bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pyruvate kinase and aspartate-glutamate carrier distributions reveal key metabolic links between neurons and glia in retina
Authors: Lindsay Ken J. , Du Jianhai , Sloat Stephanie R. , Contreras Laura , Linton Jonathan D. , Turner Sally J. , Sadilek Martin , Satrústegui Jorgina , Hurley James B.
Published: October 2014

Significance

Aerobic glycolysis is a metabolic adaptation that helps cells in a tumor meet high anabolic demands. The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) is associated with aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells. Aerobic glycolysis also accounts for most of the Glc metabolized in retinas. We find that photoreceptors (PRs) in retinas, like cancer cells in tumors, express PKM2. We also found very little expression of pyruvate kinase (PK) in Müller glia. We present metabolic flux analyses that show a metabolic relationship between PRs and Müller cells (MCs) that is different from the relationship between some neurons and astrocytes in brain. To compensate for PK deficiency and aspartate/glutamate carrier 1 deficiencies, MCs can fuel their mitochondria with lactate and aspartate produced by PRs.
Base pairing between hepatitis C virus RNA and 18S rRNA is required for IRES-dependent translation initiation in vivo
Authors: Matsuda Daiki , Mauro Vincent P.
Published: October 2014

Significance

Translation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is facilitated by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that binds small (40S) ribosomal subunits via ribosomal protein and 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) interactions. Using an rRNA expression system developed in this laboratory, we demonstrate that IRES activity requires a 3-nt Watson–Crick base-pairing interaction between the IRES and 18S rRNA of 40S ribosomal subunits. The specific intermolecular interaction appears to be unique to the HCV IRES and is a potential therapeutic target in Hepatitis C disease. In addition, by expressing compatible mutated HCV IRES-18S rRNA pairs, we were able to program translation of specific mRNAs by recombinant but not wild-type 40S subunits. This example suggests practical applications of rRNA engineering in mammalian cells.
Long-term exposure to elevated CO
2
enhances plant community stability by suppressing dominant plant species in a mixed-grass prairie
Authors: Zelikova Tamara Jane , Blumenthal Dana M. , Williams David G. , Souza Lara , LeCain Daniel R. , Morgan Jack , Pendall Elise
Published: October 2014

Significance

Evaluating ecological responses to climate change is essential to predict ecosystem function under future climate scenarios. In a mixed-grass prairie, we use a multifactor field experiment to show that the effects of elevated CO
2
and warming on plant community structure and productivity depend on interannual variation in precipitation. We also show that shifts in plant dominance patterns driven by elevated CO
2
in a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem promoted biomass and compositional stability and resistance to interannual variation in precipitation. The economic value of grasslands is largely dependent on the relative abundance of key forage species. Thus, our results have implications for how we manage native grasslands in the face of changing climate.
Discovery of fossil lamprey larva from the Lower Cretaceous reveals its three-phased life cycle
Authors: Chang Mee-mann , Wu Feixiang , Miao Desui , Zhang Jiangyong
Published: October 2014

Significance

Lampreys are one of the two surviving jawless vertebrate groups that hold the key to our understanding of early vertebrate evolution. Although the fossil records have shown the emergence of many general features of extant lamprey adults as early as the Late Devonian, the origin of the three-phased life cycle in lampreys still eludes us because we know little about fossilized lamprey larvae or transformers. This paper reports the first to our knowledge discovery of exceptionally preserved premetamorphic and metamorphosing larvae of the fossil lampreyMesomyzon mengaefrom the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China. These fossil ammocoetes look surprisingly modern and show the three-phased life cycle emerged essentially in their present mode no later than the Early Cretaceous.
Assessment of breast pathologies using nonlinear microscopy
Authors: Tao Yuankai K. , Shen Dejun , Sheikine Yuri , Ahsen Osman O. , Wang Helen H. , Schmolze Daniel B. , Johnson Nicole B. , Brooker Jeffrey S. , Cable Alex E. , Connolly James L. , Fujimoto James G.
Published: October 2014

Significance

Development of methods for rapid intraoperative assessment of breast pathologies is important for decreasing the rate of surgical reexcisions during breast-conserving therapy. Frozen-section analysis is the most widely used method for intraoperative margin assessment but is time consuming, has limited diagnostic accuracy, and produces freezing artifacts. This manuscript demonstrates nonlinear microscopy for rapid assessment of surgical breast specimens without need for fixation, embedding, and sectioning required for conventional histology. Blinded reading of nonlinear microscopy images by three pathologists achieved 95.4% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity, and 94.1% overall accuracy compared with histology for identifying invasive cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ versus benign breast tissue. The results suggest that nonlinear microscopy is a promising method for intraoperative assessment of breast surgical excision specimens.
Recent distribution of lead in the Indian Ocean reflects the impact of regional emissions
Authors: Echegoyen Yolanda , Boyle Edward A. , Lee Jong-Mi , Gamo Toshitaka , Obata Hajime , Norisuye Kazuhiro
Published: October 2014

