bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Software Patent Manoeuvres
Authors: Thomas Pradip Ninan
Published: September 2019

This chapter explores the politics and geopolitics of software patents. Beginning with an introduction to patents as intellectual property (IP), it explores its conflictual nature, especially in the context of free and open source software. This chapter deals with the Indian State’s ambivalent attitude towards the patenting of software, the pressure brought by the Business Software Alliance and others to harmonize India’s patent laws with US requirements, and the consequences of ‘patent thickets’ and its impact on creativity and innovation. It highlights the fact that there is growing recognition of the need for software sovereignty in India, illustrated by the fact that the Indian government has invested in a number of organizations that are committed to local solutions in software, although this ethos is contested by the IP and patent lobbies.
Marxism and Beyond
Authors: Khandkar Arundhati C. , Khandkar Ashok C.
Published: September 2019

M.N. Roy and Laxmanshastri found intellectual affinity towards each other when they met and collaborated on building the Radical Democratic Party founded by Roy. This party wished to create a government that represented all Indian people—not just the privileged upper class. When the British stepped up their war efforts to thwart the Japanese who were knocking at the Burma front, the Congress Party opposed supporting the efforts, hoping to force the British to strike a bargain and leave India. Members of the Radical Democratic Party favored supporting the British war efforts, only because they felt that a totalitarian form of government that dominated Axis powers, would supplant the Raj and would prove to be more dangerous. Laxmanshastri also continued to write and speak out against unjust social practices and for inclusion of all her people. He wrote a seminal book on Hindu religion which endeared him to Ambedkar. As the World War II ended with the Allies victorious, it exposed the shortcomings of communism, which led Roy and Laxmanshastri to abandon Marxism as a model for India’s democracy. This led to the dissolution of the party after which Laxmanshastri immersed himself in compiling the Dharmakosha, an exhaustive encyclopedia of Hindu scriptures. Later he served on the committee chaired by Ambedkar that drafted India’s constitution.
Reason and Tolerance
Authors: Khandkar Arundhati C. , Khandkar Ashok C.
Published: September 2019

Laxmanshastri had an immensely practical view of philosophy. First schooled in classical Vedic and aVedic darshanas and later in Western philosophical systems, he synthesized the ancient Indian systems with the sceptical traditions of Charvaka. He argued that the purpose of philosophy was to motivate the individual and society to aspire to higher goals. As he analysed and integrated the various systems of philosophy, he was called to provide his insights at many venues. Whenever and wherever he spoke, he invariably emphasized Buddha’s guiding principle of questioning and examining everything critically and carefully. He extended his analysis and writing to speculations on the reasons behind the decline of Hindu society.
Routes, Forts, Environment, and the Making of Imperial Frontiers
Authors: Nath Pratyay
Published: September 2019

This chapter unravels the dynamics of the formation of imperial frontiers in the Mughal empire. Eschewing the idea that frontiers were simply areas far away from the political heartland, the chapter argues that frontiers of Mughal power emerged due to the conjuncture of several processes. These included failures to control routes of communication, cope with environmental conditions, negotiate the military techniques of their adversaries, and co-opt local zamindars into the imperial project. It shows how two regions—the Afghan belt and Bengal–Assam—emerged as long-standing imperial frontiers through these processes. In effect, frontiers signified zones of fading imperial authority and increasing scope of personal agency and ambition of military commanders. Physically, they did not resemble the closed, enveloping borders of modern times; rather, they were embodied by forts that commanded routes of communication that emanated radially outward from within the imperial domain.
The Conflict of Laws in India
Authors: Govindaraj V.C.
Published: September 2019

Conflict of laws, or private international law, is an increasingly important subject of study due to increasing movement and relocation of large number of people from one jurisdiction to another for personal and professional reasons. This book is a detailed and up-to-date study of conflict of laws and focuses on its three main areas: the law of obligations, law of property, and law of persons. It provides fresh perspectives on the subject and analyses its significance in the dynamic contemporary world. The work not only lucidly examines the inter-territorial conflicts but also lays a special emphasis on inter-personal disputes in the Indian context. It evaluates the role of various international instruments and conventions including The Hague Convention on private international law designed to resolve international conflicts. The book also discusses critical issues such as habitual residence, domicile, and obligations for shaping foreign contracts and torts. This revised edition elaborates on the recent developments in two areas of the subject, namely Muslim law and the law relating to guardianship.
Exclusion of Foreign Law
Authors: Govindaraj V.C.
Published: September 2019

