bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Money laundering in Ukraine
Authors: Stack Graham 
Published: June 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to examine the role in tax evasion and corruption played in Ukraine by money-laundering organisations called “conversion centres”: networks of sham firms and banks implementing “black cash” schemes that facilitate tax evasion by the private sector and embezzlement by the state sector. The paper describes their embedding both in a post-Soviet state as well as in the international political economy.

Design/methodology/approach
– It draws on scholarship, journalist investigations, court records, government agency reports and other open source data and interviews with market participants. It first describes “conversion centres” as an ideal type and then presents three case studies, focusing on international financial flows and the domestic political setting.

Findings
– Ukraine’s conversion centres generate significant international flows of dirty money handled by specialised foreign banks mostly in the Baltic states. Domestically, conversion centres thrive through state capture, resulting from their facilitation of embezzlement by state actors.

Research limitations/implications
– Open source data and investigative methods make it possible to conduct empirical research in crime and corruption in the post-Soviet context. As open sources expand, the scope for such enquiry will increase.

Originality/value
– This is the first empirical description of “black cash” money-laundering platforms in terms of embedding in a post-Soviet state and in the international financial system.
Everyday vulnerabilities – money laundering through cash intensive businesses
Authors: Gilmour Nicholas , Ridley Nick 
Published: June 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the specific techniques through which illicit funds generated by criminals are moved, transferred and laundered in the financial arrangement retained by cash-intensive businesses in the UK and internationally.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper presents exploratory findings from research conducted between 2011 and 2013 in the UK. The research undertaken sought to identify the process, steps and vulnerabilities behind money laundering via cash-intensive businesses and highlight the explicit facilitators to enable this method of money laundering to take place.

Findings
– Despite significant research into money laundering typologies, the use of cash couriers and cash-intensive businesses has remained largely untouched regardless of the increased implementation of anti-money laundering (AML) policies and procedures seeking to halt the depositing of illicit cash into the global financial system. This paper demonstrates how cash-intensive businesses are extremely vulnerable to money laundering, despite the large-scale AML efforts focused on combating money laundering across a broad range of sectors.

Research limitations/implications
– This paper is of value to government policymakers, regulators and financial institutions considering future preventative measures. It is also of value to financial investigators and law enforcement agencies intent on investigating money laundering. While the paper relies on data from the UK, the overall findings are such that wherever cash-intensive businesses exist, so too does the opportunity for money laundering through the financial arrangement retained by such businesses.

Originality/value
– This paper presents new research on the direct link existing between cash-intensive businesses and money laundering in the UK, despite significant research having previously taken place to identify and develop money laundering typologies.
Identifying money laundering
Authors: Sterling Stephen 
Published: June 2015

Purpose
– This study aims to develop a newer, revised model of money laundering of general application, and to apply that updated laundering model to the use of cash in Canada. A wide-ranging analytical tool for identifying money laundering is described, which demands a comparative evaluation of available financial choices against choices made, concentrating on factors which matter most to economic enterprises: speed, cost and security. The model is applied to bulk cash money laundering and the use of cash in the Canadian context, a mature economy where cash is predominantly used for micro-payments. The inference of criminality to be drawn from bulk use of cash is explored, as is any need for continued circulation of large denomination banknotes.

Design/methodology/approach
– Extensive criminal investigative experience is juxtaposed with practices of legitimate commerce. As to patterns of transactional conduct, a review is undertaken of publications from financial institutions including the Bank of Canada.

Findings
– The model may be applied generally. In light of modern banking realities, strong inferences of criminality arise from the bulk use of cash.

Research limitations/implications
– Documented standards of legitimate commerce and proven laundering behaviours provide more reliable evidence than voluntary disclosures from surveys.

Practical implications
– The model promotes an objective analysis of financial conduct either in conjunction with, or independent of extrinsic evidence, and can augment historic lists of laundering indicators and identify new laundering typologies.

