bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A bromodomain-DNA interaction facilitates acetylation-dependent bivalent nucleosome recognition by the BET protein BRDT
Authors: Miller Thomas C.R. , Simon Bernd , Rybin Vladimir , Grötsch Helga , Curtet Sandrine , Khochbin Saadi , Carlomagno Teresa , Müller Christoph W.
Published: September 2016

Bromodomains are critical components of many chromatin modifying/remodeling proteins and are emerging therapeutic targets, yet how they interact with nucleosomes, rather than acetylated peptides, remains unclear. Using BRDT as a model, we characterized how the BET family of bromodomains interacts with site-specifically acetylated nucleosomes. We find that BRDT interacts with nucleosomes through its first (BD1), but not second (BD2) bromodomain, and that acetylated histone recognition by BD1 is complemented by a novel bromodomain-DNA interaction. Simultaneous DNA and histone recognition enhances BRDT's nucleosome binding affinity, specificity, and ability to localize to and compact acetylated chromatin. Conservation of DNA binding in bromodomains of BRD2, BRD3 and BRD4, indicates that bivalent nucleosome recognition is a key feature of these bromodomains and possibly others. Our results elucidate the molecular mechanism of BRDT association with nucleosomes and identify new structural features of BET bromodomains that may be targeted for therapeutic inhibition.
PRIMA: a gene-centered, RNA-to-protein method for mapping RNA-protein interactions
Authors: Tamburino Alex M. , Kaymak Ebru , Shrestha Shaleen , Holdorf Amy D. , Ryder Sean P. , Walhout Albertha J.M.
Published: September 2016

Interactions between RNA binding protein (RBP) and mRNAs are critical to post-transcriptional gene regulation. Eukaryotic genomes encode thousands of mRNAs and hundreds of RBPs. However, in contrast to interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and DNA, the interactome between RBPs and RNA has been explored for only a small number of proteins and RNAs. This is largely because the focus has been on using ‘protein-centered’ (RBP-to-RNA) interaction mapping methods that identify the RNAs with which an individual RBP interacts. While powerful, these methods cannot as of yet be applied to the entire RBPome. Moreover, it may be desirable for a researcher to identify the repertoire of RBPs that can interact with an mRNA of interest – in a ‘gene-centered’ manner, yet few such techniques are available. Here, we present Protein-RNA Interaction Mapping Assay (PRIMA) with which an RNA ‘bait’ can be tested versus multiple RBP ‘preys’ in a single experiment. PRIMA is a translation-based assay that examines interactions in the yeast cytoplasm, the cellular location of mRNA translation. We show that PRIMA can be used with small RNA elements, as well as with full-lengthCaenorhabditis elegans3′UTRs. PRIMA faithfully recapitulates numerous well-characterized RNA-RBP interactions and also identified novel interactions, some of which were confirmedin vivo. We envision that PRIMA will provide a complementary tool to expand the depth and scale with which the RNA-RBP interactome can be explored.
2-Amino-4-methylpyridinium 4-hydroxybenzoate
Authors: Sivakumar P. , Sudhahar S. , Israel S. , Chakkaravarthi G.
Published: September 2016

In the title molecular salt, C6H9N2+·C7H5O3−, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom and the anion is deprotonated. The pyridine ring is inclined at an angle of 24.96 (11)° to the benzene ring. In the crystal, adjacent anions and cations are linked by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating anR22(8) ring motif; these motifs are further connected by another N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional network. The crystal structure also features weak C—H...O interactions.
Consumers’ willingness to pay and drivers of motivation to consume omega-3 enriched mozzarella cheese
Authors: Vecchio Riccardo , Lombardi Alessia , Cembalo Luigi , Caracciolo Francesco , Cicia Gianni , Masucci Felicia , Di Francia Antonio
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Consumer interest and willingness to pay (WTP) for omega-3 enriched water buffalo mozzarella cheese are evaluated through an in-store experimental auction. The purpose of this paper is to estimate individual WTP for enriched mozzarella cheese and related it to self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations of omega-3 consumption, following regulatory focus theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in May-June 2015 from a sample of 150 consumers in Southern Italy. A structural equation modelling procedure was implemented.

Findings

The results show a significant role is played by prevention outcome expectations on consumer behaviour. While promotion outcome expectation constructs proved non-significant, self-identity correlates with prevention outcome expectations.

Research limitations/implications

There are several limitations that the authors are aware of regarding this study. First of all, since the authors rely on self-reported measures, optimistic bias might have affected participants’ responses (Weinstein, 1980). Second, results may be influenced by the choice of the specific information provided to consumers for the analysis; different claims and different information framings should be tested (LeBoeuf and Shafir, 2003).

