bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Combatting corruption in Brunei Darussalam
Authors: Jones David Seth 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the government of Brunei’s anti-corruption programme.

Design/methodology/approach
– A range of sources are used including online materials from Brunei government websites, reports of international organisations, press articles, conference papers, a thesis case study, journal articles, a book, chapters in books, and interviews with an officer working with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Brunei.

Findings
– The paper considers the factors that contribute to government corruption, and the measures to combat it. These include various laws to combat corruption and the work of the ACB in enforcing these laws and in undertaking major initiatives of prevention and education. The effectiveness of these measures are assessed and a number of recommendations are made of direct and indirect measures improve the programme to combat corruption. The paper points to the moderately favourable rankings and ratings that Brunei has earned in combating corruption, which is well above neighbouring countries where corruption is still widespread, but noticeably below the rankings and ratings of the least corrupt countries. However, it argues that further progress to combat corruption may be difficult, as a result of the lack accountability and limited transparency, which are essential features of Brunei’s system of government based on absolute monarchy. Also hindering further progress is the inbuilt protection of the privileges of the Malay community within the country, which protects their role in the civil service and the business sector.

Originality/value
– The paper is the first scholarly examination of the anti-corruption programme in Brunei.
Explaining market shares of organic food: evidence from Swiss household data
Authors: Götze Franziska , Mann Stefan , Ferjani Ali , Kohler Andreas , Heckelei Thomas 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify those product characteristics that are of importance to consumers of organic food in Switzerland.

Design/methodology/approach
– In order to identify important organic product characteristics, this study applies a Generalized Linear Model using a six-year sample of Swiss household data distinguishing between organic and conventional products at the product level.

Findings
– The analysis reveals three product-related dimensions of importance. First, Swiss consumers prefer unprocessed organic products over highly processed ones suggesting that communicating potential benefits of organic food is more promising for unprocessed products. Second, organic consumers are reluctant to buy products with high price premiums. Third, Swiss consumers prefer domestically produced organic products over imported ones.

Practical implications
– The results imply that supporting organic agriculture in Switzerland is still promising from a policy and a marketing perspective as long as the organic price premium is not too high.

Originality/value
– This paper presents results regarding the determinants of the organic market share in Switzerland. They give a first understanding of which product characteristics determine organic market shares. From a policy as well as from a marketing perspective a further investigation at the household level is promising in order to understand and respond to the needs and expectations of Swiss consumers.
Strategies for leading IT-enabled change: lessons from a global transformation case
Authors: Iveroth Einar 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The aim of this article is to provide strategic insights of how multinational organizations lead IT-enabled change on a global scale. The article summarizes the findings from a three-year case study of the international telecom company Ericsson. This company managed to successfully transform their finance and accounting (F
&
A) unit from a highly decentralized structure into a so-called shared service center (SSC) structure and the whole change was enabled by enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Design/methodology/approach
– The case study data consists of in-depth interviews, archival data, and observations collected during three years.

Findings
– The article provides rich description of how the transformation was executed together with three key strategic lessons.

Originality/value
– The article offers unique and novel insights of how strategist drives IT-enabled change on a global scale.
Trends in the identification of children with learning disabilities within state schools in England
Authors: Hatton Chris , Emerson Eric 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present data drawn from the Department for Education (DfE)concerning trends in the number of children identified as having a learning disability within state schools in England.

Design/methodology/approach
– Data based on the school census conducted by the DfE was examined annually for 2009/2010 to 2014/2015, to determine the number of children identified as having moderate learning difficulty (MLD), severe learning difficulty (SLD) or profound multiple learning difficulty (PMLD) within state schools in England, at two levels: having a Statement of Educational Needs/Education Health Care Plan, or at School Action Plus.

Findings
– The number of children identified as MLD reduced substantially over time, for both statemented children and children identified at the School Action Plus level. In contrast, the smaller number of statemented children with SLD or PMLD increased over time, in line with increasing school rolls and epidemiological trends.

Research limitations/implications
– Further work is needed to understand the sharp reduction in the number of children being identified as having MLD within schools, and the educational support being offered to this group of children. Better information is also needed on children with learning disabilities not being educated in the state school sector.

Originality/value
– This paper highlights important trends in the identification of children with learning disabilities in state schools in England, with consequences for how large groups of children are being supported.
Can active support improve job satisfaction?
Authors: Rhodes Jennifer A , Toogood Sandy 
Published: March 2016

Purpose
– Active support (AS) influences the way staff support people with intellectual disabilities to take part in everyday activities. Changes in work practices may affect job satisfaction. The impact of AS on job satisfaction has not, however, been widely studied. Job satisfaction is linked with levels of staff turnover and the overall quality of services provided to people with intellectual disabilities (Coomber
&
Barriball, 2007; Hatton et al., 2001). The purpose of this paper is to describe an evaluation of job satisfaction amongst 38 direct care staff working in intellectual disability services before and after AS was implemented.

