bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unraveling the implications of environmental, host and pathogen-specific determinants on clinical presentations and disease progression among Indian melioidosis patients
Authors: Shaw Tushar , Tellapragada Chaitanya , Kamath Asha , Eshwara Vandana Kalwaje , Mukhopadhyay Chiranjay 
Published: November 2018

AbstractBackgroundMelioidosis is gaining recognition as an emerging infectious disease with diverse clinical manifestations and high-case fatality rates,worldwide. However, the molecular epidemiology of the disease outside the endemic regions such as,Thailand and Northern Australia remains unclear.MethodsClinical data and B. pseudomallei (Bps) isolates obtained from 199 culture-confirmed cases of melioidosis, diagnosed during 2006-2016 inSouth India were used to elucidate the host and pathogen-specific variable virulence determinants associated with clinical presentations and disease progression. Further, we determined the temporal variations and the influence of ecological factors on Bps Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) genotypes causing infections.ResultSevere forms of the disease were observed amongst 169 (85%) patients. Renal dysfunction and infection due to Bps harboring Bim-ABm variant had significant associations with severe forms of the disease. Diabetes mellitus, septicemic melioidosis and infection due to LPS-B genotype were independent risk factors for mortality. LPS-B (74%) and LPS-A (20.6%) were the prevalent genotypes causing infections. Both genotypes demonstrated temporal variations and had significant correlations with rainfall and humidity.ConclusionOur study findings suggest that the pathogen-specific virulence traits, under the influence of ecological factors are the key drivers for geographical variations in the molecular epidemiology of melioidosis.
Phylogenomics of the adaptive radiation ofTriturusnewts supports gradual ecological niche expansion towards an incrementally aquatic lifestyle
Authors: Wielstra B. , McCartney-Melstad E. , Arntzen J.W. , Butlin R.K. , Shaffer H.B. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractNewts of the genusTriturus(marbled and crested newts) exhibit substantial variation in the number of trunk vertebrae (NTV) and a higher NTV corresponds to a longer annual aquatic period. Because theTriturusphylogeny has thwarted resolution to date, the evolutionary history of NTV, annual aquatic period, and their potential coevolution has remained unclear. To resolve the phylogeny ofTriturus, we generated a c. 6,000 transcriptome-derived marker data set using a custom target enrichment probe set, and conducted phylogenetic analyses using: 1) data concatenation with RAxML, 2) gene-tree summary with ASTRAL, and 3) species-tree estimation with SNAPP. All analyses produce the same, highly supported topology, despite cladogenesis having occurred over a short timeframe, resulting in short internal branch lengths. Our new phylogenetic hypothesis is consistent with the minimal number of inferred changes in NTV count necessary to explain the diversity in NTV observed today. Although a causal relationship between NTV, body form, and aquatic ecology has yet to be experimentally established, our phylogeny indicates that these features have evolved together, and suggest that they may underlie the adaptive radiation that characterizesTriturus.
Divergent effects of acute and prolonged interleukin 33 exposure on mast cell IgE-mediated functions
Authors: Rönnberg Elin , Ghaib Avan , Ceriol Carlos , Enoksson Mattias , Arock Michel , Säfholm Jesper , Ekoff Maria , Nilsson Gunnar 
Published: November 2018

