bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population structure of Escherichia coli O26 : H11 with recent and repeated stx2 acquisition in multiple lineages
Authors: Ogura Yoshitoshi , Gotoh Yasuhiro , Itoh Takehiko , Sato Mitsuhiko P. , Seto Kazuko , Yoshino Shyuji , Isobe Junko , Etoh Yoshiki , Kurogi Mariko , Kimata Keiko , Maeda Eriko , Piérard Denis , Kusumoto Masahiro , Akiba Masato , Tominaga Kiyoshi , Kirino Yumi , Kato Yuki , Shirahige Katsuhiko , Ooka Tadasuke , Ishijima Nozomi , Lee Ken-ichi , Iyoda Sunao , Mainil Jacques Georges , Hayashi Tetsuya
Published: November 2017

A key virulence factor of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is the bacteriophage-encoded Shiga toxin (Stx). Stxs are classified into two types, Stx1 and Stx2, and Stx2-producing strains are thought to cause more severe infections than strains producing only Stx1. Although O26 : H11 is the second most prevalent EHEC following O157 : H7, the majority of O26 : H11 strains produce Stx1 alone. However, Stx2-producing O26 strains have increasingly been detected worldwide. Through a large-scale genome analysis, we present a global phylogenetic overview and evolutionary timescale for E. coli O26 : H11. The origin of O26 has been estimated to be 415 years ago. Sequence type 21C1 (ST21C1), one of the two sublineages of ST21, the most predominant O26 : H11 lineage worldwide, emerged 213 years ago from one of the three ST29 sublineages (ST29C2). The other ST21 lineage (ST21C2) emerged 95 years ago from ST21C1. Increases in population size occurred in the late 20th century for all of the O26 lineages, but most remarkably for ST21C2. Analysis of the distribution of stx2-positive strains revealed the recent and repeated acquisition of the stx2 gene in multiple lineages of O26, both in ST21 and ST29. Other major EHEC virulence genes, such as type III secretion system effector genes and plasmid-encoded virulence genes, were well conserved in ST21 compared to ST29. In addition, more antimicrobial-resistance genes have accumulated in the ST21C1 lineage. Although current attention is focused on several highly virulent ST29 clones that have acquired the stx2 gene, there is also a considerable risk that the ST21 lineage could yield highly virulent clones.
MetQy – an R package to query metabolic functions of genes and genomes
Authors: Martinez–Vernon Andrea , Farrell Frederick , Soyer Orkun S.
Published: November 2017

With the rapid accumulation of sequencing data from genomic and metagenomic studies, there is an acute need for better tools that facilitate their analyses against biological functions. To this end, we developed MetQy, an open–source R package designed for query–based analysis of functional units in [meta]genomes and/or sets of genes using the The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Furthermore, MetQy contains visualization and analysis tools and facilitates KEGG’s flat file manipulation. Thus, MetQy enables better understanding of metabolic capabilities of known genomes or user–specified [meta]genomes by using the available information and can help guide studies in microbial ecology, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.

Availability and Implementation

The MetQy R package is freely available and can be downloaded from our group’s website (http://osslab.lifesci.warwick.ac.uk) or GitHub (https://github.com/OSS-Lab/MetQy).

Contact

O.Soyer@warwick.ac.uk
Theta Oscillations Organize Spiking Activity in Higher-Order Visual Thalamus during Sustained Attention
Authors: Yu Chunxiu , Stitt Iain M. , Li Yuhui , Zhou Zhe Charles , Sellers Kristin K. , Frohlich Flavio
Published: November 2017

Higher-order visual thalamus plays a fundamental but poorly understood role in attention-demanding tasks. To investigate how neuronal dynamics in higher-order visual thalamus are modulated by sustained attention, we performed multichannel electrophysiological recordings in the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex (LP/pulvinar) in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo). We recorded single unit activity and local field potential during the performance of the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) that is used in both humans and animals as an assay of sustained attention. We found that half of the units exhibited an increasing firing rate during the delay period before stimulus onset (attention-modulated units). In contrast, the non-attention-modulated units responded to the stimulus, but not during the delay period. Spike-field coherence of only the attention-modulated neurons significantly increased from the start of the delay period until screen touch, predominantly in the theta frequency band. In addition, theta power and theta-gamma phase-amplitude coupling were elevated throughout the delay period. Our findings suggest that the theta oscillation plays a central role in orchestrating thalamic signaling during sustained attention.

