Separating Sisters From Brothers: Ethnic Relations and Identity Politics in the Context of Indigenous Land Titling in Indonesia

Environmental and social transformations in Jambi province, Indonesia, are inextricably interlinked. Large-scale agro-industrial development and nature conservation policies equally alienate local communities from their agricultural lands and turn land into a scarce resource. Consequently, access to agricultural land becomes increasingly contested, not only between communities and state institutions or companies but also among communities themselves. To secure or restore local ‘indigenous’ land rights against land grabbing and green grabbing by states and companies, indigenous land titling has become a powerful tool all over the world. Ongoing activities of indigenous land titling in Indonesia have been largely perceived as an act of justice by indigenous and land rights activists and affected communities. Yet, a challenging step towards titling is the identification of who is and who is not ‘indigenous’. This highly political process creates ethnicity-based identities tied to rights and possibilities around land as a contested resource. Based on a case study of a national park in central Jambi, this paper shows that what is perceived as an act of justice against the state can also produce injustice among local communities by heavily impacting and transforming local social structures and relations

Income diversification trough animal husbandry for smallholder vanilla farmers in Madagascar

The SAVA region in northeastern Madagascar is the largest vanilla producing area globally. Here, we investigated the role of animal husbandry (AH) for income diversification of small-scale vanilla farmers. To do this, 300 household heads were interviewed about livestock ownership, management and marketing. This information was complemented by data from 1800 households (HHs) on involvement in vanilla production (VP) and AH. Throughout the region, 83 % of HHs produced vanilla and 84 % kept livestock. Chicken-keeping (72 %) was most prominent, followed by keeping zebus (42 %), ducks (22 %) and pigs (13 %). A moderate correlation existed between VP and AH in general (r=0.356; p 0.01) and between VP and chicken-keeping (r=0.324; p 0.05), but none between VP and zebu or pig-keeping. Buying, fattening and reselling one zebu cattle yielded a price span of 9 % relative to the purchasing price, while a plus of 275 % was achieved for purchasing, fattening and reselling a pig. For chicken and ducks, the respective increase in monetary value amounted to 33 % and 49 %. Relating these price spans to the total annual income of a vanilla-producing HH revealed a potential income contribution of AH of up to 18.4 % in case of selling offspring from own cattle and 5 % or less for selling a pig or a chicken. Against the current high vanilla prices, small-scale AH is therefore an only moderately effective income diversification strategy for vanilla farmers in the SAVA region but might contribute to food security. However, in situations of low to intermediate vanilla prices AH most likely plays a more important role and might increase vanilla farmers´ resilience to income shocks

Etablierung und immunologische Analyse eines Mausmodells der durch Bartonella henselae ausgelösten Katzenkratzkrankheit des Menschen

