bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interannual variability in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) density at South Georgia, Southern Ocean: 1997–2013
Authors: Fielding Sophie , Watkins Jonathan L. , Trathan Philip N. , Enderlein Peter , Waluda Claire M. , Stowasser Gabriele , Tarling Geraint A. , Murphy Eugene J.
Published: June 2014

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are a key species in Southern Ocean ecosystems, maintaining very large numbers of predators, and fluctuations in their abundance can affect the overall structure and functioning of the ecosystems. The interannual variability in the abundance and biomass of krill was examined using a 17-year time-series of acoustic observations undertaken in the Western Core Box (WCB) survey area to the northwest of South Georgia, Southern Ocean. Krill targets were identified in acoustic data using a multifrequency identification window and converted to krill density using the Stochastic Distorted-Wave Born Approximation target strength model. Krill density ranged over several orders of magnitude (0–10 000 g m−2) and its distribution was highly skewed with many zero observations. Within each survey, the mean krill density was significantly correlated with the top 7% of the maximum krill densities observed. Hence, only the densest krill swarms detected in any one year drove the mean krill density estimates for the WCB in that year. WCB krill density (µ, mean density for the area) showed several years (1997/1998, 2001–2003, 2005–2007) of high values (µ > 30 g m−2) interspersed with years (1999/2000, 2004, 2009/2010) of low density (µ < 30 g m−2). This pattern showed three different periods, with fluctuations every 4–5 years. Cross correlation analyses of variability in krill density with current and lagged indices of ocean (sea surface temperature, SST and El Niño/Southern Oscillation) and atmospheric variability (Southern Annular Mode) found the highest correlation between krill density and winter SST (August SST) from the preceding year. A quadratic regression (r2 = 0.42, p < 0.05) provides a potentially valuable index for forecasting change in this ecosystem.
Cumulative Duration of “Triple Low” State of Low Blood Pressure, Low Bispectral Index, and Low Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Volatile Anesthesia Is Not Associated with Increased Mortality
Authors: Kertai Miklos D. , White William D. , Gan Tong J.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Mortality after noncardiac surgery has been associated with the “triple low state,” a combination of low mean arterial blood pressure (<75 mmHg), low bispectral index (<45), and low minimum alveolar concentration of volatile anesthesia (<0.70). The authors set out to determine whether duration of a triple low state and aggregate risk associated with individual diagnostic and procedure codes are independently associated with perioperative and intermediate-term mortality.

Methods:

The authors studied 16,263 patients (53 ± 16 yr) who underwent noncardiac surgery at Duke University Medical Center between January 2006 and December 2009. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to determine whether perioperative factors were independently associated with perioperative and intermediate-term all-cause mortality.

Results:

The 30-day mortality rate was 0.8%. There were statistically significant associations between 30-day mortality and various perioperative risk factors including age, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status, emergency surgery, higher Cleveland Clinic Risk Index score, and year of surgery. Cumulative duration of triple low state was not associated with 30-day mortality (multivariable odds ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.92 to 1.07). The clinical risk factors for 30-day mortality remained predictors of intermediate-term mortality, whereas cumulative duration of triple low was not associated with intermediate-term mortality (multivariable hazard ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.01). The multivariable logistic regression (c-index = 0.932) and Cox regression (c-index = 0.860) models showed excellent discriminative abilities.

Conclusion:

The authors found no association between cumulative duration of triple low state and perioperative or intermediate-term mortality in noncardiac surgery patients.
Paradox lost: variable colour-pattern geometry is associated with differences in movement in aposematic frogs
Authors: Rojas Bibiana , Devillechabrolle Jennifer , Endler John A.
Published: June 2014

Aposematic signal variation is a paradox: predators are better at learning and retaining the association between conspicuousness and unprofitability when signal variation is low. Movement patterns and variable colour patterns are linked in non-aposematic species: striped patterns generate illusions of altered speed and direction when moving linearly, affecting predators' tracking ability; blotched patterns benefit instead from unpredictable pauses and random movement. We tested whether the extensive colour-pattern variation in an aposematic frog is linked to movement, and found that individuals moving directionally and faster have more elongated patterns than individuals moving randomly and slowly. This may help explain the paradox of polymorphic aposematism: variable warning signals may reduce protection, but predator defence might still be effective if specific behaviours are tuned to specific signals. The interacting effects of behavioural and morphological traits may be a key to the evolution of warning signals.
Evidence for two-dimensional solitary sound waves in a lipid controlled interface and its implications for biological signalling
Authors: Shrivastava Shamit , Schneider Matthias F.
Published: June 2014

