bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disruption of Lrp4 function by genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade increases bone mass and serum sclerostin levels
Authors: Chang Ming-Kang , Kramer Ina , Huber Thomas , Kinzel Bernd , Guth-Gundel Sabine , Leupin Olivier , Kneissel Michaela
Published: November 2014

Significance

Targeting WNT (Wingless-type)/β-catenin signaling has emerged as an attractive novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of bone diseases. We previously identified LRP4 (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4) as a facilitator of action of the WNT signaling antagonist SOST/sclerostin in vitro. Here, we generated bone-specific
Lrp4
-deficient mouse lines and anti-LRP4 antibodies selectively disrupting the Lrp4 sclerostin facilitator function. Using these novel genetic and pharmacological tools, we demonstrate that disruption of Lrp4 function induces bone gain in vivo and results in highly elevated circulating sclerostin levels. Together, these findings provide important novel insights into the role of LRP4 as a key regulator of bone homeostasis and into the mode of action of sclerostin and provide a new strategy for promoting bone gain through targeting of the WNT pathway.
Meal frequency and timing in health and disease
Authors: Mattson Mark P. , Allison David B. , Fontana Luigi , Harvie Michelle , Longo Valter D. , Malaisse Willy J. , Mosley Michael , Notterpek Lucia , Ravussin Eric , Scheer Frank A. J. L. , Seyfried Thomas N. , Varady Krista A. , Panda Satchidananda
Published: November 2014

Although major research efforts have focused on how specific components of foodstuffs affect health, relatively little is known about a more fundamental aspect of diet, the frequency and circadian timing of meals, and potential benefits of intermittent periods with no or very low energy intakes. The most common eating pattern in modern societies, three meals plus snacks every day, is abnormal from an evolutionary perspective. Emerging findings from studies of animal models and human subjects suggest that intermittent energy restriction periods of as little as 16 h can improve health indicators and counteract disease processes. The mechanisms involve a metabolic shift to fat metabolism and ketone production, and stimulation of adaptive cellular stress responses that prevent and repair molecular damage. As data on the optimal frequency and timing of meals crystalizes, it will be critical to develop strategies to incorporate those eating patterns into health care policy and practice, and the lifestyles of the population.
Structures of protective antibodies reveal sites of vulnerability on Ebola virus
Authors: Murin Charles D. , Fusco Marnie L. , Bornholdt Zachary A. , Qiu Xiangguo , Olinger Gene G. , Zeitlin Larry , Kobinger Gary P. , Ward Andrew B. , Saphire Erica Ollmann
Published: November 2014

Significance

Ebola virus causes lethal hemorrhagic fever, and the current 2014 outbreak in western Africa is the largest on record to date. No vaccines or therapeutics are yet approved for human use. Therapeutic antibody cocktails, however, have shown efficacy against otherwise lethal Ebola virus infection and show significant promise for eventual human use. Here we provide structures of every mAb in the ZMapp cocktail, as well as additional antibodies from the MB-003 and ZMAb cocktails from which ZMapp was derived, each in complex with the Ebola glycoprotein. The set of structures illustrates sites of vulnerability of Ebola virus, and importantly, provides a roadmap to determine their mechanism of protection and for ongoing selection and improvement of immunotherapeutic cocktails against the filoviruses.
High-throughput optical quantification of mechanosensory habituation reveals neurons encoding memory in
Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Sugi Takuma , Ohtani Yasuko , Kumiya Yuta , Igarashi Ryuji , Shirakawa Masahiro
Published: November 2014

Significance

A central aim of neuroscience studies is to locate physical substrates of memory, namely neurons and molecules encoding memory. Achieving this goal requires cell-specific interrogations of neural circuitry. However, it has remained difficult to rapidly and accurately quantify the memory of animals expressing a transgene in a cell-specific manner. Our study presents a powerful optical system to perform cell-specific behavioral genetic analysis in a high-throughput manner, and demonstrates its utility by identifying two interneurons as the neural substrates of mechanosensory memory in
C. elegans
. We propose that our identified interneurons can be novel targets for cell-specific exploration of the molecular substrates of memory.
Charging-free electrochemical system for harvesting low-grade thermal energy
Authors: Yang Yuan , Lee Seok Woo , Ghasemi Hadi , Loomis James , Li Xiaobo , Kraemer Daniel , Zheng Guangyuan , Cui Yi , Chen Gang
Published: November 2014

Significance

Tremendous low-grade heat is stored in industrial processes and the environment. Efficient and low-cost utilization of the low-grade heat is critical to imminent energy and environmental challenges. Here, a rechargeable electrochemical cell (battery) is used to harvest such thermal energy because its voltage changes significantly with temperature. Moreover, by carefully tuning the composition of electrodes, the charging process is purely powered by thermal energy and no electricity is required to charge it. A high heat-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 2.0% can be reached when it is operated between 20 and 60 °C. Such charging-free characteristic may have potential application for harvesting low-grade heat from the environment, especially in remote areas.
Neural precursor-specific expression of multiple
Drosophila
genes is driven by dual enhancer modules with overlapping function
Authors: Miller Steven W. , Rebeiz Mark , Atanasov Jenny E. , Posakony James W.
Published: November 2014