AbstractBackgroundEpithelial cytokines, including IL-33 and TSLP, have attracted interest because of their roles in chronic allergic inflammation-related conditions such as asthma. Mast cells are one of the major targets of IL-33, to which they respond by secreting cytokines. Most studies performed thus far have investigated the acute effects of IL-33 on mast cells.ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to investigate how acute versus prolonged exposure of human mast cells to IL-33 and TSLP affects mediator synthesis and IgE-mediated activation.MethodsHuman lung mast cells (HLMCs), cord blood-derived mast cells (CBMCs), and the ROSA mast cell line were used for this study. Surface receptor expression and the levels of mediators were measured after treatment with IL-33 and/or TSLP.ResultsIL-33 induced the acute release of cytokines. Prolonged exposure to IL-33 increased while TSLP reduced intracellular levels of tryptase. Acute IL-33 treatment strongly potentiated IgE-mediated activation. In contrast, four days of exposure to IL-33 decreased IgE-mediated activation, an effect that was accompanied by a reduction in FcεRI expression.Conclusion & Clinical RelevanceWe show that IL-33 plays dual roles for mast cell functions. The acute effect includes cytokine release and the potentiation of IgE-mediated degranulation, whereas prolonged exposure to IL-33 reduces IgE-mediated activation. We conclude that mast cells act quickly in response to the alarmin IL-33 to initiate an acute inflammatory response, whereas extended exposure to IL-33 during prolonged inflammation reduces IgE-mediated responses. This negative feedback effect suggests the presence of a novel IL-33 mediated regulatory pathway that modulates IgE-induced human mast cell responses.
Schistosoma mansonidoes not and cannot oxidize fatty acids, but these are used for biosynthetic purposes instead
Authors: Bexkens Michiel L. , Mebius Mirjam M. , Houweling Martin , Brouwers Jos F. , Tielens Aloysius G.M. , van Hellemond Jaap J. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractAdult schistosomes, parasitic flatworms that cause the tropical disease schistosomiasis, have always been considered to be homolactic fermenters and in their energy metabolism strictly dependent on carbohydrates. However, more recent studies suggested that fatty acid β-oxidation is essential for egg production by adult femaleSchistosoma mansoni. To address this conundrum, we performed a comprehensive study on the lipid metabolism ofS. mansoni. Incubations with [14C]-labelled fatty acids demonstrated that adults, eggs and miracidia ofS. mansonidid not oxidize fatty acids, as no14CO2production could be detected. We then re-examined theS. mansonigenome using the genes known to be involved in fatty acid oxidation in six eukaryotic model reference species. This showed that the earlier automatically annotated genes for fatty acid oxidation were in fact incorrectly annotated. In a further analysis we could not detect any genes encoding β-oxidation enzymes, which demonstrates thatS. mansonicannot use this pathway in any of its lifecycle stages. The same was true forS. japonicum.Absence of β-oxidation, however, does not imply that fatty acids from the host are not metabolized by schistosomes. Adult schistosomes can use and modify fatty acids from their host for biosynthetic purposes and incorporate them in phospholipids and neutral lipids. Female worms deposit large amounts of these lipids in the eggs they produce, which explains why interference with the lipid metabolism in females will disturb egg formation, even though fatty acid β-oxidation does not occur in schistosomes. Our analyses ofS. mansonifurther revealed that during the development and maturation of the miracidium inside the egg, changes in lipid composition occur which indicates that fatty acids deposited in the egg by the female worm are used for phospholipid biosynthesis required for membrane formation in the developing miracidium.
Design of parallel adaptive extended Kalman filter for online estimation of noise covariance
Authors: Xiong Kai , Liu Liangdong 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
The successful use of the standard extended Kalman filter (EKF) is restricted by the requirement on the statistics information of the measurement noise. The covariance of the measurement noise may deviate from its nominal value in practical environment, and the filtering performance may decline because of the statistical uncertainty. Although the adaptive EKF (AEKF) is available for recursive covariance estimation, it is often less accurate than the EKF with accurate noise statistics.

Design/methodology/approach
Aiming at this problem, this paper develops a parallel adaptive EKF (PAEKF) by combining the EKF and the AEKF with an adaptive law, such that the final state estimate is dominated by the EKF when the prior noise covariance is accurate, while the AEKF is activated when the actual noise covariance deviates from its nominal value.

Findings
The PAEKF can reduce the sensitivity of the algorithm to the model uncertainty and ensure the estimation accuracy in the normal case. The simulation results demonstrate that the PAEKF has the advantage of both the AEKF and the EKF.

Practical implications
The presented algorithm is applicable for spacecraft relative attitude and position estimation.

Originality/value
The PAEKF is presented for a kind of nonlinear uncertain systems. Stability analysis is provided to show that the error of the estimator is bounded under certain assumptions.
Applying a SWOT analysis to inform educational provision of learners on the autism spectrum
Authors: Sciberras Claire 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
Requests for increased support within mainstream school settings within the field of autism tend to take place across most international educational scenarios. In light of such recommendation, the purpose of this paper is to outline how the implementation of a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis within educational settings might be beneficial in order to improve the support provided for learners on the autism spectrum (AS).

Design/methodology/approach
Although a SWOT analysis framework is generally carried out in corporate domains for companies and firms to investigate their competitive impact within the marketplace so as to develop future concepts, this analysis structure may also be usefully applied within educational settings so as to inform practice.

Findings
If implemented in an effective manner, a SWOT analysis will potentially provide a comprehensive synopsis of the issues and concerns which are relevant for considering and evolving the provision of support for students. Indeed, it will enable educational environments to enhance their strengths so as to increase appropriate opportunities and address the weaknesses within their services in order to potentially overcome their barriers and enhance the quality of life of learners on the spectrum.

