bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Absent Cause of World Literature
Authors: Folger Robert
Published: April 2013

The resurgence of World Literature must be seen in relation to the economization of all spheres of life. Traditional, ‘specialized’ literary criticism replicates literature's power to interpellate subjects characterized by attention. Both literature and state funded literary criticism in research and teaching are currently under siege because they are counter-hegemonic in relation to a lifeworld shaped by a global attention deficit syndrome, which is the bedrock of a hypertrophic consumerism. Recent proposals for writing histories and systematic descriptions of World Literature are complicit with this move because they champion, to the detriment of deep attention, the relevance, mobility, exchange value, and translatability of texts, successfully competing with traditional ‘painstaking’ practices of literary criticism for ever dwindling institutional resources.
Cuf2 boosts the transcription of APC/C activator Fzr1 to terminate the meiotic division cycle
Authors: Aoi Yuki , Arai Kunio , Miyamoto Masaya , Katsuta Yuji , Yamashita Akira , Sato Masamitsu , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: April 2013

The number of nuclear divisions in meiosis is strictly limited to two. Although the precise mechanism remains unknown, this seems to be achieved by adjusting the anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) activity to degrade cyclin. Here, we describe a fission yeast cuf2 mutant that enters into a third nuclear division cycle, represented by ectopic spindle assembly and abnormal chromosome segregation. Cuf2 is a meiotic transcription factor, and its critical target is fzr1+/mfr1+, which encodes a meiotic APC/C activator. fzr1Δ also enters a third nuclear division. Thus, Cuf2 ensures termination of the M‐phase cycle by boosting Fzr1 expression to generate functional gametes.
Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease‐associated mutants of GDAP1 dissociate its roles in peroxisomal and mitochondrial fission
Authors: Huber Nina , Guimaraes Sofia , Schrader Michael , Suter Ueli , Niemann Axel
Published: April 2013

Mitochondria and peroxisomes can be fragmented by the process of fission. The fission machineries of both organelles share a set of proteins. GDAP1 is a tail‐anchored protein of mitochondria and induces mitochondrial fragmentation. Mutations in GDAP1 lead to Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT), an inherited peripheral neuropathy, and affect mitochondrial dynamics. Here, we show that GDAP1 is also targeted to peroxisomes mediated by the import receptor Pex19. Knockdown of GDAP1 leads to peroxisomal elongation that can be rescued by re‐expressing GDAP1 and by missense mutated forms found in CMT patients. GDAP1‐induced peroxisomal fission is dependent on the integrity of its hydrophobic domain 1, and on Drp1 and Mff, as is mitochondrial fission. Thus, GDAP1 regulates mitochondrial and peroxisomal fission by a similar mechanism. However, our results reveal also a more critical role of the amino‐terminal GDAP1 domains, carrying most CMT‐causing mutations, in the regulation of mitochondrial compared to peroxisomal fission.
In vivo regulation of chemokine activity by post‐translational modification
Authors: Moelants Eva AV , Mortier Anneleen , Van Damme Jo , Proost Paul
Published: April 2013

Cytokines and chemokines represent two important groups of proteins that control the immune system. Dysregulation of the network in which these immunomodulators function can result in uncontrolled inflammation leading to various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, characterized by chronic inflammation and bone erosion. Chemokine activity is regulated at multiple levels, such as post‐translational modification (PTM) of chemokines and their receptors by specific enzymes including proteases and peptidylarginine deiminases. Many in vitro experiments underscore the importance of post‐translational processing of human chemokines. PTMs may enhance or reduce chemokine activity or may alter the receptor specificity of chemokine ligands. However, identification of chemokine isoforms in physiological in vivo settings forms the ultimate proof that PTM of chemokines is relevant in regulating the biological activity of these molecules. This review summarizes current knowledge on the in vivo role for PTMs in the regulation of chemokine activity.
The Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program: reactions of general practitioners and their patients
Authors: Meehan Thomas , Robertson Samantha
Published: April 2013

Objective.
To evaluate reactions of general practitioners (GPs) and their patients to the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP).

Method.
A descriptive, exploratory approach was employed using discussion groups with 25 GPs and individual interviews with 19 patients receiving treatment through the MHNIP. All discussion groups and interviews were audio taped, transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis.

Results.
There was overwhelming support for the MHNIP across GP and patient groups. Patients noted that the treatment provided through the program was convenient, holistic and non-stigmatising. GPs valued the collaborative working arrangements with mental health nurses (MHNs) and highlighted the ability of these nurses to provide a wide range of interventions for patients with complex mental health problems.

Conclusions.
The collaborative working arrangement between GPs and MHNs promoted through the MHNIP was perceived to have significantly enhanced primary care services for those with mental health problems.

What is known about the topic?
The introduction of MHNs into GP practices under the MHNIP, a new primary care initiative, represents a major reform in the provision of primary care services for those with mental health problems.

What does this paper add?
This paper reports on the reactions of GPs and patients to the introduction of the MHNIP.

