bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enclaves and entrepreneurial success
Authors: Braymen Charles , Neymotin Florence
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of immigrant and ethnic enclaves on the success of entrepreneurial ventures as measured by firm profits and viability.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data on entrepreneurs and their new firms were provided by the Kauffman Foundation and covered the years 2004-2008. These firm-level data were linked to Census 2000 Summary Files at the ZIP Code level and were used to empirically investigate the effect of enclaves.

Findings

– The paper found a statistically significant negative effect of immigrant representation in an area on firm profitability. This effect operated on native, rather than immigrant, firm owners, which suggested that native-owned firms locating in immigrant enclaves may experience difficulty assimilating the benefits that enclaves offer.

Practical implications

– Cultural connections within local communities play a key role in the success of new businesses. Potential firms should recognize the importance of these connections when making firm location decisions. Likewise, the findings suggest that connections within local communities should be considered when designing aid programs.

Originality/value

– The authors used a unique measure of enclave representation to incorporate both immigrant, as well as ethnic, representation in the local area. The authors examined the effect of immigration on both immigrant- and native-owned firms in order to provide a broader scope and a more complete understanding of the effects of immigration on entrepreneurial ventures.
What obstacles do entrepreneurs encounter?
Authors: Lougui Monia , Nyström Kristina
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the obstacles encountered by current and potential entrepreneurs. The authors explore the areas associated with starting and running a business in which entrepreneurs find difficulties. Furthermore, the authors explore which entrepreneurs experience most difficulties. What issues do entrepreneurs in different sectors need help with? What issues do entrepreneurs with different current positions in the labor market need help with?

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a unique database that includes information regarding the questions that entrepreneurs ask when they call a government helpline established to provide information about how to start and run a business. The database consists of more than 30,000 observations during the period from 2005 to 2009.

Findings

– The results indicate that aside from general questions and concerns, taxes, laws and permits are the issues with which entrepreneurs most frequently need help. The authors do not find any gender differences regarding the need for help. Currently or future unemployed entrepreneurs more often need help related to financing, grants and business plans. Self-employed entrepreneurs need help with issues related to operating the firm, such as questions regarding employment, accounting, permits and laws.

Originality/value

– The research provides unique insights into the problems that entrepreneurs encounter during the entrepreneurial process. Hence, the paper identifies areas in which better or additional counseling and support from public policy agencies may be needed to improve the development and performance of new ventures.
Public policy rules and norms in choice of a nesting place of a social enterprise
Authors: J. Bryce Herrington
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider how public policy rules and norms embedded in the operation and financing of firms and nonprofits may affect the choice of one or the other for nesting a social enterprise while reducing the risk of failure due to an initial bad choice.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is conceptual and literature based. It identifies and evaluates factors in public policy that are embedded in the rules and norms of operating and financing firms and nonprofits that could materially affect the choice of a nesting place of a social enterprise. It treats the choice as a two-stage process: whether firm or nonprofit and what type of firm or what type of nonprofit.

Findings

– The choice of a structural form for nesting a social enterprise is dependent upon the public policies embedded in each form that affect the probability of venture success and entrepreneurial remorse.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper suggests that public policy norms and rules are deserving variables in the empirical and experimental determinants of choice and success in social enterprises.

Practical implications

– This paper may be used for conducting experiments of choice, as a teaching or other pedagogical tool, and for guiding entrepreneurs in making informed choices as to where to nest a social enterprise.

Originality/value

– The literature contains several articles on how personality, alertness, opportunity, context, and similar factors affect entrepreneurial behavior. This paper is unique in that it adds public policy to that list by demonstrating that the norms and rules derived from policy (federal and state) are determinative of an informed choice.
Emerging scenario of online counseling services in India: a case of e-government intervention
Authors: Amritesh  , Chandra Misra Subhas , Chatterjee Jayanta
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to understand the emerging state of online counseling practices in India, highlight the benefits of process transition and explore potential research issues in this domain. Changing demands of labor market and growing availability of wide range of education and training options in the higher/technical education sector underscore the need of counseling services for an individual’s career guidance requirements. “Online counseling” in this context, as an e-government intervention, is expected to meet this requirement by extending support to individuals’ decision-making process and optimally match their interest with appropriate kind of education.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have highlighted some key contributions from the literature to build theoretical insight about contextual factors of counseling, and presented a detailed case analysis of online counseling practices in one of the states of India.

