bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Moral Economy of Music in Tenganan, Bali
Authors: McGraw Andrew
Published: July 2020

This article discusses the relationship of economic, aesthetic, and economic life in the village of Tenganan, Bali, Indonesia. Music in Tenganan (primarily the slonding gamelan ensemble) is part of a complex cultural fabric weaving together the village’s aesthetic, ethical, and economic life, dynamically interconnected through both material and immaterial dimensions. I first outline a general concept of “goods” and “the good” that informs my analysis of the intersections of economic, ethical, and aesthetic life in Tenganan. I then describe communitarian life in Tenganan through a quick overview of the social history and organization of the village. Next I analyze the village’s material and immaterial economies. Ceremonial exchange, within which music is an important component, is the primary engine of the village economy. Finally, I describe ethics in Tenganan, explaining how different ethical regimes concretsely impact ceremonial, and therefore economic, practice.
Musical Economics of Urban Poverty: City Redevelopment and Gentrification in the Financing, Organization, and Interpretation of Music
Authors: Harrison Klisala
Published: July 2020

In this chapter, I consider the impact of urban redevelopment on the financing, organization, and interpretation of local, urban musics. I focus on gentrification, which refers to the redevelopment of a socio-economically depressed urban neighborhood during which urban poor are displaced as it becomes reconstructed for and by the middle and upper economic classes. I argue that gentrification has specific relationships to the formal organization of music-making in a neighborhood—which financing and infrastructure patterns are found there, as well as which musical styles and representations occur. Often success with gentrification positively correlates with the flourishing of (performing) arts districts, and so-called creative economies to be consumed by the affluent. Which economic and social forces lead to gentrification, and what is gentrification’s relationship to music-making? During gentrification, which kinds of musical activities and expressions tend to be economically supported, and which left out, by formally organized music initiatives?
Self–Other Knowledge Asymmetry (SOKA) Model
Authors: Bollich-Ziegler Kathryn L.
Published: July 2020

Despite the strong intuition that people know themselves well, much research in self-perception demonstrates the biases present when evaluating one’s own personality traits. What specifically are these blind spots in self-perceptions? Are self-perceptions always disconnected from reality? And under what circumstances might other people actually be more accurate about the self? The self–other knowledge asymmetry (SOKA) model suggests that because individuals and others differ in their susceptibility to biases or motivations and in the information they have access to, self- and other-knowledge will vary by trait. The present chapter outlines when and why other-perceptions are sometimes more accurate than self-perceptions, as well as when self-reports can be most trusted. Also discussed are next steps in the study of self- and other-knowledge, including practical, methodological, and interdisciplinary considerations and extensions. In sum, this chapter illustrates the importance of taking multiple perspectives in order to accurately understand a person.
Humanism in the Americas
Authors: Wayne White Carol
Published: July 2020

This chapter provides an overview of select trends, ideas, themes, and figures associated with humanism in the Americas, which comprises a diversified set of peoples, cultural traditions, religious orientations, and socio-economic groups. In acknowledging this rich tapestry of human life, the chapter emphasizes the impressive variety of developments in philosophy, the natural sciences, literature, religion, art, social science, and political thought that have contributed to the development of humanism in the Americas. The chapter also features modern usages of humanism that originated in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth century. In this context, humanism is best viewed as a contested site in which its meanings, usages, and rhetorical power reflect a wide range of ideological allegiances that include positive and negative connotations. The complex, layered processes of colonization that are a part of the history of the Americas will also inflect the varied usages and connotations of humanism.
Humanism and Class
Authors: Hutchinson Sikivu
Published: July 2020

Although early twentieth century humanist discourse was informed by an explicit emphasis on class and socioeconomic redress, contemporary iterations within “organized humanism” have been less definitive. In the post–World War II era, humanist scholars and activists have taken diverse approaches to connecting organized humanism and humanist discourse with class politics and class analyses. Changing demographics in the United States, including the rise of “Religious Nones” and the US shift from a majority white population, may play a prominent role in clarifying the nexus between humanism and class analysis.
Conquest, Continuity, and Creation: Contesting Identities in Nineteenth-Century Natal
Authors: Tallie T.J.
Published: July 2020

This chapter discusses the contested, competing notions of inhabitance and continuity in the British colony of Natal during the nineteenth century. Despite the dislocations and predations of settler colonialism, the history of Natal is often also a history of African survival and adaptation. Colonial power dynamics may have favored settlers, but Africans continued to see themselves as the rightful and permanent occupants of the land. Even after the umuzi (homestead) was no longer able, owing to colonial pressures, to serve as the major vehicle of social and economic reproduction, African people continued to rely upon such earlier concepts as ukukhonza (obligations of service) or the amabutho (Zulu military regiment) to articulate personal connections and obligations to one another. Ideas of chieftaincy or service thus could be reshaped by Africans beyond colonial contexts in pursuit of social survival in Natal. Christianity and marriage, as well as alcohol production and consumption, also offered an arena for African adaptation and cultural continuity in the face of colonial hegemony, as well as a stage on which settlers could make their own claims. The chapter then looks at recent historiography in colonial Natal and identity.
Practices of Sacralization
Authors: Martín Eloísa
Published: July 2020

