bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the determinants of big data analytics (BDA) adoption in logistics and supply chain management
Authors: Lai Yuanyuan , Sun Huifen , Ren Jifan
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Based on previous literature on big data analytics (BDA) and supply chain (SC) management, the purpose of this paper is to address the factors determining firms’ intention to adopt BDA in their daily operations. Specifically, this study classifies potential factors into four categories: technological, organizational, environmental factors, and SC characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the innovation diffusion theory, a model consisted of direct technological and organizational factors as well as moderators was proposed. Subsequently, survey data was collected from 210 organizations. Then we used SPSS and SmartPLS to analyze the collected data.

Findings

The empirical results revealed that perceived benefits and top management support can significantly influence the adoption intention. And environmental factors, such as competitors’ adoption, government policy, and SC connectivity, can significantly moderate the direct relationships between driving factors and the adoption intention.

Research limitations/implications

Given the fact that big data (BD) usage in logistics and SC management is still in the start-up stage, the interpretations toward BDA might vary from different perspectives, thus causing some ambiguity in understanding the meaning and potential BD has. In addition, we collected data through questionnaires completed by IT managers, whose viewpoint may not fully represent that of an organization.

Practical implications

This paper tests the organizational adoption intention of BDA and extends the literature streams of BD and SC management simultaneously.

Social implications

This research helps top managers assess the benefits of BDA as well as how to adjust their business strategy along the changes of environment and SC maturity.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature of organizational adoption intention of BDA and extends the literature streams of BD and SC management simultaneously.
“Homeliness, hope and humour” (H3) – ingredients for creating a therapeutic milieu in prisons
Authors: Williams Ian , Winship Gary
Published: March 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to build a new theoretical framework for inscribing the constituents of therapeutic community (TC) practice in prisons and other secure psychiatric settings looking at three core element: homeliness, hope and humour.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on theory building, review of related literature, including research and policy, and synthesis from related funded research projects (Sociology of Health and Illness, Arts Humanities Research Council).

Findings

Home-as-method, and the concept of transitional home, highlights how a well-designed therapeutic environment looks and feels and can act as a base for effective rehabilitation. The TC aspires to offer a corrective new synthesis of home superseding the resident’s prior experience. A through-going definition of hope-as-method is outlined. It is argued that hope is co-constructed on the TC, and that there is a necessary challenge in gauging fluctuations in hope across time. Humour is a much overlooked idea but arguably an integral ingredient of healthy transactions between prisoners and staff. The particularities of humour present a challenge and an opportunity for harnessing the conditions when humour can flourish and conversely, the chain of events when mal humour damages community atmosphere.

Practical implications

H3 provides a new framework for reflecting on current TC practice, and also a model for developing novel ways of seeing, including the development of research and policy guidance. H3 also provides a philosophical base for developing a curriculum for education and training.

Originality/value

The 3Hs offers a rubric for positively narrating the aspirations of a prison milieu. The idea is purposively simple, and so far the authors have found that staff, prisoners and service directors are receptive to the concept, and there are plans for the 3Hs are set to be a narrative descriptor for developing practice in prisons.
The experience of change in a Prison Therapeutic Community: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Ross Gareth Edward , Auty Jonathan Michael
Published: March 2018

Purpose

Democratic Therapeutic Communities (TCs) provide an environment for offenders to work on longstanding emotional and relational problems and address their offending behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of making psychological changes on a TC from the perspective of residents.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the experience of five former residents of the TC at HMP Gartree.

Findings

Four main themes emerged, each with two sub-themes: Motivation to Change (sub-themes: Engagement, Determination); Environment (sub-themes: Boundaries, Experience of care); Removal of Masks (sub-themes: Embracing vulnerability, Emerging authenticity) and Relationships (sub-themes: Re-enacting the past, Challenge from peers). Findings are discussed in relation to existing literature.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding service users perspectives on what helps facilitate change can help staff empathise with their experiences and strengthen their relationships. The importance of clear and consistent boundaries that are perceived as fair and the development of meaningful relationships with staff in creating an atmosphere that enables change has implications for other therapeutic or supportive environments. This research represents the experiences of five participants who were motivated to take part and comfortable to speak to a professional about their experiences. As such, generalisations about the wider TC population should be made cautiously and further research would be beneficial.

