bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Neolithic of the Caucasus
Authors: Chataigner Christine , Badalyan Ruben , Arimura Makoto
Published: October 2014

This article presents our current state of knowledge on the Neolithic of the Caucasus based on reviews of previous and continuing research. In this region, this period has generally been divided into two cultural stages: Early/Aceramic Neolithic and Late/Ceramic Neolithic. However, the records from Early Neolithic sites are incomplete due to a lack of radiocarbon dates and palaeoenvironmental data. Moreover, the transition from the Mesolithic of the early Holocene to the full Neolithic of the Aratashen-Shulaveri-Shomutepe culture remains obscure. Although recent research provides new insights on the domestication of plants and animals in the Caucasus, the crucial issue involving the origin and timing of Neolithisation in this region remains unsolved.
Comparative Analysis of Antiviral Responses in Brachypodium distachyon and Setaria viridis Reveals Conserved and Unique Outcomes Among C3 and C4 Plant Defenses
Authors: Mandadi Kranthi K. , Pyle Jesse D. , Scholthof Karen-Beth G.
Published: October 2014

Viral diseases cause significant losses in global agricultural production, yet little is known about grass antiviral defense mechanisms. We previously reported on host immune responses triggered by Panicum mosaic virus (PMV) and its satellite virus (SPMV) in the model C3 grass Brachypodium distachyon. To aid comparative analyses of C3 and C4 grass antiviral defenses, here, we establish B. distachyon and Setaria viridis (a C4 grass) as compatible hosts for seven grass-infecting viruses, including PMV and SPMV, Brome mosaic virus, Barley stripe mosaic virus, Maize mild mottle virus, Sorghum yellow banding virus, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), and Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV). Etiological and molecular characterization of the fourteen grass-virus pathosystems showed evidence for conserved crosstalk among salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid, and ethylene pathways in B. distachyon and S. viridis. Strikingly, expression of PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT4, an upstream modulator of SA signaling, was consistently suppressed during most virus infections in B. distachyon and S. viridis. Hierarchical clustering analyses further identified unique antiviral responses triggered by two morphologically similar viruses, FoMV and WSMV, and uncovered other host-dependent effects. Together, the results of this study establish B. distachyon and S. viridis as models for the analysis of plant-virus interactions and provide the first framework for conserved and unique features of C3 and C4 grass antiviral defenses.
Turbulence-induced resonance vibrations cause pollen release in wind-pollinated
Plantago lanceolata
L. (Plantaginaceae)
Authors: Timerman David , Greene David F. , Urzay Javier , Ackerman Josef D.
Published: October 2014

In wind pollination, the release of pollen from anthers into airflows determines the quantity and timing of pollen available for pollination. Despite the ecological and evolutionary importance of pollen release, wind–stamen interactions are poorly understood, as are the specific forces that deliver pollen grains into airflows. We present empirical evidence that atmospheric turbulence acts directly on stamens in the cosmopolitan, wind-pollinated weed,
Plantago lanceolata
, causing resonant vibrations that release episodic bursts of pollen grains. In laboratory experiments, we show that stamens have mechanical properties corresponding to theoretically predicted ranges for turbulence-driven resonant vibrations. The mechanical excitation of stamens at their characteristic resonance frequency caused them to resonate, shedding pollen vigorously. The characteristic natural frequency of the stamens increased over time with each shedding episode due to the reduction in anther mass, which increased the mechanical energy required to trigger subsequent episodes. Field observations of a natural population under turbulent wind conditions were consistent with these laboratory results and demonstrated that pollen is released from resonating stamens excited by small eddies whose turnover periods are similar to the characteristic resonance frequency measured in the laboratory. Turbulence-driven vibration of stamens at resonance may be a primary mechanism for pollen shedding in wind-pollinated angiosperms. The capacity to release pollen in wind can be viewed as a primary factor distinguishing animal- from wind-pollinated plants, and selection on traits such as the damping ratio and flexural rigidity may be of consequence in evolutionary transitions between pollination systems.
A typology of street patterns
Authors: Louf Rémi , Barthelemy Marc
Published: October 2014

We propose a quantitative method to classify cities according to their street pattern. We use the conditional probability distribution of shape factor of blocks with a given area and define what could constitute the ‘fingerprint’ of a city. Using a simple hierarchical clustering method, these fingerprints can then serve as a basis for a typology of cities. We apply this method to a set of 131 cities in the world, and at an intermediate level of the dendrogram, we observe four large families of cities characterized by different abundances of blocks of a certain area and shape. At a lower level of the classification, we find that most European cities and American cities in our sample fall in their own sub-category, highlighting quantitatively the differences between the typical layouts of cities in both regions. We also show with the example of New York and its different boroughs, that the fingerprint of a city can be seen as the sum of the ones characterizing the different neighbourhoods inside a city. This method provides a quantitative comparison of urban street patterns, which could be helpful for a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms behind their distinct shapes.
A haemodynamic predictor of intraluminal thrombus formation in abdominal aortic aneurysms
Authors: Di Achille P. , Tellides G. , Figueroa C. A. , Humphrey J. D.
Published: October 2014

