bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kernel-based nonparametric estimation methods for a periodic replacement problem with minimal repair
Authors: Saito Yasuhiro , Dohi Tadashi , Yun Won Y
Published: September 2015

In this article, we consider nonparametric estimation methods for a periodic replacement problem with minimal repair, where the expected cumulative number of failures (minimal repairs) is unknown. To construct the confidence interval of an estimator of the optimal periodic replacement time which minimizes the long-run average cost per unit time, we apply two kernel-based bootstrap estimation methods and three replication techniques for bootstrap samples, to estimate the optimal periodic replacement time under incomplete knowledge on the failure time distribution. In simulation experiments, we compare those results with the well-known constrained nonparametric maximum likelihood estimate and some parametric models. We also conduct the field data analysis based on an actual minimal repair data and refer to an applicability of our methods.
Verbal and visual signifiers of advertising shares offers in Nigeria’s 2005 bank recapitalisation
Authors: Adegoju Adeyemi , Ademilokun Mohammed
Published: September 2015

This article examines the interactions of verbal and visual signifiers to advertise shares offers in the 2005 bank recapitalisation in Nigeria. It considers such signifiers as rhetorical devices to influence the prospective subscribers to invest in shares, thereby saving for the proverbial rainy day. Data for the study comprise eight adverts culled from some of Nigeria’s national daily newspapers and news magazines between March and December 2005. Lemke’s multimodal semiotic theory and Barthes’ conception of the interaction of signs as encapsulated in the concepts of ‘anchorage’ and ‘relay’ provide the theoretical perspective for the data analysis. The study reveals that the advertisers creatively blend verbal and visual cues in the discourse largely to elicit certain sensibilities in the readers so as to make them think and act in the direction of the investment offer being touted. Generally, the advertisers’ appropriation of culture-specific issues in the Nigerian context, building a strong and credible brand to enhance the integrity of the respective banks and harping on the exigency of keying into the investment offers, serves as useful rhetorical appeals for the effectiveness of the multimodal semiotic resources in the discourse.
Anatomic variations of internal jugular vein, inferior petrosal sinus and its confluence pattern: Implications in inferior petrosal sinus catheterization
Authors: Lv Xianli , Wu Zhongxue
Published: September 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study is to describe anatomic variations of the internal jugular vein (IJV), inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) and their confluence pattern and implications in IPS catheterization. The anatomic route of IPS after going out of the cranium and its confluence patterns with IJV and will supply knowledge about typing of IPS-IJV junction.

Method

A review of the literature was performed.

Results

There might be different routes for entering the intracranial segment of the IPS and multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) is effective in identifying the confluences of the IPS with the IJV and their courses. It is important to find the confluence of IPS with IJV for diagnosis and treatment of intracranial lesions via venous route. Meanwhile, IPS diameter at the confluence can significantly affect success of catheterization.

Conclusion

The classification and the theory of the development of the caudal end of the IPS may be useful in establishing treatment strategies that involve endovascular manipulation via the IPS.
Gene expression analysis in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes stimulated by LPSs from nosocomial opportunistic pathogens
Authors: Ubagai Tsuneyuki , Nakano Ryuichi , Nakano Akiyo , Kamoshida Go , Ono Yasuo
Published: September 2015

Innate immunity coordinates LPS detection via TLR4 on polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) to elicit responses to many Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we describe the effects of five subtypes of LPS [isolated from Escherichia coli B4, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa (MDRP), Acinetobacter baumannii and multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDRA)] on gene expression in PMNs. LPS isolated from B4, PAO1, and A. baumannii did not significantly alter TLR2 expression. However, LPS from MDRP and MDRA caused a 0.6-fold decrease and 2.7-fold increase, respectively, in TLR2 expression. Similarly, TLR4 expression was not significantly altered by LPS isolated from B4, PAO1 and A. baumannii but was down-regulated by LPS isolated from MDRP and MDRA by 0.1- and 0.6-fold, respectively. All LPS subtypes, excluding PAO1, down-regulated CD14 expression in PMNs. However, all five LPS subtypes up-regulated TNFA, IL1B, IL6, IL10 and TREM1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner, with the most substantial responses observed following exposure to LPS from MDRP and MDRA. These different effects on the gene expression in PMNs may depend on variation in LPS structural modifications related to acquired drug resistance, such as acylation and/or glycosylation.
Drug-induced fulminant hepatic failure in pregnancy
Authors: Firoz Tabassum , Webber Douglas , Rowe Hilary
Published: September 2015

Liver disease in pregnancy can be classified as predating, co-incidental or unique to pregnancy. Medications are often overlooked as a significant cause of liver disease. We present the case of a 39-year-old patient who presented at 20 weeks with jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, and abnormal liver function progressing eventually to fulminant hepatic failure. The patient was on methyldopa and labetalol from 12 weeks’ gestational age. Liver biopsy was consistent with drug-induced liver injury. Both methyldopa and labetalol have been associated with hepatotoxicity including liver failure. This case highlights the importance of including medications as a cause of liver failure in pregnant patients.
Tasquinimod in the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer – current status and future prospects
Authors: Mehta Amit R. , Armstrong Andrew J.
Published: September 2015