Originality/value

The research adds to the underrepresented area of service user perspectives in a forensic TC. It contributes a rich account of the experience of psychological change that can help staff working in TCs understand and relate to their residents experiences.
Epidemiological and clinical features of rosacea in Korea: A multicenter cross‐sectional study
Authors: Lee Jee‐Bum , Moon Jungyoon , Moon Ki‐Rang , Yang Ji Hoon , Kye Young Chul , Kim Kwang Joong , Kim Nack In , Ro Young Suck , Park Kui Young , Park Mi Youn , Song Margaret , Ahn Kyu Joong , Ahn Hyo Hyun , Lee Mi Woo , Lee Weon Ju , Choi Yu Sung , Choi You Won , Kwon Hyuck Hoon , Suh Dae Hun
Published: March 2018

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition. Although several epidemiological and etiologic studies with large sample sizes have been conducted on Caucasians, such data regarding Asian populations are lacking. A total of 580 patients diagnosed with rosacea were enrolled from October 2014 to February 2015 at 14 general hospitals. Questionnaires, including the standard classification and grading system, were used for evaluation. The average age of the patients was 47.9 years. While 83.8% of patients revealed a single subtype, 16.2% of patients revealed mixed subtypes showing two or more subtypes simultaneously. Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR) was the most prevalent subtype. ETR combined with papulopustular rosacea showed the highest proportion in the mixed subtype group. Mild severity was revealed in 71.9% of patients. The most common aggravating factor was emotional changes (51.7%), followed by stress (48.4%). Approximately half of the patients (47.4%) showed relatively low awareness of rosacea. By identifying the epidemiological and etiologic features in Korea, we can suggest valuable clinical avenues for research, education and awareness among rosacea patients.
Drone‐based structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry captures grassland sward height variability
Authors: Forsmoo Joel , Anderson Karen , Macleod Christopher J. A. , Wilkinson Mark E. , Brazier Richard
Published: March 2018

Grasslands deliver a range of ecosystem services, including the provision of food and biodiversity, and regulation of soil carbon storage and hydrology. Monitoring schemes are needed to quantify spatial changes in these multiple functions alongside ecosystem degradation. Sward height is widely recognised as a key spatial variable in the provision of these services. Current manual monitoring approaches are labour intensive, and often fail to capture spatial patterns of important features, including sward height.

Proximal sensing from small aerial drones carrying lightweight cameras can be transformed into surface height models using image‐based structure‐from‐motion and Multi‐View Stereo‐based approaches; this presents a new opportunity for monitoring the spatial structure of grassland sward height. We combined aerial photographs with field survey data and an open‐source image‐based modelling‐processing workflow to generate sward height measurements for a field comprising mainly Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Trifolium pratense (red clover). We compared the derived measurements with in situ data captured on the same day using traditional agronomic sward height techniques to determine the quality of the drone‐derived surface model product for sward characterisation.

The SfM and Multi‐View Stereo‐based surface model had a mean absolute sward height measurement error of between 3.7 and 4.2 cm. To produce field observations with equivalent quality would require up to 550 sward height measurements for the study site (area: 8,059 m2), which is not feasible over larger extents required for conservation of key species or agronomic purposes.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate how the collection of precise and detailed information on the spatial structure of grasslands can be made over management‐relevant extents. Aerial digital photographs can be transformed into surface models using an image‐based modelling approach: structure‐from‐motion and Multi‐View Stereo techniques. Image‐based measurements of sward heights were compared with manual sward height data captured on the same day. This novel source of vegetation spatial information could improve sward management for conservation and agronomy applications. The approach supports frequent surveys, at user‐controlled revisit times, and delivers data for spatial monitoring of key grassland functions and services.
Lichens: A limit to peat growth?
Authors: Harris Lorna I. , Moore Tim R. , Roulet Nigel T. , Pinsonneault Andrew J.
Published: March 2018

The fruticose lichens Cladina stellaris and Cladina rangiferina, form thick mats that can cover large areas of northern peatlands (above c. 50° latitude), including the extensive peatlands of the Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL) in Canada, where lichens may cover up to 50% of the landscape. Despite the abundance of lichens in northern peatlands, our understanding of their role within peatland ecosystems, and peat accumulation in particular, is limited.

We investigate the potential effect of these mat‐forming lichens on peat production and decomposition processes, using field data from an ombrogenous bog in the HBL and laboratory analyses. We hypothesize that (a) production in lichen‐shrub hummocks is less than in Sphagnum‐shrub hummocks; (b) the decay of lichen litter is faster than that of Sphagnum moss, so the mass litter input to the peat profile is reduced; and (c) faster decomposition of the underlying peat is stimulated by lichen leachates, resulting in greater mass loss.

We found that thick lichen mats alter vegetation composition in peatlands, reducing Sphagnum cover and inhibiting the growth of small shrubs. Coupled with low lichen productivity that is constrained by moisture conditions, production for lichen‐shrub hummocks is significantly smaller than for Sphagnum‐shrub hummocks, confirming hypothesis (a). Our data also support hypothesis (b), with chemical analyses of lichen mats and leachates from lichen mats indicating faster decay of lichens compared to Sphagnum moss, and therefore reduced mass litter input to the peat profile in lichen‐dominated hummocks. Although we found no evidence to suggest leachates from lichens enhance decomposition processes in peatlands (hypothesis c), larger dry bulk densities for peat under lichen mats indicate a loss of structural integrity and potential collapse of the peat column.

