bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty quantification for Markov chain models
Authors: Meidani Hadi , Ghanem Roger
Published: October 2012

Transition probabilities serve to parameterize Markov chains and control their evolution and associated decisions and controls. Uncertainties in these parameters can be associated with inherent fluctuations in the medium through which a chain evolves, or with insufficient data such that the inferential value of the chain is jeopardized. The behavior of Markov chains associated with such uncertainties is described using a probabilistic model for the transition matrices. The principle of maximum entropy is used to characterize the probability measure of the transition rates. The formalism is demonstrated on a Markov chain describing the spread of disease, and a number of quantities of interest, pertaining to different aspects of decision-making, are investigated.
Communication: Restoring full size extensivity in internally contracted multireference coupled cluster theory
Authors: Hanauer Matthias , Köhn Andreas
Published: October 2012

The reason for the lack of size extensivity in the valence space in current implementations of internally contracted multireference coupled cluster theories is the procedure used to eliminate redundant components from the cluster operator. We present a simple way to restore full size extensivity by performing this critical step in a basis of excitation operators that are normal ordered with respect to the multiconfigurational reference function.
Effect of parallel currents on drift-interchange turbulence: Comparison of simulation and experiment
Authors: D'Ippolito D. A. , Russell D. A. , Myra J. R. , Thakur S. C. , Tynan G. R. , Holland C.
Published: October 2012

Two-dimensional (2D) turbulence simulations are reported in which the balancing of the parallel and perpendicular currents is modified by changing the axial boundary condition (BC) to vary the sheath conductivity. The simulations are carried out using the 2D scrape-off-layer turbulence (SOLT) code. The results are compared with recent experiments on the controlled shear de-correlation experiment (CSDX) in which the axial BC was modified by changing the composition of the end plate. Reasonable qualitative agreement is found between the simulations and the experiment. When an insulating axial BC is used, broadband turbulence is obtained and an inverse cascade occurs down to low frequencies and long spatial scales. Robust sheared flows are obtained. By contrast, employing a conducting BC at the plate resulted in coherent (drift wave) modes rather than broadband turbulence, with weaker inverse cascade, and smaller zonal flows. The dependence of the two instability mechanisms (rotationally driven interchange mode and drift waves) on the axial BC is also discussed.
A framework for identification of actionable cancer genome dependencies in small cell lung cancer
Authors: Sos Martin L. , Dietlein Felix , Peifer Martin , Schöttle Jakob , Balke-Want Hyatt , Müller Christian , Koker Mirjam , Richters André , Heynck Stefanie , Malchers Florian , Heuckmann Johannes M. , Seidel Danila , Eyers Patrick A. , Ullrich Roland T. , Antonchick Andrey P. , Vintonyak Viktor V. , Schneider Peter M. , Ninomiya Takashi , Waldmann Herbert , Büttner Reinhard , Rauh Daniel , Heukamp Lukas C. , Thomas Roman K.
Published: October 2012

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 15% of all lung cancers. The prognosis of SCLC patients is devastating and no biologically targeted therapeutics are active in this tumor type. To develop a framework for development of specific SCLC-targeted drugs we conducted a combined genomic and pharmacological vulnerability screen in SCLC cell lines. We show that SCLC cell lines capture the genomic landscape of primary SCLC tumors and provide genetic predictors for activity of clinically relevant inhibitors by screening 267 compounds across 44 of these cell lines. We show Aurora kinase inhibitors are effective in SCLC cell lines bearing
MYC
amplification, which occur in 3–7% of SCLC patients. In
MYC
-amplified SCLC cells Aurora kinase inhibition associates with G2/M-arrest, inactivation of PI3-kinase (PI3K) signaling, and induction of apoptosis. Aurora dependency in SCLC primarily involved Aurora B, required its kinase activity, and was independent of depletion of cytoplasmic levels of MYC. Our study suggests that a fraction of SCLC patients may benefit from therapeutic inhibition of Aurora B. Thus, thorough chemical and genomic exploration of SCLC cell lines may provide starting points for further development of rational targeted therapeutic intervention in this deadly tumor type.
A fundamental protein property, thermodynamic stability, revealed solely from large-scale measurements of protein function
Authors: Araya Carlos L. , Fowler Douglas M. , Chen Wentao , Muniez Ike , Kelly Jeffery W. , Fields Stanley
Published: October 2012