The concept of “popular religion” is among the most frequent to arise in debates on religion in sociology. Nevertheless, there is often disagreement on the scope of this concept and its definition, which are the result of an implicit and indiscriminate notion of religion. This chapter identifies three main groups of work that describe and apply different definitions of popular religion. The first considers popular religion as the religion of the “people.” The second focuses on the “functions” that popular religion fulfill among the poorest sectors of the population as a way of dealing with deprivation. The third group suggests the existence of a “different logic” to analyze religious events. Based on the main literature produced in Latin America on the subject, this chapter proposes a workaround to the problems raised by coining and discussing the concept of “practices of sacralization.”
Psychobiotics
Authors: Mörkl Sabrina , Butler Mary I. , Cichini Franziska , Cryan John F. , Dinan Timothy G.
Published: July 2020

For centuries, individuals have consumed probiotics as a means of improving quality of life and preventing disease. The gut microbiota refers to the collection of microorganisms residing within the gut. Psychiatric disorders show profound alterations of gut microbiota composition along with a lack of bacterial diversity. Specific subtypes of probiotics and prebiotics (fibers that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria) are referred to as psychobiotics, which impact the gut-brain axis and result in modifications of mood, anxiety, and cognitive function. It is essential for psychiatrists to improve their understanding of psychobiotic mechanisms and the evidence that supports their use in practice. In recent years, interventional studies have assessed the effects of psychobiotics for several symptom clusters, including depression and anxiety. However, some significant determinants, including duration of treatment, dosage of psychobiotics, and interactions with concomitant therapies, deserve more detailed investigation, and specific treatment guidelines for psychobiotics have not yet been established. The capacity of pre- and probiotics to modify psychological symptoms, while significant, is likely to be modest. In addition, this psychobiotic ability varies among probiotic strains—not all psychobiotics are right for all diseases. As psychobiotics are generally considered safe, this may justify their use as an add-on-therapy for some psychiatric indications. This chapter reviews the role of psychobiotics for mental health, their definition, their characteristics, and their mechanisms of action. Against the background of recent research, the chapter outlines a “psychobiotic prescription” to justify a condition-specific rationale for the use of psychobiotics based on recommendations in the current literature.
Consciousness and Selfhood
Authors: Zahavi Dan
Published: July 2020

Not that long ago, discussions of selfhood in philosophy of mind tended to focus on diachronic identity and the so-called persistence question. Important as this question might be, it does, however, not exhaust the topic of selfhood. In recent years, the focus has shifted somewhat from diachronic to synchronic identity and given rise to a lively debate concerning the relationship between phenomenal consciousness and selfhood. Are our conscious experiences self-involving or self-disclosing (in a manner yet to be determined), or was Lichtenberg right in his famous objection to Descartes: Experiences simply take place, and that is all. Is saying cogito and affirming the existence of an I already saying too much?
Exploring the Landscape of Emotion in Aesthetic Experience
Authors: Cupchik Gerald C.
Published: July 2020

The term “aesthetic emotion” was treated differently by scholars from the late 19th and early 20th centuries compared with those from the 21st, and there is much to learn from the “early” group. William James distinguished “subtler emotions” that encompass aesthetic, scientific, and ethical qualities, in contrast to “coarse emotions,” such as happiness or sadness, which are part of everyday life. Others, such as Bosanquet, Clay, Bullough, and Dewey described underlying processes that shape aesthetic experiences during episodes of creation and reception. Their insight is that everyday emotions are elevated to abstract and universal levels during aesthetic episodes, much like Aristotle described more than 2,000 years ago. Later researchers, such as Menninghaus and colleagues, were influenced by the “cognitive turn” and treat “aesthetic emotions” as hypothetical constructs whose independent existence is predicated on word frequencies associated with stimulus ratings. The precision of current empiricism can benefit from incorporating rich theoretical musings of the past about aesthetic processes. A comprehensive model should integrate processes related to aesthetics and emotion during creation and reception episodes. Formal properties of art or literary works can stimulate feelings of pleasure or excitement. The subject matter can offer suggestions that elicit personal connections and related emotions.
Neurogenetics of Resilience
Authors: Anderson Adam , Melo Hans
Published: July 2020

