bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of extrasynapticN-methyl-d-aspartate and adenosine A1 receptors in the generation of dendritic glutamate-mediated plateau potentials
Authors: Oikonomou Katerina D. , Singh Mandakini B. , Rich Matthew T. , Short Shaina M. , Antic Srdjan D.
Published: May 2015

Thin basal dendrites can strongly influence neuronal output via generation of dendritic spikes. It was recently postulated that glial processes actively support dendritic spikes by either ceasing glutamate uptake or by actively releasing glutamate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We used calcium imaging to study the role of NR2C/D-containingN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and adenosine A1 receptors in the generation of dendritic NMDA spikes and plateau potentials in basal dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse prefrontal cortex. We found that NR2C/D glutamate receptor subunits contribute to the amplitude of synaptically evoked NMDA spikes. Dendritic calcium signals associated with glutamate-evoked dendritic plateau potentials were significantly shortened upon application of the NR2C/D receptor antagonist PPDA, suggesting that NR2C/D receptors prolong the duration of calcium influx during dendritic spiking. In contrast to NR2C/D receptors, adenosine A1 receptors act to abbreviate dendritic and somatic signals via the activation of dendritic K+current. This current is characterized as a slow-activating outward-rectifying voltage- and adenosine-gated current, insensitive to 4-aminopyridine but sensitive to TEA. Our data support the hypothesis that the release of glutamate and ATP from neurons or glia contribute to initiation, maintenance and termination of local dendritic glutamate-mediated regenerative potentials.
Regulation of neuronal excitability by release of proteins from glial cells
Authors: Igelhorst Birte A. , Niederkinkhaus Vanessa , Karus Claudia , Lange Maren D. , Dietzel Irmgard D.
Published: May 2015

Effects of glial cells on electrical isolation and shaping of synaptic transmission between neurons have been extensively studied. Here we present evidence that the release of proteins from astrocytes as well as microglia may regulate voltage-activated Na+currents in neurons, thereby increasing excitability and speed of transmission in neurons kept at distance from each other by specialized glial cells. As a first example, we show thatbasic fibroblast growth factorandneurotrophin-3, which are released from astrocytes by exposure to thyroid hormone, influence each other to enhance Na+current density in cultured hippocampal neurons. As a second example, we show that the presence of microglia in hippocampal cultures can upregulate Na+current density. The effect can be boosted by lipopolysaccharides, bacterial membrane-derived stimulators of microglial activation. Comparable effects are induced by the exposure of neuron-enriched hippocampal cultures totumour necrosis factor-α, which is released from stimulated microglia. Taken together, our findings suggest that release of proteins from various types of glial cells can alter neuronal excitability over a time course of several days. This explains changes in neuronal excitability occurring in states of thyroid hormone imbalance and possibly also in seizures triggered by infectious diseases.
Flexible tooling design technology for aircraft fuselage panel component pre-assembly
Authors: Li Xi-Ning , Dang Xiao-Gang , Xie Bao-Qiang , Hu Yu-Long
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop digital flexible pre-assembly tooling system for fuselage panels.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the paper analyzes the technological characteristics of fuselage panels and then determines the pre-assembly object. Second, the pre-assembly positioning method and assembly process are researched. Third, the panel components pre-assembly flexible tooling scheme is constructed. Finally, the pre-assembly flexible tooling system is designed and manufactured.

Findings

– This study shows the novel solution results in significantly smaller tooling dimensions, while providing greater stability. Digital flexible assembly is an effective way to reduce floor space, reduce delivery and production lead times and improve quality.

Practical implications

– The tooling designed in this case is actually used in industrial application. The flexible tooling can realize the pre-assembly for a number of fuselage panels, which is shown as an example in this paper.

Originality/value

– The paper suggests the fuselage panel pre-assembly process based on the thought including pre-assembly, the automatic drilling and riveting and jointing, and constructs a flexible tooling system for aircraft fuselage panel component pre-assembly.
Global challenges, sustainable development, and their implications for organizational performance
Authors: Virakul Busaya
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose an effective response by business organizations to the impact of global challenges and sustainable development (SD). It also presents an overview model of organizational performance employing such an approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is a conceptual work based upon a review of theories, research findings and reports gathered from relevant literature. The review yielded the following research framework: many countries are facing global challenges; these global challenges are affecting business organizations as external factors; SD is a concept employed to address these challenges; SD can be applied in business organizations through corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate governance (CG) and sustainability policy and practices; and embedding CSR, CG and sustainability concepts at a strategic level is an effective response to global challenges.

