bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling the notions and dimensions of MOOCs
Authors: Sembiring Maximus Gorky
Published: June 2018

Purpose

This report explored enriched notions and dimensions of quality massive open online courses (QMOOCs). The purpose of this paper is to visualize the quality measures adjacent to MOOCs and understanding distinctive outlooks to approaching them. It was also of interests to envisage how and in what routines those notions and dimensions interrelated.

Design/methodology/approach

Exploratory-design was employed to qualitatively establishing conceptual and operational frameworks first through reviewing processes and focus-group discussions. QMOOCs were reflected by four dimensions: scientifically provable, technically feasible, economically beneficial and socio-culturally adaptable. Besides, QMOOCs involved six notions (6P: presage, process, product, practicability, prospective and power) and affected knowledge, skills and professionalism (KSP). Quantitatively, QMOOCs, 6P and KSP were the moderating, independent and dependent variables, respectively. Associated data were accumulated through survey by distributing 600 questionnaires randomly to 708 Universitas Terbuka faculty members; 299 of them were completed.

Findings

Nine hypotheses were scrutinized utilizing structural-equation model and eight were validated by the analysis. It was statistically inferred that product was alluded as the prime notion to QMOOCs followed by process, practicability, presage and power; prospective was excluded. Professionalism, knowledge and skill were influenced by QMOOCs. Importance-performance analysis (IPA) and customer-satisfaction index were emulated (and applied) to quantify respondents opinion and relevance degree of those engaged notions and dimensions. IPA analysis revealed four prominent notions (corresponding, functional, well-defined and learner-focused) and one dimension (technically feasible).

Originality/value

Qualitative framework was imperfectly confirmed by the quantitative upshot. Further inquiry is crucial searching for plausible validation how this consequence was marginally distinctive in conjunction with authenticating QMOOCs.
Board stoops to conquer the CEO: end of a power struggle
Authors: Rameshan P.
Published: June 2018

Subject area

The case would be specifically useful in courses related to Corporate Governance, Board Dynamics, Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, Corporate Ethics and Strategic Management.

Study level/applicability

For Post-graduate/Doctoral and Executive Programme/Management Development Programme level courses in Corporate Governance, Board Dynamics, Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, Corporate Ethics and relevant areas of Strategic Management.

Case overview

The case relates to the imminent departure of Raamit Pell, the founding CEO of Xcelent Services, an educational service provider, to his parental organization at Kozerton after completing his current five-year term. Raamit had moved from Kozerton to become CEO of Xcelent Services. Many of Raamit’s senior executives at Xcelent were not happy about his decision to return. They felt that his departure at this moment might, on the one hand, slow down the ongoing major expansion plans and on the other aggravate a mutiny, under covert Board patronage involving a powerful clique of certain senior executives. The parental agency finally agreed to release him. On the day of Raamit’s farewell, where surprisingly even the clique members were present, many executives appeared sad. Observing the mood, Raamit wondered whether his decision to return to Kozerton was the right one.

Expected learning outcomes

To understand the internal governance, leadership and behavioural environment of a company. To understand the impact of internal power equations of a company on the morale of its people. To analyze both the inconsistency between the stated goals of the organization and the revealed actions of its top decision-makers; and the lack of restraint on the power struggle among the top actors of the organization. To identify effective strategies for addressing such issues in future so that their fallouts would be minimized. To relate the behaviour in an organization to the organizational behavioural theories related to leadership, corporate governance, corporate ethics, managerial behaviour and agency problems.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.
Industrial relations (Union) issues at Asian Paints Ltd.
Authors: Jain Nikunj Kumar , Sinha Subhashis , Iyer N.S.
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Human Resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations and Strategic Management.

Study level/applicability

Post-graduate students or executive post-graduate students, Core course in Human resources Management (HRM), Industrial Relations or Strategic Management or in elective courses in Industrial Relations and Strategic HRM.

Case overview

The Personnel manager of Asian Paints Ltd., Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) factory, found himself in a Catch 22 situation when a Union leader of the manufacturing unit refused to work. The Union leader had been transferred from the Quality Assurance department to the Production department. The case describes the sequence of events and the backdrop in which the aforementioned situation had unfolded. Given the circumstances that prevailed in the factory, the personnel manager’s decision was likely to have significant impact on the factory’s output.

Expected learning outcomes

The student will be able to understand the industrial relations/Union issues in a company and the role of different stakeholders, namely, management, Union, workmen and the government in a conflict scenario. The student will learn the application of principles of natural justice and will be able to evaluate the Industrial Relations (IR) strategy adopted by the organizations to prevent labor unrest at the workplace. The student will understand the impact of critical management decisions on the organization’s performance in an uncertain global environment.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.
Crowdsourced fashion designing of Hashboosh.com: the sustainability dilemma
Authors: Unnithan Deepa , Pathy Girish S. , Prashar Sanjeev , Ramanathan Hareesh
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Strategic management.

Study level/applicability

MBA-Entrepreneurship, Strategic management, Marketing management.