Significance

Humans have altered the earth surface environment by massive injection of certain chemicals into our air and water. In some cases these injections are detrimental to environmental health and must be monitored to limit the damage (e.g., freons and the ozone layer); in other cases (e.g., freon dissolving into the ocean) there are no harmful consequences, but the chemicals are useful as tracers of ocean circulation patterns. Lead remains a major hazard when it is proximate to humans (e.g., plumbing, housepaint, and contaminated soils); in the open ocean, lead serves as an inadvertent experiment demonstrating how metals move through the marine environment. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the fate of human-injected lead in the Indian Ocean.
Molecular determinants of caspase-9 activation by the Apaf-1 apoptosome
Authors: Hu Qi , Wu Di , Chen Wen , Yan Zhen , Yan Chuangye , He Tianxi , Liang Qionglin , Shi Yigong
Published: October 2014

Significance

Upstream cell death stimuli culminate in the activation of an initiator caspase, marking the onset of apoptosis. Activation of the initiator caspase, caspase-9, is mediated by the heptameric Apaf-1 apoptosome. How Apaf-1 apoptosome facilitates the autocatalytic activation of caspase-9 has remained controversial and largely enigmatic. Two contrasting but not mutually exclusive hypotheses, proximity-induced dimerization vs. induced conformation, emphasize different aspects of initiator caspase activation. This study provides compelling evidence to support the induced conformation model for caspase-9 activation. A previously unknown interface between Apaf-1 and caspase-9 was identified to play an essential role in caspase-9 activation, and formation of a multimeric complex between Apaf-1 caspase recruitment domain (CARD) and caspase-9 was shown to be indispensable for caspase-9 activation.
Angiotensin II signaling via protein kinase C phosphorylates Kelch-like 3, preventing WNK4 degradation
Authors: Shibata Shigeru , Arroyo Juan Pablo , Castañeda-Bueno María , Puthumana Jeremy , Zhang Junhui , Uchida Shunya , Stone Kathryn L. , Lam TuKiet T. , Lifton Richard P.
Published: October 2014

Significance

Aldosterone produces distinct adaptive responses in volume depletion and hyperkalemia. Mutations in with-no-lysine (WNK) kinases or ubiquitin ligases containing Cullin 3 (CUL3) and Kelch-like 3 (KLHL3) cause a Mendelian disease featuring hypertension and hyperkalemia due to constitutive renal salt reabsorption and inhibited K
+
secretion. WNKs modulate activities of aldosterone-regulated electrolyte flux pathways, and WNK levels are regulated by CUL3/KLHL3; disease-causing mutations prevent WNK degradation. This manuscript shows that angiotensin II (AII), a hormone produced only in volume depletion, induces PKC-mediated phosphorylation of KLHL3, preventing WNK degradation and phenocopying KLHL3 mutations. These findings provide a mechanism by which AII signaling alters WNK4, promoting increased renal salt reabsorption and reduced K
+
secretion.
Three-dimensional coherence of the conscious body image
Authors: Longo Matthew R.
Published: October 2014

We experience our body as a coherent object in the three-dimensional (3-D) world. In contrast, the body is represented in somatosensory cortex as a fragmented collection of two-dimensional (2-D) maps. Recent results have suggested that some forms of higher level body representations maintain this fragmentation, for example by showing different patterns of distortion for two surfaces of a single body part, such as the palmar and dorsal hand surfaces. This study investigated the 3-D coherence of the conscious body image of the hand by comparing perceptual biases of perceived hand shape on the dorsal and palmar surfaces. Participants made forced-choice judgements of whether observed hand images were thinner or wider than their own left or right hand, and perceptual distortions of the hand image were assessed by fitting psychometric functions. The results suggested that the hand is consciously represented as a fully coherent, 3-D object. Specifically: (a) Similar overall levels of distortion were found on the palmar and dorsal hand surfaces, (b) comparable laterality effects were found on both surfaces (left hand represented as wider than right hand), and (c) the magnitude of distortions were strongly correlated across the two surfaces. Whereas other recent results have suggested that perceptual abilities such as position sense, tactile size perception, and tactile localization may rely on fragmented, 2-D representations of individual skin surfaces, the present results suggest that, in striking contrast, the conscious body image represents the body (or, at least the hand) as a coherent, 3-D object.
microRNA-mediated regulation of mTOR complex components facilitates discrimination between activation and anergy in CD4 T cells
Authors: Marcais Antoine , Blevins Rory , Graumann Johannes , Feytout Amelie , Dharmalingam Gopuraja , Carroll Thomas , Amado Inês F. , Bruno Ludovica , Lee Keunwook , Walzer Thierry , Mann Matthias , Freitas Antonio A. , Boothby Mark , Fisher Amanda G. , Merkenschlager Matthias
Published: October 2014

