bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial primary production and phototrophy
Authors: Kirchman David L.
Published: December 2013

This chapter focuses on the most important process in the biosphere – primary production – the turning of carbon dioxide into organic material by higher plants and algae. While higher plants dominate terrestrial ecosystems, photosynthetic microbes account for nearly all of primary production in the oceans. After reviewing basic physiology of photosynthesis, the chapter discusses approaches to measuring gross and net primary production, and how these processes affect fluxes of oxygen and carbon dioxide into and out of aquatic ecosystems. It then points out that terrestrial plants have high biomass but relatively low growth, while the opposite is the case for aquatic algae. In spite of these fundamental differences, each ends up contributing roughly 50 percent of total primary production in the biosphere. But primary production varies greatly with the seasons in temperate ecosystems, punctuated by the spring bloom, when the biomass of one algal type, diatoms, reaches a maximum. Other abundant algal types include coccolithophorids in the oceans and filamentous cyanobacteria in freshwaters. After the bloom, small algae take over and out-compete larger forms for limiting nutrients because of superior uptake kinetics. Abundant types of small algae include two coccoid cyanobacteria – Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus – the latter said to be the most abundant photoautotroph on the planet because of its large numbers in oligotrophic oceans. Other algae, often dinoflagellates, are toxic. Many algae also can graze on other microbes, probably to obtain limiting nitrogen or phosphorus. Still other microbes are mainly heterotrophic, but are capable of harvesting light energy.
Microbial growth, biomass production, and controls
Authors: Kirchman David L.
Published: December 2013

Soon after the discovery that bacteria are abundant in natural environments, the question arose as to whether or not they were active. Although the plate count method suggested that they were dormant if not dead, other methods indicated that a large fraction of bacteria and fungi are active, as discussed in this chapter. The chapter describes fundamental equations for exponential growth and logistic growth, as well as phases of growth in batch cultures, continuous cultures, and chemostats. In contrast to measuring growth in laboratory cultures, it is difficult to measure it in natural environments for complex communities with co-occurring mortality. Among many methods that have been suggested over the years, the most common one for bacteria is the leucine approach; for fungi it is the acetate-in-ergosterol method. These methods indicate that the growth rate of the bulk community is on the order of days for bacteria in natural environment. It is faster in aquatic habitats than in soils: bacteria grow faster than fungi in soils. But bulk rates for bacteria appear to be slower than those for phytoplankton. All of these rates for natural communities are much slower than rates measured for most microbes in the laboratory. Some of the factors limiting heterotrophic bacteria and fungi include temperature and inorganic nutrients, but the supply of organic compounds is perhaps most important in most environments.
Physiology and energetics
Authors: Schmid Jutta
Published: December 2013

Primates and many other mammalian species exhibit a wide range of physiological and behavioural adaptations that enable them to cope with fluctuations in climate and energy availability. Measures of energy demands are indispensable to understanding how animals organize their annual cycles and how individuals and populations respond to climate-induced changes in thermal and ecological stressors. Thus, understanding the behavioural responses and physiological consequences of primates is a useful tool for conservation planning for endangered species. This chapter describes different methodologies of studying energy expenditure that can be applied to primates, and details how to measure body temperature of primates using different types of sensory systems. It also outlines practical details that must be considered before using a particular technique and elucidates the advantages and disadvantages that attend their use.
Population genetics, molecular phylogenetics, and phylogeography
Authors: Blair Mary E. , Morales-Jimenez Alba L.
Published: December 2013

