bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latino Urbanism
Authors: Lara Jesús J.
Published: February 2015

Latinos are assuming prominence in our social, political, and economic systems, and they are having a growing impact in shaping and revitalizing the built environment: from inner-city neighborhoods to suburban commercial corridors in large cities and small-town America. This force is driven by a continuous growth in population. Evidence of this can be found in the changing demographic landscape of the United States. According to the US Census, the total US population reached 331,000,000 in 2020, In 2019, the number of Latinos reached a record 60.6 million, making up 18 percent of the US population. This is up from 50.7 million in 2010, when Latinos were 16 percent of the population. The 2020 Census will be the first in the nation’s history in which Latinos make up the nation’s second-largest population group. Without Latino growth some states would have shown a decrease in population. There are some counties in the Midwest where the Latino population grew 500 to 700 percent. The Latino population is expected to grow by 29.2 percent and make up 53.3 percent of the total population by the year 2050. As Latino populations grow, the need for resources to support them creates new stresses that are manifested at an international scale and are more predominant in towns and cities. In the early twenty-first century, Latinos have been impacting the built environment and public realm in dynamic ways that are conducive to cultural (re)adaptations while contributing to the social and economic development of neighborhoods and commercial corridors. Latinos contribute to the urban revitalization process by (re)appropriating space for their own use, turning downtrodden areas into vibrant commercial and residential centers to suit the needs and cultural preferences of transnational immigrants. This movement is known as “Latino Urbanism,” an emerging approach to planning, design, and development that responds to Latino lifestyles, cultural preferences, and economic needs that is reflected in the built environment. Latino Urbanism is reflected in the way Latinos bring key qualities that are essential to revitalization processes in our cities, including socialization, leisure activities, and commerce. It is a design and planning concept based on how Latinos organize and use space. Proponents of this movement argue that Latino urban living in modern American towns and cities can incorporate many of the principal tenets of new urbanism: compact urban form, pedestrian activity, public transportation, sustainability, recycling, and active use of public and private spaces. Latino Urbanism strategies show designers, public policymakers, academics, and business owners examples of enabling approaches for how Latino communities can revitalize suburban neighborhoods and obsolete and underutilized retail corridors, improving both local economies and the quality of life for residents.
Determinants of Infant Susceptibility to Malaria During the First Year of Life in South Western Cameroon
Authors: Apinjoh Tobias O. , Anchang-Kimbi Judith K. , Mugri Regina N. , Njua-Yafi Clarisse , Tata Rolland B. , Chi Hanesh F. , Tangoh Delphine A. , Loh Beatrice T. , Achidi Eric A.
Published: February 2015

Background.  Falciparum malaria is an important pediatric infectious disease that frequently affects pregnant women and alters infant morbidity. However, the impact of some prenatal and perinatal risk factors such as season and intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) on neonatal susceptibility has not been fully elucidated.

Methods.  A cohort of 415 infants born to women who were positive and negative for malaria was monitored in a longitudinal study in Southwestern Cameroon. The clinical and malaria statuses were assessed throughout, whereas paired maternal-cord and 1-year-old antimalarial antibodies were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Infant susceptibility to malaria was ascertained after accounting for IPTp and season in the statistical analysis.

Results.  Malaria prevalence was higher in women (P = .039) who delivered during the rainy season and their infants (P = .030) compared with their dry season counterparts. Infants born to women who were positive for malaria (6.40 ± 2.83 months) were older (P = .028) than their counterparts who were negative for malaria (5.52 ± 2.85 months) when they experienced their first malaria episode. Infants born in September–November (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13–0.72) and to mothers on 1 or no IPTp-sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) dose (adjusted OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.28–0.91) were protected, whereas those born in the rainy season (adjusted OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.21–6.55) were susceptible to malaria.

Conclusions.  Intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy and month of birth have important implications for infant susceptibility to malaria, with 2 or more IPTp-SP dosage possibly reducing immunoglobulin M production.
Incidence and Predictors of Hepatic Steatosis and Fibrosis by Serum Biomarkers in a Large Cohort of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Mono-Infected Patients
Authors: Sebastiani Giada , Rollet-Kurhajec Kathleen C. , Pexos Costa , Gilmore Norbert , Klein Marina B.
Published: February 2015

Background.  Longitudinal data on liver disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) mono-infection are scarce. We used noninvasive serum biomarkers to study incidence and predictors of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Methods.  Hepatic steatosis was diagnosed by hepatic steatosis index ≥36. Advanced liver fibrosis was diagnosed by fibrosis-4 index >3.25. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to estimate incidences. Cox regression analysis was used to explore predictors of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis development.