Synthesis. As production of new material added to the peat column is less in lichen‐dominated hummocks, local peat accumulation slows or ceases, representing a potential temporary limit to peat growth. Our results highlight the importance of lichens as a vegetation feedback in peatland development, with thick mats probably constraining or reducing hummock height relative to adjacent, lichen‐free hollows.
Forbs, grasses, and grassland fire behaviour
Authors: Wragg Peter D. , Mielke Troy , Tilman David
Published: March 2018

In grasslands and savannas, fire regime—frequently a major determinant of woody encroachment, herbaceous species composition and diversity, and nutrient cycling—is influenced by the quantity and characteristics of plant fuel. Laboratory studies reveal variation in flammability among herbaceous species, but field experiments are needed to assess whether herbaceous species composition meaningfully affects ecosystem‐scale fire behaviour.

In our North American tallgrass prairie study system, grasses’ thinner leaves and longer leaf retention appeared to create a finer, more aerated, more connected fuel bed than forbs. We tested the hypothesis that grasses promote fire spread area, fire intensity, and associated facets of fire behaviour more strongly than an equivalent mass of forbs.

We characterized spring fires over multiple years in 315 annually ignited plots spanning profound gradients of plant biomass, cover, and grass:forb ratio that resulted from species richness and composition treatments, in a 20‐year grassland biodiversity experiment.

Grasses increased fire spread and associated facets of fire behaviour, compared with an equivalent biomass or cover of forbs. Grass dominance increased fire spread area—or equivalently increased fire frequency at any given point. For fire to spread through 50% of the 9 m × 9 m plot area required approximately twice as high an abundance of forbs as of grasses. Grass dominance also resulted in fires that advanced faster, were more intense (higher rates of heat release per unit fireline length), caused more damage to plants, and released heat to greater heights. Fire temperature at 50 cm above‐ground was about twice as high in plots with only grasses as in plots with the same biomass of forbs.

Synthesis. Even within herbaceous ecosystems that may appear homogenously flammable compared with less flammable woody ecosystems, fuel quality—specifically, the proportional abundance of grasses—combines with fuel quantity and ignitions to determine effective fire regime at a given point. In spring burns, grass‐dominated plots burn more completely and generate higher temperatures, and thus better suppress woody plants and volatilize more nutrients, than forb‐dominated plots (holding all else equal).
Parents’ perceptions of the long‐term appropriateness of a psychosocial intervention for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Allan Nicola , Wilkes‐Gillan Sarah , Bundy Anita , Cordier Reinie , Volkert Anita
Published: March 2018

Background/aim

Designing psychosocial interventions that parents perceive as appropriate is essential to enhancing their engagement with the intervention and their long‐term use of the intervention strategies. The aim of this study was to explore the long‐term appropriateness of a play‐based psychosocial intervention for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the perspectives of parents.

Methods

Semi‐structured phone interviews were conducted with 14 parents of children with ADHD who participated in a randomised controlled trial of the play‐based intervention 1 year earlier.

Results

Thematic analysis led to the development of three core‐themes: (i) Everybody needs a parenting handbook, (ii) No one thing you are dealing with, and (iii) A different approach: Reframing.

Discussion

The core‐themes related back to a definition of intervention appropriateness that acknowledges the intervention as important/relevant, beneficial, socially and ecologically valid and promotes sustainable change, indicating parents perceived the intervention as appropriate. The core‐themes also resembled aspects of the process of family adaptation. Findings highlight the importance of designing interventions that are appropriate from parents’ perspectives to enhance their long‐term engagement and use of the intervention strategies as well as outcomes for their child in the long term.
The association of serum FGF23 and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease is independent of vitamin D in type 2 diabetes patients
Authors: He Xingxing , Shen Yun , Ma Xiaojing , Ying Lingwen , Peng Jiahui , Pan Xiaoping , Bao Yuqian , Zhou Jian
Published: March 2018

Recent studies have shown that circulating fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 and vitamin D levels are closely correlated with insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among serum FGF 23 levels, serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study enrolled 331 hospitalized T2DM patients (209 patients with NAFLD and 122 patients without NAFLD). Serum FGF23 levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Serum 25(OH)D levels were determined by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. NAFLD was diagnosed by hepatic ultrasound, and the fatty liver index (FLI) was calculated to quantify hepatic steatosis. Results showed that T2DM patients with NAFLD had significantly higher serum FGF23 levels (44.17 [37.92‐51.30] pg/mL vs 40.21 [34.07‐48.33] pg/mL, P = .002), but lower serum 25(OH)D levels (16.43 [12.70‐21.37] ng/mL vs 19.59 [13.78‐26.26] ng/mL, P = .002) than those without NAFLD. Moreover, the incidence rate of NAFLD increased with increasing serum FGF23 levels and decreased with increasing 25(OH)D levels (both P < .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that both serum FGF23 and 25(OH)D levels were independent factors for NAFLD (both P < .05). Furthermore, a multiple stepwise regression analysis also revealed that both serum FGF23 and 25(OH)D levels were independently correlated with FLI (both P < .01). In conclusion, both high FGF23 and low vitamin D levels showed an independent relationship with NAFLD in Chinese T2DM patients, indicating that FGF23 and vitamin D function via different regulatory pathways in the liver.
Laser capture microdissection for detecting the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition‐related genes in epithelial and spindle cells of paraffin‐embedded formalin‐fixed biphasic synovial sarcoma
Authors: Wang Ning , Liu Zi‐Han , Zou Hong , Pang Li‐juan , Gu Wen‐yi , Hu Jian‐Ming , Li Dong‐mei , Zhao Jin , Zhang Jun , Liu Chun‐Xia , Zhang Wen‐Jie , Qi Yan , Li Feng
Published: March 2018