This chapter discusses restrictions to the enforcement of foreign laws under Indian law. Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, forbids an Indian court from recognizing or enforcing a contract where such recognition or enforcement would be opposed to Indian public policy, or where such contract was obtained by fraud. A well-known principle of conflict of laws is that a court will not enforce a foreign penal law, either directly or indirectly. Foreign revenue laws are comparable to foreign penal laws from the standpoint of enforceability. As a matter of principle, a court will not enforce the public law of a foreign country, though the scope and ambit of this principle remains nebulous.
Insolvency and Corporations
Authors: Govindaraj V.C.
Published: September 2019

This chapter discusses the law of insolvency and corporations as interpreted and applied by courts in India. Topics covered include insolvency jurisdiction of an Indian court; effect of an Indian bankruptcy order on debtor’s property; choice of law in an Indian insolvency; discharge by virtue of an Indian order; effect in India of foreign insolvencies; legal status, domicile, and powers of corporations; and jurisdiction over corporations.
History and Allegory
Authors: Wakankar Milind
Published: September 2019

The first half of the chapter uses the case of Prahlada to make the point that the Puranic understanding of history implies a transition from a dark prehistory into the historicity of the Puranic present. The second part of the chapter suggests that this Puranic notion of a prehistory has affinities with the interiorized physiognomy of the soul typical of Kabir, which in turn has ties with Indo-Persian dastan literature. The key argument is that both the Puranas and Kabir speak to an ‘I’ that is yet to come, so that our standard account of Kabir’s seemingly proto-‘secular’ disregard for religious distinctions would have to be revised. Instead, one could argue that what is at stake for Kabir’s nirgun (hence its lure for subaltern communities) is an original embrace of difference as negativity, and only secondarily an understanding of what is ‘non-in-different’ in faith.
Models of Quantum Matter
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

This book focuses on the theory of quantum matter, strongly interacting systems of quantum many–particle physics, particularly on their study using exactly solvable and quantum integrable models with Bethe ansatz methods. Part 1 explores the fundamental methods of statistical physics and quantum many–particle physics required for an understanding of quantum matter. It also presents a selection of the most important model systems to describe quantum matter ranging from the Hubbard model of condensed matter physics to the Rabi model of quantum optics. The remaining five parts of the book examines appropriate special cases of these models with respect to their exact solutions using Bethe ansatz methods for the ground state, finite–size, and finite temperature properties. They also demonstrate the quantum integrability of an exemplary model, the Heisenberg quantum spin chain, within the framework of the quantum inverse scattering method and through the algebraic Bethe ansatz. Further models, whose Bethe ansatz solutions are derived and examined, include the Bose and Fermi gases in one dimension, the one–dimensional Hubbard model, the Kondo model, and the quantum Tavis–Cummings model, the latter a model descendent from the Rabi model.
Quantum Many-Particle Systems and Second Quantization
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

Chapter 2 provides a review of pertinent aspects of the quantum mechanics of systems composed of many particles. It focuses on the foundations of quantum many-particle physics, the many-particle Hilbert spaces to describe large assemblies of interacting systems composed of Bosons or Fermions, which lead to the versatile formalism of second quantization as a convenient and eminently practical language ubiquitous in the mathematical formulation of the theory of many-particle systems of quantum matter. The main objects in which the formalism of second quantization is expressed are the Bosonic or Fermionic creation and annihilation operators that become, in the position basis, the quantum field operators.
Angular Momentum
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

In order to prepare for the discussion of quantum many-particle Hamiltonians, for example the Heisenberg quantum spin chain Hamiltonian, this chapter examines the concept of angular momentum in quantum mechanics, especially the coupling of spin-2 operators for several quantum spins. It begins with the general theory of angular momentum for a single quantum particle, especially for a single spin-1, described by Pauli spin matrices, and then extends to the theory of angular momentum for several particles, again especially for several spins1.
Phase Transitions, Critical Phenomena, and Finite-Size Scaling
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

Interacting many-particle systems may undergo phase transitions and exhibit critical phenomena in the limit of infinite system size, while the precursors of these phenomena are studied in the theory of finite-size scaling. After surveying the basic notions of phases, phase diagrams, and phase transitions, this chapter focuses on critical behaviour at a second-order phase transition. The Landau-Ginzburg theory and the concept of scaling prepare readers for an elementary introduction to the concepts of the renormalization group, followed by an introduction into the field of quantum phase transitions where quantum fluctuations take over the role of thermal fluctuations.
Models of Strongly Interacting Quantum Matter
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

This chapter introduces a select number of models of strongly interacting quantum many-particle physics and examines their basic properties. These models represent Bosonic and Fermionic systems as well as systems where magnetic moments, i.e. spins, interact. The main selection criterion has been the existence of a variant of the model that is quantum integrable using Bethe ansatz methods. After studying the Bose fluid, the Landau Fermi liquid, and the one-dimensional concept of the Luttinger liquid, it reviews some of the major models of condensed matter theory, including the Hubbard model describing itinerant magnetism, the Heisenberg model describing localized magnetism, and the Kondo model describing the interaction of a magnetic impurity and band electrons. It also presents the Rabi model and some of its descendants in order to describe the interaction of light and quantum matter in quantum optics.
Ice Model
Authors: Eckle Hans-Peter
Published: September 2019

