bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon footprint model for reverse logistics of waste disposal in interior design industry
Authors: Liang Chih-Chin , Lee Jia-Ping
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Due to the increasing awareness of the need to protect the environment, reverse logistics (RL) is being promoted to improve the ecological sustainability of production. RL can lower the costs of waste disposal, increase market competitiveness, and maintain a good corporate image. Hence, modern companies are focusing on environmental protection to demonstrate social responsibility. According to the OECD report of 2003, buildings consume 32 percent of resources, 12 percent of water, and 40 percent of energy worldwide, and the building waste comprises almost 40 percent of the all waste in the world. Therefore, controlling waste from the interior design sector may help slow global warming. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This investigation models the current and new RL of disposing interior design waste in Taiwan. Modeling the carbon footprint (CF) of disposing interior design waste can help companies be aware of the environmental impact of disposing of waste, and how to improve it through RL. This investigation models the CFs of disposing interior design waste based on studies from Benjaafar et al. (2013), Pishvaee et al. (2009, 2010), and Tascione et al. (2014).

Findings

Analytical results showed that the RL significantly decreases the environmental impact of wastes. Companies can control carbon emission through the findings of this study and find how to improve their recycling process through RL.

Research limitations/implications

This study used the model proposed by Tascione et al. (2014) to develop an RL model for Taiwan. Whereas most studies in the literature analyze the carbon emissions from the comparison between cost and benefit, this study considered the logistics for the whole lifecycle of a product. The analytical results of this study reveal that that RL can reduce the environmental impact of wastes. This case study is the first to obtain results that can be extended to other countries. This study also reveals the importance of recycling plants that can process demolition waste for reuse.

Originality/value

This is the first study to model the RL based on literatures. The findings of this study can be extended to other cases.
Developing a strategic performance scoring system for healthcare nonprofit organisations
Authors: Soysa Ishani Buddika , Jayamaha Nihal Palitha , Grigg Nigel Peter
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Using the BSC as the starting point, the purpose of this paper is to present a theory on nonprofit performance management and describes how an overall performance index (OPI) was empirically developed to assess the strategic performance of a nonprofit organisation (NPO).

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was developed from the literature. This was refined into a testable theoretical model using case studies. Thereafter, the theoretical model and an accompanying measurement model on OPI were validated using quantitative data (n=223) collected from a sample of healthcare NPOs in Australasia.

Findings

The measurement model was found to be a good fit to data. The model parameters (weights) pertaining to the OPI represent six PM dimensions (Mission; Strategy; Organisational Capabilities, Infrastructure and People Development; Financial Health; Processes; and Stakeholder Satisfaction) and 13 sub-dimensions. These parameters provide a tenable scoring system to assess the strategic performance of a NPO.

Research limitations/implications

The parameters (hence the scoring system) were estimated from data collected from a particular sector (healthcare) and a region (Australasia).

Practical implications

The findings can be used for comparative benchmarking (e.g. by managers and major donors) of NPOs, better governance and to initiate major performance improvement initiatives.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical study that has been undertaken to develop an OPI for NPOs. The findings can be readily used by the practitioners.
An empirical study on relationships amongst success in benchmarking, success in Kaizen, people mindset and organizational dimensions
Authors: Goni Joklan I.C. , Tharia Fransisca , Suryo Nugroho
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that most strongly influence success in benchmarking as attempted by Indonesian manufacturers and service companies. It investigates the impacts of success in Kaizen, people mindset and organizational dimensions with success in benchmarking.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed to senior managers at an 87 percent response rate.

Findings

This study reveals that success in benchmarking that companies undertake correlates positively with their success in Kaizen, people mindset and organizational dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

As an empirical study, this work has some limitations that need to be recognized. First, the sample only includes Indonesian companies. Second, as the small sample size resulted in only indicative outcome, more research is needed in this area. Furthermore, there may also have been other factors affecting success in benchmarking. It is, therefore, recommended that the framework be extended to include more variables such as information-technology competency, company status (being a single or group company) and to use other methodologies, such as multiple regression.

Practical implications

A company can achieve success in benchmarking through implementing success in kaizen, people mindset, formalization, centralization and integration. Industry-wise, formalization and centralization are the variables that impact the success in benchmarking significantly. For services companies, formalization and centralization is the significant variable affecting, whereas, for manufacturing companies success in Kaizen is the significant variable for success in benchmarking. Therefore, for services companies, having documented and implementation policies, regulations and procedures will influence success in benchmarking. The involvement of the top management, budgeting for every functions and unit performance evaluation will result in success in benchmarking. On the other hand, top management commitment and worker involvement are necessary to drive success in Kaizen in manufacturing companies.