Results.  In this retrospective observational study, 796 consecutive HIV mono-infected patients were observed for a median of 4.9 (interquartile range, 2.2–6.4) years. Incidence of hepatic steatosis was 6.9 of 100 per person-years (PY) (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9–7.9). Incidence of advanced liver fibrosis was 0.9 of 100 PY (95% CI, 0.6–1.3). Development of hepatic steatosis was predicted by black ethnicity (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.58–3; P < .001) and lower albumin (aHR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.91–0.97; P < .001). Development of advanced liver fibrosis was predicted by higher glucose (aHR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.2–1.3; P < .001) and lower albumin (aHR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84–0.93; P < .001).

Conclusions.  Incident hepatic steatosis is frequent in HIV mono-infected patients, particularly in those of black ethnicity. These patients can also develop advanced liver fibrosis. Identification of at-risk individuals can help early initiation of hepatological monitoring and interventions, such as targeting euglycemia.
Disinfection of Syringes Contaminated With Hepatitis C Virus by Rinsing With Household Products
Authors: Binka Mawuena , Paintsil Elijah , Patel Amisha , Lindenbach Brett D. , Heimer Robert
Published: February 2015

Background.  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) is associated with the sharing of injection paraphernalia. People who inject drugs often “disinfect” used syringes with household products when new syringes are unavailable. We assessed the effectiveness of these products in disinfecting HCV-contaminated syringes.

Methods.  A genotype-2a reporter virus assay was used to assess HCV infectivity in syringes postrinsing. Hepatitis C virus-contaminated 1 mL insulin syringes with fixed needles and 1 mL tuberculin syringes with detachable needles were rinsed with water, Clorox bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, isopropanol, Lysol, or Dawn Ultra at different concentrations. Syringes were either immediately tested for viable virus or stored at 4°C, 22°C, and 37°C for up to 21 days before viral infectivity was determined.

Results.  Most products tested reduced HCV infectivity to undetectable levels in insulin syringes. Bleach eliminated HCV infectivity in both syringes. Other disinfectants produced virus recovery ranging from high (5% ethanol, 77% ± 12% HCV-positive syringes) to low (1:800 Dawn Ultra, 7% ± 7% positive syringes) in tuberculin syringes.

Conclusions.  Household disinfectants tested were more effective in fixed-needle syringes (low residual volume) than in syringes with detachable needles (high residual volume). Bleach was the most effective disinfectant after 1 rinse, whereas other diluted household products required multiple rinses to eliminate HCV. Rinsing with water, 5% ethanol (as in beer), and 20% ethanol (as in fortified wine) was ineffective and should be avoided. Our data suggest that rinsing of syringes with household disinfectants may be an effective tool in preventing HCV transmission in PWID when done properly.
Gender Identity and Relative Income within Households
*
Authors: Bertrand Marianne , Kamenica Emir , Pan Jessica
Published: January 2015

We examine causes and consequences of relative income within households. We show that the distribution of the share of income earned by the wife exhibits a sharp drop to the right of 12 , where the wife’s income exceeds the husband’s income. We argue that this pattern is best explained by gender identity norms, which induce an aversion to a situation where the wife earns more than her husband. We present evidence that this aversion also impacts marriage formation, the wife’s labor force participation, the wife’s income conditional on working, marriage satisfaction, likelihood of divorce, and the division of home production. Within marriage markets, when a randomly chosen woman becomes more likely to earn more than a randomly chosen man, marriage rates decline. In couples where the wife’s potential income is likely to exceed the husband’s, the wife is less likely to be in the labor force and earns less than her potential if she does work. In couples where the wife earns more than the husband, the wife spends more time on household chores; moreover, those couples are less satisfied with their marriage and are more likely to divorce. These patterns hold both cross-sectionally and within couples over time.
Juvenile Incarceration, Human Capital, and Future Crime: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Judges *
Authors: Aizer Anna , Doyle Joseph J.
Published: February 2015

Over 130,000 juveniles are detained in the United States each year with 70,000 in detention on any given day, yet little is known about whether such a penalty deters future crime or interrupts social and human capital formation in a way that increases the likelihood of later criminal behavior. This article uses the incarceration tendency of randomly assigned judges as an instrumental variable to estimate causal effects of juvenile incarceration on high school completion and adult recidivism. Estimates based on over 35,000 juvenile offenders over a 10-year period from a large urban county in the United States suggest that juvenile incarceration results in substantially lower high school completion rates and higher adult incarceration rates, including for violent crimes. In an attempt to understand the large effects, we found that incarceration for this population could be very disruptive, greatly reducing the likelihood of ever returning to school and, for those who do return, significantly increasing the likelihood of being classified as having an emotional or behavioral disorder.
Definitive Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for Extracranial Oligometastases
Authors: Lewis Stephen L. , Porceddu Sandro , Nakamura Naoki , Palma David A. , Lo Simon S. , Hoskin Peter , Moghanaki Drew , Chmura Steven J. , Salama Joseph K.
Published: February 2015

Purpose:

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is often used to treat patients with oligometastases (OM). Yet, patterns of SBRT practice for OM are unknown. Therefore, we surveyed radiation oncologists internationally, to understand how and when SBRT is used for OM.

