bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eukaryogenesis, how special really?
Authors: Booth Austin , Doolittle W. Ford
Published: April 2015

Eukaryogenesis is widely viewed as an improbable evolutionary transition uniquely affecting the evolution of life on this planet. However, scientific and popular rhetoric extolling this event as a singularity lacks rigorous evidential and statistical support. Here, we question several of the usual claims about the specialness of eukaryogenesis, focusing on both eukaryogenesis as a process and its outcome, the eukaryotic cell. We argue in favor of four ideas. First, the criteria by which we judge eukaryogenesis to have required a genuinely unlikely series of events 2 billion years in the making are being eroded by discoveries that fill in the gaps of the prokaryote:eukaryote “discontinuity.” Second, eukaryogenesis confronts evolutionary theory in ways not different from other evolutionary transitions in individuality; parallel systems can be found at several hierarchical levels. Third, identifying which of several complex cellular features confer on eukaryotes a putative richer evolutionary potential remains an area of speculation: various keys to success have been proposed and rejected over the five-decade history of research in this area. Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it is difficult and may be impossible to eliminate eukaryocentric bias from the measures by which eukaryotes as a whole are judged to have achieved greater success than prokaryotes as a whole. Overall, we question whether premises of existing theories about the uniqueness of eukaryogenesis and the greater evolutionary potential of eukaryotes have been objectively formulated and whether, despite widespread acceptance that eukaryogenesis was “special,” any such notion has more than rhetorical value.
In vitroandin vivoanti-inflammatory activity of digested peptides derived from salmon myofibrillar protein conjugated with a small quantity of alginate oligosaccharide
Authors: Saigusa Musashi , Nishizawa Mizuho , Shimizu Yutaka , Saeki Hiroki
Published: April 2015

Salmon myofibrillar protein (Mf) was investigated as a source of edible anti-inflammatory products. Peptides produced by stepwise digestion of Mf (without carbohydrate) with pepsin and trypsin had little effect on the secretion of inflammation-related compounds from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. However, peptides prepared from Mf conjugated with alginate oligosaccharide (AO; 19 μg/mg protein) (dMSA) through the Maillard reaction in the presence of sorbitol significantly reduced the secretion of the pro-inflammatory mediators nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, as well as mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Additionally, dMSA inhibited acute inflammation in a carrageenan-induced model of paw edema in mice, but had no effect on natural killer cell cytotoxic activity or macrophage phagocytosis. These results suggest that fish Mf conjugated with AO may be a potential food material with anti-inflammatory function.
Upper limb joint muscle/tendon injury and anthropometric adaptations in French competitive tennis players
Authors: Rogowski Isabelle , Creveaux Thomas , Genevois Cyril , Klouche Shahnaz , Rahme Michel , Hardy Philippe
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the upper limb anthropometric dimensions and a history of dominant upper limb injury in tennis players. Dominant and non‐dominant wrist, forearm, elbow and arm circumferences, along with a history of dominant upper limb injuries, were assessed in 147 male and female players, assigned to four groups based on location of injury: wrist (n = 9), elbow (n = 25), shoulder (n = 14) and healthy players (n = 99). From anthropometric dimensions, bilateral differences in circumferences and in proportions were calculated. The wrist group presented a significant bilateral difference in arm circumference, and asymmetrical bilateral proportions between wrist and forearm, as well as between elbow and arm, compared to the healthy group (6.6 ± 3.1% vs. 4.9 ± 4.0%, P < 0.01; −3.6 ± 3.0% vs. −0.9 ± 2.9%, P < 0.05; and −2.2 ± 2.2% vs. 0.1 ± 3.4%, P < 0.05, respectively). The elbow group displayed asymmetrical bilateral proportions between forearm and arm compared to the healthy group (−0.4 ± 4.3% vs. 1.5 ± 4.0%, P < 0.01). The shoulder group showed significant bilateral difference in elbow circumference, and asymmetrical bilateral proportions between forearm and elbow when compared to the healthy group (5.8 ± 4.7% vs. 3.1 ± 4.8%, P < 0.05 and −1.7 ± 4.5% vs. 1.4 ± 4.3%, P < 0.01, respectively). These findings suggest that players with a history of injury at the upper limb joint present altered dominant upper limb proportions in comparison with the non‐dominant side, and such asymmetrical proportions would appear to be specific to the location of injury. Further studies are needed to confirm the link between location of tennis injury and asymmetry in upper limb proportions using high‐tech measurements in symptomatic tennis players.
Estimation of Input Distance Functions: A System Approach
Authors: Tsionas Efthymios G. , Kumbhakar Subal C. , Malikov Emir
Published: April 2015