The crystal structure of several of the phases of ice shows a peculiarity associated with a special type of disorder: the one hydrogen atom between the two oxygen atoms is closer to one or the other of the two. This peculiarity depends only on the configuration and is independent of temperature. It gives rise to a finite entropy of ice, even at zero temperature, i.e. the residual entropy. This observation is used as a physical motivation to study a certain type of two-dimensional statistical mechanical models, the so-called vertex models, the exemplary vertex model being the ice model, for which we introduce the ice rule.
Megachurch: An American Original (Almost)
Authors: Wellman James K. , Corcoran Katie E. , Stockly Kate J.
Published: September 2019

Megachurches are not a new phenomenon; in fact, they have been around for a long time in some form. We trace their history back to the beginning of the Christian faith and describe their trajectory through key historical figures, examining how the Wesley brothers, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, Charles Grandison Finney, Russell H. Conwell, and Aimee Semple McPherson produced and nurtured megachurch forms. We describe and argue that Christian churches, and megachurches in particular, are particularly potent in illumining American religious history, and that congregational studies reveal and explain core attributes of American social life.
The Micro-sociology of Interaction Rituals within Megachurches
Authors: Wellman James K. , Corcoran Katie E. , Stockly Kate J.
Published: September 2019

We describe the paradigm of micro-sociology using Randall Collins’s work on interaction ritual chains to understand how emotional energy is produced in megachurches. We argue that individuals are motivated to participate in megachurches through a process of interaction ritual chains that produce and evoke deep desires satisfied through emotional energy, which attracts and keeps so many coming to megachurches. We describe Collins’s ingredients for successful rituals (co-presence, a shared mood, a mutual focus of attention, and barriers to outsiders) and how megachurches meet or transform these ingredients for their purposes. As we narrate Collins’s interactive ritual structure, we briefly outline the ways in which the six desires, described in Chapter 3, are met in a cyclical manner within megachurches. We show how they are evoked and addressed in overlapping and synchronic ways, which reinforces the power of the collective effervescence of these churches.
Desire for Acceptance and Belonging
Authors: Wellman James K. , Corcoran Katie E. , Stockly Kate J.
Published: September 2019

In this chapter, we show how megachurches meet their attendees’ desire for acceptance and belonging. It all begins with co-presence—being together at the same place and time—in an atmosphere of excitement and acceptance as one is welcomed and invited into the worship service. Megachurches have crafted particular strategies to make attendees feel welcome, which include having few barriers to entry. The entire experience is designed to require no prior knowledge and to make individuals feel comfortable. This is accomplished in part by incorporating aspects of secular culture. In this way, megachurches both embody the world (i.e., secularity), and introduce and bring out the sacred at the heart of the secular.
Desire for Wow, or Hacking the Happy
Authors: Wellman James K. , Corcoran Katie E. , Stockly Kate J.
Published: September 2019

In this chapter, we show how megachurches meet attendees’ desire for “wow” and awe. The data show that megachurch members are overwhelmingly “in love” with megachurch worship. Worship time is often an outward expression of praise and the sharing of joy—a time for generating collective effervescence. The collective effervescence evoked during the worship service is intensified by the fact that there are thousands of people contributing to it. Megachurch services are fields of wonder that energize and synchronize human bodies and feelings with remarkable acuity. The intense emotional energy produced prepares attendees for the pastor’s message, which follows the worship service.
Desire for Deliverance
Authors: Wellman James K. , Corcoran Katie E. , Stockly Kate J.
Published: September 2019

In this chapter, we identify how megachurches meet attendees’ desire for deliverance. The preaching and music produce high levels of emotional energy that need to be released. In particular, altar calls and healing services are the emotional peaks of the church service, following the worship singing and sermons. These moments allow attendees to release the emotional energy that has built up from the service and in their lives. These are collective experiences in which individuals transform and watch others do the same. In response to the experience of deliverance, individuals are asked to serve their church and communities as an expression of their faith.
The Shaping of Policy
Authors: Schain Martin A.
Published: September 2019

This chapter explores patterns of policy enforcement of the variable border: where it is enforced and with what effectiveness. Policies reflect intentions to control migration patterns across the variable border, and to shape and constrain how the border actually functions. The chapter examines how the implementation of border controls reshapes policy on the ground. Control appears to be effective on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, a large number of migrants have gained access for long-term residence. Effective controls have shaped migration, but have also permitted large numbers of immigrants to enter from year to year. Most decision-making on entry has been externalized to countries of origin, where most people desiring to enter are granted visas. Most rejections are at land and sea ports, in part because these applications for admission are made for asylum, which is governed by more demanding rules and a different process.
Minnowbrook at 50: A Post-Script
Authors: Carboni Julia L , Nabatchi Tina
Published: September 2019

