bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic and trophic interactions modulate methane production by Arctic peat microbiota in response to warming
Authors: Tveit Alexander Tøsdal , Urich Tim , Frenzel Peter , Svenning Mette Marianne
Published: April 2015

Significance

Microorganisms are key players in emissions of the greenhouse gas (GHG) methane from anoxic carbon-rich peat soils of the Arctic permafrost region. Although available data and modeling suggest a significant temperature-induced increase of GHG emissions from these regions by the end of this century, the controls of and interactions within the underlying microbial networks are largely unknown. This temperature-gradient study of an Arctic peat soil using integrated omics techniques reveals critical temperatures at which microbial adaptations cause changes in metabolic bottlenecks of anaerobic carbon-degradation pathways. In particular taxonomic shifts within functional guilds at different levels of the carbon degradation cascade enable a fast adaptation of the microbial system resulting in high methane emissions at all temperatures.
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors are activated by exposure of a cryptic tethered agonist
Authors: Stoveken Hannah M. , Hajduczok Alexander G. , Xu Lei , Tall Gregory G.
Published: April 2015

Significance

Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate tissue development and cancer progression. Intact adhesion GPCRs are unique two-protomer receptors that undergo biosynthetic self-proteolyzation at a conserved site between the extracellular domain and the seven transmembrane (7TM) domain. We demonstrate the activation mechanism of adhesion GPCRs. The 7TM domain N-terminal stalk lies encrypted within the noncovalently bound extracellular domain. When the extracellular domain is dissociated, perhaps naturally by ligand action, the 7TM stalk is revealed. We demonstrate that the stalk acts as a tethered agonist of the 7TM to facilitate direct activation of heterotrimeric G proteins. Synthetic peptides comprising adhesion GPCR 7TM domain stalks are sufficient receptor agonists, raising the possibility for the development of adhesion GPCR synthetic peptide modulators.
IL-33 activates tumor stroma to promote intestinal polyposis
Authors: Maywald Rebecca L. , Doerner Stephanie K. , Pastorelli Luca , De Salvo Carlo , Benton Susan M. , Dawson Emily P. , Lanza Denise G. , Berger Nathan A. , Markowitz Sanford D. , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Nadeau Joseph H. , Pizarro Theresa T. , Heaney Jason D.
Published: April 2015

Significance

Colorectal cancer results from genetic lesions in epithelial cells. However, the tumor microenvironment, which is formed by nonepithelial stromal cells, also plays an important role in this disease. The influence of the microenvironment on tumorigenesis is mediated by paracrine signals between tumor epithelial cells and neighboring stromal cells. We found that expression of interleukin 33 (IL-33), an important mediator of type 2 immunity and wound repair, is induced in epithelial cells of human and mouse intestinal tumors. IL-33 promoted intestinal tumorigenesis in
Apc

Min/+

mice and activated two stromal cell types, subepithelial myofibroblasts and mast cells, known to mediate intestinal dysplasia. Tumor epithelial cells are proposed to coopt IL-33–mediated immune and wound-healing responses to create a microenvironment favorable to tumorigenesis.
Dose-dependent regulation of microbial activity on sinking particles by polyunsaturated aldehydes: Implications for the carbon cycle
Authors: Edwards Bethanie R. , Bidle Kay D. , Van Mooy Benjamin A. S.
Published: April 2015

Significance

Phytoplankton live in the sunlit surface waters of the ocean, and through photosynthesis they convert atmospherically derived carbon dioxide into their biomass. A fraction of this biomass sinks into the darker depths where it is colonized by bacteria that turn it back into carbon dioxide through respiration. Thus, phytoplankton–bacteria interactions effectively transport carbon dioxide from the atmosphere deep into the ocean. We discovered that the biomass of some phytoplankton contains bioactive molecules that stimulate these associated bacteria, resulting in respiration of phytoplankton biomass at shallower depths. Given that the ocean mixes gradually over time, carbon dioxide released by bacteria at shallower depths returns to the surface more quickly and thereby is “sequestered” from the atmosphere for a shorter duration.
The ribosome can discriminate the chirality of amino acids within its peptidyl-transferase center
Authors: Englander Michael T. , Avins Joshua L. , Fleisher Rachel C. , Liu Bo , Effraim Philip R. , Wang Jiangning , Schulten Klaus , Leyh Thomas S. , Gonzalez Ruben L. , Cornish Virginia W.
Published: April 2015