Practical implications

Implications stemming from the results encourage the promotion of omega-3 enriched mozzarella cheese based on stimulating outcome expectations, bearing in mind that individual motivations should be enhanced by self-identity beliefs.

Originality/value

Although the combined role of self-efficacy and outcome expectations on personal intention to adopt healthy behaviour has already been demonstrated (Keller, 2006; Tudoran et al., 2012), to the best of the knowledge no previous study relates individual behaviour to an intention measured as a WTP for an actual product. In addition, current study has applied a non-hypothetical BDM (from Becker et al., 1964) auction in-store experiment.
Food, identity and belonging: a case study of South African-Australians
Authors: Schermuly Allegra Clare , Forbes-Mewett Helen
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Culturally familiar food is of great importance to migrants. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of food in the lives of South African migrants to Australia. How food impacts on notions of identity and belonging for immigrants is framed and discussed within the context of nostalgia, sharing and Bourdieu’s “habitus”.

Design/methodology/approach

Through mixed qualitative methods, including participatory research, document analysis and in-depth interviews, this study examines the everyday experiences of South African-Australians. The study employs an interpretivist approach that aims for greater understanding of the subject through the perspectives of the research participants.

Findings

Culinary rituals and traditions feature large in personal narratives of adjustment that reveal the important role of food in contributing to identity translation in a destination society and, ultimately, the attainment of belonging for migrants.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides a “snapshot” of a topic that would benefit from further exploration.

Practical implications

The importance for migrants to have access to cultural traditions surrounding food is acknowledged in the contemporary world where increasingly mobile populations need to maintain a sense of identity and feel a sense of belonging while integrating into host societies.

Social implications

Traditional cuisines are an integral part of the mechanisms by which migrants can better integrate leading to overall greater social cohesion.

Originality/value

The study contributes a new dimension to the body of literature pertaining to food access and security for culturally diverse groups in multicultural societies.
Purchase intentions for domestic food: a moderated TPB-explanation
Authors: Vabø Mette , Hansen Håvard
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers’ intention to buy domestic food applying the theory of planned behavior. Based on this framework, the authors investigate the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism and self-construal.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the conceptual model, a cross-sectional study from a random sample of Norwegian consumers was employed. A total of 501 consumers filled out the web-based survey. The data were analyzed by means of confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression.

Findings

The results show that subjective norm and perceived behavioral control (PBC) both have positive significant effects on consumers’ intention to buy domestic food. Attitude also has a positive effect but is only significant on the ten percent level. The effect of subjective norm is reduced with increasing levels of ethnocentrism, and the effect of PBC is reduced when consumers are collectivistic rather than individualistic.

Originality/value

This study provides the food industry with useful information about which mechanisms underlie the consumers’ intention to buy domestic food. In addition the study provides useful insight into how different personality characteristics affect the consumers’ intentions.
Consumer perceptions of farmed fish
Authors: Reinders Machiel J. , Banovi´ Marija , Guerrero Lluis , Krystallis Athanasios
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible cross-cultural consumer segments in the EU aquaculture market and provide direction and focus for marketing strategies for farmed fish products.

Design/methodology/approach

Selected psychographic constructs (i.e. category involvement, domain-specific innovativeness, subjective knowledge, suspicion of novelties and optimistic bias) are tested as segmentation basis with the objective of defining a number of cross-border consumer segments with distinctive and clear-cut profiles in terms of consumer perceptions towards farmed fish.

Findings

Based on the consumer psychographic profiles, three distinct segments are found: involved traditional, involved innovators and ambiguous indifferent, of which the first two constitute especially interesting targets for market positioning strategies for aquaculture products.

Practical implications

The results of the segmentation analysis opens new horizons in terms of positioning and differentiation of fish products from the aquaculture industry according to the most important potential market segments.

Originality/value

The current research brings insights into different pan-European consumer segments and their characteristics that allow for a corresponding differentiation strategy within the aquaculture industry. The fact that the segments tend to be uniform across all countries suggests a relatively homogeneous or converging European fish-related culture.
Implicit preference of sweets over fruit as a predictor of their actual consumption
Authors: Pavlović Maša , Žeželj Iris , Marinković Maša , Sučević Jelena
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test if our eating behavior is determined not only by conscious evaluations of certain foods (explicit attitudes), but also by their automatic evaluations (implicit attitudes).