Significance

Impaired sustained attention can be deadly, as illustrated by the number of motor vehicle accidents that are caused by drivers not reacting quickly enough to unexpected events on the road. Understanding how electrical signaling in higher-order visual nuclei, such as the LP/pulvinar, is modulated during tasks that require sustained attention is an important step in achieving a mechanistic understanding of sustained attention, which will eventually lead to new strategies to prevent and treat impairment in sustained attention.
The Evolutionary Genomic Dynamics of Peruvians Before, During, and After the Inca Empire
Authors: Harris Daniel N. , Song Wei , Shetty Amol C. , Lavano Kelly , Cáceres Omar , Padilla Carlos , Borda Víctor , Tarazona David , Trujillo Omar , Sanchez Cesar , Kessler Michael D. , Galarza Marco , Capristano Silvia , Montejo Harrison , Flores-Villanueva Pedro O. , Tarazona-Santos Eduardo , O’Connor Timothy D. , Guio Heinner
Published: November 2017

Native Americans from the Amazon, Andes, and coast regions of South America have a rich cultural heritage, but have been genetically understudied leading to gaps in our knowledge of their genomic architecture and demographic history. Here, we sequenced 150 high-coverage and genotyped 130 genomes from Native American and mestizo populations in Peru. A majority of our samples possess greater than 90% Native American ancestry and demographic modeling reveals, consistent with a rapid peopling model of the Americas, that most of Peru was peopled approximately 12,000 years ago. While the Native American populations possessed distinct ancestral divisions, the mestizo groups were admixtures of multiple Native American communities which occurred before and during the Inca Empire. The mestizo communities also show Spanish introgression only after Peruvian Independence. Thus, we present a detailed model of the evolutionary dynamics which impacted the genomes of modern day Peruvians.
Recurrent Auto-Encoding Drift Diffusion Model
Authors: Vincent Moens , Alexandre Zenon
Published: November 2017

The Drift Diffusion Model (DDM) is a popular model of behaviour that accounts for patterns of accuracy and reaction time data. In the Full DDM implementation, parameters are allowed to vary from trial-to-trial, making the model more powerful but also more challenging to fit to behavioural data. Current approaches yield typically poor fitting quality, are computationally expensive and usually require assuming constant threshold parameter across trials. Moreover, in most versions of the DDM, the sequence of participants’ choices is considered independent and identically distributed(i.i.d.), a condition often violated in real data.

Our contribution to the field is threefold: first, we introduce Variational Bayes as a method to fit the full DDM. Second, we relax thei.i.d. assumption, and propose a data-driven algorithm based on a Recurrent Auto-Encoder (RAE-DDM), that estimates the local posterior probability of the DDM parameters at each trial based on the sequence of parameters and data preceding the current data point. Finally, we extend this algorithm to illustrate that the RAE-DDM provides an accurate modelling framework for regression analysis. An important result of the approach we propose is that inference at the trial level can be achieved efficiently for each and every parameter of the DDM, threshold included. This data-driven approach is highly generic and self-contained, in the sense that no external input (e.g. regressors or physiological measure) is necessary to fit the data. Using simulations, we show that this method outperformsi.i.d.-based approaches (either Markov Chain Monte Carlo ori.i.d.-VB) without making any assumption about the nature of the between-trial correlation of the parameters.
HAPDeNovo: a haplotype-based approach for filtering and phasing de novo mutations in linked read sequencing data
Authors: Zhou Xin , Batzoglou Serafim , Sidow Arend , Zhang Lu
Published: November 2017

Background

De novo mutations (DNMs) are associated with neurodevelopmental and congenital diseases, and their detection can contribute to understanding disease pathogenicity. However, accurate detection is challenging because of their small number relative to the genome-wide false positives in next generation sequencing (NGS) data. Software such as DeNovoGear and TrioDeNovo have been developed to detect DNMs, but at good sensitivity they still produce many false positive calls.

Results

To address this challenge, we develop HAPDeNovo, a program that leverages phasing information from linked read sequencing, to remove false positive DNMs from candidate lists generated by DNM-detection tools. Short reads from each phasing block are allocated to each of the two haplotypes followed by generating a haploid genotype for each putative DNM.HAPDeNovo removes variants that are called as heterozygous in one of the haplotypes because they are almost certainly false positives. Our experiments on 10X Chromium linked read sequencing trio data reveal that HAPDeNovo eliminates 80% to 99% of false positives regardless of how large the candidate DNM set is.

