellers with regard to infrastructure and service investments.Design/methodology/approachData, derived from a field trip to Zaatari in autumn 2016 and thorough literature research, were taken to develop a new CPI system. The findings from the literature research were merged with available camp data to validate each other.FindingsSelf-reliance is a fundamental human right and anchored in the UN sustainable development goals. Yet, presented findings reveal that even in one of the most modern refugee camps in the world – Zaatari – the level of self-reliance is rather low. However, organisations and humanitarian logisticians can influence self-reliance by identifying clearly where challenges are.Research limitations/implicationsData from a diverse range of reports were extracted. As most of these reports lack reliable and comparative quantitative data, the limitation of the study must be taken into account. So far data were only validated on one case study. To develop the tool further, more data need to be taken into account.Originality/valueTo this point, there is no performance measurement tool available focusing on self-reliance of encamped refugees. In addition, no academic research has measured the interrelation between the level of investments in infrastructure and services and the improvement of the lives of camp residents, especially regarding the level of self-reliance.
Addressing alignment concerns into the design of domain-specific information systems
Authors: Avila Oscar , Goepp Virginie , Kiefer François 
Published: March 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find alignment concerns (e.g. requirements, restrictions and issues) and addressing them into the design and development of domain-specific information systems (ISs) supporting product manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach
The approach is based on two metamodels of the Strategic Alignment Model that formalise its underlying concepts. The metamodels are used to build specific alignment models that define the elements to be aligned and the corresponding alignment sequences. The models and alignment sequences are intended to guide the design and development of an “aligned” domain-specific IS. An industrial case study for the manufacturing industry shows the feasibility of this approach.

Findings
The instantiation of the alignment models components with information about the specific-domain IS project enabled us to deal with current and future concerns into the design of ISs aligned with the manufacturing strategy and infrastructures.

Originality/value
IS alignment is generally tackled at a strategic level, in this paper the operational and tactical levels are also addressed.
Eliciting a profile of handicraft entrepreneurs in Maboneng
Authors: Mwila Natasha Katuta , Wemba Mtendere Caroline 
Published: March 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and articulate the profile of handicraft entrepreneurs operating in the Maboneng precinct of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach
This study is qualitative in nature – implementing a phenomenology through which cases of four handicraft entrepreneurs are developed.

Findings
Handicraft entrepreneurs in Maboneng possess a spiritually motivated profile that does not allow them to be neatly characterised in the profiles of the literature.