Originality/value

Unlike most of the previous studies on a manufacturing company, this paper examines both manufacturing and services companies especially in Indonesia.
Automatic prediction of news intent for search queries
Authors: Zhang Xiaojuan , Han Shuguang , Lu Wei
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to predict news intent by exploring contextual and temporal features directly mined from a general search engine query log.

Design/methodology/approach

First, a ground-truth data set with correctly marked news and non-news queries was built. Second, a detailed analysis of the search goals and topics distribution of news/non-news queries was conducted. Third, three news features, that is, the relationship between entity and contextual words extended from query sessions, topical similarity among clicked results and temporal burst point were obtained. Finally, to understand the utilities of the new features and prior features, extensive prediction experiments on SogouQ (a Chinese search engine query log) were conducted.

Findings

News intent can be predicted with high accuracy by using the proposed contextual and temporal features, and the macro average F1 of classification is around 0.8677. Contextual features are more effective than temporal features. All the three new features are useful and significant in improving the accuracy of news intent prediction.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new and different perspective in recognizing queries with news intent without use of such large corpora as social media (e.g. Wikipedia, Twitter and blogs) and news data sets. The research will be helpful for general-purpose search engines to address search intents for news events. In addition, the authors believe that the approaches described here in this paper are general enough to apply to other verticals with dynamic content and interest, such as blog or financial data.
Understanding a shifting methodology
Authors: Whalen Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

While netnography was established to study virtual communities from the traditional ethnography methodology, over time it has evolved and moved away from standard ethnographic practices. The modifications are especially prevalent in hospitality and tourism research because of the nature of experiential and service-based goods. This gap has created exciting new opportunities for researchers. As netnography has matured into its own methodology, it has provided the opportunity for researchers to use netnography techniques or more traditional techniques by following ethnography methodologies. This paper aims to analyze the differences between these two methodologies within hospitality and tourism literature enabling researchers to choose the methodology that is most suited for their project.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reviews netnographic research in hospitality and tourism and compares current uses of netnography against traditional ethnographic methodologies.

Findings

There are four major differentiating points between netnography and ethnography: online community definitions, data collection methodologies, ethics in research and data analysis techniques.

Practical implications

In comparing ethnography and netnography in hospitality and tourism research, this analysis provides a foundation to evaluate the best use and best practices for these two distinct qualitative methodologies in the field. The study also provides references to how other hospitality and tourism researchers have used netnography.

Originality/value

Ethnographic principles grounded in the foundation of anthropological doctrines are important and distinct from netnography. The ability to use the diverse tools in the qualitative methods toolbox will help hospitality and tourism researchers understand the transforming marketplace.
Challenges and complexities of developing mentors’ practice: insights from new mentors
Authors: Gardiner Wendy , Weisling Nina
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Induction mentoring for early career teachers is a complex practice, requiring knowledge and skills distinct from teaching. However, more is known anecdotally than empirically about the challenges new mentors face and the type of support they need as they transition from teacher to induction mentor. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study investigated how nine first-year mentors developed, conceptualized and enacted their mentoring practice by asking, what supports/inhibits new mentors’ professional learning and practice? Are there patterns of struggle/challenge that new mentors face? Primary data sources included three 45–60-minute structured, individual interviews across each mentor’s first year. Data analysis was inductive, involving open and axial coding.

Findings

Mentors struggled to navigate multiple complex relationships with administrators, teachers and students. The quality of these relationships impacted their sense of efficacy and mentoring ability. Despite receiving what mentors perceived as effective professional development (PD), all mentors found it difficult to apply knowledge in practice. Mentors also experienced a steep and varied learning curve and identified supports that enhanced their knowledge and situated application of new teacher-centered mentoring.

Originality/value

Despite increases in mentoring programs, there is a lack of research addressing new mentors’ needs and development. This study makes a contribution by identifying new mentors’ needs and challenges and by providing recommendations for situated, responsive, and ongoing PD.
Does culture affect the relationships among utilitarian and non-utilitarian values, satisfaction and loyalty to shopping centres? Evidence from two Maghreb countries
Authors: Djelassi Souad , Godefroit-Winkel Delphine , Diallo Mbaye Fall
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing customer loyalty to shopping centres across different emerging countries. Specifically, it seeks to determine how the cultural context moderates the direct effects of shopping centre perceived value and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

A shopping centre-intercept survey was conducted among 244 consumers in Morocco and 203 consumers in Tunisia. The proposed model was analysed using partial least squares path modelling.

