bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Controlling compartmentalization by non-membrane-bound organelles
Authors: Wheeler Richard J. , Hyman Anthony A.
Published: April 2018

Compartmentalization is a characterizing feature of complexity in cells, used to organize their biochemistry. Membrane-bound organelles are most widely known, but non-membrane-bound liquid organelles also exist. These have recently been shown to form by phase separation of specific types of proteins known as scaffolds. This forms two phases: a condensate that is enriched in scaffold protein separated by a phase boundary from the cytoplasm or nucleoplasm with a low concentration of the scaffold protein. Phase separation is well known for synthetic polymers, but also appears important in cells. Here, we review the properties of proteins important for forming these non-membrane-bound organelles, focusing on the energetically favourable interactions that drive condensation. On this basis we make qualitative predictions about how cells may control compartmentalization by condensates; the partition of specific molecules to a condensate; the control of condensation and dissolution of condensates; and the regulation of condensate nucleation. There are emerging data supporting many of these predictions, although future results may prove incorrect. It appears that many molecules may have the ability to modulate condensate formation, making condensates a potential target for future therapeutics. The emerging properties of condensates are fundamentally unlike the properties of membrane-bound organelles. They have the capacity to rapidly integrate cellular events and act as a new class of sensors for internal and external environments.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Self-organization in cell biology’.
Acute-stress impairs cytoprotective mechanisms through neural inhibition of the insulin pathway
Authors: José De Rosa Maria , Veuthey Tania , Florman Jeremy , Grant Jeff , Blanco Gabriela , Andersen Natalia , Donnelly Jamie , Rayes Diego , Alkema Mark J.
Published: April 2018

Persistent activation of the “fight-or-flight” response accelerates aging and increases the susceptibility to disease. We show that repeated induction of the C. elegans flight response inhibits conserved cytoprotective mechanisms. This acute-stress response activates neurons that release tyramine, the invertebrate analog of adrenaline/noradrenaline. Tyramine stimulates the DAF-2/Insulin/IGF-1 pathway and precludes the nuclear translocation of the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor through the activation of an adrenergic-like receptor TYRA-3 in the intestine. In contrast, environmental long-term stressors, such as heat or oxidative stress, reduce tyramine release allowing the induction of FOXO-dependent cytoprotective genes. These findings demonstrate how a neural stress-hormone signaling provides a state-dependent neural switch between acute and long-term stress responses, and provide mechanistic insights how acute stress impairs cellular defensive systems.

One Sentence Summary: The “fight-or-flight” response reduces resistance to environmental challenges.
HMMRATAC: a Hidden Markov ModeleR for ATAC-seq
Authors: Tarbell Evan D. , Liu Tao
Published: April 2018

ATAC-seq has been widely adopted to identify accessible chromatin regions across the genome. However, current data analysis still utilizes approaches initially designed for ChIP-seq or DNase-seq, without considering the transposase digested DNA fragments that contain additional nucleosome positioning information. We present the first dedicated ATAC-seq analysis tool, a semi-supervised machine learning approach named HMMRATAC. HMMRATAC splits a single ATAC-seq dataset into nucleosome-free and nucleosome-enriched signals, learns the unique chromatin structure around accessible regions, and then predicts accessible regions across the entire genome. We show that HMMRATAC outperforms the popular peak-calling algorithms on published human ATAC-seq datasets. We find that single-end sequenced or size-selected ATAC-seq datasets result in a loss of sensitivity compared to paired-end datasets without size-selection.
Synthetic methanogenic communities reveal differential impact of ecological perturbations on aceto- and hydrogeno-trophic methanogens
Authors: Chen Jing , Wade Matthew , Dolfing Jan , Soyer Orkun S
Published: April 2018

Synthetic microbial communities provide reduced microbial ecologies that can be studied under defined conditions. Here, we use this approach to study the interactions underpinning anaerobic digestion communities and involving the key microbial populations of a sulfate reducer (Desulfovibrio vulgaris), and aceto-(Methanosarcina barkeri) and hydrogenotrophic (Methanococcus maripaludis) methanogens. We create all possible mixed culture combinations of these species and analyse the stability and productivity of each system over multiple sub-culturings and under different sulfate levels, mimicking ecological perturbation in the form of strong electron acceptor availability. We find that all three species can co-exist in the absence of sulfate, and that system productivity (in form of methane production from lactate) increases by almost two-fold compared to co-cultures. With increasing sulfate availability, co-existence is perturbed and both methanogenic populations display a diminishing trend. Interestingly, we find that, despite the continued presence of acetate in the system, the acetotrophic methanogens are more readily disrupted by sulfate perturbation. We show that this is due to a shift inM. barkerimetabolism towards increased co-utilisation of hydrogen with acetate, which we verified through experiments on mono cultures and mass balance calculations in co-cultures. We conclude that hydrogen is a key factor for both hydrogeno- and aceto-trophic methanogenesis and can influence these populations differentially under the common ecological perturbation of strong electron acceptor availability. These findings will help engineering of larger synthetic communities for specific applications in biodegradation and understanding complex anaerobic digestion communities found in animal guts, sediments, and bioreactors.
Bridging barriers: a comparative look at the blood–brain barrier across organisms
Authors: O'Brown Natasha M. , Pfau Sarah J. , Gu Chenghua
Published: April 2018