Conclusions

HAPDeNovo leverages the haplotype information from linked read sequencing to remove spurious false positive DNMs effectively, and it increases accuracy of DNM detection dramatically without sacrificing sensitivity.
Emergence of binocular disparity selectivity through Hebbian learning
Authors: Chauhan Tushar , Masquelier Timothée , Montlibert Alexandre , Cottereau Benoit R.
Published: November 2017

Neural selectivity in the early visual cortex strongly reflects the statistics of our environment (Barlow, 2001; Geisler, 2008). Although this has been described extensively in literature through various encoding hypotheses (Barlow and Földiák, 1989; Atick and Redlich, 1992; Olshausen and Field, 1996), an explanation as to how the cortex develops the structures to support these encoding schemes remains elusive. Here, using the more realistic example of binocular vision as opposed to monocular luminance-field images, we show how a simple Hebbian coincidence-detector is capable of accounting for the emergence of binocular, disparity selective, receptive fields. We propose a model based on spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) which not only converges to realistic single-cell and population characteristics, but also demonstrates how known biases in natural statistics may influence population encoding and downstream correlates of behaviour. Furthermore, we show that the receptive fields we obtain are closer in structure to electrophysiological data than those predicted by normative encoding schemes (Ringach, 2002). We also demonstrate the robustness of our model to the input dataset, noise at various processing stages, and internal parameter variation. Taken together, our modelling results suggest that Hebbian coincidence-detection is an important computational principle and could provide a biologically plausible mechanism for the emergence of selectivity to natural statistics in the early sensory cortex.
Modelling microbiome recovery after antibiotics using a stability landscape framework
Authors: Shaw Liam P. , Bassam Hassan , Barnes Chris P. , Walker A. Sarah , Klein Nigel , Balloux Francois
Published: November 2017

Treatment with antibiotics is one of the most extreme perturbations to the human microbiome. Even standard courses of antibiotics dramatically reduce the microbiome’s diversity and can cause transitions to dysbiotic states. Conceptually, this is often described as a ‘stability landscape’: the microbiome sits in a landscape with multiple stable equilibria, and sufficiently strong perturbations can shift the microbiome from its normal equilibrium to another state. However, this picture is only qualitative and has not been incorporated in previous mathematical models of the effects of antibiotics. Here, we outline a simple quantitative model based on the stability landscape concept and demonstrate its success on real data. Our analytical impulse-response model has minimal assumptions with three parameters. We fit this model in a Bayesian framework to data from a previous study of the year-long effects of short courses of four common antibiotics on the gut and oral microbiomes, allowing us to compare parameters between antibiotics and microbiomes, and further validate our model using data from another study looking at the impact of a combination of last-resort antibiotics on the gut microbiome. Using Bayesian model selection we find support for a long-term transition to an alternative microbiome state after courses of certain antibiotics in both the gut and oral microbiomes. Quantitative stability landscape frameworks are an exciting avenue for future microbiome modelling.
Cytoplasmic import and processing of mRNA amplify transcriptional bursts accounting for the majority of cellular noise
Authors: Hansen Maike M. K. , Desai Ravi V. , Simpson Michael L. , Weinberger Leor S.
Published: November 2017

Transcription is an episodic process characterized by probabilistic bursts; but how these bursts are modulated by cellular physiology remains unclear and has implications for how selection may act on these fluctuations. Using simulations and single-molecule RNA counting, we examined how cellular processes influence cell-to-cell variability (noise). The results show that RNA noise is amplified in the cytoplasm compared to the nucleus in ~85% of genes across diverse promoters, genomic loci, and cell types (human and mouse). Surprisingly, measurements show further amplification of RNA noise in the cytoplasm, fitting a model of biphasic mRNA conversion between translation- and degradation-competent states. The multi-state translation-degradation of mRNA also causes substantial noise amplification in protein levels, ultimately accounting for ~74% of intrinsic protein variability in cell populations. Overall, the results demonstrate how transcriptional bursts are intrinsically amplified by mRNA processing and indicate mechanisms through which noise could act as a substrate for evolutionary selection.
Elucidating the pathogenesis of synchronous and metachronous tumors in a woman with endometrioid carcinomas using a whole-exome sequencing approach
Authors: Wu Ren-Chin , Veras Ema , Lin Jeffrey , Gerry Emily , Bahadirli-Talbott Asli , Baras Alexander , Ayhan Ayse , Shih Ie-Ming , Wang Tian-Li
Published: November 2017

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian (SEO) carcinomas involve endometrioid neoplasms in both the ovary and uterus at the time of diagnosis. Patients were traditionally classified as having independent primary SEO lesions or as having metastatic endometrioid carcinoma. Recent studies have supported that SEO tumors result from the dissemination of cells from one organ site to another. However, whether this can be considered a “metastasis” or “dissemination” remains unclear. In this report, we performed whole-exome sequencing of tumor samples from a woman with well-differentiated endometrioid SEO tumors and a clinical “recurrent” poorly differentiated peritoneal tumor that was diagnosed 8 years after the complete resection of the SEO tumors. Somatic mutation analysis identified 132, 171, and 1214 nonsynonymous mutations in the endometrial, ovarian, and peritoneal carcinomas, respectively. A unique mutation signature associated with mismatch repair deficiency was observed in all three tumors. The SEO carcinomas shared 57 nonsynonymous mutations, whereas the clinically suspected recurrent carcinoma shared only eight nonsynonymous mutations with the SEO tumors. One of the eight shared somatic mutations involved PTEN; these shared mutations represent the earliest genetic alteration in the ancestor cell clone. Based on analysis of the phylogenetic tree, we predicted that the so-called recurrent peritoneal tumor was derived from the same endometrial ancestor clone as the SEO tumors, and that this clone migrated and established benign peritoneal endometriosis where the peritoneal tumor later arose. This case highlights the usefulness of next-generation sequencing in defining the etiology and clonal relationships of synchronous and metachronous tumors from patients, thus providing valuable insight to aid in the clinical management of rare or ambiguous tumors.
Monopropylene glycol based heat transfer fluid: effects of green and synthetic corrosion inhibitors on copper and aluminum with ageing tests
Authors: Akin Mustafa , Saki Neslihan
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand corrosion behavior of copper and aluminum in monopropylene glycol-based heat transfer fluid by using synthetic and green inhibitors.