Findings

The results demonstrate the impacts of perceived utilitarian and non-utilitarian value on customer satisfaction with a shopping centre, both moderated by the cultural context. Specifically, utilitarian, hedonic and relaxation values exert stronger influences on satisfaction in Tunisia than in Morocco; but socialisation value has a stronger impact on it in Morocco than in Tunisia. The influences of value dimensions on customer loyalty to the shopping centre do not vary between Tunisia and Morocco.

Practical implications

With these results shopping centre developers and retailers can develop more efficient strategies to target Maghreb emerging countries. For example, they should focus on factors that may increase the utilitarian, hedonic and relaxation values offered by shopping centres in Tunisia but address factors that facilitate socialisation value in Morocco.

Originality/value

By using a cross-culture perspective, this paper extends and enriches knowledge on shopping centre patronage in Maghreb countries. Also, it considers two non-utilitarian values (socialisation and relaxation), which are relevant in Maghreb countries.
The Schumpeterian shock at General Motors in the 1920’s
Authors: Norton Seth W.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between Joseph Schumpeter’s economics and the rise of General Motors (GM).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses regression analysis and time series analysis of market synchronization.

Findings

There is a strong link between GM rise to dominance of the domestic automobile industry and nuanced features of Schumpeterian economics.

Research limitations/implications

The paper furthers the examination of the role of information economics on marketing channel performance.

Practical implications

Information helps in production decisions by synchronizing production with consumer demand.

Social implications

Economic efficiency enhances the human welfare for better forecasting, lower inventories and greater profits.

Originality/value

This topic has been explored before but methodology used in this paper is innovative. The paper uses Granger causality.
From process flows to benchmark in an accident and emergency hospital with PERT approach
Authors: Ahmed Shamsuddin , Mohammed Addas F.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Accident emergency hospital (AEH) services require cohesive, collective, uninterrupted streamlined medical diagnostic and satisfactory patient care. Medical service efficiency in AEHs is difficult to quantify due to the clinical complexity involved in treatment involving various units, patient conditions, changes in contemporary medical practices and technological developments. This paper aims to show how to measure efficiency by eliminating waste in AEH system, identify service failure points, identify benchmark medical services, identify patient throughput time and measure treatment time when AEH services are nonstandard. The applications shown in this paper are distinct in particular; we the authors use nontraditional and systems engineering approach to collect data as the traditional data collection is difficult in real-time AEHs.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors show in this study how to measure overall patient treatment time from admission to discharge. Project evaluation and review technique (PERT) captures the inconsistencies involved in measuring treatment time, including measures of variability. The irregular treatment time and complexity involved in the emergency health-care services are usual. The research methodology illustrates how the time function map and service blueprint can improve value-added time in AEHs and benchmark services between similar AEHs.

Findings

The inconsistency in treatment time between AEH in public and private hospital is found to be in ratio of 1:20. The private hospital suggests variety of treatments and long stays for recovery. The PERT computations show that the average time a patient remains in a government AEH is about 10 days. The standard deviation of the AEH treatment time is about 0.043 per cent of the expected patient care time. The inconsistency is not significant as compared to the expected value. In 89.64 per cent of the cases, a patient may be discharged in less than 10 days’ time. The patient on average is discharged in 13 days in a private hospital.

Originality/value

The patient treatment time of an AEH is evaluated with PERT project management approach to account for inconsistencies in treatment time. This research makes new contributions in benchmarking AEH throughput time, identify medical service failure points with service blueprint, measure the efficiency with time function map and collect patient data with nontraditional methods. The inherent inconsistencies in a clinical process are identified by PERT analysis with the variance as a characteristic of the treatment time. Improvement of variability implies cost reduction in AEH system.
Effect of green tea consumption on the metabolic syndrome indices in women: a clinical trial study
Authors: Mortazavi Fatemehbanoo , Paknahad Zamzam , Hasanzadeh Akbar
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex disorder that exacerbates the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus; some studies have indicated the beneficial effects of green tea on human health. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of green tea consumption on the MetS indicators in women.

Design/methodology/approach

A randomized clinical trial was carried out on 70 eligible women with confirmed diagnosis of MetS who visited Shabani Diabetes Clinic (Isfahan, Iran). Participants were randomly divided into two groups. Participants in the Green Tea Group were asked to consume three 200 cc of green tea in the morning, at noon and at night for eight weeks, while people in the control group were asked to take identical amount of lukewarm water at the same schedule. Anthropometric indicators, blood pressure, blood sugar, lipid profile, diet and physical activity were assessed at the beginning and the end of the study.

