bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Law Beyond Boundaries: innovative mechanisms for the integrated management of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction
Authors: Goodman Camille , Matley Holly
Published: December 2017

On 24 February 2017, a workshop entitled “Law Beyond Boundaries: innovative mechanisms for the integrated management of biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction” was held in Wollongong, Australia hosted by the Oceans and International Environmental Law Interest Group of the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law, in association with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong. The aim of the workshop was to address the question, how can international law be used in innovative ways to effectively conserve and sustainably manage marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ)? In this introduction, we briefly summarize five of the papers developed for the workshop, highlighting the way in which they address three important themes: the promise and limits of existing institutional mechanisms governing activities in ABNJ; interactions between established principles and regimes for ABNJ; and the lessons that can be drawn from existing global and regional approaches to ABNJ. We hope that the ideas developed in this article theme set will contribute to the ongoing discussions at the United Nations General Assembly, as the international community works toward the development of an international legally binding instrument to govern activities in ABNJ.
‘Voice’ and ‘Choice’ in Modern Working Practices: Problems With the Taylor Review
Authors: Bales Katie , Bogg Alan , Novitz Tonia
Published: December 2017

In July 2017, the Taylor Review on ‘Modern Working Practices’ was published. Led by Matthew Taylor, the Review aimed to consider the implications of new emerging business models for both worker rights and employer obligations. Its recommendations seem ill-informed, methodologically unsound and, ultimately, unlikely to address the widespread deprivation of workers’ rights within the ‘gig’ economy and contemporary workplace. We shape our critique of the Taylor approach by reference to the constructions of ‘choice’ used in the Review and the limited scope permitted for worker ‘voice’. In particular, we observe an evasion of international labour standards relevant to ‘decent work’ and a lack of attention to fundamental human rights. Identifying methodological flaws in the Report and focusing on three central areas of reform: employment status; zero-hours contracts (ZHCs); and workers’ voice and representation, this article critically analyses a number of the proposals put forward, concluding that many of the Taylor Review recommendations are not only problematic, but dangerous, with potentially serious deregulatory repercussions for UK workers if actioned upon and implemented by the current Government.
HD 156324: a tidally locked magnetic triple spectroscopic binary with a disrupted magnetosphere
Authors: Shultz M , Rivinius Th , Wade G A , Alecian E , Petit V ,   the BinaMIcS Collaboration
Published: December 2017

HD 156324 is an SB3 (B2V/B5V/B5V) system in the Sco OB4 association. The He-strong primary possesses both a strong magnetic field and Hα emission believed to originate in its centrifugal magnetosphere. We analyse a large spectroscopic and high-resolution spectropolarimetric data set. The radial velocities (RVs) indicate that the system is composed of two subsystems, which we designate A and B. Period analysis of the RVs of the three components yields orbital periods Porb = 1.5806(1) d for the Aa and Ab components, and Porb = 6.67(2) d for the B component, a PGa star. Period analysis of the longitudinal magnetic field 〈Bz〉 and Hα equivalent widths, which should both be sensitive to the rotational period Prot of the magnetic Aa component, both yield ∼1.58 d. Since Porb = Prot Aa and Ab must be tidally locked. Consistent with this, the orbit is circularized, and the rotational and orbital inclinations are identical within uncertainty, as are the semimajor axis and the Kepler corotation radius. The star's Hα emission morphology differs markedly from both theoretical and observational expectations in that there is only one, rather than two, emission peaks. We propose that this unusual morphology may be a consequence of modification of the gravitocentrifugal potential by the presence of the close stellar companion. We also obtain upper limits on the magnetic dipole strength Bd for the Ab and B components, respectively, finding Bd < 2.6 and <0.7 kG.
A Review of Industry Funding in Randomized Controlled Trials Published in the Neurosurgical Literature—The Elephant in the Room
Authors: Khan Nickalus R , Saad Hassan , Oravec Chesney S , Rossi Nicholas , Nguyen Vincent , Venable Garrett T , Lillard Jock C , Patel Prayash , Taylor Douglas R , Vaughn Brandy N , Kondziolka Douglas , Barker Fred G , Michael L Madison , Klimo Paul
Published: December 2017

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the role of industry sponsorship of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published exclusively in 3 major North American neurosurgical journals.

METHODS

Our primary objective was to determine whether an association exists between study conclusion(s) in favor of industry sponsored drugs, devices/implants, or surgical techniques and industry sponsorship. The secondary objective was to describe the quality/quantity of these neurosurgical RCTs.

RESULTS

A total of 110 RCTs were analyzed, the majority were published in the Journal of Neurosurgery (85%) and were international in origin (55%). The most common subspecialty was spine (n = 29) and drug study was the most common type (n = 49). Overall quality was good with median Jadad and Detsky scores of 4 (range, 1-5) and 18 (range, 8-21), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in RCTs with industry funding (31/40, 78%) versus those without (9/70, 13%) that published a favorable conclusion of the new drug, device/implant, or surgical technique (odds ratio [OR], 23.35; P < .0001). Multiple binomial logistic regression analysis identified “number of authors” as mildly protective (OR, 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.91; P = .001) and “industry funding” strongly predictive (OR, 12.34; 95% confidence interval, 2.97-51.29; P = .001) of a positive trial.