Treatment options have significantly expanded in recent years for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), with the routine use of immunotherapy (sipuleucel-T) and novel hormonal agents such as enzalutamide and abiraterone acetate prior to taxane-based chemotherapy or radium-223 radiotherapy. A number of immune checkpoints limit the immune response of the host to metastatic tumor progression in prostate cancer, one of which is an immunosuppressive and pro-angiogenic cell called the myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC). Tasquinimod is a small molecular oral inhibitor of S100A9, a key cell surface regulator of MDSC function, and has shown anti-angiogenic, antitumor and immune-modulatory properties in preclinical models of prostate cancer and other solid tumors. A large randomized phase II trial of tasquinimod in men with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC demonstrated a significant prolongation in radiographic and symptomatic progression-free survival compared with placebo, which was also associated with improvements in overall survival. Tasquinimod was studied in a global phase III randomized trial in men with bone mCRPC and, while it significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival, this did not result in an overall survival benefit. However, tasquinimod is under evaluation as well as a combination therapy with other systemic agents in prostate cancer and as a single agent in other solid tumors. This review encompasses the preclinical and clinical development of tasquinimod as a therapy for men with prostate cancer.
The role of peer physical activity champions in the workplace: a qualitative study
Authors: Edmunds Sarah , Clow Angela
Published: September 2015

Aims:

Peer health champions have been suggested as an important component of multilevel workplace interventions to promote healthy behaviours such as physical activity (PA). There is accumulating quantitative evidence of their effectiveness but as yet little exploration of why and how champions influence peer behaviour. The current study explores the role of peer physical activity champions (PPACs) in influencing colleagues’ PA behaviour from the perspectives of both champions and colleagues.

Methods:

Seven months after the introduction of a workplace PA programme in 17 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), two focus groups were held with PPACs and four with programme participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results:

Three overarching themes were developed: how PPACs encourage PA, valuable PPAC characteristics and sustaining motivation for the PPAC role. Both direct encouragement from PPACs and facilitation of wider PA supportive social networks within the workplace encouraged behaviour change. PA behaviour change is a delicate subject and it was important that PPACs provided enthusiastic and persistent encouragement without seeming judgemental. Being a PA role model was also a valuable characteristic. The PPACs found it satisfying to see positive changes in their colleagues who had become more active. However, colleagues often did not engage in suggested activities and PPACs required resilience to maintain personal motivation for the role despite this.

Conclusion:

Incorporating PPACs into SME-based PA interventions is acceptable to employees. It is recommended that PPAC training includes suggestions for facilitating social connections between colleagues. Sensitivity is required when initiating and engaging in conversations with colleagues about increasing their PA. Programmes should ensure PPACs themselves are provided with social support, especially from others in the same role, to help sustain motivation for their role. These findings will be useful to health-promotion professionals developing workplace health programmes.
Straddling Cultures, Identities, and Inconsistencies: Voices of Pre-Tenure Faculty of Color in Educational Leadership
Authors: Martinez Melissa A. , Welton Anjalé D.
Published: September 2015

Drawing on the notions of biculturalism, or double consciousness, and hybridity, this qualitative study explored how 12 pre-tenure faculty of color (FOC) in the field of educational leadership working at universities in the United States negotiated their self-identified cultural identities within their predominantly White departments. Results indicated that participants were more bicultural in nature than they were in self-authoring a new hybrid identity. Nonetheless, bicultural skills equipped FOC with a better sense of how to help their departments critically examine and move beyond White-dominant notions of educational leadership preparation to more culturally responsive approaches.
Excellent long-term results with iliac stenting in local anesthesia for post-thrombotic syndrome
Authors: Klitfod Lotte , Just Sven , Foegh Pia , Baekgaard Niels
Published: September 2015

Background

Only 20% of iliac veins will recanalize on anticoagulation (AC) treatment alone and may, therefore, develop venous obstruction after iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). A considerable number of these patients will suffer from post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) leading to impaired quality of life in more than 50%. Endovascular treatment for iliac vein obstruction using stents is known to alleviate PTS symptoms in selected patients.

Purpose

To report the Danish long-term results of endovascular treatment with iliac stenting.

Material and Methods

From 2000 to 2013 consecutive patients were evaluated and 19 patients with severe venous claudication were identified and subsequently underwent angioplasty and stenting. AC treatment was prescribed for 6 months, and knee-high class II compression stocking recommended for 1 year. Scheduled follow-up was done in the outpatient clinic at 6 weeks, 3 months, and annually thereafter.

Results

Nineteen patients, all women, all with left-sided iliac vein obstruction, and all with severe PTS symptoms were included. The median follow-up time was 81 months (range, 1–146 months; mean, 69 months). Primary patency rate of the inserted iliac stent was 89% (17/19) and 16 patients (84 %) had almost or total symptom relief at follow-up.