Intraluminal thrombus (ILT) is present in over 75% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and probably contributes to the complex biomechanics and pathobiology of these lesions. A reliable predictor of thrombus formation in enlarging lesions could thereby aid clinicians in treatment planning. The primary goal of this work was to identify a new phenomenological metric having clinical utility that is motivated by the hypothesis that two basic haemodynamic features must coincide spatially and temporally to promote the formation of a thrombus on an intact endothelium—platelets must be activated within a shear flow and then be presented to a susceptible endothelium. Towards this end, we propose a new thrombus formation potential (TFP) that combines information on the flow-induced shear history experienced by blood-borne particles that come in close proximity to the endothelium with information on both the time-averaged wall shear stress (WSS) and the oscillatory shear index (OSI) that locally affect the endothelial mechanobiology. To illustrate the possible utility of this new metric, we show computational results for 10 carotid arteries from five patients where regions of low WSS and high OSI tend not to be presented with activated platelets (i.e. they have a low TFP), consistent with the thrombo-resistance of the healthy carotid despite its complex haemodynamics. Conversely, we show results for three patients that high TFP co-localizes with regions of observed thin thrombus in AAAs, which contrasts with findings of low TFP for the abdominal aorta of three healthy subjects. We submit that these promising results suggest the need for further consideration of the TFP, or a similar combined metric, as a potentially useful clinical predictor of the possible formation of ILT in AAAs.
Squeezing of arbitrary order: the ups and downs
Authors: Górska Katarzyna , Horzela Andrzej , Szafraniec Franciszek Hugon
Published: October 2014

We show how using classical von Neumann index theory makes possible a universal treatment of squeezing of arbitrary order. ‘Universal’ means that the same approach applied to displacement (order 1) and squeeze (order 2) operators confirms firmly and unequivocally what is already known as well as provides rigorous arguments that the higher order squeezing cannot be generalized in a ‘naive’ way. We create an environment for answering
definitely
all the emerging questions in positive (
the ups
) and negative (
downs
). In the latter case, we suggest ways for further development.
Variational necessary and sufficient stability conditions for inviscid shear flow
Authors: Hirota M. , Morrison P. J. , Hattori Y.
Published: October 2014

A necessary and sufficient condition for linear stability of inviscid parallel shear flow is formulated by developing a novel variational principle, where the velocity profile is assumed to be monotonic and analytic. It is shown that unstable eigenvalues of Rayleigh's equation (which is a non-self-adjoint eigenvalue problem) can be associated with positive eigenvalues of a certain self-adjoint operator. The stability is therefore determined by maximizing a quadratic form, which is theoretically and numerically more tractable than directly solving Rayleigh's equation. This variational stability criterion is based on the understanding of Kreĭn signature for continuous spectra and is applicable to other stability problems of infinite-dimensional Hamiltonian systems.
Numerical study of fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equations
Authors: Klein Christian , Sparber Christof , Markowich Peter
Published: October 2014

Using a Fourier spectral method, we provide a detailed numerical investigation of dispersive Schrödinger-type equations involving a fractional Laplacian in an one-dimensional case. By an appropriate choice of the dispersive exponent, both mass and energy sub- and supercritical regimes can be identified. This allows us to study the possibility of finite time blow-up versus global existence, the nature of the blow-up, the stability and instability of nonlinear ground states and the long-time dynamics of solutions. The latter is also studied in a semiclassical setting. Moreover, we numerically construct ground state solutions of the fractional nonlinear Schrödinger equation.
The movement ecology of seagrasses
Authors: McMahon Kathryn , van Dijk Kor-jent , Ruiz-Montoya Leonardo , Kendrick Gary A. , Krauss Siegfried L. , Waycott Michelle , Verduin Jennifer , Lowe Ryan , Statton John , Brown Eloise , Duarte Carlos
Published: October 2014

A movement ecology framework is applied to enhance our understanding of the causes, mechanisms and consequences of movement in seagrasses: marine, clonal, flowering plants. Four life-history stages of seagrasses can move: pollen, sexual propagules, vegetative fragments and the spread of individuals through clonal growth. Movement occurs on the water surface, in the water column, on or in the sediment, via animal vectors and through spreading clones. A capacity for long-distance dispersal and demographic connectivity over multiple timeframes is the novel feature of the movement ecology of seagrasses with significant evolutionary and ecological consequences. The space–time movement footprint of different life-history stages varies. For example, the distance moved by reproductive propagules and vegetative expansion via clonal growth is similar, but the timescales range exponentially, from hours to months or centuries to millennia, respectively. Consequently, environmental factors and key traits that interact to influence movement also operate on vastly different spatial and temporal scales. Six key future research areas have been identified.
The straight and narrow path: the evolution of straight-line dispersal at a cane toad invasion front
Authors: Brown Gregory P. , Phillips Benjamin L. , Shine Richard
Published: October 2014

