bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication: Spin densities within a unitary group based spin-adapted open-shell coupled-cluster theory: Analytic evaluation of isotropic hyperfine-coupling constants for the combinatoric open-shell coupled-cluster scheme
Authors: Datta Dipayan , Gauss Jürgen
Published: July 2015

We report analytical calculations of isotropic hyperfine-coupling constants in radicals using a spin-adapted open-shell coupled-cluster theory, namely, the unitary group based combinatoric open-shell coupled-cluster (COSCC) approach within the singles and doubles approximation. A scheme for the evaluation of the one-particle spin-density matrix required in these calculations is outlined within the spin-free formulation of the COSCC approach. In this scheme, the one-particle spin-density matrix for an open-shell state with spin S and MS = + S is expressed in terms of the one- and two-particle spin-free (charge) density matrices obtained from the Lagrangian formulation that is used for calculating the analytic first derivatives of the energy. Benchmark calculations are presented for NO, NCO, CH2CN, and two conjugated π-radicals, viz., allyl and 1-pyrrolyl in order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed scheme.
Slow pyrolysis of olive stones in a rotary kiln: Chemical and energy characterization of solid, gas, and condensable products
Authors: Sanginés P. , Domínguez M. P. , Sánchez F. , San Miguel G.
Published: July 2015

The aim of this work is to investigate the slow pyrolysis of olive stones in a rotary kiln as a means to increase the fuel properties and potential use of this renewable solid fuel. The pyrolysis process takes place primarily at temperatures between 300 and 500 °C resulting in the transformation of the solid biomass into a biochar, a pyrolysis liquid (up to 38.1 wt. %) and a non-condensable gas fraction (up to 35.4 wt. %). This thermal treatment has a positive influence in the fuel properties of the solid fraction in terms of increased C content (up to 75.9 wt. %), reduced O/C and H/C ratios (down to 0.28 and 0.03), reduced volatile matter and moisture content (down to 6.9 wt. % and below 1.0 wt. %, respectively), increased fixed carbon (up to 90.2 wt. %), increased Lower Heating Value (LHVo up to 37.1 MJ/kg) and energy density (26.7 GJ/m3). The process also involved changes in the surface chemistry (increasingly hydrophobic nature) and textural properties of the solid (formation of cracks and internal voids, resulting in the development of a pore structure of up to 0.193 cm3/g and a surface area up to 507 m2/g). The condensable and gas fractions resulting from the pyrolysis process may also be used for their fuel properties. Thus, the pyrolysis liquid exhibited a high water content (62.5 wt. %), a mass density of 1.063 kg/m3, a viscosity of 1.33 cSt, and a Higher Heating Value (HHVo) of 16.9 MJ/kg. The gas fraction resulting from the pyrolysis of olive stones contains high concentrations of combustible gases like CO and H2, and lower proportions of light hydrocarbons. The gas fraction exhibited HHV up to 6.83 MJ/Nm3 due primarily to CO and H2, while the formation of light hydrocarbons was very limited. The energy distribution resulting from the pyrolysis of olive stone at 700 °C (following completion of the thermal degradation) is as follows: solid fraction 48.2%; oil fraction 11.0%; and gas fraction and energy losses (by difference) 40.8%.
Influence of finite spatial coherence on ptychographic reconstruction
Authors: Stachnik K. , Mohacsi I. , Vartiainen I. , Stuebe N. , Meyer J. , Warmer M. , David C. , Meents A.
Published: July 2015

X-ray ptychography is an ultrahigh-resolution scanning coherent diffractive imaging technique, allowing quantitative measurements of extended samples and a simultaneous reconstruction of the illuminating wavefront. Recent development of the mixed-state reconstruction algorithm has triggered a certain interest in utilizing partially coherent X-ray sources for ptychography. Here, we study how finite spatial coherence influences the reconstructed image of a test structure. Our work shows that use of a highly coherent illumination provides images with better spatial resolution and fewer artefacts than the approach with partial coherence.
Tunable dual-band subwavelength imaging with a wire medium slab loaded with nanostructured graphene metasurfaces
Authors: Forouzmand Ali , Yakovlev Alexander B.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we demonstrate that a wire medium slab loaded with graphene-nanopatch metasurfaces (GNMs) enables the enhancement of evanescent waves for the subwavelength imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies. The analysis is based on the nonlocal homogenization model for wire medium with the additional boundary condition at the connection of wires to graphene. The physical mechanism behind this lens can be described as the surface plasmons excitement at the lower and upper GNMs which are coupled by an array of metallic wires. The dual nature (capacitive/inductive) of the GNM is utilized in order to design a dual-band lens in which the unique controllable properties of graphene and the structural parameters of wire medium (WM) slab provide more degrees of freedom in controlling two operating frequency bands. The lens can support the subwavelength imaging simultaneously at two tunable distinct frequencies with the resolution better than λ/6 even if the distance between GNMs is a significant fraction of wavelength (>λ/5.5). The major future challenges in the fabrication of the lens have been demonstrated and a promising approach for the practical configuration of the lens has been proposed.
Study of micro piezoelectric vibration generator with added mass and capacitance suitable for broadband vibration
Authors: He Qing , Mao Xinhua , Chu Dongliang
Published: July 2015