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) restricts free access of molecules between the blood and the brain and is essential for regulating the neural microenvironment. Here, we describe how the BBB was initially characterized and how the current field evaluates barrier properties. We next detail the cellular nature of the BBB and discuss both the conservation and variation of BBB function across taxa. Finally, we examine our current understanding of mouse and zebrafish model systems, as we expect that comparison of the BBB across organisms will provide insight into the human BBB under normal physiological conditions and in neurological diseases.
Synchrotron X-ray microbeam dosimetry with a 20 micrometre resolution scintillator fibre-optic dosimeter
Authors: Archer James , Li Enbang , Petasecca Marco , Stevenson Andrew , Livingstone Jayde , Dipuglia Andrew , Davis Jeremy , Rosenfeld Anatoly , Lerch Michael
Published: April 2018

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. External beam radiation therapy is one of the most important modalities for the treatment of cancers. Synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a novel pre-clinical therapy that uses highly spatially fractionated X-ray beams to target tumours, allowing doses much higher than conventional radiotherapies to be delivered. A dosimeter with a high spatial resolution is required to provide the appropriate quality assurance for MRT. This work presents a plastic scintillator fibre optic dosimeter with a one-dimensional spatial resolution of 20 µm, an improvement on the dosimeter with a resolution of 50 µm that was demonstrated in previous work. The ability of this probe to resolve microbeams of width 50 µm has been demonstrated. The major limitations of this method were identified, most notably the low-light signal resulting from the small sensitive volume, which made valley dose measurements very challenging. A titanium-based reflective paint was used as a coating on the probe to improve the light collection, but a possible effect of the high-Zmaterial on the probes water-equivalence has been identified. The effect of the reflective paint was a 28.5 ± 4.6% increase in the total light collected; it did not affect the shape of the depth-dose profile, nor did it explain an over-response observed when used to probe at low depths, when compared with an ionization chamber. With improvements to the data acquisition, this probe design has the potential to provide a water-equivalent, inexpensive dosimetry tool for MRT.
RANKuser
Authors: Singh Abhishek Kumar , Nagwani Naresh Kumar , Pandey Sudhakar
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Recently, with a high volume of users and user’s content in Community Question Answering (CQA) sites, the quality of answers provided by users has raised a big concern. Finding the expert users can be a method to address this problem, which aims to find the suitable users (answerers) who can provide high-quality relevant answers. The purpose of this paper is to find the expert users for the newly posted questions of the CQA sites.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a new algorithm, RANKuser, is proposed for identifying the expert users of CQA sites. The proposed RANKuser algorithm consists of three major stages. In the first stage, folksonomy relation between users, tags, and queries is established. User profile attributes, namely, reputation, tags, and badges, are also considered in folksonomy. In the second stage, expertise scores of the user are calculated based on reputation, badges, and tags. Finally, in the third stage, the expert users are identified by extracting topNusers based on expertise score.

Findings

In this work, with the help of proposed ranking algorithm, expert users are identified for newly posted questions. In this paper, comparison of proposed user ranking algorithm (RANKuser) is also performed with other existing ranking algorithms, namely, ML-KNN, rankSVM, LDA, STM CQARank, and EV-based model using performance parameters such as hamming loss, accuracy, average precision, one error,F-measure, and normalized discounted cumulative gain. The proposed ranking method is also compared to the original ranking of CQA sites using the pairedt-test. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed RANKuser algorithm in comparison with the existing ranking algorithms.

Originality/value

This paper proposes and implements a new algorithm for expert user identification in CQA sites. By utilizing the folksonomy in CQA sites and information of user profile, this algorithm identifies the experts.
The impact of young Chinese employees’ notions of work on conflict management styles
Authors: Meng Yong , Yu Haiyun , Ma Zhenzhong , Yang Zhiyong
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to explore the impact of well-educated young Chinese employees’ notions of work on their conflict management styles in the increasingly turbulent workplace to help better manage work-related conflict in the time of transition in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from over 400 young Chinese employees. The data were first factor analyzed to explore the underlying dimensions of contemporary work notions in China’s transition period. Hierarchical regression analysis was then conducted to explore the relationship between dimensions of work notions and conflict management styles.