Design/methodology/approach

Weight loss, potentiodynamic and impedance measurements were applied to specimens to obtain their electrochemical characteristics and corrosion behaviors. Ageing test was applied to the fluids that contain different corrosion inhibitors to see the effect of inhibitors on fluid structure, and surface morphologies were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Findings

The corrosion tests showed that synthetic inhibitors have better anti-corrosion potential than green inhibitors.

Social implications

Like the synthetic corrosion inhibitors, there is growing interest in green inhibitors. Synthetic corrosion inhibitors are expensive and toxic for live beings, but green inhibitors from naturel sources are easy to reach and non-toxic for live beings and environment.

Originality/value

For solar heating systems, there is a need to select the correct heat transfer fluid; corrosion behavior of fluid plays a major role in the operation because the big part of the heating system consists of copper and aluminum close to ferrius metals and stainless steel.
Analysis of food bank implementation as formal care assistance in Korea
Authors: Kobayashi Tomio , Kularatne Jagath , Taneichi Yutaka , Aihara Nobuhide
Published: November 2017

Purpose

In contrast with countries where food banks (FBs) have developed as informal care, FBs in Korea developed under government patronage as a formal care system. However, the performance of FBs under the formal care approach has not yet been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the quantity of food donation (QFD) and the variety of food donation (VFD) of FBs in Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

Aspects of quantity of donations, variety of donations, and changes in the number of donors and recipients for Korean FBs were considered. Regression analysis and the Herfindahl-Hirschman index were employed for the analysis, and data were collected through on-site interviews in Korea and online information.

Findings

Korean FBs were initially based on the concept of gift exchanges, with the expectation of receiving something in return, and thus did not employ the concept of real gifts or charity. Moreover, Korean FB development was compelled, as this exchange was enacted into law. Therefore, the QFD increased rapidly post the legislation of FBs, a fact not observed in other countries. The authors verified that the QFD and VFD in Korea increased significantly within a decade due to the government intervention.

Research limitations/implications

Aspects such as satisfaction and the nutritional needs of FB beneficiaries are not investigated in detail.

Originality/value

The study found that global FBs, which are an inherently informal system, could also be successfully developed as a policy-based formal care system.
Influence of consumer regiocentrism on perceived value of wine
Authors: Pestar Bizjak Sandra , Hristov Hristo , Košmerl Tatjana , Kuhar Ales
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify which dimensions of perceived value of wine dominate in the perception of wine consumers from two distinctive wine producing regions and to examine how their respective regional identity, consumer regiocentrism (CR) and perceived value of wine are inter-related in determining consumers’ preference of wine.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 221 wine consumers from two Slovenian wine regions with contrasting wine-related and social specificities responded to an online questionnaire. Besides the wine-related consumer behaviour variables, the questionnaire contained CR, regional identity and consumer perceived value measurements, based on adapted CETSCALE, regional identity and PERVAL scales. The scales were validated, and structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the relationships between the constructs.

Findings

Perceived value of wine was found to consist of three dimensions: emotional-social, quality-price and terroir, which differ from those previously observed among wine consumers from the USA. Regional identity was found to be a direct antecedent of CR, and CR directly affects all three dimensions of perceived value of wine; these findings were evident in the original model and in both studied wine regions.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should extend the model to include other possible antecedents of CR and study its effects on different consequences, especially purchasing intent. Future studies would benefit by adding more indicators into scales to measure CR and regional identity to improve the model fit.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a better understanding of perceived value of wine and extends the current knowledge of how social and psychological phenomena interact when evaluating wine. The results herein should enable marketers to develop more sophisticated positioning strategies and support their decision making for an appropriate market approach.
Investment behavior of Canada egg producers
Authors: Tamini Lota D. , Doyon Maurice , Zan Micheline M.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to document the level of risk in the Québec egg sector (conventional and specialty eggs) and analyze the optimal choices of Québec egg producers that must allocate limited resources to production of different types of eggs.