Originality/value
This paper includes the viewpoint of the author in relation to a SWOT analysis so as to inform practice for learners on the AS.
The role of perceived benefits and personality traits on mobile instant messaging users’ responses
Authors: Padmavathy Chandrasekaran , Lee Seonjeong (Ally) , Pattusamy Murugan , Dey Mukesh Kumar , Swapana Murali 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
Mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications have grown profusely worldwide in recent years in tandem with increased smartphone usage. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among perceived benefits, personality traits, MIM satisfaction, and social capital responses.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses partial least squares-SEM to investigate proposed hypotheses based on a sample of 1,519 WhatsApp users.

Findings
The results indicate that perceived benefits of MIM and personality traits have a positive influence on MIM satisfaction; and MIM satisfaction in turn has a positive effect on users’ social capital responses. MIM satisfaction partially mediates the relationships between perceived benefits, traits, and social capital. Additionally, the results indicate positive significant effect of Gen X and Y on social capital among other control variables.

Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on MIM. The results also provide important implications for MIM application developers and instigate future research in the MIM platform.

Originality/value
This study is the first attempt in integrating perceived benefits, personality traits, and social capital in MIM literature.
Do fellow-feelings and organisational harmony matter for logistic firms?
Authors: Khan Jashim , Rivers Gary , Gaur Sonjaya S. , Quazi Ali , Zuo Na , Bhatia Sunil D. 
Published: November 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of organisational harmony and fellow-feelings in the relationship between intelligence generations, dissemination and implementation on business performance and explain how market orientation impacts certain aspects of organisational behaviour which in turn lead to the performance of service firms.Design/methodology/approachThe data set comprises 108 responses of senior managers within the logistics sector. The multi-level sequential mediation path analysis is used to examine the above mediating role.FindingsResults indicate that intelligence dissemination (ID), response implementation (RI) and business performance relationship is significantly mediated via fellow-feelings and organisational harmony. However, the relationship between dissemination, implementation and overall business performance is mostly mediated by fellow-feelings and followed by organisational harmony. Furthermore, when overall market orientation (intelligence generation, dissemination and RI) is used as a determinant of business performance, organsiational harmony emerged as the most significant contributor to organsiational performance.Practical implicationsManagers are urged to focus on building fellow-feelings among their employees, resulting in a harmonious work environment between functional units and market orientation organisation wide.Originality/valueCompared to previous research, this is one of the first attempts to develop an understanding of fellow-feelings, contributing to organsiational harmony resulting market orientation and, hence, business performance. Market orientation conceptualisations lump intelligence generation, dissemination and RI of business activities together but do not explain how market orientation impacts fellow-feelings and organisational harmony which in turn leads to performance. The authors specifically address this important lacuna in our conceptualisation and propose that ID and RI lead to fellow-feelings within functional departments and results in organisational harmony.
Management control and public sector performance management
Authors: van Helden Jan , Reichard Christoph 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how evolving ideas about management control (MC) emerge in research about public sector performance management (PSPM).

Design/methodology/approach
This is a literature review on PSPM research through using a set of key terms derived from a review of recent developments in MC.

Findings
MC research, originating in the management accounting discipline, is largely disconnected from PSPM research as part of public administration and public management disciplines. Overlaps between MC and PSPM research are visible in a cybernetic control approach, control variety and contingency-based reasoning. Both academic communities share an understanding of certain issues, although under diverging labels, especially enabling controls or, in a more general sense, usable performance controls, horizontal controls and control packaging. Specific MC concepts are valuable for future PSPM research, i.e. trust as a complement of performance-based controls in complex settings, and strategy as a variable in contingency-based studies.

Research limitations/implications
Breaking the boundaries between two currently remote research disciplines, on the one hand, might dismantle “would-be” innovations in one of these disciplines, and, on the other hand, may provide a fertile soil for mutual transfer of knowledge. A limitation of the authors’ review of PSPM research is that it may insufficiently cover research published in the public sector accounting journals, which could be an outlet for MC-inspired PSPM research.

Originality/value
The paper unravels the “apparent” and “real” differences between MC and PSPM research, and, in doing so, takes the detected “real” differences as a starting point for discussing in what ways PSPM research can benefit from MC achievements.
Relevance of corporate boards in driving performance in the period that covers financial crisis
Authors: Duppati Geeta Rani , Scrimgeour Frank , Sune Albert 
Published: November 2018