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a mesenchymal malignant neoplasm showing characteristics of epithelial–mesenchymal biphasic differentiation. SS is of uncertain cellular origin; however, studies have suggested that SS originates from a somatic stem cell population. In this study, we aim to determine whether differential morphological features of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributed to the tumourigenesis of SS invasion and metastasis. Twelve paraffin‐embedded formalin‐fixed tissue (FFPE) SS tissue specimens were obtained, and laser capture microdissection (LCM) with the ArcturusXT system and small chip method (SCM) were used to isolate and purify spindle and epithelial cells from SS specimens. The TRIzol method was used to extract RNA, and the mRNA levels of EMT‐related genes in epithelial and spindle cells of SS specimens were measured using real‐time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). The results show that collection of about 2 × 104 cells from FFPE samples using LCM was sufficient for qRT‐PCR, with an efficiency of 75%. Compared with LCM, 72.2% (13 of 18) RNA samples were successfully extracted using SCM to isolate cells from FFPE SS tissues. In the 16 samples (11 spindle cell samples and 5 epithelial cell samples), Snail mRNA was significantly upregulated in spindle cell areas compared with that in epithelial cell areas (P = .001). Expression levels of the epithelial marker E‐cadherin and the mesenchymal marker N‐cadherin were not significantly different between epithelial and spindle cell areas. In spindle cells of recurrent SS samples, the mRNA levels of E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, Snail, and Slug were higher in primary SS samples than in recurrent samples. Taken together, our results indicated that in SS samples, Snail mRNA was upregulated in spindle cell areas compared with that in epithelial cell areas and that the expression of EMT‐related genes was increased in primary SS. LCM could be used to isolate and purify RNA from FFPE samples.
Family aggregation of language impairment in an isolated Chilean population from Robinson Crusoe Island
Authors: De Barbieri Zulema , Fernández María Angélica , Newbury Dianne F. , Villanueva Pía
Published: March 2018

Background

It has been reported that the inhabitants of the Chilean Robinson Crusoe Island have an increased frequency of specific language impairment (SLI) or developmental language disorder (DLD).

Aims

To explore the familial aggregation of DLD in this community.

Methods & Procedures

We assessed the frequency of DLD amongst colonial children between the ages of 3 and 8;11 years (50 individuals from 45 nuclear families). Familial aggregation rates of language disorder were calculated by assessing all available first‐degree relatives (n = 107, 77 parents, 25 siblings, five half‐siblings) of the probands.

Outcomes & Results

We found that 71% of the child population performed significantly below expected in measures of phonological production or expressive and receptive morphology. The majority of these children presented with severe expressive and/or receptive language difficulties. One‐quarter of language‐disordered probands primarily had phonological difficulties. Family members of affected probands experienced a higher risk of language disorder than those of typically developing probands. This increased risk was apparent regardless of non‐verbal IQ.

Conclusions & Implications

The study substantiates the existence of a familial form of speech and language disorder on Robinson Crusoe Island. Furthermore, we find that the familiarity is stable regardless of non‐verbal IQ, supporting the recent movement to reduce the importance of non‐verbal IQ criterion in DLD diagnoses.
Phosphate starvation response controls genes required to synthesize the phosphate analog arsenate
Authors: Wang Qian , Kang Yoon‐Suk , Alowaifeer Abdullah , Shi Kaixiang , Fan Xia , Wang Lu , Jetter Jonathan , Bothner Brian , Wang Gejiao , McDermott Timothy R.
Published: March 2018