Findings

The results showed that well-educated young Chinese employees’ notions of work consisted of sense of control, fulfilling and rewarding, holistic concerns, personal growth and development and meaningfulness. The results further indicated that young Chinese employees with strong needs to satisfy individual interests in their work tend to use competitive methods to manage work-related conflicts, employees with strong needs to satisfy group interests in their work prefer to use collaborative methods and those who believe in collective efforts in achieving individual goals through group goals’ obtainment are more likely to use collaborative and compromising approaches.

Originality/value

This study provides a new perspective to manage work-related conflict in the Chinese context. The findings of this study are able to help enrich conflict management theories in China and suggest insightful conflict resolution approaches to work-related conflicts in China’s changing environment. This study also helps bridge the research gap between work notions and conflict management styles. The results of this study can greatly facilitate Chinese companies’ endeavors toward crafting a more innovative workforce and help improve employee performance in China’s transition to industrialization.
Does the quality of academic life mediate the satisfaction, loyalty and recommendation of HEI students?
Authors: Pedro Eugénia de Matos , Alves Helena , Leitão João
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of students’ satisfaction with services on quality of academic life (QAL), formed by cognitive and affective components; and to assess the mediating effect of QOL components (cognitive and affective) on students’ loyalty and recommendation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 726 respondent students from public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal, this paper uses a partial least squares approach to analyze the impact of satisfaction on emotions and students’ QAL and to assess whether emotions influence recommendation and loyalty.

Findings

The results reveal that satisfaction influences both cognitive and affective components of QAL. The cognitive component has a positive and significant influence on recommendation and loyalty whilst the affective component has no significant effect.

Practical implications

The results obtained here provide implications for future action to be taken by HEI managers, in order to increase efficiency in the allocation and management of scarce resources. Therefore, when incorporating these results in decision-making processes, attention should be paid to the importance of the influence of satisfaction on QAL’s cognitive and affective components, stressing the importance of the cognitive components associated with learning experiences that play an important role in students’ future decisions in terms of loyalty and recommendation, which, in turn, are pillars of HEI sustainability.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the literature on HEI management by assessing the influence of satisfaction on two components of QAL separately: cognitive components and affective components. In addition, the causality relationships are analyzed, assessing the emotional nexus, in order to deepen knowledge about the role played by both affective and cognitive components in students’ loyalty and recommendation, which need to be addressed and studied by carrying out new research.
University facilities and student satisfaction in Sri Lanka
Authors: Weerasinghe I.M.S. , Fernando R. Lalitha S.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of university facilities on student satisfaction at regional state universities in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to accomplish the proposed object quantitative research design was used. All undergraduates at four selected regional state universities, namely, Universities of Ruhuna, Rajarata, Wayamba, and Sabaragamuwa, were the population of the study, in which 650 undergraduates were selected as the sample using the stratified sampling technique. The researcher administrated close-ended questionnaire, which consisted of two parts and 31 items, was used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software, and a confirmatory factor analysis was applied to ensure the discriminant and convergent validities of the model. Correlation and regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The factors identified as the ones that most strongly influence student overall satisfaction were the lecture room facilities, library facilities, accommodation facilities, employment facilities and entertainment facilities at regional state universities. However, computer facilities did not significantly influence student satisfaction in Sri Lankan context.

Originality/value

This is the first study which comprehensively investigates the impact of university facilities on student satisfaction at regional level state universities in Sri Lanka.
Educational interventions to increase cultural competence for nursing students
Authors: Young Susan , Lu Kristina
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the study results conducted at a four-year university in Hawaii investigating the impact of providing nursing students with an educational intervention session aimed at improving cultural competence.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive-correlational research method was used to examine the correlations between a control group and experimental group using pre-and post-tests. The t-test for equality of means and Levene’s test for equality of variances were conducted for statistical analysis on pre-and post-test scores. In addition, a power analysis was conducted due to the small sample size.

Findings

The control group receiving no intervention scored lower on the post-test in overall competency by five points, while the experimental group increased their post-score by five points after receiving the intervention; however, this increase did not change the overall cultural competence score. The results indicate that the educational intervention of a two-hour didactic, discussion and presentation did not provide as robust as what was needed to increase domain scores for the experimental group. Further, the domains of awareness, skill, knowledge, encounter and desire cannot be taught by instruction alone and should be reinforced over time.