This chapter provides a synthesis and evaluation of molecular techniques in the study of primate ecology, evolution, and conservation. It discusses how to obtain, preserve, and transport samples for genetic analysis; laboratory techniques for DNA extraction, genotyping, and sequencing; and data analyses relevant to research questions at the species- and population-level, including population genetics, molecular phylogenetics, and phylogeography. The chapter also highlights new and emerging approaches, including next-generation sequencing and landscape genetics. Discussed throughout is the relevance of these methods to various research questions related to primate conservation as well as ecology and evolution. In particular, molecular approaches allow research questions to not only address patterns, but also the ecological and evolutionary processes behind those patterns, enabling the conservation of natural populations that are capable of coping with continued environmental change.
Basics of probability
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter focuses on a large variety of random systems that encompass the world. It shows the outcome of a sequence of throws of a six-sided die, the simulated motion of a Brownian particle, and the temporal fluctuations of the Coca Cola stock price as examples of random fluctuations. In principle, everything could be calculated from first principles if only one knew the initial conditions, the nature of the dynamical laws, and the values of the parameters within these equations. However, tiny errors would rapidly grow and lead to an erroneous solution. Fortunately, random or stochastic systems can be analysed in a different manner, offering more general information. The key is to calculate sensible quantities. The central concept in the analysis of all stochastic systems is the random variable. While it is not possible to compute the particular outcome of a stochastic event, it may be possible to compute the probability that the random variable takes on a certain value.
4 Time dependent processes and the Chapman‐Kolmogorov equation
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter examines the statistical dynamics associated with the random motion of the change of the price of an asset. If the price of an asset is assumed to be analogous to the position of a particle, it could be imagined that some kind of Newtonian dynamics could apply to this system. A better analogy, however, would be with the random or stochastic motion of a Brownian particle, since the change of the price of an asset is a stochastic or random process. It can be seen here that the process involves a hierarchy of equations that are generally intractable. However, invoking the particular assumption that the process is Markovian, i.e. that it has a very short-term memory, it is possible to reduce this hierarchy down to a simple closed form, represented by the Chapman-Kolmogorov integral equation.
8 Derivatives and options
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter traces the origins of the use of derivatives to the era of Mesopotamian farmers and compares it to similar transactions widely used by businesses today. Mesopotamian farmers routinely sold the following year's grain harvest due for delivery at the time of harvesting at a ‘future’ price, agreed today. The actual future price went up and down according to the market. Today, for a fee, an agreement is made to engage, at some point in the future, in a trade at a fixed price. The fee is the price of the so-called derivative contract that clearly should depend in some way on the price of the underlying asset. All businesses seek to reduce uncertainty in the financial state of their businesses by trying to fix the price of the underlying commodity. As a result, they are all natural buyers and sellers of derivative contracts.
Models of asset fluctuations
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter aims to construct analytical models of asset fluctuations using the framework of Fokker-Planck equations, together with the generalised diffusion constants, and shows that simple trial forms for D  1 and D  2 result in a distribution function of returns which has a power law tail. However, while the model captures the exponential decay of the linear autocorrelation function of returns, it fails to reproduce the long-range correlations exhibited by square returns. The chapter generalises the approach using a trial time dependent function for the density distribution. This provides a more successful route to the characterisation of the long- and short-time nature of both autocovariance functions. Finally, using the Fokker-Plank equations, it is shown how this approach, which accounts for the fat tails in the distribution functions, may be applied to the computation of option prices.
Risk
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter introduces the statistics associated with extreme events and then goes on to discuss how these ideas have been used to construct portfolios where the risk is minimized. While extreme events can take asset prices in a positive as well as a negative direction, risk generally refers to negative or adverse outcomes. The chapter develops the ideas of the efficient portfolio proposed by the economist Harry Markowitz in the 1950s. A specific return can be expected through the acceptance of a specific risk. An increase in expected return comes at the expense of increased risk. The following sections show that assets are generally correlated, and these correlations should be taken into account when computing optimum portfolios. Two techniques, whose applications originate from physics, are introduced, namely minimum spanning trees and an analysis based on random matrices.
Two non‐financial markets
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter presents recent findings concerning online betting markets and house markets. Traditionally, if one wanted to bet on a certain outcome of an event, such as a horserace or a soccer match, the bet would be placed with a bookmaker. The bookmaker sets the odds deemed appropriate for the expected probability of the outcome and the customer can place bets against those odds. If a bet is offered, or laid, with odds for example at three to one, the customer who backs the bet can expect to win three times the money he or she placed on the bet with a probability of 1/4. The bookmaker will consequently keep the placed money with a probability of 3/4. Bookmakers can expect to make profits in the long run by providing odds to their customers which slightly overestimate the true probabilities of that given outcome.
16 Markets
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter argues that a slowly changing economy will not alter the dither of a country by much and, empirically, it can be observed that the foreign exchange rates can often be fairly stable over long periods of time. This was the position with many countries within the European Union during the latter part of the twentieth century, and probably the reason why politicians thought they were able to introduce a common currency. In effect, they supposed fluctuations were Gaussian and did not exhibit power law tails. However, what is becoming clear is that the lack of control of spending within parts of this new common currency area during periods of low interest rates has given rise to unsustainable levels of debt within some of these countries. Politicians argue that only with greater central control and coordination of individual member countries can the situation be stabilised.
20 Approaches to non‐equilibrium economics
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter shows that, in economics, a statistical mechanics in which the allowable states of the system are associated with a constant dither, leading to free energies that are proportional to the logarithm of a partition function, is not sufficient to describe fully economic systems. At the very least, a gradient in the dither in either time or space, which supports Carnot type processes, is required. Ultimately, it can be expected that this is associated with human behaviour and the response to economic situations. Different people can be expected to react in different ways, depending on their access to information, their ability to process said information, and their general attitude to risk and so on. Furthermore, any one person may not react in the same way at different times. The main point is that the dither in social systems is a self-generated phenomenon, and to assume it is constant for an agent may not always be appropriate.
21 The distribution of wealth in society
Authors: Richmond Peter , Mimkes Jürgen , Hutzler Stefan
Published: December 2013

