bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AN INTEGRATED FUSION FRAMEWORK FOR JOINT INFORMATION
RECONSTRUCTION AND RESOLUTION ENHANCEMENT
Authors: Meng X. , Shen H. , Yuan Q. , Li H. , Zhang L.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. In this paper, an integrated fusion framework for joint information reconstruction and resolution enhancement is proposed. In the proposed framework, an integrated variational model based on multi-source and multi-temporal remote sensing images is constructed, which is able to simultaneously achieve resolution enhancement and joint cloud and cloud shadow removal. In addition, the ground feature changes between multi-temporal scenes are comprehensively considered. Through this integrated framework, a promising cloud and cloud shadow free fused image with both high spatial and spectral resolutions is obtained. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.
ASSESSMENTS OF SENTINEL-2 VEGETATION RED-EDGE SPECTRAL BANDS FOR IMPROVING LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION
Authors: Qiu S. , He B. , Yin C. , Liao Z.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. The Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) onboard Sentinel-2 can record the information in Vegetation Red-Edge (VRE) spectral domains. In this study, the performance of the VRE bands on improving land cover classification was evaluated based on a Sentinel-2A MSI image in East Texas, USA. Two classification scenarios were designed by excluding and including the VRE bands. A Random Forest (RF) classifier was used to generate land cover maps and evaluate the contributions of different spectral bands. The combination of VRE bands increased the overall classification accuracy by 1.40 %, which was statistically significant. Both confusion matrices and land cover maps indicated that the most beneficial increase was from vegetation-related land cover types, especially agriculture. Comparison of the relative importance of each band showed that the most beneficial VRE bands were Band 5 and Band 6. These results demonstrated the value of VRE bands for land cover classification.
RANDOM-FOREST-ENSEMBLE-BASED CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSING IMAGES AND NDSM OVER URBAN AREAS
Authors: Sun X. F. , Lin X. G.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. As an intermediate step between raw remote sensing data and digital urban maps, remote sensing data classification has been a challenging and long-standing research problem in the community of remote sensing. In this work, an effective classification method is proposed for classifying high-resolution remote sensing data over urban areas. Starting from high resolution multi-spectral images and 3D geometry data, our method proceeds in three main stages: feature extraction, classification, and classified result refinement. First, we extract color, vegetation index and texture features from the multi-spectral image and compute the height, elevation texture and differential morphological profile (DMP) features from the 3D geometry data. Then in the classification stage, multiple random forest (RF) classifiers are trained separately, then combined to form a RF ensemble to estimate each sample’s category probabilities. Finally the probabilities along with the feature importance indicator outputted by RF ensemble are used to construct a fully connected conditional random field (FCCRF) graph model, by which the classification results are refined through mean-field based statistical inference. Experiments on the ISPRS Semantic Labeling Contest dataset show that our proposed 3-stage method achieves 86.9% overall accuracy on the test data.
RESEARCH ON METHOD OF INTERACTIVE SEGMENTATION BASED ON
REMOTE SENSING IMAGES
Authors: Yang Y. , Li H. , Han Y. , Yu F.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. In this paper, we aim to solve the object extraction problem in remote sensing images using interactive segmentation tools. Firstly, an overview of the interactive segmentation algorithm is proposed. Then, our detailed implementation of intelligent scissors and GrabCut for remote sensing images is described. Finally, several experiments on different typical features (water area, vegetation) in remote sensing images are performed respectively. Compared with the manual result, it indicates that our tools maintain good feature boundaries and show good performance.
SEMANTIC LABELLING OF ULTRA DENSE MLS POINT CLOUDS IN URBAN ROAD
CORRIDORS BASED ON FUSING CRF WITH SHAPE PRIORS
Authors: Yao W. , Polewski P. , Krzystek P.
Published: September 2017

Abstract. In this paper, a labelling method for the semantic analysis of ultra-high point density MLS data (up to 4000 points/m2) in urban road corridors is developed based on combining a conditional random field (CRF) for the context-based classification of 3D point clouds with shape priors. The CRF uses a Random Forest (RF) for generating the unary potentials of nodes and a variant of the contrastsensitive Potts model for the pair-wise potentials of node edges. The foundations of the classification are various geometric features derived by means of co-variance matrices and local accumulation map of spatial coordinates based on local neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, in order to cope with the ultra-high point density, a plane-based region growing method combined with a rule-based classifier is applied to first fix semantic labels for man-made objects. Once such kind of points that usually account for majority of entire data amount are pre-labeled; the CRF classifier can be solved by optimizing the discriminative probability for nodes within a subgraph structure excluded from pre-labeled nodes. The process can be viewed as an evidence fusion step inferring a degree of belief for point labelling from different sources. The MLS data used for this study were acquired by vehicle-borne Z+F phase-based laser scanner measurement, which permits the generation of a point cloud with an ultra-high sampling rate and accuracy. The test sites are parts of Munich City which is assumed to consist of seven object classes including impervious surfaces, tree, building roof/facade, low vegetation, vehicle and pole. The competitive classification performance can be explained by the diverse factors: e.g. the above ground height highlights the vertical dimension of houses, trees even cars, but also attributed to decision-level fusion of graph-based contextual classification approach with shape priors. The use of context-based classification methods mainly contributed to smoothing of labelling by removing outliers and the improvement in underrepresented object classes. In addition, the routine operation of a context-based classification for such high density MLS data becomes much more efficient being comparable to non-contextual classification schemes.
The politics of spectatorship in the Tree of Wooden Clogs
Authors: Pettigrew Ian Dwayne
Published: September 2017