Significance

Utilization of the translation machinery (TM) to incorporate unnatural amino acids (UAAs) to create polymers with novel function holds great promise for synthetic biology. Many useful UAAs, however, are not substrates for the TM, yet the mechanistic bases for the TM’s ability to discriminate against UAAs remain unknown. Here we elucidate the mechanistic basis for the impaired incorporation efficiency of D-amino acids. We show that the ribosome discriminates the chirality of the amino acid within its peptidyl-transferase center (PTC). Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism through which D-aminoacyl-tRNAs (D-aa-tRNAs) interfere with translation, provide insight into how the TM might be engineered to use D-aa-tRNAs, and suggest additional physiological utility to a widely distributed enzyme that clears D-aa-tRNAs from cells.
A site of varicella-zoster virus vulnerability identified by structural studies of neutralizing antibodies bound to the glycoprotein complex gHgL
Authors: Xing Yi , Oliver Stefan L. , Nguyen TuongVi , Ciferri Claudio , Nandi Avishek , Hickman Julie , Giovani Cinzia , Yang Edward , Palladino Giuseppe , Grose Charles , Uematsu Yasushi , Lilja Anders E. , Arvin Ann M. , Carfí Andrea
Published: April 2015

Significance

Mapping neutralizing epitopes on viral entry glycoproteins allows the identification of potentially important functional regions. The structure of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) gHgL bound to two antibodies isolated from immune donors reveals a common binding site. Functional experiments demonstrate that the two antibodies neutralize VZV infection and inhibit glycoprotein gB/glycoprotein complex gHgL-mediated membrane fusion. Immunization experiments in mice demonstrate that VZV gHgL elicits potently neutralizing antibodies and confirm the key role of this antigenic site in antibody-mediated virus neutralization. This manuscript sheds light on the molecular mechanism of herpesvirus cell entry and will guide the design of subunit-based vaccines against VZV.
Energy and material flows of megacities
Authors: Kennedy Christopher A. , Stewart Iain , Facchini Angelo , Cersosimo Igor , Mele Renata , Chen Bin , Uda Mariko , Kansal Arun , Chiu Anthony , Kim Kwi-gon , Dubeux Carolina , Lebre La Rovere Emilio , Cunha Bruno , Pincetl Stephanie , Keirstead James , Barles Sabine , Pusaka Semerdanta , Gunawan Juniati , Adegbile Michael , Nazariha Mehrdad , Hoque Shamsul , Marcotullio Peter J. , González Otharán Florencia , Genena Tarek , Ibrahim Nadine , Farooqui Rizwan , Cervantes Gemma , Sahin Ahmet Duran
Published: April 2015

Significance

Our quantification of energy and material flows for the world’s 27 megacities is a major undertaking, not previously achieved. The sheer magnitude of these flows (e.g., 9% of global electricity, 10% of gasoline; 13% of solid waste) shows the importance of megacities in addressing global environmental challenges. In aggregate the resource flows through megacities are consistent with scaling laws for cities. Statistical relations are established for electricity use, heating/industrial fuels, ground transportation, water consumption, waste generation, and steel production in terms of heating-degree days, urban form, economic activity, and population growth. Analysis at the microscale shows that electricity use is strongly correlated with building floor area, explaining the macroscale correlation between per capita electricity use and urbanized area per capita.
Inactivation of EWS reduces PGC-1α protein stability and mitochondrial homeostasis
Authors: Park Jun Hong , Kang Hong-Jun , Lee Yun Kyung , Kang Hyeog , Kim Jihyun , Chung Jay H. , Chang Ji Suk , McPherron Alexandra C. , Lee Sean Bong
Published: April 2015

Significance

Ewing sarcoma protein (EWS) is essential for various cellular processes but its role in energy metabolism has not been demonstrated. This study identifies a new role of EWS in mitochondria and cellular energy homeostasis. Loss of EWS leads to increased degradation of PGC-1α, a critical protein in maintaining mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. The increased degradation is due to an increased expression of FBXW7, a protein that promotes PGC-1α degradation. In mice lacking EWS, significant decreases in PGC-1α levels and in mitochondria number and function are observed in brown fat, skeletal muscles, and liver. A novel role in mitochondrial and energy homeostasis provides new insights into the expanding role of EWS and suggests an altered energy metabolism in tumors with EWS translocations.
Surface sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy of nonpolar media
Authors: Sun Shumei , Tian Chuanshan , Shen Y. Ron
Published: April 2015

Significance

Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS) has been developed into a viable surface analytical tool for media with inversion symmetry. It is considered surface specific because the bulk contribution to the signal vanishes under the electric-dipole approximation. However, there is always the worry that beyond the electric-dipole approximation, the bulk contribution may not be negligible. The problem is particularly acute if the medium under investigation does not have a strongly polar-oriented surface layer. We show here that for nonpolar media with well-separated infrared and Raman modes, it is possible to deduce bulk and surface spectra separately from combined transmission and reflection phase-sensitive SFVS measurements. The work also provides guidelines for evaluation of the importance of bulk contribution to SFVS in general.
Multiple stiffening effects of nanoscale knobs on human red blood cells infected withPlasmodium falciparummalaria parasite
Authors: Zhang Yao , Huang Changjin , Kim Sangtae , Golkaram Mahdi , Dixon Matthew W. A. , Tilley Leann , Li Ju , Zhang Sulin , Suresh Subra
Published: April 2015