Case overview

The case explains a concept called crowd designed fashion by a startup venture, Hashboosh.com. The business model appeared unique and suitable for the requirements of the market, but there is a question regarding its sustainability due to breeding its own competition. In the backdrop of the case, the students can analyse the organisation by identifying the internal strengths and weaknesses of the organisation as well as the external threats and opportunities, thereby devising a strategy for the organisation to progress.

Expected learning outcomes

The case will enable students to analyse an organisation in terms of its internal strength and weakness as well as external threats and opportunities. It enables students to gain strategies for firms by analysing the firm’s internal and external factors. It will offer students a practical understanding for conducting competitor analysis. It will enable students to devise a marketing plan for small firms based on its internal and external analysis.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.
Baahubali’s Kattappa: servant leadership in practice
Authors: Ali Esrafil , Khan Yasmeen
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Leadership and team building, Human resource management, Organizational behavior.

Study level/applicability

The case may be most useful for MBA or any other PG level courses, particularly in human resource management, team leadership, motivation and morale. The Case could also be appropriate in the courses that cover General Management or Business Management, Executive Education Programs. This case can also be taught to the middle level and senior level managers in Management Development Programs.

Case overview

The case study describes the leadership lessons drawn from the role of Kattappa in the movie Baahubali. He took bold decisions to save the Mahishmati kingdom from Bijjaladeva. Being a slave and agile swordsman, he obeyed all the orders of the king of the realm. He made strategic decisions which resulted in positive outcomes for the kingdom. His leadership style can be linked with the theories of servant leadership style. The case tells us about some selected instances from the movies Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which had happened with Kattappa which can be used to understand the different principles and philosophy of servant leadership.

Expected learning outcomes

The expected learning outcomes are as follows: to understand the different dimensions and essential skills of servant leadership; to analyze and learn the servant leadership style from the role of Kattappa; and to evaluate the appropriateness of servant leadership in context to other leadership styles.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.
Semi-professionals: emergency response as an additional task in current occupations
Authors: Yousefi Mojir Kayvan , Pilemalm Sofie , Andersson Granberg Tobias
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify occupational groups who can act as semi-professional first responders, in order to shorten the response times to frequent emergencies, and second, to identify related opportunities, challenges and needs of training, emergency supplies and information technology (IT) support.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study approach was taken, combining future workshops, focus groups and an exercise. Network governance was used as an analytical lens.

Findings

The identified potential groups are security guards, home care personnel, fire services day personnel and facility service personnel. The results show that semi-professionals have a large potential to complement professional resources by carrying out first response or supportive actions vital to the emergency, partly by using already existing cars and equipment. The identified needs include additional basic equipment such as fire extinguishers and first-aid kits, training in basic firefighting, first aid and risk assessment, as well as mobile phone application-based IT support to manage alarms. The major challenges are organisational, economic and juridical, including ambiguities in responsibilities and related insurances. The analysis recognises the new collaboration as a hybrid form of hierarchical government and network governance.

Social implications

The study suggests that using semi-professional resources can be one of many innovative solutions to recent public sector challenges that have put a huge strain on professional emergency response organisations.

Originality/value

The study provides a novel view of using semi-professional resources in emergency response, based on the joint perspectives of various occupational groups, and the fire services.
The anxiety of romantic love in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Tran Allen L.
Published: June 2018

This article examines the role of anxieties about romantic love in the modernist self‐making projects of Vietnam's growing middle class. Romantic ideals and discourses that emerged from Vietnam's neoliberal reforms emphasize personal compatibility through emotional intimacy and communication. Middle‐class residents of Ho Chi Minh City increasingly privilege the emotions in daily life and define themselves and their relationships in an affective register. This cultivation of emotional self‐reflexivity has, however, become a source of anxiety about the self. An analysis of two case studies traces how individuals draw on their class, gender, and age to negotiate conflicts between various models of love and selfhood and reinvent romantic discourses to claim their own versions of a modern identity. A critical component of both the experience of romantic love and the construction of middle‐class Vietnamese selfhood, love anxiety stems not just from people's changed relations to others but also from a changed perception of the self, which has been rendered unrecognizable to them.
Association of Preoperative Mean Arterial Pressure With the Primary Failure of Brescia‐Cimino Arteriovenous Fistula Within the First 7 Days Following Surgery in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Yan Yan , Su Xiaoxia , Zheng Jie , Zhang Li , Yang Liu , Jiang Qing , Chen Qinkai
Published: June 2018

This retrospective study included 1051 patients with end‐stage kidney disease and Brescia‐Cimino arteriovenous fistula (AVF) (excluding pre‐dialysis patients), and aimed to investigate the role of blood pressure in AVF primary failure. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured twice daily for 3 days before surgery. The success (N = 1010) and failure (N = 41) groups were based on AVF primary failure within 7 days of surgery. The cephalic vein was larger and the preoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) was higher in the success group compared with the failure group (P < 0.05). Cephalic vein diameter and preoperative MAP independently predicted AVF primary failure within 7 days after surgery. In conclusion, small cephalic vein diameter and low preoperative MAP were associated with AVF primary failure within 7 days of surgery.
Reliability of HEARTSMAP as a Tool for Evaluating Psychosocial Assessment Documentation Practices in Emergency Departments for Pediatric Mental Health Complaints
Authors: Gill Carson , Arnold Brendan , Nugent Sean , Rajwani Alykhan , Xu Michael , Black Tyler , Doan Quynh
Published: June 2018