CONCLUSION

Industry funding was associated with a much greater chance of positive findings in RCTs published in neurosurgical journals. Further efforts are needed to define the relationship between the authors and financial sponsors of neurosurgical research and explore the reasons for this finding.
Usefulness of Sealants for Dural Closure: Evaluation in an In Vitro Model
Authors: van Doormaal Tristan , Kinaci Ahmet , van Thoor Sander , Redegeld Saskia , Bergmann Wilhelmina , van der Zwan Albert
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage occurs in 4% to 32% of cranial surgeries and is associated with significant patient burden and expense. The use of sealant as an adjunct to primary dural closure is assumed to help prevent CSF leakage.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the utility of different sealants for dural closure using an in Vitro model.

METHODS

We evaluated 9 commonly used dural sealants, including Tachosil (Takeda Inc, Osaka, Japan), Adherus (Hyperbranch Inc, Durham, North Carolina), Duraform (Codman, Raynham, Massachusetts), Tissudura (Baxter, Deerfield, Illinois), Hemopatch (Baxter), TissuePatchDural (Tissuemed, Leeds, United Kingdom), Tisseel (Baxter), Duragen Secure (Integra, Plainsboro, New Jersey), and Duraseal, (Integra). Sealants were tested in 2 novel in Vitro setups using fresh porcine dura: the first tested the acute burst pressure of a sealed 3-mm gap, while the second examined resistance to a pressure wave mimicking intracranial pressure for 72 h.

RESULTS

Adherus showed the highest mean burst pressure (87 ± 47 mmHg) followed by Tachosil (71 ± 16 mmHg) and Duraseal (51 ± 42 mmHg); these were the only 3 sealants showing burst pressures above normal physiological intracranial pressure. In the 72-h setup, only Adherus and Duraseal maintained appropriate sealing for the duration of the experiment. Tachosil released from the dura after 1.4 h (95% confidence interval, −1.8-4.7).

CONCLUSION

Given the high cost of sealants and the results of this study, we advocate a critical attitude toward sealant application as an adjunct to classic dural closure.
The Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
Authors: Cerhan James R. , Vajdic Claire M. , Spinelli John J.
Published: December 2017

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are a heterogeneous group of over forty lymphoid neoplasms that have undergone a major redefinition over the last twenty-five years, in part due to advances in immunology and genetics as well as implementation of the WHO classification system. NHLs are considered clonal tumors of B-cells, T-cells, or natural killer (NK) cells arrested at various stages of differentiation, regardless of whether they present in the blood (lymphoid leukemia) or lymphoid tissues (lymphoma). In the United States, the age-standardized NHL incidence rate (per 100,000) doubled from 1973 (10.2) to 2004 (21.4) and then stabilized, while five-year relative survival rates improved from 42% in 1973 to 70% in 2004. Established risk factors for NHL or specific NHL subtypes include infectious agents (HTLV-1, HIV, EBV, HHV8, HCV, H. pylori), immune dysregulation (primary immunodeficiency, transplantation, autoimmunity, and immunosuppressive drugs), family history of lymphoma, and common genetic variants identified by genome-wide association studies.
Narrative Ethics of Implication
Authors: Meretoja Hanna
Published: December 2017

Chapter 5 problematizes the prevalent way of conceptualizing the relationship between fiction and history in terms of the actual and the possible. It argues that both fictional and autobiographical narratives have potential to cultivate one’s sense of history as a sense of the possible, and it examines four different aspects of their contribution to historical imagination. The chapter analyzes how Günter Grass’s Hundejahre (1963, Dog Years) and his autobiography Beim Häuten der Zwiebel (2006, Peeling the Onion) explore the historical world of Nazi Germany as a space of possibilities, how they self-reflexively examine—against idealist and determinist conceptions—the way history consists in concrete actions and inactions, how they unearth the ways narrative interpretations of the past shape one’s orientation to the present, and how they address the duty to remember—and to engage with the conditions of possibility of atrocity—through a future-oriented narrative ethics of implication.
Subhuman
Authors: Kasperbauer T.J.
Published: December 2017