Environmental arsenic poisoning affects roughly 200 million people worldwide. The toxicity and mobility of arsenic in the environment is significantly influenced by microbial redox reactions, with arsenite (AsIII) being more toxic than arsenate (AsV). Microbial oxidation of AsIII to AsV is known to be regulated by the AioXSR signal transduction system and viewed to function for detoxification or energy generation. Here, we show that AsIII oxidation is ultimately regulated by the phosphate starvation response (PSR), requiring the sensor kinase PhoR for expression of the AsIII oxidase structural genes aioBA. The PhoRB and AioSR signal transduction systems are capable of transphosphorylation cross‐talk, closely integrating AsIII oxidation with the PSR. Further, under PSR conditions, AsV significantly extends bacterial growth and accumulates in the lipid fraction to the apparent exclusion of phosphorus. This could spare phosphorus for nucleic acid synthesis or triphosphate metabolism wherein unstable arsenic esters are not tolerated, thereby enhancing cell survival potential. We conclude that AsIII oxidation is logically part of the bacterial PSR, enabling the synthesis of the phosphate analog AsV to replace phosphorus in specific biomolecules or to synthesize other molecules capable of a similar function, although not for total replacement of cellular phosphate.
Metabolic potential and in situ transcriptomic profiles of previously uncharacterized key microbial groups involved in coupled carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling in anoxic marine zones
Authors: Plominsky Alvaro M. , Trefault Nicole , Podell Sheila , Blanton Jessica M. , De la Iglesia Rodrigo , Allen Eric E. , von Dassow Peter , Ulloa Osvaldo
Published: March 2018

Anoxic marine zones (AMZs) impact biogeochemical cycles at the global scale, particularly the nitrogen cycle. Key microbial players from AMZs have been identified, but the majority remains unrecognized or uncharacterized. Thirty‐one single‐cell amplified genomes (SAGs) from the eastern tropical North and South Pacific AMZs were sequenced to gain insight into the distribution, metabolic potential and contribution to the community transcriptional profile of these uncharacterized bacterial and archaeal groups. Detailed analyses focused on SAG‐bins assigned to three of these groups that presented 79%–100% estimated genome completeness: the putative sulphur‐oxidizing Gamaproteobacteria EOSA II clade, a Marinimicrobia member of the recently recognized PN262000N21 clade found to be abundant in AMZ anoxic cores, and a representative of the Marine Benthic Group A Thaumarchaeota. Community‐based analyses revealed that these three groups are significantly more abundant and transcriptionally more active in the AMZ microbial communities than previously described phylogenetically related microbial groups. Collectively, these groups have the potential to link biogeochemically relevant processes by coupling the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles. Together, these results increase our understanding of key microbial components inhabiting AMZs and other oxygen‐deficient marine environments, enhancing our capacity to predict the impact of the expansion of these ecosystems due to climate change.
Future warming and acidification result in multiple ecological impacts to a temperate coralline alga
Authors: Huggett Megan J. , McMahon Kathryn , Bernasconi Rachele
Published: March 2018

Coralline algae are a crucial component of reef systems, stabilising reef substrate, providing habitat and contributing to accretion. Coralline algae and their surface microbial biofilms are also important as settlement cues for marine invertebrates, yet few studies address the impact of future environmental conditions on interactions between coralline algae, reef microbes and settlement by larvae of marine invertebrates. We exposed the temperate coralline algal species Amphiroa gracilis to warming and/or acidification scenarios for 21 days. Algae became bleached but photosystem II function was not measurably impacted. Settlement by larvae of the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma was reduced and the structure of the prokaryotic community associated with A. gracilis was altered. Coralline algae in ambient conditions were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria from the Rhodobacteraceae including Loktonella; those under warming were dominated by Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia; acidification resulted in less Loktonella and more Planctomycetes and a combination of warming and acidification caused increases in Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia and the Alphaproteobacteria family Hyphomonadaceae. These experiments indicate that predicted future environmental change may reduce the ability of some temperate reef coralline algae and associated reef microbes to facilitate settlement of invertebrate larvae as well as having a direct impact to algae via bleaching.
Impact of tariff rates on the probability of trade relationship survival: Evidence from ASEAN+6 manufactured goods
Authors: Lin Chin‐Ho
Published: March 2018

This article explores the links between imported trade relationships, their duration and tariff rates. We use survival analysis to investigate how the probability of trade relationship survival is affected by the difference in the tariff rates. We use the ASEAN+6 as the basis of our report and consider a total of 89 trading partners for manufactured goods from 1996 to 2011. Our findings are as follows. First, low‐tariff trade survives longer than high‐tariff trade of manufactured goods. Second, we find a significantly negative correlation between tariff rates and duration, and regional trade agreements help prolong the length of trade relationships. Third, the hazard ratios of intraregional differentiated goods and the parts and components trade are lower. We have also obtained robust results for distinct specifications through consideration of production networks and Rauch's product classification. Finally, we believe that these findings could be used as a reference for other economic organizations working toward the diminution of tariff rates.
Machinic Assemblages of Publicness
Authors: Buser Michael
Published: March 2018