The ability of a protein to carry out a given function results from fundamental physicochemical properties that include the protein’s structure, mechanism of action, and thermodynamic stability. Traditional approaches to study these properties have typically required the direct measurement of the property of interest, oftentimes a laborious undertaking. Although protein properties can be probed by mutagenesis, this approach has been limited by its low throughput. Recent technological developments have enabled the rapid quantification of a protein’s function, such as binding to a ligand, for numerous variants of that protein. Here, we measure the ability of 47,000 variants of a WW domain to bind to a peptide ligand and use these functional measurements to identify stabilizing mutations without directly assaying stability. Our approach is rooted in the well-established concept that protein function is closely related to stability. Protein function is generally reduced by destabilizing mutations, but this decrease can be rescued by stabilizing mutations. Based on this observation, we introduce partner potentiation, a metric that uses this rescue ability to identify stabilizing mutations, and identify 15 candidate stabilizing mutations in the WW domain. We tested six candidates by thermal denaturation and found two highly stabilizing mutations, one more stabilizing than any previously known mutation. Thus, physicochemical properties such as stability are latent within these large-scale protein functional data and can be revealed by systematic analysis. This approach should allow other protein properties to be discovered.
Transforming a drug/H
+
antiporter into a polyamine importer by a single mutation
Authors: Brill Shlomo , Falk Ofir Sade , Schuldiner Shimon
Published: October 2012

EmrE, a multidrug antiporter from
Escherichia coli
, has presented biochemists with unusual surprises. Here we describe the transformation of EmrE, a drug/H
+
antiporter to a polyamine importer by a single mutation. Antibiotic resistance in microorganisms may arise by mutations at certain chromosomal loci. To investigate this phenomenon, we used directed evolution of EmrE to assess the rate of development of novel specificities in existing multidrug transporters. Strikingly, when a library of random mutants of EmrE was screened for resistance to two major antibacterial drugs—norfloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, and erythromycin, a macrolide— proteins with single mutations were found capable of conferring resistance. The mutation conferring erythromycin resistance resulted from substitution of a fully conserved and essential tryptophan residue to glycine, and, as expected, this protein lost its ability to recognize and transport the classical EmrE substrates. However, this protein functions now as an electrochemical potential driven importer of a new set of substrates: aliphatic polyamines. This mutant provides a unique paradigm to understand the function and evolution of distinct modes of transport.
Analysis of Radio Propaganda in the 1953 Iran Coup
Authors: Roberts Mervyn
Published: October 2012

In 1953, the United States assisted in a coup that removed Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq from office. Analysis of radio broadcasts during and after the coup provides a window for scrutinizing the event and understanding the motivations of all sides. The United States monitoring agency, the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS), snatched these ephemeral broadcasts from the ether for posterity. This study expands the coup narrative based on these broadcasts. An analysis of the transcripts suggests that assertions that the Central Intelligence Agency's covert propaganda program resulted in the coup's success are an oversimplification. On the contrary, the effect of both Mosaddeq's and the Tudeh party's actions unwittingly legitimized the coup-plotters' propaganda in the weeks prior to the coup and contributed more to the success of the coup.
A Prototype Splitter Apparatus for Dividing Large Catches of Small Fish
Authors: Stapanian Martin A. , Edwards William H.
Published: October 2012

Due to financial and time constraints, it is often necessary in fisheries studies to divide large samples of fish and estimate total catch from the subsample. The subsampling procedure may involve potential human biases or may be difficult to perform in rough conditions. We present a prototype gravity-fed splitter apparatus for dividing large samples of small fish (30–100 mm TL). The apparatus features a tapered hopper with a sliding and removable shutter. The apparatus provides a comparatively stable platform for objectively obtaining subsamples, and it can be modified to accommodate different sizes of fish and different sample volumes. The apparatus is easy to build, inexpensive, and convenient to use in the field. To illustrate the performance of the apparatus, we divided three samples (total N = 2,000 fish) composed of four fish species. Our results indicated no significant bias in estimating either the number or proportion of each species from the subsample. Use of this apparatus or a similar apparatus can help to standardize subsampling procedures in large surveys of fish. The apparatus could be used for other applications that require dividing a large amount of material into one or more smaller subsamples.

Received April 26, 2012; accepted July 19, 2012
YxAl1−xN thin films
Authors: Žukauskaitė Agnė , Tholander Christopher , Palisaitis Justinas , Persson Per O Å , Darakchieva Vanya , Sedrine Nebiha Ben , Tasnádi Ferenc , Alling Björn , Birch Jens , Hultman Lars
Published: October 2012

Reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit Y
x
Al1−x
N thin films, 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.22, onto Al2O3(0 0 0 1) and Si(1 0 0) substrates. X-ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy show that the films are solid solutions. Lattice constants increase with Y concentration, in agreement with ab initio calculations. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements reveal a band gap decrease from 6.2 eV (x = 0) down to 4.5 eV (x = 0.22). Theoretical investigations within the special quasirandom structure approach show that the wurtzite structure has the lowest mixing enthalpy for 0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.75.
Dose-dependent killing of leukemia cells by low-temperature plasma
Authors: Barekzi N , Laroussi M
Published: October 2012