This chapter discusses how income and wealth are distributed in society, discussing factors such as the form of the distribution density function and whether or not it is dependent on time, history, or locations. Vilfredo Pareto noticed that the rich end of the wealth distribution followed a power law, and that this feature seemed to be universal. To Pareto, and to most physicists, the existence of such a power law suggests that some fundamental dynamics is in play. Pareto himself proposed that people, in the course of their life, could move through the distribution in both directions, and this idea that a static distribution does not imply a static society has formed the basis for the recent studies by a number of physicists.
Genes Conferring Sensitivity to Stagonospora nodorum Necrotrophic Effectors in Stagonospora Nodorum Blotch-Susceptible U.S. Wheat Cultivars
Authors: Bertucci Matthew , Brown-Guedira Gina , Murphy J. Paul , Cowger Christina
Published: December 2013

Stagonospora nodorum is a necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB), a yield- and quality-reducing disease of wheat. S. nodorum produces a set of necrotrophic effectors (NEs) that interact with the products of host sensitivity genes to cause cell death and increased susceptibility to disease. The focus of this study was determination of NE sensitivity among 25 winter wheat cultivars, many of them from the southeastern United States, that are susceptible to SNB, as well as the moderately resistant ‘NC-Neuse’. Thirty-three isolates of S. nodorum previously collected from seven southeastern U.S. states were cultured for NE production, and the culture filtrates were used in an infiltration bioassay. Control strains of Pichia pastoris that expressed SnToxA, SnTox1, or SnTox3 were also used. All SNB-susceptible cultivars were sensitive to at least one NE, while NC-Neuse was insensitive to all NEs tested. Among the sensitive lines, 32% contained sensitivity gene Tsn1 and 64% contained sensitivity gene Snn3. None were sensitive to SnTox1. Additionally, 10 molecular markers for sensitivity genes Tsn1, Snn1, Snn2, and Snn3 were evaluated for diagnostic potential. Only the marker Xfcp623 for Tsn1 was diagnostic, and it was in perfect agreement with the results of the infiltration bioassays. The results illuminate which NE sensitivity genes may be of concern in breeding for resistance to SNB in the southeastern United States.
Phenylpropanoid Pathway Is Potentiated by Silicon in the Roots of Banana Plants During the Infection Process of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
Authors: Fortunato Alessandro Antônio , da Silva Washington Luís , Rodrigues Fabrício Ávila
Published: December 2013

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, is a disease that causes large reductions in banana yield worldwide. Considering the importance of silicon (Si) to potentiate the resistance of several plant species to pathogen infection, this study aimed to investigate, at the histochemical level, whether this element could enhance the production of phenolics on the roots of banana plants in response to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense infection. Plants of cultivar Maçã, which is susceptible to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense, were grown in plastic pots amended with 0 (−Si) or 0.39 g of Si (+Si) per kilogram of soil and inoculated with race 1 of F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense. The root Si concentration was increased by 35.6% for +Si plants in comparison to the −Si plants, which contributed to a 27% reduction in the symptoms of Fusarium wilt on roots. There was an absence of fluorescence for the root sections of the −Si plants treated with the Neu and Wilson's reagents. By contrast, for the root sections obtained from the +Si plants treated with Neu's reagent, strong yellow-orange fluorescence was observed in the phloem, and lemon-yellow fluorescence was observed in the sclerenchyma and metaxylem vessels, indicating the presence of flavonoids. For the root sections of the +Si plants treated with Wilson's reagent, orange-yellowish autofluorescence was more pronounced around the phloem vessels, and yellow fluorescence was more pronounced around the metaxylem vessels, also indicating the presence of flavonoids. Lignin was more densely deposited in the cortex of the roots of the +Si plants than for the −Si plants. Dopamine was barely detected in the roots of the −Si plants after using the lactic and glyoxylic acid stain, but was strongly suspected to occur on the phloem and metaxylem vessels of the roots of the +Si plants as confirmed by the intense orange-yellow fluorescence. The present study provides new evidence of the pivotal role of the phenylpropanoid pathway in the resistance of banana plants to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense infection when supplied with Si.
Modelling the mechanics of partially mineralized collagen fibrils, fibres and tissue
Authors: Liu Yanxin , Thomopoulos Stavros , Chen Changqing , Birman Victor , Buehler Markus J. , Genin Guy M.
Published: December 2013