Conclusion

Endovascular stenting of iliac obstruction in local anesthesia is minimally invasive and shows excellent long-term outcomes for patients suffering from PTS.
Left in the Dust: Employee Constructions of Mission and Vision Ownership
Authors: Kopaneva Irina M.
Published: September 2015

Research on organizational mission and vision primarily has approached the concepts from managerial perspectives. This study employed a communicative constitution of organizations perspective to problematize the concepts of mission/vision alignment and assimilation and to focus on employee mission/vision ownership. The study sought to understand how employees construct ownership, that is, their ability to control, change, or contribute to mission and vision. A thematic analysis of 46 in-depth interviews with employees from 22 organizations revealed factors that impede employee ownership and those that facilitate it. The findings have important implications for understanding an employee’s role in the construction of organizational reality.
Flipping the Composing Process
Authors: Anders Abram
Published: September 2015

This article argues for a flipped learning approach to business and professional communication composing processes. Flipped learning sequences can scaffold more robust engagement with prewriting activities and support opportunities for in-class collaborative and facilitated drafting exercises. These types of learning experiences offer numerous pedagogical benefits, including more conscious control of messaging strategies and the development of more creative, rhetorically informed communication products. The effectiveness of this approach is explored through a case study of a flipped learning sequence and collaborative drafting workshop designed for an employment communication and résumé-writing assignment.
Disclosure of Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence to Police among Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals
Authors: Guadalupe-Diaz Xavier
Published: September 2015

Among the many crimes that go unreported to the police, intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the least reported by victims. While some research has addressed various factors that influence police reporting for crimes in general, less is known about what shapes comfort with disclosing same-sex IPV within the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community. The present study utilized secondary data gathered by a local nonprofit in the southeastern United States ( N = 277) to explore the influences of race, gender, previous IPV victimization, and previous police intervention on the comfort participants reported in disclosing same-sex IPV to the police. The findings illustrate that those LGB who are nonwhite, male, and had experienced a previous police intervention in their own case of same-sex IPV reported significantly less comfort in disclosing same-sex IPV to the police. These results have implications for police training, LGB outreach, and future research.
Mitochondrial and Bioenergetic Dysfunction in Trauma-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Lim Tony K. Y. , Rone Malena B. , Lee Seunghwan , Antel Jack P. , Zhang Ji
Published: September 2015

Background

Mitochondrial dysfunction is observed in various neuropathic pain phenotypes, such as chemotherapy induced neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy, HIV-associated neuropathy, and in Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy. To investigate whether mitochondrial dysfunction is present in trauma-induced painful mononeuropathy, a time-course of mitochondrial function and bioenergetics was characterized in the mouse partial sciatic nerve ligation model.

Results

Traumatic nerve injury induces increased metabolic indices of the nerve, resulting in increased oxygen consumption and increased glycolysis. Increased metabolic needs of the nerve are concomitant with bioenergetic and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dysfunction is characterized by reduced ATP synthase activity, reduced electron transport chain activity, and increased futile proton cycling. Bioenergetic dysfunction is characterized by reduced glycolytic reserve, reduced glycolytic capacity, and increased non-glycolytic acidification.

Conclusion

Traumatic peripheral nerve injury induces persistent mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction which implies that pharmacological agents which seek to normalize mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction could be expected to be beneficial for pain treatment. Increases in both glycolytic acidification and non-glycolytic acidification suggest that pH sensitive drugs which preferentially act on acidic tissue will have the ability to preferential act on injured nerves without affecting healthy tissues.
Differential expression of Mediator complex subunit MED15 in testicular germ cell tumors
Authors: Klümper Niklas , Syring Isabella , Offermann Anne , Adler David , Vogel Wenzel , Müller Stefan C. , Ellinger Jörg , Strauß Arne , Radzun Heinz Joachim , Ströbel Philipp , Brägelmann Johannes , Perner Sven , Bremmer Felix
Published: September 2015

Background

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common cancer entities in young men with increasing incidence observed in the last decades. For therapeutic management it is important, that TGCT are divided into several histological subtypes. MED15 is part of the multiprotein Mediator complex which presents an integrative hub for transcriptional regulation and is known to be deregulated in several malignancies, such as prostate cancer and bladder cancer role, whereas the role of the Mediator complex in TGCT has not been investigated so far. Aim of the study was to investigate the implication of MED15 in TGCT development and its stratification into histological subtypes.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) against Mediator complex subunit MED15 was conducted on a TGCT cohort containing tumor-free testis (n = 35), intratubular germ cell neoplasia unclassified (IGCNU, n = 14), seminomas (SEM, n = 107) and non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT, n = 42), further subdivided into embryonic carcinomas (EC, n = 30), yolk sac tumors (YST, n = 5), chorionic carcinomas (CC, n = 5) and teratomas (TER, n = 2). Quantification of MED15 protein expression was performed through IHC followed by semi-quantitative image analysis using the Definiens software.