This article offers a methodology to address the endogeneity of inputs in the input distance function (IDF) formulation of the production processes. We propose to tackle endogenous input ratios appearing in the normalized IDF by considering a flexible (simultaneous) system of the IDF and the first‐order conditions from the firm's cost minimization problem. Our model can accommodate both technical and (input) allocative inefficiencies among firms. We also present the algorithm for quantifying the cost of allocative inefficiency. We showcase our cost‐system‐based model by applying it to study the production of Norwegian dairy farms during the 1991–2008 period. Among other things, we find both an economically and statistically significant improvement in the levels of technical efficiency among dairy farms associated with the 1997 quota scheme change, which a more conventional single‐equation stochastic frontier model appears to be unable to detect.
Worldwide Acreage and Yield Response to International Price Change and Volatility: A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis for Wheat, Rice, Corn, and Soybeans
Authors: Haile Mekbib G. , Kalkuhl Matthias , von Braun Joachim
Published: April 2015

This article estimates a worldwide aggregate supply response for key agricultural commodities— wheat, rice, corn, and soybeans—by employing a newly‐developed multi‐country, crop‐calendar‐specific, seasonally disaggregated model with price changes and price volatility applied accordingly. The findings reveal that, although higher output prices serve as an incentive to improve global crop supply as expected, output price volatility acts as a disincentive. Depending on the crop, the results show that own‐price supply elasticities range from about 0.05 to 0.40. Output price volatility, however, has negative correlations with crop supply, implying that farmers shift land, other inputs, and yield‐improving investments to crops with less volatile prices. Simulating the impact of price dynamics since 2006, we find that price risk has reduced the production response of wheat in particular—and to a lesser extent, rice—thus dampening price incentive effects. The simulation analysis shows that the increase in own‐crop price volatility from 2006–2010 dampened yield by about 1–2% for the crops under consideration.
Influence of Trifloxystrobin on Primary Inoculum and Progression of Scab Epidemics on Stone Fruit
Authors: Lalancette N. , McFarland K. A. , Burnett A. L.
Published: April 2015

The ability of the QoI fungicide trifloxystrobin to reduce production of conidia by Fusicladium carpophilum on twig lesions was quantitatively assessed over a 3-year period from 2005 through 2007. Four annual treatment programs, consisting of two consecutive trifloxystrobin applications at pink + bloom, bloom + petal fall, and petal fall + shuck-split, plus a single application timing at petal fall, were examined in a ‘Redgold’ nectarine orchard harboring high levels of overwintering scab lesions. Sporulation potential, the ability of twig lesions to produce conidia under optimum environmental conditions, was subsequently assessed five to six times during each spring and early summer. In each year of the study, all four treatments significantly reduced the area under the sporulation curve or peak sporulation. The petal fall + shuck-split program provided the greatest antisporulant activity, reducing conidia production at peak sporulation by 82 to 92%. Furthermore, examination of results over the 3-year period showed that the programs significantly slowed the annual rate of increase in peak sporulation; however, none of the programs completely halted or caused a decline in the annual rate. Although no fungicide was applied after the treatment programs, results from fruit disease assessments showed that these programs, applied as much as 3 months earlier, significantly reduced disease incidence and, in particular, disease severity. A comparison of four QoI fungicides in 2008 indicated that trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin provided the most control of fruit scab, while pyraclostrobin + boscalid and fluoxastrobin yielded minimal or no benefit. Results of this study demonstrate that certain QoI fungicides, in particular trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin, can probably improve the efficacy of current protectant programs used for peach scab control by providing season-long control of F. carpophilum sporulation on twig lesions. Such program enhancement may be critical when orchards have high inoculum levels and/or environmental conditions are very favorable to disease development.
Use of Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) in the Treatment of Congenital Scoliosis Without Fused Ribs
Authors: Murphy Robert F. , Moisan Alice , Kelly Derek M. , Warner William C. , Jones Tamekia L. , Sawyer Jeffrey R.
Published: April 2015

Background:

Although the vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) has been shown to be useful in treating congenital scoliosis (CS) with fused ribs, no studies to date have specifically evaluated the efficacy of VEPTR in the treatment of CS without fused ribs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of VEPTR in sagittal/coronal curve correction and spine growth and compare its complication rate to the use of VEPTR in other conditions and to other treatment methods used for CS.

Methods:

A multicenter database was queried for patients with CS without fused ribs treated with VEPTR. Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs were used to measure parameters at 3 timepoints (preoperative, immediate postoperative, and latest follow-up): coronal Cobb angle, sagittal kyphosis, and thoracic and lumbar spine heights. Clinical data included age, time to follow-up, and complications.

