bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Middle leadership in higher education
Authors: Branson Christopher M , Franken Margaret , Penney Dawn
Published: January 2015

The paper is informed by a research study exploring middle leadership as experienced by Chairpersons of Departments within one faculty in a university in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is argued that middle leadership in higher education needs to be understood as a highly complex relational endeavour, characterised by compromises that are negotiated amidst leadership structures, hierarchies and relations. The focus on leadership as first and foremost relational provides a frame for critically examining the nature and complexities inherent in the lived reality of middle leadership. Relational leadership is conceptualised as encompassing four inter-related dimensions. These are derived from data and respectively centre on structure and power; trust and credibility; learning; and discursive relations. We suggest that each dimension provides a productive lens through which the complexities and challenges of middle leadership can be explored. Throughout the emphasis is that for middle leaders, the relations that they have to navigate and negotiate are multi-faceted and multi-directional, involving relations up, down and across organisational structures and networks. Middle leaders are shown to be acutely aware that their decisions and the decisions of other staff variously impact upon the context and relations that they are working amidst.
Maximum likelihood analysis of multi-stress accelerated life test data of series systems with competing log-normal causes of failure
Authors: Roy Soumya , Mukhopadhyay Chiranjit
Published: January 2015

This article presents frequentist inference of accelerated life test data of series systems with independent log-normal component lifetimes. The means of the component log-lifetimes are assumed to depend on the stress variables through a linear stress translation function that can accommodate the standard stress translation functions in the literature. An expectation–maximization algorithm is developed to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of model parameters. The maximum likelihood estimates are then further refined by bootstrap, which is also used to infer about the component and system reliability metrics at usage stresses. The developed methodology is illustrated by analyzing a real as well as a simulated dataset. A simulation study is also carried out to judge the effectiveness of the bootstrap. It is found that in this model, application of bootstrap results in significant improvement over the simple maximum likelihood estimates.
Reliability and maintenance models for a dependent competing-risk system with multiple time-scales
Authors: Noorossana Rassoul , Sabri-Laghaie Kamyar
Published: January 2015

In this article, reliability and maintenance models are developed for systems subjected to dependent competing risks and multiple time-scales. Multiple degradation processes and random shocks involve in system failure. The random shocks cause sudden increment jumps in the degradation processes. We use copula method to fit the dependent relationship among various degradation processes. We also study the impact of multiple random usage processes (time-scales) on reliability measures of systems subjected to competing risks. A time-based maintenance policy is proposed to maximize the availability of such systems. The time interval between two successive preventive maintenances and maximum number of preventive maintenances before replacement is found so that the availability of the system is maximized.
Quantifying intra-organisational risks: An analysis of practice-theory tensions in probability elicitation to improve technical risk management in an energy utility
Authors: Anderson Gillian , Walls Lesley , Revie Matthew , Fenelon Euan , Storie Calum
Published: January 2015

Assessing the likelihood of future events is core to technical risk management at Scottish Power Generation. Events can include failures resulting in unavailability of key assets or incidents impacting staff safety or the environment. Eliciting probabilities from engineers to quantify the likelihood of future, uncertain events is challenging given the diversity of assets across the multiple, heterogeneous power plants operated by Scottish Power Generation. Such probability assessments inform investment decisions intended to manage technical risks and support regulatory compliance. Through interviews with engineers, we reveal the opportunities for heuristics and bias that explain some of the historical disparities in assessments intuitively evident to risk managers. We propose better ways of obtaining judgemental probability assessments based on a study involving engineers and a control group of post-experience students. We find that the choice of scale descriptors impacts the probability values of defined events as judged by engineers. Consequently, we suggest changes to the risk management system, including new design features to better frame and capture probability assessments. As a consequence of our study, the technical risk management process is being enhanced in a number of ways, including the creation of a single organisational-wide framework, clearer guidelines and better knowledge management.
Amphotericin B stimulates γδ T and NK cells, and enhances protection from Salmonella infection
Authors: Hedges Jodi F , Mitchell Angela M , Jones Kerri , Kimmel Emily , Ramstead Andrew G , Snyder Deann T , Jutila Mark A
Published: January 2015