This article discusses the concept of publicness through the lens of Deleuze and Guattari’s machinic thinking. Centring on the case of the Bearpit, a roundabout and public space in the city of Bristol (UK), I examine recent shifts and transformations in public culture and narrate the ways in which relatively small interventions facilitate new connections and organize public assemblages. The article makes four main contributions. First, it develops an approach to the study of publicness that highlights the interactions of machinic assemblages of material and immaterial component parts. Second, it suggests that specific forms of publicness are mediated by bright objects which stitch together and organize ecologies of connected machines. Third, it outlines publicness as a dynamic, plastic social form. Finally, it argues that the struggles for a compassionate public culture in the Bearpit are not necessarily set on a fixed trajectory toward co‐optation or a return to revanchism, but rather are part of an incessant process of unfolding and becoming public where the concerns and contestations of publicness are made visible.
Urban Vigilantism: A Study of Anti‐Terror Law, Politics and Policing in Istanbul
Authors: Yonucu Deniz
Published: March 2018

Focusing on the case of young socialist vigilantes who were arrested and imprisoned as ‘terrorists’ in 2007, this article illustrates how vigilantism in working‐class neighbourhoods of Istanbul with a high Alevi population evolved from an unarmed, public and participatory form of vigilantism to an armed one, and discusses the role of the anti‐terror law in this transformation. The article illustrates the ways in which the anti‐terror law, by narrowing the space for civil politics, paved the way for youth engagement in violent forms of extra‐legal security practice in spaces occupied by the historically stigmatized working‐class Alevi population. The article also argues that, over the last decade, Turkey’s ruling elites have used the anti‐terror law to wage a war against the oppositional politics conducted by the country’s historically stigmatized populations (such as Kurds and Alevis). Not only has this war put politically active and respected local figures from these communities behind bars, it also ‘polices’(à la Rancière) these communities. Accordingly, the article illustrates how the law that considers attempts at self‐governance as a threat to state sovereignty effectively intervenes in local politics and space, leading to the reconfiguration of political space at the local level.
Diverse needs of students with learning disabilities: a case study of tutoring two students in algebra
Authors: Hord Casey , Marita Samantha , Ayaz Salma , Tomaro Taylor‐Marie , Gordon Kiyana , Tunningley Joan , Haskins Shelby
Published: March 2018

In this exploratory case study, the researchers conducted a descriptive, qualitative microanalysis of the tutoring of two eighth grade students with learning disabilities while solving algebra problems. The researchers analyzed the participants’ problem solving tendencies and interventions that helped the students succeed. One of the students, Nicole, demonstrated considerable capability at supporting her memory and processing by carefully and neatly writing out her steps for solving equations on paper. The other participant, Rachel, struggled at times to organize her thinking processes on paper and solve equations due to poor handwriting legibility, math anxiety and issues of confidence as a learner of mathematics that all seemed to be inter‐related. Both students demonstrated success with solving algebra equations, but Rachel required intensive intervention for addressing her difficulties with math anxiety and visual‐motor integration, while Nicole mostly required mathematics instruction designed to capitalise on her success at creating useful visual representations of her thought processes.
There's never going to be a perfect school that ticks every box: minority perspectives of inclusion and placement preferences
Authors: Rizvi Sana
Published: March 2018

This research examines how British‐Pakistani mothers of children with special education needs and/or disability (SEND) experience the placement decision‐making process and the relationship between their notions of inclusion and different placement settings. This paper reports on the author's Doctoral research and explores how professional ‘expertise interacts with maternal concerns and knowledge. Using Weber's (2001) Intersectional Framework, this qualitative study was conducted in Southwest England in three phases using semi‐structured interviews, unstructured interviews and vignettes. Eight first‐generation and second‐generation immigrant British‐Pakistani mothers participated in this research, whose children varied in age and range of SEND. Research participants were contacted through Anoka, a South Asian disabled families' support group and through ‘snowballing. Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis was used to develop five main themes. This research yielded rich and nuanced data regarding maternal understanding around placement preferences. Mothers generally preferred those special schools with plans for eventual mainstream integration, particularly those sharing geographical locations with a mainstream school. A uniquely telling finding in this study was that mothers preferred special schools which had the least disabling visual outlook and appeared least like a medicalised setting. In the case of mainstream schools, in addition to overall performance and educational attainment, mothers valued school policies towards accommodating pupils with SEND. Most notably, all mothers suggested that their child's SEND was their main criteria for placement preferences in order to secure better provisions. This research suggests that for parents from minority communities, the placement decision‐making process must become more inclusive and enabling before they are able to fully support their child with SEND.
Shareholder Activism in REITs
Authors: Downs David H. , Straska Miroslava , Waller H. Gregory
Published: March 2018

Conventional wisdom suggests that shareholder activism in REITs is less prevalent than in other (non‐REIT) public firms because of stronger barriers to hostile takeovers and potentially less undervaluation. Our results, however, suggest that the conventional wisdom does not hold. Specifically, we find that in 2006–2015, Equity REITs (EREITs) are as likely to be targeted by shareholder activists as non‐EREITs. We also find that shareholder campaign characteristics and determinants, as well as their value consequences, appear similar for EREITs and non‐EREITs. Given that this is the first study to examine shareholder activism in REITs, we raise several questions for future research.
Glutathione suppresses lipid oxidation of Clanis bilineata larvae meat during frozen storage
Authors: Wu Shengjun
Published: March 2018