Design/methodology/approach

A quadratic programming approach applied to expected mean-variance models is used to analyze the impact of risk on decision to invest when the resources must be allocated to different type of production that have different risk levels. The model is calibrated using monthly data from 2009 to 2016.

Findings

Results indicated multiple uncertainty sources (technological, cost of production, price of eggs) that vary according to the types of eggs. Given risk aversion parameters, producer would favor production modes with the lowest producers’ price variance, which correspond to free-run eggs. Results also indicated that in response to a greater intensity of risk aversion, the course of action producers may choose is to increase the relative production of free-run eggs.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical limits of this research are found in the lack of quality data on producer prices and costs for specialty eggs. Future research could explore the relationship between the growing impact of egg for processing, which price is based on the US price, and its relationship with specialty eggs.

Practical implications

The findings of the study will be useful for policy makers and managers of eggs supply chain. This is important, given the recent announcement by Canadian’s large retailers and fast food companies to increase cage free eggs offering and, in some cases, eventually only selling these types of eggs.

Originality/value

This study adds to the understanding of the role of risk and uncertainty in the investment decision of egg producers and different mode of production, as well as in the development of the growing production of specialty eggs in Canada. It fills a gap in the literature regarding the impact of risk in Canadian egg production. This gap is likely explained by the perception of a lack of risk in this supply managed sector in Canada and its small size relative to other supply managed sector.
Codezin: braving the startup storm
Authors: Pal Shounak , Gupta Gaurav , Biswas Indranil
Published: November 2017

Subject area

Entrepreneurship, Strategic management, Management information systems.

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate and graduate capstone course in entrepreneurship, strategic management or management information systems courses.

Case overview

This case study of a young technology firm, Codezin Technology Solutions, helps to analyze the challenges faced by such firms in emerging markets. Such markets are characterized by rapid turbulence in the market characteristics. The authors seek to analyze the role of disruptive regulatory changes, resulting in the growth of new startups, in affecting the growth and expansion of such young firms. Codezin was established in 2009 as a bootstrap company, to provide low-cost IT services to Indian small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs). Despite some initial success, it began to run into losses due to poor coordination and improper planning. After a period of struggle, the company stabilized its revenue from services business and expanded to mobile solutions, digital marketing, etc. But then the government of India announced the Startup India initiative at the beginning of 2016 to boost new ventures. Codezin did not qualify as per the government rules and thus failed to use the various incentives offered. Hence, it needs to determine a new strategy to compete with the onslaught of freshly funded startups but with a relative lack of market experience.

Expected learning outcomes

With the case discussion, the students will gain rich insights on technology businesses aimed at SMEs and the impact of changes in the regulatory regime in emerging markets like India. Further, they get to step into the shoes of the co-founders and choose between diversification vs new market development strategies, spurred by market disturbances and thinning competitive advantage.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Multidimensional study of hospitality and the host-guest paradigm in China
Authors: Chen Xiaoqing
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the conceptual bases of the related terms of “host” and “guest” in Chinese and reveal essential, though overlooked, cultural differences that relate to “hospitality” in Western and Chinese cultural contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

A presupposition of this conceptual investigation is that culture manifests itself linguistically. The analytic approach used here is textual analysis. Confucian classical texts are the main source of evidence for examining the conceptual commitments of the Chinese characters 主 and 客 and their corresponding practical expressions.

Findings

Cross-cultural comparison reveals asymmetries between the term “hospitality” and its Chinese translations, etymologically and culturally. This study demonstrates how the Chinese 主–客 paradigm is both hierarchal in nature and centred on the role and interests of the host. It further compares this paradigm with its Western counterpart along five different dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The specific Chinese norms for the host–guest paradigm synthesized here could prompt both academicians and operators to question the cultural attachments associated with hospitality by participants and the cultural differences in hospitality transactions and management. The cultural sensitivity modelled here is intended to facilitate harmony between a hospitality setting and the culture in which it is embedded.

Originality/value

This conceptual paper is the first in the Anglophone literature to explore the Chinese cultural roots of the concepts “host” and “guest”. The linguistic perspective used in this study allows the concept of “hospitality” to be studied cross-culturally and in an interdisciplinary way, addressing a blind spot in the extant hospitality literature.
Improving job performance through identification and psychological capital
Authors: Tüzün Ipek Kalemci , Çetin Fatih , Basim H. Nejat
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the link between various identification foci and performance, and to test whether one’s psychological capital (PsyCap) can explain the influence of collective or relational identification on job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample comprised 235 academicians working in a foundation university from Turkey. The questionnaires were practiced in two different time intervals with using an identifier coding system for avoiding common method bias issues. The authors used structural equation modeling with using AMOS v23.0.

