bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Meibomian Glands and Ocular Surface Changes After Closure of Meibomian Gland Orifices in Rabbits
Authors: Eom Youngsub , Han Ji Yun , Kang Boram , Hwang Ho Sik , Lee Hyung Keun , Kim Hyo Myung , Song Jong Suk 
Published: November 2017

Purpose:
To investigate changes in the corneal surface, tear film, and meibomian glands after meibomian gland orifice closure.

Methods:
Seventy-two eyes of 36 rabbits were used. In the study group (n = 36), the meibomian gland orifices of both upper and lower eyelids in the right eyes were electrosurgically coagulated. The 36 untreated left eyes were used as controls. Corneal wetting properties were measured 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after coagulation. The eyelid sections were stained with anti-cytokeratin (CK)1, CK5, and CK6 antibody 8 weeks after coagulation. The area of the secretory acini around one meibomian gland duct was measured, and meibography of rabbits was performed 8 weeks after meibomian gland orifice closure.

Results:
Three days after coagulation, the corneal wetting property was decreased compared with controls. The meibomian gland ducts gradually dilated in the study group over time. The epithelium of the central ducts in both groups was stained with CK5 and CK6, but not CK1. Although the mean area of the secretory acini in the study group (0.10 ± 0.04 mm2) was significantly smaller than that of the control group (0.18 ± 0.04; P = 0.004), meibography showed normal morphology in both study and control groups.

Conclusions:
Meibomian gland orifice closure reduced corneal wetting property and induced meibomian gland duct dilation accompanied by shrinkage of secretory acini. Meibography could not detect early changes in the meibomian gland after closure of the orifice. Therefore, when the orifice is obstructed, more active treatments are needed before structural changes occur.
Invasive Haemophilus influenzae Serotype a Infection in Children
Authors: Plumb Ian D. , Lecy K. Danielle , Singleton Rosalyn , Engel Michael C. , Hirschfeld Matthew , Keck James W. , Klejka Joseph , Rudolph Karen M. , Hennessy Thomas W. , Bruce Michael G. 
Published: November 2017

Background:
Invasive infections from Haemophilus influenzae serotype a (Hia) have been reported with increasing frequency, especially among indigenous populations. However, there are limited population-based studies of clinical severity. We studied invasive Hia infections in Alaska to determine clinical characteristics, mortality and sequelae.

Methods:
We defined an invasive Hia infection as the first detection of Hia from a usually sterile site in a child <10 years of age from Alaska. We identified cases using the Alaska Invasive Bacterial Diseases Surveillance System and reviewed medical charts up to 2 years after reported illness.

Results:
We identified invasive Hia infections in 36 children, 28 (78%) <1 year old, 34 (94%) living in an Alaskan village and 25 (69%) without documented underlying illness. Overlapping clinical presentations included meningitis in 15 children (42%); bacteremia and pneumonia in 10 children (28%); and bone, joint or soft tissue infections in 10 children (22%). In 4 other children, no source of invasive infection was identified. Intensive care was provided for 11 children (31%); 12 children (33%) required surgical intervention. One year after infection, 4 children (11%) had died from Hia, and 5 children (14%) had ongoing neurologic sequelae.

Conclusions:
Invasive Hia infections in Alaska occurred predominantly in Alaska Native infants in rural communities. Although one-third of children had preexisting conditions, most cases occurred without known comorbidity. Clinical syndromes were frequently severe. One year after infection, 1 in 4 children had either died or had neurologic sequelae. An effective vaccine would prevent significant morbidity and mortality in affected populations.
Defining Study Outcomes That Better Reflect Individual Response to Treatment
Authors: Angelidou Konstantia , Palumbo Paul , Lindsey Jane , Violary Avy , Archary Moherndran , Barlow Linda , Claggett Brian , Hughes Michael , Wei Lee-Jen 
Published: November 2017

Background:
Most clinical trials comparing treatments evaluate the separate effects on each of several efficacy and toxicity outcomes. However, population-averaged summary measures of treatment differences may not accurately reflect individual responses to treatment, and drawing conclusions about which treatment is “best” is straightforward if one treatment is superior across all outcomes, but challenging when this is not the case.

Methods:
We created a study outcome based on expert opinion, which captures the risk/benefit profile of response to a treatment. Treatments were compared using this ordered outcome with standard statistical techniques. To illustrate the approach, we used as an example a study designed to evaluate initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) in human immunodeficiency virus-1–infected infants, in which results were contradictory across the study’s primary and secondary efficacy and toxicity outcomes. The proposed risk/benefit outcome was evaluated retrospectively in each participant.

