bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antithrombin Activity of Intact Human Platelets
Authors: Watanabe Kiyoake , Chao Francis C , Tullis James L
Published: July 2018

Antithrombin activity has been identified in intact washed human platelets. An apparent activity was demonstrated at platelet concentrations above 0.31 × 109/ml, when platelet suspensions were incubated with 2.0 NIH units/ml of thrombin. Neither red cells nor white cells revealed antithrombin activity. No significant loss of the platelet antithrombin activity was observed after ten successive washings or after treatment of platelets with antibodies to antithrombin III or α2-macroglobulin. Almost the same amount of antithrombin activity as normal platelets was demonstrated in the platelets from an afibrinogenemic patient. Pre-treatment of platelets with trypsin, papain, and neuroaminidase reduced the activity significantly, whereas lipase was without effect. The platelet antithrombin reacted with thrombin in less than 3 seconds, and this rapid reaction of platelet antithrombin was different from that of plasma antithrombin III or fibrinogen. The thrombin-like clotting activity of ancrod was inhibited by fibrinogen but not platelets. Also, unlike plasma antithrombin III or fibrinogen, brief exposure to heat (56° C or 60° C) reduced considerable amounts of platelet antithrombin activity. These results suggest that platelets possess a specific antithrombin with different characteristics from other known antithrombins.
Patho-physiological Studies on Lactic Acid-induced Pulmonary Thrombosis in Rat
Authors: Tomikawa Munehiro
Published: July 2018

The roles of platelet aggregation and coagulo-fibrinolytic systems in thrombogenesis of lactic acid-induced pulmonary thrombosis in rat were studied using an anti-coagulant, platelet aggregation inhibitor, fibrinolytic or anti-fibrinolytic agents.

In normal rat, heparin (2.5 mg/kg), acetylsalicylic acid (30 mg/kg) and tranexamic acid (100 mg/kg) suppressed specifically coagulation, platelet aggregation induced by collagen or thrombin and fibrinolysis respectively. Urokinase (10,000 units/kg) activated powerfully fibrinolytic system in addition to suppressing slightly platelet aggregation.

The pretreatment with heparin, acetylsalicylic acid or urokinase markedly prevented the formation of thrombus initiated by the infusion of lactic acid at the doses used. Additive effect was also obtained by combined administration of these agents. On the other hand, it was interesting to note that tranexamic acid (100 mg/kg) did not affect the thrombus formation at all despite a potent anti-fibrinolytic effect of this agent.

These results indicate that both platelet aggregation and enhancement of coagulation activity are important factors responsible for the formation of thrombi in DIC, while the fibrinolytic activity in blood seems not to be involved in it. On the basis of the findings, mechanism for triggering activation of coagulation and platelet aggregation is also discussed here.
The Comparative Ultrastructure of Fibrin Induced by Thrombin and by Staphylocoagulase
Authors: King M. J. S , Morris M. S , Tager M
Published: July 2018

Fibrin induced by the action of thrombin and by staphylocoagulase was studied by transmission electron microscopy.

Periodic striations were consistently observed in the negatively stained preparations of both fibrins. When 4200 major periods in the thrombin fibrin system were measured the mean length was 228 Å. For 3666 major periods in the coagulase fibrin system the mean length was 223 Å. While the T test analysis of these values gave a value of 10, it is noteworthy that the differences are well within the scatter of periodicity reported in the literature for thrombin-induced fibrin.

Gross inspection of the preparations indicated that the coagulase-induced fibrin had a knottier appearance and was accompanied by a greater amount of background debris than the thrombin-induced fibrin.
Plasma Fibrinolytic Activity Following Oral Anabolic Steroid Therapy
Authors: Walker I. D , Davidson J. F , Young P , Conkie J. A
Published: July 2018

Six anabolic steroids were assessed for their ability to enhance plasma fibrinolytic activity in males with ischaemic heart disease. Five 17α-alkylated steroids (Ethyloestrenol, Norethandrolone, Methandienone, Methylandrostenediol and Oxymetholone) were examined and all produced a significant increase in plasma plasminogen activator as measured by the euglobulin lysis time. The only non-17α-alkylated steroid studied (Methenolone acetate) failed to enhance fibrinolysis. The 17α-alkylated steroids studied all deserve more detailed evaluation of their long term effects on plasma fibrinolytic activity.
Local Treatment of Recent Arterial Thromboembolic Occlusions with Brinase
Authors: Nyman D , da Silva M. A , Widmer L. K , Duckert F
Published: July 2018

Brinase was administered intra-arterially in 16 patients with thrombotic or embolic arterial occlusions. Angiography could be performed before and after treatment in 13 patients. Thrombolysis was obtained in 3 of 9 patients with thrombotic and in 3 of 4 patients with embolic occlusions. In 3 patients severe local side effects occurred.
Fluid Mechanical Stress and the Platelet
Authors: Goldsmith Harry L , Yu Simmon S. K , Marlow Jean
Published: July 2018

