bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assembling infrastructures and business models for service design and innovation
Authors: Kuk George , Janssen Marijn 
Published: July 2012

AbstractMost of the service innovation in e‐government initiatives has been initially focused on making a digital version of an equivalent physical service, followed by creating new services through either adopting new business models or overhauling existing infrastructures. The former approach uses variants of e‐commerce business models to drive service innovation whereas the latter entails changes to the backend for driving system efficiency and integration, which later serve for reorganising and improving service provision. Each approach presents a different way of assembling services, infrastructures, people and business models. The ramifications of each assemblage to service innovation are less understood. This paper seeks to examine the intended and unintended consequences of these two contrasting approaches inductively and deductively. Our findings show that a frontend approach enables quick improvements and enacts a variety of structures, with each structure inscribing a set of new path‐dependent routines in the infrastructures. In the backend approach it took longer to introduce new services. Yet the services were of a higher quality and required less modification in the long run. Quantitative analyses confirmed these findings. We attributed the alignment advantage of backend approach to better interdepartmental collaboration organised around a technology platform for system and service integration, concentrating resources on a coherent rather than a diverse set of business models. This approach realigns practices and routines and technology internally, whereas the explorative, diverse use of business models in the frontend approach for service innovation is less sustainable.
Understanding complex interactions using social network analysis
Authors: Pow Janette , Gayen Kaberi , Elliott Lawrie , Raeside Robert 
Published: July 2012

Aims and objectives.  The aim of this paper is to raise the awareness of social network analysis as a method to facilitate research in nursing research.Background.  The application of social network analysis in assessing network properties has allowed greater insight to be gained in many areas including sociology, politics, business organisation and health care. However, the use of social networks in nursing has not received sufficient attention.Design.  Review of literature and illustration of the application of the method of social network analysis using research examples.Methods.  First, the value of social networks will be discussed. Then by using illustrative examples, the value of social network analysis to nursing will be demonstrated.Results.  The method of social network analysis is found to give greater insights into social situations involving interactions between individuals and has particular application to the study of interactions between nurses and between nurses and patients and other actors.Conclusion.  Social networks are systems in which people interact. Two quantitative techniques help our understanding of these networks. The first is visualisation of the network. The second is centrality. Individuals with high centrality are key communicators in a network.Relevance to clinical practice.  Applying social network analysis to nursing provides a simple method that helps gain an understanding of human interaction and how this might influence various health outcomes. It allows influential individuals (actors) to be identified. Their influence on the formation of social norms and communication can determine the extent to which new interventions or ways of thinking are accepted by a group. Thus, working with key individuals in a network could be critical to the success and sustainability of an intervention. Social network analysis can also help to assess the effectiveness of such interventions for the recipient and the service provider.
Costing a pilot complex community‐based childhood obesity intervention
Authors: Spoor C. , Sahota P. , Wellings C. , Rudolf M. C. J. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractBackground: Childhood obesity has significant impact on future health and economic consequences. Evidence of effectiveness of interventions is developing, although little is known about costs. Therefore, the direct costs to health care and other public sector agencies of a pilot community‐based childhood obesity treatment programme were estimated.Methods: The present study comprised a retrospective review of resource use of an intervention drawing resources from local government and primary care sectors and delivered across multiple settings. Ninety‐six children, aged 8–16 years old; body mass index (BMI) >98th centile; mean BMI SD 3.1 and low quality of life scores attended a 12‐month programme delivered by nonhealth professionals. Direct costs to health care and other public sector agencies were assessed.Results: Total programme direct costs were £82 380 (€94 736, $123 569) in the base case or £120 474 (€138 546, $180 713) when venues were treated as real additional costs, and varied only slightly with the number of participants in the programme. Costs per participant were £858 (€987, $1287) in the base case or £1255 (€1443, $1883) when venues were treated as additional costs. Costs per participant were sensitive to the number of participants, varying between £691 (€795, $1037) and £2026 (€2330, $3039) when venue costs were zero and between £1009 (€1160, $1514) and £2978 (€3425, $4467) with venue costs added.Conclusions: It is possible to provide a community‐based service at reasonable cost, and probably less than for health professional delivered services. Further work is required to assess the possible effects of the programme on wider service resource use, on users’ costs and on programme effectiveness.
Associations between gastric sensorimotor function, depression, somatization, and symptom‐based subgroups in functional gastroduodenal disorders: are all symptoms equal?