T cell receptor (TCR) signals can elicit full activation with acquisition of effector functions or a state of anergy. Here, we ask whether microRNAs affect the interpretation of TCR signaling. We find that Dicer-deficient CD4 T cells fail to correctly discriminate between activating and anergy-inducing stimuli and produce IL-2 in the absence of co-stimulation. Excess IL-2 production by Dicer-deficient CD4 T cells was sufficient to override anergy induction in WT T cells and to restore inducible Foxp3 expression in Il2-deficient CD4 T cells. Phosphorylation of Akt on S473 and of S6 ribosomal protein was increased and sustained in Dicer-deficient CD4 T cells, indicating elevated mTOR activity. The mTOR components Mtor and Rictor were posttranscriptionally deregulated, and the microRNAs Let-7 and miR-16 targeted the Mtor and Rictor mRNAs. Remarkably, returning Mtor and Rictor to normal levels by deleting one allele of Mtor and one allele of Rictor was sufficient to reduce Akt S473 phosphorylation and to reduce co-stimulation–independent IL-2 production in Dicer-deficient CD4 T cells. These results show that microRNAs regulate the expression of mTOR components in T cells, and that this regulation is critical for the modulation of mTOR activity. Hence, microRNAs contribute to the discrimination between T cell activation and anergy.
A self-consistent approach for determining pairwise interactions that underlie channel activation
Authors: Chowdhury Sandipan , Haehnel Benjamin M. , Chanda Baron
Published: October 2014

Signaling proteins such as ion channels largely exist in two functional forms, corresponding to the active and resting states, connected by multiple intermediates. Multiparametric kinetic models based on sophisticated electrophysiological experiments have been devised to identify molecular interactions of these conformational transitions. However, this approach is arduous and is not suitable for large-scale perturbation analysis of interaction pathways. Recently, we described a model-free method to obtain the net free energy of activation in voltage- and ligand-activated ion channels. Here we extend this approach to estimate pairwise interaction energies of side chains that contribute to gating transitions. Our approach, which we call generalized interaction-energy analysis (GIA), combines median voltage estimates obtained from charge-voltage curves with mutant cycle analysis to ascertain the strengths of pairwise interactions. We show that, for a system with an arbitrary gating scheme, the nonadditive contributions of amino acid pairs to the net free energy of activation can be computed in a self-consistent manner. Numerical analyses of sequential and allosteric models of channel activation also show that this approach can measure energetic nonadditivities even when perturbations affect multiple transitions. To demonstrate the experimental application of this method, we reevaluated the interaction energies of six previously described long-range interactors in the Shaker potassium channel. Our approach offers the ability to generate detailed interaction energy maps in voltage- and ligand-activated ion channels and can be extended to any force-driven system as long as associated “displacement” can be measured.
Calmodulin enhances ribbon replenishment and shapes filtering of synaptic transmission by cone photoreceptors
Authors: Van Hook Matthew J. , Parmelee Caitlyn M. , Chen Minghui , Cork Karlene M. , Curto Carina , Thoreson Wallace B.
Published: October 2014

At the first synapse in the vertebrate visual pathway, light-evoked changes in photoreceptor membrane potential alter the rate of glutamate release onto second-order retinal neurons. This process depends on the synaptic ribbon, a specialized structure found at various sensory synapses, to provide a supply of primed vesicles for release. Calcium (Ca2+) accelerates the replenishment of vesicles at cone ribbon synapses, but the mechanisms underlying this acceleration and its functional implications for vision are unknown. We studied vesicle replenishment using paired whole-cell recordings of cones and postsynaptic neurons in tiger salamander retinas and found that it involves two kinetic mechanisms, the faster of which was diminished by calmodulin (CaM) inhibitors. We developed an analytical model that can be applied to both conventional and ribbon synapses and showed that vesicle resupply is limited by a simple time constant, τ = 1/(Dρδs), where D is the vesicle diffusion coefficient, δ is the vesicle diameter, ρ is the vesicle density, and s is the probability of vesicle attachment. The combination of electrophysiological measurements, modeling, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of single synaptic vesicles suggested that CaM speeds replenishment by enhancing vesicle attachment to the ribbon. Using electroretinogram and whole-cell recordings of light responses, we found that enhanced replenishment improves the ability of cone synapses to signal darkness after brief flashes of light and enhances the amplitude of responses to higher-frequency stimuli. By accelerating the resupply of vesicles to the ribbon, CaM extends the temporal range of synaptic transmission, allowing cones to transmit higher-frequency visual information to downstream neurons. Thus, the ability of the visual system to encode time-varying stimuli is shaped by the dynamics of vesicle replenishment at photoreceptor synaptic ribbons.
Does Positioning Affect Tracheal Aspiration of Gastric Content in Ventilated Infants?
Authors: Aly Hany , Soliman Reem M. , El‐Dib Mohamed , Said Reem N. , Abdellatif May A.K. , Sibaii Hiba , Elwakkad Amany
Published: October 2014