Research limitations/implications

The study was a convenience sample and limited by the small sample size. The sample may not be representative of all senior nursing students. The study is limited to one school of nursing in Hawaii; the results may not be generalized to other populations.

Practical implications

This research provides a foundation for future curriculum development and the evaluation of nursing programs. For instance, incorporating a value-added instructional project on cultural competence into each nursing class would increase cultural competence awareness and knowledge.

Social implications

This study also emphasizes the necessity of education in cultural competence for all health professionals, which has implications for improving quality, patient satisfaction and increased health outcomes.

Originality/value

This research is unique to examining and applying an educational intervention on cultural competence for nursing students in Hawaii. This research sheds light on studying the importance of culture competence for nursing students and other health professionals. This is not a skill that can be taught in one class or only even a single immersion experience and should be acquired over time where continuing education and encounters are necessary in order to become culturally competent; this will enable health professionals to provide meaningful and appropriate care to patients.
Creating space for sustainability literacy: the case of student-centered symposia
Authors: Ouellet Dallaire Camille , Trincsi Kate , Ward Melissa K. , Harris Lorna I. , Jarvis Larissa , Dryden Rachel L. , MacDonald Graham K.
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper reflects on the Sustainability Research Symposium (SRS), a long-term student-led initiative (seven years) at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, that seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among students and researchers by using the sustainability sciences as a bridge concept. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of the SRS in fostering sustainability literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Past participants of the SRS were invited to complete a survey to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the symposia from a participants’ perspective. A mix of descriptive statistics and axial and thematic coding were used to analyze survey responses (n = 56). This study links theory and practice to explore the outcomes of symposia as tools for students to engage with sustainability research in university campuses.

Findings

Survey findings indicated that participants are from multiple disciplinary backgrounds and that they are often interested in sustainability research without being identified as sustainability researchers. Overall, the survey findings suggested that student-organized symposia can be effective mechanisms to enhance exposure to interdisciplinary research and to integrate sustainability sciences outside the classroom.

Practical implications

Despite being a one-day event, the survey findings suggest that symposia can offer an “initiation” toward interdisciplinary dialogue and around sustainability research that can have lasting impacts beyond the time frame of the event.

Originality/value

Although research symposia are widespread in university campuses, there is little published information on the effectiveness of student-organized symposia as vectors for sustainability literacy. This original contribution presents a case study of the effectiveness of an annual symposium at one Canadian university, organized by students from the Faculties of Science, Arts and Management.
Collaborative fashion consumption – drivers, barriers and future pathways
Authors: Becker-Leifhold Carolin , Iran Samira
Published: April 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the existing literature on CFC together with its relative concepts and discuss the current state of knowledge in the field of alternative apparel consumption. Drivers, barriers and future pathways of CFC – from the business and consumer’s perspective – are extracted, summarized and discussed. By using a holistic approach, this study aims to demonstrate the linkages and interplays among the actors. Helpful implications for the industry and policy makers are derived.

Design/methodology/approach

A holistic systematic literature review was conducted. More than 2,800 journal articles were reviewed for this conceptual paper, and the ones meeting the search criteria were subjected to a qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The findings facilitate a better understanding of what enables or prevents CFC from becoming a mainstream consumption approach. The study also examines the sustainability aspects of CFC, discussing both the positive environmental benefits and its negative impacts.

Practical implications

The results of this study can help businesses, governments and institutions develop more efficient strategies toward promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. Understanding the drivers and barriers of CFC, in addition to the possible sustainability benefits of CFC, can facilitate and accelerate adoption of future business models of CFC.

Originality/value

CFC is a relatively new concept in the field of academic research. In fact, this study is among the first to explore the interplay of drivers and barriers from both the consumer and industry perspectives. This paper can support further academic and business efforts aimed at promoting CFC.
Learning attitudinal decision model through pair-wise preferences
Authors: Aggarwal Manish
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to learn a decision-maker’s (DM’s) decision model that is characterized in terms of the attitudinal character and the attributes weight vector, both of which are specific to the DM. The authors take the learning information in the form of the exemplary preferences, given by a DM. The learning approach is formalized by bringing together the recent research in the choice models and machine learning. The study is validated on a set of 12 benchmark data sets.

Design/methodology/approach

The study includes emerging preference learning algorithms.

Findings

Learning of a DM’s attitudinal choice model.