This study proposes an optimized frequency adjustment method that uses a micro-cantilever beam-based piezoelectric vibration generator based on a combination of added mass and capacitance. The most important concept of the proposed method is that the frequency adjustment process is divided into two steps: the first is a rough adjustment step that changes the size of the mass added at the end of cantilever to adjust the frequency in a large-scale and discontinuous manner; the second step is a continuous but short-range frequency adjustment via the adjustable added capacitance. Experimental results show that when the initial natural frequency of a micro piezoelectric vibration generator is 69.8 Hz, then this natural frequency can be adjusted to any value in the range from 54.2 Hz to 42.1 Hz using the combination of the added mass and the capacitance. This method simply and effectively matches a piezoelectric vibration generator’s natural frequency to the vibration source frequency.
Fertilisation of cryopreserved sperm and unfertilised quail ovum by intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Authors: Kang Kyung Soo , Park Tae Sub , Rengaraj Deivendran , Lee Hyung Chul , Lee Hong Jo , Choi Hee Jung , Mizushima Shusei , Ono Tamao , Han Jae Yong
Published: July 2015

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an important technique in animal biotechnology for animal cloning and conservation of genetic resources, but has been a challenge for avian species. In the present study, we investigated the ability of cryopreserved quail spermatozoa to achieve fertilisation and embryo development. Female quail were killed 70–120 min after previous oviposition to collect unfertilised oocytes from the oviduct. Fresh or cryopreserved–thawed spermatozoa were injected into the cytoplasm of unfertilised oocytes, and the manipulated oocytes were incubated in quail surrogate eggshells. Injection of fresh spermatozoa supplemented with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) resulted in a significantly increased rate of embryo development compared with injection of fresh spermatozoa alone (90% vs 13%, respectively). Although >80% of embryos stopped cell division and development before Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) Stage 3, approximately 15% of embryos from the fresh sperm injection developed to past HH Stage 4, and one embryo survived up to HH Stage 39 (11 days of incubation). In the case of cryopreserved spermatozoa, the embryo development rate was 30% after ICSI, and this increased significantly to 74% with IP3 supplementation. In conclusion, cryopreserved spermatozoa combined with ICSI followed by surrogate eggshell culture can develop quail embryos.
Spatial and temporal regulation of biosynthesis of the plant immune signal salicylic acid
Authors: Zheng Xiao-yu , Zhou Mian , Yoo Heejin , Pruneda-Paz Jose L. , Spivey Natalie Weaver , Kay Steve A. , Dong Xinnian
Published: July 2015

Significance

Biosynthesis of the plant immune signal salicylic acid (SA) is normally induced upon pathogen challenge through transcriptional activation of the key SA synthetic enzyme gene,ICS1. However, how different pathogenic signals trigger SA synthesis in both local and systemic tissues and during different immune responses is poorly understood. Our study filled this knowledge gap by the identification of two transcription factors (TFs): one is required for SA biosynthesis in stomata to prevent pathogen entry through these epidermal openings, and the other is essential for both the circadian oscillation in SA levels and the accumulation of SA in distal tissue during systemic acquired resistance. Our study shows that SA biosynthesis is regulated by multiple TFs in a spatial and temporal manner.
Struggling to retain the functions of passive when translating English thesis abstracts
Authors: Al-Ali Mohammed Nahar , Alliheibi Fahad M.
Published: July 2015

The thesis abstract, as a genre has a set of communicative functions mutually-understood by established members of the academic community. A vast majority of translation studies of source language (SL) and target language (TL) equivalence seems to have overlooked the inherent relationship between form and function when translating. The purpose of this study was to find out whether the Arab students would translate the English passive structures into their corresponding Arabic passive in order to maintain the pragma-generic functions associated with these constructions or would employ other translation replacements when translating English passives into Arabic. A further purpose was to find out what grammatical factors constrain the choice of these translation options. To fulfill these purposes, we investigated the voice choice in 90 MA thesis abstracts and their 90 Arabic translated versions written in English by the same MA students, drawn from the field of Linguistics. The data analysis revealed that when the Arab student-translators come across the English passive sentence, they resort to either of the following options: Transposing English passives into verbal nouns (masdar), or into pseudo-active verbs or active sentence structures, or into vowel melody passives, or omitting these passive structures.
Whose side are we on?
Authors: Hirsch Galia
Published: July 2015

This research seeks to identify and analyze the reaction to irony in Israeli political news interviews, in view of the specific nature of this genre, which has been known to allow a certain level of adversarialness (Liebes et al. 2008; Blum-Kulka 1983; Weizman 2008; Clayman &Heritage 2002a and 2002b). Our intention was to examine whether the audience regards the use of irony as over-aggressive, and whether they believe interviewees regard it as such, in order to shed light on the potential consequences the use of indirect discourse patterns has for the interviewer.