What are the implications for practitioners?
The collaborative model promoted through the program enables family doctors to play a greater role in the management of mental health conditions within the primary care setting. MHNs working with the program need considerable experience and skill in dealing with a broad range of mental health problems. In general, GPs require a better understanding of the overall program.
A model comparison approach shows stronger support for economic models of fertility decline
Authors: Shenk Mary K. , Towner Mary C. , Kress Howard C. , Alam Nurul
Published: April 2013

The demographic transition is an ongoing global phenomenon in which high fertility and mortality rates are replaced by low fertility and mortality. Despite intense interest in the causes of the transition, especially with respect to decreasing fertility rates, the underlying mechanisms motivating it are still subject to much debate. The literature is crowded with competing theories, including causal models that emphasize (i) mortality and extrinsic risk, (ii) the economic costs and benefits of investing in self and children, and (iii) the cultural transmission of low-fertility social norms. Distinguishing between models, however, requires more comprehensive, better-controlled studies than have been published to date. We use detailed demographic data from recent fieldwork to determine which models produce the most robust explanation of the rapid, recent demographic transition in rural Bangladesh. To rigorously compare models, we use an evidence-based statistical approach using model selection techniques derived from likelihood theory. This approach allows us to quantify the relative evidence the data give to alternative models, even when model predictions are not mutually exclusive. Results indicate that fertility, measured as either total fertility or surviving children, is best explained by models emphasizing economic factors and related motivations for parental investment. Our results also suggest important synergies between models, implicating multiple causal pathways in the rapidity and degree of recent demographic transitions.
Subjective costs drive overly patient foraging strategies in rats on an intertemporal foraging task
Authors: Wikenheiser Andrew M. , Stephens David W. , Redish A. David
Published: April 2013

Laboratory studies of decision making often take the form of two-alternative, forced-choice paradigms. In natural settings, however, many decision problems arise as stay/go choices. We designed a foraging task to test intertemporal decision making in rats via stay/go decisions. Subjects did not follow the rate-maximizing strategy of choosing only food items associated with short delays. Instead, rats were often willing to wait for surprisingly long periods, and consequently earned a lower rate of food intake than they might have by ignoring long-delay options. We tested whether foraging theory or delay discounting models predicted the behavior we observed but found that these models could not account for the strategies subjects selected. Subjects’ behavior was well accounted for by a model that incorporated a cost for rejecting potential food items. Interestingly, subjects’ cost sensitivity was proportional to environmental richness. These findings are at odds with traditional normative accounts of decision making but are consistent with retrospective considerations having a deleterious influence on decisions (as in the “sunk-cost” effect). More broadly, these findings highlight the utility of complementing existing assays of decision making with tasks that mimic more natural decision topologies.
Loss of function of Ribonuclease T2, an ancient and phylogenetically conserved RNase, plays a crucial role in ovarian tumorigenesis
Authors: Acquati Francesco , Lualdi Marta , Bertilaccio Sabrina , Monti Laura , Turconi Giovanna , Fabbri Marco , Grimaldi Annalisa , Anselmo Achille , Inforzato Antonio , Collotta Angelo , Cimetti Laura , Riva Cristina , Gribaldo Laura , Ghia Paolo , Taramelli Roberto
Published: April 2013

In recent years, the role played by the stromal microenvironment has been given growing attention in order to achieve a full understanding of cancer initiation and progression. Because cancer is a tissue-based disease, the integrity of tissue architecture is a major constraint toward cancer growth. Indeed, a large contribution of the natural resistance to cancer stems from stromal microenvironment components, the dysregulation of which can facilitate cancer occurrence. For instance, recent experimental evidence has highlighted the involvement of stromal cells in ovarian carcinogenesis, as epitomized by ovarian xenografts obtained by a double KO of the murine
Dicer
and
Pten
genes. Likewise, we reported the role of an ancient extracellular RNase, called Ribonuclease T2 (RNASET2), within the ovarian stromal microenvironment. Indeed, hyperexpression of
RNASET2
is able to control tumorigenesis by recruiting macrophages (mostly of the anticancer M1 subtype) at the tumor sites. We present biological data obtained by
RNASET2
silencing in the poorly tumorigenetic and highly
RNASET2
-expressing human OVCAR3 cell line.
RNASET2
knockdown was shown to stimulate in vivo tumor growth early after microinjection of OVCAR3 cells in nude mice. Moreover, we have investigated by molecular profiling the in vivo expression signature of human and mouse cell xenografts and disclosed the activation of pathways related to activation of the innate immune response and modulation of ECM components. Finally, we provide evidence for a role of
RNASET2
in triggering an in vitro chemotactic response in macrophages. These results further highlight the critical role played by the microenvironment in
RNASET2
-mediated ovarian tumor suppression, which could eventually contribute to better clarify the pathogenesis of this disease.
Structures of the phage Sf6 large terminase provide new insights into DNA translocation and cleavage
Authors: Zhao Haiyan , Christensen Theodore E. , Kamau Yvonne N. , Tang Liang
Published: April 2013