Progressive stiffening of collagen tissue by bioapatite mineral is important physiologically, but the details of this stiffening are uncertain. Unresolved questions about the details of the accommodation of bioapatite within and upon collagen's hierarchical structure have posed a central hurdle, but recent microscopy data resolve several major questions. These data suggest how collagen accommodates bioapatite at the lowest relevant hierarchical level (collagen fibrils), and suggest several possibilities for the progressive accommodation of bioapatite at higher hierarchical length scales (fibres and tissue). We developed approximations for the stiffening of collagen across spatial hierarchies based upon these data, and connected models across hierarchies levels to estimate mineralization-dependent tissue-level mechanics. In the five possible sequences of mineralization studied, percolation of the bioapatite phase proved to be an important determinant of the degree of stiffening by bioapatite. The models were applied to study one important instance of partially mineralized tissue, which occurs at the attachment of tendon to bone. All sequences of mineralization considered reproduced experimental observations of a region of tissue between tendon and bone that is more compliant than either tendon or bone, but the size and nature of this region depended strongly upon the sequence of mineralization. These models and observations have implications for engineered tissue scaffolds at the attachment of tendon to bone, bone development and graded biomimetic attachment of dissimilar hierarchical materials in general.
Flagellar dynamics of a connected chain of active, polar, Brownian particles
Authors: Chelakkot Raghunath , Gopinath Arvind , Mahadevan L. , Hagan Michael F.
Published: December 2013

We show that active, self-propelled particles that are connected together to form a single chain that is anchored at one end can produce the graceful beating motions of flagella. Changing the boundary condition from a clamp to a pivot at the anchor leads to steadily rotating tight coils. Strong noise in the system disrupts the regularity of the oscillations. We use a combination of detailed numerical simulations, mean-field scaling analysis and first passage time theory to characterize the phase diagram as a function of the filament length, passive elasticity, propulsion force and noise. Our study suggests minimal experimental tests for the onset of oscillations in an active polar chain.
Sexual selection against natural hybrids may contribute to reinforcement in a house mouse hybrid zone
Authors: Latour Yasmin , Perriat-Sanguinet Marco , Caminade Pierre , Boursot Pierre , Smadja Carole M. , Ganem Guila
Published: December 2013

Sexual selection may hinder gene flow across contact zones when hybrid recognition signals are discriminated against. We tested this hypothesis in a unimodal hybrid zone between
Mus musculus musculus
and
Mus musculus domesticus
where a pattern of reinforcement was described and lower hybrid fitness documented. We presented mice from the border of the hybrid zone with a choice between opposite sex urine from the same subspecies versus hybrids sampled in different locations across the zone. While no preference was evidenced in
domesticus
mice,
musculus
males discriminated in favour of
musculus
signals and against hybrid signals. Remarkably, the pattern of hybrid unattractiveness did not vary across the hybrid zone. Moreover, allopatric populations tested in the same conditions did not discriminate against hybrid signals, indicating character displacement for signal perception or preference. Finally, habituation–discrimination tests assessing similarities between signals pointed out that hybrid signals differed from the parental ones. Overall, our results suggest that perception of hybrids as unattractive has evolved in border populations of
musculus
after the secondary contact with
domesticus
. We discuss the mechanisms involved in hybrid unattractiveness, and the potential impact of asymmetric sexual selection on the hybrid zone dynamics and gene flow between the two subspecies.
Comparative ultrastructural characterization of African horse sickness virus-infected mammalian and insect cells reveals a novel potential virus release mechanism from insect cells
Authors: Venter E. , van der Merwe C. F. , Buys A. V. , Huismans H. , van Staden V.
Published: December 2013