Design/methodology/approach

In two studies, the authors examined the predictive and incremental validity of these two types of attitudinal measures of eating behavior. Implicit attitudes were assessed with a standard implicit attitude test procedure (target categories were “sweets” and “fruit,” and attribute categories were “good” and “bad”); two explicit attitude measures were assessed: an explicit measure of preference for sweets over fruit and a semantic differential measure. The behavioral measure in Study 1 was the quantity of sweets consumed; in Study 2, it was a relative measure of sweets vs fruit consumption registered through a three-day diary.

Findings

The relatively low correlation between implicit and explicit attitude measures indicated that these measures at least partially tap into different processes. Implicit attitudes proved to be superior over explicit attitudes in predicting food consumption, especially for consumption registered via diary. This fact suggests that implicit attitudes are powerful drivers of long-term behavior.

Practical implications

The findings could be useful in tailoring interventions to promote healthier eating habits.

Originality/value

The research tested predictive power of implicit food-related attitudes. It compared the food consumption in laboratory and real-life settings. A new measure for daily food consumption was developed and it was calculated relative to recommended serving size.
Different strokes for different folks? The impact of heterogeneity in work characteristics and country contexts on work-life balance among the self-employed
Authors: Annink Anne , Den Dulk Laura , Amorós José Ernesto
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of self-employed work characteristics (consumer orientation, innovativeness, number of employees, motivation, and entrepreneurial phase) on work-life balance (WLB) satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The job demands and resources approach is applied to test whether self-employed work characteristics are evaluated as job demands or resources for WLB. The Global Entrepreneurship Data (2013) offer a unique opportunity to conduct multilevel analysis among a sample of self-employed workers in 51 countries (N=11,458). Besides work characteristics, this paper tests whether country context might explain variation in WLB among the self-employed.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that there is a negative relation between being exposed to excessive stress and running a consumer-oriented business and WLB. Being motivated out of opportunity is positively related to WLB. In addition, the results indicate that country context matters. A higher human development index and more gender equality are negatively related to WLB, possibly because of higher social expectations and personal responsibility. The ease of doing business in a country was positively related to the WLB of self-employed workers.

Social implications

For some workers self-employment might be a way to combine work and responsibilities in other life domains, but this does not seem to be valid in all cases.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to current literature on the WLB of self-employed workers by showing how work characteristics can be evaluated as job demands or resources. Including work characteristics in future research might be a solution for acknowledging the heterogeneity among self-employed workers.
Experimental methods in entrepreneurship research: the status quo
Authors: Kraus Sascha , Meier Fabian , Niemand Thomas
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the emerging field of experimental research on entrepreneurship to better understand its development and potential.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic, evidence-based literature review was applied, resulting in a sample of 47 articles having used experiments in entrepreneurship research so far. The papers are analyzed according to their topic, methods, and research design, revealing insight into their limitations and prospective contributions.

Findings

The paper discusses the potential and disadvantages of experimental methods while arguing for experiments as the method of choice for answering causality questions. This study finds a persistent increase in experimental entrepreneurship research since its introduction in 1990.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides research from the field of entrepreneurship with future directions, with potential research areas and an orientation for those interested in conducting experiments.

Originality/value

Experiments are employed in a variety of research areas and have become more and more popular in the field of entrepreneurship. No study has analyzed the experimental studies in entrepreneurship. This paper contributes by providing an overview of the field, reflecting and discussing the outcomes while characterizing the methods employed.
Access to bank finance for UK SMEs in the wake of the recent financial crisis
Authors: Cowling Marc , Liu Weixi , Zhang Ning
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how entrepreneurs demand for external finance changed as the economy continued to be mired in its third and fourth years of the global financial crisis (GFC) and whether or not external finance has become more difficult to access as the recession progressed.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a large-scale survey data on over 30,000 UK small- and medium-sized enterprises between July 2011 and March 2013, the authors estimate a series of conditional probit models to empirically test the determinants of the supply of, and demand for external finance.

Findings

Older firms and those with a higher risk rating, and a record of financial delinquency, were more likely to have a demand for external finance. The opposite was true for women-led businesses and firms with positive profits. In general finance was more readily available to older firms post-GFC, but banks were very unwilling to advance money to firms with a high-risk rating or a record of any financial delinquency. It is estimated that a maximum of 42,000 smaller firms were denied credit, which was significantly lower than the peak of 119,000 during the financial crisis.