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a commonly used antifungal drug, with well-documented effects on cellular immune responses. We determined that AmB-stimulated γδ T-cell activation and proliferation in vitro at very low concentrations. AmB also enhanced IFN-γ production by NK cells in combination with IL-18. AmB had a greater effect on IFN-γ production in cells isolated from very young animals. Although innate immunostimulatory aspects of AmB have been defined, AmB has not been extensively applied in non-fungal infection settings. Given that γδ T cells are increased and activated in Salmonella infection in cattle, we assessed the effects of AmB in protection from Salmonella enterocolitis in calves. One injection of AmB, at approximately one-tenth of the concentration used in human patients to counter fungal infection, or saline control, was delivered intravenously to calves prior to infection with Salmonella. This single injection caused no adverse effects, reduced disease symptoms from Salmonella enterocolitis and significantly reduced Salmonella bacteria shed in feces of infected animals. Our findings suggest that AmB may be an inexpensive and readily available prophylactic approach for the prevention of bacterial infection in calves.
Prophylactic Fresh Frozen Plasma Infusion is Ineffective in Reversing Warfarin Anticoagulation and Preventing Delayed Intracranial Hemorrhage After Falls
Authors: Reddy Subhash , Sharma Rohit , Grotts Jonathan , Ferrigno Lisa , Kaminski Stephen
Published: January 2015

Background:

Elderly patients, with considerable fall risk, are increasingly anticoagulated to prevent thromboembolic disease. We hypothesized that a policy of prophylactic fresh frozen plasma (FFP) infusion in patients having falls would reverse vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) and that reversal would decrease delayed intracranial hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients with trauma admitted to a level 2 community trauma center was performed from January 2010 until November 2012. Inclusion criteria were: ground level fall (GLF) with suspected head trauma, on VKA, an international normalized ratio (INR) of >1.5, and a negative head computed tomography (CT). Patients were transfused with FFP to a goal INR of <1.5 while observed. Patients were classified as reversed (REV) if the lowest INR achieved within 4 to 24 hours after initial INR was <1.5 or unreversed (NREV) if lowest INR achieved was >1.5. Chi-square and logistic regression were performed.

Results:

A total of 194 patients met the criteria. In all, 43 (22%) patients were able to be REV, and 151 (78%) patients remained NREV. Unreversed patients were male and younger ( P < .05). There was no difference in mean FFP received. Unreversed patients had a higher initial INR of 3.0 compared to REV patients (2.5; P = .018). One patient developed a delayed ICH and belonged to the REV group.

Conclusion:

The incidence of delayed hemorrhage was 0.5%. A strategy of prophylactic FFP infusion was ineffective in VKA reversal. We recommend against prophylactic infusion of FFP during a period of observation for patients on VKA with suspected head trauma and a negative initial CT.
Topical Allium ampeloprasum Subsp Iranicum (Leek) Extract Cream in Patients With Symptomatic Hemorrhoids
Authors: Mosavat Seyed Hamdollah , Ghahramani Leila , Sobhani Zahra , Haghighi Ehsan Rahmanian , Heydari Mojtaba
Published: January 2015

Allium ampeloprasum subsp iranicum (Leek) has been traditionally used in antihemorrhoidal topical herbal formulations. This study aimed to evaluate its safety and efficacy in a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial. Twenty patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids were randomly allocated to receive the topical leek extract cream or standard antihemorrhoid cream for 3 weeks. The patients were evaluated before and after the intervention in terms of pain, defecation discomfort, bleeding severity, anal itching severity, and reported adverse events. A significant decrease was observed in the grade of bleeding severity and defecation discomfort in both the leek and antihemorrhoid cream groups after the intervention, while no significant change was observed in pain scores. There was no significant difference between the leek and antihemorrhoid cream groups with regard to mean changes in outcome measures. This pilot study showed that the topical use of leek cream can be as effective as a standard antihemorrhoid cream.
A Qualitative Analysis of the Use of Financial Services and Saving Behavior Among Older African Americans and Latinos in the Los Angeles Area
Authors: Blanco Luisa R. , Ponce Maria , Gongora Arturo , Duru O. Kenrik
Published: January 2015

For this study, we conducted seven focus groups in the Los Angeles area with a total of 70 participants (42 Latinos and 28 African Americans) recruited from three senior centers and a church. There was a wide variety of responses in relation to the usage of financial services among participants. We found that although some participants seem to participate more in the formal financial sector and show a higher level of sophistication when managing their finances, other participants’ use of formal financial institutions is minimal. Among African American participants, we found several instances in which individuals feel very comfortable using banks. Lower levels of participation in the formal financial sector were found among the lower income Latino participants. In relation to barriers to participate in the financial sector, supply was not an issue, but demand and behavioral factors seem more important. Overall, no participants saved very much on a regular basis. We also find that participants in general do not want to ask their children for money, and also do not want to save and accumulate wealth to leave to their children.
Future Orientation and School Bullying Among Adolescents in Rural China
Authors: Gao Shu Ling , Chan Ko Ling
Published: January 2015