Biological membranes by virtue of their elastic properties should be capable of propagating localized perturbations analogous to sound waves. However, the existence and the possible role of such waves in communication in biology remain unexplored. Here, we report the first observations of two-dimensional solitary elastic pulses in lipid interfaces, excited mechanically and detected by FRET. We demonstrate that the nonlinearity near a maximum in the susceptibility of the lipid monolayer results in solitary pulses that also have a threshold for excitation. These experiments clearly demonstrate that the state of the interface regulates the propagation of pulses both qualitatively and quantitatively. Finally, we elaborate on the striking similarity of the observed phenomenon to nerve pulse propagation and a thermodynamic basis of cell signalling in general.
Fly wing vein patterns have spatial reproducibility of a single cell
Authors: Abouchar Laurent , Petkova Mariela D. , Steinhardt Cynthia R. , Gregor Thomas
Published: June 2014

Developmental processes in multicellular organisms occur in fluctuating environments and are prone to noise, yet they produce complex patterns with astonishing reproducibility. We measure the left–right and inter-individual precision of bilaterally symmetric fly wings across the natural range of genetic and environmental conditions and find that wing vein patterns are specified with identical spatial precision and are reproducible to within a single-cell width. The early fly embryo operates at a similar degree of reproducibility, suggesting that the overall spatial precision of morphogenesis inDrosophilaperforms at the single-cell level. Could development be operating at the physical limit of what a biological system can achieve?
Magnetic orientation of garden warblers (
Sylvia borin
) under 1.4 MHz radiofrequency magnetic field
Authors: Kavokin Kirill , Chernetsov Nikita , Pakhomov Alexander , Bojarinova Julia , Kobylkov Dmitry , Namozov Barot
Published: June 2014

We report on the experiments on orientation of a migratory songbird, the garden warbler (
Sylvia borin
)
,
during the autumn migration period on the Courish Spit, Eastern Baltics. Birds in experimental cages, deprived of visual information, showed the seasonally appropriate direction of intended flight with respect to the magnetic meridian. Weak radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field (190 nT at 1.4 MHz) disrupted this orientation ability. These results may be considered as an independent replication of earlier experiments, performed by the group of R. and W. Wiltschko with European robins (
Erithacus rubecula
). Confirmed outstanding sensitivity of the birds' magnetic compass to RF fields in the lower megahertz range demands for a revision of one of the mainstream theories of magnetoreception, the radical-pair model of birds' magnetic compass.
Phase manipulation and the harmonic components of ringing forces on a surface-piercing column
Authors: Fitzgerald C. J. , Taylor P. H. , Taylor R. Eatock , Grice J. , Zang J.
Published: June 2014

A general phase-based harmonic separation method for the hydrodynamic loading on a fixed structure in water waves of moderate steepness is proposed. An existing method demonstrated in the experimental study described by Zang
et al.
(Zang
et al.
2010 In
Proc. Third Int. Conf. on Appl. of Phys. Modelling to Port and Coastal Protection.
pp. 1–7.) achieves the separation of a total diffraction force into odd and even harmonics by controlling the phase of incident focused waves. Underlying this method is the assumption that the hydrodynamic force in focused waves possesses a Stokes-like structure. Under the same assumption, it is shown here how the harmonic separation method can be generalized, so that the first four sum harmonics can be separated by phase control and linear combinations of the resultant time-histories. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by comparisons of the Fourier transforms of the combined time-histories containing the harmonics of interest. The local wave elevations around the focus time are also visualized for the first three harmonics in order to reveal the local dynamics driving components within the wave force time-history.
Ruga-formation instabilities of a graded stiffness boundary layer in a neo-Hookean solid
Authors: Diab Mazen , Kim Kyung-Suk
Published: June 2014

We present an analysis of ruga-formation instabilities arising in a graded stiffness boundary layer of a neo-Hookean half space, caused by lateral plane-strain compression. In this study, we represent the boundary layer by a stiffness distribution exponentially decaying from a surface value
Q
0
to a bulk value
Q
B
with a decay length of 1/
a
. Then, the normalized perturbation wavenumber,

k
¯

=
k

/

a

, and the compressive strain,
ε
, control formation of a wrinkle pattern and its evolution towards crease or fold patterns for every stiffness ratio
η
=
Q
B
/
Q
0
. Our first-order instability analysis reveals that the boundary layer exhibits self-selectivity of the critical wavenumber for nearly the entire range of 0<
η
<1, except for the slab (
η
=0) and homogeneous half-space (
η
=1) limits. Our second-order analysis supplemented by finite-element analysis further uncovers various instability-order-dependent bifurcations, from stable wrinkling of the first order to creasing of the infinite-order cascade instability, which construct diverse ruga phases in the three-dimensional parameter space of

(
ε
,

k
¯

,
η
)

. Competition among film-buckling, local film-crease and global substrate-crease modes of energy release produces diverse ruga-phase domains. Our analysis also reveals the subcritical crease states of the homogeneous half space. Our results are, then, compared with the behaviour of equivalent bilayer systems for thin-film applications.
Dynamical, biological and anthropic consequences of equal lunar and solar angular radii
Authors: Balbus Steven A.
Published: June 2014