Many DNA viruses use powerful molecular motors to cleave concatemeric viral DNA into genome-length units and package them into preformed procapsid powered by ATP hydrolysis. Here we report the structures of the DNA-packaging motor gp2 of bacteriophage Sf6, which reveal a unique clade of RecA-like ATPase domain and an RNase H-like nuclease domain tethered by a regulatory linker domain, exhibiting a strikingly distinct domain arrangement. The gp2 structures complexed with nucleotides reveal, at the atomic detail, the catalytic center embraced by the ATPase domain and the linker domain. The gp2 nuclease activity is modulated by the ATPase domain and is stimulated by ATP. An extended DNA-binding surface is formed by the linker domain and the nuclease domain. These results suggest a unique mechanism for translation of chemical reaction into physical motion of DNA and provide insights into coordination of DNA translocation and cleavage in a viral DNA-packaging motor, which may be achieved via linker-domain–mediated interdomain communication driven by ATP hydrolysis.
Provincialization of terrestrial faunas following the end-Permian mass extinction
Authors: Sidor Christian A. , Vilhena Daril A. , Angielczyk Kenneth D. , Huttenlocker Adam K. , Nesbitt Sterling J. , Peecook Brandon R. , Steyer J. Sébastien , Smith Roger M. H. , Tsuji Linda A.
Published: April 2013

In addition to their devastating effects on global biodiversity, mass extinctions have had a long-term influence on the history of life by eliminating dominant lineages that suppressed ecological change. Here, we test whether the end-Permian mass extinction (252.3 Ma) affected the distribution of tetrapod faunas within the southern hemisphere and apply quantitative methods to analyze four components of biogeographic structure: connectedness, clustering, range size, and endemism. For all four components, we detected increased provincialism between our Permian and Triassic datasets. In southern Pangea, a more homogeneous and broadly distributed fauna in the Late Permian (Wuchiapingian, ∼257 Ma) was replaced by a provincial and biogeographically fragmented fauna by Middle Triassic times (Anisian, ∼242 Ma). Importantly in the Triassic, lower latitude basins in Tanzania and Zambia included dinosaur predecessors and other archosaurs unknown elsewhere. The recognition of heterogeneous tetrapod communities in the Triassic implies that the end-Permian mass extinction afforded ecologically marginalized lineages the ecospace to diversify, and that biotic controls (i.e., evolutionary incumbency) were fundamentally reset. Archosaurs, which began diversifying in the Early Triassic, were likely beneficiaries of this ecological release and remained dominant for much of the later Mesozoic.
Female mice lack adult germ-line stem cells but sustain oogenesis using stable primordial follicles
Authors: Lei Lei , Spradling Allan C.
Published: April 2013

Whether or not mammalian females generate new oocytes during adulthood from germ-line stem cells to sustain the ovarian follicle pool has recently generated controversy. We used a sensitive lineage-labeling system to determine whether stem cells are needed in female adult mice to compensate for follicular losses and to directly identify active germ-line stem cells. Primordial follicles generated during fetal life are highly stable, with a half-life during adulthood of 10 mo, and thus are sufficient to sustain adult oogenesis without a source of renewal. Moreover, in normal mice or following germ-cell depletion with Busulfan, only stable, single oocytes are lineage-labeled, rather than cell clusters indicative of new oocyte formation. Even one germ-line stem cell division per 2 wk would have been detected by our method, based on the kinetics of fetal follicle formation. Thus, adult female mice neither require nor contain active germ-line stem cells or produce new oocytes in vivo.
The Spread of Fear: Symbolic Generalization Mediates Graded Threat-Avoidance in Specific Phobia
Authors: Dymond Simon , Schlund Michael W. , Roche Bryan , Whelan Robert
Published: April 2013

Overgeneralization of fear and threat-avoidance represents a formidable barrier to successful clinical treatment of anxiety disorders. While stimulus generalization along quantifiable physical dimensions has been studied extensively, less consideration has been given to symbolic generalization, in which stimuli are indirectly and arbitrarily related. The present study examined whether the magnitude and extent of symbolic generalization of threat-avoidance and threat-beliefs differed between spider-phobic and nonphobic individuals. Initially, participants learned two sets of stimulus equivalence relations (A1 = B1 = C1; A2 = B2 = C2). Next, one cue (B1) was established as a conditioned stimulus (CS +; threat) that signalled onset of spider images and prompted avoidance, and another cue (B2) was established as a CS– (safety cue) that signalled the absence of such images. Subsequent testing showed that phobics compared to nonphobics exhibited greater symbolic generalization of threat-avoidance to threat cues A1 and C1 (indirect CS+ threat cues related via symmetry and equivalence, respectively), while all individuals showed nonavoidance to indirect safety cues A2 and C2. The enhanced symbolic generalization of threat-beliefs and avoidance behaviour observed in spider phobics warrants further investigation.
Sirt1 ablation promotes stress-induced loss of epigenetic and genomic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell maintenance
Authors: Singh Satyendra K. , Williams Carrie A. , Klarmann Kimberly , Burkett Sandra S. , Keller Jonathan R. , Oberdoerffer Philipp
Published: April 2013