Objectives

The goal of this study was to assess the reliability of HEARTSMAP as a standardized tool for evaluating the quality of psychosocial assessment documentation of pediatric mental health (MH) presentations to the emergency department (ED). In addition, we report on current documentation practices.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross‐sectional study of pediatric (up to age 17) MH‐related visits to four EDs between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014. The primary outcome was the inter‐rater agreement when evaluating the completeness of pediatric emergency psychosocial assessments using the HEARTSMAP tool. The secondary outcome was to describe the adequacy of documentation of emergency pediatric MH assessments, using HEARTSMAP as a guide for a complete assessment.

Results

A total of 400 medical records (100 from each site) were reviewed. We observed near‐perfect inter‐rater agreement (κ = 0.99–1.00) regarding the presence of documentation and good‐to‐perfect agreement (κ = 0.71–1.00) regarding whether sufficient information was documented to score a severity level for every component of an emergency psychosocial assessment. Inter‐rater agreement regarding whether referrals or resources were documented for identified needs was observed to be good to very good (κ = 0.62–0.98). Current psychosocial documentation practices were found to be inconsistent with significant variability in the presence of documentation pertaining to HEARTSMAP sections between medical centers and initial clinician assessor and whether specialized MH services were involved prior to discharge.

Conclusions

The HEARTSMAP tool can be reliably used to assess pediatric psychosocial assessment documentation across a diverse range of EDs. Current documentation practices are variable and often inadequate, and the HEARTSMAP tool can aid in quality improvement initiatives to standardize and optimize care for the growing burden of pediatric mental illness.
Recent range contractions in the globally threatened Pyrenean desman highlight the importance of stream headwater refugia
Authors: Quaglietta L. , Paupério J. , Martins F. M. S. , Alves P. C. , Beja P.
Published: June 2018

Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world, and downstream reaches of stream networks are often the most affected by multiple anthropogenic stressors. In these circumstances, many species currently restricted to stream headwaters may represent remnants of once larger populations, though this is generally difficult to ascertain due to limited historical data. Here, we document a case of range contraction into headwaters of the globally threatened Pyrenean desman Galemys pyrenaicus, a species endemic to South‐western Europe, from surveys carried out in 1993–96 and 2014–15. Geostatistical logistic mixed models were used to relate the probabilities of desman occurrence and extinction to environmental variables in 74 sites within two watersheds in NE Portugal, while controlling for linear (Euclidean) and hydrologic spatial dependencies. In 1993–96, desmans were recorded at 85.1% of sites, and their presence was positively related to stream order and slope. In 2014–15, desmans were only found at 31.1% of sites, and their presence was positively related to slope steepness and negatively to stream order and maximum temperature of the warmest month. The extinction rate across periods was 63.5%, and the probability of extinction increased with stream order and declined with slope steepness. Maps of predicted distribution and extinction indicated that while the species was widely distributed in the first period, it largely disappeared thereafter from the main rivers and the largest tributaries, persisting mostly in stream headwaters in more mountainous areas. The severe decline found in ours and other studies suggests that the conservation status of the Pyrenean desman may need to be upgraded, and highlights the importance of headwater streams for its conservation. Furthermore, this study supports the view that headwater streams may be increasingly important for biodiversity conservation in modified river systems, favouring the permanence of remnant, albeit fragmented populations.
Timing and mechanism of conceptus demise in a complement regulatory membrane protein deficient mouse
Authors: Triebwasser Michael P. , Wu Xiaobo , Bertram Paula , Hourcade Dennis E. , Nelson Donald Michael , Atkinson John P.
Published: June 2018

Problem

Crry is a widely expressed type 1 transmembrane complement regulatory protein in rodents which protects self‐tissue by downregulating C3 activation. Crry−/− concepti produced by Crry+/− × Crry+/− matings are attacked by maternal complement system leading to loss before day 10. The membrane attack complex is not the mediator of this death. We hypothesized that the ability of C3b to engage the alternative pathway's feedback loop relatively unchecked on placental membranes induces the lesion yielding the demise of the Crry−/− mouse.

Method of Study

We investigated the basis of Crry−/− conceptus demise by depleting maternal complement with cobra venom factor and blocking antibodies. We monitored their effects primarily by genotyping and histologic analyses.

Results

We narrowed the critical period of the complement effect from 6.5 to 8.5 days post‐coitus (dpc), which is immediately after the conceptus is exposed to maternal blood. Deposition by 5.5 dpc of maternal C3b on the placental vasculature lacking Crry−/− yielded loss of the conceptus by 8.5 dpc. Fusion of the allantois to the chorion during placental assembly did not occur, fetal vessels originating in the allantois did not infiltrate the chorioallantoic placenta, the chorionic plate failed to develop, and the labyrinthine component of the placenta did not mature.