Significance

Specifying which cells in the body will become neural precursor (NP) cells is a core process in nervous system development. Here, a computational method is used to identify NP-specific regulatory sequences near NP-expressed genes. The recovered enhancers proved to be distinct from others previously identified, indicating that the associated genes are served by two separate NP-specific modules. For the
neuralized
gene, it is shown that each individual NP enhancer directs sufficient expression to permit normal development, while deletion of both enhancers causes a major failure of
neuralized
function. Finally, this study experimentally validates a proposed regulatory “code” (combination of transcription factor binding sites) for NP-specific gene expression. These findings provide new insights into the mechanistic basis of NP fate specification.
Orientation of aromatic residues in amyloid cores: Structural insights into prion fiber diversity
Authors: Reymer Anna , Frederick Kendra K. , Rocha Sandra , Beke-Somfai Tamás , Kitts Catherine C. , Lindquist Susan , Nordén Bengt
Published: November 2014

Significance

Amyloids, which are protein fiber aggregates, are often associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, but they can also be beneficial, as in yeasts, where they help cells adapt to environmental changes. Intriguingly, the same protein has the ability to aggregate into different fiber forms, known as strains, that generate distinct biological phenotypes. Structurally, little is known about strains. Using polarized light spectroscopy, we provide structural information on two distinct phenotypic strains of the yeast translation termination factor, Sup35. Remarkably, they show similar orientation of aromatic residues in the fiber core relative to the fiber direction, suggesting similar structures. Small variations are observed, indicating different local environments for aromatic residues outside the core, reflecting differences in fiber packing.
The vertical occipital fasciculus: A century of controversy resolved by in vivo measurements
Authors: Yeatman Jason D. , Weiner Kevin S. , Pestilli Franco , Rokem Ariel , Mezer Aviv , Wandell Brian A.
Published: November 2014

Significance

The vertical occipital fasciculus (VOF) is a major white-matter fascicle connecting dorsal and ventral visual cortex. Few vision scientists or cognitive neuroscientists are aware of the VOF's existence. The scarcity of papers on this important pathway stems from the contentious history surrounding its discovery by Wernicke in 1881. We review the conflict surrounding the classic, postmortem, VOF measurements, and we introduce modern, in vivo methods to precisely characterize the VOF's cortical terminations and unique tissue properties. The new VOF measurements provide insight into the communication between ventral stream regions involved in form perception and dorsal stream regions involved in eye movements and attention.
The commonly used antimicrobial additive triclosan is a liver tumor promoter
Authors: Yueh Mei-Fei , Taniguchi Koji , Chen Shujuan , Evans Ronald M. , Hammock Bruce D. , Karin Michael , Tukey Robert H.
Published: November 2014

Significance

Triclosan [5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol; TCS] is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that has become one of the most common additives used in consumer products. As a result, TCS has significantly affected the environment and has been frequently detected in human body fluids. Through a long-term feeding study, we found that TCS enhances hepatocyte proliferation, fibrogenesis, and oxidative stress, which, we believe, can be the driving force for developing advanced liver disease in mice. Indeed, TCS strongly enhances hepatocarcinogenesis after diethylnitrosamine initiation, accelerating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Although animal studies require higher chemical concentrations than predicted for human exposure, this study demonstrates that TCS acts as a HCC tumor promoter and that the mechanism of TCS-induced mouse liver pathology may be relevant to humans.
Inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and motility by fibroblasts is both contact and soluble factor dependent
Authors: Alkasalias Twana , Flaberg Emilie , Kashuba Vladimir , Alexeyenko Andrey , Pavlova Tatiana , Savchenko Andrii , Szekely Laszlo , Klein George , Guven Hayrettin
Published: November 2014

Significance

Normal microenvironments can restrict cancer development and progression. Inhibition of tumor cell growth and motility by normal fibroblasts is one measurable manifestation of this multicomponential control. Here we show that inhibition withstands formalin fixation and can be augmented by the addition of conditioned medium derived from live cultures of tumor cells confronting the stromal fibroblasts. We describe a number of molecules involved in this process. This study lays the foundation for further mechanistic studies of this important phenomenon and its contribution to possible dormancy and the tumor’s resistance to therapy.
RecQ helicase and RecJ nuclease provide complementary functions to resect DNA for homologous recombination
Authors: Morimatsu Katsumi , Kowalczykowski Stephen C.
Published: November 2014