This study examined the relations among future orientation, school bonding, and school bullying perpetration behaviors. Data were collected from 677 seventh- to ninth-grade adolescents in an area in Southwest China. Specifically, students completed the Future-Orientation Questionnaire, the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, and the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire to assess their future orientation, school bonding, and bullying behaviors, respectively. Results indicated that students’ future orientation (toward education or occupation) was negatively associated with school bullying perpetration. Future orientation was also significantly associated with their feeling of school bonding. School bonding had a significant indirect effect ( b = .37) on the relation between future orientation in the educational domain and school bullying behavior, and also played a significant mediating role in the relation between future orientation in the occupational domain and school bullying perpetration ( b = .30). This research suggests that school bonding may be one mechanism by which children’s orientation toward future education or future occupation may have an effect on their bullying perpetration behaviors.
Interactive Effects of Public Service Motivation and Organizational Politics on Nepali Civil Service Employees' Organizational Commitment
Authors: Shrestha Arjun Kumar , Mishra Ajaya Kumar
Published: January 2015

This study attempted to investigate the instrumentality and generalizability of public service motivation (PSM) instrument developed by Perry (1996) in Nepali context. It also examined the interactive effect of perceptions of organizational politics (POP) and different dimensions of PSM on Nepali civil service employees' organizational commitment. Cross-sectional survey questionnaire was used to collect the data. Four hundred and forty-three employees from 10 ministries and their associated departments, regional offices, and district level offices participated in the survey. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to check the dimensionality of PSM instrument. Interactive effects of different dimensions of PSM and POP on organizational commitment were tested using hierarchical moderated multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that PSM exists in Nepali context but all the dimensions are not reproduced. POP moderated the relationship between self-sacrifice dimension of PSM and employees' organizational commitment. The implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Nonviolence at Workplace—Scale Development and Validation
Authors: Bhalerao Hemangi , Kumar Satishchandra
Published: January 2015

The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretically grounded instrument to measure the construct nonviolence at workplace. The academic discourse on psychological mechanism underpinning nonviolence is meager. Relying on extant literature in psychology, sociology, and political science in the field of violence and nonviolence, we have identified four dimensions to capture the measurable features of nonviolence. Next, we developed items to measure these dimensions. Professionals from private organizations in India answered the 32-item scale. The scale was tested for its factor structure, reliability, and validity. The instrument can be used by behavioral scientists and industry practitioners to assess the level of nonviolence among professionals as pre-screening and for academicians to further test and develop theoretical insights of this construct. The unique contribution of this study is that it challenges the basic assumption that nonviolence is absence of violence. The results indicate that nonviolent personalities are active agents in breaking the cycle of violence.
Intimate Partner Violence and Its Resolution Among African American Women
Authors: Finfgeld-Connett Deborah
Published: January 2015

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant problem that is difficult to overcome within African American communities. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize isolated qualitative findings relating to IPV among African American women to make them more meaningful and generalizable. A framework of IPV among African American women resulted from this work, and key elements include the following: ubiquitous and perpetual oppression and abuse contribute to the emergence of IPV, and personal and interpersonal forms of inspiration and support are generally inadequate to prevent or resolve it. Moreover, ambivalence of others, fear, mental health problems, and negative perceptions of helping services are barriers to change. Resolution of IPV is an emergent process that is enhanced by holistic Afrocentric services. Outcomes are safety with strings attached and personal growth for mothers and children. Research hypotheses are inferred from this framework along with implications for clinical practice.
Social Enterprises in Lima: Notions and Operating Models
Authors: Farber Vanina Andrea , Caballero Susy , Prialé María Angela , Fuchs Rosa María
Published: January 2015

The social enterprise movement in Lima is gathering momentum. An increasing number of people are taking an interest in this field of activity, in events that help spread the word about its significance, and in a range of initiatives aimed at promoting the phenomenon. In Peru, in general, and in Lima, in particular, there has been a growing interest in promoting the social enterprise movement in recent years, with good results. Young people in particular are more aware of social and environmental issues and look upon enterprises as organisations with the legitimacy and the potential to address these problems.

The interest in social enterprises has not, however, been accompanied by the creation of a knowledge base that may help us understand better the peculiarities and complexities of this promising sector. Our article proposes to bridge this gap in knowledge. It is is divided into two sections: ( i) definitions; and ( ii) operating models for social enterprises. The first section sets out various definitions and interpretations of the term ‘social enterprise’, while the second part provides an empirical account of six different operating models for social enterprises that are active in Lima. Specifically, this part explains the relationship between social enterprises, the market and the intended beneficiaries. We contend that understanding this three-dimensional relationship is essential for developing a credible knowledge base for social enterprises and their value to the wider economy and society.

We use qualitative methodology to support our empirical observations. Our extensive review of the literature enables us to draw down three conceptual and practical propositons which we explore through 39 in-depth interviews were held with government officials, social entrepreneurs, academics and representatives of non-governmental, multilateral aid and private-sector organisations related in some way to social enterprises.