Results

In tumor-free seminiferous tubules, MED15 protein expression was absent or only low expressed in spermatogonia. Interestingly, the precursor lesions IGCNU exhibited heterogeneous but partly very strong MED15 expression. SEM weakly express the Mediator complex subunit MED15, whereas NSGCT and especially EC show significantly enhanced expression compared to tumor-free testis.

Conclusions

In conclusion, MED15 is differentially expressed in tumor-free testis and TGCT. While MED15 is absent or low in tumor-free testis and SEM, NSGCT highly express MED15, hinting at the diagnostic potential of this marker to distinguish between SEM and NSGCT. Further, the precursor lesion IGCNU showed increased nuclear MED15 expression in the preinvasive precursor cells, which may provide diagnostic value to distinguish between benign and pre-malignant testicular specimen, and may indicate a role for MED15 in carcinogenesis in TGCT.
Long-term outcome of severe herpes simplex encephalitis: a population-based observational study
Authors: Jouan Youenn , Grammatico-Guillon Leslie , Espitalier Fabien , Cazals Xavier , François Patrick , Guillon Antoine
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. No recent evaluation of hospital incidence, acute mortality and morbidity is available. In particular, decompressive craniectomy has rarely been proposed in cases of life-threatening HSE with temporal herniation, in the absence of evidence. This study aimed to assess the hospital incidence and mortality of HSE, and to evaluate the characteristics, management, the potential value of decompressive craniectomy and the outcome of patients with HSE admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods

Epidemiological study: we used the hospital medical and administrative discharge database to identify hospital stays, deaths and ICU admissions relating to HSE in 39 hospitals, from 2010 to 2013. Retrospective monocentric cohort: all patients with HSE admitted to the ICU of the university hospital during the study were included. The use of decompressive craniectomy and long-term outcome were analyzed. The initial brain images were analyzed blind to outcome.

Results

The hospital incidence of HSE was 1.2/100,000 inhabitants per year, 32 % of the patients were admitted to ICUs and 17 % were mechanically ventilated. Hospital mortality was 5.5 % overall, but was as high as 11.9 % in ICUs. In the monocentric cohort, 87 % of the patients were still alive after one year but half of them had moderate to severe disability. Three patients had a high intracranial pressure (ICP) with brain herniation and eventually underwent decompressive hemicraniectomy. The one-year outcome of these patients did not seem to be different from that of the other patients. It was not possible to predict brain herniation reliably from the initial brain images.

Conclusions

HSE appears to be more frequent than historically reported. The high incidence we observed probably reflects improvements in diagnostic performance (routine use of PCR). Mortality during the acute phase and long-term disability appear to be stable. High ICP and brain herniation are rare, but must be monitored carefully, as initial brain imaging is not useful for identifying high-risk patients. Decompressive craniectomy may be a useful salvage procedure in cases of intractable high ICP.
The senescent methylome and its relationship with cancer, ageing and germline genetic variation in humans
Authors: Lowe Robert , Overhoff Marita G. , Ramagopalan Sreeram V. , Garbe James C. , Koh James , Stampfer Martha R. , Beach David H. , Rakyan Vardhman K. , Bishop Cleo L.
Published: September 2015

Background

Cellular senescence is a stable arrest of proliferation and is considered a key component of processes associated with carcinogenesis and other ageing-related phenotypes. Here, we perform methylome analysis of actively dividing and deeply senescent normal human epithelial cells.

Results

We identify senescence-associated differentially methylated positions (senDMPs) from multiple experiments using cells from one donor. We find that human senDMP epigenetic signatures are positively and significantly correlated with both cancer and ageing-associated methylation dynamics. We also identify germline genetic variants, including those associated with the p16INK4A locus, which are associated with the presence of in vivo senDMP signatures. Importantly, we also demonstrate that a single senDMP signature can be effectively reversed in a newly-developed protocol of transient senescence reversal.

Conclusions

The senDMP signature has significant potential for understanding some of the key (epi)genetic etiological factors that may lead to cancer and age-related diseases in humans.
Developmental attenuation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit expression by microRNAs
Authors: Corbel Caroline , Hernandez Israel , Wu Bian , Kosik Kenneth S.
Published: September 2015

Background

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are a subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors and are expressed throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Their activity is required for excitatory synaptic transmission, the developmental refinement of neural circuits and for the expression of many forms of synaptic plasticity. NMDARs are obligate heterotetramers and the expression of their constituent subunits is developmentally and anatomically regulated. In rodent cortex and hippocampus, the GluN2B subunit is expressed at high levels early in development and decreases to plateau levels later while expression of the GluN2A subunit has a concomitant increase. Regulation of GluN2A and GluN2B expressions are incompletely understood. Here, we showed the influence of miRNAs in this process.

Findings

Two miRNAs, miR-19a and miR-539 can influence the levels of NMDARs subunits, as they target the mRNAs encoding GluN2A and GluN2B respectively. MiR-539 also modified the expression of the transcription factor REST, a known regulator of NMDAR subunit expression.