At the edge of a biological invasion, evolutionary processes (spatial sorting, natural selection) often drive increases in dispersal. Although numerous traits influence an individual's displacement (e.g. speed, stamina), one of the most important is path straightness. A straight (i.e. highly correlated) path strongly enhances overall dispersal rate relative to time and energetic cost. Thus, we predict that, if path straightness has a genetic basis, organisms in the invasion vanguard will exhibit straighter paths than those following behind. Our studies on invasive cane toads (
Rhinella marina
) in tropical Australia clearly support this prediction. Radio-tracking of field-collected toads at a single site showed that path straightness steadily decreased over the first 10 years post-invasion. Consistent with an evolved (genetic) basis to that behavioural shift, path straightness of toads reared under common garden conditions varied according to the location of their parents' origin. Offspring produced by toads from the invasion vanguard followed straighter paths than did those produced by parents from long-established populations. At the individual level, offspring exhibited similar path straightness to their parents. The dramatic acceleration of the cane toad invasion through tropical Australia has been driven, in part, by the evolution of a behavioural tendency towards dispersing in a straight line.
Partitioning the net effect of host diversity on an emerging amphibian pathogen
Authors: Becker C. Guilherme , Rodriguez David , Toledo L. Felipe , Longo Ana V. , Lambertini Carolina , Corrêa Décio T. , Leite Domingos S. , Haddad Célio F. B. , Zamudio Kelly R.
Published: October 2014

The ‘dilution effect’ (DE) hypothesis predicts that diverse host communities will show reduced disease. The underlying causes of pathogen dilution are complex, because they involve non-additive (driven by host interactions and differential habitat use) and additive (controlled by host species composition) mechanisms. Here, we used measures of complementarity and selection traditionally employed in the field of biodiversity–ecosystem function (BEF) to quantify the net effect of host diversity on disease dynamics of the amphibian-killing fungus
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(
Bd
). Complementarity occurs when average infection load in diverse host assemblages departs from that of each component species in uniform populations. Selection measures the disproportionate impact of a particular species in diverse assemblages compared with its performance in uniform populations, and therefore has strong additive and non-additive properties. We experimentally infected tropical amphibian species of varying life histories, in single- and multi-host treatments, and measured individual
Bd
infection loads. Host diversity reduced
Bd
infection in amphibians through a mechanism analogous to complementarity (
sensu
BEF), potentially by reducing shared habitat use and transmission among hosts. Additionally, the selection component indicated that one particular terrestrial species showed reduced infection loads in diverse assemblages at the expense of neighbouring aquatic hosts becoming heavily infected. By partitioning components of diversity, our findings underscore the importance of additive and non-additive mechanisms underlying the DE.
Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments
Authors: Button David J. , Rayfield Emily J. , Barrett Paul M.
Published: October 2014

High megaherbivore species richness is documented in both fossil and contemporary ecosystems despite their high individual energy requirements. An extreme example of this is the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, which was dominated by sauropod dinosaurs, the largest known terrestrial vertebrates. High sauropod diversity within the resource-limited Morrison is paradoxical, but might be explicable through sophisticated resource partitioning. This hypothesis was tested through finite-element analysis of the crania of the Morrison taxaCamarasaurusandDiplodocus. Results demonstrate divergent specialization, withCamarasauruscapable of exerting and accommodating greater bite forces thanDiplodocus, permitting consumption of harder food items. Analysis of craniodental biomechanical characters taken from 35 sauropod taxa demonstrates a functional dichotomy in terms of bite force, cranial robustness and occlusal relationships yielding two polyphyletic functional ‘grades’. Morrison taxa are widely distributed within and between these two morphotypes, reflecting distinctive foraging specializations that formed a biomechanical basis for niche partitioning between them. This partitioning, coupled with benefits associated with large body size, would have enabled the high sauropod diversities present in the Morrison Formation. Further, this provides insight into the mechanisms responsible for supporting the high diversities of large megaherbivores observed in other Mesozoic and Cenozoic communities, particularly those occurring in resource-limited environments.
Cytosine chemoreceptor McpC in Pseudomonas putida F1 also detects nicotinic acid
Authors: Parales Rebecca E. , Nesteryuk Vasyl , Hughes Jonathan G. , Luu Rita A. , Ditty Jayna L.
Published: October 2014