Our ability to recover from a negative experiences has profound implications not only for mental disorder but also for healthy living; while some individuals are deeply affected by life stressors and develop poor mental health, others seem to overcome even major traumatic events quickly and effortlessly. Critically, individual differences in resilience reflect underlying differences in the neural and genetic mechanisms implemented by different individuals to cope with hardship. Recent advances in functional neuroimaging and molecular genetics have given rise to a synthetic approach referred to as Imaging Genetics with great potential to develop a more fine-grained neurobiological characterization of optimal human functioning. The goal of imaging genetics is to identify mid-level phenotypes, or endophenotypes, in the form of brain activity patterns that reveal genetic influences on specific cognitive and emotional neural processes in the path from genes to behavior, and disorder. Recent years have seen increasing interest in understanding the genetic and neural basis of resilience. In this context, optimal functioning is not defined as the absence of disease but rather as the characteristics and conditions that allow a person to live well, thrive, and flourish. In this chapter we introduce the imaging genetics approach by providing methodological considerations, and discussing relevant studies and future directions as they may relate to resilience and the field of positive psychology in general.
A Socioevolutionary Approach to Religious Change
Authors: Cragun Ryan T. , Sumerau J. E.
Published: July 2020

A number of scholars have suggested that religion may be explained using evolutionary theory and, in particular, natural selection. Much of this research suggests that behaviors encouraged by religions are beneficial while failing to illustrate a causal relationship between religiosity and these behaviors. This chapter challenges these approaches, arguing that religion is primarily a social phenomenon and that any health or evolutionary benefits that might indirectly derive from religions are actually attributable to the behaviors themselves: Religions have simply co-opted those behaviors. Additionally, it argues that natural selection alone is a problematic approach to understanding religion and suggests that Darwin’s notion of artificial selection be integrated into any attempts to use evolution to explain religion. We use examples from a variety of religions to illustrate how a socioevolutionary theory of religion that incorporates natural and artificial selection is preferable to approaches that rely exclusively on natural selection.
Religion as a Means of Perceived Security
Authors: Liddle James R.
Published: July 2020

Despite the ubiquity of religion, religiosity varies substantially at the individual and societal levels. This chapter presents a study that sought set to replicate and extend previous findings regarding Norris and Inglehart’s (2004) secure society theory of religiosity, which states that religiosity varies with the extent to which one feels secure in one’s environment. The relationship between individual perceptions of societal security—as opposed to national indicators of societal security—and religiosity has not previously been investigated. The study analyzed data from the General Social Survey, supplemented by Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Census data. The results indicated that the extent to which one feels safe walking around one’s neighborhood at night predicts religiosity, even when crime rate, poverty rate, age, sex, and race are controlled statistically. Additionally, time series analyses of data from 1980 to 2012 provided partial support for the secure society theory, with neighborhood fear and poverty predicting future religiosity.
Early Evolution and Forgotten Founders of Clinical Neuropsychology
Authors: Hartman David E.
Published: July 2020

The history of clinical neuropsychology and development of the profession into its present form depended on several lines of inquiry about human behavior, illness, and brain function. Clinical neuropsychology required apparatus to measure cognitive functions, group research to objectively measure and catalogue those functions across the normative spectrum, more sophisticated neurodiagnostic nosology, and an approach that integrated behavioral, psychological, medical, and statistical expertise. Many scientists and practitioners since the late 1880s participated and contributed to this endeavor. This chapter describes how several “forgotten” and better-remembered founders of neuropsychology were able to advance the development of this profession, and how their contributions fit into the ongoing science that became clinical neuropsychology.
Evaluation of an Intrapartum Insulin Regimen for Women With Diabetes
Authors: Dude Annie M. , Niznik Charlotte , Peaceman Alan M. , Yee Lynn M.
Published: July 2020

OBJECTIVE:

To examine whether an insulin protocol for intrapartum glucose control among parturients with diabetes was associated with improved outcomes.

METHODS:

This is a retrospective cohort study of women with pregestational or gestational diabetes delivering a liveborn neonate at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Before 2011, women with diabetes were given intravenous (IV) insulin or glucose during labor at the discretion of the on-call endocrinologist. In 2011, a standardized protocol was designed to titrate insulin and glucose infusions. Outcomes were compared between two time periods: January 2005–December 2010 (before implementation) and January 2012–December 2017 (after implementation) with 2011 excluded to account for a phase-in period. Maternal outcomes included intrapartum hyperglycemia (blood glucose greater than 125 mg/dL) and hypoglycemia (blood glucose less than 60 mg/dL). Neonatal outcomes included hypoglycemia (blood glucose less than 50 mg/dL), intensive care admission, and IV dextrose therapy. t tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and χ2 tests were used for bivariable analyses. Linear and logistic multivariable regression were used to account for confounding factors.

