bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Web spam detection using trust and distrust-based ant colony optimization learning
Authors: Manaskasemsak Bundit , Rungsawang Arnon
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a machine learning approach for solving the problem of Web spam detection. Based on an adoption of the ant colony optimization (ACO), three algorithms are proposed to construct rule-based classifiers to distinguish between non-spam and spam hosts. Moreover, the paper also proposes an adaptive learning technique to enhance the spam detection performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Trust-ACO algorithm is designed to let an ant start from a non-spam seed, and afterwards, decide to walk through paths in the host graph. Trails (i.e. trust paths) discovered by ants are then interpreted and compiled to non-spam classification rules. Similarly, the Distrust-ACO algorithm is designed to generate spam classification ones. The last Combine-ACO algorithm aims to accumulate rules given from the former algorithms. Moreover, an adaptive learning technique is introduced to let ants walk with longer (or shorter) steps by rewarding them when they find desirable paths or penalizing them otherwise.

Findings

– Experiments are conducted on two publicly available WEBSPAM-UK2006 and WEBSPAM-UK2007 datasets. The results show that the proposed algorithms outperform well-known rule-based classification baselines. Especially, the proposed adaptive learning technique helps improving the AUC scores up to 0.899 and 0.784 on the former and the latter datasets, respectively.

Originality/value

– To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study that adopts the ACO learning approach to solve the problem of Web spam detection. In addition, we have improved the traditional ACO by using the adaptive learning technique.
Foreign direct investment industry characteristics and spillovers
Authors: Chen Taotao , McQuaid Ronald W. , Omar Maktoba
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a double mechanism model to separate two foreign direct investment (FDI) intra-industry spillovers mechanisms: spillovers by FDI intensity and by FDI efficiency. This paper seeks to illustrate the potential use of the double mechanism model rather than provide precise estimates of spillovers. The evidence on the links between technology and the nature, size and mechanisms of FDI spillovers effects in economically developing countries is mixed.

Design/methodology/approach

– A model is developed and tested, in principle. Empirical testing was conducted in two steps. In the first step, the authors examined the effect of each influencing factor to FDI spillovers separately. To complete this step, the authors divided the whole sample industry into sub-groups and tested them with the double-mechanism using ordinary least squares regression. This study applies Chinese National Bureau of Statistics manufacturing industry level data, for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002, including the food industry, beverage industry, textile industry, textiles and garments, chemicals and chemical products industry, overall manufacturing equipment, special equipment, computer and other electronic equipment manufacturing industries.

Findings

– The analysis suggests significant differences between types of spillovers: export orientation of domestic firms mainly influences FDI spillovers by intensity; the capability gap between local and foreign firms influences spillovers by efficiency; and the growth of local firms influences both types of spillovers. This paper develops existing models of FDI and suggests that disaggregating spillovers types may provide important theoretical and policy insights.

Originality/value

– This study has found, first, that compared with the classic single mechanism model, the double mechanism model is more appropriate for testing FDI intra-industry spillovers, as it is able to separate spillovers by intensity and spillovers by efficiency, which are shown as two distinct mechanisms for FDI spillovers. This allows a deeper analysis into each mechanism and the identification of relevant influencing factors.
Is China’s investment in Africa good for the Nigerian economy?
Authors: Nnanna Joseph
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to assess the impact of China’s trade agreement and foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Nigeria with special reference to the manufacturing sector utilizing the following key economic performance indicators: inflation, unemployment, income and gross domestic product, to name a few. Since the turn of the millennium, China has enjoyed a substantial presence in the African continent. In fact, the country has signed bilateral agreements with Angola, South Africa and Sudan to name a few. Recently, China established its West African trade hub in Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, to be strategically positioned. The results of the study revealed conclusively that although China’s investments over the years have benefited the Nigerian economy and its various firms in the manufacturing sector, the agreement signed by both countries ultimately needs to be reexamined to ensure equity.

Design/methodology/approach

– To thoroughly analyze the effects of China’s investments in Nigeria, this study was carried out in two phases. The first analysis of this study is anchored on a “before/after” framework based on descriptive statistical analysis of the selected economic performance indicators chosen from selected cross-national data. Accordingly, the time frame for this study runs from 1993-2012 which roughly corresponds to the era when China commenced significant investments in Nigeria. Second, employees, policymakers and individuals in the manufacturing/textile industries were interviewed. Furthermore, participation from federal as well as local government agency staff members was solicited using the Delphi technique.

Findings

– Empirically, the results conclusively reveal China’s dominance in the manufacturing and textile sectors in Nigeria. In other words, at face value, China’s investments are ultimately good for the Nigerian economy. However, at a micro-level analysis, the researcher examined the human factor, that is, the families of former and current employees, abandoned businesses/factories and a decaying textile industry that was once vibrant.