Soil bacteria are generally capable of growth on a wide range of organic chemicals, and pseudomonads are particularly adept at utilizing aromatic compounds. Pseudomonads are motile bacteria that are capable of sensing a wide range of chemicals, using both energy taxis and chemotaxis. Whilst the identification of specific chemicals detected by the ≥26 chemoreceptors encoded in Pseudomonas genomes is ongoing, the functions of only a limited number of Pseudomonas chemoreceptors have been revealed to date. We report here that McpC, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein in Pseudomonas putida F1 that was previously shown to function as a receptor for cytosine, was also responsible for the chemotactic response to the carboxylated pyridine nicotinic acid.
LdrP, a cAMP receptor protein/FNR family transcriptional regulator, serves as a positive regulator for the light-inducible gene cluster in the megaplasmid of Thermus thermophilus
Authors: Takano Hideaki , Agari Yoshihiro , Hagiwara Kenta , Watanabe Ren , Yamazaki Ryuta , Beppu Teruhiko , Shinkai Akeo , Ueda Kenji
Published: October 2014

LdrP (TT_P0055) (LitR-dependent regulatory protein) is one of the four cAMP receptor protein (CRP)/FNR family transcriptional regulators retained by the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus. Previously, we reported that LdrP served as a positive regulator for the light-induced transcription of crtB, a carotenoid biosynthesis gene encoded on the megaplasmid of this organism. Here, we showed that LdrP also functions as an activator of the expression of genes clustered around the crtB gene under the control of LitR, an adenosyl B12-bound light-sensitive regulator. Transcriptome analysis revealed the existence of 19 LitR-dependent genes on the megaplasmid. S1 nuclease protection assay confirmed that the promoters preceding TT_P0044 (P44), TT_P0049 (P49) and TT_P0070 (P70) were activated upon illumination in the WT strain. An ldrP mutant lost the ability to activate P44, P49 and P70, whilst disruption of litR resulted in constitutive transcription from these promoters irrespective of illumination, indicating that these genes were photo-dependently regulated by LdrP and LitR. An in vitro transcription experiment demonstrated that LdrP directly activated mRNA synthesis from P44 and P70 by the Thermus RNA polymerase holocomplex. The present evidence indicated that LdrP was the positive regulator essential for the transcription of the T. thermophilus light-inducible cluster encoded on the megaplasmid.
Bacterial diversity along a 2600 km river continuum
Authors: Savio Domenico , Sinclair Lucas , Ijaz Umer Z. , Stadler Philipp , Blaschke Alfred P. , Reischer Georg H. , Blöschl Guenter , Mach Robert L. , Kirschner Alexander K.T. , Farnleitner Andreas H. , Eiler Alexander
Published: October 2014

The bacterioplankton diversity in large rivers has thus far been undersampled, despite the importance of streams and rivers as components of continental landscapes. Here, we present a comprehensive dataset detailing the bacterioplankton diversity along the midstream of the Danube River and its tributaries. Using 16S rRNA-gene amplicon sequencing, our analysis revealed that bacterial richness and evenness gradually declined downriver in both the free-living and particle-associated bacterial communities. These shifts were also supported by beta diversity analysis, where the effects of tributaries were negligible in regards to the overall variation. In addition, the river was largely dominated by bacteria that are commonly observed in freshwaters. Dominated by the acI lineage, the freshwater SAR11 (LD12) and thePolynucleobactergroup, typical freshwater taxa increased in proportion downriver and were accompanied by a decrease in soil and groundwater bacteria. Based on the River Continuum Concept, we explain these taxonomic patterns and the accompanying changes in alpha and beta diversity by the physical structure and chemical conditions coupled with the hydrologic cycle along the length of the river.
Microbial community composition and diversity via 16S rRNA gene amplicons: evaluating the Illumina platform
Authors: Sinclair Lucas , Osman Omneya Ahmed , Bertilsson Stefan , Eiler Alexander
Published: October 2014