Platelet thrombi in suspensions stirred in an aggregometer or subjected to shear flow in a Couette viscometer or circular tube can only form as a result of collisions between the cells. In whole blood, the presence of the red cells results in pronounced lateral displacements of the paths of the platelets through the vessel, which in turn increases the frequency of collisions between platelets and also makes possible platelet-wall interactions. In addition, blood cells in a suspension undergoing shear flow are subjected to fluid stresses which can result in their deformation. Such stresses may locally attain high values in the arterial circulation at bifurcations, sharp bends and stenoses where the flow is disturbed. Since platelet thrombi have been found downstream of sites of such geometry, the effects of high and variable shear stress on the platelet release reaction and aggregation were investigated. Washed platelets containing C14-serotonin in Tyrodes-albumin solution were subjected to oscillatory flow at 37° C and provided the time average wall velocity gradient was above 2,000 sec-1, the thrombin-induced release of serotonin was appreciably greater than in the corresponding controls incubated at rest. No measurable serotonin was released as a result of flow alone. This synergistic effect of oscillatory shear flow was also noted in the presence of inhibitors of the release reaction.
Effects of Vancomycin on Platelets, Plasma Proteins and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
Authors: Coller Barry S , Lundberg W. B , Gralnick Harvey R
Published: July 2018

The antibiotic vancomycin shares many similarities with ristocetin, an agent noted for its effects on platelets and plasma fibrinogen. Vancomycin did not aggregate platelets as ristocetin, but platelets were incorporated into precipitates induced by vancomycin. Fibrinogen and factor VIII were precipitated from plasma at low concentrations of vancomycin. The precipitated fibrinogen remained clottable. Hepatitis B surface antigen was selectively precipitated from serum and could be recovered from the precipitate. Rabbits receiving bolus intravenous injections of high doses of vancomycin developed hypofibrinogenemia and thrombocytopenia within minutes and often went on to die. Studies with 125I-vancomycin revealed little stable binding of the antibiotic to platelets or fibrinogen. A relationship is suggested between the potent protein precipitating effects and phlebitis at the infusion site commonly associated with vancomycin therapy.
Hyperaggregability of Platelets in Thromboembolic Disorders
Authors: Yamazaki Hiroh , Takahashi Takeo , Sano Tadahiro
Published: July 2018

Platelet aggregability was measured using platelet rich plasma (PRP) collected from 197 clinical cases including 52 healthy volunteers. In 31 patients of acute stage of thrombosis (within 2 weeks from the onset), a significant enhancement of platelet aggregation measured 5 min after an addition of 3 and 10 μM ADP or 0.1 and 1 μg/ml of adrenaline to PRP (p < 0.05, compared to the healthy group). Also a significant enhancement of secondary aggregation induced by adrenaline was observed (p <0.05). The enhancement was especially marked in the response induced by adrenaline. Such an enhancement was not observed in patients in the recovery stage of thrombosis, hypertension, angina pectoris and other miscellaneous diseases. There was no difference in the parameters related to the velocity of aggregation or intensity of primary aggregation between the diseased and the healthy group. In response induced by collagen (bovine achules tendon, 0.3 and 1 mg/ml) any difference in the aggregation curve was not observed between the diseased and the healthy group. Such findings suggest a presence of an enhancement of ADP-release mechanism of platelets in acute thrombosis. Also a significance of adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation was proposed to detect platelet functions for analysis of mechanism of thromboembolic disorders.
The Position of Long-Term Stimulation of the Endogenous Fibrinolytic System: Present Achievements and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Verstraete M
Published: July 2018

There is reasonable evidence in favour of the assumption made by several investigators that patients with thrombosis of arteries or veins, or cutaneous vasculitis have, very often, a low spontaneous fibrinolytic activity. The use of long-term activators of blood fibrinolytic activity such as diguanides and anabolic steroids was shown to increase the activators to normal levels in the above mentioned and other conditions. In many instances, but not all, this induced increase of fibrinolytic activity resulted in an improved clinical condition and prevention of venous thrombosis. At the present time, there are indications that new and more powerful compounds will cause a sustained stimulation of the fibrinolytic potential and be useful for the prevention of thrombotic disorders. Some of these compounds, which have been investigated only partly at the clinical level, appear to approach the requirements of a useful oral fibrinolytic agent and it is hoped that from these observations further improvements in this range of drugs will be made.
Determination of Human Fibrinopeptide A by Radioimmunoassay in Purified Systems and in the Blood
Authors: Budzynski A. Z , Marder V. J
Published: July 2018