The effect of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma towards the progression of cancerous human T-cell leukemia cells was investigated. The plasma pencil, which utilizes short duration high voltage pulses, was used to generate a low-temperature plasma (LTP) plume in ambient air. Our data showed that cell morphology and cell viability were affected in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with LTP. The outcome of this study revealed that the effect of plasma exposure was not immediate, but had a delayed effect and increasing the time of plasma exposure resulted in increased leukemia cell death.
POS-1 and GLD-1 repressglp-1translation through a conserved binding-site cluster
Authors: Farley Brian M. , Ryder Sean P.
Published: October 2012

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) coordinate cell fate specification and differentiation in a variety of systems. RNA regulation is critical during oocyte development and early embryogenesis, in which RBPs control expression from maternal mRNAs encoding key cell fate determinants. The Caenorhabditis elegans Notch homologue glp-1 coordinates germline progenitor cell proliferation and anterior fate specification in embryos. A network of sequence-specific RBPs is required to pattern GLP-1 translation. Here, we map the cis-regulatory elements that guide glp-1 regulation by the CCCH-type tandem zinc finger protein POS-1 and the STAR-domain protein GLD-1. Our results demonstrate that both proteins recognize the glp-1 3′ untranslated region (UTR) through adjacent, overlapping binding sites and that POS-1 binding excludes GLD-1 binding. Both factors are required to repress glp-1 translation in the embryo, suggesting that they function in parallel regulatory pathways. It is intriguing that two equivalent POS-1–binding sites are present in the glp-1 3′ UTR, but only one, which overlaps with a translational derepression element, is functional in vivo. We propose that POS-1 regulates glp-1 mRNA translation by blocking access of other RBPs to a key regulatory sequence.
Analysis of substrate specificity of human DHHC protein acyltransferases using a yeast expression system
Authors: Ohno Yusuke , Kashio Atsushi , Ogata Ren , Ishitomi Akihiro , Yamazaki Yuki , Kihara Akio
Published: October 2012

Palmitoylation plays important roles in the regulation of protein localization, stability, and activity. The protein acyltransferases (PATs) have a common DHHC Cys-rich domain. Twenty-three DHHC proteins have been identified in humans. However, it is unclear whether all of these DHHC proteins function as PATs. In addition, their substrate specificities remain largely unknown. Here we develop a useful method to examine substrate specificities of PATs using a yeast expression system with six distinct model substrates. We identify 17 human DHHC proteins as PATs. Moreover, we classify 11 human and 5 yeast DHHC proteins into three classes (I, II, and III), based on the cellular localization of their respective substrates (class I, soluble proteins; class II, integral membrane proteins; class III, lipidated proteins). Our results may provide an important clue for understanding the function of individual DHHC proteins.
Identification and Characterization of In planta–Expressed Secreted Effector Proteins fromMagnaporthe oryzaeThat Induce Cell Death in Rice
Authors: Chen Songbiao , Songkumarn Pattavipha , Venu R. C. , Gowda Malali , Bellizzi Maria , Hu Jinnan , Liu Wende , Ebbole Daniel , Meyers Blake , Mitchell Thomas , Wang Guo-Liang
Published: October 2012

Interactions between rice and Magnaporthe oryzae involve the recognition of cellular components and the exchange of complex molecular signals from both partners. How these interactions occur in rice cells is still elusive. We employed robust-long serial analysis of gene expression, massively parallel signature sequencing, and sequencing by synthesis to examine transcriptome profiles of infected rice leaves. A total of 6,413 in planta–expressed fungal genes, including 851 genes encoding predicted effector proteins, were identified. We used a protoplast transient expression system to assess 42 of the predicted effector proteins for the ability to induce plant cell death. Ectopic expression assays identified five novel effectors that induced host cell death only when they contained the signal peptide for secretion to the extracellular space. Four of them induced cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Although the five effectors are highly diverse in their sequences, the physiological basis of cell death induced by each was similar. This study demonstrates that our integrative genomic approach is effective for the identification of in planta–expressed cell death–inducing effectors from M. oryzae that may play an important role facilitating colonization and fungal growth during infection.
Comparison of Tissue-Disruption Methods for PCR-Based Detection of Plant Pathogens
Authors: Vincelli Paul , Amsden Bernadette
Published: October 2012

