bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The emergence of student accommodation as an institutionalised property sector
Authors: Newell Graeme , Marzuki Muhammad Jufri
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Amongst the alternative property sectors, student accommodation has recently become an important institutionalised property sector for pension funds and sovereign wealth funds in the global property landscape, particularly in the UK. The purpose of this paper is to assess the significance, risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of student accommodation in a UK property and mixed-asset portfolio over 2011–2017. Drivers and risk factors for the ongoing development of the student accommodation sector are also identified. The question of student accommodation being a proxy for residential property exposure by institutional investors is also assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

Using annual total returns, the risk-adjusted performance and portfolio diversification benefits of UK student accommodation over 2011–2017 is assessed. Asset allocation diagrams are used to assess the role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio for a range of property investor types.

Findings

UK student accommodation delivered superior risk-adjusted returns compared to UK property, stocks and REITs over 2011–2017, with portfolio diversification benefits. Importantly, this sees UK student accommodation as strongly contributing to the UK property and mixed-asset portfolios across the entire portfolio risk spectrum and validating the property industry perspective of student accommodation being low risk and providing diversification benefits. Student accommodation is also not seen to be a proxy for residential exposure by institutional investors.

Practical implications

Student accommodation is an alternative property sector that has become increasingly institutionalised in recent years. The results highlight the important role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio. The strong risk-adjusted performance of UK student accommodation compared to UK property, stocks and REITs over this timeframe sees UK student accommodation contributing to the mixed-asset portfolio across the entire portfolio risk spectrum. This is particularly important, as many investors (e.g. pension funds, sovereign wealth funds) now see student accommodation as an important property sector in their overall portfolio.

Originality/value

This paper is the first published empirical research analysis of the risk-adjusted performance of UK student accommodation, and the role of student accommodation in a UK property portfolio and in a UK mixed-asset portfolio. This research enables empirically validated, more informed and practical property investment decision making regarding the strategic role of student accommodation as an alternative property sector in a portfolio.
Two sides of the same coin? Leadership and organizational culture
Authors: Chong Melody P.M. , Shang Yufan , Richards Malika , Zhu Xiji
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Researchers have adopted a somewhat narrow conceptualization of organizational culture, founded on specific assumptions about the impact of founders or top leadership. The purpose of this paper is to address this research gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 356 Chinese employees, this paper examines the relationships between organizational culture, leadership and employee outcomes. Specifically, the paper focuses on a mediation model by looking at how different leadership processes impact the relationship between culture and outcomes.

Findings

Supportive and task leadership styles and a persuasive influence strategy are correlated with team, detail and innovation cultures, respectively, and are significantly stronger than that of other leadership styles/strategies. Partial support is found for the mediating effect of task and change leadership styles, and assertive and persuasive influence strategies. Contrary to the authors’ second assumption regarding the social learning effect on outcomes, the study provides a tentative conclusion that different culture types may have different levels of strength in molding middle management and consequently influencing subordinate outcomes. The model of “culture-leadership-outcome” generally shows a similar pattern with the reverse effect of “leadership-culture-outcome.”

Originality/value

This study was the first to examine the impact of organizational culture on leadership and their effect on organizational outcomes, and to compare the reverse relationship. It suggests a new model that combines social cognitive theory with concepts drawn from the social learning perspective. Both the significant and non-significant results enhance our understanding on the mediating effects of leadership and culture. The findings also enrich leadership theory because no empirical studies systematically examined the similarities and differences between style approaches and influence strategies.
The role of shell entities in fraud and other financial crimes
Authors: Pacini Carl , Hopwood William , Young George , Crain Joan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the use and application of shell entities, as they facilitate crime and terrorism, impede investigations and harm societies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study details the types and characteristics of shell entities, reviews actual cases to exhibit how shells are abused, outlines reasons shells disguise beneficial ownership and analyzes steps taken by countries and organizations to thwart the abuse of shell entities.

Findings

Many types of shell entities are used by white-collar criminals and are often layered in an intricate network which conceals the identity of beneficial owners. Nominees and bearer shares are used in tandem with shell entities to optimize concealment. Accountants, lawyers and trust and company service providers facilitate and promote the use and abuse of shell entities by lawbreakers. The G-8, Financial Action Task Force and G-20 have begun steps to improve ownership transparency, but the effort is moving at a modest pace.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis makes clear the reasons for and means by which the wealthy and powerful, along with criminals, conceal trillions of dollars of income and wealth that remain untaxed and may be used for nefarious purposes. The paper is limited by the paucity of data on concealed assets and their beneficial owners.

Practical implications

The findings clearly show the need for more concerted action by national governments, organizations, the United Nations and law enforcement and to improve ownership transparency and information exchange regarding shell entities.

