bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unexpected Properties of Short Genomic Tandem Repeats
Authors: Glotova Irina , Molla Michael , Delcher Arthur L. , Kasif Simon 
Published: July 2017

AbstractLength polymorphisms in genomic short tandem repeats have been implicated in a variety of diseases, most notably human neurodegenerative disorders. Expansions of tandem repeats are also associated with genomic instability in cancer. Our previous study of length-3 tandem repeats uncovered a surprising pattern in the length distribution of certain such repeats in the non-coding regions of the human reference genome: a bias towards repeats of length 3n- 1, (n> 3). That is, the observed frequency of repeats of this length in the human genome is higher than expected by chance based on the frequency of shorter repeats.We have hypothesized that this pattern may be a general property of genomic DNA. If true, this could have implications with regard to the dynamics of repeat expansion generally. To test this hypothesis, we have analyzed the genomic sequences of a broad range of eukaryotic organisms as well as several complete human genomes and obtained a number of thought provoking results. We establish that this unexpected elevation in frequency of 3n- 1 long repeats is statistically significant. We also expanded this analysis to different classes of genomic regions and tandem repeats of length four and five. The specific pattern was found in 13 of the 20 organisms analyzed, including all chordate and insect genomes tested. The bias pattern, however, was not confined to a single branch of the evolutionary tree. For some genomes, such asDrosophila melanogaster, the repeat bias surprisingly was also identified in exons. The pattern is present in both small and large genomes. A similar pattern was also found in tetranucleotide and pentanucleotide repeats in the human genome. Another surprising property was identified for the flanking GC content for triplet repeats of length 3n. These findings indicate a puzzling new genomic phenomenon with possible evolutionary and disease-related implications.
Working capital management, firm performance and financial constraints
Authors: Altaf Nufazil , Shah Farooq 
Published: July 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between working capital management and firm performance for a sample of 437 non-financial Indian companies. In addition, this paper examines the impact of financial constraints on working capital management-performance relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on secondary financial data of 437 non-financial Indian companies obtained from CAPITALINE database, pertaining to a period of ten years. This study employs the two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) technique to arrive at results.FindingsResults of the study confirm the inverted U-shape relationship between working capital management and firm performance. In addition, the authors also found that the firms that are likely to be more financially constrained have lower optimal working levels.Originality/valueUnlike prior studies, which found a linear relationship between working capital management and firm performance, this study provides newer evidence for an inverted U-shaped relation between investment in working capital and firm performance in India. In addition, this study also tests the impact of financial constraints on this relationship. In contrast to the prior studies, this study uses GMM to control the potential problems of endogeneity.
Can product-information disclosure increase Chinese consumer’s willingness to pay for GM foods? The case of Fad-3 GM lamb
Authors: Chen Qihui , Liu Gaoshuai , Liu Yumei 
Published: July 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine Chinese consumers’ level of perception of genetically modified (GM) foods and the determinants of their willingness to pay (WTP) for Fad-3 GM lamb, a newly developed GM product.

Design/methodology/approach
Based on a randomized choice experiment involving 576 consumers in Beijing, the authors adopt a double-bounded contingent valuation method to estimate consumers’ WTP for Fad-3 GM lamb, as well as the causal impact of (randomized) product-information disclosure on it.

Findings
The econometric result indicates that the randomly disclosed product information describing details about Fad-3 GM lamb, the potential risks associated with the consumption of it, and the related governmental regulation policies raised consumers’ WTP by 6.2 yuan per Jin (or US$2/kilogram).

Originality/value
This paper provides new experimental evidence of the effect of product-information disclosure on consumers’ WTP for a newly developed GM food product.
The value of a novel biotechnology
Authors: Brewin Derek Gerald , Malla Stavroula 
Published: July 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of changing biotechnology and intellectual property rights (IPRs), institutions, and policies for Canadian crop development related to oilseed rape or “canola” as a case study. Implications for China as it considers regulatory and institutional change related to private sector incentives to invest in biotechnology are also discussed.Design/methodology/approachThe authors assess the effects of introducing biotechnology and IPRs in the Canadian oilseed sector over time. Data on the rate of return on agricultural research in general are presented and then the focus moves to the impacts for farmers in Canada. New data are gathered to estimate recent gains in the benefit of biotechnology advancements for farmers. Furthermore, the evolution of agricultural research in China is briefly presented, and a discussion follows that considers Canadian evidence and the possible applicability of the impacts to China.FindingsThe results support earlier studies identifying gains from agricultural research and show that private sector investments in Canada are now much higher than public sector investments and thus institutional innovations have been a powerful trigger to improve productivity. The gains from biotechnology for farmers are now over CND 1 billion per year in Canada.Research limitations/implicationsThe research gains measured are for Canada so should be applied to China’s situation only as a potential for gains.Practical implicationsWhile more work is needed to identify reasonable institutional incentives to generate private investment in China’s biotechnology industry, the potential impact in the Canadian canola sector highlights the importance of continuing the investment in biotechnology, and the need for appropriate policies and regulations to spur private investment.Social implicationsBiotechnology greatly improved the welfare of farmers in Canada. Much of the gain the authors find was in improved yields and lower herbicide costs that improved farmer profits. Privatization of breeding was a key step in this transformation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes an updated review of Canadian intellectual property institutions related to biotechnology, and an updated measure of gains at the farm level. It also begins the analysis of the applicability of these institutional changes for China.
Global HRM standards as boundary objects: a device to enhance legitimacy and status
Authors: Ulfsdotter Eriksson Ylva 
Published: July 2017