Polymerase chain reaction-based detection of plant-associated microbes depends on physical disruption of tissues of the host and microorganism in order to liberate nucleic acids during extraction. Using six types of plant tissues as well as an oospore preparation of Phytophthora capsici, we evaluated the use of pressure-cycling technology (PCT) compared with several common techniques for physical tissue disruption. With all tissues tested, bead-beating provided excellent yields of amplifiable nucleic acid, with a few inconsistent exceptions. The use of PCT did not consistently improve nucleic acid yields or “amplifiability”. The use of a mortar and pestle to physically disrupt plant tissue also provided good results at low cost, though it was not consistently as effective as the bead-beater. Furthermore, handling of ground tissues in an open mortar may present more challenges in minimizing cross-contamination than working with tissues pulverized in a bead-beater tube.
Lipid Profiles in Wheat Cultivars Resistant and Susceptible to Tan Spot and the Effect of Disease on the Profiles
Authors: Kim Dongwon , Jeannotte Richard , Welti Ruth , Bockus William W.
Published: October 2012

Lipid profiles in wheat leaves and the effects of tan spot on the profiles were quantified by mass spectrometry. Inoculation with Pyrenophora tritici-repentis significantly reduced the amount of leaf lipids, including the major plastidic lipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), which together accounted for 89% of the mass spectral signal of detected lipids in wheat leaves. Levels of these lipids in susceptible cultivars dropped much more quickly during infection than those in resistant cultivars. Furthermore, cultivars resistant or susceptible to tan spot displayed different lipid profiles; leaves of resistant cultivars had more MGDG and DGDG than susceptible ones, even in noninoculated plants. Lipid compositional data from leaves of 20 noninoculated winter wheat cultivars were regressed against an index of disease susceptibility and fitted with a linear model. This analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between resistance and levels of plastidic galactolipids and indicated that cultivars with high resistance to tan spot uniformly had more MGDG and DGDG than cultivars with high susceptibility. These findings suggest that lipid composition of wheat leaves may be a determining factor in the resistance response of cultivars to tan spot.
Heat Treatment Eliminates ‘CandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus’ from Infected Citrus Trees Under Controlled Conditions
Authors: Hoffman Michele T. , Doud Melissa S. , Williams Lisa , Zhang Mu-Qing , Ding Fang , Stover Ed , Hall David , Zhang Shouan , Jones Lisa , Gooch Mark , Fleites Laura , Dixon Wayne , Gabriel Dean , Duan Yong-Ping
Published: October 2012

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide. The three known causal agents of HLB are species of α-proteobacteria: ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, ‘Ca. L. africanus’, and ‘Ca. L. americanus’. Previous studies have found distinct variations in temperature sensitivity and tolerance among these species. Here, we describe the use of controlled heat treatments to cure HLB caused by ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’, the most prevalent and heat-tolerant species. Using temperature-controlled growth chambers, we evaluated the time duration and temperature required to suppress or eliminate the ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ bacterium in citrus, using various temperature treatments for time periods ranging from 2 days to 4 months. Results of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) after treatment illustrate significant decreases in the ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ bacterial titer, combined with healthy vigorous growth by all surviving trees. Repeated qPCR testing confirmed that previously infected, heat-treated plants showed no detectable levels of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’, while untreated control plants remained highly infected. Continuous thermal exposure to 40 to 42°C for a minimum of 48 h was sufficient to significantly reduce titer or eliminate ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ bacteria entirely in HLB-affected citrus seedlings. This method may be useful for the control of ‘Ca. Liberibacter’-infected plants in nursery and greenhouse settings.
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in GALNT8 are associated with the response to interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Nakano Rikita , Maekawa Toshiro , Abe Hiromi , Hayashida Yasufumi , Ochi Hidenori , Tsunoda Tatsuhiko , Kumada Hiromitsu , Kamatani Naoyuki , Nakamura Yusuke , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: October 2012

New anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapeutics developed recently are more effective and lead to improvements in sustained viral response. However, interferon (IFN) monotherapy is still used to a limited extent for fear of adverse effects. This study investigated host genetic factors affecting the IFN response in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Using a two-step design, a large-scale association screening including 1088 Japanese CHC patients treated with IFN was performed employing ~70 000 gene-based single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Replication was tested in an independent Japanese cohort of 328 patients. Fine-mapping and functional analyses were also performed. Through two-step screening, it was found that rs2286580 in intron 6 of the gene encoding N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 8 (GALNT8) on chromosome 12 was significantly associated with a sustained viral response (combined P = 3.9×10−6, odds ratio 1.52, 95 % confidence interval 1.29–1.82). The association was replicated in an additional cohort of 328 Japanese patients. In subgroup analysis, GALNT8 variants were associated with treatment outcome independently of HCV genotype. By contrast, the outcome of pegylated IFN and ribavirin combined therapy was not affected by the SNP. Fine-mapping analysis revealed that the association peak was at rs10849138 in intron 6 of GALNT8. Allele-specific transcription analysis demonstrated that GALNT8 expression was upregulated by an unfavourable allele of the variant. A luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that overexpression of GALNT8 attenuated IFN-α-induced gene transcription via the IFN-stimulated response element. These results suggest that GALNT8 variants contribute to the response to IFN therapy against CHC, providing a new insight into antiviral mechanisms of IFN.
Rolling back of the state in child care? Evidence from urban China
Authors: Zhang Yanxia , Maclean Mavis
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The economic reforms which turned the centrally planned economy to a market economy have profoundly changed the tripartite relationship between the state, work unit, and citizen in urban China and brought significant changes to the institutional care provision for young children. The aim of this paper is to investigate the changes to the institutional care since 1980, with particular emphasis on the most recent years from mid‐1990s, and explore how the institutional care has changed over the recent decades without a clear institutional basis.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis draws on second‐hand materials from published literature, a range of longitudinal national and local statistics and policy documents, and also on first‐hand information which was collected in Beijing from in‐depth interviews with key informants and case studies of different kinds of kindergartens.