Significance

Breaks in DNA are repaired by homologous recombination. Because the structure of DNA ends at a break site can be variable, the repair machinery must be designed to act on a variety of heterogeneous DNA break sites. Bacterial RecQ helicase and RecJ nuclease initiate the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks; however, neither protein alone can deal with the broad range of physiological ends. Human Bloom syndrome helicase (BLM) is the homolog of RecQ, and it functions in DNA resection, contributing to genomic stability in humans. We establish that RecQ and RecJ complement one another by acting on DNA ends and intermediates that the other cannot. Thus, by leveraging complementary substrate preferences, recombination initiation from all types of DNA ends, in many organisms, is ensured.
Agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone stimulate self-renewal of cardiac stem cells and promote their survival
Authors: Florea Victoria , Majid Sonia S. , Kanashiro-Takeuchi Rosemeire M. , Cai Ren-Zhi , Block Norman L. , Schally Andrew V. , Hare Joshua M. , Rodrigues Claudia O.
Published: November 2014

Significance

Stem cell therapy is an emerging approach to the treatment of heart failure. Endogenous or transplanted stem cells have limited repair capacity due to damage by exposure to stress. Agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) have been previously shown to increase the number of endogenous cardiac stem cells (CSCs) after myocardial infarction; enhance vasculogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells; and improve growth, engraftment, and survival of transplanted pancreatic islets in experimental models. This study shows that CSCs isolated from different species express GHRH-R and agonists of GHRH-R stimulate their proliferation and survival. Our findings support the potential use of GHRH agonists for endogenous stem cell stimulation and preconditioning prior to transplantation to improve CSC mobilization, survival, and probably enhancement of their angiomyogenic potential in the infarcted myocardium.
Combinatorial regulation of a signal-dependent activator by phosphorylation and acetylation
Authors: Paz Jose C. , Park Sangho , Phillips Naomi , Matsumura Shigenobu , Tsai Wen-Wei , Kasper Lawryn , Brindle Paul K. , Zhang Guangtao , Zhou Ming-Ming , Wright Peter E. , Montminy Marc
Published: November 2014

Significance

Catecholamines regulate adipocyte function in part by CREB activation. Obesity displays enhanced cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) activity despite reduced catecholamine signals. We report that obesity promotes CREB binding protein (CBP)-mediated CREB acetylation at Lys136 in the adipose tissue by means of reduced SirT1 levels. CREB Lys136 acetylation promotes binding with the bromodomain (BRD) of CBP, which can also bind phosphorylated Ser133, through its KIX domain, upon hormonal signals. This double recognition is reflected in potentiated CBP recruitment at promoters when CREB is doubly modified. Structural data show the formation of a ternary complex between CBP BRD and KIX domains when bound to phospho-Ser133 and acetylated-Lys136 CREB. Disruption of the BRD:CREB interaction with a small molecule reduced the enhanced CREB activity associated with acetylation.
Managing Expectations for Aquaponics in the Classroom: Enhancing Academic Learning and Teaching an Appreciation for Aquatic Resources
Authors: Hart Emily R , Webb James B , Hollingsworth Craig , Danylchuk Andy J
Published: November 2014

Exposing the next generation to nature can foster a stronger appreciation for aquatic resources, yet it may not always be possible to allow students to experience natural aquatic environments. Aquaponics, the combination of aquaculture with hydroponics, can be an effective tool in schools and classrooms to reunite students with plants and animals, promote systems thinking, and encourage hands-on learning. In this article, we bring awareness to aquaponics in education, its potential as a novel platform for learning, and the realities of aquaponics in order to guide educators in managing their expectations for an aquaponics system. Specifically, running an aquaponics system requires diverse knowledge and skills, which makes it appealing as a teaching tool but may also present day-to-day technical challenges. Additionally, educational settings may affect long-term care, available space, and funding. We present strategies for addressing these realities of aquaponics in education and highlight two educational aquaponics programs.

RESUMEN

Exponer a la siguiente generación a la naturaleza puede generar un fuerte apego a los recursos acuáticos, sin embargo no siempre podrá ser posible permitir a los estudiantes estar en contacto con ambientes acuáticos naturales. La acuaponia, que es una combinación de la acuacultura y la hidroponía, puede ser una poderosa herramienta en escuelas y salones de clase para reunir a los estudiantes con plantas y animales, para promover sistemas de pensamiento y alentar el aprendizaje práctico. En este artículo se llama la atención sobre la acuaponia en la educación, su potencial como nueva plataforma para el aprendizaje y sobre las realidades de la acuaponia, con el fin de guiar los educadores en cuanto al manejo de las expectativas que se tienen en los sistemas acuapónicos. En específico, echar a andar un sistema acuapónico demanda de distintos conocimientos y habilidades lo cual lo hace atractivo como herramienta de enseñanza, pero también puede presentar desafíos en el día a día. Adicionalmente, el contexto educativo puede afectar el cuidado en el largo plazo, el espacio disponible y el financiamiento. Se presentar estrategias para abordar estas realidades de la acuaponia en la educación y se resaltan dos programas de acuaponia educativa.
Association of the circadian factor Period 2 to p53 influences p53's function in DNA-damage signaling
Authors: Gotoh Tetsuya , Vila-Caballer Marian , Liu Jingjing , Schiffhauer Samuel , Finkielstein Carla V.
Published: November 2014