Findings

The results showed that PsyCap has positive effects on the job performance and work group identification flourishes employees PsyCap level; there is no evidence of any mediating effect of PsyCap on the relationships between various organizational identification foci and job performance.

Originality/value

This study extends previous research by providing evidence of that rather than the other identification target (organization, work unit, and career) identification with supervisor influenced on job performance.
The money laundering risks and vulnerabilities associated with MMM Nigeria
Authors: Esoimeme Ehi Eric
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to help build awareness with the regulatory, enforcement and customs authorities as well as reporting entities about money laundering risks and vulnerabilities of the Mavrodi Mondial Movement (MMM) scheme, and how to mitigate them.

Design/methodology/approach

The research took the form of a desk study, which analyzed various documents and reports such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) typologies reports in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014 on new payment methods (NPMs) which focused on the potential for NPM to be misused by criminals; the identification of risk factors which can significantly differ from one new payment product or service to another, depending on functionality; and risk mitigants which can be tailored to a particular new payment product or service to address its specific risk profile.

Findings

This paper presents the following findings and recommendations: high-risk customers such as politically exposed persons (PEPs) could exploit the non-face-to-face feature of MMM by using the identity of low-risk customers (e.g. pensioners) to open MMM accounts. The Bitcoin funding option may present a higher money laundering risk than Bank wire, MasterCard, Visa Debit and Interac. The electronic nature of Bitcoins provides in principle a good foundation for effective record keeping and the monitoring of transactions. The money laundering risks associated with Goldmoney are very minimal when compared to Bitcoin. MMM Nigeria is therefore recommended to adopt Goldmoney as its preferred method of online payment for MMM transactions.

Originality/value

While most publications on MMM are focused on fraud, this paper focuses on the money laundering risks and vulnerabilities associated with the MMM scheme.
Detection mechanisms under Kenya’s anti-money laundering regime: omissions and loopholes
Authors: Gikonyo Constance
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to detect the methods that facilitate the identification of potential money laundering activities in Kenya. Kenya is a transit point for international drug traffickers and trade-based money laundering. Hence, it is vulnerable to money laundering and consequently, it is necessary to examine the potency of its first lines of defence and its weaknesses.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is secondary in nature. It is based on reviewing relevant literature and analyzing the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA) and the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Regulations (POCAMLR). Both form the core of Kenya’s anti-money laundering regime.

Findings

Generally, the identified methods can facilitate identification of proceeds of crime and possible laundering activity. However, there are challenges in the provisions that could reduce effectiveness. These include intrinsic loopholes and implementation challenges, in the provisions relating to accountants, precious stone and metal dealers and the hawala system. Additionally, there is the key omission of car dealers and legal professionals from the mechanisms for detecting money laundering.

Originality/value

Given Kenya’s money laundering susceptibility, it is necessary and prudent to critically examine its mechanisms for detecting money laundering. The paper seeks to make a practical and scholarly contribution in filling this extant gap. This paper can trigger further discussions as well as the necessary legislative and policy changes. This would positively enhance the success of Kenya’s anti-money laundering regime in detecting money laundering activities.
The terrorist resourcing model applied to Canada
Authors: O’Halloran Patrick J. , Leuprecht Christian , Dizboni Ali Ghanbar Pour , Green Alexandra , Adelstein David
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether the money laundering/terrorist financing (ML/TF) model excludes important aspects of terrorist resourcing and whether the terrorist resourcing model (TRM) provides a more comprehensive framework for analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Research consisted of case studies of resourcing activities of four listed terrorist organizations between 2001 and 2015: the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Hamas, a grouping of Al Qaeda-inspired individuals and entities under the heading “Al Qaeda inspired” and Hezbollah.

Findings

The most prevalent resourcing actors observed were non-profit organizations/associations, and the most prevalent form of resourcing was fundraising that targeted individual cash donations of small amounts. Funds were pooled, often passed through layers of charitable organizations and transmitted through chartered banks. The TRM is indeed found to provide a more comprehensive framework for identifying sources of resourcing and points of intervention. However, it does not in itself recommend effective means of response but it has implications for counter-resourcing strategies because it identifies resourcing actors and nodes where counter-resourcing could occur.