Objectives:

Gastroesophageal reflux and aspiration can occur in premature infants who are supported with mechanical ventilation. The relation between physical positioning and gastric aspiration in ventilated infants has not been studied. Pepsin measured in tracheal aspirate (TA) emerged as a specific marker for aspiration. The objective of our study was to assess pepsin in TA of ventilated infants at 2 different positions: supine and right lateral.

Methods:

We conducted a randomized controlled trial on premature infants who were enterally fed and supported with mechanical ventilation. Patients were randomized into intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, infants were placed supine for 6 hours before a sample of TA was obtained. A second sample was collected 6 hours later while lying in the right lateral position. In the control group, the 2 samples of TA were obtained while infants remained in the supine position during the entire study time. Pepsin in TA was measured while blinded to the group assignment.

Results:

A total of 34 patients were enrolled and randomized to intervention (n = 17) and control (n = 17) groups. Gestational age was 32.7 ± 2.7 weeks, and birth weight was 1617 ± 526 g; both groups had similar demographic and clinical characteristics. Pepsin concentration did not differ between groups at baseline. In the intervention group, pepsin concentration significantly declined from 13 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 11.9–38.7) to 10 ng/mL (IQR 7–12; P < 0.001), whereas it did not change in the control group (P = 0.42).

Conclusions:

The right lateral positioning is associated with decreased TA pepsin. The implications of the present study on hospital practice and clinical outcomes need further investigations.
Medicating the environment: assessing risks of pharmaceuticals to wildlife and ecosystems
Authors: Arnold Kathryn E. , Brown A. Ross , Ankley Gerald T. , Sumpter John P.
Published: October 2014

Global pharmaceutical consumption is rising with the growing and ageing human population and more intensive food production. Recent studies have revealed pharmaceutical residues in a wide range of ecosystems and organisms. Environmental concentrations are often low, but pharmaceuticals typically are designed to have biological effects at low doses, acting on physiological systems that can be evolutionarily conserved across taxa. This Theme Issue introduces the latest research investigating the risks of environmentally relevant concentrations of pharmaceuticals to vertebrate wildlife. We take a holistic, global view of environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals encompassing terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems in high- and low-income countries. Based on both field and laboratory data, the evidence for and relevance of changes to physiology and behaviour, in addition to mortality and reproductive effects, are examined in terms of the population- and community-level consequences of pharmaceutical exposure on wildlife. Studies on uptake, trophic transfer and indirect effects of pharmaceuticals acting via food webs are presented. Given the logistical and ethical complexities of research in this area, several papers focus on techniques for prioritizing which compounds are most likely to harm wildlife and how modelling approaches can make predictions about the bioavailability, metabolism and toxicity of pharmaceuticals in non-target species. This Theme Issue aims to help clarify the uncertainties, highlight opportunities and inform ongoing scientific and policy debates on the impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment.
Direct and indirect responses of a freshwater food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen
Authors: Kidd Karen A. , Paterson Michael J. , Rennie Michael D. , Podemski Cheryl L. , Findlay Dave L. , Blanchfield Paul J. , Liber Karsten
Published: October 2014