Bartonella henselae ist ein kleines Gram-negatives, stäbchenförmiges Bakterium, das in seinem felinen Reservoir zur klinisch inapparenten Bakteriämie fähig ist. Bei akzidentieller Infektion eines Menschen löst es abhängig vom individuellen Immunstatus entweder Symptome einer Katzenkratzkrankheit (KKK) oder vasoproliferative Veränderungen aus.Die KKK ist eine der häufigsten Zoonosen immunkompetenter Menschen weltweit und manifestiert sich typischerweise in Form einer lang andauernden, regionalen Lymphknotenschwellung, in der nur sehr selten lebende Bakterien nachweisbar sind. Nach mehreren Wochen bis Monaten heilt die typische KKK zwar von selbst aus, sie stellt aber eine wichtige Differentialdiagnose zu anderen infektiösen oder zu malignen Prozessen dar. Eine Immunpathogenese der Erkrankung wird vermutet, das Wissen hierzu ist jedoch in Folge der eingeschränkten Untersuchungsmöglichkeiten am humanen Patienten begrenzt. Mehr Möglichkeiten würde ein Tiermodell bieten. Ziel dieser Arbeit war deswegen die Charakterisierung des Verlaufs einer subkutanen Infektion von Mäusen mit Bartonellen. Der Schwerpunkt lag auf der sich entwickelnden lokalen Lymphadenopathie als mögliches Pendant der KKK des Menschen. Mäuse, die mit einer hohen Dosis B. henselae s.c. infiziert wurden, bildeten bei ungestörtem Allgemeinbefinden Bartonellen-spezifische Antikörper sowie eine auffällige Vergrößerung des drainierenden Lymphknotens, die mit einer Zunahme von Gewicht und Zellzahl einherging. B. henselae war nur innerhalb der ersten Woche aus dem drainierenden Lymphknoten anzüchtbar, während das Maximum der Lymphknotenschwellung erst rund drei Wochen p.i. auftrat. Veränderte Lymphknoten wiesen histologisch eine follikuläre Hyperplasie und Lymphadenitis auf; die stark erhöhte Gesamtzellzahl der Lymphknoten war in ihrer Zusammensetzung von einer relativen Zunahme der B-Zellpopulation gekennzeichnet. Diese Veränderungen waren unabhängig von der Vitalität der inokulierten Bakterien und traten bei allen untersuchten Isolaten von B. henselae auf. Auch konnten verschiedene immundefiziente Mausstämme den Erreger kontrollieren und entwickelten (mit Ausnahme der B- und T-Zell-defizienten RAG1-/- Mäuse) ebenfalls eine auffällige Lymphadenopathie. Im Vergleich zur Infektion mit anderen Bartonella Spezies (B. grahamii bzw. B. quintana) war die Lymphadenopathie nach Infektion mit B. henselae deutlich stärker ausgeprägt und länger anhaltend.In in vitro Versuchen wurde nach Stimulation von dendritischen Zellen und Makrophagen mit Bartonellen sowohl eine Reifung der Zellen als auch die Freisetzung von proinflammatorischen Zytokinen beobachtet. Eine Beteiligung dieser Zellen des angeborenen Immunsystems bei der Abwehr der Erreger und der Induktion der Lymphadenopathie ist somit möglich. In vivo konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl eine vermehrte Proliferation als auch ein vermehrtes Einwandern von Zellen (in beiden Fällen bevorzugt B-Zellen) an der Erhöhung der Zellzahl des drainierenden Lymphknotens nach s.c. Infektion mit B. henselae ursächlich beteiligt sind. Als ein möglicher regulativer Faktor hierfür wurde die Rolle von Typ I Interferonen untersucht. Plasmazytoide dendritische Zellen setzten in vitro nach Stimulation mit Bartonellen MyD88-abhängig große Mengen an Typ I Interferonen frei. In vivo zeigte sich, dass Mäuse mit einer Defizienz des Typ I Interferon-Rezeptors auch nach s.c. Infektion mit B. grahamii eine auffällige Lymphadenopathie entwickelten, während dieses Bakterium in Wildtyp-Mäusen nur milde Symptome hervorrief. Diese Ergebnisse lassen auf einen hemmenden Effekt von Typ I Interferonen auf die Entwicklung der Lymphadenopathie schließen.Es zeigte sich somit, dass B. henselae auch in der Maus eine spezifische lokale Lymphadenopathie induziert. An deren Entwicklung sind sowohl eine Proliferation als auch die Einwanderung von Immunzellen beteiligt. Die lediglich milden Symptome nach einer vergleichbaren Infektion mit B. grahamii werden möglicherweise durch eine inhibitorische Wirkung von Typ I Interferonen kontrolliert.Bartonella henselae is a small fastidious, Gram-negative bacterium which in general causes a sub-clinical intra-erythocytic bacteraemia in its feline reservoir host. When accidentally infecting humans it elicits cat scratch disease (CSD) in immunocompetent hosts and vasculoproliferative diseases in immunocompromised. CSD belongs to the most common zoonoses occuring throughout the world. Its characteristic clinical manifestation is a long-lasting, but self-healing enlargement of the draining lymph node with specific granuloma formation, which rarely contains cultivable Bartonella. The clinical relevance of CSD results from the necessity to exclude other infectious or malignant processes. An immunopathogenic origin of the lymphadenopathy is assumed, yet details are rare due to the limited analysis in human patients. Further analysis of an animal model could lead to an improved understanding. Aim of the present study was to characterise the course of a subcutaneous infection of mice with Bartonella species. It especially focused on a local lymphadenopathy as a possible correlate of human CSD.Mice infected with a high dose of B. henselae developed anti-Bartonella antibodies and a striking swelling of the draining lymph node that persisted for a longer period of time and was more severe compared to the lymphadenopathy seen after infection with other Bartonella species. B. henselae was only recultivable for up to 7 days, whereas the lymph node swelling reached its maximum at 3-4 weeks after challenge. The histological examination revealed a follicular hyperplasia and lymphadenitis. In addition, the increase of the absolute cell numbers per lymph node was associated with a significant increase of the proportion of B-cells. This lymphadenopathy was independent of the B. henselae strain and did not require viable bacteria. Furthermore, several immunodeficient mouse strains were still able to control the bacteria, but nevertheless allowed for the development of a striking lymphadenopathy.In in vitro studies bone marrow-derived macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells exposed to viable or non-viable Bartonella released several proinflammatory cytokines or underwent maturation, respectively. Further in vivo studies revealed that both a pronounced cell-proliferation as well as an enhanced cell-influx (in both cases preferentially B-cells) contributed to the increased absolute cell numbers per lymph node following s.c. infection with B. henselae. As plasmacytoid dendritic cells exposed to Bartonella released high amounts of type I interferon in a MyD88-dependant manner in vitro, the role of type I interferon in the mouse model of Bartonella infection were of interest. While there was no difference between type I interferon receptor-deficient or wild type mice infected with B. henselae, subcutaneous infection with B. grahamii led to a striking swelling of the draining lymph node only in type I interferon receptor-deficient mice. Thus, B. henselae induces a specific local lymphadenopathy in mice. In the pathogenesis of this lymphadenopathy both lymphoproliferation and immune cell recruitment are involved. The only mild lymphadenopathy seen after infection of mice with another Bartonella species may be due to an inhibitory effect of type I interferon

Service robots, customers and service employees: what can we learn from the academic literature and where are the gaps?