Based on Goffman’s (1981) notion of footing, and on the concept of positioning as defined by Weizman (2008: 16), we focused on the audience’s capacity to grasp the positioning and repositioning in the interaction as a possible influential factor in their reaction to the employment of irony. The research is based on two conceptual paradigms: Media studies and pragmatic studies of irony.

The findings indicate that Israeli audiences tend to regard interviewers’ employment of irony in political interviews as slightly hostile, and as such it is viewed as a possible threat to interviewees’ face (Goffman 1967), but also as a legitimate and comprehensible tool, especially when the irony is accompanied by humor or mitigating non-verbal signs. Hence, the risk for the interviewer is not as great as we assumed. Accordingly, viewers also tended to judge interviewees’ conception of the employment of irony as only slightly adversarial, perhaps because they have assumed the interviewees’ attitude towards the interaction, identified with them and chosen their side.
Unequal by origin or by necessity? Popular explanations of inequality and their legitimatory implications
Authors: Sachweh Patrick
Published: July 2015

According to an implicit assumption underlying stratification theory and research, citizens in modern societies are supposed to regard inequality as caused by social factors, and therefore in need of legitimation. Based on qualitative interviews with people from both lower and upper social classes in Germany, the article questions this assumption. From the interviews, I reconstruct two divergent interpretive frames that are used to understand the causes of inequality. While one indeed highlights social origin as a prominent social structural factor and suggests critical normative orientations towards the status quo (‘inequality by origin’), at the same time explanations regarding inequality as an inevitable element of social order exist which suspend legitimatory pressures (‘inevitable inequalities’). Importantly, the two interpretive frames coexist and are used simultaneously within respondents’ reasoning; to the extent that this is the case, the critique evoked by the ‘inequality by origin’ interpretation is eventually undermined.
In God we trust – the role of religion for cohesion and integration in current European societies
Authors: Schnabel Annette , Groetsch Florian
Published: July 2015

The aim of the paper is to investigate the role of religion for social cohesion and integration in European societies. For the purpose of this article, we assume that religion matters not only in the form of different aspects of individual religiousness, but also as a constituent of the social and legal framework. Social cohesion is understood as the aggregated result of individual vertical and horizontal trust. We use data from the International Social Survey Programme in order to test a comparative multilevel model for the societies of the European Union as to whether trust in others and in political institutions both depend on individual religiousness and the religious framework of society. Without denying the potential exclusive effect of religion, the data show that religion still is important on different societal levels: counter to prevalent findings, a-religiousness and Protestantism on the individual level do not reduce feelings of integration, while independent of the denomination, active community work does increase societal trust. On the country level, we found that a close state–religion relationship and a Protestant majority both increase social cohesion.
The transition zone protein Rpgrip1l regulates proteasomal activity at the primary cilium
Authors: Gerhardt Christoph , Lier Johanna Maria , Burmühl Stephan , Struchtrup Andreas , Deutschmann Kathleen , Vetter Maik , Leu Tristan , Reeg Sandra , Grune Tilman , Rüther Ulrich
Published: July 2015

Mutations in RPGRIP1L result in severe human diseases called ciliopathies. To unravel the molecular function of RPGRIP1L, we analyzed Rpgrip1l−/− mouse embryos, which display a ciliopathy phenotype and die, at the latest, around birth. In these embryos, cilia-mediated signaling was severely disturbed. Defects in Shh signaling suggested that the Rpgrip1l deficiency causes an impairment of protein degradation and protein processing. Indeed, we detected a cilia-dependent decreased proteasomal activity in the absence of Rpgrip1l. We found different proteasomal components localized to cilia and identified Psmd2, a component of the regulatory proteasomal 19S subunit, as an interaction partner for Rpgrip1l. Quantifications of proteasomal substrates demonstrated that Rpgrip1l regulates proteasomal activity specifically at the basal body. Our study suggests that Rpgrip1l controls ciliary signaling by regulating the activity of the ciliary proteasome via Psmd2.
Control of the pericentrosomal H2O2 level by peroxiredoxin I is critical for mitotic progression
Authors: Lim Jung Mi , Lee Kyung S. , Woo Hyun Ae , Kang Dongmin , Rhee Sue Goo
Published: July 2015