Originality/value
– The speed, cost and security model moves towards a renewed paradigm for understanding laundering, beyond traditional cash-based models. This instructive model applies to the full spectrum of laundering, from frauds to cash-based street crimes. By examining the inherent characteristics of financial choices, investigations may proceed without tipping off targets. The model maximizes the investigative value of know-your-customer information.
Differential plasticity of metabolic rate phenotypes in a tropical fish facing environmental change
Authors: Norin Tommy , Malte Hans , Clark Timothy D. 
Published: June 2015

Summary

Individual differences in metabolic rate have been linked with variations in behaviour and key life‐history traits and can affect ecological patterns within animal populations. Yet, almost nothing is known of the plasticity of the metabolic response under dynamically changing conditions that are representative of the natural environment. This is surprising since the capacity for animals to cope with rapidly changing environments depends on phenotypic variation and plasticity among members of the population.

We measured the standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and aerobic scope (AS) of 60 juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer) under acclimation conditions (35 ppt salinity, 29 °C, normoxia) and when the fish were sequentially faced with low salinity (10 ppt), high temperature (35 °C) and hypoxia (45% air saturation) with each treatment separated by ∼12 days.

The overall degree of interindividual variation in body‐mass‐standardised SMR, MMR and AS changed with environmental conditions, and a metabolic coupling was revealed between SMR and MMR when the fish were faced with the environmental changes. The metabolic response to environmental change differed widely and predictably at an individual level. Individuals that had elevated metabolic attributes under acclimation conditions showed little change in SMR, MMR or AS in response to low salinity and high temperature, but MMR and AS were greatly depressed by hypoxia. In contrast, individuals with low‐metabolic attributes under acclimation conditions displayed a substantial increase in SMR, MMR and AS in response to high temperature and (to a lesser extent) low salinity, but hypoxia had very little effect.

These findings reveal how phenotypic diversity in key physiological traits can create differential plasticity towards environmental change within a population by showing how individual fish can remain metabolically insensitive to one environmental stressor at the cost of being highly sensitive to another.
The crabs that live where hot and cold collide
Authors: Thurber Andrew R. 
Published: June 2015

The distribution of Kiwa tyleri with the large male individual in the high‐temperature flow (right hand side – fluid flow indicated by shimmering water) and the mixed sex assemblage (left). Note the heavy coat of epibiotic bacteria (grey colouring) on the individual in the hottest section of the vent, as expected from being closest to the sulphide needed to sustain the epibiotic bacteria that this species harvests for its food. Image courtesy of Dr. L. Marsh (Credit: NERC ChEsSo Consortium).imageThe distribution of Kiwa tyleri with the large male individual in the high‐temperature flow (right hand side – fluid flow indicated by shimmering water) and the mixed sex assemblage (left). Note the heavy coat of epibiotic bacteria (grey colouring) on the individual in the hottest section of the vent, as expected from being closest to the sulphide needed to sustain the epibiotic bacteria that this species harvests for its food. Image courtesy of Dr. L. Marsh (Credit: NERC ChEsSo Consortium).
In Focus: Marsh, L., Copley, J.T., Tyler, P.A. & Thatje, S. (2015) In hot and cold water: differential life‐history traits are key to success in contrasting thermal deep‐sea environments. Journal of Animal Ecology, 84, 898–913.Southern Ocean hydrothermal vents juxtapose two extremes – intense food‐poor cold and scalding food‐rich oases. At these vents, Marsh et al. (2015) found a community of Kiwa (Yeti) crabs that separated themselves along this gradient with the largest males sitting in hot, food‐rich waters, while smaller males and females co‐occur in an intermediate zone of warmth. However, as their eggs start to develop, females embark away from the vent to the food‐poor yet stable cold of the Southern Ocean. This species has found an intriguing way to balance foraging risk and population persistence at the interface of hot and cold.
Environmentally dependent host–pathogen and vector–pathogen interactions in the Barley yellow dwarf virus pathosystem
Authors: Davis Thomas S. , Bosque‐Pérez Nilsa A. , Foote Nathaniel E. , Magney Troy , Eigenbrode Sanford D. 
Published: June 2015

Summary

Understanding environmentally dependent variation in interspecific interactions is needed for evaluating how agroecosystems respond to abiotic stressors, including climate change. Both biotic and abiotic conditions shape crop responses to stress events, but interactions between environmental conditions and insect borne plant pathogens remain poorly understood.