The study was carried out as part of the ‘International Comparative Social Enterprise Models’ project, financed by the Belgian Science Policy Office in collaboration with the EMES International Research Network.
Socialising Entrepreneurship: An Activist Approach
Authors: Pillay Poppet , Mitra Jay
Published: January 2015

Our objective is to explain critically the possibility of direct participation of researchers and respondents in the development of information technology (IT)-based social entrepreneurship projects at a further education and training (FET) college in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We use concepts of innovative social practice, risk-taking, the motivation of entrepreneurs and the creation of social value ( Dees, 2001 ; Smith, Barr, Barbosa & Kickul, 2008 ; Trexler, 2008) . We use these ideas to inform our methodology of action research and participatory involvement of researchers to locate our work in both theory and practice ( Bornstein & Davis, 2010 ; Kemmis, 2008 ; Reason & Bradbury, 2008 ; Stringer, 2007 ). We use Stringer's (2007) community-based participatory research model which includes three major stages: looking, thinking and acting while observation and reflection are processes that occur in the evolution of each stage. The need to work collaboratively with the participants and to build a network of relationships to improve the economic and social lives of individuals and communities is central to our approach. The data collected in the research were arranged in themes using the sustainable livelihoods framework.

Our findings demonstrate how the development of social enterprises can be contextualised to provide a greater understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised communities in terms of developing enterprises and the actions necessary for creating value from this research. Of the two important outcomes, the first was the formation of a cooperative called Xumana-IT by the participants and the researchers. The second outcome involved the development of a model for developing social entrepreneurship at FET colleges.

The research outcomes show first how the involvement of non-profit and non-governmental organisations together with for-profit social enterprises in South African regions can be brought together for collaborative effort. Second, we show how FE institutions could become centres of social entrepreneurship in both urban and rural areas to support marginalised communities using a ‘socially-involved’ approach. They could be supported by universities by way of curriculum development for social entrepreneurship since there is nothing currently available. Third, the value of our research is in the demonstration of the value of entrepreneurial activism through research-based activity which enables enquiry and action to combine critically to open up new routes to entrepreneurship research.
Teachers as Mentors: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Experience-based Learning at the Base of the Pyramid (An Exploratory Essay)
Authors: Jäger Urs , Cardoza Guillermo , Umaña-Timms Luis
Published: January 2015

Large-scale societal challenges such as poverty and exclusion raise a discussion about the andragogical approaches to education provision and the societal role of business schools. Although the discussion on the role of businesses in addressing base of the pyramid (BoP) market needs is increasing, we know of only few firms that work successfully at the BoP. Insufficient knowledge about BoP markets is a challenge for firms and for management teachers. Obviously, by including the BoP in their courses, management teachers enter a new and unknown empirical field. They can refer only to a few theories and case studies, and therefore, they probably need to work with didactical innovations that include practical challenges, and therefore, students' practical experiences. But to include practical challenges, like the ones existing at the BoP, is a difficult task for management teachers. In this article, we discuss teachers' challenges resulting from including the practical context of BoP into management courses. We introduce the andragocical approach of experience-based learning as a promising entry point to structure business school courses that intend to incorporate BoP issues into the curriculum. We reflect on why experience-based learning matters for BoP courses and the resulting consequences for the role of teachers. We conclude by presenting a course that we prepared for the delivery at INCAE Business School in Nicaragua as an illustrative example.
Gendered by Design: Qipao and Society, 1911–1949
Authors: Ng Sandy
Published: January 2015

This article explores women’s social status in modern China during the turbulent history of the early twentieth century through an examination of examples of qipao and related images that date approximately from the 1920s to the 1940s. The discussion aims to demonstrate the evolving styles that reveal women’s growing emancipation, and which foreground their bodies as the point of social contention. Qipao is often presented as a national costume in the Chinese culture, but its identity is fraught with gender related issues as well as its role as a tool of social redefinition.
Origin of organic matter in the Eagle Ford Formation
Authors: Boling Kenneth S. , Dworkin Stephen I.
Published: January 2015