The (histone) deacetylase Sirt1 is a mediator of genomic and epigenetic maintenance, both of which are critical aspects of stem cell homeostasis and tightly linked to their functional decline in aging and disease. We show that Sirt1 ablation in adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) promotes aberrant HSPC expansion specifically under conditions of hematopoietic stress, which is associated with genomic instability as well as the accumulation of DNA damage and eventually results in a loss of long-term progenitors. We further demonstrate that progenitor cell expansion is mechanistically linked to the selective up-regulation of the HSPC maintenance factor and polycomb target gene Hoxa9. We show that Sirt1 binds to the Hoxa9 gene, counteracts acetylation of its histone target H4 lysine 16, and in turn promotes polycomb-specific repressive histone modification. Together, these findings demonstrate a dual role for Sirt1 in HSPC homeostasis, both via epigenetic regulation of a key developmental gene and by promoting genome stability in adult stem cells.
RUbioSeq: a suite of parallelized pipelines to automate exome variation and bisulfite-seq analyses
Authors: Rubio-Camarillo Miriam , Gómez-López Gonzalo , Fernández José M. , Valencia Alfonso , Pisano David G.
Published: April 2013

Motivation: RUbioSeq has been developed to facilitate the primary and secondary analysis of re-sequencing projects by providing an integrated software suite of parallelized pipelines to detect exome variants (single-nucleotide variants and copy number variations) and to perform bisulfite-seq analyses automatically. RUbioSeq’s variant analysis results have been already validated and published.

Availability: http://rubioseq.sourceforge.net/.

Contact: mrubioc@cnio.es
High-energy emission from transients
Authors: Hinton J. A. , Starling R. L. C.
Published: April 2013

Cosmic explosions dissipate energy into their surroundings on a very wide range of time scales: producing shock waves and associated particle acceleration. The historical culprits for the acceleration of the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays are supernova remnants: explosions on approximately 10
4
year time scales. Increasingly, however, time-variable emission points to rapid and efficient particle acceleration in a range of different astrophysical systems. Gamma-ray bursts have the shortest time scales, with inferred bulk Lorentz factors of approximately 1000 and photons emitted beyond 100 GeV, but active galaxies, pulsar wind nebulae and colliding stellar winds are all now associated with time-variable emission at approximately teraelectron volt energies. Cosmic photons and neutrinos at these energies offer a powerful probe of the underlying physical mechanisms of cosmic explosions, and a tool for exploring fundamental physics with these systems. Here, we discuss the motivations for high-energy observations of transients, the current experimental situation, and the prospects for the next decade, with particular reference to the major next-generation high-energy observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array.
A Regulatory Cascade Involving Class II ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR Transcriptional Repressors Operates in the Progression of Leaf Senescence
Authors: Koyama Tomotsugu , Nii Haruka , Mitsuda Nobutaka , Ohta Masaru , Kitajima Sakihito , Ohme-Takagi Masaru , Sato Fumihiko
Published: April 2013

Leaf senescence is the final process of leaf development that involves the mobilization of nutrients from old leaves to newly growing tissues. Despite the identification of several transcription factors involved in the regulation of this process, the mechanisms underlying the progression of leaf senescence are largely unknown. Herein, we describe the proteasome-mediated regulation of class II ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF) transcriptional repressors and involvement of these factors in the progression of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Based on previous results showing that the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) ERF3 (NtERF3) specifically interacts with a ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, we examined the stability of NtERF3 in vitro and confirmed its rapid degradation by plant protein extracts. Furthermore, NtERF3 accumulated in plants treated with a proteasome inhibitor. The Arabidopsis class II ERFs AtERF4 and AtERF8 were also regulated by the proteasome and increased with plant aging. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants with enhanced expression of NtERF3, AtERF4, or AtERF8 showed precocious leaf senescence. Our gene expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses suggest that AtERF4 and AtERF8 targeted the EPITHIOSPECIFIER PROTEIN/EPITHIOSPECIFYING SENESCENCE REGULATOR gene and regulated the expression of many genes involved in the progression of leaf senescence. By contrast, an aterf4 aterf8 double mutant exhibited delayed leaf senescence. Our results provide insight into the important role of class II ERFs in the progression of leaf senescence.
Temperature dependence of pre-edge features in TiK-edge XANES spectra forATiO3(A= Ca and Sr),A2TiO4(A= Mg and Fe), TiO2rutile and TiO2anatase
Authors: Hiratoko Tatsuya , Yoshiasa Akira , Nakatani Tomotaka , Okube Maki , Nakatsuka Akihiko , Sugiyama Kazumasa
Published: April 2013