Findings

– Global challenges are impacting on business organizations and will continue to do so into the future. CSR, CG and sustainability concepts are increasingly being adopted by leading business organizations throughout the world. Embedding CSR, CG and sustainability concepts at a strategic level can sustain long-term organizational performance, as they help businesses face global challenges in a positive manner and maintain their position in societies on good terms with all stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

– Different cultural or socio-economic environments may limit the interpretation and application of the findings or propositions in this research.

Practical implications

– How CSR, CG and sustainability concepts can be holistically implemented in business practices.

Social implications

– The role of business in lessening the effect of global challenges and supporting SD is illustrated in the proposed model.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates connections among the following critical influences on organizational performance: global challenges; SD; and CSR, CG and sustainability.
Operational process stages of brand alliances
Authors: Tsai Chung-Ju , Lee Tzong-Ru (Jiun-Shen) , Yen Szu-Wei , Hilletofth Per
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this research is to investigate how companies in the reinforcing bar industry and the construction industry operate and implement brand alliances.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research uses a qualitative interview survey and the grounded theory method to extract key factors of brand alliance development and management in the targeted industries. The interview survey included six managers from different construction companies in Taiwan.

Findings

– This research identifies four common firm-level operational process stages (core categories) of brand alliances including different multidimensional factors, and proposes a conceptual model based on these identified core process stages. The four common core process stages include selection of brand alliance partners, communication with brand alliance partners, enforcement of brand alliances and assessment of brand alliances.

Originality/value

– The proposed model offers a tentative explanation of the development and management of brand alliances between the reinforcing bar industry and the construction industry. This study represents an initial research attempt in this field and explains how reinforcing bar and construction companies operate and implement brand alliances.
The impact of internal control requirements on profitability of Saudi shareholding companies
Authors: Al-Thuneibat Ali A. , Al-Rehaily Awad S. , Basodan Yousef A.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the compliance of Saudi shareholding companies with the requirements of internal control as set by the Saudi standard on internal control and its impact on the profitability of these companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire was used to collect data about the compliance with internal control requirements, and four measures of profitability including earnings per share (EPS), return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and profit margin (PM) for profitability were calculated using data from the financial statements of these companies. Then, Multiple Regression andt-test were used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses.

Findings

– The results of the study revealed that the degree of compliance with all components of internal control is very high. It also appears from the analysis that the effect of internal control and its components on ROA and ROE is significant and positive, while the effect on EPS and PM is positive but statistically insignificant.

Practical implications

– Corporate managements should review the effectiveness of the implementation of internal control requirements, especially those related to control environment, information and communication and monitoring.

Social implications

– The findings of the study shed light on the relevance of internal control systems of the Saudi shareholding companies in improving the financial performance of the these companies, which is expected to help in safeguarding the interests of all interest groups and improve the society’s well-being.

Originality/value

– The paper provides new evidence about the relationship between internal control and profitability in the Saudi Arabian environment. The findings of the study add good contribution to the literature because they direct our attention to the expected effect of the environment on the relationship between internal control and performance. The results may suggest that there is a need to expand this study using other methodologies to delve into the depths and understand this phenomenon within its context.
HSE management standards indicator tool and positive work-related outcomes
Authors: Toderi Stefano , Balducci Cristian
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if the Management Standards (MS) Indicator Tool developed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the assessment of work-related stress is associated with positive work-related outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 326 employees of an Italian firm filled in a questionnaire including the HSE Indicator Tool (measuring MS) and validated scales investigating personal development, job performance and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB). Regression analyses were run to evaluate the explained variance of the outcomes and the demands/control interaction effect hypothesized by Karasek’s active learning hypothesis.

Findings

– The MS explained variance of all the outcomes analysed and the active learning hypothesis was confirmed for personal development. Contrary to previous studies on negative stress-related outcomes, “job content” MS were the most important predictors. However, higher job demands were unexpectedly positively associated with the outcomes.

Practical implications

– Taking into account positive work-related outcomes could provide organizations with additional information for the development of interventions with greater emphasis on preventive orientation (improvement of health, well-being and motivation, rather than only work stress reduction).

Originality/value

– The study provides new insight into the relationship between MS and positive work-related outcomes, thus expanding the nomological network of the Indicator Tool questionnaire and giving empirical evidence to the notion of the “business case” for work stress prevention. Firms performing well on MS could expect greater worker development and higher performance.
The Pransky interview: Helen Greiner, Serial Robotics Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of CyPhy Works, CoFounder iRobot Corporation
Authors: Pransky Joanne
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The following article is a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry engineer-turned entrepreneur regarding the evolution, commercialization and challenges of bringing a technological invention to market.