Conclusion

Our data are most consistent with the deposition of C3b being responsible for the failure of the allantois to fuse to the chorion leading to subsequent conceptus demise.
Prognostic impact of doublecortin‐like kinase 1 expression in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Harada Yuzo , Kazama Shinsuke , Morikawa Teppei , Emoto Shigenobu , Murono Koji , Kaneko Manabu , Sasaki Kazuhito , Otani Kensuke , Nishikawa Takeshi , Tanaka Toshiaki , Kiyomatsu Tomomichi , Kawai Kazushige , Hata Keisuke , Nozawa Hiroaki , Ishihara Soichiro , Watanabe Toshiaki
Published: June 2018

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a standard therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer; however, the response varies depending on cases. Therefore, CRT‐response predictors need to be elucidated. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), comprising a small part of tumors, are associated with tumor progression and recurrence due to their self‐renewal and proliferation abilities. Doublecortin‐like kinase 1 (DCLK1) is one of the several putative CSC markers; however, the clinical impact of its expression in rectal cancer has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical impact of DCLK1 expression in rectal cancer. We immunohistochemically evaluated DCLK1 expression in surgical specimens of 106 rectal cancer patients, including those who underwent preoperative CRT. The correlations between DCLK1 expression, and clinicopathological features and patient prognosis were then assessed. In rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative CRT, DCLK1 expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.02) and poor cancer‐specific survival (p = 0.049). However, in patients treated without preoperative therapy, no such correlation was found. DCLK1 expression can be associated with lymph node metastasis and poor cancer‐specific survival in rectal cancer patients who receive CRT.
Industry‐specific Exchange Rate Fluctuations, Japanese Exports and Financial Constraints: Evidence from Panel Vector Autoregressive Analysis
Authors: Zhang Shajuan
Published: June 2018

Using a panel vector autoregression approach and industry breakdown data for financial constraints obtained from the Bank of Japan's Tankan (Short‐Term Economic Survey of Enterprises in Japan) database, this study empirically investigates whether and how Japanese firms' financial constraints (internal and external) influence the response of Japanese sectoral exports to an exchange rate shock. Furthermore, we use the industry‐specific real effective exchange rate data developed by to allow for different movements of real effective exchange rates across industries. It is found that financial constraints have a significant influence on Japanese exports in response to exchange rate shocks. Japanese exporters with either lower internal financial constraints or external financial constraints are less affected by the yen's appreciation. In addition, if firms face high external financial constraints, only reducing the internal financial constraints cannot help them mitigate the impact of the yen's appreciation on their exports. Thus, an accommodative financial environment also plays an important role in alleviating the impact that the yen's appreciation has on Japanese exports.
Two Decades of Declining Poverty but Rising Inequality in Laos
Authors: Warr Peter , Rasphone Sitthiroth , Menon Jayant
Published: June 2018

Over the past two decades consumption inequality has risen within Laos, while absolute poverty incidence has halved. The estimated Gini coefficient of private household expenditures per person rose from 0.311 to 0.364. This increase in the sample‐based estimate of inequality was statistically significant and occurred in all regions, in both rural and urban areas and among all major ethnic, educational and sectoral employment categories. Within‐group increases in inequality dominated between‐group changes. Official policy largely overlooks this point, focusing on reducing inequality between rather than within major groups. Economic inequality seems certain to become a more pressing policy concern.
Changes in the quality of meat (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum) from Kamieniec lambs during long‐term freezer storage
Authors: Daszkiewicz Tomasz , Purwin Cezary , Kubiak Dorota , Fijałkowska Maja , Kozłowska Emilia , Antoszkiewicz Zofia
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to determine changes in the quality of lamb meat (Longissimus thoracis et lumborum), which was vacuum‐packaged and freezer‐stored (−26°C) for 6 and 12 months. The experiment was performed on 12 male lambs of the Kamieniec Longwool breed, raised to 106 days of age. In comparison with fresh meat, thawed meat was characterized by lower ash content, higher pH, greater natural drip loss and cooking loss, and lower scores for taste intensity. Vacuum packaging and low‐temperature storage protected lamb meat against oxidative changes, and alleviated the adverse effects of oxidation on the color, aroma and taste of meat. It can be concluded that freezer storage (−26°C) of vacuum‐packaged meat can help meet consumer demand for lamb meat products in periods when fresh meat is unavailable. However, it should be noted that long‐term frozen storage induces undesirable changes in meat quality, including a decrease in water‐holding capacity and taste intensity.
A longitudinal examination of social connectedness and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents
Authors: Gunn John F. , Goldstein Sara E. , Gager Constance T.
Published: June 2018

Background

This study examines the relationship between three different types of social connectivity and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Methods

Using the Add Health dataset, three domains of social connection were explored: parental connection, school connection, and social integration. Logistic regression was used to examine whether changes over time in connectedness predicted suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Results

Youth whose difference scores on social integration and parental connectedness increased were less likely to experience suicidal ideation. Increases in difference scores for perceived school connectedness protected youth who reported ideation from engaging in a suicide attempt.