Originality/value

Preferences-based learning of a DM’s attitudinal decision model.
Jumia travel in Africa: expanding the boundaries of the online travel agency business model
Authors: Weigert Maxime
Published: April 2018

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the business model of Jumia Travel, an innovative online travel agency (OTA) that operates in African markets. Focusing on market conditions and consumer behaviour in sub-Saharan Africa, where barriers to e-commerce are strong and tourism is viewed as a non-essential activity, the study examines the ways in which Jumia Travel carries out its development objectives in Côte d’Ivoire and revamps the OTA business model in relation to market constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a descriptive-qualitative method based on desk research analysis of corporate sources, including websites, annual reports, public interviews of managers and newspaper articles. It also draws on primary sources collected through interviews with the Jumia Travel Côte d’Ivoire country manager.

Findings

The research shows that the demand- and supply-side constraints of African markets compel Jumia Travel to acquire new skills and competencies to adapt to and capture the Ivorian travel market. In doing so, the company expands the boundaries of the traditional OTA business models found in developed markets, demonstrating the dynamic capabilities that drive OTA business model transformation when deployed in a technologically immature market.

Research limitations/implications

The Jumia Travel venture provides an insight into the constraints faced by an OTA at the bottom of the pyramid and in emerging markets and shows concretely what skills and competencies are required to overcome them. It is also a new experiment still in the early stages of development, and this limits the proper assessment of sustainability of its business model.

Originality/value

This study examines a unique experience: an unconventional OTA that concentrates exclusively on domestic and regional markets in sub-Saharan Africa. The business model lens brings into focus the operational limits and innovation opportunities of developing an e-travel business in the fast-growing markets of Africa, characterised by major supply-side constraints, the predominance of low-income consumers and a poorly structured travel industry. In this context, OTAs’ innovation challenge is no longer to disrupt the travel sector in differentiating from competitors, as was the case in the mature markets of the first world but to develop business processes suitable for operating in the constraint-based environment of emerging markets and capturing the rising demand for travel products. This involves co-creating value in linking African hotel providers and clients and increasing economic returns from this value through various business model adaptations designed for and with local consumers and partners.
Promoting the Anglo-Scottish alliance of 1643: the Solemn League and Covenant and the parliamentary press in the first civil war*
Authors: Macadam Joyce
Published: April 2018

This article addresses the print campaign to promote the Anglo-Scottish alliance of 1643 and its accompanying Solemn League and Covenant oath, an exercise that was novel in its involvement of the emerging serial press. The study outlines the reasons for the campaign, records its backers and contributors, and sets out the difficulties it encountered. After examining the nature of the pamphlet literature associated with the 1643 Covenant, the article explores in detail the contribution to the debate made by the newsbook Mercurius Britanicus, a publication that was founded specifically to make the case for the Covenant and to encourage universal subscription to its accompanying oath.
Low‐iron conditions induces the hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity hrp genes expression in Xanthomonas and is involved in modulation of hypersensitive response and virulence
Authors: Pandey Sheo Shankar , Patnana Pradeep Kumar , Padhi Yasobanta , Chatterjee Subhadeep
Published: April 2018

Expression of hrp (hypersensitive reaction and pathogenicity) genes inside the host is crucial for virulence of phytopathogenic bacteria. The hrp genes encode components of type3 secretion system (T3SS), HR elicitors and several regulators, which are involved in the co‐ordinated expression of hrp genes in the host environment and in hrp inducing chemically defined medium. However, little is known about specific host or environmental factors which may play a role in the induction of hrp gene expression. In this study, we show that iron‐limiting condition elicits induced expression of hrp genes, including type3 secretion system (T3SS) and effectors (T3E). Expression analysis using qRT‐PCR and promoter probe strains suggest significant induction in the expression of Hrp and T3S‐associated genes of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) under low‐iron condition, and is suppressed by exogenous supplementation of iron. Furthermore, we show that with exogenous iron supplementation, wild type Xcc exhibited reduced disease symptoms in host‐plant, and exhibited significant reduction in HR and callose deposition in the non‐host plants. Xanthomonas oryzae and oryzicola pathovars also exhibited the iron affect, albeit to a lesser extend compared with the Xcc. Overall, our results suggest that low‐iron condition inside the host may play a crucial role in pathogenicity.
Seasonal changes in the vertical distribution of two types of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes in the sediment of Lake Yuehu, China
Authors: Liu Jia , Zhang Wenyan , Du Haijian , Leng Xiaoyun , Li Jin‐Hua , Pan Hongmiao , Xu Jianhong , Wu Long‐Fei , Xiao Tian
Published: April 2018