This essay closes the special issue on the Minnowbrook at 50 conference hosted by the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. We first discuss areas of concord and discord at Minnowbrook at 50, paying particular attention to commonalities among the articles in this issue, as well as to topics addressed at the conference but not written about here. We then discuss our efforts over 2018 and 2019 to expand and extend the Minnowbrook at 50 conversation through interactive roundtable sessions at other conferences, a series of online discussions, and social media.
Lower urinary tract symptoms in systemic sclerosis: a detailed investigation
Authors: Pacini Greta , Paolino Sabrina , C. Trombetta Amelia , Goegan Federica , Pizzorni Carmen , Alessandri Elisa , Patanè Massimo , Gotelli Emanuele , Ferrari Giorgia , Cattelan Francesco , Ghio Massimo , Casabella Andrea , Smith Vanessa , Cutolo Maurizio
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Urinary tract involvement is a seldom-reported manifestation of SSc that could compromise patients’ quality of life. This study compares lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in SSc patients and in healthy subjects and their association with clinical and diagnostic parameters.

Methods

LUTS were assessed through self-reported questionnaires in 42 SSc patients and 50 matched healthy subjects. Statistical analyses were performed to explore LUTS in the two populations and their association with SSc variables, including nailfold videocapillaroscopy patterns, SSc-related antibodies and DXA parameters.

Results

SSc patients showed significantly higher prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence (UI) and overactive bladder (OAB) than healthy controls (P < 0.005, P < 0.01). SSc was a strong predictor of LUTS, independent of demographic data, comorbidities and treatments (odds ratio 5.57, 95% CI 1.64–18.88). In SSc patients OAB positively correlated with sarcopenia (P < 0.001), and both OAB and UI significantly correlated with reduced BMD (P < 0.05, P = 0.001). UI positively correlated with Scl70 antibodies (P < 0.05) and ciclosporin treatment (P = 0.001) and negatively with RNA polymerase III antibodies (P < 0.05); OAB positively correlated with calcinosis (P < 0.005) and negatively with methotrexate treatment (P < 0.05). Nailfold videocapillaroscopy ‘active’ and ‘late’ patterns were predominant among SSc patients presenting urinary symptoms, although no statistical correlation was found.

Conclusion

For the first time urinary tract involvement was found to be significantly higher in SSc patients than in healthy matched controls. In addition, sarcopenia, bone damage and calcinosis appeared significantly correlated with LUTS, suggesting a possible interplay.
APPLES: Scalable Distance-Based Phylogenetic Placement with or without Alignments
Authors: Balaban Metin , Sarmashghi Shahab , Mirarab Siavash
Published: September 2019

Placing a new species on an existing phylogeny has increasing relevance to several applications. Placement can be used to update phylogenies in a scalable fashion and can help identify unknown query samples using (meta-)barcoding, skimming, or metagenomic data. Maximum likelihood (ML) methods of phylogenetic placement exist, but these methods are not scalable to reference trees with many thousands of leaves, limiting their ability to enjoy benefits of dense taxon sampling in modern reference libraries. They also rely on assembled sequences for the reference set and aligned sequences for the query. Thus, ML methods cannot analyze data sets where the reference consists of unassembled reads, a scenario relevant to emerging applications of genome skimming for sample identification. We introduce APPLES, a distance-based method for phylogenetic placement. Compared to ML, APPLES is an order of magnitude faster and more memory efficient, and unlike ML, it is able to place on large backbone trees (tested for up to 200,000 leaves). We show that using dense references improves accuracy substantially so that APPLES on dense trees is more accurate than ML on sparser trees, where it can run. Finally, APPLES can accurately identify samples without assembled reference or aligned queries using kmer-based distances, a scenario that ML cannot handle. APPLES is available publically at github.com/balabanmetin/apples.
NDUFAB1 protects against obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing mitochondrial metabolism
Authors: Zhang Rufeng , Hou Tingting , Cheng Heping , Wang Xianhua
Published: September 2019