As new sequencing technologies become cheaper and older ones disappear, laboratories switch vendors and platforms. Validating the new setups is a crucial part of conducting rigorous scientific research. Here we report on the reliability and biases of performing bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon paired-end sequencing on the MiSeq Illumina platform. We designed a protocol using 50 barcode pairs to run samples in parallel and coded a pipeline to process the data. Sequencing the same sediment sample in 248 replicates as well as 70 samples from alkaline soda lakes, we evaluated the performance of the method with regards to estimates of alpha and beta diversity. Using different purification and DNA quantification procedures we always found up to 5-fold differences in the yield of sequences between individually barcodes samples. Using either a one-step or a two-step PCR preparation resulted in significantly different estimates in both alpha and beta diversity. Comparing with a previous method based on 454 pyrosequencing, we found that our Illumina protocol performed in a similar manner -- with the exception for evenness estimates where correspondence between the methods was low. We further quantified the data loss at every processing step eventually accumulating to 50\% of the raw reads. When evaluating different OTU clustering methods, we observed a stark contrast between the results of QIIME with default settings and the more recent UPARSE algorithm when it comes to the number of OTUs generated. Still, overall trends in alpha and beta diversity corresponded highly using both clustering methods. Our procedure performed well considering the precisions of alpha and beta diversity estimates, with insignificant effects of individual barcodes. Comparative analyses suggest that 454 and Illumina sequence data can be combined if the same PCR protocol and bioinformatic workflows are used for describing patterns in richness, beta-diversity and taxonomic composition. (version 1.1 resubmitted to PLOS one 2014-Sept-08)
Characterization of the neural stem cell gene regulatory network identifies OLIG2 as a multifunctional regulator of self-renewal
Authors: Mateo Juan L. , van den Berg Debbie L.C. , Haeussler Maximilian , Drechsel Daniela , Gaber Zachary B. , Castro Diogo S. , Robson Paul , Lu Q. Richard , Crawford Gregory E. , Flicek Paul , Ettwiller Laurence , Wittbrodt Joachim , Guillemot François , Martynoga Ben
Published: October 2014

The gene regulatory network (GRN) that supports neural stem cell (NS cell) self-renewal has so far been poorly characterized. Knowledge of the central transcription factors (TFs), the noncoding gene regulatory regions that they bind to, and the genes whose expression they modulate will be crucial in unlocking the full therapeutic potential of these cells. Here, we use DNase-seq in combination with analysis of histone modifications to identify multiple classes of epigenetically and functionally distinct cis-regulatory elements (CREs). Through motif analysis and ChIP-seq, we identify several of the crucial TF regulators of NS cells. At the core of the network are TFs of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), nuclear factor I (NFI), SOX, and FOX families, with CREs often densely bound by several of these different TFs. We use machine learning to highlight several crucial regulatory features of the network that underpin NS cell self-renewal and multipotency. We validate our predictions by functional analysis of the bHLH TF OLIG2. This TF makes an important contribution to NS cell self-renewal by concurrently activating pro-proliferation genes and preventing the untimely activation of genes promoting neuronal differentiation and stem cell quiescence.
β-Amylase1 andβ-Amylase3 Are Plastidic Starch Hydrolases in Arabidopsis That Seem to Be Adapted for Different Thermal, pH, and Stress Conditions
Authors: Monroe Jonathan D. , Storm Amanda R. , Badley Elizabeth M. , Lehman Michael D. , Platt Samantha M. , Saunders Lauren K. , Schmitz Jonathan M. , Torres Catherine E.
Published: October 2014

Starch degradation in chloroplasts requires β-amylase (BAM) activity, which is encoded by a multigene family. Of nine Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) BAM genes, six encode plastidic enzymes, but only four of these are catalytically active. In vegetative plants, BAM1 acts during the day in guard cells, whereas BAM3 is the dominant activity in mesophyll cells at night. Plastidic BAMs have been difficult to assay in leaf extracts, in part because of a cytosolic activity encoded by BAM5. We generated a series of double mutants lacking BAM5 and each of the active plastidic enzymes (BAM1, BAM2, BAM3, and BAM6) and found that most of the plastidic activity in 5-week-old plants was encoded by BAM1 and BAM3. Both of these activities were relatively constant during the day and the night. Analysis of leaf extracts from double mutants and purified BAM1 and BAM3 proteins revealed that these proteins have distinct properties. Using soluble starch as the substrate, BAM1 and BAM3 had optimum activity at pH 6.0 to 6.5, but at high pH, BAM1 was more active than BAM3, consistent with its known daytime role in the guard cell stroma. The optimum temperature for BAM1, which is transcriptionally induced by heat stress, was about 10°C higher than that of BAM3, which is transcriptionally induced by cold stress. The amino acid composition of BAM1 and BAM3 orthologs reflected differences that are consistent with known adaptations of proteins from heat- and cold-adapted organisms, suggesting that these day- and night-active enzymes have undergone thermal adaptation.
Regulatory Properties of ADP Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Are Required for Adjustment of Leaf Starch Synthesis in Different Photoperiods
Authors: Mugford Sam T. , Fernandez Olivier , Brinton Jemima , Flis Anna , Krohn Nicole , Encke Beatrice , Feil Regina , Sulpice Ronan , Lunn John E. , Stitt Mark , Smith Alison M.
Published: October 2014