Significance

Our coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations show that the deposition of nanoscale knobs, rather than spectrin network remodeling, is the primary cause of the dramatically increased stiffness of thePlasmodium falciparum(Pf)-infected red blood cell (RBC) membranes. Our analyses further reveal that the knobs stiffen the RBC membrane in a unique manner by simultaneously harnessing composite strengthening, strain hardening, and knob density-dependent vertical coupling effects. In addition to providing a fundamental understanding of the stiffening mechanism ofPf-infected RBCs, our simulation results suggest potential targets for antimalarial therapies.
Alpha-actinin binding kinetics modulate cellular dynamics and force generation
Authors: Ehrlicher Allen J. , Krishnan Ramaswamy , Guo Ming , Bidan Cécile M. , Weitz David A. , Pollak Martin R.
Published: April 2015

Significance

In this study, we examine how proteins that cross-link actin filaments control certain biophysical aspects of living cells. We studied α-actinin-4 (ACTN4) a dimeric rod-shaped homodimer, of particular interest because mutations in its actin binding domain cause a human disease characterized by dysfunction of the kidney’s glomeruli; however, the mechanical impact of such mutations are unknown. We find that the human disease-causing K255E mutation in ACTN4 leads to a change in cellular biophysical properties, increasing the affinity for actin increases cellular forces and work, while decreasing cell movement. These observations describe the effects of variable cross-linking on cellular forces and dynamics, and reveal how pathology may arise mechanically from disruptive point mutations in cytoskeletal proteins.
Structural basis of human γ-secretase assembly
Authors: Sun Linfeng , Zhao Lingyun , Yang Guanghui , Yan Chuangye , Zhou Rui , Zhou Xiaoyuan , Xie Tian , Zhao Yanyu , Wu Shenjie , Li Xueming , Shi Yigong
Published: April 2015

Significance

Unlike other single-component intramembrane proteases such as rhomboid and S2P, γ-secretase contains four components: presenilin, Pen-2, Aph-1, and nicastrin. Previous electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) analysis of human γ-secretase in amphipols revealed its overall architecture and 19 distinct transmembrane segments (TMs). However, the lack of side-chain density in the TMs, together with disordered inter-TM loops, disallowed TM assignment. Our current cryo-EM structure of human γ-secretase at 4.32-Å resolution allows specific assignment of all TMs and reveals principles of subunit packing. Our results also suggest that different detergents, as exemplified by amphipols and digitonin, may have little impact on the core conformation of γ-secretase.
Multiple functional variants in long-range enhancer elements contribute to the risk of SNP rs965513 in thyroid cancer
Authors: He Huiling , Li Wei , Liyanarachchi Sandya , Srinivas Mukund , Wang Yanqiang , Akagi Keiko , Wang Yao , Wu Dayong , Wang Qianben , Jin Victor , Symer David E. , Shen Rulong , Phay John , Nagy Rebecca , de la Chapelle Albert
Published: April 2015

Significance

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) displays a strong hereditary component that is, in part, due to the additive effects of numerous low-penetrance genes or variants, but virtually no mechanistic information is available. Here, we studied a well-known low-penetrance variant (SNP rs965513) located in a region devoid of coding genes. We show that at least four variants located in the immediate vicinity of rs965513 reside in enhancer elements that bind to the promoter region shared by two adjacent thyroid-related genes, forkhead box E1 (
FOXE1
) and PTC susceptibility candidate 2 (
PTCSC2
), regulating their expression. The role of intergenic regulatory variants in cancer predisposition and carcinogenesis is growing. Further mechanistic understanding of how these variants work such as described here needs to be acquired.
How release of phosphate from mammalian F
1
-ATPase generates a rotary substep
Authors: Bason John V. , Montgomery Martin G. , Leslie Andrew G. W. , Walker John E.
Published: April 2015

Significance

ATP, the fuel of life, is produced in the mitochondria of living cells by a molecular machine consisting of two motors linked by a rotor. One motor generates rotation by consuming energy derived from sugars and fats in foodstuffs; the other uses energy transmitted by the rotor to synthesize ATP molecules from their building blocks, ADP and phosphate. The synthetic motor can be uncoupled from the machine, and its rotary action can be studied by driving the motor backward with energy from ATP, releasing ADP and phosphate in the process. Each cycle has three 120° steps, each made of substeps of 65°, 25°, and 30° in humans. We have explained how release of phosphate from the machine generates the 25° rotary substep.
The Acquisition of the German Case System by Foreign Language Learners
Authors: Baten Kristof
Published: April 2015