Mitochondria are fundamental organelles for cellular and systemic metabolism, and their dysfunction has been implicated in the development of diverse metabolic diseases. Boosted mitochondrial metabolism might be able to protect against metabolic stress and prevent metabolic disorders. Here we show that NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NDU)‐FAB1, also known as mitochondrial acyl carrier protein, acts as a novel enhancer of mitochondrial metabolism and protects against obesity and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, NDUFAB1 coordinately enhances lipoylation and activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase mediated by the mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis pathway and increases the assembly of respiratory complexes and supercomplexes. Skeletal muscle‐specific ablation of NDUFAB1 causes systemic disruption of glucose homeostasis and defective insulin signaling, leading to growth arrest and early death within 5 postnatal days. In contrast, NDUFAB1 overexpression effectively protects mice against obesity and insulin resistance when the animals are challenged with a high‐fat diet. Our findings indicate that NDUFAB1 could be a novel mitochondrial target to prevent obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing mitochondrial metabolism.—Zhang, R., Hou, T., Cheng, H., Wang, X. NDUFAB1 protects against obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing mitochondrial metabolism. FASEB J. 33, 13310–13322 (2019). www.fasebj.org
BKCa compensates impaired coronary vasoreactivity through RhoA/ROCK pathway in hind‐limb unweighted rats
Authors: Wu Yue , Yue Zhijie , Wang Qiguang , Lv Qiang , Liu Huan , Bai Yungang , Li Shaohua , Xie Manjiang , Bao Junxiang , Ma Jin , Wang Zhongchao , Zhu Xianyang
Published: September 2019

Previous studies have demonstrated cardiac and vascular remodeling induced by microgravity exposure. Yet, as the most important branch of vasculatures circulating the heart, the coronary artery has been seldomly studied about its adaptations under microgravity conditions. Large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated potassium channel (BKCa) and the Ras homolog family member A (RhoA)/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway play key roles in control of vascular tone and mediation of microgravity‐induced vascular adjustments. Therefore, we investigated the adaptation of coronary vasoreactivity to simulated microgravity and the role of BKCa and the RhoA/ROCK pathway in it. Four‐week‐old hind‐limb unweighted (HU) rats were adopted to simulate effects of microgravity. Right coronary artery (RCA) constriction was measured by isometric force recording. The activity and expression of BKCa and the RhoA/ROCK pathway were examined by Western blot, patch‐clamp recordings, and immunoprecipitation. We found HU significantly decreased RCA vasoconstriction to KCl, serotonin, and U‐46619, but increased protein expression and current densities of BKCa, inhibition of which by iberiotoxin (IBTX) further decreased RCA vasoconstriction (P < 0.05). Expression of RhoA and ROCK as well as active RhoA and phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) at Ser19 and MLC phosphatase target‐1 at Thr696 were significantly increased by HU, and ROCK inhibitor Y‐27632 exerted greater suppressing effect on HU RCA vasoconstriction than that of control (P < 0.05). BKCa opener NS1619 increased HU RCA vasoconstriction, which was blocked by both RhoA and ROCK inhibitor, similar to the effect of IBTX. These results indicate that HU impairs coronary vasoconstriction but enhances BKCa activity acting as a protective mechanism avoiding excessive decrease of coronary vasoreactivity through activation of the RhoA/ROCK pathway.—Wu, Y., Yue, Z., Wang Q., Lv, Q., Liu, H., Bai, Y. Li S. Xie M. Bao J. Ma J. Zhu X. Wang Z. BKCa compensates impaired coronary vasoreactivity through RhoA/ROCK pathway in hind‐limb unweighted rats. FASEB J. 33, 13358–13366 (2019). www.fasebj.org
Unraveling the Complexity of Amyloid Polymorphism Using Gold Nanoparticles and Cryo-EM
Authors: Cendrowska Urszula , Silva Paulo Jacob , Ait-Bouziad Nadine , Müller Marie , Guven Zekiye Pelin , Vieweg Sophie , Chiki Anass , Radamaker Lynn , Thangaraj Senthil , Fändrich Marcus , Tavanti Francesco , Menziani Maria Cristina , Alexander-Katz Alfredo , Stellacci Francesco , Lashuel Hilal A.
Published: September 2019