Social implications

The findings demonstrate that shell entities used to conceal wealth prevent untold trillions in taxes from being collected by governments worldwide. This lack of revenue facilitates income inequality and skews national economic and fiscal policies. Also, more white-collar criminals and terrorist financiers could be brought to justice if ownership transparency is improved.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited literature on shell entities, their characteristics and uses and abuses.
Creating memories and bonding through competitive shopping for bridal gowns
Authors: Nichols Bridget Satinover , Flint Daniel J.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore the experiences of women who participated in a competitive retail shopping event.

Design/methodology/approach

The grounded theory approach was used.

Findings

Interpretations of the data suggest that female consumers use competitive shopping events to facilitate interpersonal bonding and create meaningful memories. Findings also reveal that female consumers value memorable retail experiences, particularly when they are contextualized by important cultural conditions.

Research limitations/implications

The study focused on one competitive shopping event and informants were exclusively women in the USA. The results imply that competitive retail shopping experiences can be important events in the lives of those involved, especially if they have cultural importance.

Practical implications

It is important for retail managers to understand the impact shopping experiences may have on customers. This paper’s findings suggest that retailers may be able to help facilitate memorable experiences by creating an environment for shoppers to bond with their shopping companions. Creating a competitive atmosphere that is enjoyable and special is one such environment. The findings are based on a focal product (wedding gown) that has symbolic importance in the lives of the women involved.

Social implications

This study highlights the social value of shopping for women, particularly as it relates to a ritualistic event (marriage and weddings).

Originality/value

This research is one of the first to specifically analyze the competitive nuances of special retail events. It uncovers a critical benefit to the people who participate in consumer competition.
Bias against Latina and African American women job applicants: a field experiment
Authors: Vick Astin D. , Cunningham George
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine bias among White raters against racial minority women seeking employment in fitness organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a 2 (applicant perceived racial identity) × 2 (applicant race) × 2 (hiring directive) factorial design experiment, with participant rater gender serving as the within-subjects variable. Adults in the USA (n=238) who had or were currently working in the fitness industry participated in the study.

Findings

Results indicate that applicant presumed racial identity and rater gender had direct effects, while applicant presumed racial identity, applicant race and rater gender had interactive effects, as well.

Originality/value

Results show that perceived racial identity affects raters’ view of job applicants, and the pattern of findings varies among racial groups.
What are the key advances in human resource development that tourism in Guyana needs by 2025?
Authors: Ishmael-Robertson Camille Allison
Published: September 2018

Purpose

In this viewpoint paper, the key advances needed for human resource development in the tourism industry of Guyana are outlined. The purpose of this paper is to present the author’s perspective backed up by relevant literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is exploratory in nature. Secondary data were collected to provide background to the research and primary data were collected via a survey of private sector tourism organizations.

Findings

Data gathered show that the tourism industry is primed and ready to accept changes in HR training. Notable areas are first responder training; basic and advanced wine training; preventative maintenance; specialized food and beverage skills; advanced culinary arts and foreign languages. In addition to the skills required, the findings showed that some legislative work needs to be carried out such as the draft tourism policy being made into law.

Originality/value

It is anticipated that the findings of this research will guide policy makers in drafting a human resource development policy for the tourism industry.
How to shape a vision for 2025 based on key lessons learnt from past tourism of Guyana
Authors: Sinclair Donald , Jayawardena Chandana (Chandi)
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper provides the backdrop to the other seven articles in this WHATT 2018 theme issue dedicated to Guyana. This paper looks back and ahead at the development of tourism in Guyana. The purpose of this paper is to enable the reader to have a clear understanding of the provenance of the industry over the past 50 years and how that evolution informs the possible direction and future of the industry up to the year 2025 and beyond.

Design/methodology/approach

As would be expected of any study that examines the antecedence of a phenomenon, there is reliance to a significant degree upon historical material and interviews. The former comprises studies done by tourism consultants and researchers in Guyana, as well as publications from government agencies and sources. Further, especially in the quest for information relating to contemporary policies and developments, the interview method has been used.

Findings

This paper establishes that the evolution of tourism in Guyana is a movement from obscurity and insignificance to prominence and vibrancy. From being off the tourism map for many decades, Guyana is now enhancing its profile in the Caribbean region and carving a “green niche” for itself in the nature and adventure travel market.

Originality/value

This paper provides special value to persons working in the development of tourism, in either the public or private sector.
Reflections on the theme issue outcomes
Authors: Sinclair Donald , Jayawardena Chandana (Chandi) , Teare Richard
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Profiles the WHATT theme issue ‘ What innovative strategies are needed to develop tourism in Guyana for 2025?’ with reference to the experiences of the theme theme editors and writing team.

Design/methodology/approach

Uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.

Findings

Examines the past and current state of tourism from the standpoint of a number of sector components – community-based tourism, policy, human resources, entrepreneurship among others; assesses the local and global environment impacting upon the development of the industry and explores what the theme editors regard as viable paths to a tourism sector in the year 2025.

Practical implications

This theme issue has a number of practical implications. Scholars and researchers may be inspired to undertake comparative studies of the trajectories of tourism development observed in emergent tourism destinations like Guyana. Those who work in tourism planning and administration will find the retrospections and proposals made of considerable value, even as those, in some cases, provoke lively debate.