This is the first book on the acquisition of the German case system by foreign language learners. It explores how learners in their interlanguage progress from the total absence to the presence of a case system. This development is characterized by an evolvement from marking the argument’s position to marking the argument’s actual function. Theoretically couched within Processability Theory, the book deals with the feature unification and the mapping processes involved in case marking, and critically examines previous findings on German case acquisition. Empirically, the book consists of longitudinal data of 11 foreign language learners of German, which was collected over a period of 2 years. This book will be useful to anyone interested in the acquisition of German and in the acquisition of case systems in general.
Cardioprotective Effect of Thiazide-Like Diuretics: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Peng , Chaugai Sandip , Zhao Fujie , Wang Dao Wen
Published: April 2015

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Thiazide diuretics (TD), including thiazide-type (chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide) and thiazide-like diuretics (indapamide and chlorthalidone), have been used for the treatment of hypertension for more than 5 decades. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether TD, including thiazide-type and thiazide-like diuretics have additional cardioprotective effects.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

We performed a pooled study of 19 randomized clinical trials (RCTs). PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for RCTs assessing TD treatment in patients with hypertension.

KEY RESULTS

Nineteen RCTs involving 112,113 patients (56,802 in TD; 55,311 in control) were included. The incidence ratio of cardiac events (CVs) was 34.3 vs. 37.8 per 1,000 patient-years in patients randomized to TD and controls, respectively. TD treatment was associated with reductions in the risks of CVs (odds ratio (OR): 0.86, P = 0.007) and heart failure (OR: 0.62, P < 0.001), but not different in stroke (OR: 0.92, P = 0.438) or CHD (OR: 0.95, P = 0.378) between diuretics and controls. Further analysis showed that the observed benefits were mainly confined to thiazide-like diuretic therapy rather than thiazide-type diuretics with a significant reduction in the risk of CVs (OR: 0.78, P < 0.001), heart failure (OR: 0.57, P < 0.001) and stroke (OR: 0.82, P = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This study suggests that use of TD in hypertensive patients results in a reduction in the risk of CVs. Moreover, thiazide-like diuretics have greater protective effect against CVs than thiazide-type diuretics, especially on heart failure, suggesting that preferential use of thiazide-like diuretics over thiazide-type diuretics may result in greater cardiovascular benefits in hypertensive patients.
PopIns: population-scale detection of novel sequence insertions
Authors: Kehr Birte , Melsted Páll , Halldórsson Bjarni V.
Published: April 2015

Motivation: The detection of genomic structural variation (SV) has advanced tremendously in recent years due to progress in high-throughput sequencing technologies. Novel sequence insertions, insertions without similarity to a human reference genome, have received less attention than other types of SVs due to the computational challenges in their detection from short read sequencing data, which inherently involves de novo assembly. De novo assembly is not only computationally challenging, but also requires high-quality data. Although the reads from a single individual may not always meet this requirement, using reads from multiple individuals can increase power to detect novel insertions.

Results: We have developed the program PopIns, which can discover and characterize non-reference insertions of 100 bp or longer on a population scale. In this article, we describe the approach we implemented in PopIns. It takes as input a reads-to-reference alignment, assembles unaligned reads using a standard assembly tool, merges the contigs of different individuals into high-confidence sequences, anchors the merged sequences into the reference genome, and finally genotypes all individuals for the discovered insertions. Our tests on simulated data indicate that the merging step greatly improves the quality and reliability of predicted insertions and that PopIns shows significantly better recall and precision than the recent tool MindTheGap. Preliminary results on a dataset of 305 Icelanders demonstrate the practicality of the new approach.

Availability and implementation: The source code of PopIns is available from http://github.com/bkehr/popins.

Contact:  birte.kehr@decode.is

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Incidence and nature of adverse reactions to antibiotics used as endocarditis prophylaxis
Authors: Thornhill Martin H. , Dayer Mark J. , Prendergast Bernard , Baddour Larry M. , Jones Simon , Lockhart Peter B.
Published: April 2015

Objectives

Antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) administration prior to invasive dental procedures has been a leading focus of infective endocarditis prevention. However, there have been long-standing concerns about the risk of adverse drug reactions as a result of this practice. The objective of this study was to identify the incidence and nature of adverse reactions to amoxicillin and clindamycin prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis.

Methods

We obtained AP prescribing data for England from January 2004 to March 2014 from the NHS Business Services Authority, and adverse drug reaction data from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency's Yellow Card reporting scheme for prescriptions of the standard AP protocol of a single 3 g oral dose of amoxicillin or a single 600 mg oral dose of clindamycin for those allergic to penicillin.

Results

The reported adverse drug reaction rate for amoxicillin AP was 0 fatal reactions/million prescriptions (in fact 0 fatal reactions for nearly 3 million prescriptions) and 22.62 non-fatal reactions/million prescriptions. For clindamycin, it was 13 fatal and 149 non-fatal reactions/million prescriptions. Most clindamycin adverse drug reactions were Clostridium difficile infections.