Originality/value

– To the knowledge of the researcher, this is the first study attempting to assess the impact of the rise of China on the Nigerian economy by combining key economic performance indicator in tandem with face-to-face interviews and the Delphi technique.
“Keeping the family side ticking along”
Authors: Baker Charlotte , Ciuk Sylwia
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the work-family interface of two non-traditional forms of expatriation. The paper contributes to existing research by comparing and contrasting the experiences of international business travellers and rotational assignees, pointing out the similarities in their experiences but also showing considerable differences in how the work-family interface plays out in these two groups.

Design/methodology/approach

– In line with the exploratory nature of the research, the authors carried out a qualitative case study drawing on interview data with rotators and international business travellers (n=20). In order to get more in-depth insights into the experiences of these two groups of assignees, the authors also used the photo-elicitation technique, which corresponds with the recent recognition that the evolving nature of international assignments requires alternative methods of inquiry to enhance the understanding of the challenges faced by them.

Findings

– The study points to four major factors affecting the work-family interface: time spent away, unpredictability of work schedules, limited ability to exercise control over it as well as limited availability of organisational support. The findings illustrate that while these factors impact international business travellers and rotators alike, their intensity varies considerably in the experiences of these two groups.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is based on a single case study and a small sample which needs to be considered when discussing the implications of the findings. Future research can valuably extend and build on the here reported observations.

Practical implications

– A number of practical implications are discussed, notably pertaining to the ways in which organisations can mitigate the challenges encountered by international business travellers and rotators.

Originality/value

– The papers focuses on two groups of assignees that are underrepresented in the expatriate literature despite their increasing empirical significance in international business.
Burden or support? The influence of partner nationality on expatriate cross-cultural adjustment
Authors: Davies Samuel , Kraeh Albert , Froese Fabian
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The family and specifically, the partners of expatriates are unfortunately the major cause of expatriate maladjustment. Drawing from and extending the concept of relational demography, the purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the nationality of expatriates’ partners, conceptualized as host, home or third country nationality, on expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey data from 299 expatriate academics in China, Japan and South Korea were analysed. The authors used confirmatory factor analyses to validate the scales and ANCOVA to test the hypotheses. To further understand the interactions effects the authors conducted simple slopes analysis.

Findings

– Results show that differences in expatriate academics’ cross-cultural adjustment are notper sebased on the different nationality of their partners, but are mainly due to an interaction effect of partner nationality and length of stay in host country. Expatriates with host country national partners perceived the highest increase in cross-cultural adjustment over time, followed by those with third country national partners, whereas those with home country partners did not experience any increase in cross-cultural adjustment.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of expatriate academics in Asia. Thus, longitudinal, multisource data from various contexts would increase validity and generalizability of findings. Despite these limitations, the study provided new and intriguing findings. The theory and empirical evidence underscore the importance of expatriate partner nationality and thereby, relational demography between expatriate partners and expatriates.

Practical implications

– The research aims to emphasize the important role that expatriate partners can play concerning the success of expatriate cross-cultural adjustment. Greater attention should be paid to the adjustment processes of expatriates and their partners to facilitate expatriate cross-cultural adjustment.

Originality/value

– The authors are among the first to study the influence of nationality, conceptualized as host, home country or third country nationality, of expatriates’ partners on expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment by applying the concept of relational demography. Moreover, the authors look at the role that time in the host country has on the partner’s influence on expatriate adjustment.
“Let me back into the world” – compassionate care in practice: a carer and patient’s view
Authors: Minogue Virginia
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– “Let me back into the world” was the heart rending response by an older relative to a question about his wellbeing following a difficult period of illness and hospitalisation. As his main carer, the author of the paper was struck, when visiting the hospital, by a small poster, on a notice board near to the entrance to the hospital ward, outlining the staff’s commitment to Compassion in Practice. Compassion in Practice was enshrined in the Compassion in Practice vision and strategy (Department of Health, NHS Commissioning Board, 2012) for building a culture of compassionate care across health and social care. A key element of the strategy was to make the values of care, compassion, courage, communication, competence and commitment, real and visible to patients and the public. The purpose of this paper is to seek to compare the values being stated with the care experience.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper records a personal perspective from a patient and their family carers of compassionate care in practice. This experience is one case study and does not seek to represent the experience of other patients and their families.

Findings

– This highlights the importance of communication and demonstrates that care and compassion are human emotions and values that have to be lived in practice and are part of the interaction between patient, clinician and family. Simply believing in those core nursing values does not make them real for the patient in practice.