Design/methodology/approach
– A single group, repeated-measures design was used. In total, 38 members of direct care staff received AS training. Data on job satisfaction were collected before, and after, AS was implemented. In total, 19 members of staff took part in a follow-up 12 weeks later.

Findings
– There was a significant increase in reported job satisfaction following the implementation of AS. Subscale analysis revealed that the most significant increases in job satisfaction were related to areas directly targeted by AS, including satisfaction with skill level and satisfaction with amount of time spent with service users.

Originality/value
– Implementing AS may provide an added benefit for direct care staff, who feel more satisfied at work. While a significant number of papers have been published focusing on the benefits of AS, no papers have specifically looked at the impact that the intervention can have on job satisfaction.
A Bacterial Glycoengineered Antigen for Improved Serodiagnosis of Porcine Brucellosis
Authors: Cortina María E. , Balzano Rodrigo E. , Rey Serantes Diego A. , Caillava Ana J. , Elena Sebastián , Ferreira A. C. , Nicola Ana M. , Ugalde Juan E. , Comerci Diego J. , Ciocchini Andrés E. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Brucellosis is a highly zoonotic disease that affects animals and human beings.
Brucella suis
is the etiological agent of porcine brucellosis and one of the major human brucellosis pathogens. Laboratory diagnosis of porcine brucellosis mainly relies on serological tests, and it has been widely demonstrated that serological assays based on the detection of anti O-polysaccharide antibodies are the most sensitive tests. Here, we validate a recombinant glycoprotein antigen, an
N
-formylperosamine O-polysaccharide–protein conjugate (OAg-AcrA), for diagnosis of porcine brucellosis. An indirect immunoassay based on the detection of anti-O-polysaccharide IgG antibodies was developed coupling OAg-AcrA to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay plates (glyco-iELISA). To validate the assay, 563 serum samples obtained from experimentally infected and immunized pigs, as well as animals naturally infected with
B. suis
biovar 1 or 2, were tested. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed, and based on this analysis, the optimum cutoff value was 0.56 (relative reactivity), which resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99.7%, respectively. A cutoff value of 0.78 resulted in a test sensitivity of 98.4% and a test specificity of 100%. Overall, our results demonstrate that the glyco-iELISA is highly accurate for diagnosis of porcine brucellosis, improving the diagnostic performance of current serological tests. The recombinant glycoprotein OAg-AcrA can be produced in large homogeneous batches in a standardized way, making it an ideal candidate for further validation as a universal antigen for diagnosis of “smooth” brucellosis in animals and humans.
A Universal Culture Medium for Screening Polymyxin-Resistant Gram-Negative Isolates
Authors: Nordmann Patrice , Jayol Aurélie , Poirel Laurent 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
The colistin-containing SuperPolymyxin medium was developed for screening polymyxin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. It was evaluated with 88 polymyxin-susceptible or polymyxin-resistant cultured Gram-negative isolates. Its sensitivity and specificity of detection were ca. 100%. The SuperPolymyxin medium is the first screening medium that is able to detect intrinsic and acquired polymyxin-resistant bacteria.
Laboratory Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Disease in Children
Authors: Dunn James J. , Starke Jeffrey R. , Revell Paula A. 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in children is challenging; even with advanced technologies, the diagnosis is often difficult to confirm microbiologically in part due to the paucibacillary nature of the disease. Clinical diagnosis lacks standardization, and traditional and molecular microbiologic methods lack sensitivity, particularly in children. Immunodiagnostic tests may improve sensitivity, but these tests cannot distinguish tuberculosis disease from latent infection and some lack specificity. While molecular tools like Xpert MTB/RIF have advanced our ability to detect
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and to determine antimicrobial resistance, decades old technologies remain the standard in most locales. Today, the battle against this ancient disease still poses one of the primary diagnostic challenges in pediatric laboratory medicine.
Evaluation of Molecular Methods for Serotyping Shigella flexneri
Authors: Gentle Amy , Ashton Philip M. , Dallman Timothy J. , Jenkins Claire 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Shigella flexneri
can be phenotypically serotyped using antisera raised to type-specific somatic antigens and group factor antigens and genotypically serotyped using PCR targeting O-antigen synthesis or modification genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate a real-time PCR for serotyping
S. flexneri
and to use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate the phenotypic and genotypic serotype identifications. Of the 244 cultures tested retrospectively, 226 (92.6%) had concordant results between phenotypic serotyping and PCR. Seventy of the 244 isolates (including 15 of the 18 isolates where a serotype-PCR mismatch was identified) were whole-genome sequenced, and the serotype was derived from the genome. Discrepant results between the phenotypic and genotypic tests were attributed to insertions/deletions or point mutations identified in O-antigen synthesis or modification genes, rendering them dysfunctional; inconclusive serotyping results due to nonspecific cross-reactions; or novel genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis of the WGS data indicated that the serotype, regardless of whether it was phenotypically or genotypically determined, was a weak predictor of phylogenetic relationships between strains of
S. flexneri
. WGS data provided both genome-derived serotyping, thus supporting backward compatibility with historical data and facilitating data exchange in the community, and more robust and discriminatory typing at the single-nucleotide-polymorphism level.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Utilizes Nanotubes for Intercellular Spread
Authors: Guo Rui , Katz Benjamin B. , Tomich John M. , Gallagher Tom , Fang Ying 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
Intercellular nanotube connections have been identified as an alternative pathway for cellular spreading of certain viruses. In cells infected with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), nanotubes were observed connecting two distant cells with contiguous membranes, with the core infectious viral machinery (viral RNA, certain replicases, and certain structural proteins) present in/on the intercellular nanotubes. Live-cell movies tracked the intercellular transport of a recombinant PRRSV that expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged nsp2. In MARC-145 cells expressing PRRSV receptors, GFP-nsp2 moved from one cell to another through nanotubes in the presence of virus-neutralizing antibodies. Intercellular transport of viral proteins did not require the PRRSV receptor as it was observed in receptor-negative HEK-293T cells after transfection with an infectious clone of GFP-PRRSV. In addition, GFP-nsp2 was detected in HEK-293T cells cocultured with recombinant PRRSV-infected MARC-145 cells. The intercellular nanotubes contained filamentous actin (F-actin) with myosin-associated motor proteins. The F-actin and myosin IIA were identified as coprecipitates with PRRSV nsp1β, nsp2, nsp2TF, nsp4, nsp7-nsp8, GP5, and N proteins. Drugs inhibiting actin polymerization or myosin IIA activation prevented nanotube formation and viral clusters in virus-infected cells. These data lead us to propose that PRRSV utilizes the host cell cytoskeletal machinery inside nanotubes for efficient cell-to-cell spread. This form of virus transport represents an alternative pathway for virus spread, which is resistant to the host humoral immune response.