Methods:

A 25-question survey was distributed to radiation oncologists. Respondents using SBRT for OM were asked how long they have been treating OM, number of patients treated, organs treated, primary reason for use, doses used, and future intentions. Respondents not using SBRT for OM were asked reasons why SBRT was not used and intentions for future adoption. Data were analyzed anonymously.

Results:

We received 1007 surveys from 43 countries. Eighty-three percent began using SBRT after 2005 and greater than one third after 2010. Eighty-four percent cited perceived treatment response/durability as the primary reason for using SBRT in OM patients. Commonly treated organs were lung (90%), liver (75%), and spine (70%). SBRT dose/fractionation schemes varied widely. Most would offer a second course to new OM. Nearly all (99%) planned to continue and 66% planned to increase SBRT for OM. Of those not using SBRT, 59% plan to start soon. The most common reason for not using SBRT was lack of clinical efficacy (48%) or lack of necessary image guidance equipment (34%).

Conclusions:

Radiation oncologists are increasingly using SBRT for OM. The main reason for not using SBRT for OM is a perceived lack of evidence demonstrating clinical advantages. These data strengthen the need for robust prospective clinical trials (ongoing and in development) to demonstrate clinical efficacy given the widespread adoption of SBRT for OM.
Retinal Microglia in Glaucoma
Authors: Wang Jia-Wei , Chen Shi-Da , Zhang Xiu-Lan , Jonas Jost B.
Published: February 2015

Objective:

To review the current research on microglia as it relates to glaucoma, and summarize the potential microglia-targeted therapies.

Data Sources:

The data were collected from PubMed and Google Scholar databases published in English up to July 2014. Keywords used, both alone and in combination, in the database search included retinal microglia, over-activation and inhibition of microglia, and glaucoma.

Study Selection:

Articles were selected and reviewed if they involved microglia in animal models or human patients with glaucoma. Moreover, we also cited some comprehensive amalgamation of published literature.

Results:

Together with the macroglia [astrocytes, ependymal cells, oligodendrocytes, radial (Müller) cells], the microglia form the supportive tissue of the central nervous system (CNS). Glial cells are generally smaller than the neural cells, but outnumber them by a factor of 5 to 10 with marked regional differences in the CNS. Approximately half of the volume of the CNS is composed of glial cells. Because of the blood-retina barrier, blood-born immunologic cells cannot penetrate into the retina under physiological conditions; the retinal microglial cells are the primary immunocompetent cells in the retina. The microglial cells are involved in any process of cell degeneration and loss, including retinal ganglion fiber and cell loss. Surveying the retinal tissue in normal situations as “spiders in a net,” the retinal microglial cells change their form from a resting dendritic-like shape to an activated ameboid form in the case of invading microorganisms or cell damage. They are involved in the process of cell apoptosis and removal of the dead cells. Studies suggested that inhibition of the microglial cell activation in the case of optic nerve damage can increase the number of surviving retinal ganglion cells and may thus be neuroprotective.

Conclusions:

Activated microglia appear early in the glaucomatous process and may contribute detrimentally to the neuronal apoptosis in the later stage. Neuroprotective strategies that inhibit activated microglia may provide novel treatment modalities for glaucomatous optic neuropathy and any other retinal and optic nerve disease.
Family Adjustment and Parenting Stress When an Infant Has Serious Liver Disease
Authors: Bowden Michael R. , Stormon Michael , Hardikar Winita , Ee Looi C. , Krishnan Usha , Carmody Diana , Jermyn Vicki , Lee Mee‐Mee , O'Loughlin Edward V. , Sawyer Janine , Beyerle Kathe , Lemberg Daniel A. , Day Andrew S. , Paul Campbell , Hazell Philip
Published: January 2015

Objectives:

Parenting stress, problems in family functioning, and lack of fathers' engagement in treatment are associated with poor quality of life in children with chronic illnesses. The aim of the present study was to examine these characteristics in families of infants with serious liver disease in Australia, to inform the provision of mental health care for these families.

Methods:

From September 2009 to May 2013, 42 parents of infants recently diagnosed as having serious liver disease (defined as liver disease that may require transplantation in the future) completed questionnaires about family function, impact of the infant's illness on the family, parent stress symptoms, and fathers' engagement in the care of the child. Participants were recruited from 4 metropolitan children's hospitals in Australia.