Findings

An independentt-test showed that weight (p =0.001), body mass index (p =0.001), waist circumference (p< 0.001) and waist–hip ratio (p =0.02), systolic blood pressure (p =0.04), fasting blood glucose (p =0.01) and low density lipoprotein (p =0.03) changed significantly more in the Green Tea Group than in the control group; but no such inter-group difference was observed in diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) values (p> 0.05).

Originality/value

Regular consumption of green tea for eight weeks significantly improved anthropometric indices, blood pressure, blood sugar and lipid profile in women with MetS. Therefore, this beverage can serve as part of an effective dietary strategy to control MetS.
Waiting time in public hospitals: case study of total joint replacement in Hong Kong
Authors: Tsui Yee-man , Fong Ben Y.F.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the causes of long waiting time in Hong Kong public hospitals and to suggest solutions in the service, organisational, systems, financial and policy perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a review of waiting time of public hospital services. Total joint replacement, which is one of the elective surgeries in public hospitals, is presented as a case study.

Findings

The average waiting time of semi-urgent and non-urgent patients in the accident and emergency departments of public hospitals is two hours, and that of specialist outpatient (SOP) clinics is from 1 to 144 weeks. For total joint replacement, it is from 36 to 110 months. Measures like Government subsidisation programme for the replacement surgery and employing adequate physiotherapists, Chinese medicine practitioners, clinical psychologists and nurses to reduce the waiting time are suggested. Issues concerning the healthcare system of Hong Kong, such as structural reform, service delivery model, primary care, quality and process management, and policy reviews, are also discussed.

Originality/value

The ‬over-reliance of public services has resulted in long waiting time in public hospitals in Hong Kong, particularly in the emergency services and SOP clinics. However, the consequences of long waiting period for surgical operations, though much less discussed by the media and public, can be potentially detrimental to the patients and families, and may result in more burdens to the already stretched public hospitals‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬.
Operationalising resilience in tropical agricultural value chains
Authors: Aboah Joshua , Wilson Mark M.J. , Rich Karl M. , Lyne Michael C.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

The analysis of the concept of resilience in supply chain management studies mostly focuses on the downstream side of the value chain and tacitly assumes an unlimited supply of raw materials. This assumption is unreasonable for agricultural value chains, as upstream disruptions clearly have a material impact on the availability of raw materials, and indeed, are a common source of supply problems. This paper aims to present a framework for the operationalisation of the concept of socioecological resilience in agricultural value chains that incorporates upstream activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A citation network analysis was adopted to review articles. A conceptual framework is then advanced to identify elements of resilience and indicators relevant to tropical agricultural value chains.

Findings

There are limited studies that assess resilience in the food chain context. Flexibility, collaboration, adaptability and resourcefulness are key elements for assessing resilience at the individual chain actor level. However, the paper argues that adaptability is the relevant element for the assessment of resilience at an aggregate food system level because it considers the alteration of a system’s state of resilience.

Practical implications

The proposed framework and propositions accommodate stakeholder interactions in the value chain and could serve as a tool to guide the assessment of resilience in agricultural value chains.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few to extend resilience to cover the socioecological interaction aspects for supply chains that yield the raw materials needed for continuity in channel-wide value creation processes.
A hyper‐arid environment shapes an inverse pattern of the fast–slow plant economics spectrum for above‐, but not below‐ground resource acquisition strategies
Authors: Carvajal Danny E. , Loayza Andrea P. , Rios Rodrigo S. , Delpiano Cristián A. , Squeo Francisco A.
Published: November 2018

The fast–slow plant economics spectrum predicts that because of evolutionary and biophysical constraints, different plant organs must be coordinated to converge in a unique ecological strategy within a continuum that shifts from fast to slow resource acquisition and conservation. Therefore, along a gradient of aridity, taxa with different strategies will be expected to be successful because selection pressures for slow resource acquisition become stronger as the environment becomes drier. In extremely arid and seasonal environments, however, a slow strategy may become disadvantageous because slow traits are costly to maintain. Additionally, as the availability of water decreases, selection pressures increase, reducing the variation in ecological strategies.

Using shrub assemblages along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert, we test the hypothesis that selection pressures imposed by hyper‐aridity act simultaneously on the variation and coordination of trait attributes, leading to an inverse pattern in the fast–slow plant economics spectrum, where strategies shift from slow to fast as the environment becomes drier.

We established 20–22 plots at each of four sites along the gradient to estimate plant community structure and functional variation. For all species recorded, we quantified a set of leaf, stem, and root traits.

Results revealed an inverse pattern of the fast–slow economics spectrum for leaf and stem traits, but not for root traits; that is, as aridity further increased, above‐ground traits exhibited a shift from a slow to a fast strategy with some level of coordination. Below‐ground traits, however, did not shift accordingly with our prediction, rather they showed more complex pattern of shift and coordination with above‐ground traits along the gradient. We also found that trait variation showed an idiosyncratic pattern of variation along the gradient, indicating that ecological strategies are driven by local processes within sites.