The formation of fibrin clots or circulating soluble fibrin is accompanied by the appearance of fibrinopeptides. Measurement of the fibrinopeptide concentration in plasma can provide important information on the rate of conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin by thrombin. This rate varies under different physiologic and pathologic conditions. Fibrinopeptide A is a better molecular marker of the conversion than fibrinopeptide B since it is the first peptide to be cleaved by thrombin. A radioimmunoassay technique has been developed for the quantitative determination of human fibrinopeptide A. The procedure detects human fibrinopeptide A at a concentration of approximately 0.05 ng/ml. The fibrinopeptide A concentration in plasma of normal persons was found to be approximately 0.5 ng/ml. The variation of fibrinopeptide A content in normal persons may reflect its rapid formation and catabolism. A significantly increased concentration of this peptide was found in a patient during defibrination therapy with a purified enzyme from the venom of Agkistrodon rho-dostoma and in patients suffering from retinal vascular occlusions.
Mini-Dose Heparin
Authors: Wessler Stanford
Published: July 2018

Mini-dose heparin has demonstrated a significant decrease in postoperative deep venous thrombosis as manifested by 125I fibrinogen venous limb scans. Whether a similar benefit in lethal pulmonary emboli can be demonstrated is currently under active investigation in England and the Continent. If this European multicenter trial yields a positive result, a safe method for the primary prevention of postoperative pulmonary emboli will have been established. Such a result would encourage evaluation of mini-dose heparin for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism among patients with acute myocardial infarction and perhaps for arterial thrombosis complicating coronary arterial bypass surgery.

The late Carl V. Moore, when told of the original Kakkar trial and the rationale behind it, said “well, if it doesn’t work, it ought to!” That may be the way many sympathetic investigators, myself included, feel about mini-dose heparin, but in the end everyone knows that the decisions will be based on hard data.
Calculation of Predictive Odds for Possible Carriers of Haemophilia
Authors: Prentice C. R. M , Forbes C. D , Morrice Sandra , McLaren A. D
Published: July 2018

Betting odds for possible carriers of haemophilia have been calculated using data derived from normal and known carrier populations. For each possible carrier the concentration of factor VIII-related antigen and factor VIII biological activity was measured and used to determine the probability of the individual being a carrier. The calculations indicated that, of the 32 possible carriers, 11 were likely to be normal (odds of more than 5:1) while 11 were likely to be haemophilia carriers (again odds of more than 5:1).
Evans Blue: A Specific Inhibitor of Factor VIII-Induced Platelet Agglutination
Authors: Kirby E. P
Published: July 2018

Low concentrations of Evans Blue ( < 1 μM) inhibit the agglutination of formalin-treated platelets by bovine Factor VIII or by human Factor VIII in the presence of the antibiotic ristocetin. Evans Blue is a specific inhibitor of this reaction and acts by inhibiting the binding of Factor VIII to the platelet surface.
A Six-Channel Automated Platelet Aggregometer
Authors: Adams J , Heptinstall S , Mitchell J. R. A
Published: July 2018

A simple automated platelet aggregometer is described which allows six plasma samples to be handled concurrently.
Vergleichende Studien verschiedener Methoden zur Bestimmung von r-Hirudin in vitro
Authors: Hoppensteadt Debra , Koza M. , Pifarre R. , Fareed J. , Walenga Jeanine
Published: July 2018

Zur Bestimmung von rekombinantem (r-)Hirudin stehen auf der Gerinnselbildung beruhende, amidolytische, immunologische und physikochemische Techniken zur Verfügung. Die globalen Tests wie PTZ, aPTT und Heptest reagieren nicht ausreichend auf r-Hirudin in dem Bereich von 0,5 bis 10,0 μg/ml, in dem volle Antikoagulation erreicht wird, wie dies aus Thrombosemodellen im Tierversuch hervorgeht. Der Thrombinzeittest mit 10 E/ml war sehr empfindlich auf r-Hirudin, die Kalzium-Thrombin-Gerinnungszeitmit 10 E/ml reagierte dosisabhängig in einem Bereich von 0,15 bis 10,0 μg/ml. Vollblutgerinnungstests wie ACT und Thrombelastographie messen den r-Hirudinspiegel bis 25 μg/ml effektiv. Der amidolytische Anti-Faktor-IIa-Test, spezifisch für die Beurteilung der direkten Thrombinhemmung, war besonders dann sehr effektiv, wenn das Probenvolumen im Verhältnis zur Thrombinkonzentration zur Bestimmung höherer r-Hirudinkonzentrationen vermindert wurde. Dieser Test könnte für die Qualitätskontrolle geeignet sein, da er biochemisch definiert ist und die Reagenzien leicht standardisiert werden können. Thrombinbildungstests auf der Basis synthetischer Substrate zeigten eine nur geringe Wirkung von r-Hirudin; hingegen wiesen Tests, die auf der Bildung von Thrombin-Antithrombin-Komplexen und auf der Bildung von Prothrombinfragment F1+2 beruhen, eine dosisabhängige Reaktion auf. Immunologische Methoden (ELISA) sind in der Entwicklung. Da diese Tests sowohl das gebundene als auch das freie r-Hirudin bestimmen und da sie bereits auf Submikrogrammspiegel empfindlich sind, dürften sie nur für die direkte Bestimmung der absoluten r-Hirudinspiegel, nicht aber für die Überwachung der klinischen Antikoagulation geeignet sein.
Exogenous application of phenylacetic acid promotes root hair growth and induces the systemic resistance of tobacco against bacterial soft-rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum
Authors: Sumayo Marilyn S. , Son Jin-Soo , Ghim Sa-Youl
Published: July 2018