Results:

Twenty-five patients (13 females, 12 males) were identified. The average age at implantation was 5.7 years, with an average follow-up of 50 months. Several parameters improved from preoperative to latest follow-up: coronal Cobb angle (69 to 54 degrees, P<0.0001), thoracic spine height (T1-T12) in the AP (13.3 to 15.9 cm, P<0.0001) and lateral (14.8 to 17.4 cm, P=0.0024) planes, and lumbar spine height (L1-S1) in the AP (8.8 to 11.4 cm, P<0.0001) and lateral (9.9 to 11.9 cm, P=0.0002) planes. Kyphosis increased over the study period (36 to 41 degrees, P=0.6). Fifteen patients (60%) had 41 complications (average 2.75; range, 1 to 12). Twenty-eight complications (68%) were device-related, and 13 (32%) were disease-related. The most common complications were infection, wound dehiscence, and device migration. Six complications (15%) altered the course of treatment. Thoracic spine height increased 79% of expected growth.

Conclusion:

VEPTR is an effective treatment for patients with CS without fused ribs, as evidenced by improved radiographic parameters and increased spinal height, with a complication rate which is high but similar to other methods of treatment.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—case series.
Accessory Navicular is Associated With Wider and More Prominent Navicular Bone in Pediatric Patients by Radiographic Measurement
Authors: Seehausen Derek A. , Harris Liam R. , Kay Robert M. , Pace J. Lee
Published: April 2015

Background:

Accessory navicular (AN) is a common anatomic variant that is known to cause medial foot pain. Surgery may be required for excision if conservative measures fail. Often, the medial border of the navicular is excised in addition to the AN during surgery. The purpose of this radiographic study is to determine if the presence of an AN is associated with a wider or more prominent navicular in pediatric patients compared with normal controls.

Methods:

This study included pediatric patients who received an initial plain anteroposterior foot radiograph between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2012 and were between the ages of 10 and 20 years. Feet with an AN were compared with those without, while controlling for age. Male and female patients were analyzed independently. Feet with fractures, deformities, or previous surgeries were excluded. Radiographic measurements included the navicular width and the protrusion of the navicular bone medially.

Results:

A total of 592 feet were included. An AN was identified in 73 feet. Male patients were analyzed separately from females. Cases with 1 AN bone had similar-sized native navicular bones in the contralateral normal foot compared with controls with 2 normal feet (P>0.05). The presence of an AN was associated with a larger navicular width (male: P=0.02, female: P=0.02) and a larger medial protrusion percent (male: P<0.01, female: P<0.01). Age was controlled for.

Conclusion:

On radiographic examination, feet with an AN had wider native navicular bones that protruded more medially than feet without an AN.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—diagnostic.
Arthroscopic Retrograde Drilling in Juvenile Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Talus
Authors: Masquijo Julio J. , Ferreyra Andres , Baroni Eduardo
Published: April 2015

Background:

Juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of the talus is rare, and the literature provides little data to guide treatment. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate our clinical and radiographic results with arthroscopic retrograde drilling in patients who were refractory to conservative care.

Methods:

We retrospectively evaluated all patients with juvenile osteochondritis dissecans of the talus who underwent surgery for the treatment of stable lesions that failed conservative treatment. Medical records were reviewed for symptoms and demographic information. Preoperative and latest postoperative radiographs were used to determine degree of healing. AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot scale and visual analog scale for pain were used to evaluate clinical outcomes.

Results:

We identified 6 patients (6 ankles). The mean age was 13 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 37 months (range, 16 to 69 mo). All of them had progressed toward healing and were asymptomatic, but only 3 out of 6 had a complete radiographic healing at last follow-up. The average AOFAS Ankle/Hindfoot score improved from 69 points (55 to 75, IQR=10) preoperatively to 98 points (90 to 100, IQR=7) (P<0.0027). Visual analog scale improved from 6.2 (4 to 8, IQR=3) to 0.3 (0 to 2, IQR=1) (P<0.002). All patients expressed satisfaction with operative results.

Conclusions:

Arthroscopic retrograde drilling seems to be effective for symptoms relief, although 50% of the cases have had persistent lesions on radiographs. A longer follow-up is necessary to assess joint function in those cases with partial radiographic healing.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—therapeutic.
The Effects of Restraint Type on Pattern of Spine Injury in Children
Authors: Ernat Justin J. , Knox Jeffrey B. , Wimberly Robert L. , Riccio Anthony I.
Published: April 2015

Introduction:

While the use of vehicular restraints has reduced the morbidity and mortality of children involved in motor vehicle collisions (MVC), to our knowledge, no study has examined the relationship between restraint type and patterns of pediatric spinal injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate this association and review the spinal injuries sustained in children involved in MVC.

Methods:

We completed an IRB-approved, retrospective chart review of all patients below 10 years of age presenting to a level 1 pediatric trauma hospital with spine injuries sustained in MVC from 2003 to 2011. We reviewed prehospital data, medical records, and radiographs to establish the restraint type and characterize the spinal injuries sustained.