Originality/value

– Both patient and the family carers had extensive experience of working in health and social care including the NHS. This account demonstrates the challenges of turning strategy into actions that can ultimately improve the patient experience of care.
Bathing in residential care: understanding the experiences of residents and their care providers
Authors: Holroyd Ann , Holroyd Heather
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand how changes in an older adult’s physical capacity alter their bathing preferences, how the care environment incorporates residents’ values and beliefs around bathing to fulfil these changing care needs, and how institutional factors, such as staff scheduling and communication processes, influence Resident Care Aides’ (RCAs) bathing practices.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multiple methods approach involving surveys and interviews with residents and RCAs in a Canadian residential care facility. This paper draws mostly from the semi-structured, qualitative interviews with older adult residents (n=9; Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) scores
>
15) and RCAs (n=10) on two nursing units offering different bathing options.

Findings

– Decreasing energy levels and physical decline were commonly cited reasons for residents’ changing bathing preferences. Residents were overall very appreciative of the bathing care they received in residential care, and identified the weekly tub bath as an anticipated encounter where they experienced a valued social interaction with their assigned RCA. While identifying bathing as an occasionally stressful aspect of their work, RCAs also described the bathing experience as an intimate bonding activity. The study identified bathing as an important activity in residential care.

Originality/value

– Previous studies have focused on moderate to severely cognitively impaired older adults’ and their demonstration of agitated behaviours during bathing. Most participants in this study had only minor cognitive impairment, as measured by MMSE scores (average score=20.6); therefore, this study provides insight into the experiences and needs of older adults whose perspective is not generally reflected in the literature.
Access to long-term care: perceptions and experiences of older Dutch people
Authors: Schipper Lisette , Luijkx Katrien G. , Meijboom Bert R. , Schalk René , Schols Jos M.G.A.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– Despite the current focus on demand-based care, little is known about what clients consider important when they have a request for formal long-term care services. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– Questions about the access process to care services were added to the “Senior Barometer”, a Dutch web-based questionnaire that assesses the opinion of older people about different aspects in life. The questionnaire surveyed both people who already requested care services (“users”), and people that did not (“future clients”).

Findings

– The results show a significant difference in what people expect to be the first step from what users actually did, when requesting formal care services. In addition, there was a significant difference on how “users” and “future clients” rated several access service aspects.

Research limitations/implications

– The results give valuable information on how both “users” and “future clients” value the access process. The findings also provide valuable input for organizations providing long-term care for older clients about the important issues that have to be considered when organizing the access process.

Originality/value

– This study shows what older people in the Netherlands find important during the access process to care and this has not been explored before. The difference between what “users” and “future clients” find of importance in the care access process suggests that it is difficult for people to foresee what will be important once the need for care arrives, or where they will turn to with a request for care services.
Restaurant social media usage in China
Authors: Ghiselli Richard , Ma Jing
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of social media by restaurants in China and the extent to which consumers are using it to obtain information about dining options.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire for consumers was developed and social media usage data were collected from restaurants; the results were compared to determine whether there is a difference between practices and preferences.

Findings

– Based on the results of this paper, restaurants may want to consider committing resources and efforts to improve their presence on Dianping, Baidu and Meituan, and to utilize WeChat. Also, they may want to send non-personalized updates, especially coupons, discounts and information about special events, through the above-mentioned channels two to three times a month. Additionally, restaurants may want to improve engagement with frequent users so that they will recommend to others. Finally, restaurants may want to evaluate and invest in online ordering and payment systems if they haven’t done so already.

Research limitations/implications

– Strategic choices should be based on understanding of consumers. Unless the gaps between practices and preferences are identified and understood, restaurant companies may not be able to use social media effectively and efficiently.

Originality/value

– China’s social media market – the largest in the world – differs considerably from other countries; it presents unique opportunities and challenges. Social media is always a function of the technology, culture and government of a particular country or context; for this reason, it is very important to study social media in its “context”. While the need is pressing, there are limited studies on restaurant consumer preferences in a computer-mediated environment, not to mention in the Chinese context. This study examined consumer preferences and potential gaps between preferences and practices in the Chinese context; the results will help to direct restaurants in China to make better use of social media.
Trends affecting social media: implications for practitioners and researchers
Authors: Bowen John
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review relevant literature to identify trends affecting social media to help managers and researchers better understand social media; this paper also provides the implications of these trends for mangers and researchers. Social media is viewed as a credible source of information from consumers who have experienced travel products. The user-generated content these consumers post on social media Web sites influences those who read their posts or view aggregate ratings of multiple reviews about a product. It can move the reader to either purchase or not purchase the products. Social media is an important source of consumer information and can create new customers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviewed both academic and trade literature to provide an overview of social trends that are relevant to practitioners.