IMPORTANCE
Extracellular virus particles transmit infection between organisms, but within infected hosts intercellular infection can be spread by additional mechanisms. In this study, we describe an alternative pathway for intercellular transmission of PRRSV in which the virus uses nanotube connections to transport infectious viral RNA, certain replicases, and certain structural proteins to neighboring cells. This process involves interaction of viral proteins with cytoskeletal proteins that form the nanotube connections. Intercellular viral spread through nanotubes allows the virus to escape the neutralizing antibody response and may contribute to the pathogenesis of viral infections. The development of strategies that interfere with this process could be critical in preventing the spread of viral infection.
Generation of a More Immunogenic Measles Vaccine by Increasing Its Hemagglutinin Expression
Authors: Julik Emily , Reyes-del Valle Jorge 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT

Imported measles virus (MV) outbreaks are maintained by poor vaccine responders and unvaccinated people. A convenient but more immunogenic vaccination strategy would enhance vaccine performance, contributing to measles eradication efforts. We report here the generation of alternative pediatric vaccines against MV with increased expression of the H protein in the background of the current MV vaccine strain. We generated two recombinants: MVvac2-H2, with increased full-length H expression resulting in a 3-fold increase in H incorporation into virions, and MVvac2-Hsol, vectoring a truncated, soluble form of the H protein that is secreted into the supernatants of infected cells. Replication fitness was conserved despite the duplication of the H cistron for both vectors. The modification to the envelope of MVvac2-H2 conferred upon this virus a measurable level of resistance to
in vitro
neutralization by MV polyclonal immune sera without altering its thermostability. Most interestingly, both recombinant MVs with enhanced H expression were significantly more immunogenic than their parental strain in outbred mice, while MVvac2-H2 additionally proved more immunogenic after a single, human-range dose in genetically modified MV-susceptible mice.

IMPORTANCE
Measles incidence was reduced drastically following the introduction of attenuated vaccines, but progress toward the eradication of this virus has stalled, and MV still threatens unvaccinated populations. Due to the contributions of primary vaccine failures and too-young-to-be-vaccinated infants to this problem, more immunogenic measles vaccines are highly desirable. We generated two experimental MV vaccines based on a current vaccine's genome but with enriched production of the H protein, the main MV antigen in provoking immunity. One vaccine incorporated H at higher rates in the viral envelope, and the other secreted a soluble H protein from infected cells. The increased expression of H by these vectors improved neutralizing responses induced in two small-animal models of MV immunogenicity. The enhanced immunogenicity of these vectors, mainly from the MV that incorporates additional H, suggests their value as potential alternative pediatric MV vaccines.
Methanobactin and the Link between Copper and Bacterial Methane Oxidation
Authors: DiSpirito Alan A. , Semrau Jeremy D. , Murrell J. Colin , Gallagher Warren H. , Dennison Christopher , Vuilleumier Stéphane 
Published: March 2016