Originality/value

This theme issue adds to the growing corpus of research and writing that focuses upon the Caribbean. While the Caribbean as a whole, or individual States, may have been the subject of research, there has been comparatively little written about Guyana as a tourism destination. This gradual increase in scholarly interest may indeed parallel the growth of the tourism industry in Guyana itself. The raft of consultants’ reports is now enriched and diversified in this theme issue that asks the hard questions and makes bold proposals.
A Mindfulness‐Based Intervention: Differential Effects on Affective and Processual Evolution
Authors: Antoine Pascal , Congard Anne , Andreotti Eva , Dauvier Bruno , Illy Johan , Poinsot Rollon
Published: September 2018

Objectives

A 20‐minutes‐a‐day, self‐help, mindfulness‐based intervention was conducted for 6 weeks with a French community sample. First, the intervention effects on affective and functioning variables were evaluated. Then, a differential approach was used to examine improvement potentiality and the perceived benefits of mindfulness according to the participants’ baseline mindfulness competencies.

Method

Participants were non‐randomly assigned to a control group on the waiting list (n = 44) or a mindfulness group (n = 47). Self‐report measures assessed anxiety, depression, psychological distress, mindfulness, negative self‐oriented cognition, and experiential avoidance.

Results

Improvements in the variables were observed for the mindfulness group but not for the control group, with effect sizes ranging between .53 and .88. Low baseline levels of mindfulness predicted greater improvement in mindfulness (r = −0.55, p < .001) than high baseline levels.

Conclusions

Mindfulness practice elicited several positive outcomes regarding affective variables, highlighting emotional functioning changes.
Thoracoscopic resection of a cystic seminoma of the mediastinum
Authors: Hamanaka Kazutoshi , Takeda Tetsu , Ohashi Masahiko , Kumeda Hirotaka , Agatsuma Hiroyuki , Shimada Kou , Maruyama Kiyotomi , Yoshida Kazuo , Nakamura Toshitsugu
Published: September 2018

Mediastinal seminoma is an uncommon tumor that accounts for 25% of primary mediastinal germ cell tumors, which in turn comprise fewer than 5% of all germ cell tumors. Although CT normally shows a solid, lobulated tumor, mediastinal cystic seminoma has rarely been described. Here, we report a 24‐year‐old man who presented with a mediastinal cystic tumor that was resected after an 18‐month delay via video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery while in the supine position; the procedure involved lifting the chest wall with a subcutaneous Kirschner wire. Pathological examination revealed a mediastinal cystic seminoma. No evidence of recurrence has been noted during 25 months of follow‐up. Mediastinal cystic seminoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cystic lesions of the mediastinum. Moreover, video‐assisted thoracoscopic resection may be an appropriate option for the diagnosis and treatment of such lesions.
Resolving the contributing factors to Mississippi Delta subsidence: Past and Present
Authors: Frederick Bruce C. , Blum Michael , Fillon Richard , Roberts Harry
Published: September 2018

To date, quantification of individual components that contribute to shallow and deep‐seated subsidence in passive margin deltas worldwide has proven problematic. A new, regional gridded chronostratigraphic dataset for the Lower Mississippi Delta region, derived from 80,928 well reports across the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), has bridged the disparity between geodetic mean rates measuring total land surface subsidence across annual‐to‐decadal timescales and the deep‐seated stratigraphic subsidence rates that record isostatic response over timescales of >104 years. Through a quantitative assessment of gridded chronostratigraphic surfaces, sections, and subsidence rates extending from the Middle Pleistocene (0.58 Ma) to the Late Pliocene (3.85 Ma), we identify both temporal and spatial variability in deep‐seated subsidence across the northern GOM. Targeted deep‐seated subsidence data extracted across prior GOM Holocene sea‐level sample locations have revealed more than an order of magnitude greater rates of isostatic compensation in the Mississippi depocentre versus similar GOM sea‐level control sites in Florida and Alabama, casting doubt on efforts towards a representative Holocene sea‐level curve. Spatial variability in subsidence was also assessed locally in both the strike and dip directions to assess the contributions of growth faults. Fault throw displacement magnitude was discovered to decrease with depth, accounting for less than half of the total deep‐seated subsidence record of the Middle Pleistocene. Temporal subsidence complexities were also revealed including a direct, inverse logarithmic relationship between subsidence rate and time indicating variable subsidence component controls across different timescales. Despite the spatial and temporal complexities, this dataset serves as the first regional baseline for deep‐seated subsidence rates across the northern GOM.
Efficacy of intermittent empagliflozin supplementation on dietary self‐management and glycaemic control in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes: A 24‐week randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yoshikawa Fukumi , Kumashiro Naoki , Shigiyama Fumika , Uchino Hiroshi , Ando Yasuyo , Yoshino Hiroshi , Miyagi Masahiko , Ikehara Kayoko , Hirose Takahisa
Published: September 2018

Aims

To explore the effects of intermittent use of empagliflozin, a sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitor, on dietary self‐management and glycaemic control in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.