Originality/value

This paper provides timely evidence that adds to the general understanding of what really happens in the market for small business financing three to five years into an economic downturn and in the early post-GFC period, from both a demand and supply perspective. This will enable the authors to consider what the potential impacts of credit rationing on the small business sector are and also identify areas where government action might be appropriate.
On the emergence of leadership in new ventures
Authors: Baldegger Urs , Gast Johanna
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence and development of leadership within the context of new ventures.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was conducted to analyze in-depth the circumstances under which leadership is emerging and evolving in new ventures. In doing so, 55 founder-CEOs from Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland were interviewed.

Findings

The findings suggest that during the development from new ventures to early growth ventures the founder-CEOs and their organizations experience three major transitions. First, the founder-CEOs’ leadership behavior tends to emerge and evolve alongside firm development from being more transformational in new ventures to more transactional in early growth ventures. Second, the decisive employee selection criteria change over time, and the initially important person-founder fit turns into a person-organization fit. Third, a transition from a rather external perspective of the founder-CEOs in the new venture stage to a more internally oriented perspective in the early stages of growth was observed.

Research limitations/implications

Although the findings advance research on leadership in new ventures, the limitations concerning potential recall biases and subjectivism have to be kept in mind.

Practical implications

In practice, the findings imply that the emergence and development of leadership in new ventures should be seen as a dynamic process.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first to study in-depth the emergence and development of leadership in the context of new ventures.
Does one size fit all? A look at entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation in the informal economy of Tanzania
Authors: Eijdenberg Emiel L.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation in Tanzania’s informal economy. The development of personal wealth is used to measure the performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in the mama lishe sector.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of a literature review and a qualitative pre-study involving 27 interviewees, a questionnaire was completed by 152 subsistence entrepreneurs who are known as the mama lishe. Subsequently, a correlation analysis, a factor analysis, and regression analyses were performed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

On the basis of a factor analysis, a distinction is made between the development of basic personal wealth and the development of advanced personal wealth. Entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation, as constructed by studies in western countries, have little effect on both forms of personal wealth. Instead, the owner’s age, as an indicator of entrepreneurial experience, is a relatively strong predictor for the development of personal wealth.

Originality/value

By examining the determinants of the performance of subsistence entrepreneurs in an African least developed country (LDC), this study shows that the western definitions of entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial orientation are not directly applicable in this context. By using performance measures such as the development of personal wealth, this study supports the perspective that entrepreneurs in the informal economy of an LDC operate under a different paradigm than their counterparts in the industrialized nations of the west. Accordingly, it is concluded that one size does not fit all.
A study of experimental and theoretical analysis of N-cyclohexylmethacrylamide monomer based on DFT and HF computations
Authors: Akman Feride , Çankaya Nevin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to synthesise and characterise N-cyclohexylmethacrylamide (NCMA) monomer which contains thermosensitive group. The characterisation of monomer was performed both theoretically and experimentally.

Design/methodology/approach

The monomer was prepared by reacting cyclohexylamine with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine at room temperature. The synthesised monomer was characterised by using not only Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Hartree–Fock (HF) with the Gaussian 09 software but also fourier transform infrared (FT–IR),1H and13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Findings

Both the experimental and the theoretical methods demonstrated that the monomer was successfully synthesised. The vibrational frequencies, the molecular structural geometry, such as optimised geometric bond angles, bond lengths and the Mulliken atomic charges of NCMA were investigated by using DFT/B3LYP and HF methods with the 3-21G* basis set. The experimental results were compared with theoretical values. The results revealed that the calculated frequencies were in good accord with the experimental values. Besides, frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and molecular electrostatic potential of NCMA were investigated by theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/3–21G* basis set.

Research limitations/implications

Monomer and polymer containing a thermosensitive functional group have attracted great interest from both industrial and academic fields. Their characterisation can provide great opportunities for polymer science by using DFT and HF methods.

Originality/value

The monomer containing a thermosensitive functional group and a various polymer may be prepared by using DFT and HF methods described in this paper. The calculated data are greatly important to provide insight into molecular analysis and then used in technological applications.
Influence of cross-linking agents and curing condition on the performance of epoxy coating
Authors: Tambe Shekhar P. , Jagtap Shwetambari D. , Choudhari Ramakant N. , Mallik B.P.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The performance of epoxy coating on metal substrate at low temperature and high humidity application has adverse effect on cure rate, film properties and adhesion. In recent years, several advanced amine cross-linking agents having superior curing ability at low temperature application environment have been introduced. The aim of this paper is to study the properties of epoxy-based coating cured with different cross-linking agents designed for low temperature application at different environmental conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Series of cross linking agents such as modified cycloaliphatic amine (H1), polyamine adduct (H2), modified aliphatic ketamine (H3), phenalkamine (H4) and phenalkamide (H5) have been studied to evaluate their performance in epoxy compositions when cured at four environmental conditions, i.e. at ambient and sub-ambient temperatures with 60 and 90 per cent relative humidity, respectively. The effect of curing conditions was investigated by evaluating different physico-mechanical properties. Dynamic mechanical analyser technique was used to determine glass transition temperature (Tg) and cross-link density (ρ) of coatings. Anticorrosive properties of coatings also have been studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Findings