Design/methodology/approach

The interviewee is innovator Helen Greiner, Founder and CEO of CyPhy Works. Ms Greiner describes her technical and business experiences delivering ground robots into the industrial, consumer and military markets, which led to her pioneering flying robot solutions.

Findings

Helen Greiner received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in computer science, both from MIT. She also holds an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Greiner is one of the three co-founders of iRobot Corp (Nasdaq: IRBT) and served as iRobot’s Vice President of Engineering (1990-1994), President (1994-2008), and Chairman (2004-2008). She founded CyPhy Works in 2008. Greiner has also served as the President, Board Member for the Robotics Technology Consortium; a Trustee for MIT; and is currently a Trustee for the Boston Museum of Science.

Originality/value

Inspired as a child by the movie Star Wars, Greiner’s life goal has been to create robots. Greiner was one of three people that founded iRobot Corporation and developed a culture of innovation that led to the Roomba Autonomous Vacuuming Robot. There are now more than 12 million Roombas worldwide. She also led iRobot’s entry into the military marketplace with the creation and deployment of over 6,000 PackBot robots. Greiner has received many awards and honors for her contributions in technology innovation and business leadership. She was named by the Kennedy School at Harvard in conjunction with the US News and World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders and was honored by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International with the prestigious Pioneer Award. She has also been honored as a Technology Review Magazine “Innovator for the Next Century” and has been awarded the DEMO God Award and DEMO Lifetime Achievement Award. She was named one of the Ernst & Young New England Entrepreneurs of the Year, invited to the World Economic Forum as a Global Leader of Tomorrow and Young Global Leader and has been inducted in the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.
A modified welding image feature extraction algorithm for rotating arc narrow gap MAG welding
Authors: Li Wenhang , Ji Yunhong , Wu Jing , Wang Jiayou
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a modified welding image feature extraction algorithm for rotating arc narrow gap metal active-gas welding (MAG) welding, which is significant for improving the accuracy and reliability of the welding process.

Design/methodology/approach

An infrared charge-coupled device (CCD) camera was utilized to obtain the welding image by passive vision. The left/right arc position was used as a triggering signal to capture the image when the arc is approaching left/right sidewall. Comparing with the conventional method, the authors’ sidewall detection method reduces the interference from arc; the median filter removes the welding spatter; and the size of the arc area was verified to reduce the reflection from welding pool. In addition, the frame loss was also considered in the authors’ method.

Findings

The modified welding image feature extraction method improves the accuracy and reliability of sidewall edge and arc position detection.

Practical implications

The algorithm can be applied to welding seam tracking and penetration control in rotating or swing arc narrow gap welding.

Originality/value

The modified welding image feature extraction method is robust to typical interference and, thus, can improve the accuracy and reliability of the detection of sidewall edge and arc position.
Power pylon detection and monocular depth estimation from inspection UAVs
Authors: Araar Oualid , Aouf Nabil , Vallejo Dietz Jose Luis
Published: May 2015

Purpose

This paper aims to present a new vision-based approach for both the identification and the estimation of the relative distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and power pylon. Autonomous power line inspection using small UAVs, has been the focus of many research works over the past couple of decades. Automatic detection of power pylons is a primary requirement to achieve such autonomous systems. It is still a challenging task due to the complex geometry and cluttered background of these structures.

Design/methodology/approach

The identification solution proposed, avoids the complexity of classic object recognition techniques. Instead of searching the whole image for the pylon template, low-level geometric priors with robust colour attributes are combined to remove the pylon background. The depth estimation, on the other hand, is based on a new concept which exploits the ego-motion of the inspection UAV to estimate its distance from the pylon using just a monocular camera.

Findings

An algorithm is tested on a quadrotor UAV, using different kinds of metallic power pylons. Both simulation and real-world experiments, conducted in different backgrounds and illumination conditions, show very promising results.

Research limitations/implications

In the real tests carried out, the Inertial Navigation System (INS) of the vehicle was used to estimate its ego-motion. A more reliable solution should be considered for longer distances, by either fusing INS and global positioning system data or using visual navigation techniques such as visual odometry.