Materials and methods

We conducted a prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded‐endpoint, parallel‐group, comparative clinical trial of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes, treated with no more than three oral antidiabetic drugs (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥52 mmol/mol but <86 mmol/mol). The participants were randomized to take 10 mg/d empagliflozin either every day (regular group, n = 25) or on the day on which they considered they had overeaten (intermittent group, n = 25) for 24 weeks. We limited empagliflozin prescription to half of the required period in the intermittent group. The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c at the end of the 24‐week treatment period relative to baseline. The secondary outcomes included changes in body weight, daily energy intake and diabetes treatment‐related quality of life (QoL). Energy intake was assessed using a diet‐specific validated questionnaire rather than actual assessments of food intake.

Results

The intake rate of empagliflozin was 96.7 ± 7.2% for the regular group and 45.7 ± 7.0% for the intermittent group. Interestingly, ΔHbA1c was identical in the two groups (−0.64 ± 0.19% and − 0.65 ± 0.17%, respectively). Body weight decreased (−2.72 ± 0.52 and − 1.50 ± 0.45 kg, respectively) and diabetes treatment‐related QoL increased significantly from baseline in both groups. Energy intake, however, decreased significantly only in the intermittent group (−221.0 ± 108.3 kcal/d).

Conclusions

Intermittent empagliflozin supplementation is a useful therapeutic option that empowers dietary self‐management, improves glycaemic control and is accompanied by body weight loss and an increase in diabetes treatment‐related QoL in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.
The krüppel‐like factor Dar1 restricts the proliferation of Drosophila intestinal stem cells
Authors: Wu Xiaochun , Chen Zhi , Gao Yuan , Wang Lei , Sun Xiaofan , Jin Yaping , Liu Wei
Published: September 2018

The krüppel‐like factors (KLFs) are a family of transcription factor proteins that regulate a wide range of biological processes. In an RNAi‐based screening experiment, we identified dendritic arbor reduction 1 (Dar1), which is a KLF member in Drosophila, that inhibited the proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). We found suppression of Dar1‐activated ISC proliferation; as a consequence, the ISCs and the young differentiated cells were increased. On the other hand, overexpression (OE) of Dar1 inhibited ISC division and blocked the formation of ISC lineages. In order to explore the molecular mechanism of the Dar1 functions, we compared the gene expression profiles of the Dar1 knockdown and Dar1 OE midguts, using the deep RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq) technique. This experiment revealed that Dar1 negatively regulated the expression of several critical cell cycle genes. We further provide evidence that Dar1 has a function upstream of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway, suggesting Dar1 can regulate ISC proliferation through different mechanisms. Consistent with these findings, we discovered that Dar1 was downregulated in the wounded midguts, allowing increased ISC proliferation to promote intestinal repair. Our data suggest that Dar1 is a functional homolog of the mammalian KLF4.
DUMMETT ON INDEFINITE EXTENSIBILITY
Authors: Linnebo Øystein
Published: September 2018

Dummetts notion of indefinite extensibility is influential but obscure. The notion figures centrally in an alternative Dummettian argument for intuitionistic logic and anti‐realism, distinct from his more famous, meaning‐theoretic arguments to the same effect. Drawing on ideas from Dummett, a precise analysis of indefinite extensibility is proposed. This analysis is used to reconstruct the poorly understood alternative argument. The plausibility of the resulting argument is assessed.
U.N. tackles gene prospecting on the high seas
Authors: Kintisch Eli
Published: September 2018

Talks on marine biodiversity pact marked by north-south divide on genetic resources.
New books, fresh for fall
Authors: Glynn Audrey R. , Capson Todd L. , Wunsch David R. , Litwack David , Robinson Daphne A. , Butt Yousaf , Garg Arti , Cromartie William J. , Cep Melinda
Published: September 2018

From space weapons to mind reading, the books on this year's list tell tales of scientific transformation, balancing historical insights with urgent calls to action. Consider a transgender scientist's reflections on his legacy or tag along on a quest to save a tiny porpoise from extinction. Crack open a history of immunology or confront the future of artificial intelligence. Why would 12 men dine on purposely poisoned foods? Can we overcome "chronophobia"? What can termites teach us about technology? Read on to discover these answers and more. —
Valerie Thompson
Genome Editing Method for the Anaerobic Magnetotactic Bacterium Desulfovibrio magneticus RS-1
Authors: Grant Carly R. , Rahn-Lee Lilah , LeGault Kristen N. , Komeili Arash
Published: September 2018