Proteins associated with the centrosome play key roles in mitotic progression in mammalian cells. The activity of Cdk1-opposing phosphatases at the centrosome must be inhibited during early mitosis to prevent premature dephosphorylation of Cdh1—an activator of the ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome—and the consequent premature degradation of mitotic activators. In this paper, we show that reversible oxidative inactivation of centrosome-bound protein phosphatases such as Cdc14B by H2O2 is likely responsible for this inhibition. The intracellular concentration of H2O2 increases as the cell cycle progresses. Whereas the centrosome is shielded from H2O2 through its association with the H2O2-eliminating enzyme peroxiredoxin I (PrxI) during interphase, the centrosome-associated PrxI is selectively inactivated through phosphorylation by Cdk1 during early mitosis, thereby exposing the centrosome to H2O2 and facilitating inactivation of centrosome-bound phosphatases. Dephosphorylation of PrxI by okadaic acid–sensitive phosphatases during late mitosis again shields the centrosome from H2O2 and thereby allows the reactivation of Cdk1-opposing phosphatases at the organelle.
Preparing a collection of radiology examinations for distribution and retrieval
Authors: Demner-Fushman Dina , Kohli Marc D. , Rosenman Marc B. , Shooshan Sonya E. , Rodriguez Laritza , Antani Sameer , Thoma George R. , McDonald Clement J.
Published: July 2015

Objective Clinical documents made available for secondary use play an increasingly important role in discovery of clinical knowledge, development of research methods, and education. An important step in facilitating secondary use of clinical document collections is easy access to descriptions and samples that represent the content of the collections. This paper presents an approach to developing a collection of radiology examinations, including both the images and radiologist narrative reports, and making them publicly available in a searchable database.

Materials and Methods The authors collected 3996 radiology reports from the Indiana Network for Patient Care and 8121 associated images from the hospitals’ picture archiving systems. The images and reports were de-identified automatically and then the automatic de-identification was manually verified. The authors coded the key findings of the reports and empirically assessed the benefits of manual coding on retrieval.

Results The automatic de-identification of the narrative was aggressive and achieved 100% precision at the cost of rendering a few findings uninterpretable. Automatic de-identification of images was not quite as perfect. Images for two of 3996 patients (0.05%) showed protected health information. Manual encoding of findings improved retrieval precision.

Conclusion Stringent de-identification methods can remove all identifiers from text radiology reports. DICOM de-identification of images does not remove all identifying information and needs special attention to images scanned from film. Adding manual coding to the radiologist narrative reports significantly improved relevancy of the retrieved clinical documents. The de-identified Indiana chest X-ray collection is available for searching and downloading from the National Library of Medicine ( http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/ ).
Introduction
Authors: Mirka Danuta
Published: July 2015

Critical reception of topic theory over the last decades has been adversely affected by the conviction that the concept of topics has no basis in eighteenth-century music theory, aesthetics, and criticism. Furthermore, the study of musical topics has been confounded by discrepancies between representatives of topic theory, who expanded this concept beyond cross-references between styles and genres. Drawing on a wide range of eighteenth-century sources, this introduction clears away the discrepancies, clarifies the concept of topics, and relates it to Johann Georg Sulzer’s concept of characters. The relation between Ratner’s topics and Sulzer’s characters bears on the scope and semiotic status of topical signification, which is here reconsidered in light of eighteenth-century semiotics. In turn, the origins of Sulzer’s characters in the Baroque theory of affects explain the relation between musical topics and rhetoricalloci topici, discussed by Johann David Heinichen and Johann Mattheson as tools of musical invention.
Listening to Topics in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Horton Julian
Published: July 2015

This chapter evaluates issues in the topical analysis of nineteenth-century music, paying close attention to the persistence of eighteenth-century topics in changed social and cultural-political contexts, the emergence and function of new topics after 1800, and attendant shifts in the values of pedagogy and musical listening. The article develops these issues in two analytical case studies: an investigation of the role topics play in Schumann’s reevaluation of the piano concerto, as embodied in the first movement of his Concerto Op. 54; and an analysis of the Finale of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 relating topical discourse to the work’s Viennese reception, as instantiated in the reviews of Eduard Hanslick, Gustav Dömpke, and Max Kalbeck.
Effects of Fluid Treatment With Hydroxyethyl Starch on Renal Function in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Kunze Ekkehard , Stetter Christian , Willner Nadine , Koehler Stefan , Kilgenstein Christian , Ernestus Ralf-Ingo , Kranke Peter , Muellenbach Ralf M. , Westermaier Thomas
Published: July 2015

Background:

Recent reports have doubted the efficacy and safety of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) for volume resuscitation. HES has been reported to promote renal insufficiency particularly in sepsis and trauma patients. This analysis investigated the effects of HES 6% 130/0.4 for fluid therapy in patients with intact renal function who suffered aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Methods:

This retrospective analysis included 107 patients and was conducted in the framework of a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of magnesium sulfate in SAH. Because magnesium is renally eliminated, patients with renal insufficiency had been excluded. Standard therapy after aneurysm occlusion included the daily administration of HES 6% 130/0.4. Serum and urine creatinine and fluid balance were measured daily.