Synthesis. Our results increase our understanding of the fast–slow plant economics spectrum by showing that environmental gradients, as well as local process can simultaneously shape different below‐ and above‐ground resource acquisition strategies in extremely poor resource environments.
Can novel pest outbreaks drive ecosystem transitions in northern‐boreal birch forest?
Authors: Vindstad Ole Petter Laksforsmo , Jepsen Jane Uhd , Ek Malin , Pepi Adam , Ims Rolf Anker
Published: November 2018

The boreal biome exhibits distinct alternative ecosystem states with high and low levels of tree cover. Insect outbreaks facilitated by climate warming could potentially drive transitions from high to low tree cover states. We investigated whether two key premises for such outbreak‐induced transitions—critical thresholds (tipping points) and positive feedbacks that could maintain alternative states—are present in the northern‐boreal mountain birch forest of Fennoscandia. Here, climate warming has promoted range expansions of defoliating geometrid moths, resulting in novel, severe multispecies outbreaks, most recently during 2002–2010.

We conducted regional‐scale field surveys of forest damage and recovery in 280 mountain birch stands in a northeast Norway immediately after the outbreak (2010) and 6 years later (2016). Satellite‐derived time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) provided an index of stand defoliation during the outbreak period.

The proportion of dead stems per stand displayed a bimodal distribution, with stands generally being either lightly or severely damaged. This was due to a critical threshold in the relationship between defoliation and stem mortality, with mortality rates increasing abruptly in stands experiencing a mean drop in NDVI of more than 4% during the outbreak. The two key forest regenerative pathways—basal sprouting and sapling production—both displayed positive feedbacks with surviving stems and trees, so that regeneration success declined with increasing damage to the mature tree layer. These feedbacks imply that stands which have been forced across critical defoliation thresholds and suffered collapses of living tree cover may struggle to recover, especially if the loss of positive regenerative feedbacks is compounded by ungulate browsing on birch recruits.

Synthesis. The north Fennoscandian mountain birch forest displays critical thresholds and positive feedbacks that conform to theoretical expectations for a system that could be vulnerable to abrupt and persistent changes of state in the face of novel, climatically facilitated insect outbreaks. These findings deepen the understanding of the persistent losses of tree cover that have occasionally been observed after outbreaks in this system in the past, and add to the list of mechanisms that could help explain the bistability of tree cover across the boreal biome.
Community‐level natural selection modes: A quadratic framework to link multiple functional traits with competitive ability
Authors: Rolhauser Andrés G. , Nordenstahl Marisa , Aguiar Martín R. , Pucheta Eduardo
Published: November 2018

Research linking functional traits to competitive ability of coexisting species has largely relied on rectilinear correlations, yielding inconsistent results. Based on concepts borrowed from natural selection theory, we propose that trait–competition relationships can generally correspond to three univariate selection modes: directional (a rectilinear relationship), stabilising (an n‐shaped relationship), and disruptive (a u‐shaped relationship). Moreover, correlational selection occurs when two traits interact in determining competitive ability and lead to an optimum trait combination (i.e., a bivariate nonlinear selection mode).

We tested our ideas using two independent datasets, each one characterising a group of species according to (a) their competitive effect on a target species in a pot experiment and (b) species‐level values of well‐known functional traits extracted from existing databases. The first dataset comprised 10 annual plant species frequent in a summer‐rainfall desert in Argentina, while the second consisted of 37 herbaceous species from cool temperate vegetation types in Canada. Both experiments had a replacement design where the identity of neighbours was manipulated holding total plant density in pots constant. We modelled the competitive ability of neighbours (i.e., the log inverse of target plant biomass) as a function of traits using normal multiple regression.

Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) was consistently subjected to negative directional selection in both experiments as well as to stabilising selection among temperate species. Leaf size was subjected to stabilising selection among desert species while among temperate species, leaf size underwent correlational selection in combination with specific leaf area (SLA): selection onSLAwas negative directional for large‐leaved species, while it was slightly positive for small‐leaved species.