The outcome of this study is expected to generate new insight into the curing behaviour of epoxy coating using different cross-linking agents which are recommended for low temperature application. Optimum physico-mechanical and corrosion resistance properties have been obtained by phenalkamine curing agent at low temperature and high humidity condition.

Practical implications

This study is an experimental approach to select the better cross-linking agent for low temperature application. Different test conditions were measured for understanding the performance of epoxy coating cured at different environmental condition.

Originality/value

The understanding reaction mechanism of the epoxy resin with cross-linking agent at different environmental condition is the great challenge and is hardly investigated in the literature. Therefore, in this research, the influence of climatic conditions and type of cross-linking agents on curing behaviour of epoxy-based coating was investigated.
From suspension toward emulsion and mini-emulsion polymerisation to control particle size, particle size distribution, and sphereness of printing toner
Authors: Andami Fatemeh , Ataeefard Maryam , Najafi Farhood , Saeb Mohammad Reza
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Printing toners are polymer composites accountable for transmission of digital images onto target substrates. Bearing in mind the ever increasing demand for high quality digital printing, modification and/or integration of existing techniques for manufacturing toners with favourable morphological and colour characteristics appears of vital importance. The present study aims to uncover the significance of in-situ polymerisation method, i.e. suspension, emulsion and mini-emulsion to control the microstructure of toner particles (particle size, particle size distribution and sphereness) while keeping the energy required for polymerisation along with reaction conversion at a reasonable level.

Design/methodology/approach

Assessment of particle size, particle size distribution and reaction conversion visualised the potential of suspension, emulsion and mini-emulsion polymerisation techniques to control microstructure, and colour characteristics of synthesized toners as well.

Findings

The results provided support for the fact that either the emulsion or mini-emulsion polymerisation routes will result in toners having an acceptable particle size and particle size distribution in the presence of a redox precursor. The higher monomer conversion at low temperature, as compared to the suspension polymerisation, was noticeable.

Practical implications

Analysing the glass transition temperature and colour characteristics of the resulting toners elucidated the superiority of mini-emulsion with respect to the other two cases which ranks this method on account of application.

Originality/value

For the first time, mini-emulsion route was put into practice and toners with acceptable colour and microstructure features were synthesised. In spite of lower polymerisation temperature and higher conversion of mini-emulsion compared to suspension and emulsion polymerisation techniques, further investigations are required to fine-tuning the properties of toners produced through this method.
Synthesis of 4-hydroxy coumarin dyes and their applications
Authors: Gaffer Hatem , Salem Mounir , Marzouk Magda
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The present study aims to focus on the possibility of developing new eco-friendly azo dyes with good colouristic application properties, exhibiting biological and pharmacological activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Coupling of 4-hydroxycoumarin with a variety of aromatic diazonium salts of 2-aminothiazole, 2-aminobenzothiazole, 4-aminoantipyrine, 4-aminoacetophenone, adenine sulphate, a-naphthylamine and sulphadimidine to produce novel azo dyes. The compounds were fully characterised using spectroscopic and analytical methods. All of the compounds were tested for their antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant activities. The prepared dyestuffs were dyed on polyester fabrics and subsequently their dyeing properties, light, washing, perspiration, rubbing and sublimation fastness were determined.

Findings

The spectroscopic data of the synthesised compounds have provided decisive evidence that such compounds exist in the solid state as the azo-dike to form C and in solution in equilibrium tautomer forms A, B and D. The prepared dyestuffs are suitable for either heat transfer printing or traditional printing on polyester and nylon 6 fabrics. The prints obtained from the dyes possess high colour strength, as well as good overall fastness properties. Also the synthesised compounds exhibit good biological and pharmacology activity.

Research limitations/implications

Synthesis of these seven azo dyes for textile dyeing had never been reported previously.

Practical implications

The dyestuffs derived from 4-hydroxycoumarin are reasonable azo disperse dyestuffs giving good all round fastness properties on polyester fabrics.

Social implications

Production of less expensive and new eco-friendly dyes exhibit antimicrobial and anticancer activity.