The misfolding and self-assembly of proteins into β-sheet-rich amyloid fibrils of various structures and morphologies is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative and systemic diseases. Increasing evidence suggests that amyloid polymorphism gives rise to different strains of amyloids with distinct toxicity and pathology-spreading properties. Validating this hypothesis is challenging due to a lack of tools and methods that allow for the direct characterization of amyloid polymorphism in hydrated and complex biological samples. Here, we report on the use of 11-mercapto-1-undecanesulfonate-coated gold nanoparticles (NPs) to label the edges of synthetic, recombinant and native amyloid fibrils to assess amyloid morphological polymorphism using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The fibrils studied were derived from amyloid proteins involved in disorders of the central nervous system (amyloid-β, tau, α-synuclein) and in systemic amyloidosis (a fragment of an immunoglobulin λ light chain). The labeling efficiency enabled imaging and characterization of amyloid fibrils of different morphologies under hydrated conditions using cryo-EM. These NPs allowed for the visualization of morphological features that are not directly observed using standard imaging techniques, including TEM with use of the negative stain or cryo-EM imaging. We also demonstrate the use of these NPs to label native paired helical filaments (PHFs) from the postmortem brain of an Alzheimer’s disease patient, as well as amyloid fibrils extracted from the heart tissue of a patient suffering from systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. Analysis of the cryo-EM images of amyloids decorated with NPs shows exceptional homogeneity across the fibrils derived from human tissue in comparison to fibrils aggregated in vitro. The use of these NPs enabled us to gain novel insight into the structural features that distinguish amyloid fibrils formed in vivo from those formed in cell-free in vitro systems. Our findings demonstrate that these NPs represent a powerful tool for rapid imaging and profiling of amyloid morphological polymorphism in different types of samples, including those derived from complex biological aggregates found in human tissue and animal models of amyloid diseases. These advances should not only facilitate the profiling and characterization of amyloids for structural studies by cryo-EM but also pave the way to elucidate the structural basis of amyloid strains and toxicity and possibly the correlation between the pathological and clinical heterogeneity of amyloid diseases.
Identification of FMRP target genes expressed in corticogenesis: implication for common phenotypes among neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Casingal Cristine R. , Kikkawa Takako , Inada Hitoshi , Osumi Noriko
Published: September 2019

Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is encoded byFMR1gene that is responsible for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) showing intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. FMRP is an RNA binding protein highly expressed in the brain. Although several target genes for FMRP have been identified, limited studies have suggested the role of FMRP in corticogenesis. Here we performed RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing against the murine embryonic neocortex, and identified 124 genes as potential FMRP mRNA targets. We found 48 of these genes as overlapped with autism-related genes, which were categorized in four functional groups: “transcriptional regulation”, “regulation of actin cytoskeleton”, “ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis” and “calcium signaling pathway”. Four of these genes showed significant difference in expression in the cortical primordium ofFmr1-KO mice;Huwe1andKat6aincreased, whileKmt2candApcdecreased. Although the change in expression of these four genes was relatively small, these subtle changes due to dysregulated transcription could collectively contribute to impaired corticogenesis to cause phenotypes of FXS. Investigating the transcriptional control of FMRP on its mRNA targets may provide new insight to understand neurodevelopmental pathogenesis of FXS.
Inhibition of the mitochondrial permeability transition exerts sex-specific stimulatory effect on fracture repair
Authors: Shares Brianna H. , Sheu Tzong-Jen , Schilling Kevin , Sautchuk Rubens , Paine Ananta , Beutner Gisela , Shum Laura C. , Smith Charles O. , Gira Emma , Brown Edward , Awad Hani , Eliseev Roman A.
Published: September 2019

Bone fracture is accompanied by mechanical stresses and inflammation – conditions that impair mitochondria via the phenomenon of permeability transition. This phenomenon occurs due to opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) promoted by cyclophilin D (CypD). MPTP opening exacerbates inflammation and cell death and, thus can disrupt fracture repair. Here we tested a hypothesis that protecting mitochondria from MPTP opening via inhibition of CypD improves fracture repair. Our data indicate that osteoblast activity, bone formation, and biomechanical properties of repaired bones were significantly increased in CypD knock-out mice when compared to controls during fracture repair. These effects were observed in male but not female mice, thus showing sexual dimorphism. Pharmacological inhibition of CypD with NIM811 in male mice also stimulated fracture repair. In addition, CypD knock-out or pharmacological inhibition produced pro-osteogenic effect in isolated bone marrow osteoprogenitors. This in vitro effect was associated with higher mitochondrial respiration and increased β-catenin activity regulated by mitochondria-dependent acetylation. Our findings implicate a sex-specific role of MPTP in bone fracture and suggest CypD inhibition as a modality to promote fracture repair.
Precision calcium imaging of dense neural populations via a cell body-targeted calcium indicator
Authors: Shemesh Or A. , Linghu Changyang , Piatkevich Kiryl D. , Goodwin Daniel , Gritton Howard J. , Romano Michael F. , Siciliano Cody , Gao Ruixuan , Yu Chi-Chieh (Jay) , Tseng Hua-An , Bensussen Seth , Narayan Sujatha , Yang Chao-Tsung , Freifeld Limor , Gupta Ishan , Noamany Habiba , Pak Nikita , Yoon Young-Gyu , Ullmann Jeremy F.P. , Guner-Ataman Burcu , Sheinkopf Zoe R. , Park Won Min , Asano Shoh , Keating Amy E. , Trimmer James S. , Reimer Jacob , Tolias Andreas , Tye Kay M. , Han Xue , Ahrens Misha B. , Boyden Edward S.
Published: September 2019