We tested the hypothesis that drought stress, as applied by experimental water deprivation, drives conditional outcomes in host–pathogen and host–vector interactions using a cereal–aphid–virus association and greenhouse experiments.

Under conditions of ample water supply, infection of wheat plants with Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resulted in reduced above‐ground growth, seed set, seed yields and seed germination compared with plants exposed only to non‐infected (non‐viruliferous) aphids or control plants not subjected to aphid infestation. However, when water was chronically limiting, infection with Barley yellow dwarf virus did not significantly affect plant performance.

When wheat was subjected to acute drought stress, plants infected with Barley yellow dwarf virus surpassed both control plants and plants exposed to non‐infected aphids in all measured performance traits.

Feeding experiments with aphid vectors (Rhopalosiphum padi) and subsequent life table analysis revealed that aphid fecundity improved by 47% when feeding on Barley yellow dwarf virus‐infected plants when water inputs were chronically low. However, when plants received ample water, aphid fecundity was enhanced by only 23% from feeding on BYDV‐infected plants.

Synthesis and applications. Collectively, our experiments suggest that wheat– Barley yellow dwarf virus interactions shift along gradients of water stress severity and duration. When Barley yellow dwarf virus infection preceded water deprivation, plant performance was not reduced from virus infection, and infected plants recovered from severe stress events more readily than non‐infected plants. However, vector–pathogen mutualism resulting in enhanced reproduction of aphids on virus‐infected plants is likely to amplify direct plant injury from herbivory in the field. Our findings indicate that during periods of drought, management of Barley yellow dwarf virus infection may not be needed and infection could benefit wheat under conditions of acute water stress.
Potential of Fava Bean as Future Protein Supply to Partially Replace Meat Intake in the Human Diet
Authors: Multari Salvatore , Stewart Derek , Russell Wendy R. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractLegumes have the potential to support global protein production by partially replacing meat and dairy products in the human diet. This will not only help meeting the increasing worldwide demand for proteins, but could contribute towards mitigating the threat imposed to the environment by current agricultural practices in higher‐economy countries (dependence on fossil fuel energy and harmful emissions). Among the legumes, fava bean (Vicia faba L.) is a valuable crop. It is a rich source of proteins, fiber, and other non‐nutrient compounds considered beneficial for health. Although a popular source of proteins in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, Mediterranean area, and South America, it has yet to be fully exploited in markets where meat is the predominant source of proteins in the diet. Here, fava bean cultivation could not only make a valuable contribution towards protein self‐sufficiency, but could potentially play a role in alleviating the rise in chronic diseases. In addition, fava bean enables symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen and can provide a more environmentally friendly substitution for industrial N‐fertilizers with associated improvements in resource efficiency and production costs. From both a food security and environmental sustainability perspective, encouraging both production and consumption of fava bean is a timely and important target. This review focuses on the potential of fava bean as a functional food ingredient to partially replace meat in the human diet.
Comparing Green and Grey Infrastructure Using Life Cycle Cost and Environmental Impact: A Rain Garden Case Study in Cincinnati, OH
Authors: Vineyard Donald , Ingwersen Wesley W. , Hawkins Troy R. , Xue Xiaobo , Demeke Bayou , Shuster William 
Published: June 2015