Phenylacetic acid (PAA) was evaluated for its capability to promote plant growth and induce systemic resistance in tobacco (Nicotianum tabacum L cv. Xanthi) against the bacterial soft rot pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (PCC). Exogenous application of PAA influenced root formation, the activities of defence-related enzymes and the expression of defence and growth-related genes. Increased formation of lateral roots can be observed in tobacco treated with higher PAA concentrations. The highest elicitation of induced systemic resistance (ISR) was found in plants treated with 0.5 mM PAA, where the phytotoxic effect was minimal. The activities of the defence enzymes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD) and polyphnenoloxidase (PPO) were modulated upon treatment with different PAA concentrations. Reverse transcription–PCR analyses showed that 0.5 mM PAA modulated the expression of the growth-related genes NtEXP2 and NtEXP6, and the defence-related genes Coi1, NPR1, PR-1a and PR-1b. These results showed that different concentrations of PAA can elicit different responses and effects on tobacco growth and resistance. This study presents the important role of PAA not only on plant growth but also for plant immunity against phytopathogens.
A critical literacy proposal for exploring conflict and immigrant identities in the classroom
Authors: Archakis Argiris , Tsakona Villy
Published: July 2018

In this paper we intend to show that conflict emerging from multiple and competing perspectives on social reality, may not necessarily be avoided in class, but it could instead become the starting point of critical discussions among teachers and students. To this end, we focus on the exploitation of essays written by immigrant students attending Greek Lyceums (15–18 years old) to promote conflict-dialogue processes in class, which are most compatible with critical literacy. We suggest that language teaching concentrating on texts including immigrant experiences and ambivalent identities constructed by immigrant students, could underline the conflict between majority expectations or pressures and minority efforts to adjust to a complex, often inhospitable context. Such a conflict could enhance immigrant and non-immigrant students’ critical literacy by bringing to the surface and critically discussing assimilationist and monoculturalist ideologies, thus promoting a culturally sustaining pedagogy.
Uncivil Twitter
Authors: Terkourafi Marina , Catedral Lydia , Haider Iftikhar , Karimzad Farzad , Melgares Jeriel , Mostacero-Pinilla Cristina , Nelson Julie , Weissman Benjamin
Published: July 2018

Using four tweets by Steven Salaita about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that resulted in the retraction of his academic job offer in September 2014 as our case study, we investigate the role of Twitter in the shaping and reception of the controversial messages. Our analysis combines Gricean pragmatics with im/politeness and hate-speech research to reveal a complex layering of potential meanings stemming from what is linguistically encoded in each tweet. Their construal as hate speech, in particular, depends on which of these potential meanings critics chose to focus upon. We account for this finding by considering the diversity of potential audiences of a tweet and suggest that the effects of context collapse on implicated meanings can be especially detrimental. Competition for attention among incoming tweets, Twitter’s central affiliative function and applicable length restrictions can, nevertheless, place a premium on communicating such meanings.
Swearing, moral order, and online communication
Authors: Jay Timothy
Published: July 2018

This paper addresses problems with swearing on the internet. The opening section of the paper defines swearing (uttering offensive emotional speech) as a ubiquitous form of impolite human behavior. Swearing can occur wherever humans communicate with each other and that it appears in computer-mediated communication (CMC) is not surprising. The second section documents how swearwords appear in email, blogs, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube and in other practices and sites (trolling, 4chan). Swearword use is situated in the context of emerging research on impoliteness and moral order (politeness norms and standards that govern internet behavior). Online swearword use is a function of moral order, as well as users’ interpersonal characteristics such as age (younger more likely than older users), gender (men more likely than women), the time of day (later in the day and evening), and a website’s social composition (adversarial and male dominated more than homogeneous friendly sites). The paper concludes with suggestions for dealing with internet swearword use where regulation is desirable and feasible. Websites and communities should develop moral order norms that at a minimum restrict illegal forms of speech (e.g., credible threats of violence, workplace sexual harassment).
Theoretically onMock Politeness in English and Italian
Authors: Dynel Marta
Published: July 2018