Conclusions

Perceptions of social connection are key factors in understanding adolescent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It is important to consider social connection across different relationship contexts.
Vocation and encounter: A Scandinavian theological reflection on everyday life as Christians
Authors: Nahnfeldt Cecilia
Published: June 2018

Martin Luther turned from understanding vocation as a Christian praxis of leaving the world to understanding it as a praxis within everyday life. In accordance with such an understanding, historically, vocation in the Scandinavian countries was central for organizing society as a whole. This article discusses a contemporary use of vocation where there is a tension between communal and individual aspects in a Scandinavian context characterized by democracy, gender equality, and migration. I then propose a focus on vocation and encounter.
Battle Christologies as a risky act of resistance à la Jesus: A South African perspective
Authors: Urbaniak Jakub
Published: June 2018

This study depicts African “battle Christologies” as a risky act of resistance à la Jesus, that is, concomitant of Jesus’ own life in terms of their modus operandi. Their christic features are discussed in contradistinction to the mainstream Western christological tradition. Only by probing the dynamics of power and difference inherent in the cultural appropriations of Jesus can their specific performative consequences be accurately captured. In light of the study, some methodological considerations are being offered with regard to the way in which prophetic theology should be done in post‐apartheid South Africa and the Global South in general.
Calvary and the church broken for the world
Authors: Saler Robert C.
Published: June 2018

The film Calvary raises a host of issues around how the movie‐going public understands clergy. Perceptions of clergy are often caught between expectations of hypocrisy and accusations of naivety. By subverting any sharp distinctions between that which is “holy” and that which is fully human in the calling of the priest, the movie demonstrates a kind of cinematic Christology that is also instructive for ecclesiological purposes, particularly when put in dialogue with the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the same subject.
A biobjective feature selection algorithm for large omics datasets
Authors: Cavique Luís , Mendes Armando B. , Martiniano Hugo F.M.C. , Correia Luís
Published: June 2018

Feature selection is one of the most important concepts in data mining when dimensionality reduction is needed. The performance measures of feature selection encompass predictive accuracy and result comprehensibility. Consistency‐based methods are a significant category of feature selection research that substantially improves the comprehensibility of the result using the parsimony principle. In this work, the biobjective version of the algorithm logical analysis of inconsistent data is applied to large volumes of data. In order to deal with hundreds of thousands of attributes, heuristic decomposition uses parallel processing to solve a set covering problem and a cross‐validation technique. The biobjective solutions contain the number of reduced features and the accuracy. The algorithm is applied to omics datasets with genome‐like characteristics of patients with rare diseases.
Unusual microbial mat‐related structural diversity 2.1 billion years ago and implications for the Francevillian biota
Authors: Aubineau Jérémie , El Albani Abderrazak , Chi Fru Ernest , Gingras Murray , Batonneau Yann , Buatois Luis A. , Geffroy Claude , Labanowski Jérôme , Laforest Claude , Lemée Laurent , Mángano Maria G. , Meunier Alain , Pierson‐Wickmann Anne‐Catherine , Recourt Philippe , Riboulleau Armelle , Trentesaux Alain , Konhauser Kurt O.
Published: June 2018

The 2.1‐billion‐year‐old (Ga) Francevillian series in Gabon hosts some of the oldest reported macroscopic fossils of various sizes and shapes, stimulating new debates on the origin, evolution and organization of early complex life. Here, we document ten representative types of exceptionally well‐preserved mat‐related structures, comprising “elephant‐skin” textures, putative macro‐tufted microbial mats, domal buildups, flat pyritized structures, discoidal microbial colonies, horizontal mat growth patterns, wrinkle structures, “kinneyia” structures, linear patterns and nodule‐like structures. A combination of petrographic analyses, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and organic elemental analyses of carbon‐rich laminae and microtexture, indicate a biological origin for these structures. The observed microtextures encompass oriented grains, floating silt‐sized quartz grains, concentrated heavy minerals, randomly oriented clays, wavy‐crinkly laminae and pyritized structures. Based on comparisons with modern analogues, as well as an average δ13C organic matter (Corg) composition of −32.94 ± 1.17‰ (1 standard deviation, SD) with an outlier of −41.26‰, we argue that the mat‐related structures contain relicts of multiple carbon pathways including heterotrophic recycling of photosynthetically derived Corg. Moreover, the relatively close association of the macroscopic fossil assemblages to the microbial mats may imply that microbial communities acted as potential benthic O2 oases linked to oxyphototrophic cyanobacterial mats and grazing grounds. In addition, the mat's presence likely improved the preservation of the oldest large colonial organisms, as they are known to strongly biostabilize sediments. Our findings highlight the oldest community assemblage of microscopic and macroscopic biota in the aftermath of the “Great Oxidation Event,” widening our understanding of biological organization during Earth's middle age.
In Situ Oxygen Isotope Determination in Serpentine Minerals by Ion Microprobe: Reference Materials and Applications to Ultrahigh‐Pressure Serpentinites
Authors: Scicchitano Maria Rosa , Rubatto Daniela , Hermann Jörg , Shen Tingting , Padrón‐Navarta José Alberto , Williams Ian S. , Zheng Yong‐Fei
Published: June 2018