Methods for one-photon fluorescent imaging of calcium dynamics in vivo are popular due to their ability to simultaneously capture the dynamics of hundreds of neurons across large fields of view, at a low equipment complexity and cost. In contrast to two-photon methods, however, one-photon methods suffer from higher levels of crosstalk between cell bodies and the surrounding neuropil, resulting in decreased signal-to-noise and artifactual correlations of neural activity. Here, we address this problem by engineering cell body-targeted variants of the fluorescent calcium indicator GCaMP6f. We screened fusions of GCaMP6f to both natural as well as engineered peptides, and identified fusions that localized GCaMP6f to within approximately 50 microns of the cell body of neurons in live mice and larval zebrafish. One-photon imaging of soma-targeted GCaMP6f in dense neural circuits reported fewer artifactual spikes from neuropil, increased signal-to-noise ratio, and decreased artifactual correlation across neurons. Thus, soma-targeting of fluorescent calcium indicators increases neuronal signal fidelity and may facilitate even greater usage of simple, powerful, one-photon methods of population imaging of neural calcium dynamics.
Organizational changes, trust and information sharing: an empirical study
Authors: Ahmad Farhan , Huvila Isto
Published: September 2019

Purpose

While there is relatively plenty of evidence for the positive impact of communication on the perceptions of organizational change, how organizational changes affect information sharing is relatively unknown. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if a favorable perception of ongoing organizational changes has a positive impact on information sharing and whether trust mediates this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire (n=317) was administered to the employees of a large Finnish multinational organization. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses based on earlier research findings.

Findings

The results show that a positive perception of recent organizational changes improves information sharing both directly and indirectly, mediated by trust. Consequently, when changes are perceived negatively, employees recoil from information sharing which is known to have negative implications for organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected in a single organization. The nature of the specific changes in the studied organization and its particularities undoubtedly had an effect on respondents’ perceptions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to organizational information management research by elaborating on the relationship between organizational changes and interpersonal information sharing between employees. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first quantitative study confirming the impact of the perception of organizational changes on employee information-sharing behavior.
The impact of pension governance practices on the public defined benefit pension performance
Authors: Xu Guoquan , Liu Fang-Chun , Hsu Hsiao-Tang , Lin Jerry W.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the public pension governance practices on the public defined benefit pension (DBP) fund performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To provide a holistic evaluation of public DBP performance, this study first employs the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to construct a relative performance measure that simultaneously takes into account the association between investment inputs and performance outputs across DBPs in our sample. A DEA regression model is then constructed to empirically examine the impact of pension governance on public DBP performance.

Findings

Using 1,544 hand-collected observations in the USA from 2002 to 2013, the findings show that the public DBP plans with a small board, appointed board trustees, and a separate investment council exhibit better performance.

Practical implications

The effectiveness of pension governance has increasingly drawn public attention, as it affects the performance of the public DBP plans that especially matter to public employees. The empirical findings of this research offer insights into recent calls to reexamine public DBP management practices and to carry out related public pension fund policy reforms.

Originality/value

The examination of public DBP governance practices in this study enriches the governance literature, particularly research on public pension funds, by using public sector data. Second, by applying the DEA method to evaluate the relative performance of public DBP funds, this study obtains a more comprehensive analysis of the public pension governance.
Analyzing the corporate social responsibility disclosures of selected companies in India
Authors: Sekhon Amritjot Kaur , Kathuria Lalit Mohan
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent, quantity and quality of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures made by the top Indian companies in their annual reports.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes the annual reports of the top 137 companies from CNX-500, over ten years, from 2008 to 2017. The technique of content analysis has been employed manually to examine the number of CSR activities disclosed, quantity and quality of CSR disclosures made by the selected companies in their annual reports. Also mean, percentages, trend analysis and analysis of variance have been employed to analyze the disclosures.

Findings

This study highlights that there is a continuous increase in the quantity of disclosures and the number of CSR activities disclosed by Indian companies over the selected period. It also observed that among the selected themes, most disclosed CSR activities are from “customer theme” and “community development theme.” Findings regarding the quality of CSR disclosures revealed that the “qualitative disclosures with specific information” are preferred most by the companies within India. Also, there is a significant variation in the quantity of CSR disclosures across the selected eight themes.