This book provides an account of the moral psychology behind our attitudes to animals. Its main thesis is that behind both our positive and negative attitudes to animals is an underlying concern that animals pose a threat to our humanness. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from research in philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, law, history, sociology, economics, and anthropology. The main thesis of the book is developed by looking at recent research on the phenomenon of dehumanization. Though dehumanization research is often applied only to human groups, it is argued that dehumanization also has implications for how we think about animals. The book provides a critical survey of leading theories about the role of animals in human evolutionary history, the psychology of meat-eating and keeping animals as pets, feelings of fear and disgust toward animals, the use of animal minds to determine their moral status, and the “expanding moral circle” hypothesis. Strategies are also offered for revising our attitudes toward animals and for thinking about the implications of psychological obstacles in meeting our moral obligations to animals. Chapters 2–5 present a new picture of the moral psychology behind our attitudes to animals. Chapters 6–8 lay out an account of how we should think about ethical issues concerning animals, given the psychological details provided in chapters 2–5.
Global Philosophy of Religion and its Challenges
Authors: Nagasawa Yujin
Published: December 2017

This chapter argues that if the philosophy of religion is to take religion seriously, it must expand its focus and incorporate a wide range of religious perspectives. The chapter develops a ‘global philosophy of religion’ by critically assessing two earlier attempts to transform the philosophy of religion: Ninian Smart’s ‘philosophy of worldviews’ and John Hick’s ‘global theology’. The global philosophy of religion is more constructive than these two approaches because it emphasizes common issues that philosophers in distinct traditions can tackle together. Moreover, the global philosophy of religion moves beyond interreligious dialogue without demanding commitment to any controversial meta-theory, such as religious pluralism or religious inclusivism.
The Future of Philosophy of Religion, the Future of the Study of Religion, and (Even) the Future of Religion
Authors: McKim Robert
Published: December 2017

This chapter makes a three-part case for a more ambitious, more comprehensive, and richer philosophy of religion than that with which we are currently familiar, at least in the English-speaking world. First, it is unsatisfactory for philosophy of religion to consist mostly in philosophical reflection about issues pertaining to a single religion, or to a single religion and its close relatives. Second, many scholars of religion, irrespective of their field of study or training, would benefit from having more access to philosophical tools. Philosophy of religion could, and should, be of more service in this area. Third, an expanded philosophy of religion can contribute to the future development of religion—that is, to the direction, and forms, that religion will take in the future.
Essential Fish Biology
Authors: Burton Derek , Burton Margaret
Published: December 2017

This book summarizes the basic features of living fish. It is introduced by a chapter on the diversity of a group which has over 30,000 species, the largest within the vertebrates, describing the classification systems used for them and the variety of their habitats and morphology. Thereafter the physiology of fish is described and discussed initially by categories such as the outer boundary (the skin), the circulatory system, food processing, reproduction, hormones as integrators and controllers, the nervous system and the very complex set of sensory receptors including the eyes, ears, lateral line and electro-receptors. Unusual structures, adaptations and behaviours reveal the breadth of fish lifestyles from deep-ocean to shallow reef habitats, with both fresh water and marine margins favouring some near-terrestrial forms even emerging to spawn. With enormous ranges of size, shape and lifecycles, fish are capable of extreme longevity and amazing adjustments to their environment, including colour change, light emission by photophores and sporadic hermaphroditism (both sexes in one individual). The use of fish types by scientists is discussed. Referenced throughout, the scope of the book includes reviews of historically important and recent discoveries and some speculation on the future for fish and fish conservation. Appendices are provided to give in-depth information on some topics, including material briefly describing practical procedures, relevant to experimentation and aquaculture, which may prompt further investigation. The glossary with explanations of terms, and the copious illustrations help understanding of this complex subject area.
Young Criminal Lives: Life Courses and Life Chances from 1850
Authors: Godfrey Barry , Cox Pamela , Shore Heather , Alker Zoe
Published: December 2017

Young Criminal Lives is the first cradle-to-grave study of the experiences of some of the thousands of delinquent, ‘difficult’, and destitute children passing through the early English juvenile industrial school and reformatory system. Applying biographical research methodologies to digital data, we have reconstructed the lives, families, and neighbourhoods of 500 children who were sent to reformatory and industrial schools in the north-west of England from courts around the UK over a fifty-year period from the 1860s onwards. For the first time, we have been able to follow these children on their journey in and out of institutional care, and then though to their adulthood and old age. We centre on institutions celebrated in this period for their pioneering approaches to child welfare and others that were investigated for cruelty and scandal. Both were typical of the new kind of state-certified provision offered, from the 1850s onwards, to children who had committed criminal acts, or who were considered ‘vulnerable’ to predation, poverty, and the ‘inheritance’ of criminal dispositions.
Normativity and Power
Authors: Forst Rainer
Published: December 2017

Humans are justificatory beings—they offer, demand, and require justifications. The rules and institutions we follow rest on narratives that have evolved over time and, taken together, constitute a dynamic and tension-laden normative order. This book presents a new approach to critical theory. Each chapter reflects on the basic principles that guide our normative thinking. The book's argument goes beyond obsolete “ideal” and “realist” theories and shows how closely the concepts of normativity and power are interrelated, and how power rests on the capacity to influence, determine, and possibly restrict the space of justifications for outsiders. By combining insights from the disciplines of philosophy, history, and the social sciences, the book revaluates theories of justice, as well as of power, and provides the tools to conceptualize the “justification narratives” that form the bedrock of our social and political life.
Lower extremity nontensioned traction pins: is it a benign procedure?
Authors: Shakir Irshad , Ganash Rajan , Watson J. Tracy
Published: December 2017

Background:

To evaluate our institution’s infection rate with lower extremity traction pins and ascertain any risk factors. Additionally we sought to evaluate if the location of pin placement provided a higher risk of infection.