The nearly equal lunar and solar angular sizes as subtended at the Earth is generally regarded as a coincidence. This is, however, an incidental consequence of the tidal forces from these bodies being comparable. Comparable magnitudes implies strong temporal modulation, as the forcing frequencies are nearly but not precisely equal. We suggest that on the basis of palaeogeographic reconstructions, in the Devonian period, when the first tetrapods appeared on land, a large tidal range would accompany these modulated tides. This would have been conducive to the formation of a network of isolated tidal pools, lending support to A. S. Romer's classic idea that the evaporation of shallow pools was an evolutionary impetus for the development of chiridian limbs in aquatic tetrapodomorphs. Romer saw this as the reason for the existence of limbs, but strong selection pressure for terrestrial navigation would have been present even if the limbs were aquatic in origin. Since even a modest difference in the Moon's angular size relative to the Sun's would lead to a qualitatively different tidal modulation, the fact that we live on a planet with a Sun and Moon of close apparent size is not entirely coincidental: it may have an anthropic basis.
Effects of feral cats on the evolution of anti-predator behaviours in island reptiles: insights from an ancient introduction
Authors: Li Binbin , Belasen Anat , Pafilis Panayiotis , Bednekoff Peter , Foufopoulos Johannes
Published: June 2014

Exotic predators have driven the extinction of many island species. We examined impacts of feral cats on the abundance and anti-predator behaviours of Aegean wall lizards in the Cyclades (Greece), where cats were introduced thousands of years ago. We compared populations with high and low cat density on Naxos Island and populations on surrounding islets with no cats. Cats reduced wall lizard populations by half. Lizards facing greater risk from cats stayed closer to refuges, were more likely to shed their tails in a standardized assay, and fled at greater distances when approached by either a person in the field or a mounted cat decoy in the laboratory. All populations showed phenotypic plasticity in flight initiation distance, suggesting that this feature is ancient and could have helped wall lizards survive the initial introduction of cats to the region. Lizards from islets sought shelter less frequently and often initially approached the cat decoy. These differences reflect changes since islet isolation and could render islet lizards strongly susceptible to cat predation.
Predatory fish sounds can alter crab foraging behaviour and influence bivalve abundance
Authors: Hughes A. Randall , Mann David A. , Kimbro David L.
Published: June 2014

The risk of predation can have large effects on ecological communities via changes in prey behaviour, morphology and reproduction. Although prey can use a variety of sensory signals to detect predation risk, relatively little is known regarding the effects of predator acoustic cues on prey foraging behaviour. Here we show that an ecologically important marine crab species can detect sound across a range of frequencies, probably in response to particle acceleration. Further, crabs suppress their resource consumption in the presence of experimental acoustic stimuli from multiple predatory fish species, and the sign and strength of this response is similar to that elicited by water-borne chemical cues. When acoustic and chemical cues were combined, consumption differed from expectations based on independent cue effects, suggesting redundancies among cue types. These results highlight that predator acoustic cues may influence prey behaviour across a range of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, with the potential for cascading effects on resource abundance.
Collision avoidance during group evasive manoeuvres: a comparison of real versus simulated swarms with manipulated vision and surface wave detectors
Authors: Romey William L. , Miller Magenta M. , Vidal Jose M.
Published: June 2014

Coordinated group motion has been studied extensively both in real systems (flocks, swarms and schools) and in simulations (self-propelled particle (SPP) models using attraction and repulsion rules). Rarely are attraction and repulsion rules manipulated, and the resulting emergent behaviours of real and simulation systems are compared. We compare swarms of sensory-deprived whirligig beetles with matching simulation models. Whirligigs live at the water's surface and coordinate their grouping using their eyes and antennae. We filmed groups of beetles in which antennae or eyes had been unilaterally obstructed and measured individual and group behaviours. We then developed and compared eight SPP simulation models. Eye-less beetles formed larger diameter resting groups than antenna-less or control groups. Antenna-less groups collided more often with each other during evasive group movements than did eye-less or control groups. Simulations of antenna-less individuals produced no difference from a control (or a slight decrease) in group diameter. Simulations of eye-less individuals produced an increase in group diameter. Our study is important in (i) differentiating between group attraction and repulsion rules, (ii) directly comparing emergent properties of real and simulated groups, and (iii) exploring a new sensory modality (surface wave detection) to coordinate group movement.
Cumulative frequency-dependent selective episodes allow for rapid morph cycles and rock-paper-scissors dynamics in species with overlapping generations
Authors: San-Jose Luis M. , Peñalver-Alcázar Miguel , Milá Borja , Gonzalez-Jimena Virginia , Fitze Patrick S.
Published: June 2014