Originality/value

A simple yet efficient solution is proposed that allows the UAV to reliably identify the pylon, with still a low processing cost. Considering a monocular solution is a major advantage, given the limited payload and processing power of such small vehicles.
Energy efficient actuators with adjustable stiffness: a review on AwAS, AwAS-II and CompACT VSA changing stiffness based on lever mechanism
Authors: Jafari Amir , Tsagarakis Nikos , Caldwell Darwin
Published: May 2015

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss, analyze and compare members of a group of actuators with adjustable stiffness, namely: AwAS, AwAS-II and CompACT variable stiffness actuator (VSA) developed at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

Design/methodology/approach

These actuators are among series type of VSAs where one main motor is dedicated for link positioning and a secondary motor, in series with the first one, regulates the output link stiffness. Regulating the stiffness in this group of actuators is based on the lever concept. Initially, springs were moved along the lever to tune the stiffness while in the later versions stiffness was regulated through relocating pivot point along the lever.

Findings

This paper discusses how different mechanisms have been employed in realization of the lever concept in these actuators and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each realization.

Practical implications

Today’s robots are not supposed to be solid, isolated and rigid anymore but rather adaptive, cooperative and compliant entities in our daily life. The new attitudes demand for novel technologies substantially different from those developed for industrial domains both at the hardware and the software levels. This work presents latest three state-of-the-art actuators, developed at IIT, which are great answers to the needs of tomorrow’s robot.

Originality/value

These novel actuators are really ready for commercial exploitation, as they are compact and reliable. The main novelty is based on employing concept of lever mechanism for stiffness regulation. They have been designed and manufactured in a very professional and optimized way.
Reusing industrial robots to achieve sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Bi Z.M. , Liu Yanfei , Baumgartner Blane , Culver Eric , Sorokin J.N. , Peters Amanda , Cox Blaine , Hunnicutt Jessica , Yurek John , O’Shaughnessey Stephen
Published: May 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the importance of redesigning, reusing, remanufacturing, recovering, recycling and reducing (6R) to sustainable manufacturing and discuss the general procedure to reconfigure robots. Two critical challenges in adopting industrial robots in small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) are flexibility and cost, as the number of tasks of the same type can be limited because of the size of an SME. The challenges can be alleviated by 6R. The 6R processes allow a robot to adopt new tasks, increase its utilization rate and reduce unit costs of products.

Design/methodology/approach

There is no shortcut to implement sustainable manufacturing. All of the manufacturing resources in a system should be planned optimally to reduce waste and maximize the utilization rates of resources. In this paper, modularization and reconfiguration are emphasized to implement 6R processes in sustainable manufacturing; robots are especially taken into consideration as core functional modules in the system. Modular architecture makes it feasible to integrate robots with low-cost customized modules for various tasks for the high utilization rates. A case study is provided to show the feasibility.

Findings

Finding the ways to reuse manufacturing resources could bring significant competitiveness to an SME, in the sense that sophisticated machines and tools, such as robots, can be highly utilized even in a manufacturing environment with low or medium product volumes. The concepts of modularization and 6R processes can be synergized to achieve this goal.

Research limitations/implications

The authors propose the strategy to enhance the utilization rates of core manufacturing resources using modular architecture and 6R practice. The axiomatic design theory can be applied as the theoretical fundamental to guide the 6R processes; however, a universal solution in the implementation is not available. The solutions have to be tailored to specific SMEs, and the solutions should vary with respect to time.

Practical implications

To operate a sustainable manufacturing system, a continuous design effort is required to reconfigure existing resources and enhance their capabilities to fulfill new tasks in the dynamic environment.

Social implications

The authors focus on the importance of sustainable manufacturing to modern society, and they achieve this goal by reusing robots as system components in different applications.

Originality/value

Sustainable manufacturing has attracted a great deal of attention, although the operable guidance for system implementation is scarce. The presented work has thrown some light in this research area. The 6R concept has been introduced in a modular system to maximize the utilizations of critical manufacturing resources. It is particularly advantageous for SMEs to adopt sophisticated robots cost-effectively.
Cultural and functional diversity in the elementary classroom: strategies for teachers
Authors: Cousik Rama
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss current issues and provide suggestions for solutions. Today’s classrooms across schools in the USA are increasingly diverse. This diversity encompasses students from a myriad of cultural and linguistic and backgrounds’ academic performance levels. Teacher training programs and schools are making efforts to enhance teacher knowledge in regards to this cultural and functional diversity. Problems continue to exist because it is challenging to clearly perceive the connections between the two and identify cultural basis for school performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article provides suggestions for teachers to enhance their own understanding of how cultural and ethnic diversity affects student performance and improve classroom practice in inclusive settings.

Findings

– The author argues there is a need for a systemic effort that encourages an ongoing debate over cultural and functional diversity, improves teacher knowledge in the area of best practices in teaching children from diverse cultural and functional backgrounds and fosters collaboration among schools and families.