Originality/value

This paper advances the state of knowledge of terrorist resourcing activities in Canada and about the value of doing so through the analytical lens of the TRM as opposed to the predominant ML/TF model.
Diverse effect of phosphatidylcholine biosynthetic genes on phospholipid homeostasis, cell autophagy and fungal developments in Metarhizium robertsii
Authors: Chen Yixiong , Li Bing , Cen Kai , Lu Yuzhen , Zhang Siwei , Wang Chengshu
Published: November 2017

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) plays an important role in maintaining membrane integrity and functionality. In this study, two key genes (Mrpct and Mrpem) putatively involved in the cytidine diphosphate (CDP)‐choline and phosphatidylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PEMT) pathways for PC biosynthesis were characterized in the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii. The results indicated that disruption of Mrpct did not lead to any reduction of total PC content but impaired fungal virulence and increased cellular accumulation of triacylglycerol. Deletion of Mrpem reduced PC content and impaired fungal conidiation and infection structure differentiation but did not result in virulence defects. Lipidomic analysis revealed that deletion of Mrpct and Mrpem resulted in dissimilar effects on increase and decrease of PC moieties and other phospholipid species accumulations. Interestingly, we found that these two genes played opposite roles in activation of cell autophagy when the fungi were grown in a nutrient‐rich medium. The connection between PC metabolism and autophagy was confirmed because PC content was drastically reduced in Mratg8Δ and that the addition of PC could rescue null mutant sporulation defect. The results of this study facilitate the understanding of PC metabolism on fungal physiology.
Arsenobetaine: an ecophysiologically important organoarsenical confers cytoprotection against osmotic stress and growth temperature extremes
Authors: Hoffmann Tamara , Warmbold Bianca , Smits Sander H. J. , Tschapek Britta , Ronzheimer Stefanie , Bashir Abdallah , Chen Chiliang , Rolbetzki Anne , Pittelkow Marco , Jebbar Mohamed , Seubert Andreas , Schmitt Lutz , Bremer Erhard
Published: November 2017

Arsenic, a highly cytotoxic and cancerogenic metalloid, is brought into the biosphere through geochemical sources and anthropogenic activities. A global biogeochemical arsenic biotransformation cycle exists in which inorganic arsenic species are transformed into organoarsenicals, which are subsequently mineralized again into inorganic arsenic compounds. Microorganisms contribute to this biotransformation process greatly and one of the organoarsenicals synthesized and degraded in this cycle is arsenobetaine. Its nitrogen‐containing homologue glycine betaine is probably the most frequently used compatible solute on Earth. Arsenobetaine is found in marine and terrestrial habitats and even in deep‐sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems. Despite its ubiquitous occurrence, the biological function of arsenobetaine has not been comprehensively addressed. Using Bacillus subtilis as a well‐understood platform for the study of microbial osmostress adjustment systems, we ascribe here to arsenobetaine both a protective function against high osmolarity and a cytoprotective role against extremes in low and high growth temperatures. We define a biosynthetic route for arsenobetaine from the precursor arsenocholine that relies on enzymes and genetic regulatory circuits for glycine betaine formation from choline, identify the uptake systems for arsenobetaine and arsenocholine, and describe crystal structures of ligand‐binding proteins from the OpuA and OpuB ABC transporters complexed with either arsenobetaine or arsenocholine.
Deep ocean prokaryotic communities are remarkably malleable when facing long‐term starvation
Authors: Sebastián Marta , Auguet Jean‐Christophe , Restrepo‐Ortiz Claudia Ximena , Sala María Montserrat , Marrasé Celia , Gasol Josep M.
Published: November 2017

The bathypelagic ocean is one of the largest ecosystems on Earth and sustains half of the ocean's microbial activity. This microbial activity strongly relies on surface‐derived particles, but there is growing evidence that the carbon released through solubilization of these particles may not be sufficient to meet the energy demands of deep ocean prokaryotes. To explore how bathypelagic prokaryotes respond to the absence of external inputs of carbon, we followed the long‐term (1 year) dynamics of an enclosed community. Despite the lack of external energy supply, we observed a continuous succession of active prokaryotic phylotypes, which was driven by recruitment of taxa from the seed bank (i.e., initially rare operational taxonomic units [OTUs]). A single OTU belonging to Marine Group I of Thaumarchaeota, which was originally rare, dominated the microbial community for ∼ 4 months and played a fundamental role in this succession likely by introducing new organic carbon through chemolithoautotrophy. This carbon presumably produced a priming effect, because after the decline of Thaumarchaeota, the diversity and metabolic potential of the community increased back to the levels present at the start of the experiment. Our study demonstrates the profound versatility of deep microbial communities when facing organic carbon deprivation.
Spatial Practices and the Institutionalization of Water Sanitation Services in Southern Metropolises: The case of Jakarta and its Kampung Kojan
Authors: Putri Prathiwi W. , Moulaert Frank
Published: November 2017