Methods:

This was a retrospective case-control study at a level 1 urban university trauma center. Five hundred and fifty six patients had 575 traction pins placed from February 2009 through December 2014. The intervention was bedside application of a centrally threaded 6-mm traction pin in the femur, tibia, or calcaneus. Radiographs were reviewed and zones were denoted. The diaphysis was bisected to determine anterior and posterior margins. The quadrant locations were as follows (1- proximal anterior, 2- proximal posterior, 3- distal anterior, and 4- distal posterior).

Results:

The total pins placed were 575 pins: 320 tibial, 236 femoral, and 19 calcaneal. There was an average of 9.6 mo of follow-up. There were five pin track infections (0.87%), all of which were treated successfully with oral antibiotics. There were two peroneal nerve injuries both which resolved by last follow-up. There was no septic arthritis of the knee. No correlations were noted between diabetes, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, and pin track infections or peroneal nerve injuries. There were 283 pins placed into zone 1, 166 in zone 2, 87 in zone 3, and 20 in zone 4. The 19 calcaneal pins were not categorized into quadrant systems. No correlation was noted between the bone in which the traction pin was placed and pin track infection or peroneal nerve injuries. Of the five pin track infections, all were placed in an eccentric posterior location. Four were in zone 2 and one in zone 4, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). No correlation was found between location of pins and peroneal nerve injury. The average time of pin placement to definitive surgery and pin removal was 2.83 days (0-28 days). There was no correlations between rates of infection and the amount of time in traction.

Conclusions:

This study revealed a low infection rate with 6-mm centrally threaded traction pins in our population. These larger, temporary lower extremity traction pins can be safely placed at the bedside and require no additional equipment for their use. Proximal and posteriorly placed pins in the tibia and femur have a correlation to pin track infections and thus should be avoided. These posteriorly placed pins tether more musculotendinous structures and, thus, are at risk for producing more immediate tissue necrosis with insertion and or use. Nontensioned anterior pins can be used with minimal risk of complication and are recommended.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic level IV.
Acute Brachial Radiculoplexopathy and Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors: Duval Fanny , Lacoste Idoia , Galli Gaël , Chaumont Hugo , Solé Guilhem , Léger François , Damon-Perrière Nathalie , Rouanet Marie , Le Masson Gwendal , Mathis Stéphane
Published: December 2017

Introduction:

Giant cell arteritis (GCA), a vasculitis involving large-sized and medium-sized vessels (which most commonly involves temporal arteries), is easily recognized in older patients presenting with headache, scalp tenderness, and raised inflammatory markers. Neurological complications (either central or peripheral) are classically described in GCA.

Case Report:

We report the case of an 85-year-old woman with bilateral acute brachial radiculoplexopathy, a rare neurological complication of GCA. She also presented right oculomotor palsy (with ptosis) and raised inflammatory markers, but she did not complain of the other classic cranial symptoms of the disease. We compare this case with 16 similar cases reported in the medical literature.

Conclusions:

In assessing a patient over 50 years of age with unexplained (unilateral or bilateral) brachial radiculoplexopathy (especially if C5-C6 nerve roots are affected) and elevated inflammatory markers, we would recommend specific enquiries with regard to the manifestations of GCA. The purpose is to reduce the risk of missing the wider spectrum of this condition and minimize the subsequent risk for disability of this treatable disease.
Core Set of Patient-reported Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer (COPRAC)
Authors: van Rijssen Lennart B. , Gerritsen Arja , Henselmans Inge , Sprangers Mirjam A. , Jacobs Marc , Bassi Claudio , Busch Olivier R. , Fernández-Del Castillo Carlos , Fong Zhi Ven , He Jin , Jang Jin-Young , Javed Ammar A. , Kim Sun-Whe , Maggino Laura , Mitra Abhishek , Ostwal Vikas , Pellegrini Silvia , Shrikhande Shailesh V. , Wilmink Johanna W. , Wolfgang Christopher L. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. , Besselink Marc G.
Published: December 2017

Objective:

To establish an international core set of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) selected by both patients and healthcare providers (HCPs) from the United States (US), Europe, and Asia.

Summary Background Data:

PROs are increasingly recognized in pancreatic cancer studies. There is no consensus on which of the many available PROs are most important.

Methods:

A multicenter Delphi study among patients with pancreatic cancer (curative- and palliative-setting) and HCPs in 6 pancreatic centers in the US (Baltimore, Boston), Europe (Amsterdam, Verona), and Asia (Mumbai, Seoul) was performed. In round 1, participants rated the importance of 56 PROs on a 1 to 9 Likert scale. PROs rated as very important (scores 7–9) by the majority (≥80%) of curative- and/or palliative-patients as well as HCPs were included in the core set. PROs not fulfilling these criteria were presented again in round 2, together with feedback on individual and group ratings. Remaining PROs were ranked based on the importance ratings.