Conclusions

miR-19a and miR-539, in collaboration with REST, serve to set the levels of GluN2A and GluN2B precisely during development. These miRNAs offer an entry point for interventions that affect plasticity and a novel approach to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
On approximating Mills ratio
Authors: Yang Zhen-Hang , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: September 2015

In the article, we present several sharp bounds for the Mills ratio $R(x)=e^{x^{2}/2}\int_{x}^{\infty}e^{-t^{2}/2}\,dt$
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and $J(x)=a/[\sqrt{x^{2}+2a^{2}/\pi}+2ax/\pi]$
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Fixed point theorems with generalized altering distance functions in partially ordered metric spaces via w-distances and applications
Authors: Sang Yanbin , Meng Qian
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we establish some fixed point theorems with T-contractions and w-distances in partially ordered metric spaces. The main tool used in our proof is a generalized altering distance function. Our results can be applied directly to study multidimensional fixed point which covers the concepts of coupled, tripled, quadruple fixed point etc. Moreover, a Fredholm integral equation and an initial-value problem for partial differential equation of parabolic type are also discussed.
Common fixed point results for four maps satisfying ϕ-contractive condition in multiplicative metric spaces
Authors: Gu Feng , Cho Yeol Je
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we consider the setting of multiplicative metric spaces to establish results regarding the common fixed points of four mappings, using a contraction condition defined by means of a comparison function. Also, we provide illustrative examples in support of our new results. The results obtained in this paper extend and improve some well-known comparable results in the literature due to He et al. (Fixed Point Theory and Appl. 2013:48, 2013).
Collagen VI at a glance
Authors: Cescon Matilde , Gattazzo Francesca , Chen Peiwen , Bonaldo Paolo
Published: September 2015

Collagen VI represents a remarkable extracellular matrix molecule, and in the past few years, studies of this molecule have revealed its involvement in a wide range of tissues and pathological conditions. In addition to its complex multi-step pathway of biosynthesis and assembly that leads to the formation of a characteristic and distinctive network of beaded microfilaments in the extracellular matrix, collagen VI exerts several key roles in different tissues. These range from unique biomechanical roles to cytoprotective functions in different cells, including myofibers, chondrocytes, neurons, fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Indeed, collagen VI has been shown to exert a surprisingly broad range of cytoprotective effects, which include counteracting apoptosis and oxidative damage, favoring tumor growth and progression, regulating autophagy and cell differentiation, and even contributing to the maintenance of stemness. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we present the current knowledge of collagen VI, and in particular, discuss its relevance in stemness and in preserving the mechanical properties of tissues, as well as its links with human disorders.
A multiprotein occupancy map of the mRNP on the 3′ end of histone mRNAs
Authors: Brooks Lionel , Lyons Shawn M. , Mahoney J. Matthew , Welch Joshua D. , Liu Zhongle , Marzluff William F. , Whitfield Michael L.
Published: September 2015

The animal replication-dependent (RD) histone mRNAs are coordinately regulated with chromosome replication. The RD-histone mRNAs are the only known cellular mRNAs that are not polyadenylated. Instead, the mature transcripts end in a conserved stem–loop (SL) structure. This SL structure interacts with the stem–loop binding protein (SLBP), which is involved in all aspects of RD-histone mRNA metabolism. We used several genomic methods, including high-throughput sequencing of cross-linked immunoprecipitate (HITS-CLIP) to analyze the RNA-binding landscape of SLBP. SLBP was not bound to any RNAs other than histone mRNAs. We performed bioinformatic analyses of the HITS-CLIP data that included (i) clustering genes by sequencing read coverage using CVCA, (ii) mapping the bound RNA fragment termini, and (iii) mapping cross-linking induced mutation sites (CIMS) using CLIP-PyL software. These analyses allowed us to identify specific sites of molecular contact between SLBP and its RD-histone mRNA ligands. We performed in vitro crosslinking assays to refine the CIMS mapping and found that uracils one and three in the loop of the histone mRNA SL preferentially crosslink to SLBP, whereas uracil two in the loop preferentially crosslinks to a separate component, likely the 3′hExo. We also performed a secondary analysis of an iCLIP data set to map UPF1 occupancy across the RD-histone mRNAs and found that UPF1 is bound adjacent to the SLBP-binding site. Multiple proteins likely bind the 3′ end of RD-histone mRNAs together with SLBP.
Research Note—Why Following Friends Can Hurt You: An Exploratory Investigation of the Effects of Envy on Social Networking Sites among College-Age Users
Authors: Krasnova Hanna , Widjaja Thomas , Buxmann Peter , Wenninger Helena , Benbasat Izak
Published: September 2015

Research findings on how participation in social networking sites (SNSs) affects users’ subjective well-being are equivocal. Some studies suggest a positive impact of SNSs on users’ life satisfaction and mood, whereas others report undesirable consequences such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. However, whereas the factors behind the positive effects have received significant scholarly attention, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie the unfavorable consequences. To fill this gap, this study uses social comparison theory and the responses of 1,193 college-age Facebook users to investigate the role of envy in the SNS context as a potential contributor to those undesirable outcomes. Arising in response to social information consumption, envy is shown to be associated with reduced cognitive and affective well-being as well as increased reactive self-enhancement. These preliminary findings contribute to the growing body of information systems research investigating the dysfunctional consequences of information technology adoption in general and social media participation in particular.
Editorial—Evolvable Systems: Through the Looking Glass of IS
Authors: Agarwal Ritu , Tiwana Amrit
Published: September 2015