Findings

– With a critical perspective, it is noticed that design of online counseling services in India has largely been developed from the requirements of service provider’s to support the conventional set of practices, with less attention given to students’ decision support. More research is required in the direction of service gap analysis, information quality issues and more interactive website functionalities from user’s viewpoint.

Research limitations/implications

– Aligning the objectives of online counseling services with the relevant theories of career guidance should essentially be considered by the government/online counseling managers. Furthermore, managers must understand the importance of information quality and self-help tools for online information accessibility to facilitate student’s decision-making process.

Originality/value

– The article reports a research scenario/case of a unique service of its kind under the education sector in India which is weighted high on both the dimensions – technical/operational elements, because of multiple stakeholders’ involvement, and informational service elements, as viewed through e-government service maturity research lens.
Jordan’s e-Government at the crossroads
Authors: R. Al-Soud Anas , Al-Yaseen Hussein , H. Al-Jaghoub Saheer
Published: October 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the maturity level of the Jordanian electronic Government (e-Government) program from the citizen’s perspective. This assessment aims to help in determining whether the Jordanian e-Government strategy, set back in 2002, has achieved its main objectives which are delivering services to people across society, irrespective of location, economic status, education or ICT ability; improving the ICT readiness and infrastructure; and developing new service delivery channels and increase the involvement of citizens through the use of ICTs. Jordan started a national e-Government initiative aiming to streamline government procedures and provide government information and services to the public online. This paper reveals the levels of citizens’ awareness, acceptance, usage and willingness to use the e-Government services in Jordan. It investigates issues such as Jordan’s e-Government maturity level, citizen’s preferences when dealing with e-Government, citizen’s attitude toward using various e-services, citizen’s concerns and the required services.

Design/methodology/approach

– To achieve the research purposes, which needed a high rate of respondents to generalize the findings, we opted for quantitative research through questionnaires as an appropriate instrument base to address the citizens’ awareness and usage of e-Government services. In total, 7,238 distributed surveys were conducted across Jordan. The average of the responses rate in the three regions was 58.6 per cent.

Findings

– The citizen’s interest in e-Government services is declining, as the citizens’ level of awareness of e-Government and its services is still modest after more than ten years of the start of the e-Government program in Jordan. Citizens’ attitude toward using e-Government services is changing and determined by various factors and issues reported in the paper.

Research limitations/implications

– The selected governorates might not be the best governorates to represent the three regions of Jordan, the data took almost 15 months to be collected and analyzed which may have resulted in some changes to the reality. Finally, developing countries are not a homogenous group and, therefore, the results of this paper may not be generalizable.

Originality/value

– The findings present a number of key factors that hinder Jordan’s e-Government development. These findings can be useful for researchers and practitioners, as they provide rich insights on e-Government development. The findings can be also useful to other developing countries, as they can help them in understanding citizen related challenges when designing, planning and implementing their e-Government initiatives.
Resource implications of a national health target: The New Zealand experience of a Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments target
Authors: Jones Peter , Sopina Elizaveta , Ashton Toni
Published: October 2014

Background

The Shorter Stays in Emergency Departments health target was introduced in New Zealand in 2009. District Health Boards (DHBs) are expected to meet the target with no additional funding or incentives. The costs of implementing such targets have not previously been studied.

Method

A survey of clinical/service managers in ED throughout New Zealand determined the type and cost of resources used for the target. Responses to the target were classified according to their impact in ED, the hospital and the community. Quantifiable resource changes were assigned a financial value and grouped into categories: structure (facilities/beds), staff and processes. Simple statistics were used to describe the data, and the correlation between expenditure and target performance was determined.