Authors: Clauwaert N. , Jones M. P. , Holvoet L. , Vandenberghe J. , Vos R. , Tack J. , Van Oudenhove L. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractBackground  Previous work indicated that psychosocial factors (depression and somatization) are more strongly associated with symptom severity and weight loss in functional dyspepsia (FD) than gastric sensorimotor function. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the association of these etiopathogenetic factors with Rome III symptom‐based subgroups in FD [epigastric pain syndrome (EPS), postprandial distress syndrome (PDS)]. We aimed to test whether gastric sensitivity and emptying, depression, and somatization are differentially associated with empirically derived functional gastroduodenal disorders (FGD) symptom factors in one comprehensive model.Methods  In 259 tertiary care FD patients, we studied gastric sensorimotor function with barostat and gastric emptying breath test. Depression, somatization, and FGD symptoms were measured using self‐report questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on 7 FGD symptoms was used to determine the fit of a latent variable structure based on Rome III symptom‐based subgroups. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the putative relationships of the symptom factors with gastric sensorimotor function, depression, and somatization.Key Results  The results of the CFA show a good fit [Cmin/DF = 1.54, CFI(comparative fit index) = 0.97] for the three‐factor solution based on Rome III subgroups. The SEM also fitted the data well (Cmin/DF = 1.24, CFI = 0.98) and demonstrated that gastric sensitivity and depression are associated with PDS and nausea and vomiting. Gastric emptying is uniquely associated with EPS and somatization is strongly associated with all three symptom factors.Conclusions & Inferences  Confirmatory factor analysis confirms the existence of three FGD symptom factors, corresponding to Rome III symptom‐based subgroups. The SEM results suggest that different psychobiological mechanisms may play a role in these subgroups.
Validity of Using ICD‐9‐CM Codes to Identify Selected Categories of Obstetric Complications, Procedures and Co‐morbidities
Authors: Goff Sarah L. , Pekow Penelope S. , Markenson Glenn , Knee Alexander , Chasan‐Taber Lisa , Lindenauer Peter K. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractBackground: The ability to measure and track changes in risk‐adjusted obstetric complication rates using administrative data underpins efforts to improve obstetric quality of care, but the validity of this approach has not been adequately evaluated. We sought to assess the validity of using composites of ICD‐9‐CM codes to identify selected categories obstetric complications and risk factors associated with complications.Methods: Patients with ICD‐9‐CM codes for obstetric trauma/laceration, infection, haemorrhage, episiotomy or obesity discharged between January 2009 and March 2010 were identified in the study hospital's administrative data. One hundred medical records with ICD‐9‐CM codes of interest were randomly selected for review from each of the five categories. An additional 60 medical records without the ICD‐9‐CM codes of interest served as controls for each category. Sensitivity and specificity for the selected categories was estimated using inverse proportional weighting to adjust for sampling based on presence of one of the ICD‐9‐CM codes of interest.Results: Weighted sensitivities ranged from 0.15 [95% CI 0.11, 0.20] for obesity to 1.00 for overall infection while specificities ranged from 0.994 [95% CI 0.987, 0.998] for obesity to 0.999 [95% CI 0.996, 1.000] for episiotomy. Obese patients were not reliably identified and it was not possible ascertain whether some diagnoses were present on admission.Conclusions: For selected categories of obstetric complication diagnoses, use of composite sets of ICD‐9‐CM codes may be a valid method to identify patients within these complication categories.
Off‐Trial Evaluation of the B cell–Targeting Treatment in the Refractory Cases of Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibodies (ANCA)‐Associated Vasculitis: Long‐Term Follow‐Up from a Single Centre
Authors: Pullerits R. , Ljevak M. , Vikgren J. , Bokarewa M. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe aim of the study was to evaluate long‐term clinical and immunological effects of anti‐B cell treatment in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)‐associated vasculitis refractory to conventional immunosuppressive treatment. Rituximab (RTX) was added to the ongoing immunosuppressive treatment in 29 patients with refractory ANCA‐associated vasculitis. The disease activity was measured using Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score/Wegener’s granulomatosis (BVAS/WG score), and clinical laboratory variables were recorded. The median BVAS/WG score before treatment was 6 (IQR 3–8), and 28 patients (97%) had disease flare classified either severe (62%) or limited (34%). Six of 29 patients (21%) achieved a complete remission, and 12 (41%) had a treatment response with ≥50% decrease in BVAS/WG score at 6 months. Fourteen patients (64%) with kidney involvement achieved remission, and in seven patients (50%), no flare was seen during the follow‐up period. Three patients had renal flare and were successfully re‐treated with RTX. Seventeen patients had disease symptoms from airways and eyes at RTX initiation, whereas only 29% displayed ≥50% treatment response. Limited clinical improvement was seen in patients with endobronchial lesions and trachea‐subglottic granulomatous disease. RTX is a potent therapeutic option for ANCA‐associated vasculitis refractory to conventional treatment. Best response may be expected in patients with vasculitic manifestations.