PurposeIn 2016, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced new standards for human resource management (HRM). The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the significance that human resource (HR) professionals attribute to global HRM standards, what outcomes they envisage for the profession and organizations, and what influences engagement in the standardization project.Design/methodology/approachThe analyses interpret the relationship between standards, professions, and organizations by combining theories of professions with concepts from institutional theory. The study is ethnographic and consists of observations of meetings and interviews with eight participants from the Swedish committee participating in the ISO project.FindingsHR professionals consider HRM standards positive for the profession’s legitimacy, status, and development, which are also considered beneficial for organizations. However, difficulties in recruiting participants and organizations to the standardization project may prevent positive exchanges for the profession, and point to a weak interest in HRM issues from the HR professionals themselves.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalizability of the results is somewhat limited due to the small sample size. Nevertheless, the study provides insights into how HR professionals reason about their profession and professionalization.Practical implicationsGaining insights into the forthcoming global standards for HRM is important for HR professionals. These standards may be implemented in organizations worldwide and affect how HRM is conducted, and therefore also have a profound effect on the profession.Originality/valueThe ISO’s targeting of a specific occupation is unique. The paper contributes with the knowledge on how professionals relates to standardization of the given field.
Tax‐Exempt Hospitals' Investments in Community Health and Local Public Health Spending: Patterns and Relationships
Authors: Singh Simone R. , Young Gary J. 
Published: July 2017

ObjectivesTo investigate whether tax‐exempt hospitals' investments in community health are associated with patterns of governmental public health spending focusing specifically on the relationship between hospitals' community benefit expenditures and the spending patterns of local health departments (LHDs).Study DesignWe combined data on tax‐exempt hospitals' community benefit spending with data on spending by the corresponding LHD that served the county in which a hospital was located. Data were available for 2 years, 2009 and 2013. Generalized linear regressions were estimated with indicators of hospital community benefit spending as the dependent variable and LHD spending as the key independent variable.Principal FindingsHospital community benefit spending was unrelated to how much local public health agencies spent, per capita, on public health in their communities.ConclusionsPatterns of local public health spending do not appear to impact the investments of tax‐exempt hospitals in community health activities. Opportunities may, however, exist for a more active engagement between the public and private sector to ensure that the expenditures of all stakeholders involved in community health improvement efforts complement one another.
FOXO3 longevity interactome on chromosome 6
Authors: Donlon Timothy A. , Morris Brian J. , Chen Randi , Masaki Kamal H. , Allsopp Richard C. , Willcox D. Craig , Elliott Ayako , Willcox Bradley J. 
Published: July 2017

SummaryFOXO3 has been implicated in longevity in multiple populations. By DNA sequencing in long‐lived individuals, we identified all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FOXO3 and showed 41 were associated with longevity. Thirteen of these had predicted alterations in transcription factor binding sites. Those SNPs appeared to be in physical contact, via RNA polymerase II binding chromatin looping, with sites in the FOXO3 promoter, and likely function together as a cis‐regulatory unit. The SNPs exhibited a high degree of LD in the Asian population, in which they define a specific longevity haplotype that is relatively common. The haplotype was less frequent in whites and virtually nonexistent in Africans. We identified distant contact points between FOXO3 and 46 neighboring genes, through long‐range physical contacts via CCCTC‐binding factor zinc finger protein (CTCF) binding sites, over a 7.3 Mb distance on chromosome 6q21. When activated by cellular stress, we visualized movement of FOXO3 toward neighboring genes. FOXO3 resides at the center of this early‐replicating and highly conserved syntenic region of chromosome 6. Thus, in addition to its role as a transcription factor regulating gene expression genomewide, FOXO3 may function at the genomic level to help regulate neighboring genes by virtue of its central location in chromatin conformation via topologically associated domains. We believe that the FOXO3 ‘interactome’ on chromosome 6 is a chromatin domain that defines an aging hub. A more thorough understanding of the functions of these neighboring genes may help elucidate the mechanisms through which FOXO3 variants promote longevity and healthy aging.
Use of antibiotics during pregnancy and the risk of major congenital malformations: a population based cohort study
Authors: Muanda Flory T. , Sheehy Odile , Bérard Anick 
Published: July 2017