Results

There was 100% response to the survey. Most DHBs reported some expenditure specifically on the target, with estimated total expenditure of over NZ$52 m. The majority of expenditure occurred in ED (60.8%) and hospital (38.7%) with little spent in the community. New staff accounted for 76.5% of expenditure. Per capita expenditure in the ED was associated with improved target performance (r = 0.48, P = 0.03), whereas expenditure in the hospital was not (r = 0.08, P = 0.75).

Conclusion

The fact that estimated expenditure on the target was over $50 million without additional funding suggests that DHBs were able to make savings through improved efficiencies and/or that funds were reallocated from other services. The majority of expenditure occurred in the ED. Most of the funds were spent on staff, and this was associated with improved target performance.
The shortened dental arch concept: awareness and opinion of dentists in Victoria, Australia
Authors: Abuzar MA , Humplik AJ , Shahim N
Published: October 2014

Background

The occlusion of a complete dental arch is generally desirable but not necessary nor always achievable in many individuals. It is, however, relevant for dentists to consider what minimum number of teeth is required by individuals for oral function. This study investigated dentists’ awareness and opinion of the shortened dental arch (SDA) concept in an Australian context.

Methods

A self‐administered voluntary and anonymous questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 434 dentists, randomly selected from both rural and metropolitan locations in Victoria, Australia. The information collected included awareness of the SDA concept and its application as a treatment option.

Results

More than half of the respondents (61%) were aware of the SDA concept. All respondents ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with the seven criteria of SDA proposed in this study based on Käyser (1989). The majority (78.4%) believed that the SDA concept is useful in clinical practice. Dentists with <20 years of experience expressed more awareness compared to others (χ2 test, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Most dentists who responded to this survey agreed that the SDA is a practical and useful treatment modality for older adults with limitations to complex restorative care. However, application of the SDA varied considerably among dentists.
“The World's Back Womb?”: Commercial Surrogacy and Infertility Inequalities in India
Authors: Singh Holly Donahue
Published: October 2014

While transnational commercial surrogacy in India has recently attracted the attention of journalists and feminist scholars critical of a novel and particularly intimate example of labor outsourcing, surrogacy in India is not only about global inequalities. In this research report, I call attention to silences in the most well‐known accounts of surrogacy to the persistent local inequalities that structure infertility treatment in general—and surrogacy in particular. I argue that the disappearance of medical professionals’ perceptions of surrogates as “laborers” and of Indian infertility experiences in these accounts occurs not only because of significant challenges to data collection, but also because of widespread naturalization of inequality. Local inequalities that structure transnational surrogacy in India, in particular, and infertility treatment, in general, tend to escape the purview of examinations that employ a transnational frame. Most research on gestational surrogacy in India does not focus on the options available to Indians who face infertility. The few studies that put the dynamics of infertility among people living in India at the center of analysis have yet to explore fully the “reproscapes” of infertility among people in India. [surrogacy, infertility, inequality, India, transnational]
Non‐timber Forest Product Harvest does not Affect the Genetic Diversity of a Tropical Tree Despite Negative Effects on Population Fitness
Authors: Gaoue Orou G. , Lemes Maristerra R. , Ticktin Tamara , Sinsin Brice , Eyog‐Matig Oscar
Published: October 2014

The level of genetic diversity in a population can affect ecological processes and plant responses to disturbance. In turn, disturbance can alter population genetic diversity and structure. Populations in fragmented and logged habitats often show reduced genetic diversity and increased inbreeding and differentiation. Long‐term harvesting of wild plants (for foliage, bark, and roots), can affect population genetic diversity by altering individual fitness and genetic contribution. Our understanding of these changes in genetic diversity due to the harvesting of plant organs is still limited. We used nine microsatellite markers to study the effect of long‐term bark and foliage harvest by Fulani people on the genetic diversity and structure of 12 populations of African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) in Benin. We sampled 20 individuals in each population to test the effect of harvesting. For each population, we divided the samples equally between seedling and adults to test if the effects are stronger in seedlings. We found moderate genetic diversity (He = 0.53 ± 0.04) and weak but significant differentiation among local populations (FST = 0.043, P < 0.001). There was no significant effect of harvest on genetic diversity or structure, although previous work found significant negative effects of harvest on the reproduction of adults, offspring density, and population fitness. Our results suggest that demographic responses to disturbance precede a detectable genetic response. Future studies should focus on using parentage analysis to test if genotypes of harvested parents are directly represented in the offspring populations.
Habitat Loss Reduces the Diversity of Frog Reproductive Modes in an Atlantic Forest Fragmented Landscape
Authors: Almeida‐Gomes Mauricio , Rocha Carlos F. D.
Published: October 2014