XANES (X-ray absorption near-edge structure) spectra of the TiK-edges ofATiO3(A= Ca and Sr),A2TiO4(A= Mg and Fe), TiO2rutile and TiO2anatase were measured in the temperature range 20–900 K. Ti atoms for all samples were located in TiO6octahedral sites. The absorption intensity invariant point (AIIP) was found to be between the pre-edge and post-edge. After the AIIP, amplitudes damped due to Debye–Waller factor effects with temperature. Amplitudes in the pre-edge region increased with temperature normally by thermal vibration. Use of the AIIP peak intensity as a standard point enables a quantitative comparison of the intensity of the pre-edge peaks in various titanium compounds over a wide temperature range.
Parallel numerical solution of incompressible full Navier‐Stokes in 3‐D
Authors: Üstoğlu Ünal V.
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an implicit scheme, accurate to the second order, for solving full Navier‐Stokes equations for three dimensional problems, using parallel algorithm.

Design/methodology/approach

Parallel solution to the 3‐D incompressible full Navier‐Stokes equations is presented, based on two fractional steps in time and finite element in space. The accuracy of the scheme is second order in both time and space domains. Large time‐step sizes, with Courant‐Friedrichs‐Lewy (CFL) numbers much larger than unity, are taken since the momentum equation is solved implicitly. A fourth order artificial viscosity term is added. In order to stabilize the numerical solution, fourth order artificial viscosity term is used for high Reynolds number flows. The domain decomposition technique is implemented for parallel solution to the problem with matching and non‐overlapping sub‐domains. It is aimed to study both a 3D free and mixed convection problems using the developed scheme. The segregate solution for temperature field is calibrated by a 3‐D free convection problem. Then the flow case where the forced convection is one order of magnitude higher than the free convection is studied.

Findings

It is observed that the long time solution to the flow field shows oscillatory behaviour as the Reynolds number of the flow doubled while keeping the ratio of the forced to free convection fixed. The solution using a parallel algorithm gives satisfactory results, in terms of computation time and accuracy, for the natural convection problem in cubic cavity, and, the forced cooling of a room with chilled ceiling having a parabolic geometry as presented at the end. It is observed that doubling the Reynolds number, while keeping all the parameters unchanged, varies the flow behaviour completely.

Originality/value

A code previously developed and published by the author only solved momentum equation and studied the velocity field. In this study, full Navier Stokes equation is solved and the code is calibrated with a well‐known 3D free‐convection for two different Rayleigh number cases and then 3D mixed convection problem is studied for two cases. Re=2000 case results, solved both by the scheme in this study and by commercial code, presented an interesting physics of the problem. For Re=2000 case, continuous cooling of the room is not possible. Doubling the Reynolds number, raising it from 1000 to 2000, while keeping all the parameters unchanged, varies the flow behaviour completely.
Business education and spirituality – the MBA with no greed
Authors: More Elizabeth , Todarello Ekaterina
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Business schools increasingly have come into the spotlight following a range of corporate scandals, challenged to find a new approach to business education that goes beyond financial bottom lines, and results in the responsible corporate leadership. This article seeks to address the area of “how a Catholic university deepens and revitalises its culture and institutionalises its mission and identity in business education.” It aims to do so by focussing on the marketing for and nature of the student body in a postgraduate Master of Business Administration (Executive) (MBAE) program offered intensively by the Australian Catholic University, through an analysis of scholarship applications.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study used latent coding which reflected its interpretative nature and was based on the classic content analysis sensitive not only to the explicit, manifest content, but also to the implicit, not obviously present content. To arrive at a trustworthy interpretation of the latent content, the method required familiarity with the contexts of the researched. In the case of the study, the analysed applications of the scholarships were placed in the larger context of the in‐depth interviews with the prospective students. As a result, a number of themes were induced from these texts.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that candidates enter the program with a balance of self and social interest, and a different focus of self‐interest, moving beyond negative greed as excessive materialism or career pursuit for money's sake. There emerged a picture of the MBAE applicant as a caring and skilled global citizen, wishing to make a positive difference to society and characterised by a sense of humility, a heightened sense of awareness, personal transformation and a sense of interconnectedness with others.

Originality/value

This small study and approach suggests that individuals are seeking more meaning not only in their workplaces, but also from their business education. It depicts the intent of the Business Faculty staff to move beyond the cultural biases of self‐centred and unrestrained individualism in order that a sole self‐interest is transcended into benefits for the organisation and broader society, including the sustainability of the natural world.
Corporate volunteering – an analysis of volunteers' motivations and demographics
Authors: Cláudia Nave Ana , do Paço Arminda
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Given the current importance of corporate social responsibility, this research is designed to discover the motivations that lead employees to agree to participate in the corporate volunteering activities promoted by their companies and to understand whether demographic variables such as gender and age have an influence on different types of motivations.

Design/methodology/approach

This research had the collaboration of a company to develop the case study about its volunteering programme and for the collection of data through an electronic questionnaire.