Results:

Parents reported psychological symptoms at similar rates to normative populations. Their reports of family functioning were significantly below mean scores in previously published populations with a medically ill family member (population mean 1.89; mothers mean 1.59; fathers mean 1.61, P < 0.001). Disruption to family roles was significantly correlated with psychological symptoms for mothers (r = 0.48, P < 0.01) and fathers (r = 0.31, P < 0.05). Greater helpfulness of fathers was correlated with lower depression in mothers (r = −0.35, P < 0.05), and fathers' anxiety was correlated with their increased engagement (r = 0.40, P < 0.01).

Conclusions:

When parents report the presence of psychological symptoms, symptoms are likely to be present in both parents and are associated with difficulties adjusting to disrupted family roles. Father engagement may be protective of mothers' mental health.
Bile Ducts in Regenerative Liver Nodules of Alagille Patients Are Not the Result of Genetic Mosaicism
Authors: Rougemont Anne‐Laure , Alvarez Fernando , McLin Valérie A. , Guiochon‐Mantel Anne , Bouligand Jérome , Clément Sophie , Tonson La Tour Aude , Wildhaber Barbara E. , Rubbia‐Brandt Laura , Sartelet Hervé
Published: January 2015

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a complex, multisystem disease associated with mutations in the JAG1 gene. In the liver, ALGS is characterized by paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts. Gene dosage analysis performed on a large, central regenerative nodule with preserved interlobular bile ducts of 2 unrelated ALGS patients, and on surrounding cirrhotic and ductopenic liver parenchyma, showed in both cases complete JAG1 heterozygous deletion in the regenerative nodule and the ductopenic liver, with no differences in gene dosage. Thus, JAG1 mosaicism and differential haploinsufficiency do not explain the presence of bile ducts in centrally located regenerative nodules.
Early Postnatal Growth in a Subset of Convalescing Extremely‐Low‐Birth‐Weight Neonates
Authors: Dejhalla Mana , Lahage Nadine , Parvez Boriana , Brumberg Heather L. , La Gamma Edmund F.
Published: February 2015

Objectives:

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a subset of noncritically ill, convalescing extremely‐low‐birth‐weight neonates who were managed using a standardized nutritional protocol could achieve the growth rate of the index fetus. We hypothesized that an aggressive nutritional protocol applied to noncritically ill, convalescing premature neonates could achieve the growth rate of the index fetus.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review of a subset of 21 premature neonates defined by 4 criteria: inborn or transferred‐in within 24 hours of birth, gestational age < 30 weeks and birth weight ≤1000 g, hospitalized >35 postnatal days, and discharged between 34 and 42 weeks postconceptual age. Optimal growth at discharge was defined as weight and head circumference >10th percentile compared with comparable gestational age fetal parameters.

Results:

Protein intake of ≥1.4 g · kg−1 · day−1 and energy ≥30 kcal · kg−1 · day−1 were provided as of the first postnatal day. Proteins ≥3 g · kg−1 · day−1 and >80 kcal · kg−1 · day−1 were established ≥10th postnatal day. Birth weight was regained by postnatal day 10 ± 5 day (mean + standard deviation). Nutrition was predominantly enteral (ie, >50% of all calories) after the 11th postnatal day. At discharge, 71% (15/21) by weight and 76% (16/21) by head circumference were >10th percentile. After 30 weeks postconceptual age, the cohort exceeded the weight gain rate (g/wk) of a 10th‐percentile fetus.

Conclusions:

In a selected subset of noncritically ill, convalescing extremely‐low‐birth‐weight neonates, after a brief period of unavoidable postnatal weight loss and body water adjustment, adequate nutrition from birth can enable a more homeostatic pattern of growth that approximates growth of the index fetus.
Fecal Microbiota Composition of Breast‐Fed Infants Is Correlated With Human Milk Oligosaccharides Consumed
Authors: Wang Mei , Li Min , Wu Shuai , Lebrilla Carlito B. , Chapkin Robert S. , Ivanov Ivan , Donovan Sharon M.
Published: February 2015

Objectives:

This study tested the hypothesis that the fecal bacterial genera of breast‐fed (BF) and formula‐fed (FF) infants differ and that human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) modulate the microbiota of BF infants.

Methods:

Fecal samples were obtained from BF (n = 16) or FF (n = 6) infants at 3‐month postpartum. Human milk samples were collected on the same day when feces were collected. The microbiota was assessed by pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes. HMOs were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography–chip time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.