RESULTS:

Of 3,689 women, 928 (25.2%) delivered before 2011. After protocol implementation, frequencies of both maternal intrapartum hyperglycemia (51.3% vs 37.9%) and hypoglycemia decreased (6.1% vs 2.5%), both P<.001; respective adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.64, 95% CI 0.54–0.77 and 0.50, 95% CI 0.33–0.78. The frequency of neonatal hypoglycemia, however, increased (36.6% vs 49.2%, P<.001; aOR 1.73, 95% CI 1.45–2.07). Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit and need for IV dextrose therapy were similar across time periods.

CONCLUSION:

A formal protocol to manage insulin and glucose infusions for parturients with diabetes was associated with improved intrapartum maternal glucose control, but an increased frequency of neonatal hypoglycemia.
Evaluation of umbilical anatomy via computed tomography prior to single-incision laparoscopy
Authors: Oztop Mehmet Burak , Er Ali
Published: July 2020

Laparoscopic surgery performed through a single incision is relatively new. Here, we investigated the importance of radiological anatomical evaluation of the umbilicus prior to such surgery.

Umbilical images of 500 patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) in 2019 were evaluated retrospectively, using both transverse and sagittal sections.

Spearman rank correlation analysis indicated a significant positive relationship between age and the sagittal and transverse umbilical measurements (all patients: P < .01; men: P = .001; women: P < .01). Mean transverse and sagittal measurements were 5.63 ± 1.9 and 6.2 ± 2.0 mm in women and 5.49 ± 1.9 and 6.2 ± 1.8 mm in men.

Umbilical anatomy can be evaluated radiologically as a component of preoperative evaluation.
Reducing Outpatient Infant Blood Draws with Transcutaneous Measurement of Bilirubin
Authors: Kilmartin Keira C. , McCarty Emily J. , Shubkin Catherine D. , Holmes Alison Volpe
Published: July 2020

Introduction:

Newborn jaundice is a common outpatient problem. Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements correlate well with total serum bilirubin (SB) measurements below 15 mg/dl and are efficient and noninvasive. Some concern exists that TcB measurement may subsequently lead to an increase in the number of SB measurements performed in the outpatient setting. We aimed to implement the use of a TcB device in an outpatient clinic. By doing so, we sought to increase the number of newborns screened solely by TcB as opposed to SB, by 30%, within 12 months.

Methods:

We conducted plan-do-study-act cycles with targeted interventions to promote the use of TcB in an outpatient clinic for eligible newborns older than 35 weeks gestational age, aged 1–20 days, and without a history of transfusion, phototherapy, extensive bruising, or risk of hemolysis. We used statistical process control methods to measure proportions of newborns evaluated with TcB (run chart) and patients-between SB measurements (G-chart) over time in the outpatient clinic.

Results:

We collected preintervention data for 18-months and intervention data for 12 months. For newborns attending the outpatient clinic, the proportion of TcB measurements increased after implementation of the use of TcB measurement. There was an increase in patients-between SB measurements. At project inception, SB was drawn for every 8 eligible patients. By the end of the project, there were 98 eligible newborns between instances of SB testing.

Conclusion:

Implementation of a quality-improvement initiative to measure TcB in the outpatient clinic was feasible and reduced the number of SB tests.
Proposed allosteric inhibitors bind to the ATP site of CK2α
Authors: Brear Paul , Ball Darby , Stott Katherine , D’Arcy Sheena , Hyvönen Marko
Published: July 2020

CK2α is a ubiquitous, well-studied protein kinase that is a target for small molecule inhibition, for treatment of cancers. While many different classes of ATP-competitive inhibitors have been described for CK2α, they tend to suffer from significant off-target activity and new approaches are needed. A series of inhibitors of CK2α has recently been described as allosteric, acting at a previously unidentified binding site. Given the similarity of these inhibitors to known ATP-competitive inhibitors, we have investigated these further. In our thorough structural and biophysical analyses, we have found no evidence that these inhibitors bind to the proposed allosteric site. Rather, we report crystal structures, competitive ITC and NMR, HDX mass spectrometry and chemoinformatic analyses that all point to these compounds binding in the ATP pocket. Our crystal structures however do show that the proposed allosteric site can bind ligands, just not those in the previously described series. Comparison of our results and experimental details with the data presented in the original report suggest several reasons for the disparity in our conclusions, the primary reason being non-specific inhibition by aggregation.