Findings

– The author identified four trends: millennials replacing baby boomers as the major business travel segment, increased use of mobile devices, dynamic pricing and marketing dollars shifting to social media. The implications of each of the trends are discussed. The findings provided valuable insights for practitioners and researchers.

Originality/value

– Social media is emerging as an important marketing tool for the travel industry. It is transforming the way companies allocate their marketing budget. The identification of trends that are affecting social media and will continue to affect social media in the future will provide immediate benefits to practitioners and researchers with a stream of research ideas.
Comparative study of 2‐D and bichanneled 3‐D laparoscopic images: Is there a difference?
Authors: Tung Karen LM , Yang George PC , Li Michael KW
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Lack of depth perception and spatial orientation are drawbacks of laparoscopic surgery. The advent of the 3‐D camera system enables surgeons to regain binocular vision. The aim of this study was to gain subjective and objective data to determine whether 3‐D systems are superior to 2‐D systems.

Materials and Methods

Our study consisted of two parts: a laparoscopic training model and an actual operation assessment. In the first part, we compared two groups of surgeon (specialists and trainees) performing a laparoscopic task using a 2‐D and a 3‐D camera system. In the second part, surgeons were assessed on their performance of standard laparoscopic cholecystectomies using the two different camera systems. At the end of each assessment, participants were required to complete a questionnaire on their impressions of the comparative ease of operation tasks under 2‐D and 3‐D vision.

Result

In the laboratory training model, trainees' performance time was shorter with the 3‐D camera system than with the 2‐D camera, but no difference was observed in the specialists group. In the surgical (cholecystectomy) assessment, no significant difference was observed between the 2‐D and 3‐D camera systems in terms of operative time and precision. The questionnaire indicated that all participants did not significantly favor the 3‐D system.

Conclusion

We believe that the 3‐D camera system can allow young surgeons to perform standard laparoscopic tasks safely and quickly, so as to accelerate the learning curve. However, new‐generation 3‐D systems will be essential to overcome surgeons' discomfort.
Comorbid alcohol dependence disorder may be related to aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) in bipolarIIdisorder, but only toALDH2in bipolar I disorder, in Han Chinese
Authors: Chang Yun‐Hsuan , Lee Sheng‐Yu , Wang Tzu‐Yun , Chen Shiou‐Lan , Tzeng Nian‐Sheng , Chen Po See , Lee I Hui , Chen Kao Chin , Huang San‐Yuan , Yang Yen Kuang , Ko Hui‐Chen , Lu Ru‐Band
Published: June 2015

Objectives

A high prevalence rate of bipolar disorder (BP) comorbid with alcohol dependence (AD) (BP+AD) in Western patients withBPhas been reported, but whether this is true for Han Chinese withBPis uncertain. We explored the prevalence ofBP+ADin a Han Chinese population withBP, and investigated the effect of alcohol‐metabolizing genotypes on bipolar I disorder (BP‐I) +ADand bipolarIIdisorder (BP‐II) +AD.

Methods

Healthy controls (HCs) (n = 672) and 18‐ to 65‐year‐old patients withBP(BP‐I: n = 530;BP‐II: n = 788) were recruited. Patients with any other major or minor mental illnesses, neurological disorders, or organic mental disorders were excluded. A polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used to determine genotypes for alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), two alcohol‐metabolizing enzymes.

Results

ADcomorbidity rates were 11.7% withBP‐I and 17.1% withBP‐II. Significantly fewer patients withBPnot comorbid withAD(BP–AD) carried theAHD1B*1allele than did theHCs. Logistic regression analysis showed a main effect ofALDH2*1/*1only in theBP‐I–ADgroup. InBP+ADpatients, logistic regression analysis showed main effects ofALDH2*1/*1andADH1B*1/*1only in theBP‐II+ADgroup.

Conclusions

HavingBP‐II+ADmay be related toALDH2andADH1B, but havingBP‐I+ADmay be related only toALDH2. We conclude thatALDH2andADH1Bhave different effects in Han Chinese patients withBP‐I+ADandBP‐II+AD.
Estimating Diversity via Frequency Ratios
Authors: Willis Amy , Bunge John
Published: June 2015