Several amphibian species have ecological traits that can make them vulnerable to landscape changes, such as habitat preference and reproductive strategies. We evaluated how anuran species and their respective reproductive modes were distributed in an Atlantic Forest fragmented landscape, Southeastern Brazil. We sampled through visual encounter surveys three continuous forest sites, 12 forest fragments and five pasture areas (matrix) between July 2007 and March 2010. We recorded 50 anuran species with 15 reproductive modes, a third of them (33.3%) recorded only in continuous forest sites (modes 3, 8, 19, 25 and 36). These reproductive modes found only in continuous forest sites are typically forest‐associated, and seem to be more vulnerable to habitat loss. Additionally, we found a trend for larger fragments to harbor both higher number of types of reproductive sites and diversity of frog reproductive modes. Our findings suggests that fragment sizes can better predict the number of frog reproductive modes than the species richness in Atlantic Forest fragmented landscapes, and highlights the need to consider frog reproductive traits in future studies.
Immune homeostasis, dysbiosis and therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiota
Authors: Peterson C T , Sharma V , Elmén L , Peterson S N
Published: October 2014

The distal gut harbours ∼1013 bacteria, representing the most densely populated ecosystem known. The functional diversity expressed by these communities is enormous and relatively unexplored. The past decade of research has unveiled the profound influence that the resident microbial populations bestow to host immunity and metabolism. The evolution of these communities from birth generates a highly adapted and highly personalized microbiota that is stable in healthy individuals. Immune homeostasis is achieved and maintained due in part to the extensive interplay between the gut microbiota and host mucosal immune system. Imbalances of gut microbiota may lead to a number of pathologies such as obesity, type I and type II diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammaging/immunosenscence in the elderly. In-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms that control homeostasis and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota represents an important step in our ability to reliably modulate the gut microbiota with positive clinical outcomes. The potential of microbiome-based therapeutics to treat epidemic human disease is of great interest. New therapeutic paradigms, including second-generation personalized probiotics, prebiotics, narrow spectrum antibiotic treatment and faecal microbiome transplantation, may provide safer and natural alternatives to traditional clinical interventions for chronic diseases. This review discusses host–microbiota homeostasis, consequences of its perturbation and the associated challenges in therapeutic developments that lie ahead.
Comparison of fixed implant‐supported prostheses, removable implant‐supported prostheses, and complete dentures: patient satisfaction and oral health‐related quality of life
Authors: Oh Sung‐Hee , Kim Younhee , Park Joo‐Yeon , Jung Yea Ji , Kim Seong‐Kyun , Park Sun‐Young
Published: October 2014

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to compare patient satisfaction and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) among fully edentulous patients treated with either fixed implant‐supported prostheses (FP), removable implant‐supported prostheses (RP), or complete dentures (CD).

Material and Methods

Eighty‐six patients – 29 FP, 27 RP, and 30 CD patients – participated in this study. The survey was conducted using face‐to‐face interviews with a questionnaire that included a patient satisfaction scale and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14). We measured patient satisfaction after prosthetic treatments and OHRQoL before and after the treatments.