AimsFew studies have investigated the link between individual antibiotics and major congenital malformations (MCMs) including specific malformations owing to small sample size. We aimed to quantify the association between exposure to gestational antibiotic and the risk of MCMs.MethodsUsing the Quebec pregnancy cohort (1998–2008), we included a total of 139 938 liveborn singleton alive whose mothers were covered by the “Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec” drug plan for at least 12 months before and during pregnancy. Antibiotic exposure was assessed in the first trimester and MCMs were identified within the first year of life.ResultsAfter adjusting for potential confounders, clindamycin exposure was associated with an increased risk of MCMs (aOR 1.34, 95% CI 1.02–1.77, 60 exposed cases), musculoskeletal system malformations (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.12–2.48, 29 exposed cases) and ventricular/atrial septal defect (aOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.04–3.16, 13 exposed cases). Doxycycline exposure increased the risk of circulatory system malformation, cardiac malformations and ventricular/atrial septal defect (aOR 2.38, 95% CI 1.21–4.67, 9 exposed cases; aOR 2.46, 95% CI 1.21–4.99, 8 exposed cases; aOR 3.19, 95% CI 1.57–6.48, 8 exposed cases, respectively). Additional associations were seen with quinolone (1 defect), moxifloxacin (1 defect), ofloxacin (1 defect), macrolide (1 defect), erythromycin (1 defect) and phenoxymethylpenicillin (1 defect). No link was observed with amoxicillin, cephalosporins and nitrofurantoin. Similar results were found when penicillins were used as the comparator group.ConclusionsClindamycin, doxycycline, quinolones, macrolides and phenoxymethylpenicillin in utero exposure were linked to organ‐specific malformations. Amoxicillin, cephalosporins and nitrofurantoin were not associated with MCMs.
Effects of gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists on Bone Cell Metabolism
Authors: Hansen Morten S. S. , Tencerova Michaela , Frølich Jacob , Kassem Moustapha , Frost Morten 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe relationship between gut and skeleton is increasingly recognized as part of the integrated physiology of the whole organism. The incretin hormones gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) are secreted from the intestine in response to nutrient intake and exhibit several physiological functions including regulation of islet hormone secretion and glucose levels. A number of GLP‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) are currently used in treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. However, GIP and GLP‐1 cognate receptors are widely expressed suggesting that incretin hormones mediate effects beyond control of glucose homeostasis, and reports on associations between incretin hormones and bone metabolism have emerged. The aim of this MiniReview was to provide an overview of current knowledge regarding the in vivo and in vitro effects of GIP and GLP‐1 on bone metabolism. We identified a total of 30 pre‐clinical and clinical investigations of the effects of GIP, GLP‐1 and GLP‐1RAs on bone turnover markers, bone mineral density (BMD), bone microarchitecture and fracture risk. Studies conducted in cell cultures and rodents demonstrated that GIP and GLP‐1 play a role in regulating skeletal homeostasis, with pre‐clinical data suggesting that GIP inhibits bone resorption whereas GLP‐1 may promote bone formation and enhance bone material properties. These effects are not corroborated by clinical studies. While there is evidence of effects of GIP and GLP‐1 on bone metabolism in pre‐clinical investigations, clinical trials are needed to clarify whether similar effects are present and clinically relevant in humans.
Risk and Adversity, Parenting Quality, and Children's Social‐Emotional Adjustment in Families Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Labella Madelyn H. , Narayan Angela J. , McCormick Christopher M. , Desjardins Christopher D. , Masten Ann S. 
Published: July 2017

A multimethod, multi‐informant design was used to examine links among sociodemographic risk, family adversity, parenting quality, and child adjustment in families experiencing homelessness. Participants were 245 homeless parents (Mage = 31.0, 63.6% African American) and their 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children (48.6% male). Path analyses revealed unique associations by risk domain: Higher sociodemographic risk predicted more externalizing behavior and poorer teacher–child relationships, whereas higher family adversity predicted more internalizing behavior. Parenting quality was positively associated with peer acceptance and buffered effects of family adversity on internalizing symptoms, consistent with a protective effect. Parenting quality was associated with lower externalizing behavior only when sociodemographic risk was below the sample mean. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Effectiveness of a novel highly flexible‐tip guidewire on selective biliary cannulation compared to conventional guidewire: Randomized controlled study
Authors: Park Jin‐Seok , Jeong Seok , Lee Don Haeng 
Published: July 2017