This article reassesses the politics of Ermanno Olmi’s 1978 Palme d’Or winner, The Tree of Wooden Clogs. It specifically addresses charges made against the film by the novelist and critic, Alberto Moravia. The Marxist writer asserted that the film promotes the life and ideology of the farmers featured in the work. By looking closely at the film, I demonstrate how the formal strategies utilized by Olmi negate Moravia’s assessment and controvertibly position spectators to re-evaluate their political relationships to those in their range of influence.
HBO Effect
Authors: Sexton Max
Published: September 2017

Dean J. DeFino, HBO Effect, London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-8264-2130-2.  Paperback, 245 pp.
The last laugh: Strange humors of cinema
Authors: Bowen Dorian
Published: September 2017

Pomerance, Murray (Ed.). The Last Laugh: Strange Humors of Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2013. 216 p. ISBN 978-0-8143-3513-0 (pbk), ISBN 978-0-8143-3855-1 (e-book)
The architecture of David Lynch
Authors: Blake Skelton Shannon
Published: September 2017

Richard Martin, The architecture of David Lynch. London: Bloomsbury, 2014. 234 pp.
Factors Affecting to Job Satisfaction of Banking Employees in Sri Lanka Special Reference Public and Private Banks in Anuradhapura District
Authors: Weerasinghe Salinda , Dedunu Harshani , Jayani Chiranthani
Published: September 2017

Employees are the backbone of any organization. They are the most precious and important asset among all the assets of any organization. Job satisfaction is a part of employee life satisfaction. So the employee job satisfaction becomes one of the top priority issues in the banking industry. Therefore, the study aims to identify the level of job satisfaction of banking employees’ in private and public banks in Sri Lanka with special reference to Anuradhapura District. All employees who are working in either public or private banks in Anuradhapura District were the population of the study and out of them 226 employees were selected as sample of the study based on stratified sampling technique. Data were processed through number of rigorous analysis to derive a robust conclusion. The findings of the study indicated higher level of job satisfaction in public sector banking employees than private sector employees in Sri Lanka. Further study regression result highlighted statistically significant impact of work itself, salary, job security and recognition on employee job satisfaction in baking sector Sri Lanka, however possibility of growth and working conditions no longer make significant impact on employee job satisfaction. Finally, study identified salary as a greatest explanatory variable of employee job satisfaction in banking sector Sri Lanka. Key words: Banking Sector, Job satisfaction, Salary, Job security
Comparative Study of Leadership Competences of Female and Male Mexican Expatriates
Authors: Rosas Erika Lourdes González , Sanginés Martha Leticia Guevara , Aguilar Martin P. Pantoja , Sancén Luz Adriana
Published: September 2017

The purpose of this study is to compare female and male leadership competences of Mexican expatriates in the USA, using a qualitative approach. A case study was conducted through a narrative analysis of the information. The study also revised the factors that contributed to the leadership competences of expatriates. The responses of a single female and a single male Mexican expatriates were collected through open responses using an electronic questionnaire. The research questions were: What are the leadership competences of Mexican expatriates? Which are the main differences between women’s and men’s leadership competences in Mexican expatriates? The comparison was made using Pablo Cardona´s model of competences. Since leadership competences are observable behaviors, a narrative analysis was conducted and some key differences were found between male and female leadership competences. For example, it appears that Mexican male expatriates tend to focus on leadership, receptiveness and informal features; while women focus on values, information and formal position. Common features were found between both interviewees concerning work and personal life related to time management competence. As future research, a quantitative analysis is required to corroborate these findings.
Impact of Corporate Disclosure on Cost of Equity Capital in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Dung Viet , Nguyen Lan Thi Ngoc
Published: September 2017

The objective of the paper is to test the impact of corporate disclosure on the cost of equity capital for firms listed on Vietnam’s stock market. We use the Botosan (1997) scoring methodology and the residual income valuation model to measure disclosure level and the implied cost of equity capital. Our findings suggest that, taking into account other determinants, disclosure has a significant reducing impact on the cost of equity capital.
The Role of Microfinance Services on Increasing Revenue of COOPEC COMICOKA Members, Rwanda (2010-2015)
Authors: Harelimana Jean Bosco
Published: September 2017