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in municipal effluents directly affect the sexual development and reproductive success of fishes, but indirect effects on invertebrate prey or fish predators through reduced predation or prey availability, respectively, are unknown. At the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, a long-term, whole-lake experiment was conducted using a before-after-control-impact design to determine both direct and indirect effects of the synthetic oestrogen used in the birth control pill, 17α-ethynyloestradiol (EE2). Algal, microbial, zooplankton and benthic invertebrate communities showed no declines in abundance during three summers of EE2 additions (5–6 ng l−1), indicating no direct toxic effects. Recruitment of fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) failed, leading to a near-extirpation of this species both 2 years during (young-of-year, YOY) and 2 years following (adults and YOY) EE2 additions. Body condition of male lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and male and female white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) declined before changes in prey abundance, suggesting direct effects of EE2 on this endpoint. Evidence of indirect effects of EE2 was also observed. Increases in zooplankton,Chaoborus, and emerging insects were observed after 2 or 3 years of EE2 additions, strongly suggesting indirect effects mediated through the reduced abundance of several small-bodied fishes. Biomass of top predator lake trout declined by 23–42% during and after EE2 additions, most probably an indirect effect from the loss of its prey species, the fathead minnow and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). Our results demonstrate that small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts of oestrogens in municipal wastewaters and provide further evidence of the value of whole-ecosystem experiments for understanding indirect effects of EDCs and other aquatic stressors.
Potential ecological footprints of active pharmaceutical ingredients: an examination of risk factors in low-, middle- and high-income countries
Authors: Kookana Rai S. , Williams Mike , Boxall Alistair B. A. , Larsson D. G. Joakim , Gaw Sally , Choi Kyungho , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Thatikonda Shashidhar , Zhu Yong-Guan , Carriquiriborde Pedro
Published: October 2014

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can enter the natural environment during manufacture, use and/or disposal, and consequently public concern about their potential adverse impacts in the environment is growing. Despite the bulk of the human population living in Asia and Africa (mostly in low- or middle-income countries), limited work relating to research, development and regulations on APIs in the environment have so far been conducted in these regions. Also, the API manufacturing sector is gradually shifting to countries with lower production costs. This paper focuses mainly on APIs for human consumption and highlights key differences between the low-, middle- and high-income countries, covering factors such as population and demographics, manufacture, prescriptions, treatment, disposal and reuse of waste and wastewater. The striking differences in populations (both human and animal), urbanization, sewer connectivity and other factors have revealed that the environmental compartments receiving the bulk of API residues differ markedly between low- and high-income countries. High sewer connectivity in developed countries allows capture and treatment of the waste stream (point-source). However, in many low- or middle-income countries, sewerage connectivity is generally low and in some areas waste is collected predominantly in septic systems. Consequently, the diffuse-source impact, such as on groundwater from leaking septic systems or on land due to disposal of raw sewage or septage, may be of greater concern. A screening level assessment of potential burdens of APIs in urban and rural environments of countries representing low- and middle-income as well as high-income has been made. Implications for ecological risks of APIs used by humans in lower income countries are discussed.
Pharmaceuticals in the environment: scientific evidence of risks and its regulation
Authors: Küster Anette , Adler Nicole
Published: October 2014

During the past two decades scientists, regulatory agencies and the European Commission have acknowledged pharmaceuticals to be an emerging environmental problem. In parallel, a regulatory framework for environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceutical products has been developed. Since the regulatory guidelines came into force the German Federal Agency (UBA) has been evaluating ERAs for human and veterinary pharmaceutical products before they are marketed. The results show that approximately 10% of pharmaceutical products are of note regarding their potential environmental risk. For human medicinal products, hormones, antibiotics, analgesics, antidepressants and antineoplastics indicated an environmental risk. For veterinary products, hormones, antibiotics and parasiticides were most often discussed as being environmentally relevant. These results are in good correlation with the results within the open scientific literature of prioritization approaches for pharmaceuticals in the environment. UBA results revealed that prospective approaches, such as ERA of pharmaceuticals, play an important role in minimizing problems caused by pharmaceuticals in the environment. However, the regulatory ERA framework could be improved by (i) inclusion of the environment in the risk–benefit analysis for human pharmaceuticals, (ii) improvement of risk management options, (iii) generation of data on existing pharmaceuticals, and (iv) improving the availability of ERA data. In addition, more general and integrative steps of regulation, legislation and research have been developed and are presented in this article. In order to minimize the quantity of pharmaceuticals in the environment these should aim to (i) improve the existing legislation for pharmaceuticals, (ii) prioritize pharmaceuticals in the environment and (iii) improve the availability and collection of pharmaceutical data.
Leveraging existing data for prioritization of the ecological risks of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals to aquatic organisms
Authors: LaLone Carlie A. , Berninger Jason P. , Villeneuve Daniel L. , Ankley Gerald T.
Published: October 2014