Findings

The variables related with the factor values were identified as the most important motivational category for people to engage in volunteering, which shows that what these volunteers want is to contribute to the success of the event and the respective social cause. On the other hand, the motivational category related with career was considered the less important.

Practical implications

The participation in volunteering activities enable employees to broaden their communication skills, increase their aptitude for helping others, adapting, negotiating and working as a team, while also increasing their confidence, creativity, leadership capacity, their desire for continuing improvement and their problem‐solving skills.

Originality/value

A great part of existing research is focused on the motivations of “conventional” volunteers which collaborate occasionally with nonprofit organizations. Thus, the present study will expand the research in the area of corporate volunteering, contributing to a better understanding of what really motivates employees to volunteer.
Salience and corporate responsibility towards natural environment and financial performance of Indian manufacturing firms
Authors: Mishra Supriti , Suar Damodar
Published: April 2013

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether salience towards natural environment influences the corporate responsibility towards natural environment. It further aims to test whether the corporate responsibility towards environment impacts the financial performance of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 150 listed and non‐listed Indian manufacturing companies. Salience and corporate responsibility towards environment were assessed with the help of standard instruments and the data on financial performance of companies were procured from secondary sources. The study used hybrid models to analyze the data. In the measurement model, the convergent validity of salience and corporate responsibility towards natural environment were ascertained through confirmatory factor analysis. In the structural model, the hypotheses were tested.

Findings

Controlling the confounding effects of listing status of companies in stock exchanges, findings suggest that higher the salience of the environment, the more favorable is the corporate responsibility towards the environment. The favorable corporate responsibility towards environment increases the financial performance of firms.

Practical implications

By according salience to the natural environment and adopting responsible environment practices, Indian companies can improve their financial performance.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind in India to establish the link among salience of natural environment, corporate responsibility towards natural environment, and financial performance of firms. It reveals that salience accorded to natural environment leads to responsible business practices with respect to the environment that boosts the bottom line of firms.
IgE binding to peanut components by four different techniques: Ara h 2 is the most relevant in peanut allergic children and adults
Authors: Klemans R. J. B. , Liu X. , Knulst A. C. , Knol M. J. , Gmelig‐Meyling F. , Borst E. , Pasmans S. G. M. A. , Knol E. F.
Published: April 2013

Background

Several studies have analysed the diagnostic value of specific IgE (sIgE) for individual peanut allergens. However, little is known about the concordance between different techniques available in both children and adults.

Objective

To evaluate the value of individual peanut allergens by different techniques, i.e. multi‐plexed microarray, single‐plexed IgE assay, skin prick test (SPT) and immunoblot in both peanut allergic adults and children.

Methods

Sensitization patterns to peanut allergens Ara h 1, 2, 3, and 8 were evaluated using four different techniques: multi‐plexed microarray immunoassay, single‐plexed IgE assay, SPT and immunoblot. Twenty‐two peanut allergic adults and 15 children scored on clinical severity according to double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenges and 27 atopic control patients were included.

Results

Comparable sensitivity values were found between all four techniques in adults, with the highest sensitivity for Ara h 2 (76.2–95.5%, compared to 100% with all techniques in children). The multi‐plexed assay to Ara h 1 (93.3%) demonstrated a higher sensitivity compared with the other three techniques (P = 0.04) in children, but absolute values were perfectly correlated. There were no differences between adults and children. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of sIgE to Ara h 1 was higher with the multi‐plexed assay compared with the single‐plexed assay (0.91 vs. 0.75). In adults, sIgE to Ara h 1, 2, and 3 was correlated with clinical severity. No such correlation was found in children.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

In conclusion, the single‐ and multi‐plexed assay, SPT and immunoblot perform equally in both peanut allergic adults and children, with Ara h 2 being most often recognized with all techniques. Specific IgE to Ara h 1, 2, and 3 in adults was correlated with severity.
The Mechanisms of Space‐Time Association: Comparing Motor and Perceptual Contributions in Time Reproduction
Authors: Fabbri Marco , Cellini Nicola , Martoni Monica , Tonetti Lorenzo , Natale Vincenzo
Published: April 2013

The spatial‐temporal association indicates that time is represented spatially along a left‐to‐right line. It is unclear whether the spatial‐temporal association is mainly related to a perceptual or a motor component. In addition, the spatial‐temporal association is not consistently found using a time reproduction task. Our rationale for this finding is that, classically, a non‐lateralized button for performing the task has been used. Using two lateralized response buttons, the aim of the study was to find a spatial‐temporal association in a time reproduction task. To account for the perceptual component, reference and target stimuli were presented in different spaces through four experiments. In all experiments, a Spatial‐Temporal Association of Response Codes (STEARC) effect was found and this effect was not modulated by the spatial position of both reference and target stimuli. The results suggested that the spatial‐temporal association was mainly derived from the spatial information provided by response buttons, reflecting a motor but not visuospatial influence.
Efficacy and safety of lixisenatide once daily versus placebo in type 2 diabetes insufficiently controlled on pioglitazone (GetGoal‐P)
Authors: Pinget M. , Goldenberg R. , Niemoeller E. , Muehlen‐Bartmer I. , Guo H. , Aronson R.
Published: April 2013

Aims

To compare the efficacy and safety of once‐daily prandial lixisenatide with placebo in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) insufficiently controlled by pioglitazone ± metformin.