African horse sickness virus (AHSV) is an arbovirus capable of successfully replicating in both its mammalian host and insect vector. Where mammalian cells show a severe cytopathic effect (CPE) following AHSV infection, insect cells display no CPE. These differences in cell death could be linked to the method of viral release, i.e. lytic or non-lytic, that predominates in a specific cell type. Active release of AHSV, or any related orbivirus, has, however, not yet been documented from insect cells. We applied an integrated microscopy approach to compare the nanomechanical and morphological response of mammalian and insect cells to AHSV infection. Atomic force microscopy revealed plasma membrane destabilization, integrity loss and structural deformation of the entire surface of infected mammalian cells. Infected insect cells, in contrast, showed no morphological differences from mock-infected cells other than an increased incidence of circular cavities present on the cell surface. Transmission electron microscopy imaging identified a novel large vesicle-like compartment within infected insect cells, not present in mammalian cells, containing viral proteins and virus particles. Extracellular clusters of aggregated virus particles were visualized adjacent to infected insect cells with intact plasma membranes. We propose that foreign material is accumulated within these vesicles and that their subsequent fusion with the cell membrane releases entrapped viruses, thereby facilitating a non-lytic virus release mechanism different from the budding previously observed in mammalian cells. This insect cell-specific defence mechanism contributes to the lack of cell damage observed in AHSV-infected insect cells.
The role of disordered protein regions in the assembly of decapping complexes and RNP granules
Authors: Jonas Stefanie , Izaurralde Elisa
Published: December 2013

The removal of the 5′ cap structure by the decapping enzyme DCP2 inhibits translation and generally commits the mRNA to irreversible 5′-to-3′ exonucleolytic degradation by XRN1. DCP2 catalytic activity is stimulated by DCP1, and these proteins form the conserved core of the decapping complex. Additional decapping factors orchestrate the recruitment and activity of this complex in vivo. These factors include enhancer of decapping 3 (EDC3), EDC4, like Sm14A (LSm14A), Pat, the LSm1–7 complex, and the RNA helicase DDX6. Decapping factors are often modular and feature folded domains flanked or connected by low-complexity disordered regions. Recent studies have made important advances in understanding how these disordered regions contribute to the assembly of decapping complexes and promote phase transitions that drive RNP granule formation. These studies have also revealed that the decapping network is governed by interactions mediated by short linear motifs (SLiMs) in these disordered regions. Consequently, the network has rapidly evolved, and although decapping factors are conserved, individual interactions between orthologs have been rewired during evolution. The plasticity of the network facilitates the acquisition of additional subunits or domains in pre-existing subunits, enhances opportunities for regulating mRNA degradation, and eventually leads to the emergence of novel functions.
Which factors determine the success of strategic niche developments?
Authors: Mlecnik Erwin
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The study
'
s purpose is to review and discuss limitations of “strategic niche management” (SNM) success factors in relation to the experiences of an enterprise network to improve niche development for integrated design concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The emergence of a successful passive house innovation network in the Flemish Region is described. The innovation journey of the network is related to success factors detected in SNM literature regarding market niche development.

Findings

– The study identifies additional success factors for systemic innovation, such as involving small- and medium-sized innovators and demonstration projects and using a dedicated regional enterprise network.

Research limitations/implications

– The qualitative analysis specifically reflected on SNM success factors such as envisioning, learning, and network composition and formation. The study confirms the importance of these success factors by means of one detailed innovation journey. It identifies additional success factors and discusses opportunities to improve the relation of SNM literature with other seminal fields.

Practical implications

– Government seed money is important in providing a breakthrough in enterprise network initiatives. A focus on architectural innovation instead of technology innovation is to be preferred for stimulating integrated design concepts.

Originality/value

– The paper addresses the relevance and limitations of SNM success factors during the formation of enterprise networks. The study shows how an integrated design approach was used to cluster innovation opportunities and to inspire innovation development and collaboration for know-how development between multiple players.
Infrastructure management transaction formalism protocol specification
Authors: Zeb Jehan , Froese Thomas
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a step-by-step procedure, referred to as transaction formalism protocol (TFP) that the transaction development personnel will use to formalise transactions (communications) in the domain of infrastructure management. The protocol is developed at two levels of abstraction: TFP specification and TFP tool. This paper presents the TFP specification in detail and introduces the TFP tool briefly. The specific focus of this paper is on the development process of the protocol specification.

Design/methodology/approach

– A four-step approach is used to develop the TFP; including, identify and select existing standards, benchmark standards, link and build on these standards, and develop TFP. To develop the protocol, the function modelling standard, integration definition function modelling (IDEF0) is used. The IDEF0 treats each step of the protocol as a function.