There are two genetically distinct morphological types of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) in the intertidal zone of Lake Yuehu (China): ellipsoidal MMPs (eMMPs) and spherical MMPs (sMMPs). We studied the vertical distribution of both types of MMPs in the sediment at Lake Yuehu during 1 year. Both types of MMPs were observed at sediment depths ranging from 1 to 34 cm, depending on the seasons. The eMMPs distributed at depths of 2–34 cm during spring, 1–11 cm during summer, 2–21 cm during autumn and 9–32 cm during winter. The eMMP speciesCandidatusMagnetananas rongchenensis, with magnetite magnetosomes, dominated at all distribution depths. These results suggested thatCa. M. rongchenensis migrated vertically during four seasons. The vertical profiles of oxidation‐reduction potential (ORP) in Lake Yuehu changed seasonally, and these changes coincided with the seasonal distribution of MMPs, suggesting that the ORP affected the vertical distribution of MMPs. In addition, high concentrations of ammonium and silicate were associated with low abundances of MMPs.
Long‐term compositional and functional changes in alien and native weed communities in annual and perennial irrigated crops
Authors: Juárez‐Escario A. , Solé‐Senan X.O. , Recasens J. , Taberner A. , Conesa J.A.
Published: April 2018

Agricultural intensification in Europe during the past 30 years has led to changes in compositional and functional weed structure in agroecosystems as well as increases in the prominence of alien weeds. Irrigation is a major driver of agricultural intensification, particularly in semi‐arid zones of the Mediterranean. In the past few decades, irrigated land has expanded in semi‐arid agricultural lands in northeastern Spain. The goals of this study were to identify long‐term temporal changes in compositional and functional weed communities in annual (i.e. maize crops) and perennial (i.e. orchards) irrigated crops of this area and determine whether these changes differentially affect native and alien plants. Changes in the diversity, composition and functional groups of the weed communities in fruit‐tree orchards and maize crops were assessed using plant surveys in 1989 and 2009. During the studied period, a decrease was recorded in the diversity of native species in the fruit‐tree orchards; this decrease was accompanied by an increase in alien weed diversity and a general homogenisation of species in the weed community. In the maize crops, the diversity values of native and alien plants changed little during 20 years. The identification of functional groups revealed that most of the species whose cover increased in the fruit‐tree orchards were graminoid alien species that perform C4 photosynthesis and disperse seed via water or a combination of vectors. In the maize crops, the identified functional groups did not differ in the proportion of species whose cover changed between 1989 and 2009. Hence, in irrigated orchards the observed changes in the weed community and the prominence of alien species are mediated by the selection of a set of traits that let species to overcome management filters. Similarly, the stability of functional composition of weed communities in maize fields is the result of the selection of species functionally similar to the crop.
Cost‐utility of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation rewarming in accidentally hypothermic patients—A single‐centre retrospective study
Authors: Kosiński S. , Darocha T. , Czerw A. , Paal P. , Pasquier M. , Krawczyk P. , Drwiła R. , Gałązkowski R.
Published: April 2018

Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become the treatment of choice for severely hypothermic patients in cardiac arrest or acute cardiac failure. Highly specialized ECMO centres have been established, however, no centre has ever reported the costs of extracorporeal rewarming. The aim of this study was to assess the costs of the treatment of patients in Swiss Stage III and IV rewarmed with veno‐arterial ECMO.

Methods

A retrospective exploratory cohort study analysed twenty‐nine consecutive patients treated for hypothermia in the Severe Accidental Hypothermia Centre in Cracow, Poland. The main outcome parameters were the overall and specific costs of the ICU treatment of patients rewarmed with veno‐arterial ECMO. The secondary outcome parameter was cost utility, determined by the costs involved for every year of life gained. Costs were processed using the bottom‐up method and classified into six categories. Survivors were followed up after 1 year.

Results

The mean cost of VA‐ECMO was $5133 USD, which equalled 35% of all ICU expenditures ($14 668 USD). One year after discharge, 13 of 29 patients were still alive (45%). The overall gain of life of the thirteen 1‐year survivors was 28 years, while the mean cost related to treatment with VA‐ECMO for each year of life gained was 1138 USD.

Conclusions

In this study, the costs of VA‐ECMO rewarming and intensive care treatment per patient were substantially lower than in other studies reporting ECMO and intensive care treatment of other causes.
Estimating distribution and connectivity of recolonizing American marten in the northeastern United States using expert elicitation techniques
Authors: Aylward C. M. , Murdoch J. D. , Donovan T. M. , Kilpatrick C. W. , Bernier C. , Katz J.
Published: April 2018