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves synthesize starch faster in short days than in long days, but the mechanism that adjusts the rate of starch synthesis to daylength is unknown. To understand this mechanism, we first investigated whether adjustment occurs in mutants lacking components of the circadian clock or clock output pathways. Most mutants adjusted starch synthesis to daylength, but adjustment was compromised in plants lacking the GIGANTEA or FLAVIN-BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F BOX1 components of the photoperiod-signaling pathway involved in flowering. We then examined whether the properties of the starch synthesis enzyme adenosine 5′-diphosphate-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) are important for adjustment of starch synthesis to daylength. Modulation of AGPase activity is known to bring about short-term adjustments of photosynthate partitioning between starch and sucrose (Suc) synthesis. We found that adjustment of starch synthesis to daylength was compromised in plants expressing a deregulated bacterial AGPase in place of the endogenous AGPase and in plants containing mutant forms of the endogenous AGPase with altered allosteric regulatory properties. We suggest that the rate of starch synthesis is in part determined by growth rate at the end of the preceding night. If growth at night is low, as in short days, there is a delay before growth recovers during the next day, leading to accumulation of Suc and stimulation of starch synthesis via activation of AGPase. If growth at night is fast, photosynthate is used for growth at the start of the day, Suc does not accumulate, and starch synthesis is not up-regulated.
Repertoires of the corporate past
Authors: Burghausen Mario , M.T. Balmer John
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The repertories of the corporate past perspective is introduced and articulated and is placed with the corporate communications and corporate marketing domains. The framework consolidates and expands the comprehension of multifarious actualisations of the past as a corporate-level phenomenon. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review, which draws on the extant corporate heritage literature within corporate marketing and corporate communications along with other salient perspectives within social sciences, is integrated into a conceptual framework of past-related corporate-level concepts.

Findings

– The paper advances the extant literature by making a distinction between instrumental and foundational past-related corporate-level concepts. A framework is introduced and articulated detailing seven different modes of referencing the past of an organisation: corporate past, corporate memory, corporate history, corporate tradition, corporate heritage, corporate nostalgia, and corporate provenance.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper clarifies the current state of this nascent field of corporate marketing and communication scholarship concerned with the historicity of corporate-level phenomena and advances the conceptual understanding of the multiple ways in which links with an organisation's past can be understood and scrutinised offering an integrated framework of seven conceptual lenses for future research.

Practical implications

– Managers, by more fully comprehending the repertoires of the corporate past, are, the authors argue, better placed to discern whether the past is of material benefit to their organisations. If so, the repertoires of the corporate past perspective may enable managers to more effectively manage, maintain, and capitalise on their organisation's past in multiple ways.

Originality value

– This paper is substantively informed by both the corporate heritage literature and the salient literature from the social sciences. The introduction of a repertoire of the corporate past framework, arguably, represents an important contribution to the domain.
Social media monitoring: aims, methods, and challenges for international companies
Authors: Zhang Boyang , Vos Marita
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to clarify the aims, monitoring methods and challenges of social media monitoring from the perspective of international companies. Trends in the literature are also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a systematic literature review, 30 key articles from 2008 to 2012 were further analysed.

Findings

– International companies need real-time monitoring software, expertise and dynamic visualization to facilitate early detection and prognoses supporting strategy making. This is a costly affair, prompting questions about return on investment. A recent trend in the research literature concerns the development of models describing how issues spread in social media with the aim of facilitating prognoses.

Research limitations/implications

– The online databases used comprised refereed peer-reviewed scientific articles. Books were not included in the search process.

Practical implications

– Because information spreads fast in social media and affects international companies, they need to identify issues early, in order to monitor and predict their growth. This paper discusses the difficulties posed by this objective.

Originality/value

– Social media monitoring is a young research area and research on the topic has been conducted from many different perspectives. Therefore, this paper brings together current insights geared towards corporate communication by international companies.
Social media and the world of work
Authors: Dreher Sonja
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the risks and benefits of employees’ social media use for an organization's reputation, and delivers suggestions for a strategic management approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– The findings of this research paper are based on a comprehensive literature review and supported by a leading practice example.

Findings

– Through social media, employees function as powerful brand ambassadors who shape reputation with everything they do and say online. This requires a strategic management approach to employees’ social media use, including research, internet access at the workplace, a strong commitment from the C-suite, the establishment of social media teams, the implementation of guidelines and policies, training and education, integration, as well as goal setting and measurement. These eight key steps will help communications professionals to better prevent the risks and leverage the benefits of their employees’ participation in the social web.

Originality/value

– This research project is built upon significant deficits in the management approach to employees’ social media use and provides eight strategic key steps to better handle employees’ participation in social conversations.
“Sell the Sizzle”
Authors: Rytkönen Säde , Louhiala-Salminen Leena
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of knowledge transfer in the communication of environment, social, governance (ESG) factors between companies and institutional investors, when they attempt to reach a full appreciation and mutual understanding.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with six European institutional investors. Archival material was used to triangulate the findings.