Rock-paper-scissors (RPS) dynamics, which maintain genetic polymorphisms over time through negative frequency-dependent (FD) selection, can evolve in short-lived species with no generational overlap, where they produce rapid morph frequency cycles. However, most species have overlapping generations and thus, rapid RPS dynamics are thought to require stronger FD selection, the existence of which yet needs to be proved. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that two cumulative selective episodes, FD sexual selection reinforced by FD selection on offspring survival, generate sufficiently strong selection to generate rapid morph frequency cycles in the European common lizard
Zootoca vivipara
, a multi-annual species with major generational overlap. These findings show that the conditions required for the evolution of RPS games are fulfilled by almost all species exhibiting genetic polymorphisms and suggest that RPS games may be responsible for the maintenance of genetic diversity in a wide range of species.
Evolutionally dynamic L1 regulation in embryonic stem cells
Authors: Castro-Diaz Nathaly , Ecco Gabriela , Coluccio Andrea , Kapopoulou Adamandia , Yazdanpanah Benyamin , Friedli Marc , Duc Julien , Jang Suk Min , Turelli Priscilla , Trono Didier
Published: June 2014

Mobile elements are important evolutionary forces that challenge genomic integrity. Long interspersed element-1 (L1, also known as LINE-1) is the only autonomous transposon still active in the human genome. It displays an unusual pattern of evolution, with, at any given time, a single active L1 lineage amplifying to thousands of copies before getting replaced by a new lineage, likely under pressure of host restriction factors, which act notably by silencing L1 expression during early embryogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that in human embryonic stem (hES) cells, KAP1 (KRAB [Krüppel-associated box domain]-associated protein 1), the master cofactor of KRAB-containing zinc finger proteins (KRAB-ZFPs) previously implicated in the restriction of endogenous retroviruses, represses a discrete subset of L1 lineages predicted to have entered the ancestral genome between 26.8 million and 7.6 million years ago. In mice, we documented a similar chronologically conditioned pattern, albeit with a much contracted time scale. We could further identify an L1-binding KRAB-ZFP, suggesting that this rapidly evolving protein family is more globally responsible for L1 recognition. KAP1 knockdown in hES cells induced the expression of KAP1-bound L1 elements, but their younger, human-specific counterparts (L1Hs) were unaffected. Instead, they were stimulated by depleting DNA methyltransferases, consistent with recent evidence demonstrating that the PIWI–piRNA (PIWI-interacting RNA) pathway regulates L1Hs in hES cells. Altogether, these data indicate that the early embryonic control of L1 is an evolutionarily dynamic process and support a model in which newly emerged lineages are first suppressed by DNA methylation-inducing small RNA-based mechanisms before KAP1-recruiting protein repressors are selected.
NMDA receptor- and ERK-dependent histone methylation changes in the lateral amygdala bidirectionally regulate fear memory formation
Authors: Gupta-Agarwal Swati , Jarome Timothy J. , Fernandez Jordan , Lubin Farah D.
Published: June 2014

It is well established that fear memory formation requires de novo gene transcription in the amygdala. We provide evidence that epigenetic mechanisms in the form of histone lysine methylation in the lateral amygdala (LA) are regulated by NMDA receptor (NMDAR) signaling and involved in gene transcription changes necessary for fear memory consolidation. Here we found increases in histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) levels in the LA at 1 h following auditory fear conditioning, which continued to be temporally regulated up to 25 h following behavioral training. Additionally, we demonstrate that inhibiting the H3K9me2 histone lysine methyltransferase G9a (H/KMTs-G9a) in the LA impaired fear memory, while blocking the H3K9me2 histone lysine demethylase LSD1 (H/KDM-LSD1) enhanced fear memory, suggesting that H3K9me2 in the LA can bidirectionally regulate fear memory formation. Furthermore, we show that NMDAR activity differentially regulated the recruitment of H/KMT-G9a, H/KDM-LSD1, and subsequent H3K9me2 levels at a target gene promoter. This was largely regulated by GluN2B- but not GluN2A-containing NMDARs via ERK activation. Moreover, fear memory deficits associated with NMDAR or ERK blockade were successfully rescued through pharmacologically inhibiting LSD1, suggesting that enhancements of H3K9me2 levels within the LA can rescue fear memory impairments that result from hypofunctioning NMDARs or loss of ERK signaling. Together, the present study suggests that histone lysine methylation regulation in the LA via NMDAR-ERK-dependent signaling is involved in fear memory formation.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a putative nucleotide phosphohydrolase, YpgQ, fromBacillus subtilis
Authors: Jeon Ye Ji , Song Wan Seok , Yoon Sung-il
Published: June 2014

The histidine-aspartate (HD) domain exerts phosphohydrolase activity on nucleotides and functions in nucleotide metabolism. Sequence analysis suggested that YpgQ fromBacillus subtiliscontains the HD domain, but the structure and function of YpgQ remain to be revealed. The recombinant YpgQ protein was overexpressed in anEscherichia colicell expression system and was purified to homogeneity by Ni–NTA affinity and anion-exchange chromatography. Crystals in space groupP21were obtained in PEG 600 solutions and diffracted X-rays to 2.3 Å resolution. Moreover, X-ray fluorescence scans on YpgQ crystals demonstrated the metal-binding ability of YpgQ.
Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-tripeptide-D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase (MurF) fromAcinetobacter baumannii
Authors: An Young Jun , Jeong Chang-Sook , Yu Jeong Hee , Chung Kyung Min , Cha Sun-Shin
Published: June 2014