This essay offers insights into the problematic notions of irony, sarcasm and mock politeness, inspired by Charlotte Taylor’s recent monographMock Politeness in English and Italian. A Corpus-Assisted Metalanguage Analysis. Different understandings of the concept of mock politeness, as well as sarcasm and irony, are succinctly depicted. Some explanation is also provided for the contradictory findings reported in previous scholarship with regard to the im/politeness effects of irony. Additionally, this paper revisits Taylor’s select conclusions about the use of the first-order labels that she considers pertinent to mock politeness (i.e. labels used by lay language users).
Cultural routes: tourist destinations and tools for development.
Authors: Timothy D. J.
Published: June 2018

This chapter deals with cultural heritage-focused trails and routes. It describes several different types of heritage trails, and examines the important role these play in protecting a destination's cultural heritage and supporting its socio-economic development.
Diaspora in the service of state: the state of Israel, Jews and the Dimona nuclear project
Authors: Mualem Yitzhak
Published: July 2018

The memory of the Holocaust and fear of a campaign similar to the one waged in World War II against the Jewish community in Israel, led David Ben-Gurion’s purely realistic thinking to secure the state’s survival at all costs. The State of Israel as a Jewish state could only survive if it had the all means to overcome its existential struggle with the Arab states. The ultimate, most effective means were nuclear weapons. Ben-Gurion demanded the mobilization of all the power that lay within the grasp of the Jewish people by arguing that the existence of the state was the means for the continued existence of the Jewish people. Therefore he recruited the best scientists among world Jewry and raised the funds to realize this goal. This was achieved in two processes, scientific and organizational, and in two channels, the American and French.
Evaluation of EELS spectrum imaging data by spectral components and factors from multivariate analysis
Authors: Zhang Siyuan , Scheu Christina
Published: June 2018

Multivariate analysis is a powerful tool to process spectrum imaging datasets of electron energy loss spectroscopy. Most spatial variance of the datasets can be explained by a limited numbers of components. We explore such dimension reduction to facilitate quantitative analyses of spectrum imaging data, supervising the spectral components instead of spectra at individual pixels. In this study, we use non-negative matrix factorization to decompose datasets from Fe2O3 thin films with different Sn doping profiles on SnO2 and Si substrates. Case studies are presented to analyse spectral features including background models, signal integrals, peak positions and widths. Matlab codes are written to guide microscopists to perform these data analyses.
Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour
Authors: Pinter-Wollman Noa , Penn Alan , Theraulaz Guy , Fiore Stephen M.
Published: July 2018

Built structures, such as animal nests or buildings that humans occupy, serve two overarching purposes: shelter and a space where individuals interact. The former has dominated much of the discussion in the literature. But, as the study of collective behaviour expands, it is time to elucidate the role of the built environment in shaping collective outcomes. Collective behaviour in social animals emerges from interactions, and collective cognition in humans emerges from communication and coordination. These collective actions have vast economic implications in human societies and critical fitness consequences in animal systems. Despite the obvious influence of space on interactions, because spatial proximity is necessary for an interaction to occur, spatial constraints are rarely considered in studies of collective behaviour or collective cognition. An interdisciplinary exchange between behavioural ecologists, evolutionary biologists, cognitive scientists, social scientists, architects and engineers can facilitate a productive exchange of ideas, methods and theory that could lead us to uncover unifying principles and novel research approaches and questions in studies of animal and human collective behaviour. This article, along with those in this theme issue aims to formalize and catalyse this interdisciplinary exchange.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour’.
Whole genome scan reveals the multigenic basis of recent tidal marsh adaptation in a sparrow
Authors: Deane-Coe P. , Butcher B. G. , Greenberg R. , Lovette I. J.
Published: July 2018

Natural selection acts on functional molecular variation to create local adaptation, the “good fit” we observe between an organism’s phenotype and its environment. Genomic comparisons of lineages in the earliest stages of adaptive divergence have high power to reveal genes under natural selection because molecular signatures of selection on functional loci are maximally detectable when overall genomic divergence is low. We conducted a scan for local adaptation genes in the North American swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), a species that includes geographically connected populations that are differentially adapted to freshwater vs. brackish tidal marshes. The brackish tidal marsh form has rapidly evolved tolerance for salinity, a deeper bill, and darker plumage since colonizing coastal habitats within the last 15,000 years. Despite their phenotypic differences, background genomic divergence between these populations is very low, rendering signatures of natural selection associated with this recent coastal adaptation highly detectable. We recovered a multigenic snapshot of ecological selection via a whole genome scan that revealed robust signatures of selection at 31 genes with functional connections to bill shape, plumage melanism and salt tolerance. As in Darwin’s finches, BMP signaling appears responsible for changes in bill depth, a putative magic trait for ecological speciation. A signal of selection at BNC2, a melanocyte transcription factor responsible for human skin color saturation, implicates a shared genetic mechanism for sparrow plumage color and human skin tone. Genes for salinity tolerance constituted the majority of adaptive candidates identified in this genome scan (23/31) and included vasoconstriction hormones that can flexibly modify osmotic balance in tune with the tidal cycle by influencing both drinking behavior and kidney physiology. Other salt tolerance genes had potential pleiotropic effects on bill depth and melanism (6/31), offering a mechanistic explanation for why these traits have evolved together in coastal swamp sparrows, and in other organisms that have converged on the same “salt marsh syndrome”. As a set, these candidates capture the suite of physiological changes that coastal swamp sparrows have evolved in response to selection pressures exerted by a novel and challenging habitat.
A new counter-intuitive therapy for adult amblyopia
Authors: Claudia Lunghi , Tindara Sframeli Angela , Antonio Lepri , Martina Lepri , Domenico Lisi , Alessandro Sale , Concetta Morrone Maria
Published: July 2018