The main aim of the study is to find out the role of microfinance ‘services on increasing revenue of COMICOKA'members. With access to these financial savings and credit services, members can start new businesses or improveon the existing businesses and engage in any other productive activities as well as learning how to use money wiselyand consequently improve on their revenue. Both primary and secondary data were collected then analyzed throughMFI Factsheet, SPSS version 16.0 tools (Pearson correlation, and multi regression analysis), so that the correlationand strength between variables can have been determined.The findings revealed that savings services were moderately favorable to members and correlation results indicatesthere is a strong positive relationship between savings services and members’ income (r=0.784, sig=0.000). There isa strong positive relationship between credit services and members’ revenue (r=0.591, sig=0.000). From the findings,the study concludes that savings and credit at COMICOKA have got a significant effect on members’ revenue. Bothsavings and credit services are significantly correlated with members’ revenue and significantly predict member’revenue. Both savings and credit services were rated moderately.
Efficiency and Capacity Utilization of India’s Marine Fisheries
Authors: Teame Ghirmai Tesfamariam
Published: September 2017

For decades, the problems of excess capacity and overfishing have been the subject of considerable attentions, sincethey are the primary reasons for the depletion of fish stocks, reduction of the profitability and economic performanceof the fishery sectors at the national and international levels. As a result, estimations of technical efficiency,harvesting capacity, and capacity utilization has become an increasingly important practice in the fishery, since theyprovide useful information about the optimum allocation of inputs and outputs, and guide policy formulation tocombat biological and economic losses. Based on the Johansen (1968) definition of capacity we have examined thetechnical efficiency, capacity and capacity utilization of the marine fishery sectors of the India’s 9 marine states and4 union territories using an output oriented data envelopment analysis approach. The result of the study shows thatmajority of the states/union territories have been inefficient and have the capacity to harvest considerably more thanwhat they have actually been harvesting by using the existing resources in an efficient configuration and showed howserious the problem of excess capacity is in the India’s marine fishery.
Can a supervised algorithmic assessment of men for prostate cancer improve the quality of care? A retrospective evaluation of a prostate assessment pathway in Saskatchewan
Authors: Liu Bonnie , Jana Kunal , Groot Gary
Published: September 2017

Introduction: The Saskatoon Prostate Assessment Pathway (SPAP) was developed in 2013 in part to decrease the wait times between physician referral and biopsy for patients with suspected prostate cancer. Using an algorithm carefully designed to optimize appropriate prostate biopsy rates, physicians can directly refer patients for biopsy through the SPAP without seeing a urologist. All other patients are referred to the Saskatoon Urology Associates (SUA). The present study evaluates the performance of the algorithm.Methods: 971 patients seen at the SUA and 302 patients seen through the SPAP were identified. Information on age, biopsy status and outcome, risk stratification, and time between referral and biopsy was collected. Biopsy wait time data was analyzed using gamma distribution. Association between referral method and biopsy rate, and between referral method and risk stratification, was analyzed using Z-test.Results: The expected wait time from referral to biopsy for patients seen through SUA was 2.63 times longer than those seen through SPAP (34 vs. 91 days). The biopsy rate of patients seen in the SPAPwas significantly higher than those by SUA (88% vs. 69%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14–0.26; p<0.00001). There was no significant difference in positive biopsy rates for patients seen through the SPAP vs. SUA (81% vs. 74%, 95% CI -0.011,0.14; p=0.095), for detection of low-risk cancer, (12% vs. 10%, 95% CI -0.034,0.080; p=0.44), or for clinically relevant cancer, i.e., intermediate- and high-risk cancer, for SPAP vs. SUA (56.54% vs. 56.68%, 95% CI -0.091,0.089; p=0.49).Conclusions: The algorithm used in the SPAP is effective in decreasing wait time to prostate biopsy and has the same cancer/pre-cancer detection rate, but at the cost of a higher biopsy rate. Both referralmechanisms result in few low-risk cancer detection biopsies, finding primarily cases of high- or intermediate-risk cancer.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome is associated with previous colonoscopy
Authors: Tsai Ming-Chieh , Kao Li-Ting , Lin Herng-Ching , Lee Cha-Ze , Chung Shiu-Dong
Published: September 2017