Results:

A total of 97 patients were identified with spinal trauma secondary to MVC with appropriate and documentation of restraint type. Results are reported regardless of whether the restraint employed was properly used per established guidelines. Car seat/booster seat (C/B) patients sustained significantly higher rates of cervical spine (62%) and ligamentous (62%) injuries than the 2-point (2P) (10%) and 3-point (3P) restraint (24%) groups (P<0.001). Two-point and 3P restraint use was associated with significantly higher rates of thoracolumbar injuries (67% and 62%, respectively) than the C/B (14%) and unrestrained (0%) groups (P<0.001). Two-point and 3P passengers also had a higher rate of flexion-distraction injuries (P<0.001). Patients in the unrestrained group sustained a significantly higher rate of cervical spine (80%) and ligamentous (40%) injuries than the 2P and 3P groups (P<0.001). No differences were found in the type or location of injury between the 2P and 3P groups. Significant differences in proper restraint use were identified between age groups with younger children demonstrating higher rates of proper restraint use (P<0.01).

Conclusions:

Two-point or 3P seatbelt use is associated with lower rates of cervical spine trauma but higher rates of thoracic and lumbar trauma, particularly flexion-distraction injuries, when compared with car or booster seats. Children in C/B and those who are unrestrained sustain high rates of cervical spine injury.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—prognostic study.
Surgical Management of Posttraumatic Midfoot Deformity and Arthritis
Authors: Seybold Jeffrey D. , Coetzee J. Chris
Published: April 2015

Posttraumatic joint disruption and deformity remains one of the most common etiologies for midfoot degenerative joint disease. Patients presenting with midfoot arthritis commonly complain of increased pain with weight-bearing activity, and tenderness over the dorsum of the foot with constrictive shoe wear secondary to dorsal osteophyte formation. Nonoperative measures assist with symptom control, focusing on limiting both pain and deformity. Operative intervention is generally considered after an adequate trial of nonoperative measures. Arthrodesis procedures remain the “gold standard” for operative treatment of midfoot arthritis. Interpositional tendon arthroplasty of the fourth and fifth tarsometatarsal joints has been supported as a motion-sparing alternative to arthrodesis for patients with lateral column disease. The indications, complications, postoperative management, and techniques for posttraumatic midfoot arthritis procedures are discussed in further detail below.

Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level 5. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Demic and cultural diffusion propagated the Neolithic transition across different regions of Europe
Authors: Fort Joaquim
Published: April 2015

The Neolithic transition is the shift from hunting–gathering into farming. About 9000 years ago, the Neolithic transition began to spread from the Near East into Europe, until it reached Northern Europe about 5500 years ago. There are two main models of this spread. The demic model assumes that it was mainly due to the reproduction and dispersal of farmers. The cultural model assumes that European hunter–gatherers become farmers by acquiring domestic plants and animals, as well as knowledge, from neighbouring farmers. Here we use the dates of about 900 archaeological sites to compute a speed map of the spread of the Neolithic transition in Europe. We compare the speed map to the speed ranges predicted by purely demic, demic–cultural and purely cultural models. The comparison indicates that the transition was cultural in Northern Europe, the Alpine region and west of the Black Sea. But demic diffusion was at work in other regions such as the Balkans and Central Europe. Our models can be applied to many other cultural traits. We also propose that genetic data could be gathered and used to measure the demic kernels of Early Neolithic populations. This would lead to an enormous advance in Neolithic spread modelling.
Cancer stem cell plasticity as tumor growth promoter and catalyst of population collapse
Authors: Poleszczuk Jan , Enderling Heiko
Published: April 2015

It is increasingly argued that cancer stem cells are not a cellular phenotype but rather a transient state that cells can acquire, either through intrinsic signaling cascades or in response to environmental cues. While cancer stem cell plasticity is generally associated with increased aggressiveness and treatment resistance, we set out to thoroughly investigate the impact of different rates of plasticity on early and late tumor growth dynamics and the response to therapy. We develop an agent-based model of cancer stem cell driven tumor growth, in which plasticity is defined as a spontaneous transition between stem and non-stem cancer cell states. Simulations of the model show that plasticity can substantially increase tumor growth rate and invasion. At high rates of plasticity, however, the cells get exhausted and the tumor will undergo spontaneous remission in the long term. In a series ofin silicotrials we show that such remission can be facilitated through radiotherapy. The presented study suggests that stem cell plasticity has rather complex, non-intuitive implications on tumor growth and treatment response. Further theoretical, experimental and integrated studies are needed to fully decipher cancer stem cell plasticity and how it can be harnessed for novel therapeutic approaches.
Is there such a thing as landscape genetics?
Authors: Dyer Rodney J.
Published: April 2015