Circadian period proteins influence cell division and death by associating with checkpoint components, although their mode of regulation has not been firmly established. hPer2 forms a trimeric complex with hp53 and its negative regulator Mdm2. In unstressed cells, this association leads to increased hp53 stability by blocking Mdm2-dependent ubiquitination and transcription of hp53 target genes. Because of the relevance of hp53 in checkpoint signaling, we hypothesize that hPer2 association with hp53 acts as a regulatory module that influences hp53's downstream response to genotoxic stress. Unlike the trimeric complex, whose distribution was confined to the nuclear compartment, hPer2/hp53 was identified in both cytosol and nucleus. At the transcriptional level, a reporter containing the hp21WAF1/CIP1 promoter, a target of hp53, remained inactive in cells expressing a stable form of the hPer2/hp53 complex even when treated with γ-radiation. Finally, we established that hPer2 directly acts on the hp53 node, as checkpoint components upstream of hp53 remained active in response to DNA damage. Quantitative transcriptional analyses of hp53 target genes demonstrated that unbound hp53 was absolutely required for activation of the DNA-damage response. Our results provide evidence of the mode by which the circadian tumor suppressor hPer2 modulates hp53 signaling in response to genotoxic stress.
The outer kinetochore protein KNL-1 contains a defined oligomerization domain in nematodes
Authors: Kern David M. , Kim Taekyung , Rigney Mike , Hattersley Neil , Desai Arshad , Cheeseman Iain M.
Published: November 2014

The kinetochore is a large, macromolecular assembly that is essential for connecting chromosomes to microtubules during mitosis. Despite the recent identification of multiple kinetochore components, the nature and organization of the higher-order kinetochore structure remain unknown. The outer kinetochore KNL-1/Mis12 complex/Ndc80 complex (KMN) network plays a key role in generating and sensing microtubule attachments. Here we demonstrate that Caenorhabditis elegans KNL-1 exists as an oligomer, and we identify a specific domain in KNL-1 responsible for this activity. An N-terminal KNL-1 domain from both C. elegans and the related nematode Caenorhabditis remanei oligomerizes into a decameric assembly that appears roughly circular when visualized by electron microscopy. On the basis of sequence and mutational analysis, we identify a small hydrophobic region as responsible for this oligomerization activity. However, mutants that precisely disrupt KNL-1 oligomerization did not alter KNL-1 localization or result in the loss of embryonic viability based on gene replacements in C. elegans. In C. elegans, KNL-1 oligomerization may coordinate with other kinetochore activities to ensure the proper organization, function, and sensory capabilities of the kinetochore–microtubule attachment.
Mammalian ER mannosidase I resides in quality control vesicles, where it encounters its glycoprotein substrates
Authors: Benyair Ron , Ogen-Shtern Navit , Mazkereth Niv , Shai Ben , Ehrlich Marcelo , Lederkremer Gerardo Z.
Published: November 2014

Endoplasmic reticulum α1,2 mannosidase I (ERManI), a central component of ER quality control and ER-associated degradation (ERAD), acts as a timer enzyme, modifying N-linked sugar chains of glycoproteins with time. This process halts glycoprotein folding attempts when necessary and targets terminally misfolded glycoproteins to ERAD. Despite the importance of ERManI in maintenance of glycoprotein quality control, fundamental questions regarding this enzyme remain controversial. One such question is the subcellular localization of ERManI, which has been suggested to localize to the ER membrane, the ER-derived quality control compartment (ERQC), and, surprisingly, recently to the Golgi apparatus. To try to clarify this controversy, we applied a series of approaches that indicate that ERManI is located, at the steady state, in quality control vesicles (QCVs) to which ERAD substrates are transported and in which they interact with the enzyme. Both endogenous and exogenously expressed ERManI migrate at an ER-like density on iodixanol gradients, suggesting that the QCVs are derived from the ER. The QCVs are highly mobile, displaying dynamics that are dependent on microtubules and COP-II but not on COP-I vesicle machinery. Under ER stress conditions, the QCVs converge in a juxtanuclear region, at the ERQC, as previously reported. Our results also suggest that ERManI is turned over by an active autophagic process. Of importance, we found that membrane disturbance, as is common in immunofluorescence methods, leads to an artificial appearance of ERManI in a Golgi pattern.
The Rho-GEF Gef3 interacts with the septin complex and activates the GTPase Rho4 during fission yeast cytokinesis
Authors: Wang Ning , Wang Mo , Zhu Yi-Hua , Grosel Timothy W. , Sun Daokun , Kudryashov Dmitri S. , Wu Jian-Qiu
Published: November 2014