Results:

In total 731 patients and HCPs were invited, 501 completed round 1, and 420 completed both rounds. This included 204 patients in curative-setting, 74 patients in palliative-setting, and 142 HCPs. After 2 rounds, 8 PROs were included in the core set: general quality of life, general health, physical ability, ability to work/do usual activities, fear of recurrence, satisfaction with services/care organization, abdominal complaints, and relationship with partner/family.

Conclusions:

This international Delphi study among patients and HCPs established a core set of PROs in pancreatic cancer, which should facilitate the design of future pancreatic cancer trials and outcomes research.
The Effect of Foot Exercises on Wound Healing in Type 2 Diabetic Patients With a Foot Ulcer
Authors: Eraydin Şahizer , Avşar Gülçin
Published: December 2017

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of foot exercises on wound healing in type 2 diabetic patients with a diabetic foot ulcer.

DESIGN:

Prospective, randomized controlled study.

SUBJECT AND SETTINGS:

Sixty-five patients from an outpatient clinic with grade 1 or 2 ulcers (Wagner classification) who met study criteria agreed to participate; 60 patients completed the study and were included in the final analysis. Subjects were followed up between February 2014 and June 2015.

METHODS:

Subjects were recruited by the researchers in the clinics where they received treatment. Subjects were randomly allocated to either the control or intervention group. Data were collected using investigator-developed forms: patient information form and the diabetic foot exercises log. Patients in the intervention group received standard wound care and performed daily foot exercises for 12 weeks; the control group received standard wound care but no exercises. The ulcers of the patients in both the intervention and control groups were examined and measured at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks. The groups were compared in terms of the ulcer size and depth. To analyze and compare the data, frequency distribution, mean (standard deviation), variance analysis, and the independent samples t test and the χ2 test were used.

RESULTS:

The mean ulcer areas were 12.63 (14.43), 6.91 (5.44), 4.30 (3.70), and 3.29 (3.80) cm2 (P < .05) in the study intervention group, and 24.67 (20.70), 24.75 (20.84), 20.33 (20.79), and 18.52 (21.49) cm2 in the control group in the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks, respectively. Significant differences were found between diabetic foot ulcer sizes in the study intervention group in the 4th and 12th weeks compared to beginning baseline (P ≤ .05). However, only the 12th week was different from the beginning in the control group (P = .000). The mean depths of the ulcers were 0.56 (0.85), 0.42 (0.68), 0.36 (0.50), and 0.28 (0.38) cm in the study intervention group (P < .05) and 0.61 (0.84), 0.82 (1.07), 0.83 (1.21), and 0.80 (1.26) cm in the control group, respectively, at the baseline, and at the 4th, 8th, and 12th weeks, respectively (P = .000).

CONCLUSION:

The ulcer areas decreased significantly in the study intervention group compared to the control group during the 3 follow-up measurements. An important finding in this study was the DFU area decreased more in those who exercised more. Findings suggests foot exercises should be included in the treatment plan when managing patients with diabetic foot ulcers.
Integrating patient and whole-genome sequencing data to provide insights into the epidemiology of seasonal influenza A(H3N2) viruses
Authors: Goldstein Emily J. , Harvey William T. , Wilkie Gavin S. , Shepherd Samantha J. , MacLean Alasdair R. , Murcia Pablo R. , Gunson Rory N.
Published: December 2017

Genetic surveillance of seasonal influenza is largely focused on sequencing of the haemagglutinin gene. Consequently, our understanding of the contribution of the remaining seven gene segments to the evolution and epidemiological dynamics of seasonal influenza is relatively limited. The increased availability of next-generation sequencing technologies allows rapid and economic whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of influenza virus. Here, 150 influenza A(H3N2) positive clinical specimens with linked epidemiological data, from the 2014/15 season in Scotland, were sequenced directly using both Sanger sequencing of the HA1 region and WGS using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Sequences generated by the two methods were highly correlated, and WGS provided on average >90 % whole genome coverage. As reported in other European countries during 2014/15, all strains belonged to genetic group 3C, with subgroup 3C.2a predominating. Multiple inter-subgroup reassortants were identified, including three 3C.3 viruses descended from a single reassortment event, which had persisted in the population. Cases of severe acute respiratory illness were significantly clustered on phylogenies of multiple gene segments indicating potential genetic factors warranting further investigation. Severe cases were also more likely to be associated with reassortant viruses and to occur later in the season. These results suggest that WGS provides an opportunity to develop our understanding of the relationship between the influenza genome and disease severity and the epidemiological consequences of within-subtype reassortment. Therefore, increased levels of WGS, linked to clinical and epidemiological data, could improve influenza surveillance.
Hyperactive mTOR and MNK1 phosphorylation of eIF4E confer tamoxifen resistance and estrogen independence through selective mRNA translation reprogramming
Authors: Geter Phillip A. , Ernlund Amanda W. , Bakogianni Sofia , Alard Amandine , Arju Rezina , Giashuddin Shah , Gadi Abhilash , Bromberg Jacqueline , Schneider Robert J.
Published: December 2017