Findings

The paper finds that the previous work‐unit based public care system has changed to a much more complicated care mix in which the roles of the state, employer, community, market and the informal sector of the family in terms of provision and funding have all changed significantly.

Social implications

The findings of this paper may help to inform appropriate policy responses in Chinese child care provision. The study suggests that formal care provision should be expanded towards universal access regardless of people's income and employment status in China.

Originality/value

The paper questions and complicates the “state withdrawal” representation of social welfare change and argues that it is not “the state” but “the work unit and community organization” retreat from public care provision. It also argues that the change in the role of the state has been multifaceted, and not a simple one‐directional movement of marketization in which the state retreated from welfare provision in entirety.
Inter‐generational family care for and by older people in Thailand
Authors: Knodel John , Chayovan Napaporn
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine inter‐generational arrangements in Thailand for personal care provided to older members and provided by them as grandparents to young children.

Design/methodology/approach

Results are based on analysis of the 2007 Survey of Older Persons in Thailand. Consideration focuses on persons aged 60 and older.

Findings

The results document the primary role of the family, especially adult children and spouses, in providing personal care to older members. For those with only one or two adult children compared to those with four or more, spouses are considerably more likely and children less likely to be the main care provider. At the same time, older family members, as grandparents, make significant contributions to the care of young children, especially for those whose parents migrated. In most such situations, however, the grandchild's parents cover the main financial support.

Social implications

Trends towards smaller family size and increased migration of adult children have already contributed to a steady decline in coresidence with adult children and increased proportions of older persons living alone or only with a spouse. How this will affect elder and grandchild care requires careful monitoring to guide social policy in relation to the roles of family, state, and voluntary sector.

Originality/value

The availability of representative data on the older population in Thailand provides an unusual opportunity to highlight the challenges posed by the changing demographic context of inter‐generational family care in a context of rapid population ageing in a developing country setting.
Education inequality in Ghana: gender and spatial dimensions
Authors: Senadza Bernardin
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine the nature and extent of gender and spatial inequalities in educational attainment in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the education Gini coefficient, computed on the basis of years of schooling of individuals, to assess education inequality in Ghana.

Findings

The paper finds evidence of gender and spatial inequality in education in Ghana. In particular, the three northern regions have lower education attainment as well as higher education Gini coefficients compared to the rest of the country. The paper finds evidence of intra‐gender and intra‐spatial inequalities in education attainment in Ghana, with females contributing proportionately more to the within‐inequality component of the education Gini. The paper also finds a positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality.

Research limitations/implications

The research finds a positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality but requires an econometric analysis to make inferences regarding causality.

Practical implications

The findings call for the design and implementation of policies not only to address between‐gender and spatial inequities in education in Ghana, but also to tackle within‐gender and within‐spatial inequalities. The positive correlation between poverty incidence and education inequality implies the need to create greater equity in educational opportunities across the country.

Social implications

The need for changes in attitudes, values and cultural practices that put girls at a disadvantage when it comes to education.

Originality/value

One important and new finding of the paper is the existence of intra‐gender and intra‐spatial inequalities in education attainment in Ghana, with females contributing proportionately more to the within‐inequality component of the education Gini.
Connecting the dots: the accruals quality premium vs the value premium
Authors: Chichernea Doina C. , Holder Anthony D. , Wei Jie (Diana)
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the connection between the accrual quality and the growth/value characteristics (and their return premia) at firm level.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a battery of univariate and multivariate cross‐sectional tests. Fama‐MacBeth regressions with main effects and interaction effects are used to identify the relation between accrual quality, book‐to‐market and returns. The analysis is conducted on the overall sample, as well as after conditioning on up and down markets.

Findings

Value (growth) stocks are more likely to be associated with high (low) accrual quality. Value stocks earn higher returns mainly in down markets, while poor accrual quality firms have significantly higher returns during up markets, but significantly lower returns during down markets. There is a significant interaction effect between accrual quality and the value premium, which only exhibits in the down markets (i.e. stocks with poor accrual quality earn a higher value premium in down markets than stocks with good accrual quality).