Rho GTPases, activated by Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), are conserved molecular switches for signal transductions that regulate diverse cellular processes, including cell polarization and cytokinesis. The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe has six Rho GTPases (Cdc42 and Rho1–Rho5) and seven Rho GEFs (Scd1, Rgf1–Rgf3, and Gef1–Gef3). The GEFs for Rho2–Rho5 have not been unequivocally assigned. In particular, Gef3, the smallest Rho GEF, was barely studied. Here we show that Gef3 colocalizes with septins at the cell equator. Gef3 physically interacts with septins and anillin Mid2 and depends on them to localize. Gef3 coprecipitates with GDP-bound Rho4 in vitro and accelerates nucleotide exchange of Rho4, suggesting that Gef3 is a GEF for Rho4. Consistently, Gef3 and Rho4 are in the same genetic pathways to regulate septum formation and/or cell separation. In gef3∆ cells, the localizations of two potential Rho4 effectors—glucanases Eng1 and Agn1—are abnormal, and active Rho4 level is reduced, indicating that Gef3 is involved in Rho4 activation in vivo. Moreover, overexpression of active Rho4 or Eng1 rescues the septation defects of mutants containing gef3∆. Together our data support that Gef3 interacts with the septin complex and activates Rho4 GTPase as a Rho GEF for septation in fission yeast.
Yeast vacuolar HOPS, regulated by its kinase, exploits affinities for acidic lipids and Rab:GTP for membrane binding and to catalyze tethering and fusion
Authors: Orr Amy , Wickner William , Rusin Scott F. , Kettenbach Arminja N. , Zick Michael
Published: November 2014

Fusion of yeast vacuoles requires the Rab GTPase Ypt7p, four SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptors), the SNARE disassembly chaperones Sec17p/Sec18p, vacuolar lipids, and the Rab-effector complex HOPS (homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting). Two HOPS subunits have direct affinity for Ypt7p. Although vacuolar fusion has been reconstituted with purified components, the functional relationships between individual lipids and Ypt7p:GTP have remained unclear. We now report that acidic lipids function with Ypt7p as coreceptors for HOPS, supporting membrane tethering and fusion. After phosphorylation by the vacuolar kinase Yck3p, phospho-HOPS needs both Ypt7p:GTP and acidic lipids to support fusion.
Mechanisms of expression and translocation of major fission yeast glucose transporters regulated by CaMKK/phosphatases, nuclear shuttling, and TOR
Authors: Saitoh Shigeaki , Mori Ayaka , Uehara Lisa , Masuda Fumie , Soejima Saeko , Yanagida Mitsuhiro
Published: November 2014

Hexose transporters are required for cellular glucose uptake; thus they play a pivotal role in glucose homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Using fission yeast, we explored hexose transporter regulation in response to extracellular glucose concentrations. The high-affinity transporter Ght5 is regulated with regard to transcription and localization, much like the human GLUT transporters, which are implicated in diabetes. When restricted to a glucose concentration equivalent to that of human blood, the fission yeast transcriptional regulator Scr1, which represses Ght5 transcription in the presence of high glucose, is displaced from the nucleus. Its displacement is dependent on Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase, Ssp1, and Sds23 inhibition of PP2A/PP6-like protein phosphatases. Newly synthesized Ght5 locates preferentially at the cell tips with the aid of the target of rapamycin (TOR) complex 2 signaling. These results clarify the evolutionarily conserved molecular mechanisms underlying glucose homeostasis, which are essential for preventing hyperglycemia in humans.
The Hyperglobalization of Trade and Its Future
Authors: Subramanian Arvind , Kessler Martin
Published: November 2014

The open, rules-based trading system has delivered immense benefits-for the world, for individual countries, and for average citizens in these countries. It can continue to do so, helping today’s low-income countries make the transition to middle-income status. Three challenges must be met to preserve this system. Rich countries must sustain the social consensus in favor of open markets and globalization at a time of considerable economic uncertainty and weakness. China and other middle-income countries must remain open, and mega-regionalism must be prevented from leading to discrimination and trade conflicts. Collective action should help strengthen the institutional underpinnings of globalization. The world should move beyond the Doha Round to more meaningful multilateral negotiations to address emerging challenges, including possible threats from new mega-regional agreements. The rising powers, especially China, will have a key role to play in resuscitating multilateralism.
Hobbes on “Diffidence” and the Criminal Law
Authors: Ristroph Alice
Published: November 2014

The contributions of Hobbes’s political theory to the criminal law are both substantial and substantially overlooked. This chapter uses Hobbes to reflect on certain dysfunctions of contemporary law. Hobbes portrayed the criminal law as a response to the problem of “diffidence.” Diffidence, as Hobbes used the term, refers to the uneasiness or anxiety that all individuals, including and especially law-abiding ones, have about their own security and standing vis-à-vis one another. This uneasiness is itself a product of human individuality, and it may be aggravated in societies that seek to foster and protect individual liberty and political equality. Returning to Hobbes helps us see how diffidence has shaped, for worse more than for better, the development of the criminal law.
James Fitzjames Stephen
Authors: DeGirolami Marc O
Published: November 2014