Conclusions

AP adverse drug reaction reporting rates in England were low, particularly for amoxicillin, and lower than previous estimates. This suggests that amoxicillin AP is comparatively safe for patients without a history of amoxicillin allergy. The use of clindamycin AP was, however, associated with significant rates of fatal and non-fatal adverse drug reactions associated with C. difficile infections. These were higher than expected and similar to those for other doses, durations and routes of clindamycin administration.
SU UMa stars: Rebrightenings after superoutburst
Authors: Meyer Friedrich , Meyer-Hofmeister Emmi
Published: April 2015

SU UMa stars after their long superoutbursts often show single or multiple rebrightenings. We show how this phenomenon can be understood as repeated reflections of transition waves which mediate changes between the hot and the cool state of the accretion disk and travel back and forth in the outer disk region, leaving an inner part permanently hot. This points to a temporarily increased viscosity, possibly related to the formation of large-scale and longer persisting magnetic fields by the dynamo operation during the long superoutburst. The “mini-rebrightenings” in the early post-outburst light curve of V585 Lyr discovered by Kato and Osaki (2013, PASJ, 65, 97) in Kepler observations seem to be understandable as a small limit cycle of low-luminosity changes originating from a “wiggle” feature in the thermal equilibrium curve of the cool, optically thick disk.
Game theory of pre-emptive vaccination before bioterrorism or accidental release of smallpox
Authors: Molina Chai , Earn David J. D.
Published: April 2015

Smallpox was eradicated in the 1970s, but new outbreaks could be seeded by bioterrorism or accidental release. Substantial vaccine-induced morbidity and mortality make pre-emptive mass vaccination controversial, and if vaccination is voluntary, then there is a conflict between self- and group interests. This conflict can be framed as a tragedy of the commons, in which herd immunity plays the role of the commons, and free-riding (i.e. not vaccinating pre-emptively) is analogous to exploiting the commons. This game has been analysed previously for a particular post-outbreak vaccination scenario. We consider several post-outbreak vaccination scenarios and compare the expected increase in mortality that results from voluntary versus imposed vaccination. Below a threshold level of post-outbreak vaccination effort, expected mortality is independent of the level of response effort. A lag between an outbreak starting and a response being initiated increases the post-outbreak vaccination effort necessary to reduce mortality. For some post-outbreak vaccination scenarios, even modest response lags make it impractical to reduce mortality by increasing post-outbreak vaccination effort. In such situations, if decreasing the response lag is impossible, the only practical way to reduce mortality is to make the vaccine safer (greater post-outbreak vaccination effort leads only to fewer people vaccinating pre-emptively).
Mountain chickadees from different elevations sing different songs: acoustic adaptation, temporal drift or signal of local adaptation?
Authors: Branch Carrie L. , Pravosudov Vladimir V.
Published: April 2015

Song in songbirds is widely thought to function in mate choice and male–male competition. Song is also phenotypically plastic and typically learned from local adults; therefore, it varies across geographical space and can serve as a cue for an individual's location of origin, with females commonly preferring males from their respective location. Geographical variation in song dialect may reflect acoustic adaptation to different environments and/or serve as a signal of local adaptation. In montane environments, environmental differences can occur over an elevation gradient, favouring local adaptations across small spatial scales. We tested whether food caching mountain chickadees, known to exhibit elevation-related differences in food caching intensity, spatial memory and the hippocampus, also sing different dialects despite continuous distribution and close proximity. Male songs were collected from high and low elevations at two different mountains (separated by 35 km) to test whether song differs between elevations and/or between adjacent populations at each mountain. Song structure varied significantly between high and low elevation adjacent populations from the same mountain and between populations from different mountains at the same elevations, despite a continuous distribution across each mountain slope. These results suggest that elevation-related differences in song structure in chickadees might serve as a signal for local adaptation.
Activation of an inflammatory response is context-dependent during early development of the California sea lion
Authors: Vera-Massieu Camila , Brock Patrick M. , Godínez-Reyes Carlos , Acevedo-Whitehouse Karina
Published: April 2015

Variations in immune function can arise owing to trade-offs, that is, the allocation of limited resources among costly competing physiological functions. Nevertheless, there is little information regarding the ontogeny of the immune system within an ecological context, and it is still unknown whether development affects the way in which resources are allocated to different immune effectors. We investigated changes in the inflammatory response during early development of the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and examined its association with body condition, as a proxy for the availability of energetic resources. We found that the relationship between inflammation and body condition varied according to developmental stage and circulating levels of leucocyte populations, a proxy for current infection. Body condition was related to the magnitude of the inflammatory response during two of the three developmental periods assessed, allowing for the possibility that the availability of pup energetic reserves can limit immune function. For older pups, the ability to mount an inflammatory response was related to their circulating levels of neutrophils and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, implying that the infection status of an individual will influence its ability to respond to a new challenge. Our results suggest that trade-offs may occur within the immune system and highlight the importance of taking into account ontogeny in ecoimmunological studies.
Modularity and three-dimensional isostructurality of novel synthons in sulfonamide–lactam cocrystals
Authors: Bolla Geetha , Mittapalli Sudhir , Nangia Ashwini
Published: April 2015