Originality/value

Results in this paper help disentangle between various explanations proposed for the accrual quality premium and the value premium. These findings are consistent with the idea that the same underlying risk factor generating the value premium also generates the cross‐sectional variation in accrual quality responsible for the accrual quality premium. From the corporate managers' perspective, the results imply that value firms can mitigate their higher costs of capital by providing high quality of accounting information. From an analyst's perspective, the study suggests that considering both accrual quality and growth characteristics can help make better portfolio allocation decisions than when these are considered separately.
Gender differences on job satisfaction of the five‐star hotel employees
Authors: Kara Derya , Uysal Muzaffer , Magnini Vincent P.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine gender differences while controlling for select variables on job satisfaction using data collected from employees in the hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted on 397 employees (234 males and 163 females) in five‐star hotels in Ankara, Turkey.

Findings

The level of job satisfaction is determined by four factors: “management conditions”, “personal fulfillment”, “using ability in the job”, and “job conditions”. The study results show that significant gender differences exist with regard to the “using ability in the job” dimension of job satisfaction. After controlling such variables as age, marital status, monthly income level, education, type of department, position held, length of time in the organization, length of time in the tourism sector, and frequency of job change, most gender differences remained significant.

Research limitations/implications

The use of hotel employees solely representing five‐star hotels may be considered a limitation of this study. The results provide information that can be utilized in understanding, maintaining, and increasing the satisfaction levels of both female and male employees. The findings indicate that fairness and equity in salary and wages are effective tools to increase the job satisfaction levels of male and female employees.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the identification of gender‐specific drivers of job satisfaction while controlling for select demographic variables. The study provides insight into employees' perceptions of certain aspects of the nature of the hospitality and tourism sector in Turkey.
Revised competencies for private club managers
Authors: Paul Koenigsfeld Jason , Youn Hyewon , Perdue Joe , Woods Robert H.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

This study was conducted with the aim of examining important and frequently used managerial competencies for private club managers. Sandwith's five‐competency domain model was applied to private club managers who were members of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA).

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 800 private club managers from throughout the USA were invited to participate in this study. Managers were randomly selected from the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) membership list.

Findings

This study investigated managerial competencies for private club managers. A total of 28 competencies were classified as essential competencies, 120 were classified as considerably important competencies, and three were classified as moderately important competencies for private club managers. These were classified into five domains: the conceptual/creative domain, the leadership domain, the administrative domain, the interpersonal domain, and the technical domain. Leadership and interpersonal competencies were rated as the most important and the most frequently used managerial competencies. These results are consistent with previous research in other segments of the hospitality industry.

Practical implications

This study provides club managers with information on which competencies are important and frequently used to manage private clubs. By measuring the importance of individual competencies, managers can show how critical they are within a particular profession. It is also important to see how often competencies are used in a particular job. The results of this study should help managers and educators identify a list of skills that should be developed in future private club managers through training programs and curriculum offerings.

Originality/value

Previous studies on management competencies in the private club profession have only addressed managers' administrative and technical competencies. This is the only known study of its kind to examine Sandwith's conceptual‐creative, interpersonal and leadership competency domains for private club managers.
Interview with Shima Barakat
Authors: by Vesa Taatila Interview
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide an interview with Shima Barakat.

Design/methodology/approach

The interview is conducted by an independent interviewer.

Findings

Shima Barakat is research and teaching fellow at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, where she specializes in sustainability, gender and ethnicity, and the role of creativity in business.

Originality/value

The interview provides useful information from a leading researcher.
Social media usage: an investigation of B2B salespeople
Authors: Schultz Roberta J. , Schwepker Charles H. , Good David J.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

A great deal has been written recently in the practitioner press about the strategic importance and usage of social media. However, as practitioners only release limited information about the internal advantages such a tool provides, research in this emerging field remains extremely limited about its usage in the sales area. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically assess a model of social media usage among business‐to‐business (B2B) salespeople.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 273 B2B salespeople was conducted and then analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results support the hypothesized model suggesting that age negatively affects social media usage, while social media norms positively affect it. Social media usage positively affects sales performance. Customer‐oriented selling was not found to be positively related to social media usage, but does have a positive effect on sales performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted by e‐mail, and as a result, there might be an existing bias towards respondents who already embrace some usage of an online communication method, indicating overall usage, acceptance, and application of social media may be lower than reported. A potential research agenda offers opportunities for both theoretical development and empirical assessment in social media research.