The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Formation is an organic-rich mudrock of economic significance for oil and gas exploration. In order to facilitate a better understanding of paleoceanographic conditions during Eagle Ford deposition, this study integrates the isotope chemistry of bulk organic matter with inorganic geochemical data. Measurements of total organic carbon (TOC), total N, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and inorganic major, and trace elements were taken from 166 Eagle Ford and Pepper Formation outcrop samples from McLennan County, central Texas. These data reveal the chemostratigraphic character and the evolution of Cretaceous seawater chemistry on the Texas shelf and allowed the identification of six distinct chemofacies that are useful for correlation purposes. Based on these data, changing paleoredox conditions were documented ranging from normal marine (oxic) conditions associated with the Pepper Formation, anoxic conditions associated with the Lower Eagle Ford Formation, suboxic conditions associated with most of the upper Eagle Ford, and then a return to normal marine conditions at the top of the Eagle Ford Formation. The high TOC content of the Lower Eagle Ford was most likely caused by high productivity that in turn drove conditions to anoxia. Geochemical data that correlate well with TOC were used to identify intervals of potential organic enrichment.
Network Celebrity: Entrepreneurship and the New Public Intellectuals
Authors: Turner Fred , Larson Christine
Published: January 2015

This article identifies a mode of intellectual influence and popular celebrity that has emerged alongside American computer science and collaborative engineering: “network celebrity.” By tracking the tactics and impact of three key intellectual entrepreneurs — Norbert Wiener, Stewart Brand, and Tim O’Reilly — the article traces the rise of this mode of celebrity. It outlines both the new shape of network- driven intellectual fame and the dangers inherent in networked modes of power.
Bodies of Digital Celebrity
Authors: Pearl Sharrona , Polan Dana
Published: January 2015

This afterword traces how the varied essays in this issue offer new theorizations of celebrity, extend the analysis of celebrity to new channels for its dissemination, and expand on the very kinds of personalities who are—or who in the electronic age can suddenly become—celebrities. There are through-lines among the essays (such as the interplay of amateur and professional or the tension between top-down and bottom-up processes of celebrity making), and read together they offer a rich comparative grasp of the complexities of celebrity and fame in the Internet age.
Italy's Amnesia over War Guilt: The “Evil Germans” Alibi
Authors: Focardi Filippo
Published: January 2015

The Italian national memory has still not come to terms with the responsibilities of Benito Mussolini's Italy for the Axis war of 1940 – 43, which Italy fought on the side of Nazi Germany. It has also not come to terms with the serious war crimes Italy committed in the occupied territories, especially the Balkans. Instead, a master narrative elaborated the positive stereotype of the “good Italian,” an opponent of war and a savior of the Jews, in contrast to the negative stereotype of the “evil German,” sadistic and brutal, onto whom the Italians shifted all the blame for the war. This essay analyzes the origin of these interwoven stereotypes, which were created by the Italian ruling class in order for the defeated nation to avoid a punitive peace and were subsequently spread by the mass media.
Margaret Thatcher's Diplomacy and the 1982 Lebanon War
Authors: Eames Anthony M.
Published: January 2015

The year 1982 emerged as pivotal in the Atlantic Alliance and the relationship between President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. On 6 June 1982, Israeli Defense Forces breached the Lebanese border in a maneuvre to eradicate the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The campaign opened a violent episode in the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict. Almost immediately the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office recognized the challenge to the international community. The crisis in the Middle East occurred during a period of substantial turnover in the foreign policy communities of both London and Washington. Subsequent improved bilateral relations between the United States and the United Kingdom paved the way for greater cooperation in international diplomacy between respective national executives.
Water: The One Crisis That Also Represents the Biggest Opportunity for a Middle East People's Peace
Authors: Hassan El
Published: January 2015

The Middle East has 10 percent of the planet's land and 5 percent of its population, but it contains less than 1 percent of the world's freshwater resources. Thirteen of the twenty-two members of the Arab League rank among the world's most water-scarce nations. The effects of climate change, water shortages, and resulting migrations of people could result in an acute problem of food scarcity across the region. As outbreaks of the Arab Spring showed, a shortfall of food and a rise in the prices of staple items can have a devastating impact on the stability of the entire region. The history of humankind is replete with instances of savage conflict; however, there are also numerous instances when people have cooperated with each other to achieve tasks of expansive scope. The essay describes both the dire state of water resources in the region and avenues for using water for regional cooperation.
Activin A inhibits RANKL-mediated osteoclast formation, movement and function in murine bone marrow macrophage cultures
Authors: Fowler T. W. , Kamalakar A. , Akel N. S. , Kurten R. C. , Suva L. J. , Gaddy D.
Published: January 2015