Medicinal innovation has led to the discovery and use of thousands of human and veterinary drugs. With this comes the potential for unintended effects on non-target organisms exposed to pharmaceuticals inevitably entering the environment. The impracticality of generating whole-organism chronic toxicity data representative of all species in the environment has necessitated prioritization of drugs for focused empirical testing as well as field monitoring. Current prioritization strategies typically emphasize likelihood for exposure (i.e. predicted/measured environmental concentrations), while incorporating only rather limited consideration of potential effects of the drug to non-target organisms. However, substantial mammalian pharmacokinetic and mechanism/mode of action (MOA) data are produced during drug development to understand drug target specificity and efficacy for intended consumers. An integrated prioritization strategy for assessing risks of human and veterinary drugs would leverage available pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic data for evaluation of the potential for adverse effects to non-target organisms. In this reiview, we demonstrate the utility of read-across approaches to leverage mammalian absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination data; analyse cross-species molecular target conservation and translate therapeutic MOA to an adverse outcome pathway(s) relevant to aquatic organisms as a means to inform prioritization of drugs for focused toxicity testing and environmental monitoring.
Paenibacillus ferrarius sp. nov., isolated from iron mineral soil
Authors: Cao Yajing , Chen Fang , Li Yanzhi , Wei Sha , Wang Gejiao
Published: October 2014

A Gram-reaction-positive, endospore-forming, aerobic bacterium, designated strain CY1T, was isolated from iron mineral soil of Hunan Province, China. The isolate was rod-shaped and motile by means of peritrichous flagella. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 and the major quinone was menaquinone 7. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol phosphatidylethanolamine. The genomic DNA G+C content was 50.5 mol% and the major diagnostic diamino acid in cell-wall peptidoglycan was meso-diaminopimelic acid. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain CY1T is most closely related to

Paenibacillus chondroitinus

DSM 5051T (97.7 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity),

Paenibacillus pocheonensis

Gsoil 1138T (97.4 %) and

Paenibacillus frigoriresistens

YIM 016T (97.0 %). DNA–DNA hybridization dissociation values were lower than 49 % with the most closely related species. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic evidence, strain CY1T is affiliated to the genus

Paenibacillus

, but could be distinguished from the species of this genus. A novel species with the name Paenibacillus ferrarius sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CY1T ( = KCTC 33419T = CCTCC AB 2013369T).
Crystal structure of (2E)-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one
Authors: Sathya S. , Reuben Jonathan D. , Prathebha K. , Jovita J. , Usha G.
Published: October 2014

In the title moleclue, C16H14O4, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings is 16.1 (3)°. The methoxy group is essentially coplanar with the benzene ring to which it is attached, with a C—O—C...;C torsion angle of 5.5 (9)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by O—H...O and bifurcated O—H...(O,O) hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. The structure was refined as a two-component inversion twin.
Crystal structure of 2,6-bis(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,5-dimethylpiperidin-4-one
Authors: Park Dong Ho , Ramkumar V. , Parthiban P.
Published: October 2014

In the title molecule, C23H29NO5, the central piperidine ring has a chair conformation. The planes of the two benzene rings are inclined each to other at 61.7 (1)°. The crystal packing exhibits no directional interactions only van der Waals contacts.
The achiral tetrapeptideZ-Aib-Aib-Aib-Gly-OtBu
Authors: Gessmann Renate , Brückner Hans , Petratos Kyriacos
Published: October 2014

The title achiral peptideN-benzyloxycarbonyl-α-aminoisobutyryl-α-aminoisobutyryl-α-aminoisobutyrylglycinetert-butyl ester orZ-Aib-Aib-Aib-Gly-OtBu (Aib is α-aminoisobutyric acid,Zis benzyloxycarbonyl, Gly is glycine and OtBu indicates thetert-butyl ester), C26H40N4O7, is partly hydrated (0.075H2O) and has two different conformations which together constitute the asymmetric unit. Both molecules form incipient 310-helices. They differ in the relative orientation of the N-terminal protection group and at the C-terminus. There are two 4→1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds.
A study of turbulence in the Swedish payment system – is there a way forward?
Authors: Arvidsson Niklas
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to understand turbulence in the field of payments in Europe and which future challenges this bring. The objective is to enable actors – industrial as well as policy-making agencies – to avoid becoming passive and reluctant to take needed steps that may realize a new playing field for payments.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article uses scenario analysis methodology to propose a way forward if the field of payments is to move away from turbulence and instead embrace renewal. It is based on a literature study, interviews and workshops.

Findings

– This article discusses and shows how the payment system is in a state of turbulence, which in itself, may become a self-reinforcing negative process. The seemingly rational competitive actions that firms take in this situation may make the situation worse. The article also outlines critical action that must be taken to avoid this negative process.

Research limitations/implications

– There is a need for research that integrates studies on innovation and renewal in the critical industries – banking, telecom and the system driving industries – to improve our understanding of possible synergies and/or obstacles to integrated, cross-industry innovation efforts. Such insights may also lay the foundation for the creation of a way to overcome turbulence.