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the association between chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and receipt of a prior colonoscopic examination using a populationbased database.Methods: We used the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 to retrieve the study sample. This study included 3933 patients with CP/CPPS and 3933 age-matched controls. We designated the date of receiving the first diagnosis of CP/CPPS as the index date for cases. We defined the first an ambulatory care visit occurring in the matched year as the index date for the controls. Conditional logistic regressions was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for having previously received colonoscopy between cases and controls.Results: We found that 349 (4.44%) of the 7866 sampled patients had previously undergone colonoscopy, including 223 (5.67%) cases and 126 (3.20%) controls (p<0.001). A conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that the adjusted OR of receiving a colonoscopy within three years before the index date was 1.77 (95% CI 1.42‒2.23) for cases compared to controls. Furthermore, we found that the youngest group of cases (<40 years) had the greatest adjusted OR for having received colonoscopy within three years before the index date compared to controls (OR 2.81; 95% CI 1.45‒5.44); however, in contrast, no significant difference in the adjusted odds of having previously received colonoscopy was observed between cases and controls among the oldest age group (≥60 years).Conclusions: We concluded that there was an association between antecedent colonoscopy and CP/CPPS.
Weight Stigma in Healthcare Settings in the United Kingdom: A Review
Authors: Ekeagwu Osinachi Akanwa
Published: September 2017

Due to weight stigma, obese and overweight individuals are stereotyped, rejected and victimised by the public. The pervasion of this discrimination in healthcare settings is concerning given that the healthcare setting plays a crucial role in influencing health and shaping perception of health conditions. Without adequate support and little public attention, obese individuals are primarily left on their own to deal with ongoing prejudice unless addressed through vigorous research and strategic interventions at individual, interpersonal, organisational and community levels, and through policy implementation.
Multivariate Characterization of Biological Efficiency in Dairy Cows in Grazing Systems
Authors: Marini P. R. , Castro R. , Frana E. , Di Masso R. J.
Published: September 2017

Retrospective data was used corresponding to the lactation of 216 first and multi-pregnancy cows, American-Canadian Holstein with registers of their whole productive life, from their entrance to the system till their sale or death, registers were gathered from1992-2012 in the Argentinian Holstein farm located in Casilda, province of Santa –Argentina. During the mentioned time, all the cows were managed in the same dairy premises. The animals were divided into two categories: pure cows (VP,n=88) and cows with breeding registers (VRC,n = 128). The variables under use were: age at first calving, in days (EPP), first calving – conception interval in days (IPP), milk production adapted to 305 lactation days, in litres (PL), the amount of butyric fat produced, in kilograms (GB), the number of calvings registered throughout its reproductive life (NP), milk index in litres (IL) and the fat index in kilograms (IG). There were statistically significant differences as regards the productive characteristics PL and GB. N average, throughout the cycle under study, the VP produced 591 litres of milk and 161 kg of fat more. There were no significant differences when considering the age of first calving or the calving – conception interval. VP cows registered higher IL and IG than VRC cows, with significant differences which favoured the former, in both cases. The four components generated by the multivariate analysis explained important portions of the total variance which lead to consider all of them when interpreting the joint relations between productive performance indicators and reproductive achievement. It is concluded that even though the biotypes under study behave differently, both coincide at the point of stating that those cows which belong to quadrant IV were those which presented the best adaptation to the environment, being the ones who live longer and with an intermediate reproductive efficiency, regardless their biotype.
Effects of Incorporating Biochar into the Soil Using Power Tiller and Ox-Plough
Authors: Ndhlovu Masauso , Kiggundu Nicholas , Wanyama Joshua , Banadda Noble
Published: September 2017

Existing knowledge about biochar is derived from trials where biochar incorporation into the soil is done by hands, a practice too tedious to scale-up to commercial levels. To enhance scalability, biochar incorporation needs to be integrated into conventional mechanised tillage systems. This study aimed at assessing the effects of incorporating biochar by power tiller and ox-plough on soil water retention, maize growth and yield. A 2 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with biochar incorporating method as a main plot factor and biochar level as subplot factor, on ferralsols of central Uganda. Incorporation methods were by power tiller and ox-plough with hand mixing in planting basins as a control, while levels of biochar were 0 and 10 t ha-1 application rates. Data was analysed using two-way ANOVAs in Minitab for significant differences among incorporation methods. Results showed that incorporating biochar by power tiller significantly increased water retention effect of biochar by 27.5% (p < 0.05), while no significant effect was observed (p ≥ 0.05) when incorporated by ox-plough, compared to hand mixing. No significant difference on growth and yield was observed (p ≥ 0.05) as a result of incorporating biochar by power tiller and ox-plough instead of hands in planting basins. These findings suggest that biochar incorporation can be scaled-up, to commercial levels, through the use of power tiller and ox-plough, without negative effects on biochar performance. It is recommended that promotion of biochar technology encompasses the use of power tillers and ox-ploughs to enhance scalability.
The World’s Tourist Metropolis in International Cities’ Rankings – Statistical Multicriterial Ranking Analysis
Authors: Zmyślony Piotr , Piechota Natalia
Published: September 2017