The process of osteoclastic bone resorption is complex and regulated at multiple levels. The role of osteoclast (OCL) fusion and motility in bone resorption are unclear, with the movement of OCL on bone largely unexplored. RANKL is a potent stimulator of murine osteoclastogenesis, and Activin A (ActA) enhances that stimulation in whole bone marrow. ActA treatment does not induce osteoclastogenesis in stroma-free murine bone marrow macrophage cultures (BMM), but rather inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. We hypothesized that ActA and RANKL differentially regulate osteoclastogenesis via OCL precursor and mature OCL migration. Time-lapse video microscopy measured ActA and RANKL effects on BMM and OCL motility and function. ActA completely inhibited RANKL-stimulated OCL motility, differentiation and bone resorption, via a mechanism mediated by ActA-dependent changes in SMAD2, AKT and IκB signaling. The potent and dominant inhibitory effect of ActA was associated with decreased OCL lifespan, as ActA significantly increased activated caspase-3 in mature OCL and OCL precursors. Collectively, these data demonstrate a dual action for ActA on murine OCLs.
Unconventional PINK1 localization mechanism to the outer membrane of depolarized mitochondria drives Parkin recruitment
Authors: Okatsu Kei , Kimura Mayumi , Oka Toshihiko , Tanaka Keiji , Matsuda Noriyuki
Published: January 2015

Dysfunction of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), a Ser/Thr kinase with an N-terminal mitochondria targeting sequence (MTS), causes familial recessive Parkinsonism. Reduction of the mitochondrial membrane potential limits MTS-mediated matrix import and promotes PINK1 accumulation on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) of depolarized mitochondria. PINK1 then undergoes autophosphorylation and phosphorylates ubiquitin and Parkin, a cytosolic ubiquitin ligase, for clearance of damaged mitochondria. The molecular basis for PINK1 localization on the OMM of depolarized mitochondria rather than release to the cytosol is poorly understood. Here, we disentangle the PINK1 localization mechanism using deletion mutants and a newly established constitutive-active PINK1 mutant. Disruption of the MTS through N-terminal insertion of aspartic acid residues results in PINK1 OMM localization in energized mitochondria. Unexpectedly, the MTS and putative transmembrane domain (TMD) are dispensable for OMM localization whereas mitochondrial translocase Tom40 and an alternative mitochondrial localization signal that resides between the MTS and TMD are required. PINK1 utilizes a mitochondrial localization mechanism, distinct from conventional MTS proteins, that presumably functions in conjunction with Tom complex in OMM localization when the conventional N-terminal MTS is inhibited.
Rbfox proteins regulate tissue-specific alternative splicing of Mef2D required for muscle differentiation
Authors: Runfola Valeria , Sebastian Soji , Dilworth F. Jeffrey , Gabellini Davide
Published: January 2015

Among Mef2 family of transcription factors, Mef2D is unique in that it undergoes tissue-specific splicing to generate an isoform essential for muscle differentiation. However, the mechanisms mediating this muscle-specific processing of Mef2D remain unknown. Using bioinformatics, we identified Rbfox proteins as putative modulators of Mef2D muscle-specific splicing. Accordingly, we found direct and specific Rbfox1 and 2 binding to Mef2D pre-mRNA in vivo. Gain and loss of function experiments demonstrated that Rbfox1 and 2 cooperate in promoting Mef2D splicing and subsequent myogenesis.

Thus, our findings reveal a novel role for Rbfox1/2 proteins in regulating myogenesis through activation of essential muscle-specific splicing events.
The biomechanics of burrowing and boring
Authors: Dorgan Kelly M.
Published: January 2015

Burrowers and borers are ecosystem engineers that alter their physical environments through bioturbation, bioirrigation and bioerosion. The mechanisms of moving through solid substrata by burrowing or boring depend on the mechanical properties of the medium and the size and morphology of the organism. For burrowing animals, mud differs mechanically from sand; in mud, sediment grains are suspended in an organic matrix that fails by fracture. Macrofauna extend burrows through this elastic mud by fracture. Sand is granular and non-cohesive, enabling grains to more easily move relative to each other, and macrofaunal burrowers use fluidization or plastic rearrangement of grains. In both sand and mud, peristaltic movements apply normal forces and reduce shear. Excavation and localized grain compaction are mechanisms that plastically deform sediments and are effective in both mud and sand, with bulk excavation being used by larger organisms and localized compaction by smaller organisms. Mechanical boring of hard substrata is an extreme form of excavation in which no compaction of burrow walls occurs and grains are abraded with rigid, hard structures. Chemical boring involves secretion to dissolve or soften generally carbonate substrata. Despite substantial differences in the mechanics of the media, similar burrowing behaviors are effective in mud and sand.
Bird colour vision: behavioural thresholds reveal receptor noise
Authors: Olsson Peter , Lind Olle , Kelber Almut
Published: January 2015