AFILAMENTOUS FLOWERorthologue plays a key role in leaf patterning in opium poppy
Authors: Vosnakis Nikolaos , Maiden Afiqah , Kourmpetli Sofia , Hands Philip , Sharples Donna , Drea Sinéad 
Published: July 2012

SummaryThe plant‐specificYABBYgenes were initially defined by their roles in determining abaxial/adaxial cell fate in lateral organs of eudicots, and repressing meristematic genes in differentiating tissues such as leaves. InArabidopsis thaliana FILAMENTOUS FLOWER(FIL) is also required for inflorescence and floral meristem establishment and flower development in a pathway involving the floral transition and identity genes. Here we describe the characterization of aFILorthologue from the basal eudicot,Papaver somniferum(the opium poppy), and demonstrate a role for the gene in patterning the highly lobed leaf of the poppy. Silencing ofPapsFILusing viral‐induced gene silencing resulted in leaves of reduced laminar area, more pronounced margin serration and, in some cases, leaf bifurcation. In contrast, the gene does not appear to affect the development of the flower, and these variations in function are discussed in relation to its taxonomic position as a basal eudicot and its determinate growth habit.
Ectoparasite fitness in auxiliary hosts: phylogenetic distance from a principal host matters
Authors: Khokhlova I. S. , Fielden L. J. , Degen A. A. , Krasnov B. R. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractWe studied reproductive performance in two flea species (Parapulex chephrenisandXenopsylla ramesis) exploiting either a principal or one of eight auxiliary host species. We predicted that fleas would produce more eggs and adult offspring when exploiting (i) a principal host than an auxiliary host and (ii) an auxiliary host phylogenetically close to a principal host than an auxiliary host phylogenetically distant from a principal host. In both flea species, egg production per female after one feeding and production of new imago after a timed period of an uninterrupted stay on a host differed significantly between host species. In general, egg and/or new imago production in fleas feeding on an auxiliary host was lower than in fleas feeding on the principal host, except for the auxiliary host that was the closest relative of the principal host. When all auxiliary host species were considered, we did not find any significant relationship between either egg or new imago production in fleas exploiting an auxiliary host and phylogenetic distance between this host and the principal host. However, when the analyses were restricted to auxiliary hosts belonging to the same family as the principal host (Muridae), new imago production (forP. chephrenis) or both egg and new imago production (forX. ramesis) in an auxiliary host decreased significantly with an increase in phylogenetic distance between the auxiliary and principal host. Our results demonstrated that a parasite achieves higher fitness in auxiliary hosts that are either the most closely related to or the most distant from its principal host. This may affect host associations of a parasite invading new areas.
Cis‐ and trans‐acting genetic factors contribute to heterogeneity in the rate of crossing over between the Drosophila simulans clade species
Authors: Cattani M. V. , Kingan S. B. , Presgraves D. C. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractIn the genus Drosophila, variation in recombination rates has been found within and between species. Genetic variation for both cis‐ and trans‐acting factors has been shown to affect recombination rates within species, but little is known about the genetic factors that affect differences between species. Here, we estimate rates of crossing over for seven segments that tile across the euchromatic length of the X chromosome in the genetic backgrounds of three closely related Drosophila species. We first generated a set of Drosophila mauritiana lines each having two semidominant visible markers on the X chromosome and then introgressed these doubly marked segments into the genetic backgrounds of its sibling species, Drosophila simulans and Drosophila sechellia. Using these 21 lines (seven segments, three genetic backgrounds), we tested whether recombination rates within the doubly marked intervals differed depending on genetic background. We find significant heterogeneity among intervals and among species backgrounds. Our results suggest that a combination of both cis‐ and trans‐acting factors have evolved among the three D. simulans clade species and interact to affect recombination rate.
Restriction of transpiration rate under high vapour pressure deficit and non‐limiting water conditions is important for terminal drought tolerance in cowpea
Authors: Belko N. , Zaman‐Allah M. , Diop N.N. , Cisse N. , Zombre G. , Ehlers J.D. , Vadez V. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractDrought stress is a major constraint on cowpea productivity, since the crop is grown under warm conditions on sandy soils having low water‐holding capacity. For enhanced performance of crops facing terminal drought stress, like cowpea, water‐saving strategies are crucial. In this work, the growth and transpiration rate (TR) of 40 cowpea genotypes with contrasting response to terminal drought were measured under well‐watered conditions across different vapour pressure deficits (VPD) to investigate whether tolerant and sensitive genotypes differ in their control of leaf water loss. A method is presented to indirectly assess TR through canopy temperature (CT) and the index of canopy conductance (Ig). Overall, plants developed larger leaf area under low than under high VPD, and there was a consistent trend of lower plant biomass in tolerant genotypes. Substantial differences were recorded among genotypes in TR response to VPD, with tolerant genotypes having significantly lower TR than sensitive ones, especially at times with the highest VPD. Genotypes differed in TR response to increasing VPD, with some tolerant genotypes exhibiting a clear VPD breakpoint at about 2.25 kPa, above which there was very little increase in TR. In contrast, sensitive genotypes presented a linear increase in TR as VPD increased, and the same pattern was found in some tolerant lines, but with a smaller slope. CT, estimated with thermal imagery, correlated well with TR and Ig and could therefore be used as proxy for TR. These results indicate that control of water loss discriminated between tolerant and sensitive genotypes and may, therefore, be a reliable indicator of terminal drought stress tolerance. The water‐saving characteristics of some genotypes are hypothesised to leave more soil water for pod filling, which is crucial for terminal drought adaptation.