For a scientific discipline to be interdisciplinary it must satisfy two conditions; it must consist of contributions from at least two existing disciplines and it must be able to provide insights, through this interaction, that neither progenitor discipline could address. In this paper, I examine the complete body of peer-reviewed literature self-identified as landscape genetics using the statistical approaches of text mining and natural language processing. The goal here is to quantify the kinds of questions being addressed in landscape genetic studies, the ways in which questions are evaluated mechanistically, and how they are differentiated from the progenitor disciplines of landscape ecology and population genetics. I then circumscribe the main factions within published landscape genetic papers examining the extent to which emergent questions are being addressed and highlighting a deep bifurcation between existing individual- and population-based approaches. I close by providing some suggestions on where theoretical and analytical work is needed if landscape genetics is to serve as a real bridge connecting evolution and ecologysensu lato.
An efficient and scalable analysis framework for variant extraction and refinement from population-scale DNA sequence data
Authors: Jun Goo , Wing Mary Kate , Abecasis Gonçalo R. , Kang Hyun Min
Published: April 2015

The analysis of next-generation sequencing data is computationally and statistically challenging because of the massive volume of data and imperfect data quality. We present GotCloud, a pipeline for efficiently detecting and genotyping high-quality variants from large-scale sequencing data. GotCloud automates sequence alignment, sample-level quality control, variant calling, filtering of likely artifacts using machine-learning techniques, and genotype refinement using haplotype information. The pipeline can process thousands of samples in parallel and requires less computational resources than current alternatives. Experiments with whole-genome and exome-targeted sequence data generated by the 1000 Genomes Project show that the pipeline provides effective filtering against false positive variants and high power to detect true variants. Our pipeline has already contributed to variant detection and genotyping in several large-scale sequencing projects, including the 1000 Genomes Project and the NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project. We hope it will now prove useful to many medical sequencing studies.
Crystal structure of a polymeric calcium levulinate dihydrate:catena-poly[[diaquacalcium]-bis(μ2-4-oxobutanoato)]
Authors: Amarasekara Ananda S. , Sterling-Wells Dominique T. , Ordonez Carlos , Ohoueu Marie-Josiane , Fonari Marina S.
Published: April 2015

In the title calcium levulinate complex, [Ca(C5H7O3)2(H2O)2]n, the Ca2+ion lies on a twofold rotation axis and is octacoordinated by two aqua ligands and six O atoms from four symmetry-related carboxylate ligands, giving a distorted square-antiprismatic coordination stereochemistry [Ca—O bond-length range = 2.355 (1)–2.599 (1) Å]. The levulinate ligands act both in a bidentate carboxylO,O′-chelate mode and in a bridging mode through one carboxyl O atom with an inversion-related Ca2+atom, giving a Ca...Ca separation of 4.0326 (7) Å. A coordination polymeric chain structure is generated, extending along thec-axial direction. The coordinating water molecules act as double donors and participate in intra-chain O—H...O hydrogen bonds with carboxyl O atoms, and in inter-chain O—H...O hydrogen bonds with carbonyl O atoms, thus forming an overall three-dimensional structure.
Crystal structure of (±)-(1SR,5SR,6SR,7SR,10SR,11SR,13SR)-13-benzyloxy-7-methoxymethoxy-11,15,18,18-tetramethyl-3-oxo-2,4-dioxatetracyclo[12.3.1.01,5.06,11]octadeca-14,16-dien-10-yl benzoate
Authors: Oishi Takeshi , Fukaya Keisuke , Yamaguchi Yu , Sugai Tomoya , Watanabe Ami , Sato Takaaki , Chida Noritaka
Published: April 2015

In the title compound, C36H42O8, the dioxolane ring adopts a twist conformation; the two adjacent C atoms deviate alternately from the mean plane of other atoms by −0.287 (5) and 0.174 (5) Å. The cyclohexane, cyclohexadiene and central cyclooctane rings show chair, half-chair and boat–chair forms, respectively. As a result of the strained ring system, the tetrasubsituted olefin in the cyclohexadiene is skewed from an ideal planar structure. In the crystal, C—H...O hydrogen bonds connect the molecules into a sheet parallel to (100). The sheets are further linked by other weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of (E)-pent-2-enoic acid
Authors: Peppel Tim , Sonneck Marcel , Spannenberg Anke , Wohlrab Sebastian
Published: April 2015

The molecule of the title compound, C5H8O2, a low-melting α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, is essentially planar [maximum displacement = 0.0239 (13) Å]. In the crystal, molecules are linked into centrosymmetric dimersviapairs of O—H...O hydrogen bonds.
Crystal structure of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde 4-methylthiosemicarbazone methanol monosolvate
Authors: Oliveira Adriano Bof de , Beck Johannes , Landvogt Christian , Feitosa Bárbara Regina Santos
Published: April 2015

In the title solvate, C15H15N3O2S·CH3OH, the thiosemicarbazone molecule is approximately planar; the maximum deviation from the mean plane is 0.4659 (14) Å and the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 9.83 (8)°. This conformation is supported by an intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bond. In the crystal, the thiosemicarbazone molecules are linked into dimers by pairs of N—H...S hydrogen bonds, thereby generatingR22(8) loops. The methanol solvent molecule bonds to the thiosemicarbazone molecule through a bifurcated O—H...(O,O) hydrogen bond and also accepts an O—H...O link from the thiosemicarbazone molecule. Together, these links generate a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of dichloridobis(methyl isonicotinate-κN)copper(II)
Authors: Ahadi Elaheh , Hosseini-Monfared Hassan , Mayer Peter
Published: April 2015