Visual cortex plasticity is high during a critical period of early postnatal development, but rapidly diminishes with the transition to adulthood. Accordingly, visual disorders such as amblyopia (lazy eye), can be treated early in life by long-term occlusion of the non-amblyopic eye, but may become irreversible in adults, because of the decline in brain plasticity. Here we show that a novel counter-intuitive approach can promote the recovery of visual function in adult amblyopic patients: short-term occlusion of the amblyopic (not the fellow) eye, combined with physical exercise (cycling). After six brief (2h) training sessions, visual acuity improved in all ten patients (0.15±0.02 LogMar), and six of them also recovered stereopsis. The improvement was preserved for up to one year after training. A control experiment revealed that physical activity was crucial for the recovery of visual acuity and stereopsis. Thus, we propose a non-invasive therapeutic strategy for adult human amblyopia based an inverse-occlusion and physical exercise procedure.
SCAMP4 enhances the senescent cell secretome
Authors: Kim Kyoung Mi , Noh Ji Heon , Bodogai Monica , Martindale Jennifer L. , Pandey Poonam R. , Yang Xiaoling , Biragyn Arya , Abdelmohsen Kotb , Gorospe Myriam
Published: July 2018

The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is a major trait of senescent cells, but the molecular regulators of SASP factor secretion are poorly understood. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that secretory carrier membrane protein 4 (SCAMP4) levels were strikingly elevated on the surface of senescent cells compared with proliferating cells. Interestingly, silencing SCAMP4 in senescent fibroblasts reduced the secretion of SASP factors, including interleukin 6 (IL6), IL8, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), and IL7, while, conversely, SCAMP4 overexpression in proliferating fibroblasts increased SASP factor secretion. Our results indicate that SCAMP4 accumulates on the surface of senescent cells, promotes SASP factor secretion, and critically enhances the SASP phenotype.
Preparation of In Vitro-Transcribed RNA for Microinjection
Authors: Yamanaka Yojiro
Published: July 2018

Perhaps the most crucial step for success in microinjection of RNAs is the preparation of the in vitro–transcribed RNA.
Microinjection of RNA into Mouse Zygotes
Authors: Yamanaka Yojiro
Published: July 2018

This protocol describes the injection of RNA into zygotes.
Transfection Mediated by DEAE-Dextran
Authors: Kumar Priti , Nagarajan Arvindhan , Uchil Pradeep D.
Published: July 2018

Here, we describe two variations on the classical DEAE-dextran transfection procedure. The first involves a brief exposure of cells to a high concentration of DEAE-dextran and yields higher transfection frequencies but elevated cellular toxicity. The second involves a longer exposure of cells to a lower concentration of DEAE-dextran, which produces lower transfection frequencies but increased cell survival.
Gateway-Compatible Yeast One-Hybrid and Two-Hybrid Assays
Authors: Reece-Hoyes John S. , Walhout Albertha J.M.
Published: July 2018

In the first section of this introduction, we provide background information for yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays that provide a genetic method for the identification and analysis of binary protein–protein interactions and that are complementary to biochemical methods such as immunoprecipitation. In the second section, we discuss yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays that provide a “gene-centered” (DNA-to-protein) genetic method to identify and study protein–DNA interactions between cis-regulatory elements and transcription factors (TFs). This method is complementary to “TF-centered” (protein-to-DNA) biochemical methods such as chromatin immunoprecipitation.
Object field of organizational culture: methodological conceptualization
Authors: Shymko Vitalii
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a system view of the organizational culture, given entropy of theoretical and methodological outlooks on the phenomenon alongside simultaneous growth of number of research reports.

Design/methodology/approach

Sequential structural and ontological analysis of the Schein’s (2004) point of view on organization culture enabled to form a way of system comprehension of the respective object field on conscious and unconscious levels.

Findings

Structural ontology of organizational culture is represented by the mythopoetic concept of organization, which is a composition of unconscious motives reflecting standard and management peculiarities of functioning characteristic of a certain group.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed methodological discourse actualizes a hypothesis on organizational unconscious as a specific factor of organizational culture and begets a respective direction of the further research studies.