AbstractGreen infrastructure (GI) is quickly gaining ground as a less costly, greener alternative to traditional methods of stormwater management. One popular form of GI is the use of rain gardens to capture and treat stormwater. We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare environmental impacts of residential rain gardens constructed in the Shepherd's Creek watershed of Cincinnati, Ohio to those from a typical detain and treat system. LCA is an internationally standardized framework for analyzing the potential environmental performance of a product or service by including all stages in its life cycle, including material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Complementary to the life cycle environmental impact assessment, the life cycle costing approach was adopted to compare the equivalent annual costs of each of these systems. These analyses were supplemented by modeling alternative scenarios to capture the variability in implementing a GI strategy. Our LCA models suggest rain garden costs and impacts are determined by labor requirement; the traditional alternative's impacts are determined largely by the efficiency of wastewater treatment, while costs are determined by the expense of tunnel construction. Gardens were found to be the favorable option, both financially (~42% cost reduction) and environmentally (62‐98% impact reduction). Wastewater utilities may find significant life cycle cost and environmental impact reductions in implementing a rain garden plan.
Accelerated food source location in aging Drosophila
Authors: Egenriether Sada M. , Chow Eileen S. , Krauth Nathalie , Giebultowicz Jadwiga M. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryAdequate energy stores are essential for survival, and sophisticated neuroendocrine mechanisms evolved to stimulate foraging in response to nutrient deprivation. Food search behavior is usually investigated in young animals, and it is not known how aging alters this behavior. To address this question in Drosophila melanogaster, we compared the ability to locate food by olfaction in young and old flies using a food‐filled trap. As aging is associated with a decline in motor functions, learning, and memory, we expected that aged flies would take longer to enter the food trap than their young counterparts. Surprisingly, old flies located food with significantly shorter latency than young ones. Robust food search behavior was associated with significantly lower fat reserves and lower starvation resistance in old flies. Food‐finding latency (FFL) was shortened in young wild‐type flies that were starved until their fat was depleted but also in heterozygous chico mutants with reduced insulin receptor activity and higher fat deposits. Conversely, food trap entry was delayed in old flies with increased insulin signaling. Our results suggest that the difference in FFL between young and old flies is linked to age‐dependent differences in metabolic status and may be mediated by reduced insulin signaling.
Identification of Two Homozygous Sequence Variants in the COL7A1 Gene Underlying Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa by Whole‐Exome Analysis in a Consanguineous Family
Authors: Serafi Rehab , Jelani Musharraf , Almramhi Mona M. , Mohamoud Hussein S.A. , Ahmed Saleem , Alkhiary Yaser M. , Zhang Jianguo , Yang Huanming , Al‐Aama Jumana Y. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryDystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is an inherited skin disorder with variable severity and heterogeneous genetic involvement. Diagnostic approaches for this condition include clinical evaluations and electron microscopy of patients’ skin biopsies, followed by Sanger sequencing (SS) of a large gene (118 exons) that encodes the alpha chain of type VII collagen (COL7A1) located on Chromosome 3p21.1. However, the use of SS may hinder diagnostic efficiency and lead to delays because it is costly and time‐consuming. We evaluated a 5‐generation consanguineous family with 3 affected individuals presenting the severe generalised DEB phenotype. Human whole‐exome sequencing (WES) revealed 2 homozygous sequence variants: the previously reported variant p.Arg578* in exon 13 and a novel variant p.Arg2063Gln in exon 74 of the COL7A1 gene. Validation by SS, performed on all family members, confirmed the cosegregation of the 2 variants with the disease phenotype. To the best of our knowledge, 2 homozygous COL7A1 variants have never been simultaneously reported in DEB patients; however, the upstream protein truncation variant is more likely to be disease‐causing than the novel missense variant. WES can be used as an efficient molecular diagnostic tool for evaluating autosomal recessive forms of DEB.
Governmentalities of Urban Crises in Inner‐city Athens, Greece
Authors: Koutrolikou Penny (Panagiota) 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThrough the notion of “conjuncture” this paper explores the interplay of urban crises that have been unfolding in the city of Athens during the past 7 years (2008–2014). By focusing on specific “critical moments” that have significantly influenced the narratives, discourses and subsequent policies concerning “Athens in crisis”, it examines a number of intertwined approaches and tactics that shaped the governmentality of such crisis. These approaches and tactics, that work in tandem, include emergency‐driven policies and politics; politics of fear that occasionally transform into geographies of fear; processes of defining the “public” and “public enemies”; and redefinitions of (il)legalities. Yet, they have repercussions on people, places and politics. In this context, certain issues are deemed critical or urgent while others do not or are even obscured.
The evolutionary and morphological history of the parasphenoid bone in vertebrates
Authors: Atkins Jade B. , Franz‐Odendaal Tamara A. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe parasphenoid is located in the cranium of many vertebrates. When present, it is always an unpaired, dermal bone. While most basal vertebrates have a parasphenoid, most placental mammals lack this element and have an unpaired, dermal vomer in a similar position (i.e. associated with the same bones) and with a similar function. As such, the parasphenoid and the vomer were considered homologous by some early twentieth century researchers. However, others questioned this homology based on comparisons between mammals and reptiles. Here we investigate the parasphenoid bone across the major vertebrate lineages (amphibians, reptiles, mammals and teleosts) including both developmental and evolutionary aspects, which until now have not been considered together. We find that within all the major vertebrate lineages there are organisms that possess a parasphenoid and a vomer, while the parasphenoid is absent within caecilians and most placental mammals. Based on our assessment and Patterson's conjunction tests, we conclude that the non‐mammalian parasphenoid and the vomer in mammals cannot be considered homologous. Additionally, the parasphenoid is likely homologous between sarcopterygian and actinopterygian lineages. This research attempts to resolve the issue of the parasphenoid homology and highlights where gaps in our knowledge are still present.
Activation of EP4 receptors prevents endotoxin‐induced neutrophil infiltration into the airways and enhances microvascular barrier function
Authors: Konya V , Maric J , Jandl K , Luschnig P , Aringer I , Lanz I , Platzer W , Theiler A , Bärnthaler T , Frei R , Marsche G , Marsh L M , Olschewski A , Lippe I T , Heinemann A , Schuligoi R 
Published: June 2015