Findings

– Based on the interviews it was evident that ESG is only one consideration in the investment process and that there are several approaches toward integrating ESG. Furthermore, the investors viewed ESG within a financial framework suggesting that this financial framework is part of their vocational cultural professional mental models. Finally, the results indicate that investors attempt to reach a mutual understanding of ESG by carrying out an active dialogue with target companies.

Practical implications

– The study indicates that companies should discuss/approach? ESG issues from a financial perspective. The findings also suggest that companies should emphasize the role of dialogue when communicating with investors in order to develop a mutual understanding of the company's ESG performance. Finally, by proactively discussing ESG with investors, companies will not only play a role in developing the knowledge base of capital markets regarding ESG, but this will also offer an opportunity for companies to explicate their own communication agenda.

Originality/value

– The paper develops a framework for communicating ESG between companies and institutional investors. The framework depicts the diverging mental models of the two parties.
Human development and transcendence: a Vivekananda view
Authors: Tyagananda Swami
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the following questions in the light of Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy: What will ultimately come out of human development? Is development a goal in itself or only a doorway to a higher goal called transcendence?

Design/methodology/approach

– A comprehensive view of human development can come only through a comprehensive understanding of human nature.

Findings

– What the dimensions of the human personality are and how they function in the world provide a good starting point to assess the way in which human development can be achieved.

Originality/value

– Vivekananda’s quest for human development was not for human development per se, but to point to its potential as a spiritual practice that makes human beings realize that they are, in fact, not human being but divine beings.
Vivekananda’s message of human excellence
Authors: Purnatmananda Swami
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore Vivekananda’s message of human excellence. The central message of Vivekananda is: Man is not just man. Man is potentially divine. The goal of life is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. This message deserves to be spread across all human beings.

Design/methodology/approach

– All individuals could try to improve the quality of their human material and thus gradually proceed towards the state of perfect human excellence by combining in them both the horizontal growth and the vertical growth.

Findings

– It is possible to enrich the quality of our life to such an extent where the difference between man and God melts away.

Originality/value

– The highest and finest human excellence is thus evolving a God out of the material man. It is the state when I know I am one with all. This is what Vivekananda wanted to impress upon mankind.
Herbs as a dietary source of iron
Authors: Gupta Swarnim , Madhavan Nair Krishnapillai , Punjal Ravinder , Rajendran Ananthan , Pullakhandam Raghu
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to screen for iron bioavailability and absorption-promoting activity in selected herbs. Evidence is needed to promote and practice food-based strategies such as use of plants or their parts for treating iron deficiency anemia.

Design/methodology/approach

– Eight Indian herbs, considered to be iron rich and/or hematinic, namely, Boerhavia diffusa, Trachyspermum ammi, Amaranthus paniculatus, Lepidium sativum, Medicago sativa, Asparagus racemosus, Sesamum indicum and Piper longum, were selected. Their mineral composition and phytate and tannin contents were analyzed. Endogenous iron bioavailability was assessed in human enterocyte cell line model, Caco-2 cells, using cellular ferritin induction. Iron absorption-promoting activity was tested similarly in two herbs and their mineral extract by the addition of exogenous iron or ascorbic acid.

Findings

– Based on compositional analysis, B. diffusa, L. sativum and T. ammi had high iron (> 40 mg/100 g) and tannin/phytate. A. paniculatus, M. sativa, P. longum, S. indicum had low iron (10-15 mg/100 g) with high phytate and tannin. A. racemosus had 38 mg/100 g iron and low phytate and tannin. None of the herbs induced Caco-2 cell ferritin, indicating poor endogenous iron bioavailability. Mineral solutions of, two contrasting herbs (inhibitor content), B. diffusa and A. racemosus induced ferritin with ascorbic acid and not with exogenous iron, suggesting that these are devoid of iron absorption-promoting activity.

Practical implications

– Incorporation of such herbs in diets may enhance iron content but not its bioavailability.

Originality/value

– Selected edible herbs have been screened for iron bioavailability and its absorption-promoting activity. This has implications in planning evidence-based strategies to correct iron deficiency in general population.
Polyphenols, flavonoids and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate in tea leaves and in their infusions under various conditions
Authors: AlHafez Maysoon , Kheder Fadi , AlJoubbeh Malak
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to determine total polyphenols (TP), total flavonoids (TF) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in five commercial tea extracts and in their infusions at various temperatures (95-60°C) and brewing times (5-30 min).

Design/methodology/approach

– TP was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, TF by the aluminium chloride colorimetric method and EGCG by HPLC method.