Originality/value

This is the first methodological concept that provides a system comprehension of the object field of organizational culture. The concept has important implications for methodological designs of further research studies and systematization of already obtained data within the domain.
Aligning business process maturity level with SMEs growth in Indonesian fashion industry
Authors: Andriani Made , Samadhi T.M.A. Ari , Siswanto Joko , Suryadi Kadarsah
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This study aims to develop a business process maturity model, especially on operation processes, based on the characteristics of each organisational growth stage, to increase small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth. With this information, SMEs can identify their needs and priorities for business process improvement based on the characteristics that are inherent in the organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model was developed by reviewing the literature on previous studies related to the organisational life cycle and its characteristics, as well as a business process maturity model. Furthermore, historical case studies were conducted to validate the proposed model. Case study objects in this research were fashion industry companies that have grown from an SME scale to national level.

Findings

The results of this research indicate that the characteristics of each growth stage are different, which led to increased complexity and maturity of business processes run. Therefore, SMEs should pay attention to their growth stages, as a basis to improve their business process maturity, especially on the critical processes, which are evaluate products performance, design products and services and monitor sales. Through this model, SMEs can determine the business’ current growth stage and use the proposed model as guidance for business process improvement to accelerate organisational growth.

Research limitations/implications

Validation of the proposed model was done by conducting a historical case study. To generalise the model, it is recommended to survey similar industry and test quantitatively using statistical methods. However, further research can be used in other industries that might yield different results. Besides, this research can also be developed in the supporting process categories.

Practical implications

This study provides a practical guide for SMEs to identify their current growth stage, and implement the measurement of business process maturity level. Maturity level standard at every growth stage can be used in determining the priority of business process improvement to drive organisational growth.

Originality/value

Through this research, the BPMM method was developed to enable SMEs to implement a self-evaluation process without seeking external assistance and assess their needs through a clear and understandable scale allowing for further development of the business. By using this method, SMEs can manage their business processes maturity level to encourage its growth.
Organizational political climate and employee engagement in political behavior in public sector organizations
Authors: Kidron Aviv , Vinarski Peretz Hedva
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how the organizational political climate as a contextual antecedent contributes to individual engagement in political behavior; and the moderating role of organizational commitment and trust in local government organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods integration and an explanatory-sequential mixed methods design were used. Data were collected from 217 managers and employees, and 16 interviews were conducted. Data were collected in sequence, and the quantitative results were explained by the qualitative data.

Findings

The results suggest that political climate is related to political behavior and that both trust and affective commitment are negatively related to political climate. Trust moderated between political climate and political behavior. However, affective commitment moderated by the political climate and political behavior only for women. The qualitative results suggest that men perceive organizational politics as having more positive outcomes than women.

Practical implications

Human resource practitioners and managers can use this model to gain insights into their organizational political climate and to implement practices that will foster a climate that is functional and positive and which will cultivate a positive subjective experience in the workplace for their employees.

Originality/value

The mixed methods design for studying the contextual-organizational antecedent (perception of political climate) for politicking and individual engagement in political behavior may serve to expand the theory of organizational politics.
Testing the self-selection theory in high corruption environments: evidence from African SMEs
Authors: Gomes Emanuel , Vendrell-Herrero Ferran , Mellahi Kamel , Angwin Duncan , Sousa Carlos M.P.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Whilst substantial evidence from low-corruption, developed market environments supports the view that more productive firms are more likely to export, there has been little research into analysing the link between productivity and exports in high corruption, developing market environments. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to test the premise of self-selection theory whether the association between productivity and export is maintained in high-corruption environments, and second to identify other variables explaining export activity in high-corruption contexts, including cluster networks and firms’ competences.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors draw on the World Bank Enterprise survey to undertake a cross-section analysis including 1,233 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in nine African countries. The advantage of this database is that it contains information about the level of perceived corruption at firm level. Logistic regressions are performed for the full sample and for subsamples of firms in high- and low-corruption environments.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the self-selection theory only applies to low-corruption environments, whereas in high-corruption environments, alternative factors such as cluster networks and outward-looking competences (OLC) exert a stronger influence on the exporting activity of African SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the theory as it provides evidence that contradicts the validity of self-selection theory in high-corruption environments. The findings would benefit from further longitudinal investigation.

Practical implications

African SMEs need to consider cluster networks and OLC as important strategic factors that might enhance their international competitiveness.

Originality/value

The criticism of the self-selection theory is distinctive in the literature and has important implications for future research. The authors show that the contextualisation of existing theories matters and this opens a research avenue for further more sensitive contextualisation of existing theories in developing economies.
Students’ perceptions of changes to the learning environments of undergraduate physics laboratories
Authors: Thomas Gregory , Meldrum Al
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceptions to changes to the learning environment of their undergraduate physics laboratories, in which their scientific inquiry processes were stimulated.