Purpose. (1) Measuring the economic and tourist potential of metropolitan areas recognized as world/global cities; (2) determining the intensity of the relationship between tourism potential and economic potential of these cities; (3) proposing a classification of the world’s tourist cities. Method. Multicriterial ranking method based on secondary sources in the form of cities’ rankings characterized by their tourist and economic potential; measuring the relationship between their tourism and economic potential using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Findings. The study revealed the ranking of 22 world’s tourist cities, led by London, Paris and New York. The strong association between the tourist and economic potential of the cities was confirmed. Research and conclusion limitations. The quality of the sources, limited objectivity of the source selection and the ranking method used; the generalized nature of the results. Practical implications. Practical verification of the descriptive concept of world tourism cities proposed by R. Maitland and P. Newman [2009]; proposing the authors’ method of measuring the degree of internationalization of city tourism function. Originality. The paper proposes a ranking of the world’s tourist cities and analyses the tourism potential of cities in the context of their economic competitiveness. Type of paper. Theoretical/empirical study.
The Role of Tourist Networks in the Improvement of the Destination Product’s Quality – Results of Research
Authors: Maciąg Justyna
Published: September 2017

Purpose. The aim of paper is to present the survey results to determine and assess the role of tourism networks in improving the quality of a tourism destination product.

Method. The study was based on: the literature analysis method and other sources of data and interview technique.

Findings. The study indicates that network organisations influence the quality of tourist destination in main dimensions of: Reliability, Assurance and Responsiveness. Less activity can be observed in the dimensions: Tangibles and Empathy. Direct effects in terms of improving the quality of tourism infrastructure are indicated by these organizations, which represent the majority share of local government units. Research indicates a low level of development of ethical attitudes. However, it should be noted that activities of network organizations are often distracted.

Research and conclusion limitations . Investigated network organizations do not have clearly defined strategies, evaluation was based on self–evaluation made by organization leaders, restrictions on access to information of the network organizations.

Practical implications. The study highlighted further directions of improving the tourism product of destination in terms of both organizational and individual dimensions of quality.

Originality. The originality of the study is an attempt of influence evaluation of network organisations on quality of tourist destination. The novelty is also empirical verification of theoretical postulates regarding the role of network organizations in improving the quality of tourist products of a destination which have been formulated in the literature.

Type of paper. Research paper.
EVANGELICAL OBJECTS IN POLISH COLLECTIONS
– ATTEMPT AT TYPOLOGY
Authors: Seemann-Majorek Anna
Published: September 2017

The article discusses the legacy of Protestantism
in Poland and the Protestant collections preserved in museum
institutions in Poland. The author presents the collections
of Evangelical artefacts amassed in various ways and
forms and at different times, which thus constitutes a preliminary
typology of the legacy of the Reformation. For simplification,
she defines Evangelical objects as all objects
which are part of the broadly-understood Protestant legacy.
The spectrum of these objects is very broad, ranging from
artefacts in traditional museum institutions, through sacred
places, works of art, technical monuments, ephemera, cemeteries,
to virtual collections of audiovisual and digitised
legal instruments. The examples quoted in the text do not
exhaust the subject, but evidence the vastness and richness
of the legacy acquired as a donation after the Reformation
movement initiated by the Augustinian monk Martin Luther.
Service failures as organisational crises in business travel: Origins and operational strategies as perceived by events professionals
Authors: Andirin Cisil , Moital Miguel , Cardoso Carla Pinto
Published: September 2017

Justified purpose of the topic: Research on crisis management in the meetings industry only focused on the process of crisis preparedness and the perception of meeting planners towards crises, with little research carried out on the strategies adopted to manage crisis within the meetings industry. Objective: This paper explores crisis management perceptions and practices by meetings professionals from two perspectives: origins of crisis and crisis management strategies. Methodology: The study adopted an exploratory perspective through interviewing 11 Turkish meeting planners who were asked to revisit past crisis experiences through the critical incident technique. Results: Meetings were shown to be highly prone to smaller scale, operational crisis in particular. Therefore, to meeting planners crises are more about service failures than major disruptive events that question the organisation’s existence as per the traditional definition of crisis. Crises are classified using a matrix that considers the source of the crisis (internal/external) and the degree of control (controllable/non-controllable). Meeting planners tend to attribute crises events to others than themselves and perceive them as mostly uncontrollable, related third party suppliers (including venues/hotels) and clients. Crisis management strategies employed in each of the four phases of crisis (prevention/preparation, coping, recovery and learning) were carried out at an individual level, with little formalisation at the organisational level evident. Negative perceptions about the need for formalisation were reflected in the rejection of developing crisis management plans. Originality: This paper contributes to the literature by demonstrating that crisis management frameworks can be employed to examine crises that are essentially service failures. As a consequence, the distinction between the notions of service failure and crisis may be artificial rather than real. Therefore, researchers planning studies on crises-service failure should consider looking at both literatures in order to integrate both bodies of knowledge.
Design of sodium channel ligands with defined selectivity – a case study in scorpion alpha‐toxins
Authors: Kuldyushev Nikita A. , Berkut Antonina A. , Peigneur Steve , Tytgat Jan , Grishin Eugene V. , Vassilevski Alexander A.
Published: September 2017