This is an chapter on the thought of the Victorian-era judge, Sir James Fitzjames Stephen, about punishment of criminals. It discusses some of the themes in his major work, “The History of the Criminal Law of England.” And it reflects on a cluster of questions involving criminal punishment: whether Stephen had a theory of punishment; if not how best to characterize his thought; and whether his views and understanding of the aims and functions of punishment remain relevant. The chapter explores Stephen’s positive and critical contributions, and it concludes that Stephen’s major insight was methodological. His view is that the reasons for punishment cannot be separated from the obligations and the nature of the judicial office. He was neither a punishment retributivist nor a punishment consequentialist, but a punishment jurist.
The Modest Ambition of Glanville Williams
Authors: Farmer Lindsay
Published: November 2014

Glanville Williams is commonly regarded as the leading British academic criminal lawyer of the twentieth century, and a man who had a profound impact on the development of Anglophone criminal law theory. The foundation stone of his legacy is usually seen as his book Criminal Law: The General Part (1953). However, the theoretical bases of his approach are not explicitly articulated either in the book or elsewhere in his substantial opus. One reason for this was that he saw himself primarily as an academic lawyer, whose task was to rationalize the law. This chapter argues that while this work cannot then be regarded as foundational in a theoretical sense, it is nonetheless hugely ambitious in that that Williams’ account is nothing less than the construction of theory of criminal law for the interventionist or welfare state.
Divination
Authors: Redmond Geoffrey , Hon Tze-ki
Published: November 2014

Divination is among the earliest of human spiritual practices. It has been defined broadly as a method for obtaining knowledge not obtainable by normal means, including the past, the future, the state of the dead, ways to propitiate ancestors and spirits, and the nature of the cosmos. In early cultures much of the charisma that enabled kings to maintain power was due to their divinatory activities. Credibility of decisions was based on the consultation of oracles. The earliest known Chinese divination, recorded on the oracle bones, was elaborate and expensive. Divination by the Zhouyi required minimal resources and, combined with increasing literacy, allowed much wider practice and thus was a factor in increasing social mobility. Divining, by Yijing or other means, was a way of choosing actions that would be in accord with the Dao or “will of heaven.” For this reason, divining could engender a sense of connection with the cosmos. Seemingly random events could be understood as part of underlying patterns. A barrier to understanding divination is its contemporary relegation to the class of “superstition.” To go beyond this simplistic dismissal, this chapter considers the belief structures upon which it has been based, including shamanism, channelling, macro-microcosmic equivalence, and, in the modern era, as a means of accessing the unconscious.
The Ten Wings
Authors: Redmond Geoffrey , Hon Tze-ki
Published: November 2014

These commentaries (seven separate pieces divided into ten segments) were traditionally attributed to Confucius, though he did not write them and may not have even known the Yijing at all. The Ten Wings, particularly the Dazhuan, or Great Commentary, are the source of much of the philosophy and numerology associated with the Yijing. They are the earliest commentaries on the Bronze Age texts of Zhouyi, transforming it from a manual for divination into a text about philosophy and morality. Being integrated into the received version of the Yijing since the third century, the Ten Wings have played an important role in shaping Chinese philosophy, particularly Chinese cosmology, from ancient times to today.
Anti-TNF therapy: past, present and future
Authors: Monaco Claudia , Nanchahal Jagdeep , Taylor Peter , Feldmann Marc
Published: November 2014

While for a century therapeutics has been dominated by small molecules, i.e. organic chemicals of ~400Da absorbable via the gut, this is no longer the case. There are now a plethora of important medicines which are proteins and injectable, which have dramatically improved the therapy of many inflammatory diseases and of cancer. Most of these are monoclonal antibodies, some are receptor Ig Fc fusion proteins, others are cytokines or enzymes. The key to this new aspect of therapeutics has been the filling of unmet needs, and the consequent commercial success, which promoted further research and development. The first ‘biologic’ for a common disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was a monoclonal antibody, infliximab, to human tumour necrosis factor (TNF). This was based on our work, which is described in this review, summarizing how TNF was defined as a good target in RA, how it was developed is described here, as well as future indications for anti-TNF and related agents. Biologics are now the fastest growing sector of therapeutics.
Spatial Distribution of Reniform Nematode in Cotton as Influenced by Soil Texture and Crop Rotations
Authors: Holguin Claudia M. , Gerard Patrick , Mueller John D. , Khalilian Ahmad , Agudelo Paula
Published: November 2014

Reniform nematode (RN) is an important pest in cotton production. Knowledge of the distribution patterns of RN is essential for selecting sampling strategies and for site-specific management. A 3-year study was conducted in two fields in South Carolina with the purpose of characterizing the distribution of RN using a fine-scale sampling scheme in plots representing different soil textures (field 1), and using a large-scale arbitrary sampling scheme (field 2). Horizontal distribution data showed an aggregated pattern of RN densities at planting and after harvest in both fields each year, with patches ranging from 8 to 12 m. However, a significant neighborhood structure was only detected when suitable hosts (cotton and soybean) were planted. Correlations between RN densities and percent sand and silt were detected, showing nematode densities peaked when sand content was around 60% and declined when sand content increased above 60 to 65%. When fewer samples were taken in the field with more uniform sand content, percentage of sand was a less reliable predictor of RN densities. Vertical sampling showed the highest numbers of RN were found at 15 to 30 cm deep after cotton, but were deeper after a nonhost crop. Understanding distribution patterns of RN within a field may improve the effectiveness of management practices.
Asymptomatic Cecal Perforation in a Renal Transplant Recipient After Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate Administration
Authors: Singla Montish , Shikha Deep , Lee Sunggeun , Baumstein Donald , Chaudhari Ashok , Carbajal Roger
Published: November 2014

Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) is a medication commonly used for the treatment of hyperkalemia. There have been many cases of colonic necrosis and perforation associated with administration of SPS. There are very few such cases reported in renal transplant patients. We present a case of renal transplant recipient who developed cecal perforation after a single oral dose of SPS. She had no signs or symptoms suggestive of intestinal perforation and was incidentally diagnosed with it on abdominal imaging performed to find cause of acute blood loss anemia. This case underlines the importance of recognizing this severe and potentially life-threatening complication associated with SPS. The clinicians should also consider renal/solid organ transplant and immunosuppression as potential risk factors.
Volunteers working to support migrants in Glasgow: a qualitative study
Authors: Jones Caitlin , E. Williamson Andrea
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the roles, motivations and experiences of volunteers who work to support asylum seekers (AS), refugees and refused asylum seekers (RAS) in Glasgow.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight volunteer participants who worked to support migrants in Glasgow, two of which were AS. Purposeful and theoretical sampling was used and data were analysed using the framework approach.

Findings

– The roles of participants were broad included providing “destitution relief” (providing shelter and food for destitute asylum seekers (DAS)) and acting as advocates for AS to help them access services. The most common reported motivation of participants was a humanitarian interest in the situation of migrants in Glasgow and the UK. In contrast, participants who were AS, volunteered because they could not work and it helped to improve their mental well-being. The complexity of the circumstances of some migrants was seen as the most challenging aspect of volunteering. Participants were involved first hand in the difficulties migrants had in accessing health and social services.

Research limitations/implications

– This exploratory study confirmed the vital role voluntary organisations have in supporting migrants in Glasgow. It highlights the essential role volunteers have in supporting DAS and sets out some volunteer support needs. This has important implications for this context in Glasgow. Further work in other dispersal settings in the UK would help elucidate if this is replicable across the UK.

Practical implications

– Volunteer's role as lay advocates should be recognised and then supported by statutory services such as primary care and social services.

Social implications

– The overall view was that the system of claiming asylum poses numerous challenges for both migrants and the volunteers working to support them. AS can become completely reliant on the volunteers and the services they provide.

Originality/value

– This is the first research study examining the roles, motivations and experiences of volunteers who support migrants.
A cross-cultural perspective on consumer perceptions of service failures’ severity: a pilot study
Authors: Zourrig Haithem , Hedhli Kamel , Chebat Jean Charles
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the cultural variability in assessing the severity of a service failure.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two separate studies were conducted. The first investigates differences in the perception of service failures across two cultural pools of subjects (allocentrics versus idiocentrics) and within a same country. The second contrasts two levels of comparisons: a cross-cultural values’ level and a cross-country level, to assess differences in the perception service failures’ severity.

Findings

– Results showed that cultural values differences, when investigated at the individual level (i.e. idiocentrism versus allocentrism) are more significant to understand the influence of culture on the perception of severity, that is, allocentrics perceive more severity in the service failure than idiocentrics. However, a cross-country comparison (i.e. USA versus Puerto Rico) does not show significant differences.

Research limitations/implications

– Customers may assess, with different sensitivities, the severity of a service failure. These differences are mainly explained by differences in cultural values’ orientations but not differences across countries. Even originating from a same country, customers could perceive with different degrees the seriousness of a same service failure as they may cling to different cultural values. Hence, it is increasingly important to examine the cultural differences at the individual-level rather than a country level.

Practical implications

– Firms serving international markets as well as multiethnic ones would have advantage to understand cultural differences in the perception of the severity at the individual level rather than at the societal or country level. This is more helpful to direct appropriate service recovery strategies to customers who may have higher sensitivity to the service failure.

Originality/value

– Little is known about the effect of culture on the severity evaluation, although investigating cross-cultural differences in the assessment of severity is relevant to understand whether offenses are perceived more seriously in one culture than another and then if these offenses will potentially arise confrontational behaviors or not.
The impact of packaging colour on children’s brand name memorization (7-12 years old)
Authors: Nora Zeghache
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of packaging colour (chromatic vs achromatic) on children’s brand name memorization (recall and recognition). This research examined the impact of age and school grade on brand name memorization and on the relationship between packaging colour and memorization.

Design/methodology/approach

– The experimentation concerned 160 French children from seven to 12 years old.

Findings

– The results showed that chromatic colour of packaging has a positive impact on brand name recognition but not on the recall. Furthermore, the age variable has a significant positive effect on recall capacity but not on brand name recognition.

Research limitations/implications

– Other variables can be introduced in the conceptual model, like product involvement (by adding other products), children’s colour preference, hue and value colour (by included diverse colours).