We explore how “Red Queen” competition is increasing the competitive premium on “evolvable” information systems (IS). Ephemeral market advantage coupled with relentless innovation spawning trends such as the Internet-of-Things and additive manufacturing are amplifying the importance of evolvable systems across all industries. We discuss uncharted theoretical and empirical territory for IS research on evolvable systems. The elusiveness of some of these phenomena to other disciplines offers a unique opportunity for IS scholars.
Short-Run Needs and Long-Term Goals: A Dynamic Model of Thirst Management
Authors: Huang Guofang , Khwaja Ahmed , Sudhir K.
Published: September 2015

Beverage consumption occurs many times a day in response to short-run needs that fluctuate. We develop a model in which consumers are heterogeneous in self-regulating consumption by balancing short-run needs (e.g., hydration and mood) with long-term goals (e.g., health). The model has two novel features: (1) utility depends on the match between occasion-specific needs and product attributes, and (2) dynamics of consumption and stockpiling are at the level of product attributes. We estimate the model using unique intraday beverage consumption, activity, and psychological needs data. We find that only a third of individuals do not self-regulate. Of the two-thirds who self-regulate, over 40% self-regulate adaptively based on past choice, whereas 25% self-regulate both adaptively and anticipating future needs. Our attribute–need match model enables us to assess unmet demand for new products with attributes that match co-occurring occasion-specific needs. Specifically, we find that a product satisfying a combination of “health-hydrating” needs expands overall beverage consumption by as much as 5%. Our framework of modeling heterogeneity in self-regulation by balancing short-run needs with long-term goals is more broadly applicable in contexts where situational needs vary, and long-term effects are gradual and hard to discern (e.g., nutrition, smoking, and preventive health care).
An Empirical Analysis of Consumer Purchase Decisions Under Bucket-Based Price Discrimination
Authors: Sun Yacheng , Li Shibo , Sun Baohong
Published: September 2015

Bucket-based price discrimination is a unique price format that involves monthly subscription fees and instantaneous quotas (the number of rental products that can be checked out). We propose an empirical model in which consumers make dynamic purchase decisions under consumption uncertainty, accounting for the constraints imposed by the instantaneous quota. Applying the model to an online DVD rental data set, we find that (1) consumers incur a large disutility (∼$8) from stockout (i.e., unmet consumption needs); (2) such a disutility drives consumers' overpurchase of the service quota as a way to avoid potential stockout situations; and (3) the dynamics of overpurchase are driven by the interplay between trends in consumption needs and the magnitude of consumers' plan-switching costs. We run counterfactual exercises to better understand how the instantaneous quota and stockout risk affect consumers' consumption rates, purchase decisions, and firm profitability. We find that the instantaneous quota induces a greater stockout compared with a monthly quota. We further demonstrate that the company should recognize the drivers of the dynamics in overpurchase to balance short- and long-term profitability—for example, by offering targeted discounts to customers with excess overpurchase.
French and Italian co-productions and the limits of transnational cinema
Authors: Romanelli Claudia
Published: September 2015

This article revisits the concept of transnational cinema in light of the laws concerning French and Italian co-productions since the end of World War II, in an attempt to demonstrate how transnational modes of production negotiate with national modes at the level of financial resources and cultural exchange. It is generally assumed that, unlike national cinema, transnational cinema does not erect any boundaries between films produced in different nation states. However, the basic concern that co-production agreements promote is to assimilate co-produced films into a national culture under the direct tutelage of the nation state. Co-production treaties are made in the interest of domestic film markets and are revealing of a notion of cinema that reaches across borders while positing nationality as an imagined community. A definition of transnational cinema that is above and beyond the limits of the national is ultimately at odds with the limitations embedded in co-productions.
QoE-aren optimizaziorako indize-erregelen proposamenak sare-baliabideen esleipenerako planifikazioan
Authors: Taboada Ianire , Liberal Fidel
Published: September 2015

Lan honetan sakon aztertu dira erabiltzaileek hautemandako kalitatearen maximizazioa helburu duen sare-baliabideen planifikaziorako scheduling algoritmoak, beti ere sare-baliabideen esleipenean kalitate subjektiboaren maximizaziorako planifikazioaren garrantzia eta beharra buruan izanda. Ikerketak bereziki erreparatu dio matematika arloan ekarpen handia egin duten Gittins zein Whittle metodoen bidez lortutako kalitate subjektiboaren maximizaziorako scheduling indize-erregela motako soluzioen azterketei. Modu honetan, lehenik eta behin, bi diziplina horiek aurkeztu dira, Gittinsena bakunagoa izanik. Ondoren, bi planifikazio-politika horien errendimenduak elkarrekin erkatu dira, eta ikusi da Whittlen-en konponbideak emaitza nabarmenki hobeak erakusten dituela. Ondorioz, Gittins edo Whittle metodoetan oinarritutako proposamena aukeratuko da.
Euskararako analizatzaile sintaktiko estatistikoa hobetzeko teknikak
Authors: Bengoetxea Kepa , Gojenola Koldo
Published: September 2015