Originality/value
This study contributes to addressing the dearth of knowledge in the literature on the profile of entrepreneurs in Africa. It provides insights on the spiritual motivation of artisanal entrepreneurs in particular who represent a part of the largest proportion of African small-scale entrepreneurial activity.
Effects of a protein‐free oat plantlet extract on microinflammation and skin barrier function in atopic dermatitis patients
Authors: Wollenberg A. , Fölster‐Holst R. , Saint Aroman M. , Sampogna F. , Vestergaard C. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, highly pruritic, chronic inflammatory skin disease. Dysfunction of the epidermal barrier is witnessed by an increased transepidermal water loss in lesional and non‐lesional AD skin. The inflammation in lesional AD skin is well characterized. Non‐lesional skin of AD patients shows histological signs of a subclinical inflammation and a pro‐inflammatory cytokine milieu. This microinflammation is present even in seemingly healed skin and must be taken into account regarding treatment of AD. Emollients provide a safe and effective method of skin barrier improvement, because they provide the skin with a source of exogenous lipids, thus improving its barrier function. The use of emollients is recommended for all AD patients irrespective of overall disease severity. Patients with moderate to severe AD should combine the emollients with a proactive therapy regimen of topical calcineurin inhibitors or topical corticosteroids. Skin areas affected by active eczema in flare should receive daily anti‐inflammatory therapy first before introducing emollients, to induce rapid relief of skin lesions and pruritus. The microinflammation persisting in seemingly healed AD lesions should be addressed by a proactive treatment approach, consisting of minimal anti‐inflammatory therapy and liberal, daily use of emollients. An emollient containing an extract of Rhealba oat plantlet has shown anti‐inflammatory and barrier repairing properties, and was clinically tested in studies targeting the microinflammation in AD. All emollients based on Rhealba oat plantlet extract are free of oat protein, as the Rhealba extract is derived from the aerial parts of the oat plantlet and is unrelated to oatmeal proteins. The Rhealba oat plantlet extract is produced in a specific process, allowing the extraction of high levels of active principles such as flavonoids and saponins, whilst being virtually free of oat proteins to minimize the risk for allergic reactions.
Academic Detailing with Provider Audit and Feedback Improve Prescribing Quality for Older Veterans
Authors: Vandenberg Ann E. , Echt Katharina V. , Kemp Lawanda , McGwin Gerald , Perkins Molly M. , Mirk Anna K. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractSuboptimal prescribing persists as a driver of poor quality care of older veterans and is associated with risk of hospitalization and emergency department visits. We adapted a successful medication management model, Integrated Management and Polypharmacy Review of Vulnerable Elders (IMPROVE), from an urban geriatric specialty clinic to rural community‐based clinics that deliver primary care. The goals were to promote prescribing quality and safety for older adults, including reduced prescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). We augmented the original model, which involved a pharmacist‐led, one‐on‐one medication review with high‐risk older veterans, to provide rural primary care providers (PCPs) and pharmacists with educational outreach through academic detailing and tools to support safe geriatric prescribing practices, as well as individual audit and feedback on prescribing practice and confidential peer benchmarking. Twenty PCPs and 4 pharmacists at 4 rural Georgia community‐based outpatient clinics participated. More than 7,000 older veterans were seen in more than 20,000 PCP encounters during the 14‐month intervention period. Implementation of the IMPROVE intervention reduced PIM prescribing incidence from 9.6 new medications per 100 encounters during baseline to 8.7 after the intervention (P = .009). IMPROVE reduced PIM prevalence (proportion of encounters involving veterans who were taking at least 1 PIM) from 22.6% to 16.7% (P < .001). These approaches were effective in reducing PIMs prescribed to older veterans in a rural setting and constitute a feasible model for disseminating geriatric best practices to the primary care setting.
Historical perspective on folic acid and challenges in estimating global prevalence of neural tube defects
Authors: Kancherla Vijaya , Black Robert E. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractNeural tube defects (NTD) are major congenital malformations affecting births worldwide. NTD are associated with life‐long disability, significant medical care costs, and child mortality. Their prevalence varies worldwide. We conducted a review of published literature and surveillance systems to examine challenges in estimating an overall global prevalence estimate for NTD. Our review showed that most low‐ and middle‐income countries do not track NTD and indicate a high prevalence of these malformations where data are available. Challenges in global NTD prevalence estimation include (1) quality of surveillance methods, (2) existing risk factors (including geographic or socioeconomic factors, availability and use of folic acid, and racial–ethnic and genetic factors), and (3) limitations in education and access to care. We recommend population‐based surveillance systems tracking all pregnancy outcomes and major risk factors. Countries should invest in sustainable, multisource surveillance systems, in parallel to folic acid interventions, for gaining a more accurate knowledge of global prevalence of NTD than we currently have. Such efforts will assist in both global prevention of NTD and periodic evaluation of folic acid interventions for NTD reduction. Global NTD prevalence data can drive political will and accelerate the implementation and evaluation of NTD prevention programs.
This Is Us: Wittgenstein and the Social
Authors: Laugier Sandra 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper aims at elucidating the present strength of the social and political ideas one can draw from Wittgenstein’ later work, rooting in it his conception of the subjectivity of language and of the speakers’ authority and voice; of the I and the us. The article uses the concept of forms of life – understood, following Stanley Cavell and Veena Das, not only in the social (horizontal) sense but also in the natural (biological) sense, as life forms. – in order to rearticulate the natural and conventional and to perceive, as Cavell puts it, “the mutual implication of the natural and the social” in the constitution of us – and in a renewed, ordinary conception of democracy.
Discovery of a Novel Metallo-β-Lactamase Inhibitor That Potentiates Meropenem Activity against Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Authors: Everett Martin , Sprynski Nicolas , Coelho Alicia , Castandet Jérôme , Bayet Maëlle , Bougnon Juliette , Lozano Clarisse , Davies David T. , Leiris Simon , Zalacain Magdalena , Morrissey Ian , Magnet Sophie , Holden Kirsty , Warn Peter , De Luca Filomena , Docquier Jean-Denis , Lemonnier Marc 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