Originality/value

– This article is an original look at teacher training for cultural and functional classroom diversity in the USA.
Obsolescence – a cause for concern?
Authors: Grover Richard , Grover Christine
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review what is known about obsolescence and its causes, and provide a critique of how it is reflected in valuations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method has been to review the literature on obsolescence to examine the main causes and whether there are approaches that can identify the vulnerability of buildings to the business models they are designed to satisfy becoming outmoded.

Findings

– Obsolescence is an inherent part of the way in which market economies function as new competitors disrupt established business models. Investors need better methods to evaluate the risk that obsolescence poses to their portfolios.

Practical implications

– Obsolescence can result in significant unpredicted losses of value.

Originality/value

– Much of the literature on obsolescence treats it in the same way as depreciation without recognising its unpredictable nature. The paper explores alternative approaches to how obsolescence might be measured.
Towards a transaction-based hotel property price index for Europe
Authors: Roubi Sherif
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to fill an existing gap in the field. A transaction-based hotel price index for Europe is constructed to provide a true measure for hotel real estate performance. The index will enable investors enhance investment decisions in many ways: to assess individual property performance; to make an objective decision about where to invest and in which property type; to assess the relative performance of hotel assets to all other sectors and consequently reach optimal funds allocation decisions. This will allow investors to time their acquisitions/disposals according to the hotel property cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data include 495 hotel property transactions in Europe during the period between 2004 and 2013. Transaction prices and property characteristics were collected from a variety sources published by hotel agents and consultants, property magazines, newspapers, tourist board, individual property and hotel association registers and web sites. Data include property name, sale price, size, time of sale, location, buyers and sellers. A hedonic pricing model is developed where the transaction price is regressed on the different characteristics. The index is calculated by taking the anti-logs of regression coefficients of the year index.

Findings

– This paper claims that the hotel property price index (HPPI) portrays a more realistic picture of what happened to hotel property prices in 2008 showing a single digit negative growth vs the hotel valuation index which reports a double digit negative growth rate in European hotel prices during the same year. The real impact of recession showed on hotel property prices in 2009. HPPI shows a crash in hotel property prices by -23.7 per cent in 2009. The year 2011 was marked by more sales transacted through administrators and a looming double-dip recession. Unlike appraisal-based indices, HPPI does not suffer from sticky valuation issues and is not desensitise from distressed properties. Therefore, it was more volatile to distressed situations throughout the period between 2011 and 2013.

Research limitations/implications

– Results of this study should be considered with caution. There are limitations associated with transaction data including incompleteness or inaccuracies regarding price data, financing information for each deal, property tenure, and property characteristics.

Practical implications

– This work has successfully developed an HPPI for hotel property in Europe. This paper paves the way for transaction-based indices that are more volatile than existing appraisal-based indices. This represents a significant development in tracking price movements of hotel properties in Europe. The index has potential to support research and forecasting of the hotel property cycles.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfils an identified need to track hotel property prices and timing the hotel property cycle.
Capitalisation rates for commercial real estate investment decisions
Authors: McDonald John
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a basic model of commercial real estate valuation in which the capitalization rate is the critical variable, and to present empirical results for a study of office building capitalization rates.

Design/methodology/approach

– The model is derived from standard economic and financial theories. The empirical study uses data from the sale of office buildings in 37 downtown markets for 2012. The empirical results are related to concepts of asset market efficiency.

Findings

– The empirical results show that capitalization rates depend on features of the office buildings, vacancy rate, and recent change in the office building market as captured by the vacancy rate. In other words, investors are using variables implied by standard economic and financial theory and basic economic data from the recent past to determine the capitalization rate.

Practical implications

– The empirical results show how investors determine capitalization rates for office buildings, so potential investors can gauge the state of a property market.

Originality/value

– The paper shows that changes in capitalization rates are predictable; investors use past data to adjust their capitalization rates. Furthermore, if an investor does not agree that current trends will continue, then the investment decision should be determined accordingly. For example, if an investor thinks that the future will not be as robust as the recent past, then other investors will bid more than the investor thinks is reasonable. However, if the investor sees a future that is brighter than the recent past, it is time to buy.
Academic Entrepreneurship: Time for a Rethink?
Authors: Siegel Donald S. , Wright Mike
Published: May 2015