Background and PurposePulmonary vascular dysfunction is a key event in acute lung injury. We recently demonstrated that PGE2, via activation of E‐prostanoid (EP)4 receptors, strongly enhances microvascular barrier function in vitro. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of concomitant EP4 receptor activation in murine models of acute pulmonary inflammation.Experimental ApproachPulmonary inflammation in male BALB/c mice was induced by LPS (20 μg per mouse intranasally) or oleic acid (0.15 μL·g‐1, i.v.). In‐vitro, endothelial barrier function was determined by measuring electrical impedance.Key ResultsPGE2 activation of EP4 receptors reduced neutrophil infiltration, pulmonary vascular leakage and TNF‐α concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from LPS‐induced pulmonary inflammation. Similarly, pulmonary vascular hyperpermeability induced by oleic acid was counteracted by EP4 receptor activation. In lung function assays, the EP4 agonist ONO AE1‐329 restored the increased resistance and reduced compliance upon methacholine challenge in mice treated with LPS or oleic acid. In agreement with these findings, EP4 receptor activation increased the in vitro vascular barrier function of human and mouse pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells and diminished the barrier disruption induced by LPS. The EP2 agonist ONO AE1‐259 likewise reversed LPS‐induced lung dysfunction without enhancing vascular barrier function.Conclusion and ImplicationsOur results show that activation of the EP4 receptor strengthens the microvascular barrier function and thereby ameliorates the pathology of acute lung inflammation, including neutrophil infiltration, vascular oedema formation and airway dysfunction. This suggests a potential benefit for EP4 agonists in acute pulmonary inflammation.