Synthesis. Multiple quadratic regression adds functional flexibility to trait‐based community ecology while providing a standardised basis for comparison among traits and environments. Our analyses of two datasets from contrasting environmental conditions indicate (a) that leaf dry matter content can capture an important component of plant competitive ability not accounted for by widely used competitive traits, such as specific leaf area, leaf size, and plant height and (b) that optimum relationships (either univariate or bivariate) between competitive ability and plant traits may be more common than previously realised.
Growth of an anaerobic sulfate‐reducing bacterium sustained by oxygen respiratory energy conservation after O2‐driven experimental evolution
Authors: Schoeffler Marine , Gaudin Anne‐Laure , Ramel Fanny , Valette Odile , Denis Yann , Hania Wagdi Ben , Hirschler‐Réa Agnès , Dolla Alain
Published: November 2018

Desulfovibrio species are representatives of microorganisms at the boundary between anaerobic and aerobic lifestyles, since they contain the enzymatic systems required for both sulfate and oxygen reduction. However, the latter has been shown to be solely a protective mechanism. By implementing the oxygen‐driven experimental evolution of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, we have obtained strains that have evolved to grow with energy derived from oxidative phosphorylation linked to oxygen reduction. We show that a few mutations are sufficient for the emergence of this phenotype and reveal two routes of evolution primarily involving either inactivation or overexpression of the gene encoding heterodisulfide reductase. We propose that the oxygen respiration for energy conservation that sustains the growth of the O2‐evolved strains is associated with a rearrangement of metabolite fluxes, especially NAD+/NADH, leading to an optimized O2 reduction. These evolved strains are the first sulfate‐reducing bacteria that exhibit a demonstrated oxygen respiratory process that enables growth.
Comparative genomics and physiology of the genus Methanohalophilus, a prevalent methanogen in hydraulically fractured shale
Authors: Borton Mikayla A. , Daly Rebecca A. , O'Banion Bridget , Hoyt David W. , Marcus Daniel N. , Welch Susan , Hastings Sybille S. , Meulia Tea , Wolfe Richard A. , Booker Anne E. , Sharma Shikha , Cole David R. , Wunch Kenneth , Moore Joseph D. , Darrah Thomas H. , Wilkins Michael J. , Wrighton Kelly C.
Published: November 2018

About 60% of natural gas production in the United States comes from hydraulic fracturing of unconventional reservoirs, such as shales or organic‐rich micrites. This process inoculates and enriches for halotolerant microorganisms in these reservoirs over time, resulting in a saline ecosystem that includes methane producing archaea. Here, we survey the biogeography of methanogens across unconventional reservoirs, and report that members of genus Methanohalophilus are recovered from every hydraulically fractured unconventional reservoir sampled by metagenomics. We provide the first genomic sequencing of three isolate genomes, as well as two metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). Utilizing six other previously sequenced isolate genomes and MAGs, we perform comparative analysis of the 11 genomes representing this genus. This genomic investigation revealed distinctions between surface and subsurface derived genomes that are consistent with constraints encountered in each environment. Genotypic differences were also uncovered between isolate genomes recovered from the same well, suggesting niche partitioning among closely related strains. These genomic substrate utilization predictions were then confirmed by physiological investigation. Fine‐scale microdiversity was observed in CRISPR‐Cas systems of Methanohalophilus, with genomes from geographically distinct unconventional reservoirs sharing spacers targeting the same viral population. These findings have implications for augmentation strategies resulting in enhanced biogenic methane production in hydraulically fractured unconventional reservoirs.
Participation in Indigenous Democracy: Voter Turnout in Sámi Parliamentary Elections in Norway and Sweden
Authors: Bergh Johannes , Dahlberg Stefan , Mörkenstam Ulf , Saglie Jo
Published: November 2018

This article compares and analyzes voter turnout in the 2013 elections to the Sámi parliaments in Norway and Sweden, using data from voter surveys. Is voting in these elections motivated by the same factors that explain turnout in national parliamentary elections? First, the study showed that a common election day for national and Sámi elections is an important reason for the higher turnout in Norway. Second, involvement in Sámi society was the most important factor for explaining turnout in both countries. General political resources and motivation had some explanatory power in Norway, but not in Sweden. This possibly reflects a more far‐reaching difference between Sámi politics in Norway and Sweden. In Norway, the Sámi electorate seems to be more politically integrated in the national polity, and the institutional ties between Sámi and national politics are stronger. This may be explained in part by the historical legacy of each state’s policy.
SUMO1 promotes the proliferation and invasion of non‐small cell lung cancer cells by regulating NF‐κB
Authors: Ke Changkang , Zhu Kai , Sun Ying , Ni Yunfeng , Zhang Zhipei , Li Xiaofei
Published: November 2018

Background

Our previous study showed that SUMO1 expression is closely related to progression in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the function of SUMO1 in NSCLC has not yet been well elucidated.