Academic entrepreneurship, which refers to efforts undertaken by universities to promote commercialization on campus and in surrounding regions of the university, has changed dramatically in recent years. Two key consequences of this change are that more stakeholders have become involved in academic entrepreneurship and that universities have become more ‘strategic’ in their approach to this activity. The authors assert that the time is ripe to rethink academic entrepreneurship. Specifically, theoretical and empirical research on academic entrepreneurship needs to take account of these changes, so as to improve the rigour and relevance of future studies on this topic. We outline such a framework and provide examples of key research questions that need to be addressed to broaden understanding of academic entrepreneurship.
Gender and Creative Labour
Authors: Conor Bridget , Gill Rosalind , Taylor Stephanie
Published: May 2015

Inequalities within the cultural and creative industries (CCI) have been insufficiently explored. International research across a range of industries reveals gendered patterns of disadvantage and exclusion which are, unsurprisingly, further complicated by divisions of class, and also disability and race and ethnicity. These persistent inequalities are amplified by the precariousness, informality and requirements for flexibility which are widely noted features of contemporary creative employment. In addition, women in particular are disadvantaged by the boundary-crossing (for instance, between home and work, paid work and unpaid work) and new pressures around identity-making and self-presentation, as well as continuing difficulties related to sexism and the need to manage parenting responsibilities alongside earning. This article introduces a new collection which explores these issues, marking the significance of gender for an understanding of creative labour in the neoliberal economy.
Unmanageable Inequalities: Sexism in the Film Industry
Authors: Jones Deborah , Pringle Judith K.
Published: May 2015

This article addresses the question of how gender inequalities are produced in the film industry. In the absence of industry or organizational interventions, these inequalities seem unmanageable. We present an exploration of the gendered working lives of below-the-line film workers in New Zealand, in the context of the western film industry. Repeatedly, women activists have pointed out that a perception of gender equity contradicts the statistics, which demonstrate traditional as well as ‘new’ forms of sexism. In this post-feminist context inequality is typically invisible and unspoken, and there is a thriving narrative of meritocracy based on talent and determination, where ‘you're only as good as your last job’. Below-the-line ‘crew’ are distinguished from creatives in a hierarchy of creativity. In the New Zealand film industry, they are not unionized, and there are no policies addressing gender. From their perspective, their powerlessness in terms of employment rights is taken as a given, a price they pay for doing their dream job. In spite of beliefs about merit, talent and the ‘good idea’, women's ‘good ideas’ and their work capabilities across a range of roles are less likely to be recognized and rewarded than those of men.
The Heroic Body: Toughness, Femininity and the Stunt Double
Authors: Banks Miranda J. , Steimer Lauren
Published: May 2015

This article explores the role of stunt women in film and television production, and considers their contribution to the construction of on-screen action heroines. Combining feminist theory with interviews with professional stunt women, the article illuminates stunt women's strategically hidden professional labour: on the set, on the screen, and in the popular press.
Does small‐game management benefit steppe birds of conservation concern? A field study in central Spain
Authors: Estrada A. , Delibes‐Mateos M. , Caro J. , Viñuela J. , Díaz‐Fernández S. , Casas F. , Arroyo B.
Published: May 2015

In Europe, hunting and game management are centuries‐old activities that have had profound effects on the landscapes and the biodiversity they support. Game management is a potentially important tool to enhance game populations and may also affect other wildlife. We investigated the relationship between red‐legged partridge Alectoris rufa game management and steppe‐bird abundance in central Spain. We surveyed 54 red‐legged partridge hunting estates with varying game‐management intensity in spring and/or summer in 2006 and 2008–2010. Information about game management was gathered through questionnaires to game managers. Birds were counted from fixed points and the amount of different land uses in each point was visually estimated. Our results show that the abundance of granivorous species (sandgrouse) increased significantly with the density of feeders, whereas non‐granivorous species were more abundant in estates with more intensive fox control, although the latter relationship was weaker. Land‐use variables, specifically agricultural lands, appeared in the models of all the groups considered. Therefore, there is an option for designing optimal management for red‐legged partridge estates that potentially benefits non‐target species: an effective combination of habitat management, adequate use of supplementary food and water, and possibly selective legal predator control when necessary and effective for the target game species, although the latter needs further investigation.
Clinical and biological determinants of melanoma progression: Should all be considered for clinical management?
Authors: Rowe Casey J , Khosrotehrani Kiarash
Published: May 2015