Originality/value

It provided a potentially simple way to synthesize novel coumarin azo-dyes exhibit good biological and pharmacology activity and also exhibit good overall fastness properties.
Consumer knowledge in pro-environmental behavior
Authors: Onel Naz , Mukherjee Avinandan
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Environmental behavior studies suggest that knowledge, in addition to other psychological and social factors, can play an important role in consumers’ environmental behavior change. The purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between knowledge and various psychological factors which encourage consumers’ participation in pro-environmental behaviors. The relationships that link an individual’s attitudes toward science, environmental values, different types of knowledge (i.e. scientific facts, environmental facts, and subjective environmental knowledge), environmental risk perception, and willingness to pay (WTP) for the environment with pro-environmental behavior were examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Theoretically guided hypotheses and model were formulated and tested with multiple linear regression models. The study was based on measures and data obtained from the large-sample secondary database of the 2010 General Social Survey (n=2,044).

Findings

Results indicated that while attitudes toward science had direct effects on knowledge of scientific facts and knowledge of environmental facts, environmental values showed effects on knowledge of environmental facts and subjective knowledge on environmental issues. The results also indicated that from different types of knowledge, subjective knowledge on environmental issues had effects on both environmental risk perception and WTP for the environment. Knowledge on environmental facts, on the other hand, was able to predict only environmental risk perception. The scientific factual knowledge did not show an effect on mediator of pro-environmental behavior. Also, subjective knowledge indicated indirect effects on pro-environmental behavior through environmental risk perception and WTP for the environment.

Originality/value

Although research on understanding factors influencing pro-environmental behaviors and potential relations to individual knowledge has grown in recent years, there has been very little attempt at distinguishing between different types of knowledge and investigating their potential roles in the context of environmentally relevant behaviors. This study will help understand the functioning of different types of consumer environmental knowledge and their impacts on pro-environmental behaviors more in depth.
The effect of green tea on opposing toxicity of acrylamide on kidney function
Authors: Khalifa Nahlaa , El-Kholy Thanaa Abdel Fattah , Al-Ghamdi Ahmed
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of green tea extract on kidney function tests, in male rats that received different doses of acrylamide (AA).

Design/methodology/approach

Animals were dispensed at random to one of the following treatments: group 1 served as control, whereas groups 2, 3 received seven, 14 mg/100 g B.W/day of AA, respectively, in drinking water for 15 and 30 days. Group 4 received green tea 1.5 percent concentration and groups 5, 6 received seven, 14 mg/100 g B.W/day in a mixture with green tea for 15 and 30 days.

Findings

Serum urea and creatinine significantly increase with AA. However, Total protein, albumin and A/G ratio showed significant drop in all treated groups when compared with control. Supplementation of rats with antioxidant (green tea) enhanced the general health condition, reduced the severity of genotoxic effect and the alteration in blood and serum parameters produced by AA.

Practical implications

The authors suggest that green tea may deliver a cushion for long therapeutic option against toxins-induced nephrotoxicity without damaging side effects.

Originality/value

The study uses green tea as a natural antioxidant source. Epigallocatechin-3 gallate is the most plentiful catechin preserved in green tea and a high source of flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of phenolic products of plant metabolism with high antioxidant properties to reduce nephrotoxicity without side effects.
Millennium development goals achievement in different states of India (2003-2004 to 2013-2014)
Authors: Chakrabarty Ranajit , Chakrabarti Mahuya , Chattopadhyay Ayan
Published: September 2016

Purpose

According to the Government of India 2015 report on millennium development goal (MDG), India is yet to achieve almost 50 per cent of the goals set by UN. Characterized by its diversity, India’s progress in terms of the indicators of MDGs for the country as a whole averages out the prevailing state level variations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the status of these goals during 1993-1994-2013-2014 at state level using 12 targets and 35 indicators relevant for India along with an attempt to explain inter-state variations in this regard.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution method, a multiple criteria decision making method, the states have been ranked in terms of all the indicators of MDGs. These ranks were then analysed using socio-economic and political factors to understand the root cause of variation.

Findings

Ranking of the states considering all the indicators reveals the actual scenario in an effective way. The factors like state domestic product, state-wise standard of education level, social backwardness and political leadership help in finding the link between the derived ranks and these socio-economic and political factors.