Results:

Patients received a daily mean of 1101±524 mL HES and 3353±1396 mL Ringer’s solution. The highest creatinine values were recorded on day 3 after admission (0.88±0.25 mg/100 mL) and continuously decreased thereafter. In 6 patients, creatinine values temporarily increased by >0.3 mg/100 mL but recovered to admission values at the end of the observation period.

Conclusions:

Concerning renal function, the first days after SAH seem to be a vulnerable phase in which a variety of interventions are performed, including contrast-enhanced neuroradiologic procedures. In this period, HES 6% 130/0.4 should be administered with caution. However, no patient suffered from renal failure and required temporary or permanent renal replacement therapy. These results suggest that the administration of HES 6% 130/0.4 is safe in SAH patients without preexisting renal insufficiency.
Value of Fecal Calprotectin as a Biomarker for Juvenile Polyps in Children Investigated With Colonoscopy
Authors: Olafsdottir Ingunn , Nemeth Artur , Lörinc Ester , Toth Ervin , Agardh Daniel
Published: July 2015

Objectives:

The clinical presentation of colonic juvenile polyps with abdominal discomfort and occult rectal bleedings make them difficult to recognize. The aim of this study was to report the clinical features of colonic juvenile polyps in children referred to colonoscopy and evaluate fecal calprotectin (FCP) as a screening biomarker for their diagnosis.

Methods:

The study included a total of 266 children (range 3.1–19.0 years, median age 15.8 years) investigated with ileocolonoscopy; of whom, 239 (89%) were investigated for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). FCPs were analyzed as a marker of colonic inflammation, and levels <50 mg/kg was considered to be negative.

Results:

Juvenile polyps were detected in 12 (4.5%) children; the remaining 67 (25.2%) had Crohn disease, 57 (21.4%) ulcerative colitis, 5 (1.9%) unclassified IBD, 4 (1.5%) allergic colitis, bleeding source was localized in 6 (2.3%), and 115 (43.2%) had unspecific or normal findings. FCP was available in 203 (76.3%) children before colonoscopy; levels of FCP were higher in children with juvenile polyps (range 28–2287 mg/kg, median 844 mg/kg) compared with those with normal colonoscopies (range <20–2443 mg/kg, median 130 mg/kg, P < 0.0001), but not compared with those with active IBD (range <20–7780 mg/kg, median 962 mg/kg, P = 0.6299). FCPs were available in 9 of 12 children after polypectomy, of whom all had their FCP levels significantly reduced (range 0–281 mg/kg, median 49 mg/kg, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

Colonic juvenile polyps are frequently found in pediatric patients presenting with hematochezia and elevated FCP levels. Colonic juvenile polyps are difficult to differentiate from pediatric IBD without a colonoscopy.
Hepatitis C in Children Co‐infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Indolfi Giuseppe , Bartolini Elisa , Serranti Daniele , Azzari Chiara , Resti Massimo
Published: July 2015

Objectives:

The objective of this systematic review was to summarize evidence regarding hepatitis C in hepatitis C virus/human immunodeficiency virus (HCV/HIV)–co‐infected children focusing on mother‐to‐child transmission, clinical and laboratory features, outcome, and therapies.

Methods:

A literature search was performed using multiple keywords and standardized terminology in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases dating back to their inception up to April 1, 2015, using the following terms hepatitis C virus, HIV, and child.

Results:

Fifty‐five of 367 publications were selected for inclusion. In co‐infected children, HIV impacted all the different aspects of HCV infection. Maternal HIV infection increased the risk of vertical transmission of hepatitis C. Children with HCV/HIV co‐infection presented a lower rate of spontaneous clearance of HCV, were more commonly HCV viraemic, and had higher values of alanine aminotransferase when compared with HCV‐monoinfected children. No relevant difference was reported between monoinfection and co‐infection with regard to clinical findings. Although the data on the outcome of hepatitis C in the context of co‐infection were limited, they were highly suggestive of a more severe outcome in terms of fibrosis in co‐infected children. No pediatric data were available on the role of antiretroviral therapy as a cofactor of liver injury in HCV/HIV co‐infection. The efficacy of pegylated interferon‐α and ribavirin in children with HCV/HIV co‐infection was lower than in monoinfected children.

Conclusions:

The effect of HIV co‐infection on HCV‐related disease was clear with most studies indicating that HIV accelerates HCV progression and reduces the efficacy of the available anti‐HCV therapies.
Which games are growing bacterial populations playing?
Authors: Li Xiang-Yi , Pietschke Cleo , Fraune Sebastian , Altrock Philipp M. , Bosch Thomas C. G. , Traulsen Arne
Published: July 2015