Practical implications

– The article advocates the need that critical actors collaborate to develop a new understanding – or common ground – of a future payment system. This will serve as a tool to identify obstacles and challenges, develop action and formulate agendas for different actors in and around the system. Based on the new common ground, actors are then free to formulate their own strategic agendas in a new competitive landscape in the field of payments.

Social implications

– If the turbulence is to be avoided, national governments in the euro area and the European Union Commission must work hard to avoid national exemptions and adaptations (often caused by strong lobbying by companies from each country in question). Innovation agencies must work so as to stimulate renewal. Another task could be to educate consumers on the social and economic benefits of moving away from a cash-based payment system.

Originality/value

– The originality of this paper is to test the idea that turbulence and the consequential inertia in the payment system is a result of the institutional set-up of the industry. In addition, the article uses causal texture theory and scenario analysis to understand turbulence and inertia in the payment system. This has, to my knowledge, not been done before.
Virtuous CSR: an Islamic family business in Malaysia
Authors: Yusof Mohar , Mohd Nor Leilanie , Edward Hoopes James
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to postulate, in addition to “moral” and “strategic” considerations, a third general standard for corporate social responsibility (CSR). That third approach is what moral philosophers call “virtue ethics.”

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a single organization case study of a Malaysian publisher to put forward the practice of virtuous CSR based on Islamic values and principles in a family business.

Findings

– By focussing on creating or maintaining virtuous habits in the family and the firm, the family business has avoided the equally unrealistic notions that CSR must be entirely selfless or entirely strategic to be legitimate. Virtues that foster a successful strategy such as vision and competence can be enhanced rather than hindered by virtues such as integrity and generosity.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a case study of a single family. Nevertheless, this paper has implications for strategy and CSR for non-family business as well because it brings into the discussion virtue ethics which is largely absent from popular ethical discourse in the West, including popular discourse about business ethics and CSR.

Practical implications

– While moral and strategic interests merit consideration, virtue is often the most important concern of all. Virtuous CSR aims to improve or at least preserve the character and the soul of the family and its enterprise.

Originality/value

– This paper shows that in family business moral freedom and CSR do not have to be purchased at the expense of an effective business strategy. Paradoxically, an effective business strategy may be partly non-strategic and partly non-business – i.e. partly focussed on virtue. Further research may show that family business can be a leader in CSR, teaching managerial techniques to non-family business.
Authoring second-generation entrepreneur and family business stories
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the under researched interface between entrepreneur and family business stories and in particular the form and structure of second-generation entrepreneur stories. It illustrates how second-generation entrepreneur stories can be (co)authored to narrate an alternative entrepreneurial identity within a family business setting.

Design/methodology/approach

– From a desk based review of relevant literature a number of conceptual storyline models are developed and these are used to better understand second-generation entrepreneur/family business stories.

Findings

– The authorial process allows individual family members the freedom to craft contingent stories which fit their circumstances. The paper also examines the research process of co-authoring research with respondents and how this adds value to the process. The findings are mainly relevant to theory building.

Research limitations/implications

– There are obvious limitations to the study in that the conceptual model is only compared against one second-generation entrepreneur story and that clearly further research must be conducted to establish the veracity of the storyline models developed.

Practical implications

– There are some very practical implications in relation to conflict resolution within family businesses in that the storying process allows individuals the freedom to author their own stories and place in family and family business history.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights the contribution that an understanding of the interface between entrepreneur and family business stories can bring to understanding this complex dynamic.
The life and times of a senior scholar: an interview with Arthur Bedeian
Authors: Moore Karl
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to interview a senior scholar to get his/her perspectives on the field, it’s history and future.

Design/methodology/approach

– A semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted.

Research limitations/implications

– It is one person’s personal views, albeit, a person with very considerable success in the field of business studies.

Social implications

– The interview reflects the changes in business schools over the interviewee’s decades of experience.

Originality/value

– The person being interviewed is a unique individual.
Component based life cycle costing in replacement decisions
Authors: Seif Javad , Rabbani Masoud
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess life cycle costing (LCC) of the equipment in a more realistic, precise, and applicable manner, and to apply it to a real industrial problem.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the failure rates of the components of a machine, the LCC is assessed, mathematically modeled, and incorporated to the parallel machine replacement problem with capacity expansion consideration. The problem is modeled as mixed integer programming which intends to minimize the total costs incurred during a planning horizon of several periods for the machines of the same type with different ages. The decision variables are the number of machines to be purchased/salvaged in each period. A genetic algorithm (GA) is developed for solving the problem and its efficiency is verified.