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relevance of boards in driving firm level performance. For this purpose, it considers firms listed on Ireland and Spain stock exchanges for the period 2005 to 2014, over a period that includes the global financial crisis.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses panel data regression analysis to analyse the effects of board characteristics on performance and also uses alternate model specifications to test the significance of robustness of relationships.FindingsThe impact of board size on performance is negative and significant for Irish and Spanish firms for the study period. In general, the board independence has a positive effect on the performance of Spanish firms for the complete study period and suggests consistency with the resource dependency theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis suggests that in general, the non-executive and the board size do not affect the corporate performance of Irish and Spanish firms during the financial crisis. The fixed effects model suggests positive effects of gender diversity on performance for Spanish firms, while the random effects indicates negative relationship between gender diversity and performance for Irish companies.Practical implicationsThe evidence on the Spanish firms suggests that female representation on the boards may be critical during the financial crisisSocial implicationsThe quota legislation on female board representation in Spain is yielding superior results over the soft law approach by Irish firms during the times of financial crisis period.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on the corporate governance practices and performance of two countries that were strongly affected by the crisis in the European Union. As governments increasingly contemplate board gender diversity policies, this study offers useful empirical insights on Spanish and Irish firms.
“Anjaneya” health drink: re-positioning dilemma
Authors: Sharma Aasha Jayant , Sonwaney Vandana Prashant 
Published: November 2018

Learning outcomes
The students will get a hands on research techniques like mental mapping, laddering and means end chain (MEC) model for value proposition and survey techniques.

Case overview/synopsis
Market Research has always acted as one of the major driving force behind the successful launch of any product in any market. There are several evidences of how market research and thorough understanding of the consumers in and out has lead companies reach new peaks and acquire market share. This case deals with a company called Eco-Remedies, based in Nashik, India, which is in the business of providing eco-solutions to different health ailments and also general purpose health supplements like health drinks. The major concentration is on the product called “AnjaNeya-The Graviola fruit drink” from Eco-Remedies, where in different research techniques were used to gather information so that appropriate strategies could be implemented in order to increase the market share of the product and create a strong position in the minds of the customers. The case deals with gathering consumer insights and then developing appropriate positioning strategies for Eco remedies based on consumer value proposition using the MEC theory, mental mapping, blind tests and general consumer survey.

Complexity academic level
The study is applicable to Masters level Marketing Management and Marketing Research Studies.

Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject Code
Marketing.
Chandra Shekhar Ghosh: founding Bandhan
Authors: Ghosh Dastidar Surajit 
Published: November 2018

Learning outcomes
To understand social entrepreneurship and a social entrepreneur; to identify a social problem and develop a business idea; to understand the theory of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition; and to understand microfinance and its impact in the lives of the poor.

Case overview/synopsis
The case traces the journey of its founder Chandra Shekhar Ghosh from being a small time entrepreneur in microfinance to being the owner of a universal bank named Bandhan. Bandhan bank started its operations on August 23, 2015 with 501 branches, 2022 service center and 50 ATMs across 24 states. It had 14.3 million accounts, around 105 billion loan book and 19,500 employees. The founder of Bandhan bank, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, an Ashoka fellow had won numerous awards such as Entrepreneur with Social Impact Award by Forbes (2014), Entrepreneur of the Year by Economic Times (2014), Skoch Financial Inclusion Award (2011), Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2014) by AIMA to name a few. In 2014, Bandhan was also recognized as Global Growth Company by World Economic Forum.

Complexity academic level
The case is suitable for analysis in a MBA level course on social entrepreneurship.

Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Participatory predictors of users’ satisfaction with housing infrastructure in Akure, Nigeria
Authors: Fakere Alexander Adeyemi , Folorunso Clement Oluwole , Arayela Olatunde , Adedeji Yomi Michael 
Published: November 2018

Purpose
This paper is based on users’ satisfaction with housing infrastructure as a derivative of their participation in evolving the facilities from inception. The paper aims to examine optimal performance of infrastructural facilities with a view to determine the satisfaction of users in the study area.

Design/methodology/approach
This study reports on a cross-sectional doctoral research study on 304 household heads in the transitional and peripheral zones of Akure, Nigeria. The infrastructure studied were water supply, electricity supply, roads, drainage, waste management and security. A structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and physical observations were used. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean satisfaction scoring and categorical regression analysis.

Findings
Respondents found the infrastructural facilities in their communities to be unsatisfactory; they also indicated low levels of participation in the provision of infrastructure. Residents were most satisfied with waste management and least satisfied with water supply. The results showed a significant relationship between users’ participation and satisfaction with housing infrastructure.

Practical implications
The findings imply that giving adequate attention to users’ involvement in the provision process of infrastructural projects can enhance their satisfaction with infrastructure.

Originality/value
The study highlights the benefits of involving users in the process of providing housing infrastructure, establishing a positive relation with their satisfaction.