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of organisms that form intracellular nanometer-scale magnetic crystals though a complex process involving lipid and protein scaffolds. These magnetic crystals and their lipid membranes, termed magnetosomes, are model systems for studying bacterial cell biology and biomineralization and are potential platforms for biotechnological applications. Due to a lack of genetic tools and unculturable representatives, the mechanisms of magnetosome formation in phylogenetically deeply branching MTB remain unknown. These MTB contain elongated bullet-/tooth-shaped magnetite and greigite crystals that likely form in a manner distinct from that of the cubooctahedral-shaped magnetite crystals of the genetically tractable MTB within the
Alphaproteobacteria
. Here, we present a method for genome editing in
Desulfovibrio magneticus
RS-1, a cultured representative of the deeply branching MTB of the class
Deltaproteobacteria
. This marks a crucial step in developing
D. magneticus
as a model for studying diverse mechanisms of magnetic particle formation by MTB.
Initial indications of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Saskatchewan common loons
Authors: Paruk James D. , Chickering Michael , Mager John N. , Wilkie Steven C. , Espie Richard H.M.
Published: September 2018

Mercury (Hg) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are global pollutants known for their toxicity to wildlife. Because of their trophic position, common loons ( Gavia immer (Brünnich 1764)) are excellent indicators of environmental quality. In 2014 and 2015, tissue samples of ten adult common loons (plus one recapture) were obtained in Meadow Lake Provincial Park, Saskatchewan, and assessed for Hg and PAH exposure. Blood and feather levels of these contaminants are indicative of exposure during breeding and in wintering areas, respectively. Compared with an international Hg database, blood Hg levels were low (<1 μg/g). In most loons (90.5%, 10 out of 11), blood PAH concentrations were also low (<10 ng/g), but high (120 ng/g) for one individual (9.5% 1 out of 11). Feather PAH concentrations were high (95.9 ng/g and 250.6 ng/g) in two of the four loons (50%) caught in 2015. These data indicate that loons breeding in Meadow Lake Provincial Park were exposed to low levels of Hg; however, some individuals are being exposed to PAHs in both their breeding and wintering locations. The effect of these environmental pollutants on individual loon fitness is unclear, but because of their extreme toxicity in biological systems we suggest that future monitoring in the surrounding region is warranted.
Statistical signatures of the spatial imprints of road network growth
Authors: Cirunay Michelle T. , Batac Rene C.
Published: September 2018

We present a statistical characterization of the morphological features emerging from the complex processes governing the growth of the road network, particularly in a mostly self-organized urban setting. Apart from the usual fractal analysis, the roads are quantified by their lengths and straightnesses, while the segmented blocks are characterized by their areas, perimeters and circularities. When applied to the Metro Manila conurbation, one of the megacities in Asia with the fastest growing populations, we observe dense space-filling and nontrivial statistical distributions of roads and blocks that can be attributed to the geographical constraints of the metropolis. The emergence of the scale-free regimes is explained using a simple rule-based model patterned after the assumed dynamical interplay between the local and global factors involved in individual street formation. By viewing road network growth from a quantitative complex systems perspective, we can gain insights into the underlying rules operating at the local scales that give rise to the global spatial patterns.
Development of viscometric methods for studying the interaction of various porphyrins with DNA. Part IV: Meso-tetra-(4N-allylpyridyl) porphyrin and its Cu-, Co- and Zn-containing derivatives
Authors: Barkhudaryan Vigen G. , Ananyan Gayane V.
Published: September 2018

The influence of water soluble cationic meso-tetra-(4N-allylpyridyl) porphyrin (H2TAlPyP4) and its metal complexes with Cu, Co and Zn on hydrodynamic and spectral behavior of DNA solutions has been studied by viscometry, CD and UV-vis spectroscopy methods. The results were compared with the results of previously conducted similar studies on meso-tetra-(3N-allylpyridyl) porphyrin (H2TAllPyP3). It has been shown that the change in position of peripheral radicals on the pyridylic ring has absolutely no effect on the rules of interaction of investigated porphyrins with DNA in the case of outside binders CoTAllPyP4 and ZnTAllPyP4. Planar porphyrin H2TAllPyP4 interacts with DNA predominantly by the intercalation mode at low relative concentrations of [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] [Porphyrin]/[DNA]) and by external binding mode at high values of [Formula: see text]. CuTAllPyP4 shows unusual behavior by interacting with DNA via a non-classical (partial) intercalation binding mode. It was shown that H[Formula: see text]TAllPyP3 and its metal complexes bind to DNA much more intensely than H2TAllPyP4 and its metal complexes.
Adenolipoleiomyoma Polyp of the Uterus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Catteau Xavier , Anaf Vincent , Noël Jean-Christophe
Published: September 2018