Originality/value

Previous studies in this area have been carried out taking the indicators separately. However, without a comprehensive idea with all the indicators, the overall impact cannot be understood effectively. This study is novel since it takes into account each state with respect to all the indicators taken together thereby providing a comprehensive view on the variation in the achievement of MDG goals.
Identification of B‐cell epitopes of Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein C by screening a phage‐displayed gene fragment library
Authors: Pulzova Lucia , Flachbartova Zuzana , Bencurova Elena , Potocnakova Lenka , Comor Lubos , Schreterova Eva , Bhide Mangesh
Published: September 2016

Outer surface protein C (OspC) of Borrelia stimulates remarkable immune responses during early infection and is therefore currently considered a leading diagnostic and vaccine candidate. The sensitivity and specificity of serological tests based on whole protein OspC for diagnosis of Lyme disease are still unsatisfactory. Minimal B‐cell epitopes are key in the development of reliable immunodiagnostic tools. Using OspC fragments displayed on phage particles (phage library) and anti‐OspC antibodies isolated from sera of naturally infected patients, six OspC epitopes capable of distinguishing between LD patient and healthy control sera were identified. Three of these epitopes are located at the N‐terminus (OspC E1 aa19–27, OspC E2 aa38–53, OspC E3 aa62–66) and three at the C‐terminal end (OspC E4 aa155–163, OspC E5 aa184–190 and OspC E6 aa201–207). OspC E1, E4 and E6 were highly conserved among LD related Borreliae. To our knowledge, epitopes OspC E2, E3 and E5 were identified for the first time in this study. Minimal B‐cell epitopes may provide fundamental data for the development of multi‐epitope‐based diagnostic tools for Lyme disease.
Sampling networks of ecological interactions
Authors: Jordano Pedro
Published: September 2016

Sampling ecological interactions presents similar challenges, problems, potential biases and constraints as sampling individuals and species in biodiversity inventories. Robust estimates of the actual number of interactions (links) within diversified ecological networks require adequate sampling effort that needs to be explicitly gauged. Yet we still lack a sampling theory explicitly focusing on ecological interactions.

While the complete inventory of interactions is likely impossible, a robust characterization of its main patterns and metrics is probably realistic. We must acknowledge that a sizeable fraction of the maximum number of interactions among, say, A animal species and P plant species (i.e. ) is impossible to record due to forbidden links, that is life‐history restrictions. Thus, the number of observed interactions I in robustly sampled networks is typically , resulting in sparse interaction matrices with low connectance.

Here I provide a review and outline a conceptual framework for interaction sampling by building an explicit analogue to individuals and species sampling, thus extending diversity‐monitoring approaches to the characterization of complex networks of ecological interactions. Contrary to species inventories, a sizable fraction of non‐observed pairwise interactions cannot be sampled, due to biological constraints that forbid their occurrence.

Reasons for forbidden links are multiple but mainly stem from spatial and temporal uncoupling, size mismatches and intrinsically low probabilities of interspecific encounter for most potential interactions of partner species. Adequately assessing the completeness of a network of ecological interactions thus needs knowledge of the natural history details embedded, so that forbidden links can be accounted for as a portion of the unobserved links when addressing sampling effort.

Recent implementations of inference methods for unobserved species or for individual‐based data can be combined with the assessment of forbidden links. This can help in estimating their relative importance, simply by the difference between the asymptotic estimate of interaction richness in a robustly sampled assemblage and the maximum richness of interactions. This is crucial to assess the rapid and devastating effects of defaunation‐driven loss of key ecological interactions and the services they provide and the analogous losses related to interaction gains due to invasive species and biotic homogenization.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Numerical investigation of alternative fracture stiffness measures and their respective scaling behaviours
Authors: Morris Joseph P. , Jocker Jeroen , Prioul Romain
Published: September 2016

We study the mechanical deformation of fractures under normal stress, via tangent and specific fracture stiffnesses, for different length scales using numerical simulations and analytical insights. First, we revisit an equivalent elastic layer model that leads to two expressions: the tangent stiffness is the sum of an “intrinsic” stiffness and the normal stress, and the specific stiffness is the tangent stiffness divided by the fracture aperture at current stress. Second, we simulate the deformation of rough fractures using a boundary element method where fracture surfaces represented by elastic asperities on an elastic half‐space follow a self‐affine distribution. A large number of statistically identical “parent” fractures are generated, from which sub‐fractures of smaller dimensions are extracted. The self‐affine distribution implies that the stress‐free fracture aperture increases with fracture length with a power law in agreement with the chosen Hurst exponent. All simulated fractures exhibit an increase in the specific stiffness with stress and an average decrease with increase in length consistent with field observations. The simulated specific and tangent stiffnesses are well described by the equivalent layer model provided the “intrinsic” stiffness slightly decreases with fracture length following a power law. By combining numerical simulations and the analytical model, the effect of scale and stress on fracture stiffness measures can be easily separated using the concept of “intrinsic” stiffness. We learn that the primary reason for the variability in specific stiffness with length comes from the fact that the typical aperture of the self‐affine fractures itself scales with the length of the fractures.
E‐cigarette Policymaking by Local and State Governments: 2009‐2014
Authors: COX ELIZABETH , BARRY RACHEL ANN , GLANTZ STANTON
Published: September 2016

Policy Points:

E‐cigarettes are new products that are generating policy issues, including youth access and smokefree laws, for local and state governments.