The design of novel supramolecular synthons for functional groups relevant to drugs is an essential prerequisite for applying crystal engineering in the development of novel pharmaceutical cocrystals. It has been convincingly shown over the past decade that molecular level control and modulation can influence the physicochemical properties of drug cocrystals. Whereas considerable advances have been reported on the design of cocrystals for carboxylic acids and carboxamide functional groups, the sulfonamide group, which is a cornerstone of sulfa drugs, is relatively unexplored for reproducible heterosynthon-directed crystal engineering. The occurrence of synthons and isostructurality in sulfonamide–lactam cocrystals (SO2NH2...CONH hydrogen bonding) is analyzed to define a strategy for amide-type GRAS (generally recognized as safe) coformers with sulfonamides. Three types of supramolecular synthons are identified for the N—H donor of sulfonamide hydrogen bonding to the C=O acceptor of amide. Synthon 1: catemer synthonC21(4) chain motif, synthon 2: dimer–cyclic ring synthonR22(8)R42(8) motifs, and synthon 3: dimer–catemer synthon ofR22(8)C11(4)Dnotation. These heterosynthons of the cocrystals observed in this study are compared with the N—H...O dimerR22(8) ring andC(4) chain motifs of the individual sulfonamide structures. The X-ray crystal structures of sulfonamide–lactam cocrystals exhibit interesting isostructurality trends with the same synthon being present. One-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional isostructurality in crystal structures is associated with isosynthons and due to their recurrence, novel heterosynthons for sulfonamide cocrystals are added to the crystal engineer's toolkit. With the predominance of sulfa drugs in medicine, these new synthons provide rational strategies for the design of binary and potentially ternary cocrystals of sulfonamides.
Audit committees: practices, practitioners and praxis of governance
Authors: Brennan Niamh M. , Kirwan Collette E.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to review and critique prior research on audit committees using a practice-theory lens. Research on audit committees has followed the same trajectory as early research on boards of directors, which has been criticised for its singular theoretical perspectives and methodologies that do not capture the complexity of real-world experiences/behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors devise an analytical framework based on practice theory to conduct the review. The authors examine what audit committees should do (i.e. best practice) vs what audit committees actually do (i.e. actual activities in practice – praxis). Attributes of audit committee members, and the relationship dynamics relevant to their role execution (i.e. practitioners), are considered.

Findings

– Research on boards has found that over-emphasis on agency theory’s monitoring role negatively impacts boards’ effectiveness. The authors invoke other theories in examining what audit committees do in practice. The authors characterise the role of audit committees as oversight not monitoring. The authors question whether, similar to auditing, audit committees are blamist tools or are genuinely orientated towards supporting improvements in organisational management systems. The authors unpack the ritualistic ceremonial behaviours and symbolic endeavours vs substantive engagement by audit committees. The analytical framework also considers the “guardianship circle” around audit committees in the form of the key practitioners and their relationships: audit committee members, auditors and managers.

Originality/value

– Drawing on the analytical framework, the authors provide directions for further opportunities for research of audit committees.
Charity ethical investments in Norway and the UK
Authors: Kreander Niklas , McPhail Ken , Beattie Vivien
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore whether, how and why ethical investment practices of charities differ between two countries with quite different ideological and institutional frameworks – Norway and the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses mixed methods and a cross-sectional field study design to explore the ethical investment practices of 300 of the largest charities by investments in the UK and Norway. Practices are theorized using the dual lens of institutional theory and social origins theory.

Findings

– The paper provides evidence on why charities established the practice of ethical investment. The results show that large charities were more likely to have an ethical policy; that charities with moderate public sector funding were more likely to have an ethical policy. In line with institutional theory some Norwegian charities with public sector funding mimic the policy of the Government Pension Fund, and the ethical investment policy of Norwegian charities was more influenced by donors. Institutional entrepreneurs (charity founders) had a more prominent influence in UK charities.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper highlights that more research is needed on sovereign wealth funds, their investment practices and how they affect charities.

Practical implications

– The findings of this paper highlight the potential role that the ethical investment practices of sovereign can play a soft regulatory function in changing the behaviour of other investors.

Social implications

– To the extent that ethical investment practices are construed as having a positive social impact, then this study shows how a government sovereign wealth fund can influence the spread of ethical investment practices.