Microbial communities display complex population dynamics, both in frequency and absolute density. Evolutionary game theory provides a natural approach to analyse and model this complexity by studying the detailed interactions among players, including competition and conflict, cooperation and coexistence. Classic evolutionary game theory models typically assume constant population size, which often does not hold for microbial populations. Here, we explicitly take into account population growth with frequency-dependent growth parameters, as observed in our experimental system. We study thein vitropopulation dynamics of the two commensal bacteria (Curvibactersp. (AEP1.3) andDuganellasp. (C1.2)) that synergistically protect the metazoan hostHydra vulgaris(AEP) from fungal infection. The frequency-dependent, nonlinear growth rates observed in our experiments indicate that the interactions among bacteria in co-culture are beyond the simple case of direct competition or, equivalently, pairwise games. This is in agreement with the synergistic effect of anti-fungal activity observedin vivo. Our analysis provides new insight into the minimal degree of complexity needed to appropriately understand and predict coexistence or extinction events in this kind of microbial community dynamics. Our approach extends the understanding of microbial communities and points to novel experiments.
Atlantic forest bird communities provide different but not fewer functions after habitat loss
Authors: De Coster Greet , Banks-Leite Cristina , Metzger Jean Paul
Published: July 2015

Habitat loss often reduces the number of species as well as functional diversity. Dramatic effects to species composition have also been shown, but changes to functional composition have so far been poorly documented, partly owing to a lack of appropriate indices. We here develop three new community indices (i.e.functional integrity, community integrity of ecological groupsandcommunity specialization) to investigate how habitat loss affects the diversity and composition of functional traits and species. We used data from more than 5000 individuals of 137 bird species captured in 57 sites in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a highly endangered biodiversity hotspot. Results indicate that habitat loss leads to a decrease in functional integrity while measures of functional diversity remain unchanged or are even positively affected. Changes to functional integrity were caused by (i) a decrease in the provisioning of some functions, and an increase in others; (ii) strong within-guild species turnover; and (iii) a replacement of specialists by generalists. Hence, communities from more deforested sites seem to provide different but not fewer functions. We show the importance of investigating changes to both diversity and composition of functional traits and species, as the effects of habitat loss on ecosystem functioning may be more complex than previously thought. Crucially, when only functional diversity is assessed, important changes to ecological functions may remain undetected and negative effects of habitat loss underestimated, thereby imperiling the application of effective conservation actions.
Pelagic seabird flight patterns are consistent with a reliance on olfactory maps for oceanic navigation
Authors: Reynolds Andrew M. , Cecere Jacopo G. , Paiva Vitor H. , Ramos Jaime A. , Focardi Stefano
Published: July 2015

Homing studies have provided tantalizing evidence that the remarkable ability of shearwaters (Procellariiformes) to pinpoint their breeding colony after crossing vast expanses of featureless open ocean can be attributed to their assembling cognitive maps of wind-borne odours but crucially, it has not been tested whether olfactory cues are actually used as a system for navigation. Obtaining statistically important samples of wild birds for use in experimental approaches is, however, impossible because of invasive sensory manipulation. Using an innovative non-invasive approach, we provide strong evidence that shearwaters rely on olfactory cues for oceanic navigation. We tested for compliance with olfactory-cued navigation in the flight patterns of 210 shearwaters of three species (Cory's shearwaters,Calonectris borealis, North Atlantic Ocean, Scopoli's shearwaters,C. diomedeaMediterranean Sea, and Cape Verde shearwaters,C. edwardsii, Central Atlantic Ocean) tagged with high-resolution GPS loggers during both incubation and chick rearing. We found that most (69%) birds displayed exponentially truncated scale-free (Lévy-flight like) displacements, which we show are consistent with olfactory-cued navigation in the presence of atmospheric turbulence. Our analysis provides the strongest evidence yet for cognitive odour map navigation in wild birds. Thus, we may reconcile two highly disputed questions in movement ecology, by mechanistically connecting Lévy displacements and olfactory navigation. Our approach can be applied to any species which can be tracked at sufficient spatial resolution, using a GPS logger.
Evidence for specificity in symbiont-conferred protection against parasitoids
Authors: McLean Ailsa H. C. , Godfray H. Charles J.
Published: July 2015

Many insects harbour facultative symbiotic bacteria, some of which have been shown to provide resistance against natural enemies. One of the best-known protective symbionts isHamiltonella defensa, which in pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) confers resistance against attack by parasitoid wasps in the genusAphidius(Braconidae). We asked (i) whether this symbiont also confers protection against a phylogenetically distant group of parasitoids (Aphelinidae) and (ii) whether there are consistent differences in the effects of bacteria found in pea aphid biotypes adapted to different host plants. We found that someH. defensastrains do provide protection against an aphelinid parasitoidAphelinus abdominalis. Hamiltonella defensafrom theLotusbiotype provided high resistance toA. abdominalisand moderate to low resistance toAphidius ervi, while the reverse was seen fromMedicagobiotype isolates. Aphids fromOnonisshowed no evidence of symbiont-mediated protection against either wasp species and were relatively vulnerable to both. Our results may reflect the different selection pressures exerted by the parasitoid community on aphids feeding on different host plants, and could help explain the maintenance of genetic diversity in bacterial symbionts.
Regulation ofyefM/yoeBtoxin antitoxin system is independent of ppGpp and inorganic polyphosphate inEscherichia coli
Authors: Mohan Ramisetty Bhaskar Chandra
Published: July 2015