Practical implications

The findings provide an important foundation to advance academic sales research and demonstrate a needed understanding of how to operationally utilize social media to improve outcome performance.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies empirically examining social media usage among B2B salespeople.
Documentation in World Heritage conservation
Authors: Vileikis Ona , Cesaro Giorgia , Santana Quintero Mario , van Balen Koenraad , Paolini Anna , Vafadari Azadeh
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of documentation and recording techniques for World Heritage conservation using the case studies of the Petra Archeological Park (PAP) in Jordan and the Silk Roads Cultural Heritage Information System (CHRIS) in Central Asia. In the PAP case study, these techniques could aid in the assessment of risks faced by World Heritage properties and threats to the integrity of the Outstanding Universal Values (OUV). With respect to the Silk Roads CHRIS case study the Geospatial Content Management System (Geo‐CMS) proposed aims to improve information management and collaboration among all stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Integrated surveying techniques and information management systems together with active stakeholder participation can be used as conservation and management tools. In the case of PAP, using a systematic documentation tool (MEGA‐J) to conduct site condition and risk assessment of cultural heritage and combining photographs, maps and GPS measurements within a GIS platform allows for identifying the location and intensity of risks, and the degree of vulnerability within the PAP boundaries and buffer zone. In the Silk Roads CHRIS project the Geo‐CMS brings together data from different fields, e.g. geography, geology, history, conservation, to allow for a holistic approach towards documentation, protection and management of a number of diverse sites to be combined in serial transnational World Heritage.

Findings

The study provides insight into how digital technologies can aid in heritage documentation and conservation, including stakeholder involvement and training. Moreover, by means of the two case studies it can be shown that a combination of digital technologies allows for an efficient mapping of buffer zones and risks and how a Geo‐CMS can form a common platform to manage large quantities of information of different origin and make it accessible to stakeholders in transnational projects.

Originality/value

This paper discusses the use of digital technology and the participation of stakeholders in heritage conservation and documentation when dealing with complex World Heritage properties, e.g. serial transnational and archaeological ensembles at high risk.
Analogies and links between cultural and biological diversity
Authors: Grant Catherine
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the current state of knowledge about the links – metaphorical and real – between cultural and biological diversity.

Design/methodology/approach

By way of approach, the paper focuses on language and music cultures, two areas of intangible cultural heritage whose diversity has come under threat in recent decades.

Findings

The paper suggests some ways in which recent advances in the fields of ecolinguistics, biolinguistic diversity, and music sustainability continue to further knowledge of the links between cultural diversity and biodiversity.

Practical implications

Metaphorical parallels between biodiversity and cultural diversity (such as the interconnectedness of the various forms of intangible cultural heritage, as in a biological ecosystem) may, to some extent, be able to inform the development of models for supporting intangible cultural heritage, such as language and music. Moreover, the very real interconnections between these two kinds of “diversities” holds implications for cultural heritage management, since efforts to safeguard cultural diversity will be impacted by the successes and failures of efforts to protect biodiversity, and vice versa.

Originality/value

For this reason, the issues explored in this review hold implications for policy‐makers, governments, non‐governmental organisations, culture‐bearers themselves, and other stakeholders in the viability and diversity of cultural heritage.
The bifunctional role of aconitase in Streptomyces viridochromogenesTü494
Authors: Michta Ewelina , Schad Klaus , Blin Kai , Ort‐Winklbauer Regina , Röttig Marc , Kohlbacher Oliver , Wohlleben Wolfgang , Schinko Eva , Mast Yvonne
Published: October 2012

In many organisms, aconitases have dual functions; they serve as enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and as regulators of iron metabolism. In this study we defined the role of the aconitase AcnA in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494, the producer of the herbicide phosphinothricyl‐alanyl‐alanine, also known as phosphinothricin tripeptide or bialaphos. A mutant in which the aconitase gene acnA was disrupted showed severe defects in morphology and physiology, as it was unable to form any aerial mycelium, spores nor phosphinothricin tripeptide. AcnA belongs to the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). In addition to its catalytic function, AcnA plays a regulatory role by binding to iron responsive elements (IREs) located on the untranslated region of certain mRNAs. A mutation preventing the formation of the [4Fe‐4S] cluster of AcnA eliminated its catalytic activity, but did not inhibit RNA‐binding ability. In silico analysis of the S. viridochromogenes genome revealed several IRE‐like structures. One structure is located upstream of recA, which is involved in the bacterial SOS response, and another one was identified upstream of ftsZ, which is required for the onset of sporulation in streptomycetes. The functionality of different IRE structures was proven with gel shift assays and specific IRE consensus sequences were defined. Furthermore, RecA was shown to be upregulated on post‐transcriptional level under oxidative stress conditions in the wild‐type strain but not in the acnA mutant, suggesting a regulatory role of AcnA in oxidative stress response.
Statements of the Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and the National Heart Association of Malaysia task force 2012 working party on the use of antiplatelet therapy and proton pump inhibitors in the prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Tan Huck‐Joo , Mahadeva Sanjiv , Menon Jayaram , Ng Wai Kiat , Zainal Abidin Imran , Chan Francis KL , Goh Khean‐Lee
Published: October 2012