In the title compound, [CuCl2(C7H7NO2)2], the square-planar-coordinated CuIIion lies on a centre of symmetry and is bonded to two monodentate methylisonicotinate ligands through their N atoms and by two chloride ligands. The molecules pack in a herringbone pattern. Perpendicular to [100] there are weak intermolecular C—H...Cl and C—H...O contacts. Along [100] there are infinite chains of edge-sharing octahedra linked through the chlorido ligands
Climate change and the impacts on China’s agricultural interregional trade flows
Authors: Xin Xian , Lin Tun , Liu Xiaoyun , Wan Guanghua , Zhang Yongsheng
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The impacts of climate change on agricultural production in the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) are significant, and differ across regions and crops. The substantial regional differences will induce changes in agricultural interregional trade pattern. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the climate change impacts on China’s agricultural interregional trade pattern.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper will use the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to assess the impacts of climate change on the PRC’s agricultural interregional trade flows. The CGE model consists of seven Chinese regions and the rest of the world and six commodities.

Findings

– The results indicate that northwest, south, central, and northeast PRC will see increases in the outflows of agricultural products in 2030 and 2050. Conversely, outflows from east, north, and southwest PRC will decrease. Agricultural products handling and transportation facilities need to be repositioned to address the changes in agricultural trade flows.

Originality/value

– Studies on the impacts of climate change on the PRC’s agriculture have been increasing. To the best of our knowledge, however, no previous studies have assessed the impacts of climate change on the PRC’s agricultural interregional trade flows. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature.
Critical perspectives on the globally mobile professional and managerial class
Authors: McKenna Steve , Ravishankar M.N. , Weir David
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in the special issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– A general description of each paper in the special issue is provided. The introduction highlights the need for more research into the broad topic of the global elite.

Findings

– Research in the social sciences uses a very broad definition of the global elite. It would be helpful in critical management and organization studies and critical international business research, to begin to identify important and key research areas that enable a more critical investigation of whom the global elite are and how they might be studied.

Originality/value

– This paper introduces five diverse papers that deal with issues pertaining to a global elite and transnational capitalist class.
Distribution channel in hospitality and tourism
Authors: Law Rob , Leung Rosanna , Lo Ada , Leung Daniel , Fong Lawrence Hoc Nang
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reexamine several issues about disintermediation from the perspectives of tourism product/service suppliers (hotels) and traditional intermediaries (travel agencies), considering the move of the current distribution landscape toward disintermediation. Internet and mobile technologies offer various tools for consumers to search and purchase products/services from suppliers directly. Consequently, the necessity and role of traditional intermediaries in the industry become questionable.

Design/methodology/approach

– In all, six focus group interviews were conducted to collect primary data from ten managers of three traditional travel agencies and 11 managers from three business hotels in Hong Kong, which is a major travel destination in Asia with many world-class hotels and tourism facilities.

Findings

– Despite their different business backgrounds, the interviewees agreed on the increasing importance of Internet technology in the distribution of tourism products. The interviewees also posited that traditional travel agencies are still needed to serve certain customer groups, albeit their role may have little importance.

Practical implications

– Practitioners should adapt to technologically induced changes to remain competitive in the e-business era.

Originality/value

– This paper provides several original contributions. First, this paper supplements the extant literature by revealing how modern practitioners perceive disintermediation in the tourism and hospitality industry. Second, this paper is the first to investigate the disintermediation issue from the perspectives of tourism product/service suppliers and intermediaries. Finally, this paper provides a reference for industry practitioners to establish adequate strategies that take advantage of Internet technology.
Sustainability issues and hospitality and tourism firms’ strategies
Authors: Aragon-Correa J. Alberto , Martin-Tapia Inmaculada , de la Torre-Ruiz Jose
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the main literature on the relationship between the natural environment and management in hospitality and tourism firms and uses strategic lenses to propose a general framework of previous works and a map for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– A detailed collection of the most relevant literature on organizations and the natural environment in general is used, along with a specific compilation of the analysis in hospitality and tourism firms. The analytical comparison between the general studies and tourism literature provides opportunities for the discussion of research gaps.

Findings

– The growing volume of research on environmental management in the hospitality and tourism firms suggests increasing interest in the topic in the past decade. However, our analysis uses a strategic framework to identify multiple relevant topics that are due for exploration. The generation of more robust theoretical and empirical contributions should also be prioritized in the future.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings provide insight into the growing importance of environmental issues in multiple areas of hospitality and tourism firms, including corporate strategy (new green business and implications of the environmental issues on the attractiveness of traditional tourism activities), competitive business strategy (differentiation and reduction of costs through environmental management), functional strategy (eco-labels, certifications and environmental management systems), green marketing, responsible supply chain and training.