Adenolipoleiomyoma is a very rare lesion of the uterus. Only four cases were reported. We describe one case of adenolipoleiomyoma presenting as a polyp in a postmenopausal woman with menorrhagia. Adenolipoleiomyoma is a very rare lesion and the histogenesis remains unclear. We discuss the origin and the differential diagnosis of this lesion.
Butein Activates Autophagy Through AMPK/TSC2/ULK1/mTOR Pathway to Inhibit IL-6 Expression in IL-1β Stimulated Human Chondrocytes
Authors: Ansari Mohammad Y. , Ahmad Nashrah , Haqqi Tariq M.
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Butein (2’,3,4,4’-Tetrahydroxychalcone), a polyphenol produced by several plants including Butea monoserpma, has been reported to exert potent anti-inflammatory activity but the mechanism remains unknown. In the present work we investigated the mechanism of Butein-mediated suppression of IL-6 expression in normal and human osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes under pathological conditions. Methods: Expression level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) protein in OA cartilage was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using a validated antibody. Chondrocytes derived from normal or OA cartilage by enzymatic digestion were pretreated with Butein followed by stimulation with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the levels of IL-6 mRNA were quantified by TaqMan assay and the protein levels were measured by Western immunoblotting. Autophagy activation was determined by Western blotting and confocal microscopy. Autophagy was inhibited by siRNA mediated knockdown of ATG5. Results: Expression of IL-6 protein was high in the OA cartilage compared to smooth cartilage from the same patient. OA chondrocytes and cartilage explants stimulated with IL-1β showed high level expression of IL-6 mRNA and protein. Butein increased the phosphorylation of AMPKαThr-172, TSC2Ser-1387 and ULK1Ser-317 and inhibited the phosphorylation of mTORSer-2448 and its downstream target p70S6K and increased autophagy flux that correlated with the suppression of the IL-1β mediated expression of IL-6 in normal and OA chondrocytes. In OA chondrocytes with siRNA-mediated knockdown of ATG5 expression, treatment with Butein failed to activate autophagy and abrogated the suppression of IL-1β induced IL-6 expression. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that Butein activate autophagy in OA chondrocytes via AMPK/TSC2/ULK1/mTOR pathway. Additionally, activation of autophagy was essential to block the IL-1β-induced expression of IL-6 in OA chondrocytes. These data support further studies to evaluate the use of Butein or compounds derived from it for the management of OA.
Watch Your Step! Excrement and Governmentality in Deuteronomy
Authors: George Mark K.
Published: September 2018

Governmental action through centralized institutions is widely recognized, whereas how such action is effected in individual’s lives is less so. Effective government depends on the ability to shape the mundane activities of life in ways that serve larger objectives. Scholarship on Deuteronomy attends well to the centralized actions, but not the individual ones. Deuteronomy 23:13-15 (ET 12-14) instructs soldiers how to defecate while serving in ancient Israel’s army, a rather mundane behavior for a book widely recognized as concerned with governing Israel. Governmentality provides a means of understanding how these instructions for defecation become part of the book’s larger objective of creating Israel as a proper vassal.
Tarbiya and Gnosis in Hausa Islamic Verse: Al-Ṣābūn al-Muṭahhir by Muḥammad Balarabe of Shellen (Adamawa, Nigeria)
Authors: Brigaglia Andrea
Published: September 2018

This paper contains a transliteration in Latin script, an English translation and an analysis of Al-Ṣābūn al-Muṭahhir (“The Cleansing Soap”), a poem on tarbiya (spiritual training) and ma‘rifa (gnosis) originally written in the Hausa language using Arabic script by Muḥammad Balarabe (d. 1967) of Shellen, in Adamawa, Nigeria. Balarabe was a Sufi of the Tijāniyya order affiliated to the Jamā‘at al-fayḍa of the Senegalese Ibrāhīm Niasse (d. 1975). In style and content, Balarabe’s poem serves as a corrective to some of the observations on Hausa Sufi poetry made by Mervyn Hiskett in his classic 1975 monograph. Drawing attention to the philosophical background of the poem (a dense web of doctrines that integrates Akbarī Sufism and Aš‘arī theology), the paper also suggests that some of the generalizations made by Hiskett in a 1980 article on the Hausa literature produced by the Jamā‘at al-fayḍa are in need of revision.1
“History is repeated”: The representation of Persepolis in the Iranian press of the 1930s
Authors: Devos Bianca
Published: September 2018

From spring 1931 to autumn 1939, the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute conducted the first scientific excavations at Persepolis. The excavations coincided with a decade of profound change in Iran’s state and society. Under the rule of Reżā Shāh (1925-41), the Iranian state implemented a comprehensive nationalist and modernist reform agenda and propagated a distinctive national identity. The press played a crucial role in this process, informing the public about the excavations at Persepolis, a site that is highly significant for the narrative of the nation’s past. This article traces how Eṭṭelāʿāt, a leading Tehran newspaper, covered Persepolis and the archaeological excavations there. The aim in doing so is to illustrate how the Iranian press developed during the 1930s, a period during which the press was commercialized and professionalized and experienced increasing interference from the state’s censors.
Morphological and genetic divergence between Mediterranean and Caribbean populations of Madracis pharensis (Heller 1868) (Scleractinia, Pocilloporidae): too much for one species?
Authors: BENZONI FRANCESCA , ARRIGONI ROBERTO , BERUMEN MICHAEL L . , TAVIANI MARCO , BONGAERTS PIM , FRADE PEDRO R.
Published: September 2018