Purpose – Robots are predicted to have a profound impact on the service sector. The emergence of robots has attracted increasing interest from business scholars and practitioners alike. In this article, we undertake a systematic review of the business literature about the impact of service robots on customers and employees with the objective of guiding future research. Design/methodology/approach – We analyzed the literature on service robots as they relate to customers and employees in business journals listed in the Financial Times top 50 journals plus all journals covered in the cross-disciplinary SERVSIG literature alerts. Findings – The analysis of the identified studies yielded multiple observations about the impact of service robots on customers (e.g., overarching frameworks on acceptance and usage of service robots; characteristics of service robots and anthropomorphism; and potential for enhanced and deteriorated service experiences) and service employees (e.g., employee benefits such as reduced routine work, enhanced productivity and job satisfaction; potential negative consequences such as loss of autonomy and a range of negative psychological outcomes; opportunities for human-robot collaboration; job insecurity; and robot-related upskilling and development requirements). We also conclude that current research on service robots is fragmented, is largely conceptual in nature, and focused on the initial adoption stage. We feel that more research is needed to build an overarching theory. In addition, more empirical research is needed, especially on the long(er)-term usage service robots on actual behaviors, the well-being, and potential downsides and (ethical) risks for customers and service employees.Research limitations – Our review focused on the business and service literature. Future work may want to include additional literature streams, including those in computer science, engineering, and information systems.Originality/value – This article is the first to synthesize the business and service literature on the impact of service robots on customers and employees.</div

NK cell activation in visceral leishmaniasis requires TLR9, myeloid DCs, and IL-12, but is independent of plasmacytoid DCs

Natural killer (NK) cells are sentinel components of the innate response to pathogens, but the cell types, pathogen recognition receptors, and cytokines required for their activation in vivo are poorly defined. Here, we investigated the role of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), myeloid DCs (mDCs), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and of NK cell stimulatory cytokines for the induction of an NK cell response to the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum. In vitro, pDCs did not endocytose Leishmania promastigotes but nevertheless released interferon (IFN)-α/β and interleukin (IL)-12 in a TLR9-dependent manner. mDCs rapidly internalized Leishmania and, in the presence of TLR9, produced IL-12, but not IFN-α/β. Depletion of pDCs did not impair the activation of NK cells in L. infantum–infected mice. In contrast, L. infantum–induced NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-γ production were abolished in mDC-depleted mice. The same phenotype was observed in TLR9−/− mice, which lacked IL-12 expression by mDCs, and in IL-12−/− mice, whereas IFN-α/β receptor−/− mice showed only a minor reduction of NK cell IFN-γ expression. This study provides the first direct evidence that mDCs are essential for eliciting NK cell cytotoxicity and IFN-γ release in vivo and demonstrates that TLR9, mDCs, and IL-12 are functionally linked to the activation of NK cells in visceral leishmaniasis

Brave new world: service robots in the frontline

Purpose – The service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature. Findings – The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level. Practical implications – This paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots. Originality/value – This is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future

Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG) Are Stage-Dependent Prognostic Markers of Malignant Melanoma

Using tissue microarrays (TMAs) we studied COX2/PPARG immunoreactivity in a broad spectrum of tumors focussing on clinicopathological correlations and the outcome of patients with malignant melanoma (MM). TMA-1 contained normal and tumor tissues (n = 3448) from 47 organs including skin neoplasms (n = 323); TMA-2 88 primary MM, 101 metastases, and 161 benign nevi. Based on a biomodulatory approach combining COX/PPAR-targeting with metronomic low-dose chemotherapy metastases of 36 patients participating in a randomized trial with metastatic (stage IV) melanoma were investigated using TMA-3. COX2/PPARG immunoreactivity significantly increased from nevi to primary MM and metastases; COX2 positivity was associated with advanced Clark levels and shorter recurrence-free survival. Patients with PPARG-positive metastases and biomodulatory metronomic chemotherapy alone or combined with COX2/PPARG-targeting showed a significantly prolonged progression-free survival. Regarding primary MM, COX2 expression indicates an increased risk of tumor recurrence. In metastatic MM, PPARG expression may be a predicitive marker for response to biomodulatory stroma-targeted therapy