Results

After prosthetic treatments, OHRQoL increased in all three groups (P < 0.05). The FP and RP groups showed no significant difference in patient satisfaction and OHRQoL, and both groups showed greater improvement compared with the CD group. Specifically, the OHRQoL dimensions of functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, and psychological disability in the FP group, and functional limitation in the RP group, improved greatly in comparison with the CD group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Although further research is still needed, prosthetic treatments may provide superior OHRQoL for fully edentulous patients. In particular, both the FP and RP treatments provided significantly greater improvement of OHRQoL and patient satisfaction than the CD treatment. Reliable information of OHRQoL and patient satisfaction helps experts and patients choose the best prosthetic treatment option.
What Is “Regime Change From Within?” Unpacking the Concept in the Context of Iran
Authors: Sheehan Ivan Sascha
Published: October 2014

The use of the phrase “regime change from within” has surged in recent years in media, policy, and opposition discourse, especially in relation to the Islamic Republic of Iran. But what does “regime change from within” actually mean? Is it just a script to encourage the aspirations of a people, or can it be defined with more specificity? This article argues that to be of value as a concept and the basis for articulate policy, “regime change from within” needs to be better defined. To bring greater clarity to the term, the article tries to unpack the concept by disaggregating it into three analytically separable problem components: the “regime,” “change,” and “from within.” Drawing on the case of Iran, I argue that although most of the current debate around the concept is on the “from within” component, the definitional choices that need more discussion are the “regime” and “change” aspects of the phrase.
Climate Shocks, State Capacity and Peasant Uprisings in North China during 25–1911 ce
Authors: Chen Qiang
Published: October 2014

China provides an interesting case study of civil conflict because of her long history and rich records. Using a unique dynastic panel dataset for north China during 25–1911 ce, this study finds that severe famines and dynastic age were positively correlated with peasant uprisings, whereas government disaster relief as a proxy for state capacity played a significant mitigating role. Negative climate shocks (e.g. severe drought, locust plagues) affected peasant uprisings primarily through the channel of severe famines. The effects of population density, temperature and other climate shocks (e.g. flood, levee breaches, snow disasters) were either not robust or insignificant.
Student Drop‐out from German Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Heublein Ulrich
Published: October 2014

28% of students of any one year currently give up their studies in bachelor degree programmes at German higher education institutions. Drop‐out is to be understood as the definite termination in the higher education system without obtaining an academic degree. The drop‐out rate is thereby calculated with the help of statistical estimation procedures on the basis of cohort comparisons. Based on Tinto's ‘student integration model’, German research on higher education has experienced partially different developments of theoretical approaches to student drop‐out. Today, preference goes to those models of drop‐out that describe the issue as a complex process in which individual, institutional and social factors affect the socialisation in the education process and studies. According to the findings of empirical studies, the inability to cope with the performance‐related demands of the higher education institution, wrong expectations and less identification with the subject, as well as problems in financing studies are considered to be the most important reasons for dropping out. Higher education institutions and higher education policy in Germany react to this situation with broad assistance measures that include the flexibilisation of the curricula, better information for students and the expansion of the support offered during the start of the studies.
Beyond carbon sequestration: soil as conduit of solar energy
Authors: Janzen H. H.
Published: October 2014

The prospect, so alluring, of sequestering carbon (C) to mitigate CO2 build‐up in air has prompted a flurry of soil studies, but questions still linger about whether early optimism was fully justified. My objectives are to review briefly the mechanisms of carbon accrual, consider constraints on soil C sequestration for mitigating climate, and contemplate questions for further collective conversation. Carbon in soil is ever in flux; not a stagnant reservoir, but a stream of atoms flowing through. Its instantaneous stock can be increased by adding more atoms to the stream or by slowing their rate of flow to CO2. The latter (decay) is influenced by intrinsic recalcitrance of the substrate, by protective interactions of carbon with the mineral matrix, and by the favourability of localized conditions for biological activity. Together, these mechanisms create a continuum of susceptibility to decay. Although many practices can abet carbon accrual, their effectiveness is constrained by the finitude of carbon gain, possible effects on other greenhouse gas emissions, susceptibility to future loss, the difficulty of measuring gains precisely, and the complexity of landscape‐scale dynamics. In the light of these problems and prospects, I propose, as a working hypothesis, that we focus less on carbon, and more on using wisely the energy it carries; in other words, maximizing carbon ‘stocks’ is less critical than maintaining ‘flows’ to sustain the manifold functions performed by ecosystems. Among its implications, this hypothesis (i) enforces an ecosystem perspective, considering all inevitable trade‐offs in the use of finite energy, (ii) emphasizes the importance of sustaining energy capture via photosynthesis, (iii) promotes a long view, evaluating carbon flows over several decades or longer and (iv) enfolds human aspirations, which ultimately shape carbon flows by demands on lands. Far from deflating the urgency of soil carbon research, this reoriented perspective may move soil carbon beyond a segregated stock to its central place as a dynamic hub in the energy cycles of our ecosystems.
Recognition and Response to Native and Novel Predators in the Largespring mosquitofish, Gambusia geiseri
Authors: Blake Chelsea A. , Alberici da Barbiano Laura , Guenther Jessica E. , Gabor Caitlin R.
Published: October 2014