The colonial stony coral genus Madracis is cosmopolitan, lives in shallow and deep water habitats, and includes zooxanthellate, azooxanthellate and facultative symbiotic species. One of its species, Madracis pharensis, has been recorded from the Mediterranean and East Atlantic, where it forms small knobby and facultative zooxanthellate colonies (also named M. pharensis f. pharensis), and from the tropical Caribbean, where it also occurs in a massive and zooxanthellate form (named M. pharensis f. luciphila by some). These two forms have been previously found to host different Symbiodinium species. In this study, species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships between these two Madracis pharensis forms (from the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean), M. senaria, and the Indo-west Pacific M. kirbyi were analyzed through an integrated systematics approach, including corallite dimensions, micromorphology and two molecular markers (ITS and ATP8). Significant genetic and morphological differences were found between all the examined Madracis species, and between M. pharensis from the Mediterranean Sea and M. pharensis f. luciphila from the Caribbean in particular. Based on these results, the latter does not represent a zooxanthellate ecomorph of the former but a different species. Its identity remains to be ascertained and its relationship with the Caribbean M. decactis, with which it bears morphologic resemblance, must be investigated in further studies. Overall, the presence of cryptic Madracis species in the Easter and Central Atlantic Ocean remains to be evaluated.
ANZUS and the Early Cold War
Authors: Kelly Andrew
Published: September 2018

The ANZUS Alliance was a defence arrangement between Australia, New Zealand and the United States that shaped international policy in the aftermath of the Second World War and the early stages of the Cold War. Forged by influential individuals and impacting on global events including the Japanese Peace Treaty, the Korean War and the Suez Crisis, the ANZUS Alliance was a crucial factor in the seismic changes that took place in the second half of the twentieth century. In this compact and accessible study Andrew Kelly lays out the tensions that underpinned the formation of the Alliance, as each power sought to extract maximum influence and prestige, and examines how the ANZUS powers worked together (or failed to do so) when responding to massive global events including the rise of the People’s Republic of China and the waning of the British Empire. Kelly comprehensively explores the reasons why Australia and New Zealand disagreed so regularly about mutual security issues, how US global leadership shaped ANZUS, and the British impact on the trilateral relationship, and outlines how these issues set the foundations for today’s world order. ANZUS and the Early Cold War is essential reading for historians of Australian, New Zealand and American international relations in the twentieth century. Its concise format and readable style will also appeal to general readers interested in the history and foreign policies of these nations, and to anyone who wants to know more about the individual and geopolitical tensions that beset any major alliance.
ANZUS and the Early Cold War
Authors: Kelly Andrew
Published: September 2018

Following on from the previous chapter, this chapter explores further issues that divided these countries in the early Cold War period. It examines how the Japanese occupation—specifically US revisions to occupational policies in 1947—put Australia, New Zealand and the United States on uncommon ground. This analysis begins to reveal the way in which the US aimed to dominate discussions with Australia and New Zealand without giving any significant thought to opposing points of view in Canberra or Wellington. This chapter also begins to explore the impact of a continued post-war British presence in the Asia-Pacific through the ANZAM discussions. Similarly, it explores initial discussions Anglo-Australian plans about atomic bomb testing and the subsequent concerns about this project in Washington and Wellington.
A Photoelectric Study of Atmospheric Condensation Nuclei and Haze
Authors: Bradbury N. E. , Fryer E. M.
Published: September 2018

A method is described whereby the opacity of the atmosphere is determined by the extinction of a beam of light. By the use of a chopped light beam, photocell, and a. c. amplifier the apparatus may be made independent of any amount of stray light and hence can function during both the daylight and night hours. Continuous records have been made of atmospheric opacity over a period of several weeks and the results compared with the extinction to be expected as the result of Rayleigh scattering by atmospheric condensation nuclei. The results show a maximum of scattering and hence greatest opacity in the hours near sunrise when the relative humidity is highest and the nuclei largest. During other hours of the day, the opacity is a function of the density of condensation nuclei, their size (as determined by the relative humidity), and the amount of non-nucleic matter (largely dust) in the atmosphere.
Diurnal Pressure Differences in Regions of High Pressure*
Authors: Tait G. W. C.
Published: September 2018

Summary: The differences between morning and evening pressures in a region of high pressure have been observed to be greater than normal differences. This was checked using Toronto station pressures. The effect is often explained as due to the expansion of warmed air, a direct result of increased insolation. Another explanation here suggested, is based on changes in the surface divergence in a high, which are shown to be an indirect result of insolation. The latter explanation is shown to lead to pressure differences of appreciable magnitude.
Determination of total, free and esterified short-chain fatty acid in human serum by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Chen Zhen , Wu Yue , Shrestha Rojeet , Gao Zijun , Zhao Yaoyao , Miura Yusuke , Tamakoshi Akiko , Chiba Hitoshi , Hui Shu-Ping
Published: September 2018

Background

Short-chain fatty acids are primarily absorbed through the portal vein during lipid digestion, which is utilized as the energy source, as well as prevent type 2 diabetes and some cancers. However, reports on the determination of these short-chain fatty acids in human serum are limited.