Originality/value

– This paper, which sits at the nexus of the charity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) literatures, contributes by responding to calls for more research on charity practices in different countries and CSR practices in different countries. This comparison also contributes to the development of institutional theory by shedding light on the institutional influence of a sovereign wealth fund and its impact on others. The paper will be of value to academics, policy setters and regulators.
The relationship between firm resources and joint ventures: revisited
Authors: Jancenelle Vivien E.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This study is a replication of Wolff and Reed’s (2000) work. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the combination of resources brought to joint ventures influence parent-firm performance. This study is also interested in whether or not the exposure of immobile resources through the semi-transparent membrane of the joint venture can have negative effects on parent-firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample consists of two-parent joint ventures formed by publicly traded US firms between 1997 and 2013. The event-study methodology is used to calculate each parent-firm’s abnormal returns. This work also uses content analysis to analyze parent-firms’ annual reports (10-K).

Findings

– While Wolff and Reed’s results on resource allocation within joint ventures were not statistically significant, this replication study provided strong support to the resource allocation hypothesis. It was found that intangible resource heterogeneity within a joint venture creates higher performance gains for parent-firms than tangible resource heterogeneity. This work also successfully replicated Wolff and Reed’s findings on the negative impact of immobile resources exposure on parent-firm performance. Wolff and Reed’s results on resource complementarity were, however, not successfully replicated.

Originality/value

– This replication study goes beyond simply showing that engaging in a joint venture strategy creates value for parent-firms. Through the use of a new content analysis method, this study was able to provide strong support for Wolff and Reed’s theory on the performance gains provided by resource heterogeneity in a joint venture setting, and to confirm the results on potential adverse performance effects of immobile resources exposure.
Earthquake experience and preparedness in Turkey
Authors: Oral Meltem , Yenel Aynil , Oral Elif , Aydin Nazan , Tuncay Tarik
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to measure and compare the level of earthquake preparedness of individuals living in Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, evaluate whether prior earthquake experience has an impact on earthquake preparedness and discuss the cultural factors that may play a role in determining the level of preparedness.

Design/methodology/approach

– Three locations were identified for the study. Aşkale and Erçiş district had experienced a major earthquake where Erzurum City Center had no major earthquake experience. A total of 174 participants were included in the study. Earthquake preparation was assessed using the Turkish version of the Wellington Earthquake Preparedness Scale by Spittal et al. (2006).

Findings

– The results showed a significant relationship between the place of living, earthquake experience and preparation. Those who had prior earthquake experience had higher preparation than those who had no prior earthquake experience. Home owners had taken more steps to prepare for an earthquake than non-home owners Individuals who were married had higher preparation scores than those who were single or widowed. A comparison of general perception of preparedness levels reported by participants having a major earthquake experience and no earthquake experience showed that Erçiş and Aşkale residents were significantly more prepared for an earthquake than Erzurum residents. Home ownership and past earthquake experience were found to be predictors of preparation.

Originality/value

– Although the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey encounters many earthquakes resulting in mass destruction, the issue of whether individuals living in this region are ready and prepared for a possible earthquake has not been researched sufficiently.
Hurricane Sandy mortality in the Caribbean and continental North America
Authors: Diakakis Michalis , Deligiannakis Georgios , Katsetsiadou Katerina , Lekkas Efthymios
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– Tropical storms pose a significant threat to population despite the noteworthy improvements in forecasting and emergency management. Following the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the continental North America (USA and Canada) and the Caribbean, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mortality caused by the hurricane, focussing on differences in human vulnerability between these two regions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors developed a database of 233 deaths, consisting of variables that provided a description of the circumstances under which the fatal incidents occurred and demographic details of the victims.

Findings

– Analysis of the database showed higher percentages of female and young victims in the Caribbean than in continental North America, where mortality increased progressively with age and the ratio of males to females was higher. The majority of deaths occurred outdoors especially during clean-up and in vehicle crashes related to the storm. Physical trauma and drowning were identified as the most common causes of death, followed by carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and others, although substantially different percentages were recorded between the two regions. Overall, indirect deaths presented a higher percentage than direct ones. Among the latter, incidents caused by storm surge and tree falls showed the highest numbers. Power failure and car crashes were the most common cause of indirect incidents.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a thorough analysis of the circumstances under which fatal incidents occurred. It identifies parameters that affected the vulnerability of human life to the storm and discusses the differences between the Caribbean and continental North America.
Potential effects of climate change on the habitat in Mexico
Authors: Audefroy Joel F.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential effects of climate change on the habitat and human settlements in Mexico, through an analysis of three regions that are vulnerable to hydrometeorological hazards such as droughts, floods and hurricanes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research process included fieldwork in the states of Oaxaca, Tabasco and Yucatán, and a historical study of hydrometeorological events in each region. The authors sought to identify a means of interpreting these events linked to climate variability, on the basis of the history of disasters, the environment and the habitat. The local climatic indications were compared to the IPCC’s global successes, to show that contradictions do not exist but that it is difficult to apply the IPCC’s findings at a local level, given the considerable margin of uncertainty.