The emergence and global spread of multidrug-resistantAcinetobacter baumanniistrains are major threats to public health. Inhibition of peptidoglycan biosynthesis is an effective strategy for the development of antibiotics. The ATP-dependent UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-tripeptide-D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase (MurF) that is responsible for the last step of peptidoglycan biosynthesis is a validated target for the development of antibiotics. Crystals ofA. baumanniiMurF in complex with ATP were grown by the microbatch crystallization method at 295 K. The crystals belonged to space groupP3221, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 85.42,c= 129.86 Å. Assuming the presence of one molecule in the asymmetric unit, the solvent content was estimated to be about 54.32%.
Crystallization of the carboxy-terminal region of the bacteriophage T4 proximal long tail fibre protein gp34
Authors: Granell Meritxell , Namura Mikiyoshi , Alvira Sara , Garcia-Doval Carmela , Singh Abhimanyu K. , Gutsche Irina , van Raaij Mark J. , Kanamaru Shuji
Published: June 2014

The phage-proximal part of the long tail fibres of bacteriophage T4 consists of a trimer of the 1289 amino-acid gene product 34 (gp34). Different carboxy-terminal parts of gp34 have been produced and crystallized. Crystals of gp34(726–1289) diffracting X-rays to 2.9 Å resolution, crystals of gp34(781–1289) diffracting to 1.9 Å resolution and crystals of gp34(894–1289) diffracting to 3.0 and 2.0 Å resolution and belonging to different crystal forms were obtained. Native data were collected for gp34(726–1289) and gp34(894–1289), while single-wavelength anomalous diffraction data were collected for selenomethionine-containing gp34(781–1289) and gp34(894–1289). For the latter, high-quality anomalous signal was obtained.
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of histamine dehydrogenase fromNatrinema gariBCC 24369
Authors: Zhou Dongwen , Visessanguan Wonnop , Chaikaew Siriporn , Benjakul Soottawat , Oda Kohei , Wlodawer Alexander
Published: June 2014

Histamine dehydrogenase (HADH) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of histamine, resulting in the production of imidazole acetaldehyde and an ammonium ion. The enzyme isolated from the newly identified halophilic archaeonNatrinema gariBCC 24369 is significantly different from the previously described protein fromNocardioides simplex. This newly identified HADH comprises three subunits with molecular weights of 49.0, 24.7 and 23.9 kDa, respectively, and is optimally active under high-salt conditions (3.5–5 MNaCl). As a step in the exploration of the unique properties of the protein, the HADH heterotrimer was purified and crystallized. Crystals were obtained using the sitting-drop vapor-diffusion method from a solution composed of 0.2 Mcalcium chloride dihydrate, 0.1 MHEPES pH 7.5, 28% PEG 400. Diffraction data were collected at −173°C to a resolution limit of 2.4 Å on the Southeast Regional Collaborative Access Team (SER-CAT) beamline 22-ID at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. The crystals belonged to the monoclinic space groupC2, with unit-cell parametersa= 211.9,b= 58.6,c= 135.4 Å, β = 103.0°. The estimated Matthews coefficient is 3.21 Å3 Da−1, corresponding to 61.7% solvent content.
Purification, crystallization and room-temperature X-ray diffraction of inositol dehydrogenase LcIDH2 fromLactobacillus caseiBL23
Authors: Bertwistle Drew , Vogt Linda , Aamudalapalli Hari Babu , Palmer David R. J. , Sanders David A. R.
Published: June 2014

Lactobacillus caseiBL23 contains two genes,iolG1andiolG2, homologous with inositol dehydrogenase encoding genes from many bacteria. Inositol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of inositol with concomitant reduction of NAD+. The protein encoded byiolG2, LcIDH2, has been purified to homogeneity, crystallized and cryoprotected for diffraction at 77 K. The crystals had a high mosaicity and poor processing statistics. Subsequent diffraction measurements were performed without cryoprotectant at room temperature. These crystals were radiation-resistant and a full diffraction data set was collected at room temperature to 1.6 Å resolution.
Cloning, overexpression, purification and preliminary X-ray analysis of the protein kinase domain of enhanced disease resistance 1 (EDR1) fromArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Kaljunen Heidi , Panneerselvam Saravanan , Mueller-Dieckmann Jochen
Published: June 2014