Table of Content graphics
A reported Antarctic environmental microorganism isolated from the blood of sheep on the Mongolian Plateau
Authors: Chen Qianlin , Cao Zheng , Li Chunyan , Zhu Maixun , Zhai Shaoqin , Fu Wengui
Published: July 2020

Herein, we report a novelCarnobacterium-like organism, CS13T, isolated from the blood of sheep with persistent diarrhea from a grassland pasturing area in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Municipality, China. Homology analysis indicated that CS13Tbelongs to the genusCarnobacteriumand is 100% related to the reported environmental microorganismCarnobacterium antarticum sp. CP1(C. CP1), which was isolated from sandy soil near Davis Station, Antarctica; the following strains are closely related:Carnobacterium mobile DSM 4848(97%) andCarnobacterium funditum DSM 5970(96%). Similar to those of theC. CP1, the short rod-shaped cells of CS13Tare 0.4-0.8 μm wide and 1.0-1.5 μm long; exist singly, paired or catenoid; are gram positive, non-spore forming, and facultatively anaerobic; and produce hemolysin. CS13Tcannot produce gas or H2S but can ferment sucrose, galactose, salicin, and esculin to produce acid. However, in contrast toC. CP1, CS13Tcan produce acid from cellobiose and maltose and is weakly positive for D-mannose fermentation; the growth temperatures range from 20-37°C, the pH range is 5.0-9.0, and the G+C content is 37.84% (4-36°C, pH 6.0-9.5, and 38.1% forC. CP1). Furthermore, based on gene annotation analysis, we found that CS13T has 31 more specific genes thanC. CP1(133 to 102) and that the nonredundant protein similarity toC. CP1is only 84.2%. Based on the physiological-biochemical and genetic analysis results, we infer that the organisms isolated from the Mongolian Plateau and sandy soil in Antarctica belong to the same novel species of the genusCarnobacterium; therefore, this novel species probably has distributed globally and should not be calledspecies antarticum.
Pregnancy data enable identification of relevant biomarkers and a partial prognosis of autism at birth
Authors: Caly Hugues , Rabiei Hamed , Coste-Mazeau Perrine , Hantz Sebastien , Alain Sophie , Eyraud Jean-Luc , Chianea Thierry , Caly Catherine , Makowski David , Hadjikhani Nouchine , Lemonnier Eric , Ben-Ari Yehezkel
Published: July 2020

Attempts to extract early biomarkers and expedite detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been centered on postnatal measures of babies at familial risk. Here, we suggest that it might be possible to do these tasks already at birth relying on ultrasound and biological measurements routinely collected from pregnant mothers and fetuses during gestation and birth. We performed a gradient boosting decision tree classification analysis in parallel with statistical tests on a population of babies with typical development or later diagnosed with ASD. By focusing on minimization of the false positive rate, the cross-validated specificity of the classifier reached to 96% with a sensitivity of 41% and a positive predictive value of 77%. Extracted biomarkers included sex, maternal familial history of auto-immune diseases, maternal immunization to CMV, IgG CMV level, timing of fetal rotation on head, femoral length in the 3rd trimester, white cells in the 3rd trimester, fetal heart rate during labour, newborn feeding and newborn’s temperature difference between birth and one day after. Statistical models revealed that 38% of babies later diagnosed with ASD had significantly larger fetal cephalic perimeter than age matched neurotypical babies, suggesting an in-utero origin of the bigger brains of toddlers with ASD. Results pave the way to use pregnancy follow-up measurements to provide an early prognosis of ASD and implement pre-symptomatic behavioral interventions to attenuate efficiently ASD developmental sequels.
Network rewiring: physiological consequences of reciprocally exchanging the physical locations and growth-phase-dependent expression patterns of theSalmonella fisanddpsgenes
Authors: Bogue Marina M , Mogre Aalap , Beckett Michael C , Thomson Nicholas R , Dorman Charles J
Published: July 2020

The Fis nucleoid-associated protein controls the expression of a large and diverse regulon of genes in Gram-negative bacteria. Fis production is normally maximal in bacteria during the early exponential phase of batch culture growth, becoming almost undetectable by the onset of stationary phase. We tested the effect on the Fis regulatory network inSalmonellaof moving the completefisgene from its usual location near the origin of chromosomal replication to the position normally occupied by thedpsgene in the Right macrodomain of the chromosome, andvice versa, creating the strain GX. In a parallel experiment, we tested the effect of rewiring the Fis regulatory network by placing thefisopen reading frame under the control of the stationary-phase-activateddpspromoter at thedpsgenetic location within Ter, andvice versa, creating the strain OX. ChIP-seq was used to measure global Fis protein binding and gene expression patterns. Strain GX showed few changes when compared with the wild type, although we did detect increased Fis binding at Ter, accompanied by reduced binding at Ori. Strain OX displayed a more pronounced version of this distorted Fis protein-binding pattern together with numerous alterations in the expression of genes in the Fis regulon. OX, but not GX, had a reduced ability to infect cultured mammalian cells. These findings illustrate the inherent robustness of the Fis regulatory network to rewiring based on gene repositioning alone and emphasise the importance offisexpression signals in phenotypic determination.