Birds have impressive physiological adaptations for colour vision, including tetrachromacy and coloured oil droplets, yet it is not clear exactly how well birds can discriminate the reflecting object colours that they encounter in nature. With behavioural experiments, we determined colour discrimination thresholds of chickens in bright and dim light. We performed the experiments with two colour series, orange and green, covering two parts of chicken colour space. These experiments allowed us to compare behavioural results with model expectations and determine how different noise types limit colour discrimination. At intensities ranging from bright light to those corresponding to early dusk (250–10 cd m−2), we describe thresholds accurately by assuming a constant signal-to-noise ratio, in agreement with an invariant Weber fraction of Weber's law. Below this intensity, signal-to-noise ratio decreases and Weber's law is violated because photon-shot noise limits colour discrimination. In very dim light (below 0.05cd m−2 for the orange series or 0.2 cd m−2 for the green series) colour discrimination is possibly constrained by dark noise, and the lowest intensity at which chickens can discriminate colours is 0.025 and 0.08 cd m−2 for the orange and green series, respectively. Our results suggest that chickens use spatial pooling of cone outputs to mitigate photon-shot noise. Surprisingly, we found no difference between colour discrimination of chickens and humans tested with the same test in bright light.
Physiological and molecular responses of the spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) to high environmental ammonia: scavenging for nitrogen
Authors: Nawata C. Michele , Walsh Patrick J. , Wood Chris M.
Published: January 2015

In teleosts, a branchial metabolon links ammonia excretion to Na+ uptake via Rh glycoproteins and other transporters. Ureotelic elasmobranchs are thought to have low branchial ammonia permeability, and little is known about Rh function in this ancient group. We cloned Rh cDNAs (Rhag, Rhbg and Rhp2) and evaluated gill ammonia handling in Squalus acanthias. Control ammonia excretion was <5% of urea-N excretion. Sharks exposed to high environmental ammonia (HEA; 1 mmol −1 NH4HCO3) for 48 h exhibited active ammonia uptake against partial pressure and electrochemical gradients for 36 h before net excretion was re-established. Plasma total ammonia rose to seawater levels by 2 h, but dropped significantly below them by 24–48 h. Control ΔPNH3 (the partial pressure gradient of NH3) across the gills became even more negative (outwardly directed) during HEA. Transepithelial potential increased by 30 mV, negating a parallel rise in the Nernst potential, such that the outwardly directed NH4+ electrochemical gradient remained unchanged. Urea-N excretion was enhanced by 90% from 12 to 48 h, more than compensating for ammonia-N uptake. Expression of Rhp2 (gills, kidney) and Rhbg (kidney) did not change, but branchial Rhbg and erythrocytic Rhag declined during HEA. mRNA expression of branchial Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) increased at 24 h and that of H+-ATPase decreased at 48 h, while expression of the potential metabolon components Na+/H+ exchanger2 (NHE2) and carbonic anhydrase IV (CA-IV) remained unchanged. We propose that the gill of this nitrogen-limited predator is poised not only to minimize nitrogen loss by low efflux permeability to urea and ammonia but also to scavenge ammonia-N from the environment during HEA to enhance urea-N synthesis.
Bias in peer review: a case study
Authors: Walker Richard , Barros Beatriz , Conejo Ricardo , Neumann Konrad , Telefont Martin
Published: January 2015

Peer review is the "gold standard" for evaluating journal and conference papers, research proposals, on-going projects and university departments. However, it is widely believed that current systems are expensive, conservative and prone to various forms of bias. One form of bias identified in the literature is “social bias” linked to the personal attributes of authors and reviewers. To quantify the importance of this form of bias in modern peer review, we analyze three datasets providing information on the attributes of authors and reviewers and review outcomes: one from Frontiers - an open access publishing house with a novel interactive review process, and two from Spanish and international computer science conferences, which use traditional peer review. We use a random intercept model in which review outcome is the dependent variable, author and reviewer attributes are the independent variables and bias is defined by the interaction between author and reviewer attributes. We find no evidence of bias in terms of gender, or the language or prestige of author and reviewer institutions in any of the three datasets, but some weak evidence of regional bias in all three. Reviewer gender and the language and prestige of reviewer institutions appear to have little effect on review outcomes, but author gender, and the characteristics of author institutions have large effects. The methodology used cannot determine whether these are due to objective differences in scientific merit or entrenched biases shared by all reviewers.
Advantages of distributed and parallel algorithms that leverage Cloud Computing platforms for large-scale genome assembly.
Authors: Kumari Priti , Mazumder Raja , Simonyan Vahan , Krampis Konstantinos
Published: January 2015

Background: The transition to Next Generation sequencing (NGS) sequencing technologies has had numerous applications in Plant, Microbial and Human genomics during the past decade. However, NGS sequencing trades high read throughput for shorter read length, increasing the difficulty for genome assembly. This research presents a comparison of traditional versus Cloud computing-based genome assembly software, using as examples the Velvet and Contrail assemblers and reads from the genome sequence of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model organism.