Enhanced disease resistance 1 is a member of the Raf-like mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAPKKK) family that negatively regulates disease resistance, ethylene-induced senescence and programmed cell death in response to both abiotic and biotic stresses. A catalytically inactive form of the EDR1 kinase domain was successfully cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized. Crystallization was conducted in the presence of the ATP analogue AMP-PNP. The crystals belonged to space groupP3221 and contained two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The crystals diffracted X-rays to 2.55 Å resolution.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the C-terminal domain of guanylate kinase-associated protein fromRattus norvegicus
Authors: Tong Junsen , Yang Huiseon , Im Young Jun
Published: June 2014

Guanylate kinase-associated protein (GKAP) is a scaffolding protein that plays a role in protein–protein interactions at the synaptic junction such as linking the NMDA receptor–PSD-95 complex to the Shank–Homer complex. In this study, the C-terminal helical domain of GKAP fromRattus norvegicuswas purified and crystallized by the vapour-diffusion method. To improve the diffraction quality of the GKAP crystals, a flexible loop in GKAP was truncated and an MBP (maltose-binding protein)-GKAP fusion was constructed in which the last C-terminal helix of MBP is fused to the N-terminus of the GKAP domain. The MBP-GKAP crystals diffracted to 2.0 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystal was orthorhombic, belonging to space groupP21212, with unit-cell parametersa= 99.1,b= 158.7,c= 65.5 Å. The Matthews coefficient was determined to be 2.44 Å3 Da−1(solvent content 49.5%) with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. Initial attempts to solve the structure by molecular replacement using the MBP structure were successful.
Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and X-ray crystallographic analysis of the (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase PaaH1 fromRalstonia eutrophaH16
Authors: Kim Jieun , Kim Kyung-Jin
Published: June 2014

The (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase PaaH1 fromRalstonia eutropha(RePaaH1) is an enzyme used in the biosynthesis ofn-butanol from acetyl-CoA by the reduction of acetoacetyl-CoA to (S)-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA. TheRePaaH1 protein was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in the presence of 1.4 Mammonium sulfate, 0.1 Msodium cacodylate pH 6.0, 0.2 Msodium chloride at 295 K. X-ray diffraction data were collected to a maximum resolution of 2.6 Å on a synchrotron beamline. The crystal belonged to space groupP3221, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 135.4,c= 97.2 Å. With three molecules per asymmetric unit, the crystal volume per unit protein weight (VM) is 2.68 Å3 Da−1, which corresponds to a solvent content of approximately 54.1%. The structure was solved by the single-wavelength anomalous dispersion method and refinement of the structure is in progress.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Xyn30D fromPaenibacillus barcinonensis
Authors: Sainz-Polo María Ángela , Valenzuela Susana Valeria , Pastor F. Javier , Sanz-Aparicio Julia
Published: June 2014

Xyn30D, a new member of a recently identified group of xylanases, has been purified and crystallized. Xyn30D is a bimodular enzyme composed of an N-terminal catalytic domain belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 30 (GH30) and a C-terminal family 35 carbohydrate-binding domain (CBM35) able to bind xylans and glucuronic acid. Xyn30D shares the characteristic endo mode of action described for GH30 xylanases, with the hydrolysis of the β-(1,4) bonds of xylan being directed by α-1,2-linked glucuronate moieties, which have to be placed at the −2 subsite of the xylanase active site. Crystals of the complete enzyme were obtained and a full data set to 2.3 Å resolution was collected using a synchrotron X-ray source. This represents the first bimodular enzyme with the domain architecture GH30-CBM35. This study will contribute to the understanding of the role that the different xylanases play in the depolymerization of glucuronoxylan.
How students’ ethnicity influences their respect for teachers
Authors: Evans Elaine , F. Baskerville Rachel , Wynn-Williams Katharine , J. Gillett Shirley
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether ethnicity makes a difference to the level of respect given to teachers by tertiary accounting students. In particular, it examines whether ethnicity has an impact on students’ perceptions regarding their teachers’ attributes and behaviors, which in turn influences their respect for their teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

– First year accounting students, both domestic and international, were surveyed in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, using a purpose-designed online questionnaire. “Ethnicity” was categorized according to first language, resulting in three categories: Home, Chinese and Other International. Student responses to quantitative questions regarding attributes and behaviors were analyzed using MANOVA and ANOVA. Open-ended questions provided further insight into student perceptions.

Findings

– Regarding teachers’ attributes, statistically significant differences are seen between the ethnic groups in qualifications, classroom control and professional qualifications or work experience, but not in teachers’ behaviors. The open-ended questions provided student contributions regarding respect. These included “clarity” and “good English skills.”