Design/methodology/approach

The activities students engaged in were redesigned to reflect a guided inquiry approach and to acknowledge modern-day advances in science and technology. Further, enhanced guidance was provided for laboratory instructors regarding the nature of scientific inquiry and how to structure students’ inquiry experiences during laboratory sessions. Students’ views were sought regarding their perceptions of the impact of the reforms on the laboratory learning environments, their thinking processes in those environments and their views regarding the reform’s value and appropriateness.

Findings

Analyses of quantitative and qualitative data suggested that students responded positively to the reforms implemented. Large effect sizes of between 0.70 and 1.20 suggested significant positive shifts in students’ perceptions of dimensions of their laboratory learning environments. In interviews, students expressed that they had engaged in the cognitive processes of scientific inquiry and suggested that the reforms had stimulated such “inquiry” thinking. However, their perceptions of the value and appropriateness of such inquiry-oriented laboratory learning environments were mixed.

Originality/value

Concerns persist in higher education in relation to the extent of students’ inquiry processes in undergraduate physics laboratories. Reforms to both the activities that students engage in and to instructional strategies are necessary. Raising awareness of the views expressed by students might help inform future reforms that accommodate those views to further enhance similar reforms.
Lessons from adopting a maker approach to teaching operating systems with Raspberry Pi
Authors: Wong Wing-Kwong
Published: July 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a maker’s approach to teaching an operating systems (OSs) course in which students apply knowledge of OSs to making a toy robot by focusing on input/outputs, hardware devices and system programming.

Design/methodology/approach

Classroom action research is involved in this study.

Findings

After the course was taught in this maker’s approach in two consecutive school years, some observations were reported. Students were enthusiastic in doing a series of assignments leading to the completion of a toy robot that follows a black line on the ground. In addition to enjoying the learning process by making tangible products, the students were excited to be able to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they learned with the robots they made.

Research limitations/implications

The research results were based mainly on the instructor’s observations during the lectures and labs.

Practical implications

Lessons from this study can inspire other instructors to turn traditional engineering courses into maker courses to attract students who enjoy making. Industry should welcome engineering graduates to join the companies with more hands-on experiences they have gained from maker courses.

Social implications

Although the maker movement has attracted much attention in K12 education, there is little research that studies how this maker spirit can be incorporated in traditional engineering courses that focus mainly on theories or software.

Originality/value

Including electronics and mechanical components in programming assignments would bring surprising effects on students’ motivation in learning.
Consumer demand for and effects of tax on sparkling and non-sparkling bottled water in the United States
Authors: Zheng Wen , Dharmasena Senarath , Capps Jr Oral , Janakiraman Ramkumar
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting consumer demand for and the effects on tax on sparkling and non-sparkling bottled water in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Using nationally representative data from 62,092 households and tobit econometric procedure, conditional and unconditional factors affecting the demand for sparkling and non-sparkling bottled water were estimated.

Findings

The own-price elasticity of demand for sparkling and non-sparkling bottled water is −0.664 and −0.229, respectively. Coffee, fruit drinks, whole milk and tea are substitutes for non-sparking bottled water. Non-sparking bottled water, coffee, fruit drinks and whole milk are substitutes for sparking bottled water. Household income, race, region and presence of children significantly affect the demand for bottled water. A 10 percent increase in price due to a tax on bottled water decreased plastic use by 50 grams per household per year. This is equivalent to saving 9.5m pounds of plastic annually.

Research limitations/implications

Data used in this analysis only captured at-home consumption of bottled water by US households. While tax on bottled water may reduce the consumption of bottled water, it may increase the consumption of competitive beverages such as carbonated soft drinks or fruit drinks. Although the use of plastic with regards to water bottles may go down as a result of the tax, the plastic consumption could go up with regards to consumers’ increased purchase of other beverages. This might contribute net increase plastic bottle consumption, undermining the effects of a bottled water tax.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to look at demand and tax aspects with regards to disaggregated bottled water products.
2017-2018 SEC whistleblowing review: insights and trends
Authors: Meshulam Deborah , Ramos Louis , Klein Benjamin
Published: July 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to unpack 2017-2018 US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) whistleblower developments and trends.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on statistics in the SEC’s 2017 Annual Report to Congress on the Whistleblower Program and examines post-report SEC whistleblower activity, including three SEC whistleblower awards in March 2018 totaling $80 million+.

Findings

Several notable whistleblowing developments and trends have emerged in recent years, including an increase in total tips; an increase in international tips; higher-value awards, including multiple awards in excess of $20m; and interest in punishing companies that discourage and/or retaliate against whistleblowers. In addition, the SEC recently issued its first-ever award under the Exchange Act’s “safe harbor” provision.

Originality/value

This paper contains valuable insights about the activities and priorities of the SEC Office of the Whistleblower from experienced securities and white-collar-litigation lawyers.