Results: The first phase of the analysis involved a subset of the zebrafish data set (2X coverage) and best results were obtained using K-mer size of 65, while it was observed that Velvet takes less time than Contrail to complete the assembly. In the next phase, genome assembly was attempted using the full dataset of read coverage 192x and while Velvet failed to complete on a 256GB memory compute server, Contrail completed but required 240hours of computation.

Conclusion: This research concludes that for deciding on which assembler software to use, the size of the dataset and available computing hardware should be taken into consideration. For a relatively small sequencing dataset, such as microbial or small eukaryotic genome, the Velvet assembler is a good option. However, for larger datasets Velvet requires large-memory  compute servers in the order of 1000GB or more. On the other hand, Contrail is implemented  using Hadoop, which performs the assembly in parallel across nodes of a compute cluster. Furthermore, Hadoop clusters can be rented on-demand from Cloud computing providers, and therefore Contrail can provide a simple and cost effective way for genome assembly of data generated at laboratories that lack the infrastructure or funds to build their own clusters.
FORGE: A tool to discover cell specific enrichments of GWAS associated SNPs in regulatory regions
Authors: Dunham Ian , Kulesha Eugene , Iotchkova Valentina , Morganella Sandro , Birney Ewan
Published: January 2015

Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) provide an unbiased discovery mechanism for numerous human diseases. However, a frustration in the analysis of GWAS is that the majority of variants discovered do not directly alter protein-coding genes. We have developed a simple analysis approach that detects the tissue-specific regulatory component of a set of GWAS SNPs by identifying enrichment of overlap with DNase I hotspots from diverse tissue samples. Functional element Overlap analysis of the Results of GWAS Experiments (FORGE) is available as a web tool and as standalone software and provides tabular and graphical summaries of the enrichments.  Conducting FORGE analysis on SNP sets for 260 phenotypes available from the GWAS catalogue reveals numerous overlap enrichments with tissue-specific components reflecting the known aetiology of the phenotypes as well as revealing other unforeseen tissue involvements that may lead to mechanistic insights for disease.
Poverty and shame – messages for social work
Authors: Gupta Anna
Published: January 2015

This article discusses the work of a project bringing together academics, practitioners and family members living in poverty with experience of child protection services, to develop a training programme for social workers on work with families living in poverty. The project involves a series of workshops and in this article the theme of the first workshop – ‘poverty and shame’ – is explored. The content of the discussions is analysed and implications for the development of critical social work practice considered.
Inaugural editorial: Urban cultural studies – a manifesto (part 2)
Authors: Fraser Benjamin
Published: January 2015

This two-part editorial launching the first volume of the Journal of Urban Cultural Studies (JUCS) details the need for and significance of an urban cultural studies (UCS) method, broadly conceived. Focusing on two specific areas of interdisciplinary study – the ever-shrinking gap between film studies and geography and the rise of spatial theory in literary studies, this installment of the editorial hopes to tease out the problems and potential that arise with discipline-crossing scholarship. Overall, UCS foments a dialogue between art and society – between textual/representational (humanities) understandings of culture and anthropological, geographical, sociological (social science) approaches. This is ideally accomplished within a reconfigured urban studies paradigm that continues to embrace its characteristic focus on architecture, built environment, city planning, everyday life, identity formation, landscape, space/place and transportation, while venturing further into artistic terrain than ever before – films, literature, music, sequential art, painting, digital humanities approaches and more.
Aggressiveness and Violence in the Life of Romanian Women
Authors: Dumitrescu Ana Maria
Published: January 2015

In Romania, the communist period brought about some serious damage to the image of the woman both at the society and at the family level, a fact that generated numerous social problems. Later on, the transition from socialism to capitalism was carried out with difficulty, and, in order to overcome the crisis situation (both social and familial) created, after 1989 the politicians preferred to “import” solutions without adapting them to the needs of the people, to its lifestyle and especially to the religion and culture of this nation. Moreover, domestic violence “continued its natural course”, still being considered a hidden problem, protected by the privacy of the family, by the institution of marriage and conceived as a thing that was allowed, accepted. Studies that should analyse the real status of this social problem were carried out only at national level, with more emphasis being laid on identifying the cases reported and solved and on the types of violence the victims were subjected to, but, unfortunately, the local or regional studies that should bring new and specific elements are very few. For this reason, the present survey tries to analyse the issues related to woman’s victimisation within an area lying in the south of Romania, namely in the Argeş County, by shaping a portrait of the woman from this area who presents a high risk of being abused and by identifying the cultural and structural barriers that prevent abuse and provide the means the victims need in order to be safe. The interviews carried out with the victims of domestic violence, as well as the analysis of their files, for a period of three years, render, in addition to the severity of the acts of violence and the trauma suffered, the authorities’ incapacity to manage this phenomenon which seems to become more and more present in Romanian households every single day that goes by.