We wish to estimate the total number of classes in a population based on sample counts, especially in the presence of high latent diversity. Drawing on probability theory that characterizes distributions on the integers by ratios of consecutive probabilities, we construct a nonlinear regression model for the ratios of consecutive frequency counts. This allows us to predict the unobserved count and hence estimate the total diversity. We believe that this is the first approach to depart from the classical mixed Poisson model in this problem. Our method is geometrically intuitive and yields good fits to data with reasonable standard errors. It is especially well-suited to analyzing high diversity datasets derived from next-generation sequencing in microbial ecology. We demonstrate the method's performance in this context and via simulation, and we present a dataset for which our method outperforms all competitors.
Synergies and trade‐offs in achieving global biodiversity targets
Authors: Di Marco Moreno , Butchart Stuart H. M. , Visconti Piero , Buchanan Graeme M. , Ficetola Gentile F. , Rondinini Carlo
Published: June 2015

After their failure to achieve a significant reduction in the global rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, world governments adopted 20 new ambitious Aichi biodiversity targets to be met by 2020. Efforts to achieve one particular target can contribute to achieving others, but different targets may sometimes require conflicting solutions. Consequently, lack of strategic thinking might result, once again, in a failure to achieve global commitments to biodiversity conservation. We illustrate this dilemma by focusing on Aichi Target 11. This target requires an expansion of terrestrial protected area coverage, which could also contribute to reducing the loss of natural habitats (Target 5), reducing human‐induced species decline and extinction (Target 12), and maintaining global carbon stocks (Target 15). We considered the potential impact of expanding protected areas to mitigate global deforestation and the consequences for the distribution of suitable habitat for >10,000 species of forest vertebrates (amphibians, birds, and mammals). We first identified places where deforestation might have the highest impact on remaining forests and then identified places where deforestation might have the highest impact on forest vertebrates (considering aggregate suitable habitat for species). Expanding protected areas toward locations with the highest deforestation rates (Target 5) or the highest potential loss of aggregate species’ suitable habitat (Target 12) resulted in partially different protected area network configurations (overlapping with each other by about 73%). Moreover, the latter approach contributed to safeguarding about 30% more global carbon stocks than the former. Further investigation of synergies and trade‐offs between targets would shed light on these and other complex interactions, such as the interaction between reducing overexploitation of natural resources (Targets 6, 7), controlling invasive alien species (Target 9), and preventing extinctions of native species (Target 12). Synergies between targets must be identified and secured soon and trade‐offs must be minimized before the options for co‐benefits are reduced by human pressures.
Beyond Formal Environmentalism: Eco‐Nationalism and the “Ringing Cedars” ofRussia
Authors: Davidov Veronica
Published: June 2015

The frame of “environmentalism” in academic and policy literature onRussia tends to focus on the “formal” environmentalism sector inRussia, thereby relegating phenomena such as the conservative, eco‐spiritual “Anastasia” or “RingingCedars” movement to the domain of religious or spiritual studies. Yet this movement is significant for understanding the ecopolitical field of contemporaryRussia and the processes of meaning‐making within that field. At the same time, callingAnastasians “environmentalists” would obfuscate and flatten the thick complexity of a movement that might be labeled “ecological” in the West, but which has to be understood through the lens of disenchantment with the state and the forms of nationalism it generates. One such form is a reactionary eco‐nationalism that is discursively decoupled from the state, and expressed through mythohistorical narratives as much as “back to the land” agricultural and homesteading practices.
Identifying learning patterns of children at risk for Specific Reading Disability
Authors: Barbot Baptiste , Krivulskaya Suzanna , Hein Sascha , Reich Jodi , Thuma Philip E. , Grigorenko Elena L.
Published: June 2015

Differences in learning patterns of vocabulary acquisition in children at risk (+SRD) and not at risk (−SRD) for Specific Reading Disability (SRD) were examined using a microdevelopmental paradigm applied to the multi‐trial Foreign Language Learning Task (FLLT; Baddeley et al., 1995). The FLLT was administered to 905 children from rural Chitonga‐speaking Zambia. A multi‐group Latent Growth Curve Model (LGCM) was implemented to study interindividual differences in intraindividual change across trials. Results showed that the +SRD group recalled fewer words correctly in the first trial, learned at a slower rate during the subsequent trials, and demonstrated a more linear learning pattern compared to the −SRD group. This study illustrates the promise of LGCM applied to multi‐trial learning tasks, by isolating three components of the learning process (initial recall, rate of learning, and functional pattern of learning). Implications of this microdevelopmental approach to SRD research in low‐to‐middle income countries are discussed.
Calorie seeking, but not hedonic response, contributes to hyperphagia in a mouse model for Prader–Willi syndrome
Authors: Davies Jennifer R. , Humby Trevor , Dwyer Dominic M. , Garfield Alastair S. , Furby Hannah , Wilkinson Lawrence S. , Wells Timothy , Isles Anthony R.
Published: June 2015

Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletion or inactivation of paternally expressed imprinted genes on human chromosome 15q11‐q13, the most recognised feature of which is hyperphagia. This is thought to arise as a consequence of abnormalities in both the physiological drive for food and the rewarding properties of food. Although a number of mouse models for PWS exist, the underlying variables dictating maladaptive feeding remain unknown. Here, feeding behaviour in a mouse model in which the imprinting centre (IC) of the syntenic PWS interval has been deleted (PWSICdel mice) is characterised. It is demonstrated that PWSICdel mice show hyperghrelinaemia and increased consumption of food both following overnight fasting and when made more palatable with sucrose. However, hyperphagia in PWSICdel mice was not accompanied by any changes in reactivity to the hedonic properties of palatable food (sucrose or saccharin), as measured by lick‐cluster size. Nevertheless, overall consumption by PWSICdel mice for non‐caloric saccharin in the licking test was significantly reduced. Combined with converging findings from a continuous reinforcement schedule, these data indicate that PWSICdel mice show a marked heightened sensitivity to the calorific value of food. Overall, these data indicate that any impact of the rewarding properties of food on the hyperphagia seen in PWSICdel mice is driven primarily by calorie content and is unlikely to involve hedonic processes. This has important implications for understanding the neural systems underlying the feeding phenotype of PWS and the contribution of imprinted genes to abnormal feeding behaviour more generally.
Myocyte enhancer factor 2D regulates ectoderm specification and adhesion properties of animal cap cells in the early Xenopus embryo
Authors: Katz Imberman Sandra , Kolpakova Alina , Keren Aviad , Bengal Eyal
Published: June 2015

In Xenopus, animal cap (AC) cells give rise to ectoderm and its derivatives: epidermis and the central nervous system. Ectoderm has long been considered a default pathway of embryonic development, with cells that are not under the influence of vegetal Nodal signaling adopting an ectodermal program of gene expression. In the present study, we describe the involvement of the animally‐localized maternal transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor (Mef) 2D in regulating the identity of AC cells. We find that Mef2D is required for the formation of both ectodermal lineages: neural and epidermis. Gain and loss of function experiments indicate that Mef2D regulates early gastrula expression of key ectodermal/epidermal genes in the animal region. Mef2D controls the activity of zygotic bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling known to dictate the epidermal differentiation program. Exogenous expression of Mef2D in vegetal blastomeres was sufficient to induce ectopic expression of ectoderm/epidermal genes in the vegetal half of the embryo, when Nodal signaling was inhibited. Depletion of Mef2D caused a loss of AC cell adhesion that was rescued by the expression of E‐cadherin or bone morphogenetic protein 4. In addition, expression of Mef2D in the prospective endoderm caused unusual aggregation of vegetal cells with animal cells in vitro and inappropriate segregation to other germ layers in vivo. Mef2D cooperates with another animally‐expressed transcription factor, FoxI1e. Together, they regulate the expression of genes encoding signaling proteins and the transcription factors that control the regional identity of animal cells. Therefore, we describe a new role for the animally‐localized Mef2D protein in early ectoderm specification, which is similar to that of the vegetally‐localized VegT in endoderm and mesoderm formation.
Gross classification of solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma on preoperative computed tomography: Prognostic significance after radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Fu Xu , Mao Liang , Tang Min , Yan Xiaopeng , Qiu Yudong , He Jian , Zhou Tie
Published: June 2015

Aim

The prognostic significance of the gross classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been confirmed in both hepatectomy and living donor liver transplantation. However, the role of this type of classification in HCC treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has rarely been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of preoperative gross classification in cases of solitary small HCC treated with RFA.

Methods

From January 2007 to September 2013, 103 patients with solitary small HCC treated with RFA were retrospectively reviewed. The lesions were classified into three types according to gross appearance in preoperative contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. Clinicopathological variables and survival information were compared among these three types. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to clarify the long‐term prognostic factors.

Results

The group of 103 tumors comprised 34 type 1, 49 type 2 and 20 type 3 tumors. The level of preoperative serum α‐fetoprotein in the type 3 tumors was significantly higher than that in types 1 and 2 (P < 0.05). The overall survival of the patients with type 3 HCC was the poorest among the three types. The tumor‐free survival of the patients with types 3 and 2 HCC were significantly poorer than those with type 1 (P < 0.05). The univariate analysis showed that gross classification, α‐fetoprotein level, tumor size and degree of enhancement were poor prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis indicated that the gross classification was the only independent prognostic indicator.