Originality/value

– While previous literature has emphasized the macro analysis of environmental challenges in the industry, this paper is one of the first to provide an analytical review of the literature on the natural environment and management of hospitality and tourism firms and will be particularly useful to better understand the organizational challenges.
Determinants of innovation outputs in developing countries
Authors: Ghazal Reza , Zulkhibri Muhamed
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of innovation outputs proxied by number of patent applications, trademarks and industrial designs in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs a panel data and Negative Binomial method to analyse the main determinants affecting the innovation outputs.

Findings

– The results implicitly suggest that providing a fertile ground to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI) can lead to much better innovation outputs. The study also strongly supports the role of institutions and governance for increasing innovation activities in developing economies as indicated by positive impacts of governance factors in the model. However, the impact of economic freedom indicators on improving innovation outputs is mixed.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the existing literature in two ways: it examines the effect of FDI and research and development on innovation of selected developing countries; and the study uses a panel data approach to increase the accuracy of the results through exploiting the significant variations of innovation outputs across countries, while controlling for a larger number of innovation outputs and product determinants. To the authors knowledge, this is the first empirical study on the behaviour of innovation outputs for developing countries.
Are there asymmetries in fiscal policy shocks?
Authors: Gogas Periklis , Pragidis Ioannis
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of unanticipated fiscal policy shocks on the growth rate and the cyclical component of real private output and reveal different types of asymmetries in fiscal policy implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use two alternative vector autoregressive systems in order to construct the fiscal policy shocks: one with the simple sum monetary aggregate MZM and one with the alternative CFS Divisia MZM aggregate. From each one of these systems we extracted four types of shocks: a negative and a positive government spending shock and a negative and a positive government revenue shock. These eight different types of unanticipated fiscal shocks were used next to empirically examine their effects on the growth rate and cyclical component of real private GNP in two sets of regressions: one that assumes only contemporaneous effects of the shocks on output and one that is augmented with four lags of each fiscal shock.

Findings

– The authors come up with three key findings: first, all fiscal multipliers are below unity but with signs as predicted by Keynesian theory. Second, government expenditures have a larger impact as compared to the tax policy and finally, positive government spending shocks are more significant than negative spending shocks. All these results are in line with previous studies and are robust through many tests using structural identification proposed by Blanchard and Perotti (2002).

Practical implications

– The empirical findings in this manuscript can be used for conducting a more efficient fiscal policy. The importance of government spending shocks is empirically verified along with the asymmetries related to price stickiness predicted by Keynesian theory. According to the results an efficient fiscal policy would: in terms of an expansionary policy, use government spending as a means to stimulate the economy instead of tax cuts and in the case of a contractionary policy use government revenue (higher taxes) so that the costs of this policy in terms of output lost are lower.

Originality/value

– In this study the authors introduce three main innovations: first, to the best of our knowledge the Divisia monetary aggregates have not yet been used to previous research pertaining to fiscal policy. Second, following Cover’s (1992) procedure of identifying monetary policy shocks we extract the unanticipated fiscal policy shocks on government spending and revenue. Finally, the authors explicitly test for the asymmetric effects on the growth rate and the cyclical component of real private GNP of a contractionary and expansionary fiscal policy.
An investigation of price discovery and volatility spillovers in India’s foreign exchange market
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Ahmad Wasim , Deisting Florent
Published: April 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the price discovery and volatility spillovers in spot and futures prices of four currencies (namely, USD/INR, EURO/INR, GBP/INR and JPY/INR) and between futures prices of both stock exchanges namely, Multi-Commodity Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) in India.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study applies cointegration test of Johansen’s along with VECM to investigate the price discovery. GARCH-BEKK model is used to examine the volatility spillover between spot and futures and between futures prices. The other two models namely, constant conditional correlation and dynamic conditional correlation are used to demonstrate the constant and time-varying correlations. In order to confirm the volatility spillover results, the study also applies test of directional spillovers suggested by Diebold and Yilmaz (2009, 2012).

Findings

– The results of the study show that there is long-term equilibrium relationship between spot and futures and between futures markets. Between futures and spot prices, futures price appears to lead the spot price in the short-run. Volatility spillover results indicate that the movement of volatility spillover takes place from futures to spot in the short-run while spot to futures found in the long-run. However, the results of between futures markets exhibit the dominance of MCX-SX over NSE in terms of volatility spillovers. By and large, the findings of the study indicate the important role of futures market in price discovery as well as volatility spillovers in India’s currency market.

Practical implications

– The results highlight the role of futures market in the information transmission process as it appears to assimilate new information quicker than spot market. Hence, policymakers in emerging markets such as India should focus on the development of necessary institutional and fiscal architecture, as well as regulatory reforms, so that the currency market trading platforms can achieve greater liquidity and efficiency.