Infections caused by carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae
(CRE) are increasingly prevalent and have become a major worldwide threat to human health. Carbapenem resistance is driven primarily by the acquisition of β-lactamase enzymes, which are able to degrade carbapenem antibiotics (hence termed carbapenemases) and result in high levels of resistance and treatment failure. Clinically relevant carbapenemases include both serine β-lactamases (SBLs; e.g., KPC-2 and OXA-48) and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), such as NDM-1. MBL-producing strains are endemic within the community in many Asian countries, have successfully spread worldwide, and account for many significant CRE outbreaks. Recently approved combinations of β-lactam antibiotics with β-lactamase inhibitors are active only against SBL-producing pathogens. Therefore, new drugs that specifically target MBLs and which restore carbapenem efficacy against MBL-producing CRE pathogens are urgently needed. Here we report the discovery of a novel MBL inhibitor, ANT431, that can potentiate the activity of meropenem (MEM) against a broad range of MBL-producing CRE and restore its efficacy against an
Escherichia coli
NDM-1-producing strain in a murine thigh infection model. This is a strong starting point for a chemistry lead optimization program that could deliver a first-in-class MBL inhibitor-carbapenem combination. This would complement the existing weaponry against CRE and address an important and growing unmet medical need.
Bacterial Adaptation to Antibiotics through Regulatory RNAs
Authors: Felden Brice , Cattoir Vincent 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT
The extensive use of antibiotics has resulted in a situation where multidrug-resistant pathogens have become a severe menace to human health worldwide. A deeper understanding of the principles used by pathogens to adapt to, respond to, and resist antibiotics would pave the road to the discovery of drugs with novel mechanisms. For bacteria, antibiotics represent clinically relevant stresses that induce protective responses. The recent implication of regulatory RNAs (small RNAs [sRNAs]) in antibiotic response and resistance in several bacterial pathogens suggests that they should be considered innovative drug targets. This minireview discusses sRNA-mediated mechanisms exploited by bacterial pathogens to fight against antibiotics. A critical discussion of the newest findings in the field is provided, with emphasis on the implication of sRNAs in major mechanisms leading to antibiotic resistance, including drug uptake, active drug efflux, drug target modifications, biofilms, cell walls, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. Of interest is the lack of knowledge about sRNAs implicated in Gram-positive compared to Gram-negative bacterial resistance.
Understanding Clostridium difficile Colonization
Authors: Crobach Monique J. T. , Vernon Jonathan J. , Loo Vivian G. , Kong Ling Yuan , Péchiné Séverine , Wilcox Mark H. , Kuijper Ed J. 
Published: March 2018

SUMMARY

Clostridium difficile
is the main causative agent of antibiotic-associated and health care-associated infective diarrhea. Recently, there has been growing interest in alternative sources of
C. difficile
other than patients with
Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI) and the hospital environment. Notably, the role of
C. difficile
-colonized patients as a possible source of transmission has received attention. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of
C. difficile
colonization. Findings from gut microbiota studies yield more insights into determinants that are important for acquiring or resisting colonization and progression to CDI. In discussions on the prevalence of
C. difficile
colonization among populations and its associated risk factors, colonized patients at hospital admission merit more attention, as findings from the literature have pointed to their role in both health care-associated transmission of
C. difficile
and a higher risk of progression to CDI once admitted.
C. difficile
colonization among patients at admission may have clinical implications, although further research is needed to identify if interventions are beneficial for preventing transmission or overcoming progression to CDI.
NsrA, a Predicted β-Barrel Outer Membrane Protein Involved in Plant Signal Perception and the Control of Secondary Infection in Sinorhizobium meliloti
Authors: Garnerone Anne-Marie , Sorroche Fernando , Zou Lan , Mathieu-Demazière Céline , Tian Chang Fu , Masson-Boivin Catherine , Batut Jacques 
Published: March 2018

ABSTRACT

An ongoing signal exchange fine-tunes the symbiotic interactions between rhizobia and legumes, ensuring the establishment and maintenance of mutualism. In a recently identified regulatory loop, endosymbiotic
Sinorhizobium meliloti
exerts negative feedback on root infection in response to unknown plant cues. Upon signal perception, three bacterial adenylate cyclases (ACs) of the inner membrane, namely, CyaD1, CyaD2, and CyaK, synthesize the second messenger cAMP, which, together with the cAMP-dependent Clr transcriptional activator, activates the expression of genes involved in root infection control. The pathway that links signal perception at the surface of the cell to cytoplasmic cAMP production by ACs was thus far unknown. Here we first show that CyaK is the cognate AC for the plant signal, called signal 1, that was observed previously in mature nodule and shoot extracts. We also show that inactivation of the gene immediately upstream of
cyaK
,
nsrA
(
smb20775
), which encodes a β-barrel protein of the outer membrane, abolished signal 1 perception
ex planta
, whereas
nsrA
overexpression increased signal 1 responsiveness. Inactivation of the
nsrA
gene abolished all Clr-dependent gene expression in nodules and led to a marked hyperinfection phenotype on plants, similar to that of a
cyaD1 cyaD2 cyaK
triple mutant. We suggest that the NsrA protein acts as the (co)receptor for two signal molecules, signal 1 and a hypothetical signal 1′, in mature and young nodules that cooperate in controlling secondary infection in
S. meliloti-Medicago
symbiosis. The predicted topology and domain composition of the NsrA protein hint at a mechanism of transmembrane signaling.

IMPORTANCE
Symbiotic interactions, especially mutualistic ones, rely on a continuous signal exchange between the symbionts. Here we report advances regarding a recently discovered signal transduction pathway that fine-tunes the symbiotic interaction between
S. meliloti
and its
Medicago
host plant. We have identified an outer membrane protein of
S. meliloti
, called NsrA, that transduces
Medicago
plant signals to adenylate cyclases in the inner membrane, thereby triggering a cAMP signaling cascade that controls infection. Besides their relevance for the rhizobium-legume symbiosis, these findings shed light on the mechanisms of signal perception and transduction by adenylate cyclases and transmembrane signaling in bacteria.