Unlike with analogous debates on conventional cigarettes, initial opposition came from e‐cigarette users and retailers independent of the multinational cigarette companies.

After the cigarette companies entered the e‐cigarette market, the opposition changed to resemble long‐standing industry resistance to tobacco control policies, including campaign contributions, lobbying, and working through third parties and front groups.

As with earlier efforts to restrict tobacco products, health advocates have had the most success at the local rather than the state level.

Context

E‐cigarettes entered the US market in 2007 without federal regulation. In 2009, local and state policymakers began identifying ways to regulate their sale, public usage, taxation, and marketing, often by integrating them into existing tobacco control laws.

Methods

We reviewed legislative hearings, newspaper articles, financial disclosure reports, NewsBank, Google, Twitter, and Facebook and conducted interviews to analyze e‐cigarette policy debates between 2009 and 2014 in 4 cities and the corresponding states.

Findings

Initial opposition to local and state legislation came from e‐cigarette users and retailers independent of the large multinational cigarette companies. After cigarette companies entered the e‐cigarette market, e‐cigarette policy debates increasingly resembled comparable tobacco control debates from the 1970s through the 1990s, including pushing pro‐industry legislation, working through third parties and front groups, mobilizing “grassroots” networks, lobbying and using campaign contributions, and claiming that policy was unnecessary due to “imminent” federal regulation. Similar to the 1980s, when the voluntary health organizations were slow to enter tobacco control debates, because they saw smoking restrictions as controversial, these organizations were reluctant to enter e‐cigarette debates. Strong legislation passed at the local level because of the committed efforts of local health departments and leadership from experienced politicians but failed at the state level due to intense cigarette company lobbying without countervailing pressure from the voluntary health organizations.

Conclusions

Passing e‐cigarette regulations at the state level has become more difficult since cigarette companies have entered the market. While state legislation is possible, as with earlier tobacco control policymaking, local governments remain a viable option for overcoming cigarette company interference in the policymaking process.
Meta‐Analysis of Chinese Business Cycle Correlation
Authors: Fidrmuc Jarko , Korhonen Iikka
Published: September 2016

We review previous research on China's business cycle correlation with other economies applying meta‐analysis. We survey 71 papers analysing the different periods of Chinese economic development since the 1950s that were published in English or Chinese. We confirm that Pacific Rim economies in particular have relatively high business cycle correlation with China. It appears that many characteristics of the studies and authors influence the reported degree of business cycle synchronization. For instance, Chinese‐language papers report higher correlation coefficients. Despite this, we do not detect robust evidence for publication bias in the papers. Moreover, we show that the broad evidence does not confirm the popular decoupling hypothesis.
A Comprehensive Python Toolkit for Accessing High‐Throughput Computing to Support Large Hydrologic Modeling Tasks
Authors: Christensen Scott D. , Swain Nathan R. , Jones Norman L. , Nelson E. James , Snow Alan D. , Dolder Herman G.
Published: September 2016

The National Flood Interoperability Experiment (NFIE) was an undertaking that initiated a transformation in national hydrologic forecasting by providing streamflow forecasts at high spatial resolution over the whole country. This type of large‐scale, high‐resolution hydrologic modeling requires flexible and scalable tools to handle the resulting computational loads. While high‐throughput computing (HTC) and cloud computing provide an ideal resource for large‐scale modeling because they are cost‐effective and highly scalable, nevertheless, using these tools requires specialized training that is not always common for hydrologists and engineers. In an effort to facilitate the use of HTC resources the National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project, CI‐WATER, has developed a set of Python tools that can automate the tasks of provisioning and configuring an HTC environment in the cloud, and creating and submitting jobs to that environment. These tools are packaged into two Python libraries: CondorPy and TethysCluster. Together these libraries provide a comprehensive toolkit for accessing HTC to support hydrologic modeling. Two use cases are described to demonstrate the use of the toolkit, including a web app that was used to support the NFIE national‐scale modeling.