The introduction of predator species into new habitats is an increasingly common consequence of human activities, and the persistence of native prey species depends upon their response to these novel predators. In this study, we examined whether the Largespring mosquitofish, Gambusia geiseri exhibited antipredator behavior and/or an elevation of circulating stress hormones (cortisol) to visual and chemical cues from a native predator, a novel predator, or a non‐predatory control fish. Prey showed the most pronounced antipredator response to the native predator treatment, by moving away from the stimulus, while the prey showed no significant changes in their vertical or horizontal position in response to the novel or non‐predator treatments. We also found no significant difference in water‐borne cortisol release rates following any of the treatments. Our results suggest the prey did not recognize and exhibit antipredator behavior to the novel predator, and we infer that this predator species could be detrimental if it expands into the range of this prey species. Further, our study demonstrates prey may not respond to an invasive predator that is phylogenetically, behaviorally, and morphologically dissimilar from the prey species' native predators.
Free Trade Agreements after the Treaty of Lisbon in the Light of the Case Law of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Authors: Van Waeyenberge Arnaud , Pecho Peter
Published: October 2014

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are increasingly employed by the European Union (EU) as a tool of its internal market and external relations policy. This article addresses the evolution of FTAs through the jurisprudential lens of the Court of Justice of the EU. To this end, and after clarifying key constitutional issues (competence, substance and hierarchy), it discusses the Court's case‐law on the direct effect of certain measures, and addresses a selection of cross‐functional questions regarding the interpretation of material law founded in the Court's case‐law. As a matter of general tendency, the jurisprudence takes a rather liberal stance in recognising direct effects of FTAs concerning analogical interpretation of economic freedom. By contrast, a more restrictive approach appears to have been applied to the interpretation of provisions having an impact on the possibility of third states' citizens to reside in the EU.
EU South African Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement: Bane or Boon for Socio‐Economic Rights under the South African Constitution?
Authors: Smis Stefaan , Kingah Stephen
Published: October 2014

How does the EU–South African Trade Development and Cooperation Agreement serve as a tool to ensure that basic services recognised under the South African Constitution are secured and reinforced so that the most vulnerable are protected? Benefits under the agreement will be hardly maximised by South Africans if political institutions and those who serve in them fail to duly channel the benefits of the agreement to the people while at the same time minimising potential deleterious effects of the liberalisation fallout engendered by the agreement.
Co‐management in Latin American small‐scale shellfisheries: assessment from long‐term case studies
Authors: Defeo Omar , Castrejón Mauricio , Pérez‐Castañeda Roberto , Castilla Juan C , Gutiérrez Nicolás L , Essington Timothy E , Folke Carl
Published: October 2014