The majority of breast cancers expresses the estrogen receptor (ER+) and is treated with anti-estrogen therapies, particularly tamoxifen in premenopausal women. However, tamoxifen resistance is responsible for a large proportion of breast cancer deaths. Using small molecule inhibitors, phospho-mimetic proteins, tamoxifen-sensitive and tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells, a tamoxifen-resistant patient-derived xenograft model, patient tumor tissues, and genome-wide transcription and translation studies, we show that tamoxifen resistance involves selective mRNA translational reprogramming to an anti-estrogen state by Runx2 and other mRNAs. Tamoxifen-resistant translational reprogramming is shown to be mediated by increased expression of eIF4E and its increased availability by hyperactive mTOR and to require phosphorylation of eIF4E at Ser209 by increased MNK activity. Resensitization to tamoxifen is restored only by reducing eIF4E expression or mTOR activity and also blocking MNK1 phosphorylation of eIF4E. mRNAs specifically translationally up-regulated with tamoxifen resistance include Runx2, which inhibits ER signaling and estrogen responses and promotes breast cancer metastasis. Silencing Runx2 significantly restores tamoxifen sensitivity. Tamoxifen-resistant but not tamoxifen-sensitive patient ER+ breast cancer specimens also demonstrate strongly increased MNK phosphorylation of eIF4E. eIF4E levels, availability, and phosphorylation therefore promote tamoxifen resistance in ER+ breast cancer through selective mRNA translational reprogramming
MLK1 and MLK2 Coordinate RGA and CCA1 Activity to Regulate Hypocotyl Elongation inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Zheng Han , Zhang Fei , Wang Shiliang , Su Yanhua , Ji Xiaoru , Jiang Pengfei , Chen Rihong , Hou Suiwen , Ding Yong
Published: December 2017

Gibberellins (GAs) modulate diverse developmental processes throughout the plant life cycle. However, the interaction between GAs and the circadian rhythm remains unclear. Here, we report that MUT9p-LIKE KINASE1 (MLK1) and MLK2 mediate the interaction between GAs and the circadian clock to regulate hypocotyl elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana. DELLA proteins function as master growth repressors that integrate phytohormone signaling and environmental pathways in plant development. MLK1 and MLK2 interact with the DELLA protein REPRESSOR OF ga1-3 (RGA). Loss of MLK1 and MLK2 function results in plants with short hypocotyls and hyposensitivity to GAs. MLK1/2 and RGA directly interact with CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1), which targets the promoter of DWARF4 (DWF4) to regulate its roles in cell expansion. MLK1/2 antagonize the ability of RGA to bind CCA1, and these factors coordinately regulate the expression of DWF4. RGA suppressed the ability of CCA1 to activate expression from the DWF4 promoter, but MLK1/2 reversed this suppression. Genetically, MLK1/2 act in the same pathway as RGA and CCA1 in hypocotyl elongation. Together, our results provide insight into the mechanism by which MLK1 and MLK2 antagonize the function of RGA in hypocotyl elongation and suggest that MLK1/2 coordinately mediate the regulation of plant development by GAs and the circadian rhythm in Arabidopsis.
Z/E-Isomerism of 3-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-2-(2,4,6-tribromophenyl)acrylonitrile: crystal structures and secondary intermolecular interactions
Authors: Tammisetti Renuka Devi , Kosilkin Ilya V. , Guzei Ilia A. , Khrustalev Victor N. , Dalton Larry , Timofeeva Tatiana V.
Published: December 2017