Originality/value

– Due to recent development of currency futures market, there is dearth of literature on this subject. With the apparent importance of currency market in recent time, this study attempts to study the efficient behavior of currency market by way of examining the price discovery and volatility spillovers between spot and futures and between futures prices of four currencies traded on two platforms. The study has strong implications for India’s stock market especially at the time when its currency is under great strain owing to the adverse impact of global financial crisis.
Facultative endosymbionts mediate dietary breadth in a polyphagous herbivore
Authors: Wagner Steven M. , Martinez Adam J. , Ruan Yong‐Ming , Kim Kyungsun L. , Lenhart Paul A. , Dehnel Allison C. , Oliver Kerry M. , White Jennifer A.
Published: April 2015

Intraspecific variation in dietary breadth can influence important ecological and evolutionary processes, yet the mechanisms generating this variation are usually unknown. Maternally transmitted bacterial symbionts frequently infect insect herbivores, and many have been shown to mediate key ecological interactions. For polyphagous herbivores, infection with particular symbionts is often strongly correlated with feeding on particular plant species, suggesting that facultative symbionts might directly determine herbivore food plant specificity. However, previous tests of this hypothesis have returned inconsistent results, providing little empirical support for a causal relationship between facultative symbiont infection and dietary breadth.

Here, we investigate whether heritable facultative symbionts mediate dietary breadth in the polyphagous aphid, Aphis craccivora. We first determined that asexual clones of the aphid differ dramatically in performance across two leguminous food plants, locust and alfalfa, and could be considered biotypes with distinct ecological characteristics. The heritable symbiont Arsenophonus is strongly associated with locust‐origin aphids.

We created experimental lines that share aphid genotypes but differed with respect to Arsenophonus infection status, and compared performance across three food plant species. Naturally Arsenophonus‐infected clones performed 2–4× better on locust and up to 75% worse on two alternate plant species than uninfected controls, clearly demonstrating that Arsenophonus promotes specialization on locust. In both laboratory and field experiments, uninfected locust‐ and alfalfa‐origin clones exhibited similar and modest performance on locust, indicating that the ‘locust‐associated biotype’ would not exist without Arsenophonus.

We also hypothesized that moving Arsenophonus, via transinfection, to an alfalfa‐origin lineage would improve performance on locust and serve to expand dietary breadth. Indeed, transinfection doubled aphid performance on locust and halved aphid performance on alfalfa. However, because this aphid lineage naturally performs better on alfalfa, the transinfected symbiont functionally equalized aphid performance between locust and alfalfa, making the alfalfa biotype more generalized. Thus, the same symbiont can either reduce or expand dietary breadth, depending on host genotype.

Our results unequivocally demonstrate that symbiont gain or loss can instantaneously and substantially change the topology of food plant use in a polyphagous insect, modifying diet in ways that potentially influence the insect's ecological niche, evolutionary trajectory and pest status.
The Ethics of Legislative Vote Trading
Authors: Thrasher John
Published: April 2015

It is argued in this article that legislative vote trading by representatives is both ethically permissible and may be ethically required in many cases. This conclusion is an implication of a thin, general account of representation that requires representatives to vote on the basis of the perceived preferences or interests of their constituents. These special duties arise from a thin account of representation and create a weak, defeasible duty for representatives to engage in what they believe will be beneficial vote trades. After establishing this claim, the article considers two objections to this duty. One is based on equating legislative vote trading with corruption, and the other argues that logrolling iolates the ‘duty of civility’. Neither objection undermines the main claim that there is a weak duty to engage in logrolling. Nevertheless, the implications of this duty may be troubling for other reasons.
Action research for tourism planning in rural areas? Examining an experience from the Couto Mixto (Galicia, Spain)
Authors: Paül Valerià , Trillo‐Santamaría Juan‐Manuel , Pérez‐Costas Paula
Published: April 2015

This paper reviews a tourist planning experience developed for the Couto Mixto in 2007–2008. The Couto Mixto is a small territory of three hamlets situated in Galicia (Spain) and bordering Portugal that, until the end of the 19th century, used to be a virtually independent state of 25 km2. This tourism planning process is compared and contrasted with the well‐described Action Research (AR) approach. The paper begins by providing the conceptual foundations of tourism planning which were used as a framework for the research. Then, the tourism planning experience is introduced in detail, focussing on the results of the interviews conducted to identify the tourism resources of the area. Therefore, 23 resources were inventoried and further audited to determine their various degrees of potential for the purposes of tourism planning. Previous AR experiences and the tourism planning initiative developed for the Couto Mixto share a common objective to facilitate change in communities in trouble. However, the case‐study tourism planning experience was not fully compliant with genuine AR in several respects. We conclude by recommending AR as a worthy approach for tourism planning as a way to effectively put the local community in focus.