Methods

This randomized, double‐blind study included a 24‐week main treatment period and a ≥52‐week variable extension period. Patients were randomized 2 : 1 to receive lixisenatide 20 µg once daily or placebo. The primary endpoint was change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) at week 24.

Results

In total, 484 patients were randomized: 323 to lixisenatide; 161 to placebo. After 24 weeks, lixisenatide once daily significantly improved HbA1c (−0.56% vs. placebo; p < 0.0001) and increased the proportion of patients achieving HbA1c <7% compared with placebo (52.3% vs. 26.4%, respectively; p < 0.0001) and significantly improved fasting plasma glucose (−0.84 mmol/l vs. placebo; p < 0.0001). There was a small decrease in body weight with lixisenatide once daily and a small increase with placebo, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Overall, lixisenatide once daily was well tolerated, with a similar proportion of treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious TEAEs between groups (lixisenatide: 72.4% and 2.5%; placebo: 72.7% and 1.9%). Symptomatic hypoglycaemia rates were also relatively low in both groups (lixisenatide 3.4% and placebo 1.2%), with no severe episodes. Lixisenatide continued to be efficacious and well tolerated during the variable extension period.

Conclusions

Lixisenatide once daily significantly improved glycaemic control with a low risk of hypoglycaemia, and was well tolerated over 24 weeks and during the long‐term, double‐blind extension period in patients with T2DM insufficiently controlled on pioglitazone ± metformin.
Echocardiography‐Guided Pacemaker Programming Can Improve Cardiac Hemodynamics in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Lee Ming‐Sum , Naqvi Tasneem Z.
Published: April 2013

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an effective treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at high surgical risk because of multiple comorbidities. Many of these patients have been treated with pacemakers for concomitant conduction disease. The combination of severe aortic stenosis, cardiomyopathy, and conduction abnormalities results in a state of low cardiac output. Here, we report 2 complex TAVR cases where Doppler echocardiography was used to guide adjustment of device settings, leading to improved cardiac hemodynamic profiles.
Disrupted Cl− homeostasis contributes to reductions in the inhibitory efficacy of diazepam during hyperexcited states
Authors: Deeb Tarek Z. , Nakamura Yasuko , Frost Greg D. , Davies Paul A. , Moss Stephen J.
Published: April 2013

The K+‐Cl− cotransporter type 2 is the major Cl− extrusion mechanism in most adult neurons. This process in turn leads to Cl− influx upon activation of γ‐aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors and the canonical hyperpolarising inhibitory postsynaptic potential. Several neurological disorders are treated with drugs that target and enhance GABAA receptor signaling, including the commonly used benzodiazepine diazepam and the anesthetic propofol. Some of these disorders are also associated with deficits in GABAA signaling and become less sensitive to therapeutic drugs that target GABAA receptors. To date, it is unknown if alterations in the neuronal Cl− gradient affect the efficacies of diazepam and propofol. We therefore used the in vitro model of glutamate‐induced hyperexcitability to test if alterations in the Cl− gradient affect the efficacy of GABAA modulators. We exclusively utilised the gramicidin perforated‐patch‐clamp configuration to preserve the endogenous Cl− gradient in rat neurons. Brief exposure to glutamate reduced the inhibitory efficacy of diazepam within 5 min, which was caused by the collapse of the Cl− gradient, and not due to reductions in GABAA receptor number. Unlike diazepam, propofol retained its efficacy by shunting the membrane conductance despite the glutamate‐induced appearance of depolarising GABAA‐mediated currents. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of K+‐Cl− cotransporter type 2 by furosemide disrupted Cl− homeostasis and reduced the efficacy of diazepam but not propofol. Collectively our results suggest that pathological hyperexcitable conditions could cause the rapid accumulation of intracellular Cl− and the appearance of depolarising GABAA‐mediated currents that would decrease the efficacy of diazepam.
Widespread evidence for incipient ecological speciation: a meta‐analysis of isolation‐by‐ecology
Authors: Shafer Aaron B. A. , Wolf Jochen B. W.
Published: April 2013