The working party statements aim to provide evidence and guidelines to practising doctors on the use of antiplatelet therapy and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients with cardiovascular risk as well as those at risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Balancing the GI and cardiovascular risk and benefits of antiplatelet therapy and PPIs may sometimes pose a significant challenge to doctors. Concomitant use of anti‐secretory medications has been shown to reduce the risk of GI bleeding but concerns have been raised on the potential interaction of PPIs and clopidogrel. Many new data have emerged on this topic but some can be confusing and at times controversial. These statements examined the supporting evidence in four main areas: rationale for antiplatelet therapy, risk factors of GI bleeding, PPI–clopidogrel interactions and timing for recommencing antiplatelet therapy after GI bleeding, and made appropriate recommendations.
Microarray evaluation of specific IgE to allergen components in elite athletes
Authors: Bonini M. , Marcomini L. , Gramiccioni C. , Tranquilli C. , Melioli G. , Canonica G. W. , Bonini S. ,   on behalf of the ISAC Study Group
Published: October 2012

Background

Allergic sensitization and diseases have been reported to have a very high and increasing prevalence in elite athletes. Over 80% of allergic athletes are poly‐sensitized.

Objective

This study aims at evaluating the potential diagnostic added value of a microarray technology (ImmunoCAP ISAC, Phadia AB [at present Thermo Fisher Scientific] Uppsala, Sweden which detects IgE antibodies to specific or cross‐reacting allergen components.

Methods

Seventy‐two poly‐sensitized athletes according to skin prick test (SPT) with different allergic phenotypes (asthma n = 19; rhino‐conjunctivitis n = 20; food allergy and/or oral allergy syndrome n = 13; no clinical symptoms n = 20) and two different control populations (20 poly‐sensitized sedentary subjects with respiratory allergy and 20 healthy athletes with negative SPT) were studied for detecting specific IgE (sIgE) both to allergen extracts (ImmunoCAPsIgE) and to allergen components (ImmunoCAP ISAC).

Results

ImmunoCAP ISAC detected the presence of sIgE in 90% of poly‐sensitized athletes – in 96% with symptoms and in 75% without symptoms – and in 100% of allergic controls. The pattern of positivity towards the 103 components tested differed from subject to subject, even in those with the same sensitization to allergen extract SPT or sIgE. Based on the ISAC results, poly‐sensitized athletes were classified into the following prototypical patterns, differently represented in the clinical phenotypes studied (P = 0.03): (1) One single predominant specific allergen positivity; (2) sIgE to two or more non‐cross‐reacting allergens; (3) sIgE to cross‐reacting allergens; and (4) sIgE to components potentially responsible for severe allergic reactions.

Conclusions

The ImmunoCAP ISAC represents a useful additional tool for diagnosis and management of poly‐sensitized athletes.
Challenges of alloimmunization in patients with haemoglobinopathies
Authors: Chou Stella T. , Liem Robert I. , Thompson Alexis A.
Published: October 2012

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions can be life‐sustaining in chronic inherited anaemias, such as thalassaemia, and the indications for blood transfusions in patients with sickle cell disease continue to expand. Complications of transfusions, such as allosensitization, can create significant medical challenges in the management of patients with haemoglobinopathies. This review summarizes key findings from the medical literature related to alloimmunization in haemoglobinopathies and examines potential measures to mitigate these risks. Areas where future studies are needed are also addressed.
Representing Spatial Structure Through Maps and Language: Lord of the Rings Encodes the Spatial Structure of Middle Earth
Authors: Louwerse Max M. , Benesh Nick
Published: October 2012

Spatial mental representations can be derived from linguistic and non‐linguistic sources of information. This study tested whether these representations could be formed from statistical linguistic frequencies of city names, and to what extent participants differed in their performance when they estimated spatial locations from language or maps. In a computational linguistic study, we demonstrated that co‐occurrences of cities in Tolkien’sLord of the Ringstrilogy andThe Hobbitpredicted the authentic longitude and latitude of those cities in Middle Earth. In a human study, we showed that human spatial estimates of the location of cities were very similar regardless of whether participants read Tolkien’s texts or memorized a map of Middle Earth. However, text‐based location estimates obtained from statistical linguistic frequencies better predicted the human text‐based estimates than the human map‐based estimates. These findings suggest that language encodes spatial structure of cities, and that human cognitive map representations can come from implicit statistical linguistic patterns, from explicit non‐linguistic perceptual information, or from both.