Cutaneous melanoma is a heterogeneous disease affecting the regulation of multiple genes and proteins that contribute to melanoma progression. Survival for patients with locally invasive disease varies greatly, even within tumour stages based on current prognostic criteria. This has prompted investigations into the value of additional clinical or biological parameters predicting survival. In particular, the improved knowledge of tumour biology has fed the hope that the outcome may be predicted at the molecular level. The prognostic value of numerous potential biomarkers has therefore been evaluated in protein and gene expression studies, and genomic associations with melanoma prognosis are beginning to emerge. These potential biomarkers interrogate key tumour and host processes important for tumour development and progression, such as proliferation, invasion and migration through epithelial mesenchymal transition or the host immune or vascular responses. This research may allow more individualised information on prognosis if the challenges regarding the quality and validation of studies are overcome.
C1 inhibitor function using contact‐phase proteases as target: evaluation of an innovative assay
Authors: Ghannam A. , Sellier P. , Defendi F. , Favier B. , Charignon D. , López‐Lera A. , López‐Trascasa M. , Ponard D. , Drouet C.
Published: May 2015

Background

Controlling prekallikrein activation by C1 inhibitor (C1Inh) represents the most essential mechanism for angioedema patient protection. C1Inh function in the plasma is usually measured based on the residual activity of the C1s protease not involved in the pathological process. We have hereby proposed an alternative enzymatic measurement of C1Inh function based on contact‐phase activation and correlation with angioedema diagnostic requirements.

Methods

The contact phase was reconstituted using the purified components, with C1Inh standard or plasma sample. The kinetics of the amidase activity were monitored using Pro‐Phe‐Arg‐pNA, independently of alpha2‐macroglobulin. We prevented any interference from a possible high plasma kininogenase activity by preincubating the samples with protease inhibitor. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were used to calculate the assay's diagnostic performance.

Results

The calibration curve was built using C1Inh standard (threshold limit 0.10 × 10−3 U, i.e., 0.2 pmol), and C1Inh function was quantified in the sample, with a reference interval established based on healthy individuals (n = 281; men: 0.61–1.10 U/ml, median: 0.85 U/ml; women: 0.42–1.08 U/ml, median: 0.74 U/ml). The median values of female donors were lower than those of the others due to estrogen, yet C1Inh function remained within the reference interval. The ROC curve calculation provided the following optimum diagnostic cutoff values: women 0.36 U/ml (area under curve [AUC]: 0.99; sensitivity: 93.48%; specificity: 99.37%); and men 0.61 U/ml (AUC: 1; sensitivity: 100.0%; specificity: 100.0%).

Conclusion

The performance outcome provided features suitable for angioedema diagnostic or follow‐up. Established by means of the kinin formation process, this assay should be preferred over the method based on a C1s protease target.
Changes in fitness are associated with changes in body composition and bone health in children after cancer
Authors: Dubnov‐Raz Gal , Azar Meital , Reuveny Ronen , Katz Uriel , Weintraub Michael , Constantini Naama W.
Published: May 2015

Aim

This study examined the effects of physical activity on the fitness, body composition and mental health of children after cancer or bone marrow transplantation.

Methods

We focused on 22 children aged from seven to 14 years who had received chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation in our medical centre. Ten children took part in a six‐month exercise programme, and 12 children who did not exercise formed the control group. At baseline and at the end of the trial, we measured aerobic fitness, body composition, bone density and assessed the child's mood and quality of life. We pooled all participants together post hoc to compare changes in fitness with the various study outcomes.

Results

We found no differences between groups in changes in fitness, body composition or mental health indices. Significant correlations were found between changes in aerobic fitness and changes in lean body mass (r = 0.74, p = 0.002), bone mineral content (r = 0.57, p = 0.026) and femoral neck bone mineral density (r = 0.59, p = 0.027) in all participants.

Conclusion

Group‐based exercise training did not improve aerobic fitness in children after cancer or bone marrow transplantation. However, changes in fitness throughout the study period were associated with changes in body composition and bone health in all participants.
Comparison of synovial fluid culture and 16S rRNA PCR in dogs with suspected septic arthritis
Authors: Scharf VF , Lewis DD , Wellehan JF , Wamsley HL , Richardson R
Published: May 2015

Objective

To prospectively compare the sensitivity and specificity of 16S rRNA PCR with culture for identifying the causative organism in synovial fluid obtained from dogs with suspected septic arthritis.

Methods

Synovial fluid cytology, PCR analysis and aerobic, anaerobic andMycoplasmaculture of samples from the affected joints of 18 dogs presenting with suspected septic arthritis were performed. Synovial fluid samples from the corresponding contralateral joints of 7 dogs were also analysed as negative controls.