Background and AimEndoscopic access to the common bile duct remains difficult in 10% of cases undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a stiff‐shaft and flexible‐tip guidewire (Visiglide2®) for selective biliary access.MethodsWe conducted a prospective, randomized controlled study in a single center involving patients with a naïve papilla who required biliary cannulation. We randomly allocated the patients to the Visiglide 2 group (group V) or to the conventional guidewire group (group C). Primary success rate of biliary cannulation, cannulation time, number of papillary attempts, number of pancreatic duct cannulations, total procedure time and final success rate were recorded during the endoscopic procedure.ResultsTotal of 100 patients were enrolled and assigned to groups V (n = 50) and C (n = 50). Primary selective biliary cannulation of group V tended to show a higher success rate than that of group C (group V, 96% (48/50); group C, 86% (43/50); P = 0.08). Final success rate for biliary cannulation was 100% in both groups. Mean times for biliary cannulation were 174.9 s for group V and 363.5 s for group C (P = 0.04). Number of papillary attempts for cannulation was significantly fewer in group V (1.84) than in group C (3.44; P < 0.01).ConclusionUse of Visiglide 2 guidewire might facilitate selective biliary cannulation compared to conventional guidewire in terms of reducing cannulation time and papilla attempts.
Memory in 3‐month‐old infants benefits from a short nap
Authors: Horváth Klára , Hannon Benjamin , Ujma Peter P. , Gombos Ferenc , Plunkett Kim 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA broad range of studies demonstrate that sleep has a facilitating role in memory consolidation (see Rasch & Born, ). Whether sleep‐dependent memory consolidation is also apparent in infants in their first few months of life has not been investigated. We demonstrate that 3‐month‐old infants only remember a cartoon face approximately 1.5–2 hours after its first presentation when a period of sleep followed learning. Furthermore, habituation time, that is, the time to become bored with a stimulus shown repetitively, correlated negatively with the density of infant sleep spindles, implying that processing speed is linked to specific electroencephalographic components of sleep. Our findings show that without a short period of sleep infants have problems remembering a newly seen face, that sleep enhances memory consolidation from a very early age, highlighting the importance of napping in infancy, and that infant sleep spindles may be associated with some aspects of cognitive ability.
Influence of mean stress and notches on the very high cycle fatigue behaviour and crack initiation of a low‐pressure steam turbine steel
Authors: Ritz F. , Beck T. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe aim of the present work is to investigate the influence of different stress concentration factors (1.09, 1.31, and 2.42) and several R‐values on the fatigue behaviour of martensitic steel X10CrNiMoV12‐2‐2 up to 2 · 109 load cycles at ambient temperature. The tests were performed using an ultrasonic fatigue testing system developed at the authors' institute. The S‐N curves of specimens with the lowest investigated stress concentration factor of 1.09 show for both R = −1 and R = 0.5 a flat slope with transition from surface to volume crack initiation at about 1–2 · 107 load cycles. The maximum number of load cycles where fracture occurs increases with increasing R‐value. The √area approach by Murakami describes lifetime behaviour within about 4 decades of lifetime and a wide range of load ratios. In case of internal crack initiation at R = −1, the fracture surface contains a fine granular area (FGA) around the inclusion within the typical “fish‐eye” fracture. With increasing notch factor, the fatigue strength up to 2 · 109 load cycles decreases and the slope of the S‐N curve becomes steeper in the low cycle fatigue and high cycle fatigue regime, especially for αk = 2.42. In this case, damage at internal defects is suppressed and fatigue cracks are generally initiated at the notch root.
Development of a unified creep‐fatigue equation including heat treatment
Authors: Liu Dan , Pons Dirk John 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundCreep and fatigue damages in metals are known to interact and then lead to aggregated damage. While models exist for fatigue, creep and creep‐fatigue, no models cover all 3 load regimes. Also, a heat treatment–related parameter is not well included in most creep‐fatigue models.NeedThere is a need to develop a creep‐fatigue equation, which covers the full loading regime from pure fatigue to pure creep, and creep‐fatigue. Also needed is inclusion of a heat treatment–related parameter.ApproachThe unified creep‐fatigue equation was started from the Coffin‐Manson equation and integrated with the Manson‐Haferd parameter. This equation was validated on Inconel 718.OutcomesThe method of deriving the coefficients and the formula of the creep function are demonstrated, and the resulting equation shows a good ability to describe the grain‐size effect and the fully integrated characteristics.OriginalityOriginal contributions of this work are the development of a new formulation to represent creep, fatigue and creep‐fatigue in metals. Also the inclusion of grain size—which is a proxy for heat treatment—in the formulation of this equation and in a proposed modified Manson‐Haferd parameter.