The lipids of Clanis bilineata larvae meat (CBLM) are susceptible to oxidation, and thus the commercial and consumption values of CBLM decrease during frozen storage. In the present study, peroxide values (PV), thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances (TBARS), free fatty acid (FFA) content, fatty acid composition, and likeness (palatability) score of CBLM were determined to investigate the effect of glutathione on the oxidation of CBLM lipids. Glutathione decreased the PV, TBARS, and FFA content, maintained fatty acid composition, and increased the likeness (palatability) score of the CBLM, indicating that glutathione can be used as a cryoprotectant to extend the shelf life of CBLM.
Browning Index of Anthocyanin‐Rich Fruit Juice Depends on pH and Anthocyanin Loss More Than the Gain of Soluble Polymeric Pigments
Authors: Dorris Matthew R. , Voss Danielle M. , Bollom Mark A. , Krawiec‐Thayer Mitchell P. , Bolling Bradley W.
Published: March 2018

Browning index (BI, ABS520 nm/ABS420 nm) is a measure of anthocyanin‐rich fruit juice pigmentation quality. This study sought to determine the extent to which BI describes anthocyanin quality and degradation in fruit juices. Commercial fruit juices were assayed for monomeric anthocyanin (MA) content, percent polymeric color (%PC), pH, and BI. BI varied, 0.29 to 1.72, among cranberry, cherry, grape, aronia, and pomegranate juices. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that BI was strongly inversely associated with %PC, and positively correlated with MAs to a lesser extent. The BI of grape and cherry juices varied linearly with pH from 2.0 to 4.0 in pH‐adjusted juices. Cherry and grape juices at pH approximately 2.0 to 4.0 were incubated at 50 °C to induce juice browning. BI and MA decreased, and %PC increased, but the amount of MA degradation was not explained by %PC. In the aged juices, BI and MA were strongly correlated using PCA. In aged grape juice, chromatographic analysis was used characterize anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanin scission products. Anthocyanin loss and a gain of unresolved components absorbing at 420 nm decreased BI. Proanthocyanidins and co‐eluting pigments with varying BI decreased during aging. Scission products did not account for anthocyanin loss. Thus, MA loss more so than the gain in pigments associated with juice proanthocyanidins contribute to the increase in %PC and decline of the BI during accelerated aging of grape juice. Thus, BI is a useful marker of fruit juice quality within juices of the same pH and anthocyanin composition.

Practical Application

Fruit juice pigmentation depends on anthocyanins, pH, and other matrix components. Spectrophotometric methods to determine pigmentation include the browning index (ABS520 nm/ABS420 nm), pH differential method for monomeric anthocyanin (MA) content, and bisulfite bleaching to determine percent polymeric color (%PC). In this study, anthocyanin‐rich fruit juice browning index was strongly dependent on pH and MA content. MA loss, and to a lesser extent, a gain in newly‐formed pigments at 420 nm contributed to the browning index change during aging. Therefore, browning index is strongly associated with MA content and is useful for assessing fruit juice quality.
IL‐37 inhibits invasion and metastasis in non‐small cell lung cancer by suppressing the IL‐6/STAT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Jiang Mingfang , Wang Ye , Zhang Hua , Ji Youxin , Zhao Peng , Sun Rongli , Zhang Chunling
Published: March 2018

Background

IL‐37 has been identified as a fundamental inhibitor of inflammatory and immunity responses. It plays a crucial protective role in several cancers, but its anti‐tumor activity and the potential regulatory mechanism of IL‐37 in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is largely unclear.

Methods

Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect plasma IL‐37 expression in NSCLC patients and healthy controls. The NSCLC cell line A549 was cultured with recombinant human IL‐37 or recombinant human IL‐6 protein. A549 invasion and metastasis were detected using Transwell invasion and scratch wound healing assays, respectively. Protein expression of STAT3, pSTAT3, E‐cadherin, vimentin, and N‐cadherin were detected using Western blotting, and messenger RNA expression of STAT3, E‐cadherin, vimentin, and N‐cadherin was assessed in each group using real time PCR.

Results

IL‐37 plasma expression was decreased in NSCLC patients, and the downregulation of IL‐37 was correlated with tumor stage. In vitro, IL‐37 inhibited invasion and migration in A549 cells, while IL‐6 promoted invasion and migration in A549 cells. pSTAT3, vimentin, and N‐cadherin expression was increased. E‐cadherin expression was lower in the IL‐6 group than in the control group; however, the opposite pattern was observed in the IL‐37 + IL‐6 group.