Scorpion α‐toxins are polypeptides that inhibit voltage‐gated sodium channel inactivation. They are divided into mammal, insect and α‐like toxins based on their relative activity toward different phyla. Several factors are currently known to influence the selectivity, which are not just particular amino acid residues but also general physical, chemical, and topological properties of toxin structural modules. The objective of this study was to change the selectivity profile of a chosen broadly active α‐like toxin, BeM9 from Mesobuthus eupeus, toward mammal‐selective. Based on the available information on what determines scorpion α‐toxin selectivity, we designed and produced msBeM9, a BeM9 derivative, which was verified to be exclusively active toward mammalian sodium channels and, most importantly, toward the Nav1.2 isoform expressed in the brain.
Methane Production Explained Largely by Water Content in the Heartwood of Living Trees in Upland Forests
Authors: Wang Zhi‐Ping , Han Shi‐Jie , Li Huan‐Long , Deng Feng‐Dan , Zheng Yan‐Hai , Liu Hai‐Feng , Han Xing‐Guo
Published: September 2017

Most forests worldwide are located in upland landscapes. Previous studies have mainly focused on ground methane (CH4) flux in upland forests, and living tree stem‐based CH4 processes and fluxes are thus relatively poorly understood. This study investigated the relationship between CH4 concentration and water content in the heartwood of living trees in midtemperate, warm temperate, and subtropical upland forests and also measured seasonal changes of in situ stem CH4 flux and the CH4 concentration and water content in the heartwood of Populus davidiana Dode in a warm temperate upland forest. We found that approximately 4–13% of tree stems or approximately 8–31% of tree species had a substantial CH4 concentration of ≥10,000 μL L−1 in their heartwood across the three types of upland forests. The heartwood CH4 concentration was related to water content by a power function. A threshold of water content occurred beyond which CH4 was produced at high levels in the heartwood. The CH4 emissions from the breast height stems of P. davidiana ranged from 202.1 to 331.6 μg m−2 h−1 on a stem surface area basis during July–October 2016 and were significantly linearly correlated with the CH4 concentration or water content in the heartwood throughout the experimental period, but the linear correlation was not significant at daily and monthly scales. Temperature was not a limiting factor for CH4 production during July–October 2016, and thus, most of the CH4 production may be explained by water content in the heartwood of living trees in upland forests.
Imidazoleglycerol‐Phosphate Dehydratase (IGPD)
Authors: Bisson Claudine , Baker Patrick J , Rice David W
Published: September 2017

Imidazoleglycerol‐phosphate dehydratase (IGPD) catalyzes the manganese‐dependent dehydration of (2R,3S)‐2,3‐dihydroxy‐3‐(1H‐imidazol‐5‐yl)propyl dihydrogen phosphate (2R,3S‐IGP) to 3‐(1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)‐2‐oxopropyl dihydrogen phosphate (IAP) as part of histidine biosynthesis. IGPD shows strict enantioselectivity for thed‐erythro‐diasteroisomer of IGP, with the other three diastereoisomers acting as competitive inhibitors of the enzyme. Structural studies combined with spectroscopic and biochemical data have shown that the enzyme contains a novel dimanganese (II) cluster at the active site, whose binding site is dominated by interactions of the metal ions with two imperfectly repeated histidine‐rich sequence motifs that have arisen as part of an ancient gene duplication event. The formation of this cluster is crucial not only to the assembly of the active 24‐mer from an inactive trimeric precursor but also to the chemistry carried out by the enzyme. The mode of recognition of the IGP substrate exploits pseudosymmetry at the active site arising from a combination of the assembly of the particle and the pseudosymmetry present in each subunit as a result of the gene duplication.

The analysis of a series of high‐resolution crystal structures of an inactive mutant of IGPD2 fromArabidopsis thalianain complex with IGP has provided insights into the events that accompany catalysis by IGPD. These show how substrate binding triggers a switch in the coordination state of one of the active site Mn(II) ions between six‐ and five‐coordinate species. This switch is critical to prime the active site for catalysis by facilitating the formation of a high‐energy imidazolate intermediate whose existence has led to a detailed proposal for the enzyme mechanism. The discovery of this important aspect of the catalytic cycle of IGPD illustrates how metalloenzymes are able to manipulate the coordination chemistry of metal ions to facilitate catalysis exploiting their unique properties to diversify enzyme chemistry.