Methods

Blood samples from human subjects ( n = 547, male/female = 246/301, age 58.85 ± 12.57) were collected. Saponification was applied to obtain total fatty acid. After derivatization by 2-nitrophenylhydrazine, fatty acid 4:0 and fatty acid 6:0 were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results

The developed method exhibited good linearity (R2 = 0.9996 for both). All the coefficients of variation of reproducibility and accuracy for fatty acid 4:0 and fatty acid 6:0 ranged 3.0%−6.1%, with the average recoveries of 87.8%−102.4% and 92.2%−98.2%, respectively. In all the samples, the concentration of fatty acid 4:0 (162.4 ± 76.4 μmol/L) was significantly higher than fatty acid 6:0 (2.0 ± 2.5 μmol/L, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the esterified form was predominant in both fatty acid 4:0 and fatty acid 6:0 (98.2% and 82.4% of total fatty acids, respectively). Besides, short-chain fatty acids showed no significant differences with regard to sex or age differences.

Conclusion

This developed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method is convenient and reliable, which might be useful for monitoring the variations of short-chain fatty acids in blood.
Evaluation of human pineal gland acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase immunoreactivity in suicide: A preliminary study
Authors: Kurtulus Dereli Ayse , Demırci Goksin Nilufer , Dodurga Yavuz , Özbal Seda , Cankurt Ulker , Boz Bora , Adiguzel Esat , Acar Kemalettin
Published: September 2018

Disorders of the serotonergic system are especially known to be present in the neurobiology of suicidal behavior. Studies investigating melatonin levels show that changes in pineal gland functions may also play a role in the pathogenesis of suicide. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies evaluating the activity of pinealocytes responsible for melatonin synthesis in suicide. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the relationship among pinealocyte, acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase (ASMT) immunoreactivity, and suicide. Samples of pineal gland, cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine were obtained from 21 suicide and 21 non-suicide cases on which medicolegal autopsies were performed. Expression of ASMT in human pineal gland was evaluated by immunohistochemical methods. A scoring system was used to define the anti-ASMT-positive staining in the sections. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were employed to assess serum and cerebrospinal fluid melatonin levels and blood and urine noradrenaline levels. The ASMT-immunopositive pinealocyte count was observed to be lower in suicide cases compared to the non-suicide cases. With the exception of two cases (with moderate staining), all graded scores were 3 (strong staining) in non-suicide group, whereas scores were 1 (mild staining) or 2 (moderate staining) in the suicide group. Melatonin levels in the blood were lower among the suicide victims. These results support decreased pineal gland activity in suicide. However, further studies are needed to assess whether these changes are related to a psychiatric disorder.
Effect of Blocked Versus Random Practice on Physical Therapy Students’ Manual Force Modulation
Authors: Horbacewicz Jill
Published: September 2018

This study examined (a) the effect of practice organization on learning to modulate manual force, and (b) the effect of force magnitude on ability to accurately reproduce force. I randomly assigned 52 novice physical therapy students to either blocked or random practice schedules as they learned to apply different manual forces. I tested students immediately after training and one week later, using a three-way mixed design analysis of variance to assess the effects of practice organization (random vs. blocked), test (immediate posttest vs. retention test), and force (high vs. low) on ability to modulate manual forces. I found that blocked versus random practice, led to more accurate force application at the posttest and retention test, F(1, 50) = 5.57, p < .05; both practice groups performed more accurately at the posttest than at the retention test, F(1, 50) = 5.6, p < .05, and both performed more accurately at the lower, compared with the higher, force level, F(1, 50) = 60.9, p < .05. These findings support use of a blocked' practice schedule for this motor training, though relevant contextual interference moderators may include such variables as nature of the task, learners’ skill levels, and practice time. In addition, higher forces resulted in greater errors and must be considered in preparing for and engaging in clinical practice.
Writing on Actresses and the Modern Transformation of Opera Fandom in 1910s Beijing
Authors: Liu Jiacheng
Published: September 2018

This article explores the modern transformation of opera fandom in early twentieth-century China through the hitherto unexamined fan literature about actresses by men of letters. Ostensibly conservative in both its style, based on earlier huapu (flower registers) writing, and its invocation of Confucian values, fan literature was caught up in the political and literary ferment of the times, proving to be startlingly innovative in developing new genres and appropriating reformist discourses. In promoting their preferred actresses, opera fans, writing in a sentimental style, dominated the public sphere of theater commentary and fought over the ethical position of women performers and their admirers. In some regard, the writings of opera fans in early Republican Beijing paralleled Butterfly fiction and the fans themselves constituted a sentiment-based, morally conflicted, and politically conservative urban public. The article argues that opera fandom was simultaneously a conservative response to modernity and the very embodiment of the creation of the Chinese modern.