Co‐management (Co‐M), defined as the sharing of management tasks and responsibilities between governments and local users, is emerging as a powerful institutional arrangement to redress fisheries paradigm failures, yet long‐term assessments of its performance are lacking. A comparative analysis of five small‐scale Latin American shellfisheries was conducted to identify factors suggesting success and failure. In Chile, Uruguay and Mexico Co‐M produced positive effects, including stabilization of landings at low levels, increase in abundance, CPUE, unit prices and revenues per unit of effort, and reduced interannual variability in several fishery indicators, particularly in landings. Co‐M was successful because it was mainly bottom‐up implemented and accompanied by‐catch shares (spatial property rights and community quotas). By contrast, Co‐M implementation was unable to prevent the collapse of the Galapagos sea cucumber fishery, as reflected by a decrease in abundance and CPUE. Negative effects were also observed in the Galapagos spiny lobster fishery during Co‐M implementation. However, recovery was observed in recent years, reflected in a stabilization of fishing effort and the highest CPUE and economic revenues observed since the beginning of the Co‐M implementation phase. The combined effects of market forces, climate variability and a moratorium on fishing effort were critical in fishery recovery. We conclude that Co‐M is not a blueprint that can be applied to all shellfisheries to enhance their governability. These social–ecological systems need to be managed by jointly addressing problems related to the resources, their marine environment and the people targeting them, accounting for their socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
Plant dispersal systems in Neotropical forests: availability of dispersal agents or availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits?
Authors: Correa Diego F. , Álvarez Esteban , Stevenson Pablo R.
Published: October 2014

Aim

We used abiotic and biotic factors as predictors of the proportions of different dispersal systems in Neotropical forests, to test whether the geographical patterns in dispersal systems are mostly related to the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits or to the availability of dispersal agents.

Location

101 one‐hectare vegetation plots established in eight Holdridge life‐zones in Colombian Neotropical forests.

Methods

We assigned dispersal systems to 2262 species and 1210 morphospecies, using the relative frequency and relative abundance of endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory per plot as response variables. We assessed the relationships between dispersal systems and ecological factors (elevation, climatic and edaphic variables, raw and weighted richness of potential frugivores, biomass of primates, wind speed, flooding regime and fragmentation), controlling for spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetic constraints.

Results

Endozoochory was highly represented in all plots. High levels of rainfall and low precipitation seasonality were associated with high proportions of zoochory (endozoochory and synzoochory) and low proportions of anemochory. The biomass of primates was positively associated with the relative abundance of endozoochory, and the weighted richness of frugivores was positively associated with the relative frequency of endozoochory. Contrary to the resource‐availability hypothesis, synzoochory (the most expensive dispersal system in terms of plant investment in fruit mass) was most common in soils with low carbon densities. Finally, the proportions of anemochory and hydrochory were highest in windy areas and flooded forests, respectively.

Main conclusions

Although there is a relationship between rainfall, zoochory and anemochory, the absence of any positive relationships between zoochory, temperature, soil total nitrogen density and soil carbon density shows that the proportions of dispersal systems in Colombian Neotropical forests are mostly related to the availability of dispersal agents.
Prevalence of HLA‐DQA1 alleles and haplotypes in blood donors resident in Wales
Authors: Lemin A. J. , Darke C.
Published: October 2014

Two hundred and fifty‐four normal blood donors, from a largely UK European population, were sequence‐based typed for HLA‐A, HLA‐B, HLA‐C, HLA‐DRB1, HLA‐DQA1 and HLA‐DQB1. The fit to Hardy–Weinberg expectations was good for all loci (all P values >0.5). Fifteen DQA1 alleles were identified to the second field. DQA1 carriage, allele and DQA1–DQB1 and DRB1–DQA1–DQB1 haplotype frequencies, linkage disequilibria and related values are presented.
Medical Humanitarianism: Anthropologists Speak Out on Policy and Practice
Authors: Abramowitz Sharon , Marten Meredith , Panter‐Brick Catherine
Published: October 2014

In recent years, anthropologists have become increasingly present in medical humanitarian situations as scholars, consultants, and humanitarian practitioners and have acquired insight into medical humanitarian policy and practice. In 2012, we implemented a poll on anthropology, health, and humanitarian practice in which 75 anthropologists discussed their experiences in medical humanitarianism. Our goal was to move beyond the existing anarchy of individual voices in anthropological writing and gain an aggregate view of the perspective of anthropologists working in medical humanitarian contexts. Responses lead to six inductively derived thematic priorities. The findings illustrate how anthropologists perceive medical humanitarian practice; which aspects of medical humanitarianism should be seen as priorities for anthropological research; and how anthropologists use ethnography in humanitarian contexts.
Morphological integration and pleiotropy in the adaptive body shape of the snail‐feeding carabid beetleDamaster blaptoides
Authors: Konuma Junji , Yamamoto Satoshi , Sota Teiji
Published: October 2014