Findings

– The TFP specification and TFP tool are developed using the proposed methodology. The TFP specification specifies inputs, controls, mechanisms, tools/techniques, and outputs required in each step, whereas the TFP tool defines forms for each step of the protocol that the transaction development personnel will use to define transactions in the domain of infrastructure management.

Practical implications

– The development of the TFP would enable the transaction development personnel (including transaction analysts, transaction designers, software developers, process modellers, and industry experts) to formalise transactions effectively and efficiently for the development of ICT-based collaboration systems.

Originality/value

– The proposed protocol incorporates shortcomings of existing standards. In contrast to other design standards that focus on either design or design cum implementation of the work processes and communications, the proposed TFP includes transaction monitoring and improvements in addition to the design and implementation of communications. Unlike other standards, the TFP is a detailed step-by-step procedure to ease its usability and understandability.
Investigating sustainable practices in the Malaysian office building developments
Authors: Shari Zalina , Soebarto Veronica
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– Economically, Malaysia has one of the fastest growing construction industries in the world; however, the necessary balance between socio-economic and ecological systems – to avoid further environmental damage – has not yet been reached by the industry. This paper aims to explore the extent of sustainable development practices (socially, environmentally and economically) in the Malaysian construction industry, focusing on the office building sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– Semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 stakeholders from various backgrounds of the Malaysian construction industry are used to explore their challenges and motivations for pursuing sustainable outcomes.

Findings

– The study finds that economic issues are the first priorities among stakeholders in any decision-makings for building projects and cost becomes one of the major reasons for the slow progress in implementing sustainable practices in building projects. Socially, there is still a wide gap of knowledge and awareness on sustainability issues among stakeholders, explaining the lack of commitment in achieving sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample size is only adequate to enable internal generalisation; hence, further research is required to test the generalisability of the findings in this research.

Practical implications

– This paper informs the government and regulatory stakeholders, research and education sector, private sector, and clients of the building industry, where the authors currently are and the gaps that the authors have to bridge in order to make sustainability more socially acceptable and integral in the local construction industry.

Originality/value

– There have been very limited studies on exploring the views from various groups of stakeholders regarding all the three components of sustainable development in the Malaysian construction industry.
Order-based manipulation: evidence from Hong Kong stock market
Authors: Chan Chun-Hin , Ka Chun Ma Alfred
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The paper aims to investigate order-based manipulation that consists of order-placing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the bid and ask record provided by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, a Level II dataset, the paper develops a methodology to obtain cancelled orders during regular trading hours. The paper examines the cancelled orders and potential order-based manipulation activities, as well as the corresponding behavior of different groups of stocks.

Findings

– Empirical results show that the relationship between order cancellation and order-based manipulation is strong and deserves more attention.

Originality/value

– The methodology can also be used by regulators and authorities to monitor suspicious activities in the market. This paper also suggests that analysis on high-frequency data does improve the understanding of trading activities in the stock market.
Financial crime prosecution, legal certainty and exigency of policy: case of Nigeria's EFCC
Authors: Oke Tayo
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– In its fight against money laundering involving politically exposed persons (PEPs), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has the dual mandate of maintaining equilibrium between two fundamental, but sharply contradictory objectives: establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and responding to the policy imperative of nipping corruption in the bud through a pro-active involvement in preventative measures. This paper contends that as a result of the tension between these two divergent ends, the agency has found itself the spider in a cobweb of legalism designed by its adversaries to stymie its operations. Furthermore, and as a matter of priority, the paper calls for a major rethink of the appropriateness of criminal jurisdiction in the prosecution of financial crimes in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Case study and textual analysis of literature.

Findings

– Civil jurisdiction of extracting the proceeds of the criminal activities of PEPs provides a better mode of deterrence than any criminal sanction could hope to achieve.

Originality/value

– Creative in deciphering a major root cause of the ineffectiveness of criminal sanction as an anti-corruption weapon.
A review of guidelines and frameworks on external reporting of intellectual capital
Authors: Asanga Abhayawansa Subhash
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– With a view to enabling organisations provide a clear understanding of firm value creation, several national and supranational institutions have produced guidelines and frameworks for externally reporting intellectual capital (IC). In many cases regulators, the accounting profession and accounting scholars have driven these initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to summarise, analyse and compare the guidelines and frameworks that have been developed with a focus on externally reporting IC.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper analyses the assumptions underpinning 20 guidelines and frameworks that have been developed with a focus on reporting IC using a self-constructed framework.