IMPORTANCE

We assessed the impacts onSalmonellaphysiology of reciprocally translocating the genes encoding the Fis and Dps nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs), and of inverting their growth phase production patterns such that Fis is produced in stationary phase (like Dps) and Dps is produced in exponential phase (like Fis). Changes to peak binding of Fis were detected by ChIP-seq on the chromosome, as were widespread impacts on the transcriptome, especially when Fis production mimicked Dps. Virulence gene expression and the expression of a virulence phenotype were altered. Overall, these radical changes to NAP gene expression were well tolerated, revealing the robust and well-buffered nature of global gene regulation networks in the bacterium.
Innovation capabilities, market characteristics and export performance of EMNEs from India
Authors: Bhat Sneha , Momaya Kirankumar S.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of market characteristics on the relationship between innovation capabilities and export performance of Indian pharmaceutical firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the hypotheses using generalized least square estimator with random effects, on a panel data set, for the period 2010–2016.

Findings

Analyses of the data show that innovation capabilities lead to superior export performance. R&D investment positively affects export performance of both developing and developed countries, whereas patent quality negatively affects the export performance of developed countries and has no significance in developing countries. Size of the firm has significant positive effect on its export performance.

Originality/value

This study explores the role of market characteristics in determining the relationship between innovation and export performance, which has mostly been ignored in extant literature, especially in the context of emerging market multinationals.
Construction material supply risk management using Asian option contracts: the case of a pipeline project
Authors: Vahdatmanesh Mohammad , Firouzi Afshin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Steel price uncertainty exposes pipeline projects that are inherently capital intensive to the risk of cost overruns. The current study proposes a hedging methodology for tackling steel pipeline price risk by deploying Asian option contracts that address the shortcomings of current risk mitigation strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

A stepwise methodology is introduced, which uses a closed-form formula as an Asian option valuation method for calculating this total expenditure. The scenario analysis of three price trends examines whether or not the approach is beneficial to users. The sensitivity analysis then has been conducted using the financial option Greeks to assess the effects of changes in volatility in the total price of the option contracts. The total price of the Asian options was then compared with those of the European and American options.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the Asian option expenditure was about 1.87% of the total cost of the case study project. The scenario analysis revealed that, except for when the price followed a continuous downward pattern, the use of this type of financial instrument is a practical approach for steel pipeline price risk management.

Practical implications

This approach is founded on a well-established financial options theory and elucidates how pipeline project participants can deploy Asian option contracts to safeguard against steel price fluctuations in practice.

Originality/value

Although the literature exists about the theory and application of financial derivative instruments for risk management in other sectors, their application to the construction industry is infrequent. In the proposed methodology, all participants involved in fixed price pipeline projects readily surmount the risk of exposure to material price fluctuations.
Generative BIM workspace for AEC conceptual design automation: prototype development
Authors: Abrishami Sepehr , Goulding Jack , Rahimian Farzad
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The integration and automation of the whole design and implementation process have become a pivotal factor in construction projects. Problems of process integration, particularly at the conceptual design stage, often manifest through a number of significant areas, from design representation, cognition and translation to process fragmentation and loss of design integrity. Whilst building information modelling (BIM) applications can be used to support design automation, particularly through the modelling, amendment and management stages, they do not explicitly provide whole design integration. This is a significant challenge. However, advances in generative design now offer significant potential for enhancing the design experience to mitigate this challenge.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach outlined in this paper specifically addresses BIM deficiencies at the conceptual design stage, where the core drivers and indicators of BIM and generative design are identified and mapped into a generative BIM (G-BIM) framework and subsequently embedded into a G-BIM prototype. This actively engages generative design methods into a single dynamic BIM environment to support the early conceptual design process. The developed prototype followed the CIFE “horseshoe” methodology of aligning theoretical research with scientific methods to procure architecture, construction and engineering (AEC)-based solutions. This G-BIM prototype was also tested and validated through a focus group workshop engaging five AEC domain experts.

Findings

The G-BIM prototype presents a valuable set of rubrics to support the conceptual design stage using generative design. It benefits from the advanced features of BIM tools in relation to illustration and collaboration (coupled with BIM's parametric change management features).

Research limitations/implications

This prototype has been evaluated through multiple projects and scenarios. However, additional test data is needed to further improve system veracity using conventional and non-standard real-life design settings (and contexts). This will be reported in later works.