Results:
In the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials P1060 study, one treatment regimen (lopinavir/ritonavir-based ART) was superior to the other (nevirapine-based ART) in reducing viral load (primary outcome) but inferior for immunologic and growth outcomes (important secondary outcomes in resource-limited settings). Treatment comparisons using the risk/benefit outcome indicated that the lopinavir/ritonavir-based ART regimen had a higher proportion of participants with the best overall response to treatment. Comparisons focusing on individual-level responses for the secondary outcomes also favored lopinavir/ritonavir-based ART, results that differed from the original population-averaged analyses ones.

Conclusions:
Designing studies prospectively using risk/benefit outcomes focusing on an individual’s responses to treatment more closely matches the needs of clinicians making decisions about how best to treat patients in clinical settings.
Rotavirus Genotypes Circulating in Brazil Before and After the National Rotavirus Vaccine Program
Authors: Santos Victor S. , Nóbrega Flávia A. , Soares Mariana W. S. , Moreira Renan D. , Cuevas Luis E. , Gurgel Ricardo Q. 
Published: November 2017

Background:
Rotavirus vaccines created the opportunity to control diarrhea in children. We describe the rotavirus genotypes before and after the rotavirus vaccine introduction in Brazil.

Methods:
We reviewed the distribution of rotavirus genotypes in Brazil before and after vaccine introduction by searching publication.

Results:
Eighty-six studies reported 6884 (15.2%) rotavirus episodes among 45,305 children. Rotavirus caused 22.4% and 11.6% of cases before and after vaccine introduction. G1P[8], G9P[8] and G2P[4] heterotypic strains were most common before and after vaccine introduction.

Conclusions:
The vaccines may have selected heterotypic strains in this highly vaccinated population.
Comparison of Psychiatric Symptoms in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Simple Snoring, and Normal Controls
Authors: Kang Jae Myeong , Cho Seong-Jin , Lee Yu Jin , Kim Ji-Eun , Shin Seung-Heon , Park Kee Hyung , Kim Seon Tae , Kang Seung-Gul 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Objective
Patients with sleep-related breathing disorders are known to have more severe psychiatric symptoms than good sleepers. The aim of this study was to compare the psychiatric symptoms of participants with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), those with simple snoring (SS), and normal controls (NC).

Methods
A total of 386 participants (260 with OSA, 75 with SS, and 51 NC) completed self-report questionnaires including the Symptoms Checklist 90-Revised and underwent nocturnal polysomnography. The scores of nine primary symptom dimensions and three global distress indices of the Symptoms Checklist 90-Revised were compared among the three groups, adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index.

Results
Participants with suspected OSA (OSA + SS) reported more severe psychiatric symptoms than the NC group. Compared with the participants with OSA, those with SS manifested more severe obsessive-compulsive (1.4 (1.0) versus 1.1 (0.7), p = .008) and depressive (1.2 (1.2) versus 0.8 (0.8), p = .031) symptoms and higher Global Severity Index (1.0 (0.9) versus 0.7 (0.6), p = .039) and Positive Symptom Distress Index (2.0 (0.8) versus 1.7 (0.6), p = .009). Only higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index values predicted higher Global Severity Index (B = 0.11, p = .041) and Positive Symptom Distress Index (B = 0.46, p = .007) in suspected OSA participants.

Conclusions
This study found that individuals with suspected OSA experienced more severe psychiatric symptoms than NCs and that psychiatric symptoms were more severe in the SS group than in the OSA group. The psychiatric symptoms of suspected OSA patients were associated with subjective sleep quality rather than with the apnea-hypopnea index.
Determinants of target prioritization and regulatory hierarchy for the bacterial small RNA SgrS
Authors: Bobrovskyy Maksym , Frandsen Jane K. , Zhang Jichuan , Poddar Anustup , Azam Muhammad S. , Henkin Tina M. , Ha Taekjip , Vanderpool Carin K. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTThe mechanisms by which small RNA (sRNA) regulators select and prioritize target mRNAs remain poorly understood, but serve to promote efficient responses to environmental cues and stresses. We sought to uncover mechanisms that establish regulatory hierarchy for a model sRNA, SgrS, found in enteric bacteria and produced under conditions of metabolic stress when sugar transport and metabolism are unbalanced. SgrS post-transcriptionally controls a nine-gene regulon to restore growth and homeostasis under stress conditions. Anin vivoreporter system was used to quantify SgrS-dependent regulation of target genes and established that SgrS exhibits a clear preference for certain targets, and regulates those targets efficiently even at low SgrS levels. Higher SgrS concentrations are required to regulate other targets. The position of targets in the regulatory hierarchy is not well-correlated with the predicted thermodynamic stability of SgrS-mRNA interactions or the SgrS-mRNA binding affinity as measuredin vitro. Detailed analyses of SgrS interaction withasdmRNA demonstrate that SgrS binds cooperatively to two sites and remodelsasdmRNA secondary structure. SgrS binding at both sites increases the efficiency ofasdmRNA regulation compared to mutants that have only a single SgrS binding site. Our results suggest that sRNA selection of target mRNAs and regulatory hierarchy are influenced by several molecular features. The sRNA-mRNA interaction, including the number and position of sRNA binding sites on the mRNA and cofactors like the RNA chaperone Hfq, seem to tune the efficiency of regulation of specific mRNA targets.IMPORTANCETo survive, bacteria must respond rapidly to stress and simultaneously maintain metabolic homeostasis. The small RNA (sRNA) SgrS mediates the response to stress arising from imbalanced sugar transport and metabolism. To coordinate the stress response, SgrS regulates genes involved in sugar uptake and metabolism. Intrinsic properties of sRNAs such as SgrS allow them to regulate extensive networks of genes. To date, sRNA regulation of targets has largely been studied in the context of “one sRNA-one target”, and little is known about coordination of multi-gene regulons and sRNA regulatory network structure. Here, we explore the molecular basis for regulatory hierarchy in sRNA regulons. Our results reveal a complex interplay of factors that influence the outcome of sRNA regulation. The number and location of sRNA binding sites on mRNA targets and the participation of an RNA chaperone dictate prioritized regulation of targets to promote an efficient response to stress.
Binocular disparity can augment the capacity of vision without affecting subjective experience of depth
Authors: Railo Henry , Saastamoinen Joni , Kylmälä Sipi , Peltola Aapo 
Published: November 2017