Methods

SUMO1 was enhanced or silenced in two NSCLC cell lines by using either forced SUMO1 expression or short hairpin RNA against SUMO1 lentiviral vectors, respectively. The biological functions of SUMO1 in NSCLC were investigated through colony‐formation, cell proliferation, and invasion assays, and cell cycle analysis. NF‐κB expression was detected in the overexpressed and silenced SUMO1 cell lines. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect an association between SUMO1 and NF‐κB in the cancer and adjacent tissues of 168 patients with lung cancer.

Results

Overexpressed SUMO1 promoted the proliferation rate, colony formation ability, invasion, and NF‐κB expression in an A549 cell line. Conversely, SUMO1 depletion inhibited the cell growth rate, colony formation ability, invasion, and NF‐κB expression in a Calu‐1 cell line. SUMO1 expression was significantly correlated with NF‐κB expression in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma patients (r > 0.5, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence that SUMO1 promotes the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells by regulating NF‐κB.
Identification and characterisation of watermelon green mottle mosaic virus as a new cucurbit‐infecting tobamovirus
Authors: Cheng Ying‐Huey , Huang Chih‐Hung , Chang Chung‐Jan , Jan Fuh‐Jyh
Published: November 2018

A new virus tentatively named watermelon green mottle mosaic virus (WGMMV) was isolated from watermelon leaves showing mottle, mosaic and leaf crinkling symptoms in Taiwan. Electron microscopy identified tobamovirus‐like, rod‐shaped particles measuring about 18 nm × 300 nm in the crude saps. The enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests of symptomatic watermelon leaves using an antiserum againstCucumber green mottle mosaic virus(CGMMV) resulted in negative reactions. Genomic fragments of WGMMV were amplified by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) using degenerate primers of cucurbit‐infecting tobamovirus. Sequence analysis revealed that WGMMV genome contains 6,482 nucleotides (Gen Bank accession no. MH837097). WGMMV coat protein (CP) gene shares 55.9–82.2% nucleotide identities and 42.6–87.7% amino acid sequence identities and its complete genome shares 62.0–80.9% nucleotide sequence identities with other cucurbit‐infecting tobamoviruses. Thus, WGMMV is a new tobamovirus. The virion origin of assembly sequence (OAS) containing a conserved GAGGUUG was found in the CP‐coding region of CGMMV, WGMMV andCucumber mottle virus(CuMoV). A comparison of genome organisation has revealed that both WGMMV and CuMoV, belonging to the sub‐subgroup III, have a 29‐nt overlap between the movement protein and CP coding genes. Full‐length nucleotide sequence of WGMMV shares 80.9% identity with that of CuMoV. Watermelon seedlings inoculated with WGMMV showed similar symptoms with the diseased plants observed in the field. WGMMV proliferated in the inoculated seedlings as evidenced by the ELISA and western blotting analyses. Mechanical inoculation assays revealed that WGMMV caused mosaic symptoms in a wide array of cucurbitaceous plants. A primer pair specifically complementary to the WGMMV CP‐coding gene was designed and used to successfully detect WGMMV using RT‐PCR. The primers and WGMMV‐specific antiserum will be useful for rapid detection of WGMMV.
Pharmacologic inhibition of hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐hydroxylases ameliorates allergic contact dermatitis
Authors: Manresa Mario C. , Smith Leila , Casals‐Diaz Laura , Fagundes Raphael R. , Brown Eric , Radhakrishnan Praveen , Murphy Stephen J. , Crifo Bianca , Strowitzki Moritz J. , Halligan Doug N. , van den Bogaard Ellen H. , Niehues Hanna , Schneider Martin , Taylor Cormac T. , Steinhoff Martin
Published: November 2018

Background

When an immune cell migrates from the bloodstream to a site of chronic inflammation, it experiences a profound decrease in microenvironmental oxygen levels leading to a state of cellular hypoxia. The hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) promotes an adaptive transcriptional response to hypoxia and as such is a major regulator of immune cell survival and function. HIF hydroxylases are the family of oxygen‐sensing enzymes primarily responsible for conferring oxygen dependence upon the HIF pathway.

Methods

Using a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), we tested the effects of treatment with the pharmacologic hydroxylase inhibitor DMOG, which mimics hypoxia, on disease development.