Originality/value

Originality and value rest with addressing the shortcomings of previous research on automation during the design process. It also addresses novel computational issues relating to the implementation of generative design systems, where, for example, instead of engaging static and formal description of the domain concepts, G-BIM actively enhances the applicability of BIM during the early design stages to generate optimised (and more purposeful) design solutions.
Entrepreneurial decision-making and family social capital
Authors: Wang Cizhi , Flamini Giulia , Wang Kai , Pei Rong , Chen Chiyin
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to adopt a collective perspective in the study of entrepreneurial decision-making processes and empirically analyse the ways in which social relationships between family members can shape their collective entrepreneurial decision-making behaviour (ED).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers the family social capital (FSC) in inducing overall conformity to the focal family member's decision to exploit an opportunity. In terms of the seminal construct of social capital, the authors propose three FSC dimensions that can be used to induce conformity: structural, relational and cognitive dimensions. Then, the authors design questionnaires to collect data pertaining to the relationships between the family members' ED and the FSC. Finally, the authors collect 152 valid questionnaires from Chinese family firms.

Findings

The data analysis consists of two parts. The first section of this paper analyses conformity by testing the discriminant validity of models. Regression analysis is then used to test the relationship between family members' ED and the FSC. Significant relationships between the cognitive dimension of FSC and the entrepreneur's decision-making are found.

Originality/value

The research contributes towards academic literature concerning both entrepreneurship and social capital. On the one hand, this paper is one of the rare pieces of entrepreneurial research that responds to the call for the study of entrepreneurship from a collective perspective. On the other hand, our study quantitatively tests the impact of FSC at a multidimensional level. It provides conclusions regarding the social influence of other family members and provides insights into social capital by studying entrepreneurship from a social/community perspective.
Inferring individual fate from aquatic acoustic telemetry data
Authors: Villegas‐Ríos David , Freitas Carla , Moland Even , Thorbjørnsen Susanna Huneide , Olsen Esben M.
Published: July 2020

Acoustic telemetry has become a popular means of obtaining individual behavioural data from a wide array of species in marine and freshwater systems. Fate information is crucial to understand important aspects of population dynamics such as mortality, predation or dispersal rates.

Here we present a method to infer individual fate from acoustic telemetry arrays of receivers with overlapping detection ranges. Our method depends exclusively on information on animal movements and the characteristics and configuration of the telemetry equipment. By answering a limited number of simple questions, our method identifies six different fates: tagging mortality, natural mortality, fishing mortality, predation, dispersal and survival.

Applying the method to a cod telemetry dataset, we were able to determine the fate of 97% of the individuals. We validate the results using several external sources of information, such as recaptures from fishers and control fish with known fate.

The method is readily applicable to a wide array of species with minimal adjustments, expanding the range of hypotheses that can be tested using telemetry data.
Retinal photoreceptor damage produced in guinea pigs by tunicamycin
Authors: Spencer BG , Blumbergs PC , Manavis J , Finnie JW
Published: July 2020

Corynetoxins, members of the tunicamycin group of antibiotics, produce a severe and frequently fatal neurological disorder in ruminant livestock, and guinea pigs are a useful model to study the pathology and pathogenesis of this disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether tunicamycin produced ocular damage in this species, which could have pharmacotherapeutic and diagnostic value. Four 8‐week‐old guinea pigs were treated with tunicamycin, and two control animals were given the drug vehicle only. Guinea pigs were injected subcutaneously with 400 μg/kg of tunicamycin, in dimethyl sulphoxide, and killed 48 h post‐injection. The eyes were then examined by light microscopy. Immunohistochemistry for rhodopsin was also performed. The principal pathological finding was marked retinal photoreceptor damage, which was characterised by disruption and disorganisation of rods, sometimes progressing to necrosis and separation of the outer segment. The cytoplasm of some rods was focally distended by accumulated, proteinaceous material. Rhodopsin immunopositivity in injured rods was markedly diminished and associated with shrinkage and shortening of the injured rod's outer segment. Ocular pathology, in the form of reproducible and extensive retinal photoreceptor damage, was found in guinea pigs given tunicamycin, extending the range of species found to be susceptible to this toxic injury. The guinea pig could prove to be a good animal model to test potential therapeutic interventions, and as brain lesions are often minimal and liver pathology non‐specific in intoxicated ruminants, any spontaneously arising ophthalmic injury found in these species could be diagnostically useful.
Chronic fluoxetine or ketamine treatment differentially affects brain energy homeostasis which is not exacerbated in mice with trait suboptimal mitochondrial function
Authors: Emmerzaal Tim L. , Jacobs Leah , Geenen Bram , Verweij Vivienne , Morava Eva , Rodenburg Richard J. , Kozicz Tamas
Published: July 2020