AbstractBinocular disparity results in a tangible subjective experience of three-dimensional world, but whether disparity also augments objective perceptual performance remains debated. We hypothesized that the improved coding of depth enabled by binocular disparity allows participants to individuate more object at a glance as the objects can be more efficiently differentiated from each other and the background. We asked participants to enumerate objects in briefly presented naturalistic (Experiment 1) and artificial (Experiment 2) scenes in immersive virtual reality. This type of enumeration task yields well-documented capacity limits where up to 3-4 items can be enumerated rapidly and accurately, known as subitizing. Our results show that although binocular disparity did not yield a large general improvement in enumeration accuracy or reaction times, it improved participants’ ability to process the items right after the limit of perceptual capacity. Binocular disparity also sped-up response times by 27 ms on average when artificial stimuli (cubes) were used. Interestingly, the influence of disparity on subjectively experienced depth revealed a clearly different pattern than the influence of disparity on objective performance. This suggests that the functional and subjective sides of stereopsis can be dissociated. Altogether our results suggest that binocular disparity may increase the number of items the visual system can simultaneously process. This may help animals to better resolve and track objects in complex, cluttered visual environments.
Full elastic strain tensor determination at the phase scale in a powder metallurgy nickel-based superalloy using X-ray Laue microdiffraction
Authors: Altinkurt Gader , Fèvre Mathieu , Robach Odile , Micha Jean-Sébastien , Geandier Guillaume , Dehmas Moukrane 
Published: November 2017

Laue microdiffraction is used to determine the full elastic strain tensor of the γ and γ′ phases in grains of a nickel-based superalloy with a coarse-grained microstructure. A `rainbow' filter and an energy dispersive point detector are employed to measure the energy of Bragg reflections. For the two techniques, an uncertainty of ±2.5 × 10−3 Å is obtained for the undetermined crystal lattice parameter. Our measurements show that the filter method provides better confidence, energy resolution, accuracy and acquisition time. The sensitivity of each method with respect to the γ–γ′ lattice mismatch is demonstrated with measurements in samples with average precipitate sizes of 200 and 2000 nm. For the 200 nm precipitate size, the lattice mismatch is less than 2 × 10−3 Å and the dilatational strains are close to ±1.5 × 10−3 depending on the considered phase. For the 2000 nm precipitate size, the lattice mismatch is close to 8 × 10−3 Å and almost no elastic strain occurs in the microstructure.
A quantile regression analysis of farmer cooperative performance
Authors: Grashuis Jasper 
Published: November 2017

Purpose
A financial perspective of farmer cooperative performance is assumed by conceptualizing the cooperative as an independent firm. The purpose of this paper is to explore variability in the financial performance of the largest 1,000 US farmer cooperatives with emphasis on efficiency, productivity, and leverage.

Design/methodology/approach
Cooperative performance is analyzed by means of the extended DuPont identity, an accounting tool which decomposes return on equity into five ratios of efficiency, productivity, and leverage. The extended DuPont identity is applied empirically with quantile regression, which allows estimation of the statistical interrelationship of the DuPont components across the full response distribution.

Findings
Per the results, variability in the financial performance of US farmer cooperatives is for the most part associated with the operating profit margin, which confirms prior findings of cost inefficiency in the empirical literature. Therefore, US farmer cooperatives may improve financial performance by emphasizing sales and operating costs. Specifically, recommendations include placing emphasis on bargaining power, product differentiation, and scale economies. Supply cooperatives may also consider issuing non-qualified equity and securing long-term debt access as additional possibilities to improve financial performance.