The American martenMartes americanais a species of conservation concern in the northeastern United States due to widespread declines from over‐harvesting and habitat loss. Little information exists on current marten distribution and how landscape characteristics shape patterns of occupancy across the region, which could help develop effective recovery strategies. The rarity of marten and lack of historical distribution records are also problematic for region‐wide conservation planning. Expert opinion can provide a source of information for estimating species–landscape relationships and is especially useful when empirical data are sparse. We created a survey to elicit expert opinion and build a model that describes marten occupancy in the northeastern United States as a function of landscape conditions. We elicited opinions from 18 marten experts that included wildlife managers, trappers and researchers. Each expert estimated occupancy probability at 30 sites in their geographic region of expertise. We, then, fit the response data with a set of 58 models that incorporated the effects of covariates related to forest characteristics, climate, anthropogenic impacts and competition at two spatial scales (1.5 and 5 km radii), and used model selection techniques to determine the best model in the set. Three top models had strong empirical support, which we model averaged based onAICweights. The final model included effects of five covariates at the 5‐km scale: percent canopy cover (positive), percent spruce‐fir land cover (positive), winter temperature (negative), elevation (positive) and road density (negative). A receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the model performed well based on recent occurrence records. We mapped distribution across the region and used circuit theory to estimate movement corridors between isolated core populations. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of expert‐opinion data at modeling occupancy for rare species and provide tools for planning marten recovery in the northeastern United States.
The South China Sea Arbitration: A Test for the Efficacy of Compulsory Mechanism of UNCLOS and Implications for Dispute Management in the Region
Authors: Hong Nong
Published: April 2018

This article analyzes China's policy approach to dispute settlement through the angle of its attitude on international law, especially the role of third‐party compulsory mechanism in solving international disputes. It explains China's position of no acceptance and no participation in the South China Sea arbitration case and discusses the legal implication of the arbitration case and its political and security impacts on the South China Sea (SCS). A compulsory dispute settlement mechanism may not be the only or the best option for addressing the disputes in the SCS. A model of maritime dispute management is proposed with the goal of achieving peace and stability in the region of the SCS. This article suggests a practical four‐tiered model of maritime dispute management in the SCS, namely, environmental security as a driving force of cooperation in the SCS, fisheries cooperation as a start of the SCS dispute resolution, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a framework for ocean governance in the SCS, and lastly, transformation of ways of thinking as a foundation to lead policy and research direction.
Conscience claims, metaphysics, and avoiding an LGBT eugenic
Authors: Brummett Abram
Published: April 2018

Novel assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are poised to present our society with strange new ethical questions, such as whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) couples should be allowed to produce children biologically related to both parents, or whether trans‐women who want to experience childbirth should be allowed to receive uterine transplants. Clinicians opposed to offering such technologies to LGBT couples on moral grounds are likely to seek legal shelter through the conscience clauses enshrined in U.S. law. This paper begins by briefly discussing some novel ART on the horizon and noting that it is unclear whether current conscience clauses will permit fertility clinics to deny such services to LGBT individuals. A compromise approach to conscience is any view that sees the value of respecting conscience claims within limits. I describe and critique the constraints proposed in the recent work of Wicclair, NeJaime and Siegel as ultimately begging the question. My purpose is to strengthen their arguments by suggesting that in the controversial situations that elicit claims of conscience, bioethicists should engage with the metaphysical claims in play. I argue that conscience claims against LGBT individuals ought to be constrained because the underlying metaphysic—that God has decreed the LGBT lifestyle to be sinful—is highly implausible from the perspective of a naturalized metaphysic, which ought to be the lens through which we evaluate conscience claims.
Relapse in teenage and young adult patients treated on a paediatric minimal residual disease stratified ALL treatment protocol is associated with a poor outcome: results from UKALL2003
Authors: Sellar Rob S. , Rowntree Clare , Vora Ajay J. , Furness Caroline L. , Goulden Nicholas , Mitchell Chris , Moorman Anthony V. , Hough Rachael
Published: April 2018

Outcomes for teenage and young adult (TYA) patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who relapse on contemporary risk‐adapted paediatric protocols are largely unknown and there is no consensus on optimal salvage strategies. We assessed the treatment and outcome of TYA patients (aged 16–24 years) recruited to the UKALL2003 trial, who relapsed following attainment of complete morphological remission. Forty‐two of 223 patients (18·8%) relapsed, the majority (n = 26, 62%) on treatment. Thirty‐eight (90%) patients received salvage treatment, with 22 (58%) achieving second remission (CR2) and 21 patients receiving an allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant (alloHSCT). Post‐relapse outcomes were poor with a 5‐year overall survival (OS) of 23% (95% confidence interval; 11–37%). Outcomes for patients relapsing on active treatment were inferior to those relapsing after completing treatment (5‐year OS 9% vs. 52%, log‐rank P = 0·001). No patient with B cell ALL relapsing on treatment was alive at the end of the study period. TYA patients with ALL who relapse on the UK paediatric protocol, UKALL2003, are largely unsalvageable with conventional approaches aimed at achieving CR2 followed by alloHSCT. Future efforts should be aimed at identifying those patients who are destined to relapse and exploring novel treatment approaches for this high‐risk group and for those who do relapse.
The Role of Design and Training in Artifact Expertise: The Case of the Abacus and Visual Attention
Authors: Srinivasan Mahesh , Wagner Katie , Frank Michael C. , Barner David
Published: April 2018