Ecologically mediated selection has increasingly become recognised as an important driver of speciation. The correlation between neutral genetic differentiation and environmental or phenotypic divergence among populations, to which we collectively refer to as isolation‐by‐ecology (IBE), is an indicator of ecological speciation. In a meta‐analysis framework, we determined the strength and commonality ofIBEin nature. On the basis of 106 studies, we calculated a mean effect size ofIBEwith and without controlling for spatial autocorrelation among populations. Effect sizes were 0.34 (95%CI0.24–0.42) and 0.26 (95%CI0.13–0.37), respectively, indicating that an average of 5% of the neutral genetic differentiation among populations was explained purely by ecological contrast. Importantly, spatial autocorrelation reducedIBEcorrelations for environmental variables, but not for phenotypes. Through simulation, we showed how the influence of isolation‐by‐distance and spatial autocorrelation of ecological variables can result in false positives or underestimated correlations if not accounted for in theIBEmodel. Collectively, this meta‐analysis showed that ecologically induced genetic divergence is pervasive across time‐scales and taxa, and largely independent of the choice of molecular marker. We discuss the importance of these results in the context of adaptation and ecological speciation and suggest future research avenues.
Resource allocation between growth and endothermy allows rapid nestling development at low feeding rates in a species under high nest predation
Authors: Węgrzyn Ewa
Published: April 2013

Nestling development is among the most energy‐demanding periods of a bird’s lifetime and altricial species require extensive parental energy investment in the form of feeding and heating. In the present study I analyze the relation and trade‐offs between nestling growth, development of thermoregulation and feeding rate in blackcapSylvia atricapilla, a species suffering from high nest predation. Nestlings were characterized by rapid growth but they achieved only 80% of adult mass prior to fledging. Body mass showed highest relative growth rate before nestlings achieved homeothermy. The onset of endothermy, indicated in day 7, coincided with 90% of nestling fledgling weight, indicating that the two processes are separated in time. A strong negative correlation between feeding rate and growth rate demonstrates that blackcap nestlings develop their bodies under relatively low feeding rates and more feeding is needed for maintenance of body temperature than for body growth. The study indicates high cost of endothermy for parents – endothermic nestlings received over 100% more feedings than ectothermic ones. The findings are discussed in the light of adaptation of the species to high predation risk.
Does consumption of high‐fructose corn syrup beverages cause obesity in children?
Authors: Morgan R. E.
Published: April 2013

What is already known about this subject

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) consumption in the form of beverages has increased among U.S. school‐aged children.

HFCS is a common sweetener found in the U.S. food supply including fruit juices, soft drinks, and sport drinks.

Obesity exposes school‐aged children to preventative health risks.

What this study adds

There is inconclusive scientific evidence to definitively link HFCS beverage consumption in school‐aged children to obesity.

Consumption of HFCS beverages in children may displace consumption of milk.

Many entities contribute to childhood yet limitation of sweetened beverages may decrease obesity in children.

The consumption of high‐fructose corn syrup (HFCS) beverages has increased since the 1970s. At the same time, childhood obesity is on the rise, causing children to be at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. Healthcare providers have attributed childhood obesity to the consumption of HFCS in the form of beverages. This article will look at the available research and determine if there is scientific evidence underlying the idea that sweetened soft drinks, especially those containing HFCS, could cause or contribute to childhood obesity. A thorough literature search was performed using the ISI Web of Sciences, PubMed and Scopus databases within the years 2006–2012. The search generated 19 results. The articles were screened, and six were deemed eligible: four systematic reviews and two meta‐analyses. Two systematic reviews found that there is no relationship between consumption of HFCS beverages and obesity in children. The other two systematic reviews found possible links between HFCS and childhood obesity. The meta‐analysis articles found that consumption of HFCS beverages can contribute to childhood obesity, and limitation of sweetened beverages may help decrease obesity in children. Available research studies demonstrate inconclusive scientific evidence definitively linking HFCS to obesity in children.
Do core self‐evaluations and trait emotional intelligence predict subjective well‐being in dental students?
Authors: Montasem Alexander , Brown Stephen L. , Harris Rebecca
Published: April 2013

We examined unique associations between surface personality traits of emotional intelligence, core self‐evaluations, and subjective well‐being in dental students. A cross‐sectional study of 218 undergraduates showed that trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) and core self‐evaluations (CSE) predicted subjective well‐being controlling the Big Five personality traits. Structural equation modeling showed that trait EI and the neuroticism component of CSE better predicted affective components of subjective well‐being, and cognitive CSE traits (self‐esteem, self‐efficacy, and locus of control) better predicted life satisfaction, the cognitive component of subjective well‐being. These findings demonstrate the utility of a parallel‐process approach that specifies differential prediction of cognitive and affective subjective well‐being components.
The role of self‐determination in the relationship between social support and physical activity intentions
Authors: George Matthew , Eys Mark A. , Oddson Bruce , Roy‐Charland Annie , Schinke Robert J. , Bruner Mark W.
Published: April 2013

Using the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (HMIEM) and self‐determination theory as theoretical frameworks, the purpose of the present study was to assess the role of motivation‐related variables in the relationship between perceptions of social support and intentions to be physically active. Undergraduate students completed surveys assessing perceptions of social support, psychological needs satisfaction, self‐determination, and future exercise intentions. Model fit with the data was examined and was considered acceptable, indicating that social support was positively related to the satisfaction of psychological needs, which, in turn, was related positively to self‐determination and then to physical activity intentions.