Originality/value
The empirical application of the extended DuPont identity with quantile regression facilitates a novel investigation of cooperative performance by placing emphasis on the efficiency, productivity, and leverage of cooperatives with various degrees of performance.
Effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income
Authors: Iddrisu Adam , Ansah Isaac Gershon Kodwo , Nkegbe Paul Kwame 
Published: November 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income using Masara N’Arziki support project in Northern Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional primary data set was used to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income using propensity score matching (PSM) methods.

Findings
The findings are that project participation is skewed towards experienced farmers with big-sized households and farms. The effect of project on outcomes is somewhat unsatisfactory in the sense that participation only raises output and yield, but not income.

Research limitations/implications
The paper only examined the project effect on farm outcomes among smallholder farmers participating in the programme in just one operational area in the Northern region. Future research should consider all the operational areas for an informed generalisation of findings.

Practical implications
Greater benefits to farmers from programme participation would require project management to review the contractual arrangement so that the high cost of input credit is significantly reduced.

Originality/value
The paper applied the PSM to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income among smallholder farmers which is non-existent in the literature on the study area, at least as far as we know. This paper can inform future policy on the direction and nature of support for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.
Exploring open innovation collaboration between SMEs and larger customers
Authors: Tobiassen Anita Ellen , Pettersen Inger Beate 
Published: November 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore open innovation (OI) collaborations between high-tech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large customers. The research aims to add new insights into how smaller firms attract and build trusting relationships with larger customers for the purpose of innovation, and to highlight customers’ contribution in SMEs’ innovation process.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research is based on three case studies and adopts a process perspective to gather qualitative data on OI collaborations, focusing on the inherent dynamics, and evolution in long-term relationships.FindingsThe study provides insights into how SMEs develop OI relationships with both industry and research customers by building trust through various mechanisms. Motivated by the potential benefits of OI in strengthening the firms’ technological edge, the SME managers proactively and strategically developed and managed their OI relationships. The results proved that large customers contributed greatly to the SMEs’ innovation processes both directly and indirectly.Practical implicationsThe research provides advice for smaller firms which are considering adopting an OI strategy with customers through mechanisms such as trust building and enhancing legitimacy.Originality/valueThe research adds to the OI literature on SMEs by exploring how smaller firms manage OI challenges, exploit benefits, and develop trusting relationships with larger customers and research institutions.
Web atmospherics as drivers of shopping centres’ customer loyalty
Authors: Savelli Elisabetta , Cioppi Marco , Tombari Federica 
Published: November 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse whether and how the website atmosphere (WA) of a shopping centre affects the behavioural loyalty of customers towards physical shopping centres. A mediating variable – individual shopper motivation – is considered in assessing this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses were tested using a partial least squares – path modelling approach to structural equation modelling on a sample population of 438 individuals.FindingsOnline atmospherics, particularly concerning the social/relational attributes of the WA, positively affect the behavioural loyalty of customers towards physical shopping centres. Moreover, recreational motivations strengthen this relationship more than functional motivations do.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample investigated is limited with regard to diversity, age and gender. Future research can use a more representative sample to improve the findings’ relevance and generalisation. Also the development of a scale of measures for the shopping centre customers’ motivations is worthy of interest in future studies.Practical implicationsRecognising the importance of web atmospherics’ significant impact on customer loyalty should encourage shopping centre managers to develop effective website and online communication programmes.Originality/valueExtant studies have paid little attention to the relationship between WA and customer loyalty to the physical shopping centre. This study investigates this relationship, combining the online and offline perspective into an overall research approach. Moreover, it contributes to the research on website management in the shopping centre context by providing a comprehensive analysis of WA, whereas previous studies have mainly focussed on one or a few atmospherics.
Developing and implementing a treatment intervention for college students found responsible for sexual misconduct
Authors: Lamade Raina V. , Lopez Elise , Koss Mary P. , Prentky Robert , Brereton Alexandra 
Published: November 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to summarize the development of a treatment program for students found responsible of sexual misconduct.Design/methodology/approachThis project, supported by the SMART (Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking) of the Department of Justice, was requested by The White House toward the end of President Obama’s last term and was intended to identify the confluence of factors related to sexual misconduct on college campuses, and to design a treatment program to address those factors.FindingsThis paper will discuss the unique factors of this population that ought to be considered to successfully develop an effective program, and the complexities of implementing treatment programs to this population, within a higher education system. This will include a discussion of barriers to implementation and challenges of employing treatment. This paper will present steps for implementing a treatment program and outline the core components of a treatment intervention for this population.Originality/valueImplementing a treatment option for students found responsible of sexual misconduct that specifically targets the associated risk factors as part of a comprehensive approach to help improve campus safety.