Previous accounts of how people develop expertise have focused on how deliberate practice transforms the cognitive and perceptual representations and processes that give rise to expertise. However, the likelihood of developing expertise with a particular tool may also depend on the degree to which that tool fits pre‐existing perceptual and cognitive abilities. The present studies explored whether the abacus—a descendent of the first human computing devices—may have evolved to exploit general biases in human visual attention, or whether developing expertise with the abacus requires learning special strategies for allocating visual attention to the abacus. To address this question, we administered a series of visual search tasks to abacus experts and subjects who had little to no abacus experience, in which search targets and distractors were overlaid atop abacus “beads.” Across three studies, we found that both experts and naïve subjects were faster to detect targets in semantically relevant components of the abacus, suggesting that abacus training is not required to exhibit attentional biases toward these components of the abacus. This finding suggests that the attentional biases that scaffold numerical processing of the abacus may emerge from general properties of visual attention that are exploited by the design of the abacus itself.
Adipose tissue oxygenation is associated with insulin sensitivity independently of adiposity in obese men and women
Authors: Goossens Gijs H. , Vogel Max A. A. , Vink Roel G. , Mariman Edwin C. , van Baak Marleen A. , Blaak Ellen E.
Published: April 2018

Adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction contributes to the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that altered AT oxygenation affects adipocyte functionality, but it remains to be elucidated whether altered AT oxygenation is more strongly related to obesity or insulin sensitivity. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that AT oxygenation is associated with insulin sensitivity rather than adiposity in humans. Thirty‐five lean and obese individuals (21 men and 14 women, aged 40‐65 years) with either normal or impaired glucose metabolism participated in a cross‐sectional single‐centre study. We measured abdominal subcutaneous AT oxygenation, body composition and insulin sensitivity. AT oxygenation was higher in obese insulin resistant as compared to obese insulin sensitive (IS) individuals with similar age, body mass index and body fat percentage, both in men and women. No significant differences in AT oxygenation were found between obese IS and lean IS men. Moreover, AT oxygenation was positively associated with insulin resistance (r = 0.465; P = .005), even after adjustment for age, sex and body fat percentage (standardized β = 0.479; P = .005). In conclusion, abdominal subcutaneous AT oxygenation is associated with insulin sensitivity both in men and women, independently of adiposity. AT oxygenation may therefore be a promising target to improve insulin sensitivity.
A Forcible Return to the Womb: Elfriede Jelinek'sLust(1989) and the Melodramatic Mode
Authors: Scott Claire E.
Published: April 2018

This article explores the interplay between the genre conventions of pornography and melodrama in Elfriede Jelinek's novelLust. Moving beyond readings that focus on this text as a work of anti‐pornography, this article uses close readings of the novel's melodramatic narratorial techniques to argue that Jelinek's social critique involves more than an unmasking of sexual violence. Ultimately, Jelinek contends with the way literary modes restrict our ability to represent women as anything other than objectified victims. Jelinek reveals the limitations of both pornographic and melodramatic tropes by implicating her readers in the violence of the text and denying them access to the anticipated telos of both of these modes. When the protagonist unexpectedly kills her young son, it provides not a miraculous liberation from androcentric oppression, but rather a necessary pause for reflection and an opportunity for imagining a feminist political rebirth.
The Violent Turn: West German Women as Victims of Neoliberalism
Authors: Hill Alexandra M.
Published: April 2018

The precarious situation of women under neoliberalism is foregrounded in two novels by former West Germans, published a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall:Regenroman(1999) by Karen Duve andDie Schattenboxerin(1999) by Inka Parei. These novels set stories of sexual violence against the backdrop of the period's political upheaval and economic change. Drawing on feminist approaches, this article argues that neoliberalism depends on a reification of gender norms, according to which women are called upon to optimize themselves for social success, while male “entrepreneurs” prioritize self‐interest and compete for power. The resulting power dynamics affect women disproportionately and negatively, placing the onus for self‐defense on the victims of violence rather than encouraging the interrogation of this system of oppression. Yet the protagonists in both novels reject neoliberal expectations of women, andDie Schattenboxerinproposes creating an alternative support network to protect those in precarious positions.