IGPD has been suggested as an attractive target for the development of a novel herbicide and is inhibited by a series of chiral triazolyl phosphonates, where the nanomolar potency of the lead inhibitor, 2‐hydroxy‐3‐(1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl) propylphosphonate (C348), is based on mimicking key reaction intermediates. Biochemical data from bothin vivoandin vitroassays further shows that, unusually, both the (R)‐ and (S)‐enantiomers of C348 are equipotent nanomolar inhibitors of the enzyme. Structural data show that both these enantiomers make equivalent interactions with the active site of IGPD and bind with mirror‐image packing providing a molecular explanation of this finding.
Professionalization
Authors: Iarskaia‐Smirnova Elena , Kononenko Rostislav
Published: September 2017

Functionalist sociologists have described professionalization as a positive and progressive force that fosters social change in ways that minimize social conflict and disintegration. The basis of professional practice was considered to be technical knowledge and the ideal of service. Early studies assumed a clear divide between the professions and occupations. Lists of traits were developed to distinguish the ideal type of a profession. The functionalist and traits approaches were criticized for their essentialist position. Conducted on microlevel, interactionist works focus on professional socialization in workplaces, relationships in the everyday life of occupations, and their meanings in working routine and in wider contexts. In the neo‐Weberian approach professionalization is seen as the project whereby a distinct occupational group seeks to gain a monopoly control of competence and credibility with the public and, as a result, to secure an increase in income, power, and prestige.
Cyberculture
Authors: Bell David
Published: September 2017

A neologism derived from a neologism, cyberculture welds together the “cyber‐” from cyberspace with “culture.” It is important to understand what happens when cyber‐ and culture are brought together, and in order to work toward that understanding we need to begin by saying a few words about cyberspace (and some related things). The term cyberspace was famously coined by cyberpunk novelist William Gibson in his 1984 novel
Neuromancer
, to describe the imaginary “datascape” which his characters entered by “jacking in” – connecting their consciousness directly to networked computers. The well‐known and often‐quoted formulation in
Neuromancer
runs like this:
Distinction
Authors: Holt Douglas B.
Published: September 2017

Distinction references the social consequences of expressions of taste. When people consume – whether it be popular culture, leisure, fine arts, the home, vacations, or fashion – these actions, among other things, act to express tastes. And tastes are not innocuous. Rather, what and how people consume can act as a social reproduction mechanism. So expressions of taste are acts of distinction to the extent that they signal, and help to reproduce, differences in social class. Distinction can be distinguished from other important class reproduction mechanisms such as educational credentials, the accumulation of financial assets, and membership in clubs and associations.
Environmental Criminology
Authors: Schneider Jacqueline L.
Published: September 2017

Environmental criminology is a generic phrase that encompasses a number of different approaches aimed at reducing the occurrence of criminal events by examining the physicality in which the crimes occur. Rooted in human and social ecology, environmental criminology studies crime, criminality, and victimization as they relate to place, space, and their interaction (Bottoms $@#*^%#@#amp; Wiles 2002). Specifically, environmental criminology explores how criminal opportunities are generated given the nature of the existing setting (see Felson $@#*^%#@#amp; Clarke 1998). The aim is to identify ways to manipulate attributes of space in order to reduce opportunities to commit crime at various points in time.
Family Demography
Authors: Casper Lynne M.
Published: September 2017

Family demography is a subfield of demography and is the study of the changing nature of intergenerational and gender ties that bind individuals into households and family units. The core of family demography uses basic demographic information collected about household members, including the numbers of members, their relationships to each other, and each person's sex, age, and marital status, to describe the composition of families and households.Compositiondescribes thestructureof families and households: the set of statuses and associated roles that are important for the functioning of society. American families and households have diverse and complex structures. For example, households can contain married couples, cohabiting couples, single mothers, children, grandparents, other relatives (e.g., brothers, sisters, or in‐laws), roommates, or simply one person living alone. Family composition is the result of demographicprocessesor family related events such as marriage, divorce, and fertility or childbearing. Changes in the timing, number, and sequences of these events transform family and household composition. Family demographers aggregate the composition and processes of individual families into larger units (e.g., nations, states, counties, neighborhoods) to examine family change in societies and other units. They aggregate them separately by other social and economic groups (e.g., racial and ethnic groups, poor families, immigrants) and by countries to examine family variation. Thus, family demographers study family change and variation to understand both individual and societal behavior.
Life Course Perspective
Authors: Elder Glen H.
Published: September 2017

Developments after World War II called for new ways of thinking about lives, society, and their relationship. The social discontinuities of economic depression, a world war, and prosperity raised questions about the course these adults followed into the middle years. The changing age composition of society also gave more visibility to the adult life course. Problems of old age directed inquiry to earlier trajectories and to the processes by which lives are influenced by a changing society. In combination, these developments placed lives in context and focused attention on their social pathways. From this background the life course perspective was conceived as both a concept and a theoretical orientation for the study of individual lives and age cohorts.
Management
Authors: Clegg Stewart , Carter Chris
Published: September 2017