The Z and E isomers of 3-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-2-(2,4,6-tribromophenyl)acrylonitrile, C17H13Br3N2, (1), were obtained simultaneously by a Knoevenagel condensation between 4-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde and 2-(2,4,6-tribromophenyl)acetonitrile, and were investigated by X-ray diffraction and density functional theory (DFT) quantum-chemical calculations. The (Z)-(1) isomer is monoclinic (space group P21/n, Z′ = 1), whereas the (E)-(1) isomer is triclinic (space group P\overline{1}, Z′ = 2). The two crystallographically-independent molecules of (E)-(1) adopt similar geometries. The corresponding bond lengths and angles in the two isomers of (1) are very similar. The difference in the calculated total energies of isolated molecules of (Z)-(1) and (E)-(1) with DFT-optimized geometries is ∼4.47 kJ mol−1, with the minimum value corresponding to the Z isomer. The crystal structure of (Z)-(1) reveals strong intermolecular nonvalent Br...N [3.100 (2) and 3.216 (3) Å] interactions which link the molecules into layers parallel to (10\overline{1}). In contrast, molecules of (E)-(1) in the crystal are bound to each other by strong nonvalent Br...Br [3.5556 (10) Å] and weak Br...N [3.433 (4) Å] interactions, forming chains propagating along [110]. The crystal packing of (Z)-(1) is denser than that of (E)-(1), implying that the crystal structure realized for (Z)-(1) is more stable than that for (E)-(1).
Enhancing graduate employability in product design
Authors: Watkins Matthew Alan , Higginson Martin , Clarke Philip Richard
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study to discuss approaches taken within a traditional undergraduate degree course to embed employability skills, encourage student uptake of sandwich placement and increase graduate prospects. A number of new initiatives are presented, including working with live industrial clients, formally preparing students for placement applications and the introduction of an externally facing student run design consortium. Alongside these new initiatives, details of the existing sandwich year provision are also considered and their effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study-based action research approach presents changes to a specific undergraduate course, measuring the effectiveness over a four-year period using externally collected national Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE) data and internal student feedback to assess the long-term effects on employability.

Findings

The paper considers improvements in the graduate employability over the four year period covered, in particular, an increase in the graduate employability from 81 to 100 per cent and graduate prospects from 62.5 to 95.2 per cent for sandwich students. Data presented also considers additional student feedback correlating with an increase in their preparedness for employment.

Practical implications

The implications of undertaking the changes highlighted within this paper have been relatively straightforward, due to the small incremental nature of the changes and the opportunities available through the agencies within the university, and should be replicable at least in part at other HE institutions.

Originality/value

This paper considers the impact of employability initiatives undertaken on a single undergraduate course and how these have affected the employability of graduates over a four-year period, supported by student feedback both internally and externally through national feedback mechanisms. It is anticipated that this research would be beneficial for informing and guiding the development of employability on other undergraduate programmes.
Embedding research and enterprise into the curriculum
Authors: Brown Amy
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review a year-long project entitled SaP@Parsons, which aims to bridge the gap between our current foundation degree curriculum and a revised curriculum where research and enterprise education were interwoven throughout, helping to better equip our graduates with the enhanced capacity to generate ideas and the skills to make them happen QAA (2012). The project used Student as Producer as a theoretical framework to embed research and enterprise into the curriculum. It was originally led by Professor Mike Neary at the University of Lincoln.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reflects on the process of embedding research and enterprise education into the curriculum, including the experiences of the author and students.

Findings

It was found that reorientation of the curriculum is possible, without integrating enterprise specific learning aims into the programme to embed enterprise and research, can have a positive impact on both staff and student experience.

Practical implications

The paper provides a summary of strategies and examples of the effective use of Student as Producer as a framework for helping to embed research, enterprise and employability into a foundation degree curriculum and the resultant positive outcomes. The setting for this was HE provision within an FE college.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the innovative nature of the project in seeking to engage students in research and enterprise from level 4, rather than levels 6 or 7 within College-based Higher Education, through working with local social enterprises.
Rural children’s work and school education in the context of rapid economic growth in South Korea
Authors: Kim Chae-Young , Montgomery Heather
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how children’s work, defined in a broad sense, and the related values and attitudes concerning childhood have evolved in the context of rapid economic growth in South Korea. It discusses how ideas about children’s activities and their status and relationships within the family have changed and how children’s roles and responsibilities are seen by members of different generations. It interrogates the changing ideas of work in contemporary children’s lives and presents data from a relatively under-researched part of the world.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on semi-structured interviews with a mixed age group of people, including children, in a rural community in South Korea.

Findings

In decisions over their work and schooling during their childhoods, most adults did not appear to have shown any apparent agency with this passivity reflecting the cultural norms of the times. Conversely, rural children today often choose not to work but may not be able to exercise similar agency over their schooling. The research suggests a distinct generational change in the schooling experience with this going from being relatively unimportant, and sometimes unaffordable, to becoming universal and essential.

Research limitations/implications

Interviewing adults and children about what they do now or did in the past poses methodological problems. As the researchers found “child- friendly” or “child-centred” methods impractical in the particular research context, relaxed and semi-structured interviews were used with the children. The adult interviews presented different challenges: a lack of other sources of data meant that primary sources of evidence had to be recollections of past events. This means such recollections of childhoods may be mediated by an “adult” perspective and susceptible to bias. Current life circumstances may also determine the interpretive contexts through which they tell their stories and influence how they view the past.

Originality/value

Internationally published research on South Korean childhoods is limited, with most focusing on the education system and the associated issues. Research of this type also rarely examines children's own views, their lives outside of school and the choices they make in their family contexts. This paper examines these under-researched areas.
Local childcare policy and the changing gender contract
Authors: Sihto Tiina
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the changes in local childcare policy that have taken place between the years 2008 and 2016 in the city of Jyväskylä, Finland, and to study how the local gender contract for women is being reshaped via these transformations in local policy.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study was applied as a research strategy. Local and national level statistics were used to explore the use of childcare services. Documents regarding the decision-making and administration of childcare in the city were analysed to distinguish the local policy changes during the time period. These documents include city budgets and records from the two municipal boards that have held the administrative responsibility of local childcare policy. The analysis of the data was conducted by using document analysis and feminist content analysis as a methodological framework.