We present the first investigation of in situ oxygen isotopes in serpentine minerals by sensitive high‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP). Chemically homogeneous samples of antigorite (δ18O = 8.30 ± 0.12‰), chrysotile (δ18O = 4.37 ± 0.02‰) and lizardite (δ18O = 5.26 ± 0.20‰) analysed by laser fluorination are identified as potential reference materials. They were analysed by SHRIMP to assess their homogeneity compared with the San Carlos olivine, as well as for potential matrix bias and crystal orientation effects. The reproducibility achieved for all samples was ± 0.30–0.55‰ (95% confidence level). Matrix bias between antigorite/olivine and antigorite/lizardite was up to ~ +3‰ and −1‰, respectively. Crystal orientation effects were identified only in chrysotile, and no matrix bias was observed over the investigated compositional range within each serpentine mineral. The new reference materials were used to measure the oxygen isotope composition of serpentines in an ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphic belt from Tianshan (China). By combining oxygen isotopes and trace element microanalyses, several stages of serpentinisation were recognised: (a) seafloor alteration, (b) recycling of internal metamorphic fluids during isothermal decompression and (c) shallow interaction with meteoric water during exhumation. No interaction with fluids derived from the surrounding metapelites during subduction was identified.
A public‐good approach to environmental economy
Authors: Choi Jai‐Young , Yu Eden S.H.
Published: June 2018

This paper investigates the economic implications of environment in the 2 × 3 Heckscher–Ohlin model by expounding the multidimensional roles of the environment for the economy: as a public input used to produce goods and services; as a by‐product dependent on the composition of goods and services; and as a public good directly affecting social utility. It is shown that the sectoral environment‐output responses play a critical role for determining the economy's factor prices, outputs, employment, and welfare, and that, in a dynamically stable (unstable) environment, the optimal policy is free trade (a production tax‐cum‐subsidy scheme).
Extracellular vesicles and microvascular pathology: Decoding the active dialogue
Authors: Hosseini‐Beheshti Elham , Grau Georges E. R.
Published: June 2018

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are a heterogeneous collection of membrane‐surrounded structures released from all studied cells, under both physiological and pathological conditions. These nano‐size vesicles carry complex cargoes including different classes of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids and are known to act as a communication and signalling vesicles in various cellular process. In addition to their role in development and progression of pathological disorders which make them potentially great biomarkers, EV have beneficial effects, as they take part in homeostasis. In this review we have analysed the evidence for the role of microvesicles and exosomes secreted from other cells on microvascular endothelium (EV uptake) as well as the role of endothelial‐derived vesicles on their neighbouring and distant cells (EV release).
Evolution and inevitability
Authors: Tattersall Ian
Published: June 2018

Questions not only about the nature of evolution but also about the vastness of the Universe are addressed, as are speculations about the nature of life had evolution taken another route or on other planets.
(Rescaled) Multi‐Attempt Approximation of Choice Model and Its Application to Assortment Optimization
Authors: Chung Hakjin , Ahn Hyun‐Soo , Jasin Stefanus
Published: June 2018

When designing an assortment, a fundamental trade‐off exists between estimating consumer behavior more precisely and solving the corresponding optimization problem efficiently. For instance, a mixture of logit model can closely approximate any random‐utility choice model; however, it is not suitable for optimization when the number of customer segments and the number of products considered are large. As many companies are using big data and marketing analytics toward microsegmenting consumers, a choice model that is amenable in the problem size becomes necessary for assortment design. In this work, we provide a new approach to approximate any random‐utility choice model by characterizing the estimation errors in a classical exogenous demand model and significantly improving its performance with a rescaling method. We show that the resulting approximation is exact for Multinomial Logit (MNL). If, however, the underlying true choice model is not MNL, we show numerically that the approximation under our so‐called rescaled two‐attempt model outperforms the widely used MNL approximation, and provides performance close to the Markov chain approximation (in some cases, it performs better than the Markov chain approximation). Our proposed approximation can be used to solve a general assortment optimization problem with a variety of (linear) real‐world constraints. In contrast to the more direct Mixed Integer Optimization (MIO) approach that utilizes Latent Class Multinomial Logit (LC‐MNL), whose running time increases exponentially in the number of mixtures, our approximation yields an alternative MIO formulation whose empirical running time is independent of the number of mixtures.
Effects of endurance exercise training on inflammatory circulating progenitor cell content in lean and obese adults
Authors: Niemiro Grace M. , Allen Jacob M. , Mailing Lucy J. , Khan Naiman A. , Holscher Hannah D. , Woods Jeffrey A. , De Lisio Michael
Published: June 2018

Key points

Chronic inflammation underlies many of the health decrements associated with obesity.

Circulating progenitor cells can sense and respond to inflammatory stimuli, increasing the local inflammatory response within tissues.

Here we show that 6 weeks of endurance exercise training significantly decreases inflammatory circulating progenitor cells in obese adults.

These findings provide novel cellular mechanisms for the beneficial effects of exercise in obese adults.

Circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) and subpopulations are normally found in the bone marrow, but can migrate to peripheral tissues to participate in local inflammation and/or remodelling. The purpose of this study was to compare the CPC response, particularly the inflammatory‐primed haematopoietic stem and progenitor (HSPC) subpopulation, to a 6 week endurance exercise training (EET) intervention between lean and obese adults. Seventeen healthy weight (age: 23.9 ± 5.4 years, body mass index (BMI): 22.0 ± 2.6 kg m−2) and 10 obese (age: 29.0 ± 8.0 years, BMI: 33.1 ± 6.0 kg m−2) previously sedentary adults participated in an EET. Blood was collected before and after EET for quantification of CPCs and subpopulations via flow cytometry, colony forming unit assays and plasma concentrations of C‐X‐C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12), granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF), and chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2). Exercise training reduced the number of circulating HSPCs and adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT‐MSCs). EET increased the colony forming potential of granulocytes and macrophages irrespective of BMI. EET reduced the number of HSPCs expressing the chemokine receptor CCR2 and the pro‐inflammatory marker TLR4. EET‐induced changes in adipose tissue‐derived MSCs and bone marrow‐derived MSCs were negatively related to changes in absolute fitness. Our results indicate that EET, regardless of BMI status, decreases CPCs and subpopulations, particularly those primed for contribution to tissue inflammation.
Macroeconomic evidence suggests that asylum seekers are not a “burden” for Western European countries
Authors: d’Albis Hippolyte , Boubtane Ekrame , Coulibaly Dramane
Published: June 2018

We use an econometric model to show that asylum seekers do not deteriorate host countries’ economic performance or fiscal balance.
The brain-penetrant clinical ATM inhibitor AZD1390 radiosensitizes and improves survival of preclinical brain tumor models
Authors: Durant Stephen T. , Zheng Li , Wang Yingchun , Chen Kan , Zhang Lingli , Zhang Tianwei , Yang Zhenfan , Riches Lucy , Trinidad Antonio G. , Fok Jacqueline H. L. , Hunt Tom , Pike Kurt G. , Wilson Joanne , Smith Aaron , Colclough Nicola , Reddy Venkatesh Pilla , Sykes Andrew , Janefeldt Annika , Johnström Peter , Varnäs Katarina , Takano Akihiro , Ling Stephanie , Orme Jonathan , Stott Jonathan , Roberts Caroline , Barrett Ian , Jones Gemma , Roudier Martine , Pierce Andrew , Allen Jasmine , Kahn Jenna , Sule Amrita , Karlin Jeremy , Cronin Anna , Chapman Melissa , Valerie Kristoffer , Illingworth Ruth , Pass Martin
Published: June 2018

Preclinical data highlight AZD1390 as a potentially powerful new therapy to enhance brain tumor patient responses to radiotherapy.
Prosthesis with neuromorphic multilayered e-dermis perceives touch and pain
Authors: Osborn Luke E. , Dragomir Andrei , Betthauser Joseph L. , Hunt Christopher L. , Nguyen Harrison H. , Kaliki Rahul R. , Thakor Nitish V.
Published: June 2018

A multilayered e-dermis allows a prosthesis and an amputee to perceive a range of innocuous and noxious tactile stimuli.
Surveillance of Genetic Variations Associated with Antimalarial Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum Isolates from Returned Migrant Workers in Wuhan, Central China
Authors: Yao Yi , Wu Kai , Xu Mingxing , Yang Yan , Zhang Yijing , Yang Wenjing , Shang Ronghua , Du Weixing , Tan Huabing , Chen Jiangtao , Lin Min , Li Jian
Published: June 2018

Antimalarial drug resistance developed in
Plasmodium falciparum
has become a problem for malaria control. Evaluation of drug resistance is the first step for effective malaria control.
Sequencing the Vine of the Soul: Full Chloroplast Genome Sequence of
Banisteriopsis caapi
Authors: Ramachandran Padmini , Zhang Ning , McLaughlin William B. , Luo Yan , Handy Sara , Duke James Alan , Vasquez Rodolfo , Ottesen Andrea
Published: June 2018

Banisteriopsis caapi
is a native South American vine that has been used for centuries by certain tribes along the Amazon basin to treat illnesses. In this study, we present the fully annotated chloroplast genome of
Banisteriopsis caapi
.
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas sp. Strain B1, Isolated from a Contaminated Sediment
Authors: Pathak Ashish , Jaswal Rajneesh , Stothard Paul , Brooks Scott , Chauhan Ashvini
Published: June 2018

The draft genome sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. strain B1, isolated from a contaminated soil, is reported. The genome comprises 6,706,934 bases, 6,059 coding sequences, and 70 RNAs and has a G+C content of 60.3%. A suite of biodegradative genes, many located on genomic islands, were identified from strain B1, further enhancing our understanding of the versatile pseudomonads.
Sequencing and Annotation of the Genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MYC004, a Strain Causing Meningitis in Mexico
Authors: Guillén-Nepita Ana Laura , Negrete-Paz Andrea Monserrat , Vázquez-Marrufo Gerardo , Cruz-Hernández Andrés , Fresia Pablo , Naya Hugo , Vázquez-Garcidueñas Ma Soledad
Published: June 2018