Results:

The overall microbiota of BF differed from that of FF (P = 0.005). Compared with FF, BF had higher relative abundances of Bacteroides, lower proportions of Clostridium XVIII, Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Veillonella (P < 0.05). Bifidobacterium predominated in both BF and FF infants, with no difference in abundance between the 2 groups. The most abundant HMOs were lacto‐N‐tetraose + lacto‐N‐neotetraose (LNT + LNnT, 22.6%), followed by 2′‐fucosyllactose (2′FL, 14.5%) and lacto‐N‐fucopentaose I (LNFP I, 9.5%). Partial least squares regression of HMO and microbiota showed several infant fecal bacterial genera could be predicted by their mothers' HMO profiles, and the important HMOs for the prediction of bacterial genera were identified by variable importance in the projection scores.

Conclusions:

These results strengthen the established relation between HMO and the infant microbiota and identify statistical means whereby infant bacterial genera can be predicted by milk HMO. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and determine whether the supplementation of formula with defined HMO could selectively modify the gut microbiota.
Principles of structure building in music, language and animal song
Authors: Rohrmeier Martin , Zuidema Willem , Wiggins Geraint A. , Scharff Constance
Published: February 2015

Human language, music and a variety of animal vocalizations constitute ways of sonic communication that exhibit remarkable structural complexity. While the complexities of language and possible parallels in animal communication have been discussed intensively, reflections on the complexity of music and animal song, and their comparisons, are underrepresented. In some ways, music and animal songs are more comparable to each other than to language as propositional semantics cannot be used as indicator of communicative success or wellformedness, and notions of grammaticality are less easily defined. This review brings together accounts of the principles of structure building in music and animal song. It relates them to corresponding models in formal language theory, the extended Chomsky hierarchy (CH), and their probabilistic counterparts. We further discuss common misunderstandings and shortcomings concerning the CH and suggest ways to move beyond. We discuss language, music and animal song in the context of their function and motivation and further integrate problems and issues that are less commonly addressed in the context of language, including continuous event spaces, features of sound and timbre, representation of temporality and interactions of multiple parallel feature streams. We discuss these aspects in the light of recent theoretical, cognitive, neuroscientific and modelling research in the domains of music, language and animal song.
Kazachstania yasuniensis sp. nov., an ascomycetous yeast species found in mainland Ecuador and on the Galápagos
Authors: James Stephen A. , Carvajal Barriga Enrique Javier , Portero Barahona Patricia , Nueno-Palop Carmen , Cross Kathryn , Bond Christopher J. , Roberts Ian N.
Published: February 2015

Seven strains representing a novel yeast species belonging to the genus Kazachstania were found at several collection sites on both mainland Ecuador (Yasuní National Park) and the Galápagos (Santa Cruz Island). Two strains (CLQCA 20-132T and CLQCA 24SC-045) were isolated from rotten wood samples, two further strains (CLQCA 20-280 and CLQCA 20-348) were isolated from soil samples, and three strains (CLQCA 20-198, CLQCA 20-374 and CLQCA 20-431) were isolated from decaying fruits. Sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated that the novel species is most closely related to Kazachstania servazzii and Kazachstania unispora. Although the strains could not be distinguished from one another based upon their differing geographical origins, they could be differentiated according to their isolation source (fruit, soil or wood) by ITS sequencing. The species name Kazachstania yasuniensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with CLQCA 20-132T ( = CBS 13946T = NCYC 4008T) designated the type strain.
Recognition of H3K9 methylation by GLP is required for efficient establishment of H3K9 methylation, rapid target gene repression, and mouse viability
Authors: Liu Nan , Zhang Zhuqiang , Wu Hui , Jiang Yonghua , Meng Lingjun , Xiong Jun , Zhao Zuodong , Zhou Xiaohua , Li Jia , Li Hong , Zheng Yong , Chen She , Cai Tao , Gao Shaorong , Zhu Bing
Published: January 2015

GLP and G9a are major H3K9 dimethylases and are essential for mouse early embryonic development. GLP and G9a both harbor ankyrin repeat domains that are capable of binding H3K9 methylation. However, the functional significance of their recognition of H3K9 methylation is unknown. Here, we report that the histone methyltransferase activities of GLP and G9a are stimulated by neighboring nucleosomes that are premethylated at H3K9. These stimulation events function in cis and are dependent on the H3K9 methylation binding activities of ankyrin repeat domains of GLP and G9a. Disruption of the H3K9 methylation-binding activity of GLP in mice causes growth retardation of embryos, ossification defects of calvaria, and postnatal lethality due to starvation of the pups. In mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) harboring a mutant GLP that lacks H3K9me1-binding activity, critical pluripotent genes, including Oct4 and Nanog, display inefficient establishment of H3K9me2 and delayed gene silencing during differentiation. Collectively, our study reveals a new activation mechanism for GLP and G9a that plays an important role in ESC differentiation and mouse viability.
A dual cis-regulatory code links IRF8 to constitutive and inducible gene expression in macrophages
Authors: Mancino Alessandra , Termanini Alberto , Barozzi Iros , Ghisletti Serena , Ostuni Renato , Prosperini Elena , Ozato Keiko , Natoli Gioacchino
Published: January 2015