Conclusion

The preoperative gross classification was of great prognostic significance in solitary small HCC treated with RFA.
The multilingual turn inAppliedLinguistics? A perspective from the periphery
Authors: Sugiharto Setiono
Published: June 2015

Using a perspective of the periphery, this paper argues that the phrase ‘multilingual turn’ inAppliedLinguistics is a form of current intellectual movement that denies the existence of multilingual practices which were and have been highly vibrant not only inWestern countries, but also in most post‐colonial countries worldwide. Taking a specific case of a periphery country (Indonesia), one of the world's most multilingual and multiethnic countries,Ishow that the catchphrase ‘multilingual turn’ is a vacuous concept which stands in stark contrast to the multilingual reality of the country. The constructgrassroot performativityis proposed to illustrate the complexity of linguistic practices that people in the multilingual country engage in to display ‘mundane identity work’ (Blommaert 2013)
Pharmacokinetic analysis of cyclosporine in a renal transplant recipient with congenital absence of the portal vein
Authors: Nakazawa Ryuto , Sato Yuichi , Sasaki Hideo , Shibagaki Yugo , Kimura Kenjiro , Chikaraishi Tatsuya
Published: June 2015

Here we report therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine in a kidney transplant recipient lacking enterohepatic circulation. The patient developed steroid‐resistant nephrotic syndrome at age 14 years, and was medicated with an oral cyclosporine microemulsion. However, her cyclosporine trough level was unexpectedly elevated, and subsequent investigations showed that she was deficient in drug metabolism as a result of the congenital absence of the portal vein. Her renal function gradually decreased and she became dialysis‐dependent at the age of 21 years, and kidney transplantation was planned. Based on pretransplant therapeutic drug monitoring, we started cyclosporine microemulsion at half of the conventional dosage. After transplantation, the dosage was successfully adjusted to achieve a target trough level. The post‐transplant course was stable with no symptoms of rejection or cyclosporine‐associated nephrotoxicity.
Prospects for Cellulosic Biofuel Production in the Northeastern United States: A Scenario Analysis
Authors: Dilekli Naci , Duchin Faye
Published: June 2015

Secure access to energy and food are two of the challenges facing the Northeast region of the United States. Traditional biofuel feedstocks, such as corn and oil seed, are able to satisfy energy requirements. However, they compete with food production for desirable land and water resources and, in any case, are not likely to exploit the region's current comparative advantages. This study investigates a potential solution to the energy security problem in the Northeast: biofuel from advanced feedstock in the form of net forest growth and woody wastes, of which the region has abundant endowments. The federal government has committed to requiring 79.5 billion liters (BL) of advanced biofuel production annually by 2022. We evaluate both the physical capacity for its production and its cost competitiveness using an input‐output model of consumption, production, and trade in the 13‐state region. The model minimizes resource use required to satisfy given consumer demand using alternative technological options and subject to resource constraints. We compile data from the technical literature quantifying state‐level biofuel feedstock endowments and the technological requirements for cellulosic ethanol production. We find that exploiting the region's endowment of cellulosic feedstock requires either making the price of biofuels competitive with gasoline through subsidies or restricting imports of gasoline. Based on this initial investigation, we conclude that the region can produce significant amounts of advanced biofuel, up to 20.28 BL of cellulosic ethanol per year, which could displace nearly 12.5% of the gasoline that is now devoted to motorized transport in the region.
The Paranoid Style Revisited: Pseudo‐Conservatism in the 21st Century
Authors: Appelrouth Scott
Published: June 2015

Fifty years ago, the Pulitzer Prize‐winning historian Richard Hofstadter published the seminal essay, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics.” In this and related works he examined the rhetoric animating the extreme right‐wing of the country's electorate. In this article I revisit Hofstadter's claims regarding the marginalization of the paranoid style and its connection to status‐based politics. A review of the most popular “pseudo‐conservative” commentators, survey data, the rise of the Tea Party, and the intransigence of the present day Republican Party suggests that a worldview that was once extreme has now become “mainstreme” within the political culture.
Estimation of trade‐off between costs of preprocessing and primary processing
Authors: Maehigashi Akihiro , Miwa Kazuhisa
Published: June 2015

When people engage in a task, they often take preliminary actions (preprocessing) to simplify primary processing. Usually, a trade‐off is made between the costs of preprocessing and primary processing. We conducted three experiments to find out whether people could adaptively estimate the utility of preprocessing depending on the task situation. The result demonstrated that in performing a high‐complexity task, almost all the participants reduced their overall task performance cost by conducting cost‐adaptive preprocessing. However, for a low‐complexity task, participants tended to conduct preprocessing even though this increased overall task performance cost. Based on these results, we discuss human nature from the viewpoint of the influence of cognitive effort.
Weak Enforcement, Strong Deterrence: Dialogues with Chinese Lawyers About Tax Evasion and Compliance
Authors: van Rooij Benjamin
Published: June 2015