Expression of anatomical leaf traits in homoploid hybrids between deciduous and evergreen species ofVaccinium
Authors: Piwczyński M. , Ponikierska A. , Puchałka R. , Corral J.M. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractWe investigated the anatomical expression of leaf traits in hybrids between evergreenVaccinium vitis‐idaeaand deciduousV. myrtillus. We compared parents from four populations with their respective F1 hybrids and tested whether (i) transgression can be the source of novel anatomical traits in hybrids; (ii) expression of transgressive traits is more probable for traits with similar values in parents and intermediate for more distinct values, as predicted by theory; and (iii) independent origin of hybrids leads to identical trait expression profiles among populations. We found that anatomical leaf traits can be divided into four categories based on their similarity to parents: intermediate, parental‐like, transgressive and non‐significant. Contrary to the common view, parental‐like trait values were equally important in shaping the hybrid profile, as were intermediate traits. Transgression was revealed in 17/144 cases and concerned mainly cell and tissue sizes. As predicted by theory, we observed transgressive segregation more often when there was little phenotypic divergence, but intermediate values when parental traits were differentiated. It is likely that cell and tissue sizes are phylogenetically more conserved due to stabilising selection, whereas traits such as leaf thickness and volume fraction of the intercellular spaces, showing a consistent intermediate pattern across populations, are more susceptible to directional selection. Hybrid populations showed little similarity in expression profile, with only three traits identically expressed across all populations. Thus local adaptation of parental species and specific genetic background may be of importance.
Do sterile females affect the sexual performance of sterile males of Anastrepha ludens (Diptera: Tephritidae)?
Authors: Orozco D. , Hernández M. R. , Meza J. S. , Quintero J. L. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe release of sterile males to suppress the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens (Loew) population was simulated in field cages to compare the sexual performance of sterile males with wild females in the presence and absence of sterile females. Using different release ratios of sterile and wild individuals, this study showed that the presence of sterile females negatively affected the sexual performance of sterile males in mating with wild females. We found that the sterility induced was proportional to the magnitude of the sterile/fertile ratio. These results indicate that the release of sterile males without sterile females can significantly improve the efficiency of the sterile insect technique for the control of A. ludens.
Toxicity of insecticidal soaps to the Asian citrus psyllid and two of its natural enemies
Authors: Hall D. G. , Richardson M. L. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is an important pest of citrus because it transmits plant pathogens responsible for a serious disease of citrus known as huanglongbing. Conventional insecticides are frequently used to manage ACP. Insecticidal soaps (hereafter ‘soaps’) are an insect control option labelled for commercial use as well as for use by homeowners and organic growers. Soaps have been shown to be toxic to some insect pests and therefore might be an alternative to conventional pesticides for control of ACP, but the efficacy of soaps against ACP was largely unknown. Our objective was to test whether different concentrations of two insecticidal soaps, M‐Pede and Safer Insecticidal Soap Concentrate, caused mortality of ACP adults, nymphs and eggs. In addition, we tested whether these soaps were toxic to two natural enemies of ACP, adults of the lady beetle Cycloneda sanguinea (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and the parasitoid Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Direct sprays of M‐Pede or Safer Insecticidal Soap were acutely toxic to ACP adults (regardless of gender) and nymphs when applied in solutions of 0.8–2% in water. Insecticidal soaps were non‐toxic to eggs at rates of up to 2%. Residues of soap were less toxic to adult ACP than direct sprays, even when applied at concentrations of up to 4%. M‐Pede or Safer soap at high concentrations (for example, 2% v/v in water) may be an effective alternative to conventional pesticides to manage adult and nymphal ACP, although multiple applications may be needed if a target population includes eggs. A 2% concentration of either soap applied as a direct spray was non‐toxic to adult C. sanguinea but acutely toxic to adult T. radiata. Soaps therefore may be compatible with biological control of ACP by adult coccinellids but not the parasitoid T. radiata.