Artikulu honetan euskararako analizatzaile sintaktiko-estatistikoen emaitzak hobetzeko helburuarekin egindako esperimentu-multzoa aurkezten da. Lan honetan teknika ez-berdinak aztertzen dira: i) zuhaitz-transformazioak, ii) analizatzaileen pilaketa, eta iii) analizatzaile-modelo desberdinen irteeren konbinazioa. Emaitza guztiak zuhaitz-bankutik zuzenean hartutako urre-patroiko ezaugarri morfosintaktikoak erabiliz eta analisi morfologiko eta desanbiguatze-moduluetatik hartutako ezaugarri morfosintaktiko automatikoak erabiliz egin dira.
Zenbaki errealak eraikitzen
Authors: Gutíerrez García Javier , Mozo Carollo Imanol
Published: September 2015

Zenbaki errealak funtsezko tresna eta oinarrizko eredu dira matematikaren arlo anitzetan. Hala ere, sarritan definizio zorrotzik emateari uko egiten zaio. Historian zehar aurkeztu diren zenbait aukera azalduz, hutsune hau betetzea da artikulu honen xedea. Bide honetan, zenbaki errealen definizio sintetikoaren eta zenbaki arrazionalen deskribapen zorrotzaren ondoren, eginbehar hau modu zuzenan gauzatzen lehenengoak izan ziren Cantor-en, Dedekind-ren eta Weierstrass-en eraikuntza klasikoak aurkeztuko ditugu. Azkenik, Rota eta bere lankideen lana azalduko dugu, bide batez, beste ikuspuntu batetik, aljebrarena hain justu, definitzerik dagoela erakutsiz.
The Importance of Insects in Australian Aboriginal Society: A Dictionary Survey
Authors: Si Aung , Turpin Myfany
Published: September 2015

Insects and their products have long been used in Indigenous Australian societies as food, medicine and construction material, and given prominent roles in myths, traditional songs and ceremonies. However, much of the available information on the uses of insects in Australia remains anecdotal. In this essay, we review published dictionaries of Aboriginal languages spoken in many parts of Australia, to provide an overview of the Indigenous names and knowledge of insects and their products. We find that that native honeybees and insect larvae (particularly of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera) are the most highly prized insects, and should be recognized as cultural keystone species. Many insects mentioned in dictionaries lack scientific identifications, however, and we urge documentary linguists to address this important issue.
GFG - "Greening" global food governance
Authors: Duncan Jessica
Published: September 2015

It has been argued that there are two broad criteria to judge humanity’s success in feeding itself: “(i) the proportion of people whose access to basic nutritional requirements is secure; and (ii) the extent to which global food production is sustainable” (Daily et al., 1998, p. 1291). According to these criteria, we have failed. First, 870 million people worldwide were estimated to be chronically undernourished in the period from 2010 to 2012 (FAO, 2012a). Second, the industrial model of global food production and distribution is not environmentally sustainable. Approximately 19 to 29 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are directly attributed to agriculture. Agriculture is also the leading driver of deforestation and forest degradation globally, a process that accounts for an additional 17 percent of global carbon emissions (Vermeulen, Campbell, & Ingram, 2012).
SFSGEC - Peasant agriculture, seeds, and biodiversity
Authors: Ahmed Faris
Published: September 2015

Farmers and food providers have created and maintained the knowledge and biodiversity that is the basis for the planet’s food supply for thousands of years. Yet seeds and biodiversity have been at the margins of the mainstream discourses on food security. New thinking and global events are rapidly changing as seeds, biodiversity, and peasant agriculture are now front and centre in the discourses promoting food sovereignty, food system resilience, and sustainability. This paper argues for a central place for this discourse, examines the state of peasant agriculture, and outlines the policies and measures needed to support it.
SWFS - Crisis of legitimacy and challenges for food policy
Authors: Koç Mustafa
Published: September 2015

Looking into the food system through the lens of food security, the first decade of the 21st Century was a period of broken promises, distrust, as well as fear and anxiety due to multiple crises in the financial markets—in the agri-food sector and in global politics. I will argue that this economically and politically volatile environment and the widespread distrust of major international and national agencies in terms of governance has led to a global legitimacy crisis, which I consider one of the biggest obstacles in mobilizing the public for social change and policy reforms.
FFS - Small farmer vulnerability and climate risk: Index insurance as a financial fix
Authors: Isakson S. Ryan
Published: September 2015