Conclusion

Our results showed that IL‐37 plays an inhibitory role in NSCLC progression, possibly by suppressing STAT3 activation and decreasing epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition by inhibiting IL‐6 expression. IL‐37 could serve as a potential novel tumor suppressor in NSCLC.
Effect of goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy in free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer
Authors: Kim H. J. , Kim E. J. , Lee H. J. , Min J. Y. , Kim T. W. , Choi E. C. , Kim W. S. , Koo B.‐N.
Published: March 2018

Background

In free flap reconstruction for head and neck cancer, achieving a haemodynamic target using excessive fluid infusion is associated with decreased flap survival rates and extended hospital stays. We hypothesized that goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy would improve flap survival rates and shorten hospitalization periods.

Methods

Patients scheduled for free flap reconstruction were randomly assigned to a goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy group (n = 31) or a conventional haemodynamic therapy control group (n = 31). The control group received extra bolus fluid and ephedrine or norepinephrine to maintain a mean arterial pressure ≥ 65 mmHg. The goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy group received a colloid solution as the extra bolus fluid to maintain a stroke volume variation < 12%; dobutamine, ephedrine, or norepinephrine was administered to maintain a cardiac index ≥ 2.5 l/min/m2 and mean arterial pressure ≥ 65 mmHg. Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols were not used except for fluid therapy. An otolaryngologist blinded to group assignments assessed flap outcomes and classified them as ‘survival,’ ‘at risk’ or ‘failure.’

Results

The hospitalization period was not significantly different between the groups. The goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy group had significantly shorter intensive care unit stays and a higher flap survival rate. The crystalloid volume was significantly lower in goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy group. Reoperation rates, post‐operative complications, and laboratory data including inflammatory markers were similar between the groups.

Conclusion

Compared to conventional haemodynamic therapy, goal‐directed haemodynamic therapy does not reduce hospitalization periods; it may, however, reduce the length of intensive care unit stays and increase flap survival rates. Further studies including multi‐centre trials with larger sample sizes are warranted.
Global remodeling of the mouse DNA methylome during aging and in response to calorie restriction
Authors: Sziráki András , Tyshkovskiy Alexander , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: March 2018

Aging is characterized by numerous molecular changes, such as accumulation of molecular damage and altered gene expression, many of which are linked to DNA methylation. Here, we characterize the blood DNA methylome across 16 age groups of mice and report numerous global, region‐ and site‐specific features, as well as the associated dynamics of methylation changes. Transition of the methylome throughout lifespan was not uniform, with many sites showing accelerated changes in late life. The associated genes and promoters were enriched for aging‐related pathways, pointing to a fundamental link between DNA methylation and control of the aging process. Calorie restriction both shifted the overall methylation pattern and was accompanied by its gradual age‐related remodeling, the latter contributing to the lifespan‐extending effect. With age, both highly and poorly methylated sites trended toward intermediate levels, and aging was accompanied by an accelerated increase in entropy, consistent with damage accumulation. However, the entropy effects differed for the sites that increased, decreased and did not change methylation with age. Many sites trailed behind, whereas some followed or even exceeded the entropy trajectory and altered the developmental DNA methylation pattern. The patterns we observed in certain genomic regions were conserved between humans and mice, suggesting common principles of functional DNA methylome remodeling and its critical role in aging. The highly resolved DNA methylome remodeling provides an excellent model for understanding systemic changes that characterize the aging process.
Increasing autophagy and blocking Nrf2 suppress laminopathy‐induced age‐dependent cardiac dysfunction and shortened lifespan
Authors: Bhide Shruti , Trujillo Adriana S. , O'Connor Maureen T. , Young Grant H. , Cryderman Diane E. , Chandran Sahaana , Nikravesh Mastaneh , Wallrath Lori L. , Melkani Girish C.
Published: March 2018

Mutations in the human LMNA gene cause a collection of diseases known as laminopathies. These include myocardial diseases that exhibit age‐dependent penetrance of dysrhythmias and heart failure. The LMNA gene encodes A‐type lamins, intermediate filaments that support nuclear structure and organize the genome. Mechanisms by which mutant lamins cause age‐dependent heart defects are not well understood. To address this issue, we modeled human disease‐causing mutations in the Drosophila melanogaster Lamin C gene and expressed mutant Lamin C exclusively in the heart. This resulted in progressive cardiac dysfunction, loss of adipose tissue homeostasis, and a shortened adult lifespan. Within cardiac cells, mutant Lamin C aggregated in the cytoplasm, the CncC(Nrf2)/Keap1 redox sensing pathway was activated, mitochondria exhibited abnormal morphology, and the autophagy cargo receptor Ref2(P)/p62 was upregulated. Genetic analyses demonstrated that simultaneous over‐expression of the autophagy kinase Atg1 gene and an RNAi against CncC eliminated the cytoplasmic protein aggregates, restored cardiac function, and lengthened lifespan. These data suggest that simultaneously increasing rates of autophagy and blocking the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway are a potential therapeutic strategy for cardiac laminopathies.