The transcription factor (TF) interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) controls both developmental and inflammatory stimulus-inducible genes in macrophages, but the mechanisms underlying these two different functions are largely unknown. One possibility is that these different roles are linked to the ability of IRF8 to bind alternative DNA sequences. We found that IRF8 is recruited to distinct sets of DNA consensus sequences before and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In resting cells, IRF8 was mainly bound to composite sites together with the master regulator of myeloid development PU.1. Basal IRF8–PU.1 binding maintained the expression of a broad panel of genes essential for macrophage functions (such as microbial recognition and response to purines) and contributed to basal expression of many LPS-inducible genes. After LPS stimulation, increased expression of IRF8, other IRFs, and AP-1 family TFs enabled IRF8 binding to thousands of additional regions containing low-affinity multimerized IRF sites and composite IRF–AP-1 sites, which were not premarked by PU.1 and did not contribute to the basal IRF8 cistrome. While constitutively expressed IRF8-dependent genes contained only sites mediating basal IRF8/PU.1 recruitment, inducible IRF8-dependent genes contained variable combinations of constitutive and inducible sites. Overall, these data show at the genome scale how the same TF can be linked to constitutive and inducible gene regulation via distinct combinations of alternative DNA-binding sites.
Serial femtosecond crystallography: the first five years
Authors: Schlichting Ilme
Published: February 2015

Protein crystallography using synchrotron radiation sources has had a tremendous impact on biology, having yielded the structures of thousands of proteins and given detailed insight into their mechanisms. However, the technique is limited by the requirement for macroscopic crystals, which can be difficult to obtain, as well as by the often severe radiation damage caused in diffraction experiments, in particular when using tiny crystals. To slow radiation damage, data collection is typically performed at cryogenic temperatures. With the advent of free-electron lasers (FELs) capable of delivering extremely intense femtosecond X-ray pulses, this situation appears to be remedied, allowing the structure determination of undamaged macromolecules using either macroscopic or microscopic crystals. The latter are exposed to the FEL beam in random orientations and their diffraction data are collected at cryogenic or room temperature in a serial fashion, since each crystal is destroyed upon a single exposure. The new approaches required for crystal growth and delivery, and for diffraction data analysis, includingde novophasing, are reviewed. The opportunities and challenges of SFX are described, including applications such as time-resolved measurements and the analysis of radiation damage-prone systems.
Synchrotron radiation macromolecular crystallography: science and spin-offs
Authors: Helliwell John R. , Mitchell Edward P.
Published: February 2015

A current overview of synchrotron radiation (SR) in macromolecular crystallography (MX) instrumentation, methods and applications is presented. Automation has been and remains a central development in the last decade, as have the rise of remote access and of industrial service provision. Results include a high number of Protein Data Bank depositions, with an increasing emphasis on the successful use of microcrystals. One future emphasis involves pushing the frontiers of using higher and lower photon energies. With the advent of X-ray free-electron lasers, closely linked to SR developments, the use of ever smaller samples such as nanocrystals, nanoclusters and single molecules is anticipated, as well as the opening up of femtosecond time-resolved diffraction structural studies. At SR sources, a very high-throughput assessment for the best crystal samples and the ability to tackle just a few micron and sub-micron crystals will become widespread. With higher speeds and larger detectors, diffraction data volumes are becoming long-term storage and archiving issues; the implications for today and the future are discussed. Together with the rise of the storage ring to its current pre-eminence in MX data provision, the growing tendency of central facility sites to offer other centralized facilities complementary to crystallography, such as cryo-electron microscopy and NMR, is a welcome development.
Crystal structure of 4-{[(naphthalen-2-yl)sulfonylamino]methyl}cyclohexanecarboxylic acid
Authors: Danish Muhammad , Tahir Muhammad Nawaz , Hussain Asif , Ashfaq Muhammad , Sadiq Muhammad Nadeem
Published: February 2015

The title compound, C18H21NO4S, is a new sulfonamide derivative of tranexamic acid. In the crystal, molecules form inversion dimersviaO—H...O hydrogen bonds involving the carboxylic acid groups. Hydrogen bonding between the sulfonamide N—H group and the carboxylic acid O atom assembles the dimers into thick layers parallel to (100). The naphthalene groups of adjacent layers are arranged in a herring-bone motif. There are C—H...π interactions between the naphthalene rings of neighbouring layers.
Excellence and gender
Authors: Fassa Farinaz
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– Discussing the Swiss case, the purpose of this paper is to examine how gender equality policies deal with the present requirements for scholars to be considered “excellent”. It aims to pinpoint the lines of tension or coherence between excellence, meritocracy and gender politics.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to specify the norms of academic careers and their different renditions, the author draws on two studies (at local and national levels) to illustrate where the changes and resistances are taking place.