On the eve of World War I, scientific management became the first big management fad, a source of innumerable new truths about work and its organization, all of which were oriented to the efficiency of the individual human body. At the same time a revolution in manufacturing also occurred when Henry Ford introduced the assembly line, modeled on the Chicago slaughterhouses (see Upton Sinclair's 1906 ethnographic novel,The Jungle). In the abattoirs each job was separated into a series of simple repetitive actions as the bodies moved down the line to be progressively dismembered; in Ford the car was built on the same principles that the hog was butchered.
Methods, Mixed
Authors: Onwuegbuzie Anthony J.
Published: September 2017

Over the last several decades, numerous fields from the social and behavioral sciences, including the field of sociology, have undergone three methodological waves in research. In many disciplines, the quantitative research paradigm, which has its roots in (logical) positivism, marked the first methodological wave (circa the nineteenth century), inasmuch as it was characterized by a comprehensive and formal set of assumptions and principles surrounding epistemology (e.g., objectivism, independence of knower and known, real causes determining outcomes reliably and validly, time‐free and context‐free generalizations), ontology (e.g., single reality), axiology (e.g., value‐free), methodology (e.g., deductive logic, testing or confirming hypotheses/theory), and rhetoric (e.g., rhetorical neutrality, formal writing style, impersonal passive voice, technical terminology).
Student Movements
Authors: Rootes Christopher
Published: September 2017

Although students have been prominent among the actors in many revolutions and revolutionary movements, as well as other forms of contentious politics, student movements – social movements comprised wholly or mainly of students, especially university or college students – are a distinctively modern phenomenon. Their emergence is predicated upon the existence in a society of a critical mass of students.
Access to the Media
Authors: Terilli Samuel A.
Published: September 2017

Access to the media encompasses the efforts and rights of individuals and groups to represent their views through the pages or airtime of established media entities – private or public. It should not be confused with access to information (→ Freedom of Information; Right to Know) or even the related question of open‐access television (→ Public Access Television). The question of access to the media typically arises when a political candidate wants advertising or free airtime or when a person, business, or group demands time (or space) to reply to a news report or present a competing analysis (→ Right of Reply). Rights of reply constitute a particular form of access to the media. More broadly, the access‐to‐the‐media question asks whether society can or should force a publisher or broadcaster to devote space or time to diverse subjects and viewpoints. The → Internet and other technological advances may in time lessen the practical importance of such access rights by facilitating new forms of communication, ranging from blogs (→ Blogger) to social media (→ Media Content and Social Networks), and direct access to audiences by diverse speakers (→ E‐Democracy).
Bad News in Medicine, Communicating
Authors: Schouten Barbara
Published: September 2017

Any information that produces a negative alteration to a person's expectations about the future can be defined as bad news (Buckman 1992). Notwithstanding that there are instances in which information is in all probability universally appraised as bad, such as the sudden diagnosis of a fatal disease, most published articles on the topic adhere to the basic assumption that bad news is subjective and depends on individual differences in personality, personal resources, cognitive appraisals, expectations, and so on.
Balkan States: Media Systems
Authors: Gross Peter
Published: September 2017

The Balkan states, situated in southeastern Europe, include Albania, Bosnia‐Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. Altogether, the Balkan states have a population of almost 54.5 million people of very diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. Montenegro is the smallest of these states and Romania the largest. The Balkan states are emerging democracies with parliamentary systems; Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on January 1, 2007, and others aspire to do so in the future.
Baltic States: Media Systems
Authors: Lauk Epp
Published: September 2017

The three countries on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northeast Europe – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, known collectively as the Baltic states – had been subject to the empire‐building policies of neighboring countries around the Baltic Sea since the thirteenth century before they first achieved independence from 1918 to 1940. In 1939, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact brought them within the sphere of Soviet influence and they were incorporated into the Soviet Union as Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs) in 1940. Since regaining independence in 1991, the Baltic states have aligned their future with western Europe by joining both NATO and the EU in 2004. While the similarity of their historical paths and their geopolitical situation might seem to have created the conditions for a common development of their media, their ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural peculiarities have resulted in three different systems, which are among the smallest in Europe with potential audiences of 1.36 million in Estonia, 2.33 million in Latvia, and 3.46 million in Lithuania (see Table 1).
Bandura, Albert
Authors: Zimmerman Barry J.
Published: September 2017

Albert Bandura is a pioneering researcher of social modeling in the media (Zimmerman & Schunk 2002). He was born on December 4, 1925 in a rural hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada. He first achieved prominence as an undergraduate at the University of British Columbia by winning the Bolocan Award in Psychology. After completing his doctorate at the University of Iowa, he accepted a faculty appointment at Stanford University, where he has remained for more than 50 years. He was elected President of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1974, and has won numerous awards for his research, such as the William James Award and the Gold Medal Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Psychological Science of the APA.