Findings

– In conventional models presented for calculation of LCC, corrective maintenance (CM) costs of the machines are incorporated to the model as a whole which may result in inaccurate calculations. Obtaining this value is also very difficult and it can be different for machines with different ages. By calculating the CM costs of a machine based on the failure rates of its components, the LCC can be properly estimated in a realistic and precise manner. The presented GA is also proven to be efficient for solving problems of almost any size with different number of machines, components, and planning periods.

Practical implications

– The presented model and GA are applied to a real case of a construction company that needs to determine a purchase/salvage schedule for its loaders in the next ten years. Results of the calculated schedule imply that employing new loaders rather than maintaining the aged ones generally results in the minimum LCC.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a novel approach for precise, meaningful, and practical LCC calculation. The mathematical model and its solving method can be utilized by both the manufacturers and buyers of equipment as a tool which determines a parallel machine purchase/salvage schedule for a planning horizon of several periods which incurs minimum overall cost. The presented material can be also applied to other industrial problems and cases.
Optimal lockout/tagout, preventive maintenance, human error and production policies of manufacturing systems with passive redundancy
Authors: Emami-Mehrgani Behnam , Nadeau Sylvie , Kenné Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The analysis of the optimal production and preventive maintenance with lockout/tagout planning problem for a manufacturing system is presented in this paper. The considered manufacturing system consists of two non-identical machines in passive redundancy producing one type of part. These machines are subject to random breakdowns and repairs. The purpose of this paper is to minimize production, inventory, backlog and maintenance costs over an infinite planning horizon; in addition, it aims to verify the influence of human reliability on the inventory levels for illustrating the importance of human error during the maintenance and lockout/tagout activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is different compared to other research projects on preventive maintenance and lockout/tagout. The influence of human error on lockout/tagout as well as on preventive maintenance activities are presented in this paper. The preventive maintenance policy depends on the machine age. For the considered manufacturing system the optimality conditions are provided, and numerical methods are used to obtain machine age-dependent optimal control policies (production and preventive maintenance rates with lockout/tagout). Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are presented to illustrate the usefulness of the proposed approach. The system capacity is described by a finite-state Markov chain.

Findings

– The proposed model taking into account the preventive maintenance activities with lockout/tagout and human error jointly, instead of taking into account separately. It verifies the influence of human error during preventive maintenance and lockout/tagout activities on the optimal safety stock levels using an extension of the hedging point structure.

Practical implications

– The model proposed in this paper might be extended to manufacturing systems, but a number of conditions must be met to make effective use of it.

Originality/value

– The originality of this paper is to consider the preventive maintenance activities with lockout/tagout and human error simultaneously. The control policy is obtained in order to find the solution for the considered manufacturing system. This paper also brings a new vision on the importance of human reliability during preventive maintenance and lockout/tagout activities.
Amateurism and professionalism in work and learning
Authors: Edwards Richard
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This article aims to explore the concept of amateurism as a form of critique and addition to the concepts of professionalism, professional work and education.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a theoretically driven article based upon a review of the historical and sociological literature on amateur–professional relations in various work contexts.

Findings

– While amateurism is usually conceived pejoratively, the notion of doing something “for the love of it”, even if one is not formally qualified, opens up the possibilities for conceiving new forms of work, worker and sets of working relationships based upon different conceptions of expertise. Drawing upon historical and contemporary studies of the contribution of amateurism to professional work, and exploring the role of digital technologies in enabling amateurs to contribute to forms of professional practice, the article explores some of the challenges posed for work and learning, and suggests some lines of research to be explored.

Originality/value

– There has been little to no consideration of amateurism as a positive contribution to considerations of professional work, nor exploration of the expertise and learning of amateurs.
Disturbing practices: training workers to be lean
Authors: Yasukawa Keiko , Brown Tony , Black Stephen
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities for expansive learning during organisational change. It considers the introduction of “lean production” as a disturbance to the existing work practices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper considers two case studies of “lean production” training with production workers in manufacturing firms. Data for the study consisted of semi-structured interviews, observations of workers during work and training. Engeström’s third-generation cultural historical activity theory was used as the key theoretical tool for analysis.

Findings

– The study found that the introduction of and training for “lean production” did not lead to expansive learning. The training did not afford spaces to address the fundamental contradictions between the “earning a living” and ”productivity” motives of work.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research on the different kinds of “spaces” for learning could lead to greater insights into the affordances of expansive learning in workplaces. In particular, the concept of “third space” is useful in such an endeavour.

Practical implications

– Training designed to increase productivity could integrate more discussions about what workers themselves should expect to gain from increased productivity.

Originality/value

– The paper presents a critical perspective on recent case studies of workplace training at a time when workforce development and “lean production” are uncritically promulgated as beneficial. It highlights the opportunities that exist for critical educators to make interventions in the interests of the workers.