Findings

– The review resulted in a comparison of IC reporting guidelines and framework based on target audience, role of IC within the organisational strategic management process and reporting IC indicator. It provides an understanding of the state of the art in relation to external reporting of IC.

Practical implications

– The insights provided by the comparison of the guidelines and frameworks are likely to be helpful for practitioners wanting to adopt or develop an IC reporting model for their organisation. Policy-makers will find these insights beneficial when attempting to refine existing frameworks and guidelines for reporting IC and in developing new ones to suit various circumstances. Also, this paper provides a useful review for academics.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper to provide a review of a large number of business reporting guidelines and frameworks with a focus on IC. It is a valuable reference for practitioners, policy-makers and academics on IC reporting models.
Home furnishings consumption choices: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Annette Burnsed Katherine , J. Hodges Nancy
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of consumer perceived value relative to home furnishing case good (i.e. furniture made of wood and not upholstered) consumption choices.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative approach to data collection and interpretation was used. A semi-structured depth-interview and focus group schedule was created based on an extant review of literature and consisted of open-ended questions about shopping for and purchasing home furnishings case goods.

Findings

– A thematic interpretation of interviews and focus groups led to the development of emergent themes: the key factors influencing participant's value perceptions were quality, comfort, and price; participants decorated first for themselves; a welcoming, attractive environment for family and friends/guests was important; and desires and wants were more salient than needs. Themes were then categorized according to Sheth, Newman, and Gross' five consumption value dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations of the study include a focus on Southeastern US consumers and a focus on home furnishings case goods.

Practical implications

– Although the findings of this research are market specific, they have important implications for the home furnishings case goods industry. Overall, this study provides product developers, manufacturers, and marketers with a greater understanding of the home furnishings case goods consumer, which could allow sellers to create lead times and provide consumers with more tailored offerings/selections that would better suit their needs and desires.

Originality/value

– This paper offers insight into the role of consumer perceived value relative to home furnishing consumption choices to product developers, manufacturers, and marketers.
Expanding Federal Funding to Community Health Centers Slows Decline in Access for Low‐Income Adults
Authors: McMorrow Stacey , Zuckerman Stephen
Published: December 2013

Objective

To identify the impact of the Health Center Growth Initiative on access to care for low‐income adults.

Data Sources

Data on federal funding for health centers are from the Bureau of Primary Health Care's Uniform Data System (2000–2007), and individual‐level measures of access and use are derived from the National Health Interview Survey (2001–2008).

Study Design

We estimate person‐level models of access and use as a function of individual‐ and market‐level characteristics. By using market‐level fixed effects, we identify the effects of health center funding on access using changes within markets over time. We explore effects on low‐income adults and further examine how those effects vary by insurance coverage.

Data Collection

We calculate health center funding per poor person in a health care market and attach this information to individual observations on the National Health Interview Survey. Health care markets are defined as hospital referral regions.

Principal Findings

Low‐income adults in markets with larger funding increases were more likely to have an office visit and to have a general doctor visit. These results were stronger for uninsured and publicly insured adults.

Conclusions

Expansions in federal health center funding had some mitigating effects on the access declines that were generally experienced by low‐income adults over this time period.
Ruins, Romance and the Rise of Gothic Tourism: The Case of Netley Abbey, 1750‐1830
Authors: TOWNSHEND DALE
Published: December 2013

This article considers literary and antiquarian responses to the ruins at Netley Abbey, Hampshire, between the years 1750 and 1830. Having situated poetic responses to Netley in relation to William Gilpin's theories of the Picturesque, the article claims that it was at precisely such a site of architectural ruin that the Gothic imagination was articulated. Beyond this, the article demonstrates that the Gothic ruins at Netley Abbey became an important site in the rise of ‘Gothic tourism’, the dark and spectral equivalent to Romanticism's Picturesque tour in the latter half of the eighteenth century.
The Stabilisation of Model Parameter Estimates from Repeated Surveys with Rare Observations
Authors: Welsh A. H. , Hedlin Dan , Šova Markus G.
Published: December 2013

In many surveys, the domains of study are small and the samples that carry information on a domain can be very small indeed. If the survey is conducted repeatedly there is often a high degree of overlap in samples over time. We show how to use the richness of information over time to compensate for the paucity of cross‐sectional information. We propose a model‐based estimator of the population total which makes use of stabilised parameter estimates that combine information from different survey periods that are adjacent in time. The motivating example for this research was the ProdCom survey as implemented in the UK.
Amphioxus tails: source and fate of larval fin rays and the metamorphic transition from an ectodermal to a predominantly mesodermal tail
Authors: Mansfield Jennifer H. , Holland Nicholas D.
Published: December 2013