Findings

– The translations of a number of demands of feminist movements into the policies set up to favour equality between the sexes may combine to challenge the norms of academia as a gendered realm. Nevertheless, without strong pressure from feminists at local level and the conduct of research pursuing the enterprise of deconstructing norms, top-down policies may prove less “corrective” than affirmative action. This pressure is not only useful to build gender equality in science but also to broaden the spectrum of knowledge that can become a common good.

Research limitations/implications

– As neither the names nor the positions of the experts who select the candidates at national level are made public, we had to opt for other, less satisfactory means.

Originality/value

– The originality of the paper lies in the link made between the enhancements brought by Equalities policies and the changes they bring. It attempts to bring to light the extent to which gender equality policies conform to the neo-managerial order or challenge its norms to build a world that is more just.
“Unfair to women”? Equal representation policies in Swedish academia
Authors: Peterson Helen
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight how women managers in Swedish higher education (HE) both support and resist policies about equal representation, and to discuss which factors influenced if, and how, these managers took on the role as change agents for gender equality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 22 women in senior academic management positions (vice-chancellors, pro vice-chancellors, deans and pro deans) in ten Swedish HE institutions.

Findings

– The paper highlights how these women situated themselves in an academic context where gender relations were changing. They supported equal representation policies in their everyday managerial practice and also by accepting management positions that they were nominated and elected to on the basis of such policies. However, they also resisted these policies when they experienced a need to “protect” women from being exploited “in the name of gender equality”.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper addresses the call for research on the role of women managers in promoting, or preventing, change towards more gender balanced organizations. The paper builds on a small qualitative study with women only interviews. The study is therefore to be considered as explorative.

Practical implications

– The paper makes a contribution to the research literature in the area of gender and change in academic organizations. The findings highlight how policies have different consequences in different settings and that people use their own (different) experiences when interpreting the effects of these policies. The findings thus show the varying impacts equal representation policies can have on women.

Originality/value

– The discussion in the paper is situated in a unique empirical context characterized by demographic feminization and organizational restructuring. Most international literature on women in HE and in HE management is based on US or UK contexts. Swedish HE therefore provides an interesting setting. The analysis also addresses the call for more research that takes into account the multifaceted character of HE and that discusses disciplinary differences.
Feminist thinking in late seventh-century China
Authors: Peng Niya , Yu Tianyuan , Mills Albert
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to offer novel insights into: knowledge of proto-feminism through description and analysis of the rule of the seventh century female Emperor Wu Zetian; postcolonial theory by revealing the existence and proto-feminist activities of a non-western female leader; and the literature on gender and invisibility through a study of a leading figure that is relatively unknown to western feminists and is even, in feminist terms, something of a neglected figure.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to examine Wu’s proto-feminist practices as recorded in historical materials, we use critical hermeneutics as a tool for textual interpretation, through the following four stages: choosing texts from historical records and writings of Wu; analyzing the historical sociocultural context; analyzing the relationship between the text and the context; and offering a conceptual framework as a richer explanation.

Findings

– Wu’s life activities demonstrate proto-feminism in late seventh century China in at least four aspects: gender equality in sexuality, in social status, in politics, and women’s pursuit of power and leadership.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research may dig into the paradox of Wu’s proto-feminist practices, the relationship between organizational power and feminism/proto-feminism, and the ways in which Wu’s activities differ from other powerful women across cultures, etc.

Practical implications

– The study encourages a rethink of women and leadership style in non-western thought.

Social implications

– The study supports Calás and Smircich’s 2005 call for greater understanding of feminist thought outside of western thought and a move to transglobal feminism.

Originality/value

– This study recovers long lost stories of women leadership that are “invisible” in many ways in the historical narratives, and contributes to postcolonial feminism by revealing the existence of indigenous proto-feminist practice in China long before western-based feminism and postcolonial feminism emerged.
Free market madness and human nature
Authors: Aydin Necati
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss the crises of free market capitalism in terms of its understanding of human nature. It reveals how recent market madness can be attributed to certain elements of human nature.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses a conceptual and philosophical approach to analyze crises of free market capitalism. It links both success and failure of capitalism to its understanding of human nature. It compares and contrasts economic assumptions of human nature in conventional and Islamic economics. It attempts to explain the 2008 financial crisis through a comprehensive theory of human nature.