Results

Re‐exposure of sensitized mice to 2,4‐dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) elicited inflammation, edema, chemokine synthesis (including CXCL1 and CCL5) and the recruitment of neutrophils and eosinophils. Intraperitoneal or topical application of the pharmacologic hydroxylase inhibitors dymethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) or JNJ1935 attenuated this inflammatory response. Reduced inflammation was associated with diminished recruitment of neutrophils and eosinophils but not lymphocytes. Finally, hydroxylase inhibition reduced cytokine‐induced chemokine production in cultured primary keratinocytes through attenuation of the JNK pathway.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that hydroxylase inhibition attenuates the recruitment of neutrophils to inflamed skin through reduction of chemokine production and increased neutrophilic apoptosis. Thus, pharmacologic inhibition of HIF hydroxylases may be an effective new therapeutic approach in allergic skin inflammation.
Use of a Mechanical Circulatory Support Simulation to Study Pump Interactions With the Variable Hemodynamic Environment
Authors: Horvath David J. , Horvath Dennis W. , Karimov Jamshid H. , Byram Nicole , Kuban Barry D. , Miyamoto Takuma , Fukamachi Kiyotaka
Published: November 2018

The Virtual Mock Loop, a versatile virtual mock circulation loop, was developed using a lumped‐parameter model of the mechanically assisted human circulatory system. Inputs allow specification of a variety of continuous‐flow pumps (left, right, or biventricular assist devices) and a total artificial heart that can self‐regulate between left and right pump outputs. Hemodynamic inputs were simplified using a disease‐based input panel, allowing selection of a combination of cardiovascular disease states, including systolic and diastolic heart failure, stenosis, and/or regurgitation in each of the four valves, and high to low systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance values. The menu‐driven output includes a summary of hemodynamic parameters and graphical output of selected flows, pressures, and volumes in the heart's four chambers as well as in the pulmonary artery and aorta.

New tools to augment experimental research on implantable heart‐assist devices and to increase our understanding of patient‐specific pump interactions are in high demand. The purpose of this ongoing study is to demonstrate the use of a system analysis computer simulation to explore and better comprehend the interactions of mechanical circulatory support pumps with a more extensive combination of patient‐specific or simulation conditions than can be established by practical experimentation. Usability is an important factor in constructing computer models for research purposes, and among our primary objectives in creating this simulation model were to make it as portable and useful as possible outside the lab environment, by people not involved in the creation of its operational software.
In Vitro Examination of the VentriFlo True Pulse Pump for Failing Fontan Support
Authors: Trusty Phillip M. , Tree Mike , Vincent Doug , Naber Jeffrey P. , Maher Kevin , Yoganathan Ajit P. , Deshpande Shriprasad R.
Published: November 2018

The current methodology of Fontan palliation results in a one “pump” circulatory system with passive flow to the lungs. Inherent hemodynamic differences exist between a biventricular circulatory system and this modified physiology, leading to a host of long‐term complications. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is a potential option to combat these pathophysiological conditions. In this study, we examine the VentriFlo True Pulse Pump as a MCS option to support a failing Fontan patient. An in vitro circulatory loop was used to model a failing Fontan patient, reproducing pathophysiological pressures and flow rates. The VentriFlo True Pulse Pump was positioned as a right sided support, testing multiple cannulation and baffle restriction strategies, as well as various pumping parameters including flow rate, frequency, stroke volume and the ejection to filling time ratio. A 10 mm Hg decrease in IVC pressure and 0.75 L/min increase in cardiac output were achieved using a complete baffle restriction strategy. Additional cannulation and banding strategies were not as successful. Pump flow rate and frequency significantly impacted hemodynamics, while the ejection to filling time ratio did not. Though not ideal, complete baffle restriction was necessary to achieve successful support. The ability to tune individual pumping parameters for a given MCS device will have a substantial impact on the pressures and flow augmentation seen in a Fontan circulation. Both future pump design and off‐label VADs for Fontan use should consider the pump configuration and parameter combinations presented here, which offered successful support.
Placing diversity among undergraduate Geography students in London: Reflections on attainment and progression
Authors: McIlwaine Cathy , Bunge Diego
Published: November 2018

This paper explores the idea of “place‐based diversity” to examine the nature of undergraduate Geography students’ attainment and progression with a specific focus on gender, ethnicity and socio‐economic status. In addressing the empirical neglect of progression when assessing inequalities in achievements among Geography students in general and the specific lack of research at the departmental level, the paper contributes to debates on challenging intersectional exclusion within the discipline at a university in London. While it shows that undergraduate Geography no longer privileges male, middle‐class students in terms of attainment, those from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds perform less well. While this is partly addressed by encouraging patterns of higher progression rates among BME students, much more needs to be done. Contributing to existing Bourdieusian analyses of student experiences as well as the role of the university in society, this requires exploration of students’ identities and agency, especially their “dutiful aspirational capital,” together with the “institutional habitus” of departments and universities and where they are situated geographically. While departmental support mechanisms have helped in facilitating progression for the disadvantaged, this must be combined with developing more positive diverse role models, curriculum change and targeted support practices that avoid the “black deficit model” which assumes that BME students are “lacking.”