By its very nature, agriculture is a risky endeavor. Farmers not only face natural threats from pests, plant disease, and inclement weather, but many must also worry about fluctuating input costs, uncertain prices for their output, and, ultimately, their ability to repay debts and support their families. The growing incidence of extreme weather events and the rising volatility of agricultural commodity prices has greatly exacerbated the vulnerability of farmers since the turn of the century. This is especially the case for poor farmers in the global South who lack the assets and state protections that help to insulate their more fortunate counterparts.
SFSGEC - SYNTHESIS - Sustainable food systems and global environmental change
Authors: Shilomboleni Helena
Published: September 2015

This article responds to the debates surrounding how best to merge sustainable food systems and sustainability goals in the context of biofuel production, industrial livestock operations, and peasant agriculture. Various new initiatives meant to improve the “sustainability” of agricultural production in the aforementioned areas stem from multiple crises facing the global food system. A critical look at some measures, however, reveals consequences that are unhelpful and/or problematic, particularly in addressing issues of equity and justice. This contribution examines arguments made in the three articles addressing the key topic of sustainable food systems in the face of global environmental change.
FS - SYNTHESIS - The hefty challenges of food sovereignty’s adulthood
Authors: García Trujillo Andrés
Published: September 2015

The three articles in this section reflect a broader shift that is taking place in the debate on food sovereignty. After almost two decades since its inception, the term—which is also a “counter-narrative”, a “mobilizing tactic”, and a “political agenda” (Desmarais, this issue)—has gained significant leverage as an alternative paradigm to industrial agriculture. A sign of the term’s maturity may be the growing consensus shared by critical food studies scholars and activists about its potential as an alternative paradigm. At the same time, food sovereignty’s adulthood is rife with complex challenges. At stake is no less than turning a dream born in the margins into a concrete, viable reality for the global agrifood system. This article focuses on three challenges faced by the food sovereignty movement today: (1) operating across multiple scales; (2) maintaining internal democratic practices as the movement continues to grow and become more complex; and (3) building cross-sectoral alliances to foster broader social change.
FS - The gift of food sovereignty
Authors: Desmarais Annette
Published: September 2015

In April 1996 representatives of peasants, small and medium-scale farmers, rural women, indigenous representatives, and farm workers from the global North and global South travelled to Tlaxcala, Mexico to participate in the Second International Conference of La Vía Campesina. For members of La Vía Campesina, the globalization of a neoliberal industrial model of agriculture had created an acute crisis in the countryside around the world that was accompanied by the rural exodus and disempowerment of peasants and small-scale farming families, human rights abuses, and environmental degradation. In refusing to be “disappeared” and struggling for the right to exist as small-scale food producers, they collectively imagined a powerful counter-narrative to large-scale corporate-led agriculture: a socially just, rights-based, ecologically sustainable “future without hunger”, a future based on food sovereignty (Desmarais, 2007; La Vía Campesina, 1996a, 1996b).
GRAB - Plant genetic resources in an age of global capitalism
Authors: Zerbe Noah
Published: September 2015

Early in the 20th century, a scramble for the world’s genetic resources was sparked by Nikolai Vavilov’s articulation of the geographic centers of origin for major cereals and other crops. European and American governments sent expeditions to remote corners of the world, all in an effort to catalogue and collect the planet’s genetic resources. Trekking through remote forests in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and supported financially by the state, expeditions collected samples that would be used to improve the genetic qualities of maize, soy, and countless other crops, adding millions of dollars in value to domestic agricultural production (Saraiva, 2013).
GFG - SYNTHESIS - Thinking forward in global food governance
Authors: Metzger Michelle
Published: September 2015

Global food governance is ever evolving as political leaders become increasingly aware of the complexity and dynamic nature of managing the global food system in a sustainable manner. Calls for reform of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the early 2000s (McKeon, 2009) were reinforced by the severity of the 2007–08 global food crisis, which prompted the reform to the Committee for World Food Security (CFS) in 2009. A related (and novel) development was the establishment of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) at the CFS to provide policymakers with interdisciplinary academic knowledge (Duncan, 2015). These developments mark an important step towards more inclusive and evidence-based global food governance. Now is an excellent time to critically assess the progress made at the CFS in the first five years and evaluate the role that these institutions may come to play in the coming years.
GRAB - Persistent narratives, persistent failures: Why GM crops do not—and will not—“feed the world”
Authors: Chopra Taarini
Published: September 2015

It has been almost two decades since genetically modified (GM; also called genetically engineered or GE) crops were first commercialized in North America, and anywhere from five to ten years since they have been grown in various countries in the Global South. Though short, their entire history has been a controversial one. In fact, debate about their potential environmental and health impacts, their predicted success in increasing yields and incomes, and the corporate control that accompanies them, was spirited even before the first GM crop was ever commercialized, and remains heated today.
SFSGEC - Sustainable food systems and global environmental change
Authors: Clapp Jennifer , Desmarais Annette , Margulis Matias
Published: September 2015

There is growing evidence and concern of the role of mainstream industrial agriculture in contributing to environmental degradation and global climate change. In this section we examine three different aspects of the relationship between agriculture, nature, and society.