Originality/value

– This research contributes to debates over the impact of ethnic diversity in the classroom. It also contributes to the debate over the definition of the concept of “ethnicity.” A comparison between three countries is unusual; all have significant numbers of international students. Value is added through the findings, which challenge often-held assumptions regarding stereotypical “Chinese learners.” The findings will also assist teachers who have large numbers of international students in their classrooms.
A framework to navigate sustainability in business networks
Authors: Wagner Beverly , Svensson Göran
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe a transformative business sustainability (TBS) model of stakeholders and sources in sustainable business practices with an interface and exchange node of resource residuals.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is based upon a grounded methodology drawn from four in-depth case studies, spanning over six years in different countries and industries. Data were gathered from multiple sources, and interview transcriptions were returned to interviewees for clarification, accuracy, final proofreading and approval.

Findings

– The TBS model complements existing research by emphasising the importance of commitment to an overarching vision through corporate leadership assigning areas of strategic priority that respond to current and future environmental regulation and social needs.

Research implications/limitations

– Efforts aimed towards business sustainability and application of sustainable business practices in business networks include interfaces and interactions between involved stakeholders and sources. We argue that stakeholders and sources should be recognised as intertwined, where resources used in activities in a business network causing resource residuals may be recovered and reused by other actors in the business network.

Practice implications

– The TBS model can be used by managers to plan, implement and assess practices to provide a holistic view of sustainable business activities that supports the development of a company and its network. It may also be used to map and navigate interactions between elements within and external to the company.

Originality/value

– The principal contribution of the current research is twofold, a TBS model and a tool to map and navigate corporate sustainability efforts.
Exploring the efficacy of consensus-based decision-making
Authors: A. Cunningham Paul
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– This pilot study aims to explore the case of Cloughjordan Ecovillage from the perspective of the consensus-based decision-making approach adopted by this like-minded intentional community. Ecovillages have grown in number around the world since the early 1990s. This growth is largely due to the contested nature of postmodernity and the desire to establish a simpler, meaningful and sustainable lifestyle centered on participatory democracy within the local community. The primary research question guiding this study was – Does consensus work in an intentional community such as an ecovillage?

Design/methodology/approach

– Data collection included semistructured interviews with current and former ecovillage members, questionnaires (reported elsewhere), literature review, content analysis of relevant documents and media and participant observation.

Findings

– The preliminary findings suggest that despite the impressive nature of the built infrastructure at this site, the community continues to struggle with governance, decision-making, consensus and communication issues.

Originality/value

– Considerable interpersonal conflict, leading to the departure of half of the community membership in 2007, acted as a catalyst in calling in outside experts to resolve disputes and to implement a more effective and sustainable framework within which to organize and govern the community. The “Viable Systems Model” was adopted in the same year and thus far appears to have provided a more viable and equitable leadership model that has generally been well received by the current membership.
Region-of-origin (ROO) certification as marketing strategy in the South African wine market
Authors: A. Engelbrecht Josias , Herbst Frikkie , Bruwer Johan
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– This purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of the presence of geographical information, specifically the certification of region of origin (ROO) on the wine label, in the consumer’s wine purchase decision. In addition, the research investigated how the relevance of ROO varies across demographic and behavioural market segments.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data gathered via an online questionnaire from 434 South African wine consumers were analysed by employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods.

Findings

– The ROO of wine plays a secondary role in influencing consumers when faced with a purchasing decision on its own. However, as part of the composite regional variable, namely, grape variety, region and wine style, it plays a major role in influencing consumers. The specific wine grape variety emerged as the most important factor influencing consumers. It was also found that consumers with a high involvement and interest in wine assign a higher degree of relevance to certification of origin of wine than consumers with a low involvement.

Practical implications

– Wine producers should strive to create a “lighthouse” identity in the minds of consumers. This can only be achieved if most, if not all, the wine producers in a specific geographical area consistently and authentically communicate the same message and offer products with a lighthouse identity to wine consumers.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that examines the impact of ROO as an information cue on consumers’ wine purchase decision-making in South Africa. It is of value to academic researchers, wine marketing professionals and generic marketing organisations such as wine route organisations.
A critical approach to trade-based money laundering
Authors: R.J. Soudijn Melvin
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to broaden the discussion on trade-based money laundering (TBML). The literature is too narrowly focused on the misrepresentation of the value, quantity or quality of the traded goods. This focus leads to the analysis of price anomalies as a signal of over- or under-invoicing. However, TBML can also occur without manipulation of these factors.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of the literature and case study of police investigations.

Findings

– Financial action task force (FATF) definitions are seriously flawed. The question of whether detecting TBML on the basis of statistical trade data is effective should be much more open to debate. Police investigations show that goods are shipped at their true value within the context of TBML.

Research limitations/implications

– Using outliers to identify and act on cases of TBML has often been propagated, but scarcely been used to actually show TBML. Real findings are needed.

Practical implications

– Goods intended for TBML can also be paid for in cash. These cash payments are often out of character with the normal clientele. This should alert companies and compliance sections of banks alike.