SUMMARY

Methanobactins (mbs) are low-molecular-mass (<1,200 Da) copper-binding peptides, or chalkophores, produced by many methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs). These molecules exhibit similarities to certain iron-binding siderophores but are expressed and secreted in response to copper limitation. Structurally, mbs are characterized by a pair of heterocyclic rings with associated thioamide groups that form the copper coordination site. One of the rings is always an oxazolone and the second ring an oxazolone, an imidazolone, or a pyrazinedione moiety. The mb molecule originates from a peptide precursor that undergoes a series of posttranslational modifications, including (i) ring formation, (ii) cleavage of a leader peptide sequence, and (iii) in some cases, addition of a sulfate group. Functionally, mbs represent the extracellular component of a copper acquisition system. Consistent with this role in copper acquisition, mbs have a high affinity for copper ions. Following binding, mbs rapidly reduce Cu
2+
to Cu
1+
. In addition to binding copper, mbs will bind most transition metals and near-transition metals and protect the host methanotroph as well as other bacteria from toxic metals. Several other physiological functions have been assigned to mbs, based primarily on their redox and metal-binding properties. In this review, we examine the current state of knowledge of this novel type of metal-binding peptide. We also explore its potential applications, how mbs may alter the bioavailability of multiple metals, and the many roles mbs may play in the physiology of methanotrophs.
Adverse histological features in malignant colorectal polyps: a contemporary series of 239 cases
Authors: Brown Ian S , Bettington Mark L , Bettington Andrew , Miller Gregory , Rosty Christophe 
Published: March 2016

AimsScreening colonoscopy has led to more colorectal carcinomas presenting at an early stage potentially curable by endoscopic resection. In this study, we examined the clinical and histological features of a contemporary series of malignant colorectal polyps (MCPs) with subsequent surgical resection.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study on a consecutive series of MCPs from 239 patients, predominantly males (57.7%) with a median age of 66 years, and assessed histological parameters associated with residual disease on the surgical specimens.ResultsMedian MCP size was 18.6 mm, with 23.1% polyps measuring ≤10 mm. From the 140 surgical resection specimens, residual disease was identified in 20 cases, including 12 cases with metastatic lymph nodes and/or 9 cases with residual carcinoma in the large bowel wall. Histological parameters associated with nodal metastases were greater width and greater depth of the invasive component (p=0.001 and 0.006, respectively), poor differentiation (p=0.003) and a cribriform pattern (p=0.01). The risk of nodal metastases was 23.3% if two or three of these features were identified, while it was 0% and 4.5% if none or one was present, respectively. A positive margin was not associated with nodal metastasis and might be adequately treated by local endoscopic resection.ConclusionsSurgical resection should be recommended if ≥2 of these adverse histological features are present and may be warranted if one feature is present. A positive margin may require additional local resection but not necessarily surgery if no other adverse factors are present.
TGFα expression in myeloid malignancies
Authors: Kavanagh Simon , Mirzai Bob , Fuller Kathy , Erber Wendy N 
Published: March 2016

BackgroundTransforming growth factor α (TGFα) is a peptide growth factor known to be expressed in normal haemopoiesis. It is also expressed in a range of epithelial neoplasms but has not been assessed in haemopoietic malignancies. We have performed an immunohistochemical evaluation of TGFα in acute and chronic myeloid malignancies.MethodsTGFα expression was semiquantitatively assessed in 69 normal bone marrow trephines and 157 cases of myeloid malignancy using an immunohistochemical approach.ResultsBlast cells of myeloid origin in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), myelodysplasia and accelerated and blast phases of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) were TGFα positive. In acute promyelocytic leukaemia the neoplastic cells had significantly weaker TGFα expression than seen in other forms of AML. The blast cells in CML-accelerated and blast phases were positive with similar expression to AML.ConclusionsTGFα is expressed in neoplastic myeloblasts and could, therefore, be used as blast cell biomarker in diagnostic haematopathology. In addition, TGFα immunohistochemistry may be of use in identifying a therapeutic target.
Relative contribution of electrical stimulation to beef tenderness compared to other production factors
Authors: Juárez Manuel , Basarab John A. , Baron Vern S. , Valera Mercedes , López-Campos Óscar , Larsen Ivy L. , Aalhus Jennifer L. 
Published: March 2016

Aging explained >45% of the variability in beef tenderness, whereas electrical stimulation explained >12%. The effect of electrical stimulation was significant for calf-fed steers up to 27 d of aging. However, this effect did not persist beyond 6 d of aging for yearling-fed steers. However, electrical stimulation prevents cold toughening in lighter, leaner carcasses.