Bacterial persistence is a phenomenon wherein small proportion of a bacterial population attains transient antibiotic tolerance likely by virtue of metabolic minimization. Type II Toxin–Antitoxin systems (TAs), small overlapping bicistronic negative auto-regulons, were recently shown to induce the persistence state. Maisonneuve et al., 2013 reported that TAs are activated by a regulatory cascade consisting of stochastic accumulation of ppGpp leading to accumulation of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP). PolyP supposedly is essential for Lon protease-dependent-degradation of antitoxins resulting in activation of toxins and induction of persistence phenotype. In contrast, using semi-quantitative primer extension, we show that transcriptional up-regulation ofyefM/yoeBloci, one of the well characterized TAs ofEscherichia coli, is independent of ppGpp and polyP. Similarly, we show that chromosome-encoded YoeB-dependent target mRNA cleavage is independent of polyP. Our results and meta-analysis of literature we conclude that the regulation ofyefM/yoeBTAs is independent of ppGpp and polyP.
The impact of social and environmental information on managers’ decisions
Authors: Madein Afdal , Sholihin Mahfud
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether managers consider social and environmental information in evaluating projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– Built on the stakeholder theory, this study hypothesises that managers consider social and environmental information in evaluating their projects. To test the hypotheses, this study employs experimental design.

Findings

– The authors find evidence that managers consider social and environmental information in evaluating their projects.

Research limitations/implications

– This study finds that social and environmental information is relevant for managerial decision making, particularly in project evaluation.

Practical implications

– Social and environmental information is considered relevant for project evaluation decision. Hence, managers should be provided those information.

Originality/value

– To the best of the knowledge, this is the first accounting study which examines the effect of social and environmental information on managers’ decisions, particularly in the Asian context using experimental approach. Previous studies only examined the effect social and environmental information on external stakeholders, such as investors.
Bringing the “right to request” flexible working arrangements to life: from policies to practices
Authors: Cooper Rae , Baird Marian
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand how the “right to request” flexible working arrangements (FWAs), located in national policy and in organisational policy contexts, are brought to life in the workplace by employees and their managers. The authors seek to understand the nature and content of requests, the process followed in attending to requests, the scope of the arrangements which resulted and the implications for the work of both employees and managers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors employ a case study method, investigating how formal “right to request” FWAs policies translate to practice within two large companies in Australia. The primary data focuses on 66 in-depth interviews with line managers, employees and key organisational informants. These interviews are triangulated with legislative, company and union policy documents.

Findings

– Most requests were made by mothers returning from maternity leave. Typically their requests involved an attempt to move from full-time to part-time hours. The authors found a considerable knowledge deficit among the employees making requests and a high level of informality in the processing of requests. As a result, managers played a critical role in structuring both the procedure and the substantive outcomes of FWAs requests. Managers’ personal experience and levels of commitment to FWAs were critical in the process, but their response was constrained by, among other things, conflicting organisational policies.

Research limitations/implications

– The scale of the empirical research is possibly limited by a focus on large companies in the private sector.

Practical implications

– The authors provide insight into the implementation gap between FWA policy and practice. The authors make suggestions as to how to make “right to request” policies more accessible and effective.

Social implications

– The “right to request” flexible working is an issue of critical importance to families, employees, managers, organisations and economies.

Originality/value

– “Right to request” FWAs are relatively new in legislation and policy and thus the authors have an incomplete understanding of how they operate and come to life at the workplace level. The authors show a significant implementation gap between policy and practice and point to some of the critical influences on this. Among other things, the authors build new insight in relation to the interaction of formal and informal and the role and place of the direct manager in the process of operationalising the “right to request”.
Labour dispute arbitration in China: perspectives of the arbitrators
Authors: Hwang Kyung-Jin , Wang Kan
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore China’s labour dispute arbitration system reform through analysing the degree to which it has attained its stated objectives – notably, independence, justice, efficiency and professionalism – from the perspectives of the arbitrators, previously ignored in research on China.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper used a mixed research method using questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were sent to all full-time labour dispute arbitrators in Beijing, China with a useable response rate of 71 per cent. Additionally, qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 key stakeholders involved in the arbitration process.

Findings

– Instead of establishing an impartial platform, the arbitration system endeavours to promote the state’s capacity to rule over labour relations. Its recent reform excluded arbitrational independence owing to concerns about reducing the Chinese Communist Party’s arbitrary power. Arbitrational justice was perceived to improve through case resolution efficiency, which made arbitrators minimise arbitration time, partly because of high caseloads but largely because of their key performance indicators. Quality of arbitration was compromised. The arbitrators understood the spaces and boundaries of the reform, and focused on increasing professionalism to enable them to more fluidly manoeuvre between the different political economic interests, above safeguarding labour rights.