Originality/value

As most of the prior literature on CSR disclosures focused on developed countries in comparison to developing ones, this study contributes to the existing literature by carrying out an extensive investigation of this concept among the Indian companies. Moreover, there are very few studies addressing such a scientific inquiry in the Indian context, especially after the introduction of amendments in the Companies Act, 2013. Furthermore, this study utilizes a comprehensive research instrument consisting of a total of 178 CSR activities, divided across eight themes for collecting data on disclosures from the annual reports. This instrument can be used in the future studies on CSR disclosures in other developing countries as well.
“The junkie abuses, the psychonaut learns”: a qualitative analysis of an online drug forum community
Authors: Rolando Sara , Beccaria Franca
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Drug-related web forums have been argued to be an effective way to investigate the latest generation of drug users. The purpose of this paper is to explore discussions about drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) on an Italian psychonauts’ online community in order to gain a better understanding of the psychonauts’ profiles by scrutinising their main motives for consumption, which is mainly addressed to psychedelic drugs.

Design/methodology/approach

To collect data, a keywords list was used in the forum search engine. The first five most recent conversations (threads) for each of ten most frequently mentioned substances were selected. In addition, ten posts written by new forum members to introduce themselves were added to the data set, bringing the total number of threads to 60. The data were coded using Atlas.ti 7 applying a template model analysis (King, 1998).

Findings

The forum members present themselves as well-educated, informed drug users, and connoisseurs of the pharmacological properties of chemical compounds: accordingly, they claim to be aware of drug effects and possible risks. The analysis of the motives for using psychedelic drugs substantially confirms previous studies, indicating that the main reasons include spiritual needs, self-exploration and self-treatment. The shift from a recreational use towards more “committed” aims such as self-development is seen as a step forward in a drug user’s career. A generalised interest in harm reduction suggests that the psychonauts’ attitude may be a protective factor against adverse consequences of drug use. The most problematic users represented in the data are those who use drugs for self-treatment, since their discourse focusses on suffering rather than on pleasure.

Originality/value

Most efforts to analyse and monitor drug-related forums have focussed on “leading edge” English-language international websites. No studies have dealt with Italian forums. Furthermore the study address a misleading use of the term e-psychonauts recently introduced by some scholars whose’s studies were focussed on NPS.
Design-driven innovation: exploring enablers and barriers
Authors: De Goey Heleen , Hilletofth Per , Eriksson David
Published: September 2019

Purpose

This study aims to explore the enablers and barriers to design-driven innovation, defined as the innovation of product meanings, in the product-development process. Previous research provides some insights into what enables and hinders design-driven innovation; however a detailed understanding of these factors is missing.

Design/methodology/approach

A long-term case study was conducted at a furniture company between 2009 and 2016. Interviews were conducted with respondents within the company, as well as with partners such as retailers and designers.

Findings

This paper presents an overview of the identified enablers and barriers. The results demonstrate that enablers and barriers occur in all phases of the product-development process. Second, the connections between enablers and barriers are presented. These are found both within and across different phases, and extend beyond the company’s influence.

Research limitations/implications

This study demonstrates how the innovation of product meanings is influenced throughout all phases of the product-development process. Therefore, there is a need to go beyond the mere identification of enablers and barriers. More is gained from generating a thorough understanding of the causes and connections of these factors, including the changes over time.

Practical implications

This study demonstrates the need for companies to be able to map what enables and hinders design-driven innovation in their product-development process, where a distinction needs to be made between internal and external factors, to enhance value creation.

Originality/value

This study presents a rare long-term case study on design-driven innovation. This study provides new knowledge on the enablers and barriers a company faces while adapting its product-development process to accommodate design-driven innovation.
Measuring the performance of private higher education institutions in Malaysia
Authors: Yaakub Muhammad Hafiz , Mohamed Zainal Abidin
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive model using balanced scorecard (BSC) approach instead of the current ranking system to measure the performance of private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia as the ranking system is deemed inaccurate and certain items in the system are redundant.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 105 academicians from seven PHEIs in Malaysia. The data were analyzed for factor analysis using Principal Axis method with Promax rotation in IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20.

Findings

The result demonstrates that 22 items were successfully extracted into four dimensions that suited the BSC approach with acceptable range of composite reliability and factor loading values.

Research limitations/implications

The paper reveals the issues of ranking system of the current method in measuring performance of PHEIs. The proposed BSC model should be tested on more PHEIs to increase its validity and reliability.

Practical implications

This research analyzes the performance of PHEIs from academicians’ perspectives based on the four BSC perspectives. It can be considered as an alternative model for PHEIs’ managers to measure performance of PHEIs in Malaysia rather than the current ranking system.

Social implications

In the midst of intense competition in private higher education industry in Malaysia, it is crucial to understand that a high performance PHEI is expected to deliver quality tertiary education. This research assists the society to evaluate the strength of a particular PHEI in Malaysia, and further enable them to make a deliberate choice on which PHEI to enter.

Originality/value

A growing concern for sustainability of PHEIs requires a method to be undertaken by the authority to measure PHEIs’ performance. This paper addresses this concern by offering 22 items to measure PHEIs’ performance and dictating the need to manage PHEIs in a strategic manner, not by ranking systemper se.