Findings

– The indications of the effects of climate change make it possible to foresee that the most vulnerable populations will be the ones facing the strongest impact in the future.

Practical implications

– The research has direct implications on urban and housing policies, offering a roadmap to design climate change adaptation strategies; adaptive capacity not only requires political commitment.

Social implications

– It is also related to social and economic development and an “integral risk management” approach rather than a “civil protection” strategy.

Originality/value

– The main interest of this research is to show that a multidisciplinary approach is essential in order to understand the local implications of climate change.
Sistematización in urban disaster risk reduction
Authors: Sarmiento Juan-Pablo , Herard Dimmy
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of sistematización’s use as a research tool in the operationalization of a “neighborhood approach” to the implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in informal urban settlements.

Design/methodology/approach

– The first section highlights sistematización’s historical origins in Latin America in the fields of popular adult education, social work, and rural development. The second explains why sistematización was made a required component of project implementation. The third section addresses the approach to sistematización used. The final discusses how this experience both contributes to sistematización’s theoretical development and practical application as a methodology.

Findings

– The introduction of “sistematización” as a research tool facilitated real-time assessment of project implementation, providing timely information that positively influenced decision-making processes. This on-going feedback, collective learning, and open-exchange of know-how between NGOs and partner institutions allowed for the evaluation of existing practices and development of new ways of collaborating to address disaster risk in complex and dynamic urban environments.

Practical implications

– Sistematización transcends the narrow focus of traditional monitoring and evaluation on final results, emphasizing a comprehensive understanding of processes and contexts.

Originality/value

– Its use in the implementation of DRR initiatives in informal urban environments is particularly novel, highlighting the capacity of the methodology to be tailored to a variety of needs, in this case, bridging the gap between NGOs, local governments, and vulnerable communities, as well as between urban, development, and disaster risk management planning.
The impact of Mean Time Between Disasters on inventory pre-positioning strategy
Authors: Saputra Tezar Yuliansyah , Pots Olaf , de Smidt-Destombes Karin S. , de Leeuw Sander
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address the impact of Mean Time Between Disasters (MTBD) to inventory pre-positioning strategy of medical supplies prior to a sudden-onset disaster.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors developed a trade-off model based on the operations of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and implemented this in a spreadsheet-based platform to show the impact of MTBD on determining the pre-positioning strategy. This spreadsheet model identifies the most cost-efficient scenario out of a set of predefined pre-positioning scenarios. The authors implemented the model using a case study of a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.

Findings

– The authors are able to show the impact of MTBD on determining the pre-positioning strategy. In addition, the authors also capture the trade-off decisions in transport modes and end-of-shelf-life policies. Moreover, from financial perspective, the authors show that an interaction between relief (emergency) and development (regular) programs can be beneficial.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors have some limitations on data access and availability. Some data (e.g. uncertainty in needs and lead-time) have to be collected for future research and, then, used to refine such decisions.

Practical implications

– The model can be used as a justification for selecting an inventory pre-positioning strategy based on MTBD.

Originality/value

– The authors introduce relevant factors in humanitarian organizations practice that have not yet received attention in literature (i.e. MTBD, inventory swap, and trade-off decisions in transport modes and end-of-shelf life policies).
Management of acceptable use of computing facilities in the public library: avoiding a panoptic gaze?
Authors: Gallagher Christine , McMenemy David , Poulter Alan
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the language utilised in Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) in Scottish public libraries. Through this examination the paper aims to ascertain if power relationships between local authorities, public libraries and users are apparent. Finally, the paper aims to determine if Foucault’s theory of panopticism is relevant to public libraries in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper analyses all 32 of the AUPs used in Scottish public libraries, applying a Foucaldian discourse analysis to the content of the policies.

Findings

– By thorough examination of the literature the researchers were able to extract ten key features that ought to appear in an AUP. It was found that only one of 32 local authorities included information relating to all of these features. It was also found that one local authority contained as few as four of these key features. The median number of features included in the policies was seven. It was also found that power relationships are evident and can be perceived throughout the AUPs. By identifying the key Foucauldian themes of discipline, surveillance, knowledge, and power and resistance throughout the AUPs, the researchers were able to analyse and identify the existence of power relationships and consider the implications these could have on users and on the library services being provided.

Research limitations/implications

– The study examines one geographic region, and is only indicative of the region concerned. In addition the usage of the qualitative methodology utilised could be deemed to have elements of subjectivity.

Practical implications

– The study would be of benefit to researchers and professionals interested in issues around AUPs and surveillance of library users.

Originality/value

– The use of Foucaldian discourse analysis is limited in library and information science research, and this study helps fill this gap. It is the first study the researchers have found that critically examines a range of public library AUPs.