This article analyzes why Chinese lawyers report a high level of perceived deterrence in relation to tax evasion even though enforcement is weak. It finds that deterrence here originates from multiple sources, most directly through clients and more distantly through the firm and the state. Lawyers have highly contextual notions of detection probability and a vague understanding of sanction severity unfitting of the high deterrence found here. In the cases studied, deterrence arises out of a general fear lawyers have of state authorities and clients, as well as through personal morals and social norms in their firms. This shows a broader and deeper approach to deterrence, beyond certainty and severity of punishment for the violation studied, one in which the general perceived risk of such violation is central, whatever its source.
Isolation by environment in White‐breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) of the Madrean Archipelago sky islands: a landscape genomics approach
Authors: Manthey Joseph D. , Moyle Robert G.
Published: June 2015

Understanding landscape processes driving patterns of population genetic differentiation and diversity has been a long‐standing focus of ecology and evolutionary biology. Gene flow may be reduced by historical, ecological or geographic factors, resulting in patterns of isolation by distance (IBD) or isolation by environment (IBE). Although IBE has been found in many natural systems, most studies investigating patterns of IBD and IBE in nature have used anonymous neutral genetic markers, precluding inference of selection mechanisms or identification of genes potentially under selection. Using landscape genomics, the simultaneous study of genomic and ecological landscapes, we investigated the processes driving population genetic patterns of White‐breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) in sky islands (montane forest habitat islands) of the Madrean Archipelago. Using more than 4000 single nucleotide polymorphisms and multiple tests to investigate the relationship between genetic differentiation and geographic or ecological distance, we identified IBE, and a lack of IBD, among sky island populations of S. carolinensis. Using three tests to identify selection, we found 79 loci putatively under selection; of these, seven matched CDS regions in the Zebra Finch. The loci under selection were highly associated with climate extremes (maximum temperature of warmest month and minimum precipitation of driest month). These results provide evidence for IBE – disentangled from IBD – in sky island vertebrates and identify potential adaptive genetic variation.
Grassland species differentially regulate proline concentrations under future climate conditions: an integrated biochemical and modelling approach
Authors: AbdElgawad Hamada , De Vos Dirk , Zinta Gaurav , Domagalska Malgorzata A. , Beemster Gerrit T. S. , Asard Han
Published: June 2015

Proline (Pro) is a versatile metabolite playing a role in the protection of plants against environmental stresses. To gain a deeper understanding of the regulation of Pro metabolism under predicted future climate conditions, including drought stress, elevated temperature and CO2, we combined measurements in contrasting grassland species (two grasses and two legumes) at multiple organisational levels, that is, metabolite concentrations, enzyme activities and gene expression.

Drought stress (D) activates Pro biosynthesis and represses its catabolism, and elevated temperature (DT) further elevated its content. Elevated CO2 attenuated the DT effect on Pro accumulation.

Computational pathway control analysis allowed a mechanistic understanding of the regulatory changes in Pro metabolism. This analysis indicates that the experimentally observed coregulation of multiple enzymes is more effective in modulating Pro concentrations than regulation of a single step. Pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) and pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate reductase (P5CR) play a central role in grasses (Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis), and arginase (ARG), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) and P5CR play a central role in legumes (Medicago lupulina, Lotus corniculatus).

Different strategies in the regulation of Pro concentrations under stress conditions were observed. In grasses the glutamate pathway is activated predominantly, and in the legumes the ornithine pathway, possibly related to differences in N‐nutritional status.
Heritability of late blight resistance in tomato conferred by Solanum pimpinellifolium accession PI 224710
Authors: Ohlson Erik W. , Foolad Majid R.
Published: June 2015

Late blight (LB), caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most destructive diseases of tomato and potato worldwide. Identifying and characterizing new sources of resistance is essential given the emergence of new aggressive and fungicide‐resistant P. infestans isolates. Recently, we reported identification of several new sources of LB resistance within the tomato wild species, Solanum pimpinellifolium. In this study, we examined heritability (h2) of LB resistance conferred by the S. pimpinellifolium accession PI 224710 using a parent–offspring regression (correlation) analysis. F2 and F3 progeny populations, derived from crosses between PI 224710 and a LB‐susceptible tomato breeding line, were evaluated for response to LB infection. To obtain a better estimate of h2, the F3 progeny were evaluated for LB resistance in two separate replicated experiments. The h2 estimates were similar in the two experiments and averaged ~0.87, suggesting that this resistance was highly heritable. Two different methods estimated involvement of one resistance locus. Breeding and mapping efforts are underway to further assess the viability of this newly reported LB resistance.