Findings

The results show that the overall development in local childcare policy has been towards cutbacks in childcare services and benefits, and towards the marketisation of childcare services. The city has also implemented new, locally specific childcare policies, which constitute a hybrid form of marketisation and neofamilism. Together these developments are creating a new local gender contract, which goes beyond the past previous traditional or modern models. This new local gender contract for women is defined as that of “entrepreneurial homemaker”.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the research on local social policy by identifying the role of local childcare policy in reshaping the gender contract in a Nordic context. This paper advances the theorisation of the concept of gender contract by introducing the “entrepreneurial homemaker” model of gender contract.
Nineteenth-century housing preventive conservation in Edinburgh and its Western European context
Authors: Theodossopoulos Dimitris
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how comprehensive the management of common repairs in the nineteenth-century urban housing in Edinburgh is in the European context. The city experienced a variety of approaches since the 1970s to repairs of exposed decorative elements and the envelope, whose condition is exacerbated by inappropriate interventions and climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

The debate is framed in practice in Western Europe where economy, administration and conservation cultures have been similar since the 1970s: property manager (Glasgow), role of housing agency (Venice), Monumentenwacht’s periodical inspections for subscribers (Flanders), tax incentives (France, Italy, Spain), linking management and procurement (Libretto Casa, Rome) and the emerging concept of preventive conservation.

Findings

Edinburgh has a holistic and technically rich management experience, with a strong educational focus, which shows the immense volume of work required, hampered by the fragmentation of ownership and the small size of the repair industry. Practice can improve in Edinburgh and Europe through increased awareness, tax incentives, regular inspections, legal recognition of the need for maintenance and stepping-up the debate at national, European and political level, towards preventive conservation approaches.

Research limitations/implications

The study profited from direct knowledge of the approach in Edinburgh and other areas, but little has been published on each area outside the local level, so appraisal depended on language knowledge.

Originality/value

This first reading of practice at the European level may be of value to the national agencies referred to, for policy development or European initiatives.
A long-term follow-up of a physician leadership program
Authors: Fassiotto Magali , Maldonado Yvonne , Hopkins Joseph
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Physician leadership programs serve to develop individual capabilities and to affect organizational outcomes. Evaluations of such programs often focus solely on short-term increases in individual capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to assess long-term individual and organizational outcomes of the Stanford Leadership Development Program.

Design/methodology/approach

There are three data sources for this mixed-methods study: a follow-up survey in 2013-2014 of program participants (n=131) and matched (control) non-participants (n=82) from the 2006 to 2011 program years; promotion and retention data; and qualitative in-person interview data. The authors analyzed survey data across leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes as well as leadership titles held, following program participation using Pearson’s χ2 test of independence. Using logistic regression, the authors analyzed promotion and retention among participants and non-participants. Finally, the authors applied both a grounded theory approach and qualitative content analysis to analyze interview data.

Findings

Program participants rated higher than non-participants across 25 of 30 items measuring leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and were more likely to hold regional/national leadership titles and to have gained in leadership since program participation. Asian program participants were significantly more likely than Asian non-participants to have been promoted, and women participants were less likely to have left the institution than non-participants. Finally, qualitative interviews revealed the long-term impact of leadership learning and networking, as well as the enduring, sustained impact on the organization of projects undertaken during the program.

Originality/value

This study is unique in its long-term and comprehensive mixed-methods nature of evaluation to assess individual and organizational impact of a physician leadership program.
Modeling the dynamics of technological innovation system in the oil and gas sector
Authors: Azad Sayyed Mohsen , Ghodsypour Seyed Hassan
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to model the relationship between “innovation systems” players and markets to indicate the “innovation functions” behavior during the petrochemical technology life cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

In a general classification, innovation systems are divided into four categories: technical, sectoral, regional and national. If two approaches are hybrid, their benefits would be combined. According to the sectoral structure of the governance model in Iran, in many sectors, such as petrochemical technology, the combination of one another with a sectoral approach is essential. Hence, this paper has introduced a new hybrid approach, called a techno-sectoral innovation system, and has used system dynamics as a methodology and a petrochemical industry as a case study.

Findings

The results predict the functions state of the innovation system and detect activation of innovation motors in each stage of innovation life cycle. Validation is investigated using Monte Carlo simulation that shows the error of the indices is acceptable. It can be concluded that the model is relatively in a development state and the motor of entrepreneurship functions.

Originality/value

This case-based model can help other researchers, as a generic model. It could be customized with the input parameters and relational flows of new cases, and functions (F1-F7) can show the result of each scenario made by the innovation analyst and the policymaker.