Practical implications

– Children’s importance as a commercial target is increasing, marketing managers have to differentiate their products on the shelves. Consequently, the choice of the packaging dominant colour appears to be a crucial strategic decision, because it allows children to recognize the brand name. Professionals have to adapt their strategies of differentiation to children’s ages knowing that younger children need more visual stimuli than older ones.

Originality/value

– This research has important theoretical contributions. There is very little research on the effect of packaging on children’s purchasing behaviour. Moreover, no research has studied the impact of colour packaging on children’s memorization (seven to 12 years old).
What type of relationship do we have with loved brands?
Authors: Fetscherin Marc
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion, testing and comparing two different relationship theories and their underlying scales as applied to brand love. Current brand love studies neglect a detailed discussion and analysis of the appropriate relationship theory and underlying measurement scale to be used.

Design/methodology/approach

– We use a 2 × 2 experimental design where we compare two relationship theories (interpersonal versus parasocial) across two samples (USA and Japan). Model testing were conducted using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multi-group structural equation modeling techniques assessing the type of relationship consumers have with loved brands.

Findings

– Our results show conceptualizing and measuring “brand love” as a parasocial relationship, as compared to interpersonal relationship, leads overall to equal and, in some instances, better results. For both samples, we get stronger relationships between brand love and purchase intention, as well as for brand love and positive word of mouth (WOM). We also get higher explanation power for dependent variables purchase indentation and WOM.

Originality/value

– This paper compares different relationship theories and underlying measurement scales and proposes an alternative relationship theory to conceptualize and measure brand love relationships. With the parasocial interaction scale, we provide researchers and practitioners an alternative and very suitable instrument to measure brand love relationships.
Does feeling holier than others predict good deeds? Self-construal, self-enhancement and helping behavior
Authors: Yong Seo Joon , L. Scammon Debra
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between self-enhancement and helping behavior/intentions. Some people are more inclined than others to engage in helping behaviors. Determining what individual characteristics are related to helping behavior could have important implications for both marketers and non-profit organizations. Drawing on research on self-enhancement, this paper examines the relationship between the “above-average effect” (the tendency of individuals to rate themselves more favorably than they rate others) specifically on altruistic traits and helping behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected through two surveys and analyzed with correlation analysis, path analysis and structural equation models.

Findings

– In two studies, we find a positive relationship between interdependence and self-enhancement and a positive relationship between self-enhancement and helping behavior (volunteering in Study 1 and donation behavior in Study 2). We further show that self-enhancement mediates the effect of interdependence on helping. Personal importance of altruistic traits is shown to underlie these relationships.

Practical implications

– By understanding the antecedents of helping behaviors, non-profit and charity organizations, social marketers and other advocates of pro-social behaviors can enhance the effectiveness of their appeals. Our findings provide insights for both messaging and targeting.

Originality/value

– This study examines the relationship between self-enhancement and helping behavior. In so doing, it contributes to the self-enhancement literature by identifying the relationship between self-construal and self-enhancement. It also extends understanding of the relationship between these two constructs and helping behavior by revealing the mediating role of self-enhancement on helping behavior.
Carbon tax, corporate carbon profile and financial return
Authors: Luo Le , Tang Qingliang
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the impact of the proposed carbon tax on the financial market return of Australian firms. It also considers the differential tax effect on individual firms with different carbon profiles, including factors such as emissions costs, carbon disclosure and climate-change policies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Utilising the event-study method, the authors examine the market reaction to seven key carbon legislative information events that occurred from February 2011 to November 2011. The sample includes 48 different firms whose emissions-related data are available from Carbon Disclosure Project reports; thus, 336 firm-event observations are used for the cross-sectional analysis.

Findings

– The paper documents evidence that the proposed tax has an overall negative impact on shareholder wealth as measured by abnormal returns. The negative impact varies across sectors, with the most significant effect found in the materials, industrial and financial sectors. It was also found that a firm’s direct carbon exposure (as measured by Scope 1 emissions) is significantly associated with abnormal returns, whereas the indirect exposure (as measured by Scope 2 emissions) is not, because Scope 2 emissions are not covered by the tax. In addition, the findings suggest that the information content of the events is more notable during the early stages of the development of the carbon tax.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample is restricted to the largest firms with relevant carbon profile information. Thus, caution should be exercised when generalising the inferences.

Practical implications

– The introduction of the carbon tax was largely unexpected and most firms were unprepared for it; thus, their carbon policy appears inadequate and does not impress investors. An understanding of how the carbon tax affects shareholder value and welfare will encourage management to take proactive actions to mitigate the compliance costs of carbon legislation.

Originality/value

– The enactment of the Australian carbon tax perhaps represents one of the biggest social and economic restructuring events in the country’s history. Our results offer initial insight into its impact and suggest that investors would penalise firms with heavy direct operational emissions. In addition, Australian corporate carbon policy seems inadequate, so does not reverse the negative effect of the tax on the value of a firm.