This article examines the spatial practices and forms of institutionalization in the water and water sanitation sector in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, and especially in Kampung Kojan in the Kalideres subdistrict of Jakarta. To this end, it develops a three‐layered analytical framework viewing the city as a multi‐scalar socio‐ecological system in which different forms of human–water relations and their institutionalization are found. Particular attention is given to informality in this system and how it interacts with ‘regular’ state and corporate market sector practices. Within these interactive dynamics, informality is not only understood as a survival strategy but also as a creative practice connecting various social‐ecological opportunities, traditional and contemporary technologies and modes of institutionalization to each other. Ongoing institutionalization processes in the formal and informal economy, as well as between them, are analysed. Opportunities to integrate and regularize the diverse water sanitation services into community‐led closed water–wastewater cycles capable of ensuring public health and sustaining a bio‐hydrological balance at the local level are explored.
Baby Bonuses: Natural Experiments in Cash Transfers, Birth Timing and Child Outcomes
Authors: Deutscher Nathan , Breunig Robert
Published: November 2017

We use the 1 July 2004 introduction of the Australian Baby Bonus to identify the effect of family income on child test scores at grade three. Using a difference‐in‐differences design, we find no evidence that the Baby Bonus improved child outcomes in aggregate, but some evidence of a modest effect for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. We examine whether birth shifting associated with the Baby Bonus and two other Australian maternity payments had negative long‐term effects on children. Despite widespread concerns about this unintended treatment, regression discontinuity estimates provide no clear evidence of lasting health or educational consequences.
Spray Drying of Spinach Juice: Characterization, Chemical Composition, and Storage
Authors: Çalışkan Koç Gülşah , Nur Dirim Safiye
Published: November 2017

The 1st aim of this study is to determine the influence of inlet and outlet air temperatures on the physical and chemical properties of obtained powders from spinach juice (SJ) with 3.2 ± 0.2 °Brix (°Bx). Second, the effect of 3 different drying agents (maltodextrin, whey powder, and gum Arabic) on the same properties was investigated for the selected inlet/outlet temperatures (160/100 °C) which gives the minimum moisture content and water activity values. For this purpose, the total soluble solid content of SJ was adjusted to 5.0 ± 0.2 °Bx with different drying agents. Finally, the effects of different storage conditions (4, 20, and 30 °C) on the physical and chemical properties of spinach powders (SPs) produced at selected conditions were examined. A pilot scale spray dryer was used at 3 different inlet/outlet air temperatures (160 to 200 °C/80 to 100 °C) where the outlet air temperature was controlled by regulating the feed flow rate. Results showed that the moisture content, water activity, browning index, total chlorophyll, and total phenolic contents of the SP significantly decreased and pH and total color change of the SP significantly increased by the addition of different drying agents (P < 0.05). In addition, the changes in the above‐mentioned properties were determined during the storage period, at 3 different temperatures. It was also observed that the vitamin C, β‐carotene, chlorophyll, and phenolic compounds retention showed first‐order degradation kinetic with activation energy of 32.6840, 10.2736, 27.7031, and 28.2634 kJ/K.mol, respectively.
Fine‐tuning the P. pastoris iMT1026 genome‐scale metabolic model for improved prediction of growth on methanol or glycerol as sole carbon sources
Authors: Tomàs‐Gamisans Màrius , Ferrer Pau , Albiol Joan
Published: November 2017

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella spp.) is widely used as cell factory for recombinant protein production. In the past recent years, important breakthroughs in the systems‐level quantitative analysis of its physiology have been achieved. This wealth of information has allowed the development of genome‐scale metabolic models, which make new approaches possible for host cell and bioprocess engineering. Nevertheless, the predictive accuracy of the previous consensus model required to be upgraded and validated with new experimental data sets for P. pastoris growing on glycerol or methanol as sole carbon sources, two of the most relevant substrates for this cell factory. In this study, we have characterized P. pastoris growing in chemostat cultures using glycerol or methanol as sole carbon sources over a wide range of growth rates, thereby providing physiological data on the effect of growth rate and culture conditions on biomass macromolecular and elemental composition. In addition, these data sets were used to improve the performance of the P. pastoris consensus genomic‐scale metabolic model iMT1026. Thereupon, new experimentally determined bounds, including the representation of biomass composition for these growth conditions, have been incorporated. As a result, here, we present version 3 (v3.0) of the consensus P. pastoris genome‐scale metabolic model as an update of the iMT1026 model. The v3.0 model was validated for growth on glycerol and methanol as sole carbon sources, demonstrating improved prediction capabilities over an extended substrate range including two biotechnologically relevant carbon sources.
SHE SAID, HE SAID
Authors: KESEBIR SELIN
Published: November 2017

Selin Kesebir's research shows how our use of language reflects and reinforces perceptions of gender roles
TACTICS FOR TURBULENT TIMES
Authors: HOULDER DOMINIC , NANDKISHORE NANDU
Published: November 2017

Tactics to help business leaders handle today's volatile economic climate
ADVICE TO MY YOUNGER SELF
Authors: BRAITHWAITE ALAN
Published: November 2017

Things I'd tell my younger self Alan Braithwaite