Findings

– It sheds some light on the irrational aspect of human nature as the driving factor behind the 2008 financial crisis. It elaborates on the importance of knowing self for knowing human decisions in free market economy. It concludes with the need for a comprehensive theory of human nature to predict and prevent irrational and irresponsible behaviors of populist politicians, greedy capitalists and conspicuous consumers. The paper also reflects on the 2013 Nobel Prize in economics as a victory for the study of human nature.

Originality/value

– The paper offers a new perspective to understand crises of free market capitalism.
Mapping communication management competencies for European practitioners
Authors: Tench Ralph , Moreno Angeles
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The principle focus of the European Communication Professional Skills and Innovation (ECOPSI) Research project reported in this paper is to develop understanding of the competences held by senior communication practitioners and the contributing knowledge, skills and personal attributes that are relevant to their role. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on 24 months of desk and empirical work by the research team in three core phases: the benchmarking report based on literature reviews in each country region; quantitative data collection from communication practitioners in 42 countries across Europe; qualitative data from 53 interviews across four senior practitioner roles in the six regions of the study’s focus.

Findings

– The findings highlight the competencies needed by senior practitioners through the creation of the Communication Role Matrix with critical evaluation of the current contemporary issues faced by the sector.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors acknowledge a limitation of the study regarding the selection of the four studied professional roles. ECOPSI has proven a common understanding of theses four studied roles in Europe, but further research on the competencies of diverse roles performed in the profession would need to be explored for a more comprehensive appreciation of the full spectrum of public relations and strategic communication practice.

Practical implications

– The paper draws together findings from across Europe and presents a practical interpretation of the project in the form of an online self-diagnostic tool based on an online portal for practitioners to self-complete.

Social implications

– The programme improves the professionalism of practitioners across Europe and their ability to work across borders in a European and wider international community of communication practitioners.

Originality/value

– This study benchmarks the educational and practice landscape in six key regions of Europe to demonstrate that the elements focusing on skills, knowledge and personal attributes of European communication professionals can be synthesised using competences as the foundational element. The originality is also reflected in the self-diagnostic tool for the project based on an online portal.
A “practice turn” for global public relations: an alternative approach
Authors: Rittenhofer Iris , Valentini Chiara
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature on global public relations in order to scrutinize how contemporary transformations are conceptualized in the field, and what this means for the understanding of public.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors offer a critical analysis and discussion of recent publications in order to explore the nexus of “public”, “culture” and “global”, questioning whether the increased interest in a specific understanding of culture actually contributes to the field’s ability to deal with complex and transforming publics in a meaningful manner.

Findings

– The majority of global public relations literature applies redundant understandings of globalization. It attaches prime importance to the concept of culture and contributes little to the understanding of transforming publics. Few scholars acknowledge the limitations of using “culture” for the definition of publics in global contexts. Alternative approaches to understanding “publics” in global public relations research and practice are hardly offered.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings imply that global public relations research would benefit from abandoning monolithic social science categories and from working transdisciplinary in order to refine its understanding of contemporary societal and social transformations and their implications for the understanding of public and relationship building.

Practical implications

– The discussion indicates that public relations practitioners could benefit from reorienting their understanding of publics in globalizing societies in order to build and nourish mutually beneficial relationships. The authors apply the insight into contemporary business practices to offer public relations practitioners a starting point for reorientation.

Originality/value

– The authors contribute to global public relations scholarship with an alternative approach to the understanding of transforming publics which merges the spatial turn and the practice turn known from wider humanities and social science research, and relevant business practices.
Employers’ experience in managing high potential employees in Malaysia
Authors: Juhdi Nurita , Pa'wan Fatimah , Hansaram Rammilah
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine key competencies used by organizations in identifying high potential employees. It also seeks to examine practices and programs to manage such employees and finally to identify problems encountered in the development programs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The respondents of the study were HR practitioners. Convenient sampling was used and the respondents answered survey forms that were sent out using regular mails and e-mails. As a result, 237 forms were generated and used for analyses. In order to test construct validity, factor analyses were performed and mean values of each variable were also used for interpretations.

Findings

– Employers put highest emphasis on employees who were customer service oriented. Three major competences were identified – results-oriented character, interpersonal competence and technical competence/flexibility. The most common method to identify potential was performance appraisal by immediate superiors. The most common method to develop high potential employees was job enlargement and the most common problem in the development programs was in dealing with those who had personal and work-life balance.

Practical implications

– Performance appraisal done by immediate supervisor may not be the best method to gauge future performance and should be coupled with performance review or discussion with the superiors. Job experience is still effective in developing potential. Specific policies that help employees to balance personal and work life are important in development programs.

Originality/value

– The responses from the HR practitioners shed some lights on what major competences are important in identifying potential that can be used in talent management.