Research limitations/implications

– The questionnaire size was too small for regression analysis. Future research should expand the sample sizes and conduct cross-regional studies.

Practical implications

– In 2008, China undertook an arbitrational system reform – probing its practical influence contributes to the authors understanding about the changing institutional environment of Chinese labour relations.

Originality/value

– As a pilot study on labour dispute arbitrators, this research presents the dynamics of the Chinese labour dispute resolution mechanism.
Converging early contractor involvement (ECI) and lean construction practices for productivity enhancement
Authors: Pheng Low Sui , Gao Shang , Lin Jun Liang
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– As with many other procurement management concepts, the early contractor involvement (ECI) strategy provides an opportunity to tap on contractors’ specialist knowledge in the design stage, in order to address and forestall problems before moving onto the construction stage. Such practices have been shown to be quite successful, and are also advocated in the lean construction practice. Following this benefit, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the operations of ECI and the principles of lean construction for productivity enhancement.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the literature review of 11 principles of lean construction and ECI, various relationships were proposed seeking to integrate the two domains. A questionnaire survey was conducted with different stakeholders in Singapore’s construction industry to measure the strength of the relationships. Interviews were also conducted to gain an understanding of the constraints, reluctance, and possible methods for implementing ECI in Singapore with a convergence with lean construction principles.

Findings

– The results revealed that, when employing lean construction principles as a yardstick, ECI does contribute to elevating the productivity outcomes of some lean construction principles – in particular, for reducing variability, reducing cycle time, minimizing steps, and increasing output flexibility.

Research limitations/implications

– It is promising to marry ECI with lean construction, and that the former does appear indeed able to aid in the productivity improvements of a construction project by embracing the latter. However, it requires the building professionals to raise their awareness of both lean and ECI, so that the implementation of ECI can be carried out in a more effective manner.

Originality/value

– In the context of the Singapore construction industry’s push for improvements in productivity, this study posits that productivity benefits in particular can be realized through establishing the linkage between ECI and lean construction principles. The lessons from this study can likewise be adopted by other countries.
Humanitarian supply chains and performance measurement schemes in practice
Authors: Santarelli Giulia , Abidi Hella , Klumpp Matthias , Regattieri Alberto
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a system for the performance evaluation of humanitarian supply chains. The system will help humanitarian organizations (HOs) to make better decisions, improve their performance, and provide accountability, as well as helping them measure their operational performance during disaster response and reconstruction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– A holistic and implementable performance measurement system was developed to measure the operational performance of HOs during disaster response and reconstruction projects. The system is divided into five categories with several key performance indicators (KPIs) being identified for each; identifiers are qualitative and quantitative, as well as financial and non-financial.

Findings

– Empirical testing of the system demonstrated the low use of existing performance indicators in humanitarian supply chains and the possible added value for HOs to improve their operational efficiency.

Social implications

– The performance measurement system could help HOs improve their operations and resource allocation.

Originality/value

– The paper is one of the first research contributions in which a sample of developed KPIs is empirically tested in various HOs. Prior to this paper, a limited number of articles examined the performance of HOs, and no defined system of KPIs existed. By analyzing real results in the field of the humanitarian projects and applying the proposed performance measurement system, it will be possible to define a set of best approaches to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian supply chains.
The issues and challenges facing a digital library with a special focus on the Taylor Family Digital Library at the University of Calgary
Authors: Thomas Bennett
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show how a new academic library works.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author used statistical data and anecdotal evidence.

Findings

– The findings were that digital library materials have dramatically changed how libraries operate.

Originality/value

– The library featured in this story is the University of Calgary’s main library which is called the Taylor Family Digital Library, which is meant to be a library with digital technology as its main focus.
An empirical investigation of information skills among undergraduate students at Dhaka University
Authors: Ferdows Jannatul , Ahmed S.M. Zabed
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to empirically investigate the information skills of undergraduate students at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire-based survey was administered to obtain data about undergraduates’ information skills. The questionnaire consisted of demographic information, computer and Internet experiences, and a set of ten questions relating to information skills. A total of 199 undergraduate students responded to the survey.

Findings

– The results indicate that undergraduates’ information skills were poor. Only a few of them were successful in answering some of the questions correctly. There are significant differences in information skills among respondents in terms of gender, age, possession of personal computers and computer and Internet experience. The main reasons for these differences and the general failure in answering the task questions correctly are mostly attributed to the absence of information literacy instruction within the university, lack of online information resources and inadequate information and communication technology facilities.

Practical implications

– The findings of this study will help universities in Bangladesh and other developing countries to develop appropriate information literacy instruction at undergraduate level.

Originality/value

– This is the first time an effort has been made to assess task-based information skills of undergraduate students in Bangladesh. The findings of this study will help universities in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the developing world to introduce information literacy instruction at undergraduate level.