It was previously discovered that tail fin rays of larval amphioxus are long ciliary rootlets in posterior epidermal cells. This work describes the heretofore unknown origin and fate of these organelles in the Florida amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae). In late embryos, epidermal cells at the posterior end of the body increase in height, thus producing a tail fin. One ciliary rootlet in each cell elongates and also rotates through about 90°, soon becoming oriented parallel to the long axis of the cell and running continuously from the apical to the basal plasma membrane. During the subsequent growth of the larval tail, the rootlets and epidermal cells housing them reach lengths up to 120 μm. At metamorphosis, the rootlets become vacuolated and rapidly decrease in length along with the height of the tail epidermis. Contemporaneously, abundant extracellular dermal matrix accumulates in the sagittal plane of the body to produce a predominantly dermal tail fin. Throughout postmetamorphic life, the posterior epidermal cells, now without ciliary rootlets, thinly cover a largely dermal tail flange. Thus, the specialized morphology of the amphioxus tail fin is generated by two different cellular mechanisms, involving different cell populations (ectodermal and mesodermal), at different life‐history stages.
Source localization with MEG data: A beamforming approach based on covariance thresholding
Authors: Zhang Jian , Liu Chao , Green Gary
Published: December 2013

Reconstructing neural activities using non‐invasive sensor arrays outside the brain is an ill‐posed inverse problem since the observed sensor measurements could result from an infinite number of possible neuronal sources. The sensor covariance‐based beamformer mapping represents a popular and simple solution to the above problem. In this article, we propose a family of beamformers by using covariance thresholding. A general theory is developed on how their spatial and temporal dimensions determine their performance. Conditions are provided for the convergence rate of the associated beamformer estimation. The implications of the theory are illustrated by simulations and a real data analysis.
The reverse modality effect: Examining student learning from interactive computer‐based instruction
Authors: Inan Fethi A. , Crooks Steven M. , Cheon Jongpil , Ari Fatih , Flores Raymond , Kurucay Murat , Paniukov Dmitrii
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of modality on learning from multimedia instruction. This study utilized a factorial between‐subject design to examine the effects of modality on student learning outcomes, study patterns and mental effort. An interactive computer‐presented diagram was developed to teach the places of articulation in human speech. A total of 151 undergraduate students at a large southwestern university in USA participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two modality conditions (ie, written text and spoken text). Data were obtained through surveys, student logs and knowledge tests. Findings revealed a reverse modality effect, wherein participants who studied with written text outperformed those who studied with spoken text.
BRAF‐Mutated Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma is Associated with Temporal Location, Reticulin Fiber Deposition and CD34 Expression
Authors: Koelsche Christian , Sahm Felix , Wöhrer Adelheid , Jeibmann Astrid , Schittenhelm Jens , Kohlhof Patricia , Preusser Matthias , Romeike Bernd , Dohmen‐Scheufler Hildegard , Hartmann Christian , Mittelbronn Michel , Becker Albert , von Deimling Andreas , Capper David
Published: December 2013

BRAF V600E mutation and homozygous deletion of CDKN2A (p16) are frequent molecular alterations in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs). We investigated 49 PXAs for clinical, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics related to BRAF mutation status. BRAF mutation was detected by immunohistochemical assay and DNA sequencing in 38/49 (78%) tumors. All but one PXA located in the temporal lobe harbored a BRAF V600E mutation (23/24; 96%) compared with 10/19 nontemporal PXAs (53%; P = 0.0009). Histological and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated increased reticulin deposition (76% vs. 27%; P = 0.003) and a more frequent expression of CD34 in BRAF‐mutant PXAs (76% vs. 27%; P = 0.003).

We further investigated the utility of combined BRAF V600E (VE1) and p16 analysis by immunohistochemistry to distinguish PXAs from relevant histological mimics like giant‐cell glioblastoma. Among PXAs, 38/49 (78%) were VE1‐positive, and 30/49 (61%) had a loss of p16 expression. The combined features (VE1 positivity/p16 loss) were observed in 25/49 PXAs (51%) but were not observed in giant‐cell glioblastoma (VE1 0/28, p16 loss 14/28). We demonstrate that temporal location, reticulin deposition and CD34 expression are associated with BRAF mutation in PXA. Combined VE1 positivity and p16 loss represents a frequent immunoprofile of PXA and may therefore constitute an additional diagnostic tool for its differential diagnosis.