Antidepressants have been shown to influence mitochondrial function directly, and suboptimal mitochondrial function (SMF) has been implicated in complex psychiatric disorders. In the current study, we used a mouse model for trait SMF to test the hypothesis that chronic fluoxetine treatment in mice subjected to chronic stress would negatively impact brain bioenergetics, a response that would be more pronounced in mice with trait SMF. In contrast, we hypothesized that chronic ketamine treatment would positively impact mitochondrial function in both WT and mice with SMF. We used an animal model for trait SMF, the Ndufs4GT/GT mice, which exhibit 25% lower mitochondrial complex I activity. In addition to antidepressant treatment, mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). This paradigm is widely used to model complex behaviours expressed in various psychiatric disorders. We assayed several physiological indices as proxies for the impact of chronic stress and antidepressant treatment. Furthermore, we measured brain mitochondrial complex activities using clinically validated assays as well as established metabolic signatures using targeted metabolomics. As hypothesized, we found evidence that chronic fluoxetine treatment negatively impacted brain bioenergetics. This phenotype was, however, not further exacerbated in mice with trait SMF. Ketamine did not have a significant influence on brain mitochondrial function in either genotype. Here we report that trait SMF could be a moderator for an individual's response to antidepressant treatment. Based on these results, we propose that in individuals with SMF and comorbid psychopathology, fluoxetine should be avoided, whereas ketamine could be a safer choice of treatment.
Adults with Down syndrome challenge another paradigm: When aging no longer entails arterial hypertension
Authors: Roy‐Vallejo Emilia , Galván‐Román José María , Moldenhauer Fernando , Real de Asúa Diego
Published: July 2020

The paradigmatic relationship between aging and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events does not apply to all patient populations. Though trisomy 21 (T21) and its phenotypic expression, Down syndrome (DS), are conditions that involve premature aging, the cardiovascular system of adults with DS appears to be particularly spared from this early senescence. Despite a higher prevalence of some classic cardiovascular risk factors in adults with DS than in the general population, such as dyslipidemia, obesity, or sedentarism, these individuals do not develop hypertension or suffer major cardiovascular events as they age. The protective factors that prevent the development of hypertension in T21 are not well established. Genes like RCAN1 and DYRK1A, both on chromosome 21 and over‐expressed in adults with DS, appear to play a major role in cardiovascular prevention. Their regulation of the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) and neprilysin synthesis could underlie the constitutive protection against arterial hypertension in adults with DS and explain the absence of increased arterial stiffness in this population. A better understanding of these molecular pathways could have enormous implications for the clinical management of adults with DS and might foster the development of novel therapeutic targets in cardiovascular prevention for the general population.
Hemodynamics of different volumes of red blood cell transfusion in preterm infants
Authors: Choi Eui Kyung , Shin Jeonghee , Kim Gun‐Ha , Choi Byung Min
Published: July 2020

Background

Although many controversies exist regarding the risk of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, half of preterm infants born at <32 weeks of gestational age receive such transfusions because of anemia of prematurity. Because of the costs and risks associated with multiple transfusions, it has been suggested that a large transfusion volume reduces the number of transfusions. However, there have been persistent concerns that RBC transfusion might lead to volume overload.

Methods

We examined the impacts of large (20 mL/kg) compared to standard volume (15 mL/kg) transfusions on the hemodynamic variables of stable, electively transfused, preterm infants, by serially measuring echocardiographic parameters and plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide levels.

Results

A total of 39 infants born at <34 weeks of gestation and aged >2 weeks at the time of enrollment were randomly allocated to either a standard volume (15 mL/kg) or a large volume (20 mL/kg) group. Significant reductions in cardiac output and transient increases in plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide levels were found after RBC transfusion in both the standard and large volume (20 mL/kg) groups. However, these changes were not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusions

Large‐volume transfusions could be tolerable in stable preterm infants with anemia.
Speech synthesizer produced voices for disabled, including Stephen Hawking
Authors: Kewley-Port Diane , M. Nearey Terrance
Published: July 2020

The Reflections series takes a look back on historical articles from The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America that have had a significant impact on the science and practice of acoustics.
Bats navigate with cognitive maps
Authors: Fenton M. Brock
Published: July 2020

Tagging and tracking systems reveal the way-finding strategies of fruit bats
Improved social force model for rescue action during evacuation
Authors: Tian Xiaoyong , Cui Hongjun , Zhu Minqing
Published: July 2020

There often exist behaviors of moving against the main direction of evacuation in order to rescue or find the important missing people in real situations. However, the traditional social force model (SFM) often lacks consideration of such “counter flow”. Motivated by this, we improve the traditional SFM to study the counter flow and its influence on evacuation out of multi-exit rooms. We call the person to be rescued “superior” and the rescuers “subordinate”. Two different rescue situations are proposed: superior waiting in place (case 1) and superior moving towards the exit (case 2). The results show that the counter flow will always reduce the evacuation efficiency to a certain extent, and the evacuation efficiency of case 1 is lower than that of case 2. At the same time, for these two cases, increasing the number of rescuers increases the evacuation time. We also find that the existence of counter flow can enlarge the effect of “faster-is-slower”, while increasing the number of exports can significantly improve the rescue efficiency. We hope that this result can help to improve the efficiency of emergency evacuation with rescue.