Findings

– The results showed that White tea – Silver needle had the highest content of TP and EGCG when extracted, but its infusions had very poor concentrations of these compounds. Green tea infusion was better source of TP and EGCG than white or black tea, although its extract did not contain a very high amount of TP compared to the latter two types. Black tea extract had a relatively high content of TP and TF in its extract. Its infusions as well contained higher concentrations of TP than white tea, but lower concentrations of EGCG than all studied teas.

Originality/value

– Increasing infusion time and temperature does not necessarily increase the concentration, according to the results. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report on comparing these types of tea, especially the white tea, with other well-known teas under various infusion conditions. The extraction of the white tea leaves was also not found in previous works.
Have universities lost sight of their purpose? The Princeton-Fung Global Forum – Paris, April 2014: a review
Authors: P. Abeles Tom
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this review is to challenge the view that universities, particularly medallion institutions, have the prerogative to repurpose or interpret funds received without accepting responsibility to provide value.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a review article discussing issues raised in the 2014 Global Forum in Paris.

Findings

– Citing this “Forum” and the open literature, it is evident that as more money is made available through new donors, maintaining oversight on how such funds are used can become problematic. Rather, it is suggested that donors become more involved and responsible rather than participating passively and accepting the “wisdom” of the recipients.

Social implications

– The world is becoming more dynamic, implying that ideas and funds committed in the beginning need careful and ongoing assessment. Many new donors lack the experience of older organizations, both funders and funded, and may have a proclivity to default to decisions of others. “There be Dragons Here”.

Originality/value

– Recipients of funds, particularly the institutions of higher education have a tendency to see the world through the eyes of their expertise. In the past, most parties have deferred to such “authority” which is proving to be more tenuous in an evolving and changing global world. Care needs to be exercised using criteria that needs to be dynamic and one that is still evolving.
Crisis perception in financial media discourse:a concrete application using the Minskian/mainstream opposition
Authors: Pilkington Marc , Sinapi Christine
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to highlight the need for renewed collaborative efforts between linguists and economists to develop a multidisciplinary approach to discourse studies to single out, in the case at hand, how financial media discourse might reflect either a prevailing mainstream or a Minskian conceptual apparatus in financial crisis related papers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper conducts exploratory research by focusing on semantic analysis, so as to indicate how the latter might possibly indicate a shift in the prevailing framework in contemporary financial media discourse. After a clear exposition of a theoretical dichotomy between the Minskian and mainstream approaches, it relies on Tropes software to conduct applied discourse analysis and discover evidence for the aforementioned shift. It exploits a set of three crisis-related articles from the Financial Times written by Martin Wolf. The selected corpora consist of opinion articles, a genre believed to be both emblematic of financial media discourse and subject to the influence of underlying theoretical frameworks.

Findings

– The paper has identified a convincing Minskian vs mainstream dichotomy that may be substantiated by a set of disciplinary criteria. It argues that these criteria can be further used in applied discourse analysis. It demonstrates the relevance of our methodology from the exploratory test conducted. Eventually, these exploratory results, although they remain embryonic, suggest that a shift in the conceptual frameworks underlying the media discourses has taken place, from the Mainstream in fair weather conditions to (possibly) a more Minskian framework in times of crisis and financial instability.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size is extremely restricted (albeit acceptable in an exploratory research context); these limitations are inherent in exploratory research and do not preclude the validity of the broader interdisciplinary research agenda. In our proposed theoretical dichotomy, the mainstream approach is subject to caution insofar as no single and consensual definition of the latter exists to date in the literature.

Social implications

– This article has highlighted the need for further multidisciplinary collaborative research endeavors (in particular, linguistics and economics). It has also touched the issue of crisis prevention and early warning systems, which may include financial press monitoring.

Originality/value

– There exists a powerful media sphere within which financial discourse may exert an influence on decision-makers through the influence of underlying theoretical frameworks, eventually shaping real economic outcomes. The research program initiated, by combining the insights of economics and linguistics; therefore, aims to uncover the modus operandi of financial media discourse.
Metaphors as research tools in economics
Authors: Hardt Lukasz
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to show that metaphors play an important role in the making of economics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper’s discussion is situated within the framework of methodology of economics. It refers to recent studies on the role of metaphors in economics, as well as to the rhetoric – realism controversy (e.g. D. McCloskey versus U. Mäki).

Findings

– The principal results of the paper are: the demonstration of the importance of metaphors in economics; and the claim that metaphors are not only used for rhetorical purposes but also serve as research tools indispensable in explaining economic phenomena. They are also essential in economic modeling.

Research limitations/implications

– The claim that economic models function as networks of metaphors needs further in-depth study, in particular drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics, where we find many interesting research projects currently underway, would be desirable.

Originality/value

– The article contributes to the rhetoric – realism debate in economics. It adds some arguments to the literature claiming that rhetoric can be compatible with realism.