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strain MYC004 was isolated from a Mexican patient with tuberculous meningitis, the most aggressive form of tuberculosis. The draft genome sequence is the first of a meningeal strain of
M. tuberculosis
reported from Latin America and consists of 4,411,530 bp, including 4,251 protein-encoding genes.
Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus subtilis Strain DKU_NT_02, Isolated from Traditional Korean Food Using Soybean (Chung-gook-jang) for High-Quality Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Activity
Authors: Bang Man-Seok , Jeong Hee-Won , Lee Yea-jin , Lee Su Ji , Lee Sang-Cheol , Shin Jang-In , Oh Chung-Hun
Published: June 2018

The complete genome sequence of
Bacillus subtilis
strain DKU_NT_02, isolated from traditional Korean food using soybeans (chung-gook-jang), is presented here. This strain was chosen to help identify genetic factors with high-quality poly-γ-glutamic acid (γPGA) activity.
Six Whole-Genome Assemblies of Yersinia pestis subsp. microtus bv. ulegeica (Phylogroup 0.PE5) Strains Isolated from Mongolian Natural Plague Foci
Authors: Kislichkina Angelina A. , Bogun Alexandr G. , Kadnikova Lidiya A. , Maiskaya Nadezhda V. , Solomentsev Viktor I. , Sizova Angelika A. , Dentovskaya Svetlana V. , Balakhonov Sergey V. , Anisimov Andrey P.
Published: June 2018

Here, we report the draft genome sequences of six
Yersinia pestis
subsp.
microtus
bv. ulegeica strains isolated from the territory of Mongolia and representing the 0.PE5 phylogroup circulating in populations of voles and picas.
Genome Sequences of Shewanella baltica and Shewanella morhuae Strains Isolated from the Gastrointestinal Tract of Freshwater Fish
Authors: Castillo Daniel , Gram Lone , Dailey Frank E.
Published: June 2018

We present here the genome sequences of
Shewanella baltica
strain CW2 and
Shewanella morhuae
strain CW7, isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of
Salvelinus namaycush
(lean lake trout) and
Coregonus clupeaformis
(whitefish), respectively. These genome sequences provide insights into the niche adaptation of these specific species in freshwater systems.
Complete Coding Sequences of Five Dengue Virus Type 2 Clinical Isolates from Venezuela Obtained through Shotgun Metagenomics
Authors: Lizarazo Erley , Couto Natacha , Vincenti-Gonzalez Maria , Raangs Erwin C. , Jaenisch Thomas , Friedrich Alex W. , Tami Adriana , Rossen John W.
Published: June 2018

Dengue is a disease endemic in Latin American countries, like Venezuela, and has become one of the most important public health problems. We report five complete coding sequences of dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) isolated from DENV-infected patients in Venezuela. Phylogenetic analysis placed the isolates within the American/Asian genotype.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Patulin-Producing Fungus Paecilomyces niveus Strain CO7
Authors: Biango-Daniels Megan N. , Wang Tristan W. , Hodge Kathie T.
Published: June 2018

Paecilomyces niveus
is an extremotolerant fungus with surprising powers to survive high temperatures and infect apples and aphids. These abilities make it a formidable enemy in food and agricultural environments. In addition, it produces patulin, the most significant mycotoxin in apples.
Draft Genome Sequence of Klebsiella sp. Strain C31 Isolated from a Malaysian Tropical Peat Swamp Forest
Authors: Too Chin Chin , Ong Kuan Shion , Ankenbrand Markus J. , Lee Sui Mae , Yule Catherine M. , Keller Alexander
Published: June 2018

We report here the draft genome of
Klebsiella
sp. strain C31, a bacterial isolate from the North Selangor peat swamp forest in Malaysia. The putative genes for the biogeochemical processes of the genome were annotated and investigated.
Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis LABIM40, an Effective Antagonist of Fungal Plant Pathogens
Authors: Baptista Julia Pezarini , Sanches Paula Pinheiro , Teixeira Gustavo Manoel , Morey Alexandre Tadachi , Tavares Eliandro Reis , Yamada-Ogatta Sueli Fumie , da Rocha Sérgio Paulo Dejato , Hungria Mariangela , Ribeiro Renan Augusto , Balbi-Peña Maria Isabel , Chideroli Roberta Torres , Pereira Ulisses de Padua , de Oliveira Admilton Gonçalves
Published: June 2018

Bacillus velezensis
strain LABIM40 holds high potential for biological control of plant pathogens. Its complete genome contains one chromosome of 3,972,310 bp with 3,777 DNA coding sequences and displays 33 gene clusters potentially involved in the suppression of fungal pathogens.
Metagenome Sequences of a Thermophilic Anaerobic Digester Adapted to a Low C/N Ratio, High-Ammonia Feedstock (Poultry Litter)
Authors: Huber David H. , Chavarria-Palma Jesus E. , Malkaram Sridhar A. , Montenegro-Garcia Natalia A. , Lhilhi Noundou Vadesse , Ugwuanyi Ifeoma R. , Espinosa-Solares Teodoro
Published: June 2018

We sequenced the metagenome of a pilot-scale thermophilic digester with long-term, stable performance on poultry litter feedstock which has a very low C/N ratio, a high ammonia level, and high lignocellulose content.
Firmicutes
were the dominant phylum (68.9%).