Results

There was no significant difference between the sensitivity of bacterial detection via culture (63.2%) versus PCR (73.7%) of synovial fluid (P = 0.728) or between culture and combined PCR and culture (89.5%) of synovial fluid (P = 0.124). The specificity of PCR (42.9%) was significantly lower than culture specificity (100%) (P = 0.07).

Conclusion

Although 16S PCR may hold potential as an ancillary diagnostic test for identifying the causative organism in dogs with septic arthritis, our study failed to demonstrate improved accuracy compared with traditional synovial fluid culture.
Multiple testing for neuroimaging via hidden Markov random field
Authors: Shu Hai , Nan Bin , Koeppe Robert
Published: May 2015

Traditional voxel‐level multiple testing procedures in neuroimaging, mostlyp‐value based, often ignore the spatial correlations among neighboring voxels and thus suffer from substantial loss of power. We extend the local‐significance‐index based procedure originally developed for the hidden Markov chain models, which aims to minimize the false nondiscovery rate subject to a constraint on the false discovery rate, to three‐dimensional neuroimaging data using a hidden Markov random field model. A generalized expectation–maximization algorithm for maximizing the penalized likelihood is proposed for estimating the model parameters. Extensive simulations show that the proposed approach is more powerful than conventional false discovery rate procedures. We apply the method to the comparison between mild cognitive impairment, a disease status with increased risk of developing Alzheimer's or another dementia, and normal controls in the FDG‐PET imaging study of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Methodological approaches in MOOC research: Retracing the myth of Proteus
Authors: Raffaghelli Juliana Elisa , Cucchiara Stefania , Persico Donatella
Published: May 2015

This paper explores the methodological approaches most commonly adopted in the scholarly literature on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), published during the period January 2008–May 2014. In order to identify trends, gaps and criticalities related to the methodological approaches of this emerging field of research, we analysed 60 papers selected across four relevant scientific databases plus one journal in the sector of e‐learning that published a special issue on this topic. The emerging picture is that of a research field in its infancy, heavily relying on theoretical research and case studies, which is just beginning to identify suitable methods to deal with large cohorts of learners, very large amounts of data and new ways of learning. The state‐of‐the‐art is also quite fragmentary, due to the different epistemological and ontological conceptions of the authors of the papers about the nature of the issues faced and the way they should be studied. In this paper, we compare the problems related to the definition of the methodological approaches in this research field with the Greek myth of Proteus, the elusive, multiform divinity whose wisdom would only be revealed to those capable of catching him. We therefore advocate the need for catching Proteus, that is, better identifying and choosing the methodological approaches for MOOC research as a condition for its development.
Simkania negevensis and acute cellular rejection in lung transplant recipients
Authors: Jamal Alainna J. , Resende Mariangela R. , Prochnow Taisa , McGilvray Ian , Pilewski Joseph M. , Crespo Maria M. , Singer Lianne G. , McCurry Kenneth R. , Kolls Jay K. , Keshavjee Shaf , Liles W. Conrad , Husain Shahid
Published: May 2015

Simkania negevensis infection has been hypothesized to play a role in lung transplant rejection. The incidence of S. negevensis infection and its association with acute cellular rejection (ACR) were determined in a prospective cohort study of 78 lung transplant recipients (LTRs) in Toronto, Canada, and Pittsburgh, USA, from July 2007 to January 2010. Simkania negevensis testing was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The relationship between S. negevensis and ACR was examined using Cox proportional hazards models and generalized linear and latent mixed models. Cumulative incidence estimates for time‐to‐ACR in S. negevensis PCR‐positive vs. PCR‐negative LTRs were 52.7% vs. 31.1% at six months and 68.9% vs. 44.6% at one yr, respectively. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend toward a higher risk of ACR among S. negevensis PCR‐positive vs. PCR‐negative LTRs in all statistical models.
The Democratic Costs of Constitutionalisation: The European Case
Authors: Grimm Dieter
Published: May 2015

There is little doubt that the European Union suffers from a legitimacy deficit. However, the causes of this deficit and, as a consequence, the remedies are contested. This article wants to show that an important, but often overlooked, cause for the legitimacy deficit lies in the overconstitutionalization of the EU. The European Treaties have been constitutionalized by the ECJ, but are full of provisions that would be ordinary law in states. Constitutionalization means de‐politicization. What has been regulated on the constitutional level is no longer open for political decision‐making. Thus, in the EU political decisions of high salience are not only withdrawn from the democratically legitimized institutions, but also immunized against political correction. Therefore, the consequences from the constitutionalization have to be drawn: The Treaties should be reduced to those norms that reflect the functions of a constitution, whereas all the other parts have to be downgraded to the level of secondary law.