Originality/value

– The critique on the FATF definition opens the field for a more fitting definition. The description of actual TBML cases makes it possible to better understand this method of money laundering.
Mapping the library for increased user engagement
Authors: Krenelka Chase Ashley
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to explore the process of mapping a library to increase user engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

– One such strategy that has found great success in recent years has been mapping libraries. Google Maps allows for mapping of public spaces, including libraries, in a way that can facilitate a connection between users’ attachment to mobile devices and their desire to access library materials.

Findings

– At Stetson University College of Law’s Dolly and Homer Hand Law Library, the maps have successfully tied student and faculty technology to the library’s print collection.

Originality/value

– While indoor mapping libraries with Google Maps is becoming more common, there is a need in the literature for more in-depth explanations of the process and outcomes.
Campus partnerships advance both ETD implementation and IR development
Authors: Li Yuan , H. Theimer Sarah , M. Preate Suzanne
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to articulate the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) implementation process at Syracuse University. It will describe the development of a collaborative partnership between the Graduate School and the Syracuse University Libraries (SUL) that advances open access and the scholarly communication issues among graduate students, the proposed plan for a dissertations and theses retrospective digitization project which will continue to strengthen the partnership between University Archives, university relations, and the SUL. It could also serve as an inspirational point for other institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This case study documents the successful strategies that were used to advance scholarly communications education efforts on campus and ETD implementation using an institutional repository.

Findings

– Partnerships, flexibility, and creativity are essential to a successful initiative.

Originality/value

– Sharing successful stories is crucial in our rapidly developing field. Although each institution is different, we all have things we can learn from each other and adapt to our own environment. The important lessons here are taking opportunities, building partnerships, being flexible, and creative to ensure the initiative's success.
Past and present factors of the crisis in Italy
'
s public libraries
Authors: Salarelli Alberto
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the general reasons for the crisis in Italy
'
s contemporary public library institution. This crisis is complicated by the historical origins of the public library in Italy and, more broadly, by the difficult relationship between the Italian culture and today
'
s world.

Design/methodology/approach

– A conceptual discussion on the role of public library in Italy.

Findings

– The paper finds that the continuing delay in the acquisition of literacy, the tendency for points of view to become divided and to go to extremes and the development of a form of politics in the country suspended between centralised government and the claims of the local self-governments are all factors that have influenced the establishment of the public library in Italy.

Originality/value

– Understanding the conditions of the controversial origins of the public library in Italy can be of help when deciding which model to use in the future. A suitable model for this institution must not neglect but, on the contrary, must enhance the role of the library as a social institution of the history of a specific community.
The use of librarians as occupational study populations in social science research
Authors: Still Julie , Wilkinson Zara
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address the use of librarians as a study population in social science research outside of the field of library and information science. Additionally, it aims to make general claims about how frequently librarians have been studied compared to other occupations, as well as to identify and describe existing research that has used librarians as a study population.

Design/methodology/approach

– The described study had two parts. Two social science databases were searched using the subject headings “librarians” and eight additional occupations, and the results for all nine occupations were analyzed. The peer-reviewed results for “librarians” were then coded by content. The articles that used librarians as a study population were identified, reviewed and described.

Findings

– Although librarians, as an occupational group, possess many characteristics that should make them an ideal choice for social science research, they seem to be studied less frequently than other occupations.

Research limitations/implications

– Other occupational groups, such as mathematicians, were also studied infrequently. Further research might consider, more broadly, why some occupations are studied more frequently than others. Future studies might also compare librarianship to other female-dominated professions, such as nursing and education. Additionally, the subject heading “librarians” was applied to articles that studied non-professional library employees, making it difficult to isolate only articles with a focus on degreed librarians.

Originality/value

– Few other studies have examined social science research in which librarians are used as the study population. By focusing on how librarians are studied and written about in other fields, this paper will add to the body of literature on the professional image of librarians.
Management accountants' perception of their role in accounting for sustainable development
Authors: Mistry Vinal , Sharma Umesh , Low Mary
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions that management accountants have of their roles in accounting for sustainable development in their organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws arguments from prior literature to identify the roles that management accountants play in accounting for sustainable development. Management accountants' perceptions of their roles in accounting for sustainable development are examined by conducting interviews and surveys of management accountants from various organisations in New Zealand. The study is informed by legitimacy theory.

Findings

– Management accountants of small-medium organisations in New Zealand play a limited role in accounting for sustainable development, compared to management accountants of larger organisations. The correlation between the type of organisation and their overall goals for achieving sustainable development are closely linked with the roles the organisations' management accountants play in accounting for sustainable development.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is limited as it is only an exploratory study with a small sample of small-medium and large businesses in New Zealand. There is a need for greater acceptance by senior management of the role management accountants could play in accounting for sustainable development.

Practical implications

– This paper may help management accountants, of both small-medium and larger organisations, to advance accounting for sustainable development within their organisations by actively engaging with the issues that have deterred such advancement.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a review of the current debates and positions of accounting for sustainable development as well as the barriers management accountants face in getting engaged in accounting for sustainable development initiatives.