The snail‐feeding carabid beetleDamaster blaptoidesexhibits diverse head and thorax morphologies, and these morphotypes are linked with two alternative feeding behaviours. Stout‐shaped beetles feed on snails by crushing the shells, whereas slender‐shaped beetles consume snails by inserting their heads into the shells. A trade‐off exists between these feeding strategies. Because intermediate‐shaped beetles are less proficient in these two behaviours, stout–slender morphological divergence occurs between related species feeding on land snails. To examine the genetic basis of these morphotypes, we conducted morphological analyses and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using backcross offspring between the stout and slender subspecies. The morphological analyses showed that the width and length of the beetle body parts were correlated with each other; in particular, the head width (HW) and thorax length (TL) were strongly negatively correlated.QTLmapping showed thatQTLs forHWandTLare located in close proximity to one another on the longest linkage group and that they have positive and negative additive genetic effects. Our results suggest that the adaptive phenotypic sets of a wide head and short thorax and a narrow head and long thorax are based on the closeness of theseQTLs. Morphological integration between the head and thorax may play an important role in the adaptive divergence of these beetles.
Population genetic structure and direct observations reveal sex‐reversed patterns of dispersal in a cooperative bird
Authors: Harrison Xavier A. , York Jennifer E. , Young Andrew J.
Published: October 2014

Sex‐biased dispersal is pervasive and has diverse evolutionary implications, but the fundamental drivers of dispersal sex biases remain unresolved. This is due in part to limited diversity within taxonomic groups in the direction of dispersal sex biases, which leaves hypothesis testing critically dependent upon identifying rare reversals of taxonomic norms. Here, we use a combination of observational and genetic data to demonstrate a rare reversal of the avian sex bias in dispersal in the cooperatively breeding white‐browed sparrow weaver (Plocepasser mahali). Direct observations revealed that (i) natal philopatry was rare, with both sexes typically dispersing locally to breed, and (ii), unusually for birds, males bred at significantly greater distances from their natal group than females. Population genetic analyses confirmed these patterns, as (i) corrected Assignment index (AIc), FST tests and isolation‐by‐distance metrics were all indicative of longer dispersal distances among males than females, and (ii) spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated stronger within‐group genetic structure among females than males. Examining the spatial scale of extra‐group mating highlighted that the resulting ‘sperm dispersal’ could have acted in concert with individual dispersal to generate these genetic patterns, but gamete dispersal alone cannot account entirely for the sex differences in genetic structure observed. That leading hypotheses for the evolution of dispersal sex biases cannot readily account for these sex‐reversed patterns of dispersal in white‐browed sparrow weavers highlights the continued need for attention to alternative explanations for this enigmatic phenomenon. We highlight the potential importance of sex differences in the distances over which dispersal opportunities can be detected.
Detection of dopa‐positive cells in mouse ovaries in response to ocular exposure to ultraviolet B rays
Authors: Hiramoto Keiichi , Yamate Yurika , Kawanishi Shosuke
Published: October 2014

Background

It is known that the levels of hormones secreted from the pituitary gland are increased by ultraviolet B (UVB) eye irradiation. The ovaries are affected by the hormones secreted from the pituitary gland. Therefore, we observed the influence of UVB eye irradiation on the ovaries.

Methods

In this study, a 2.5 kJ/m2 dose of UVB irradiation was delivered by a sunlamp to the eye or the ear of C57BL/6j female mice. Five days after UVB irradiation, we removed the ovaries.

Results

The plasma levels of α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and β‐endorphin were increased 24 h after UVB irradiation of either the eye or the ear. The amounts of ACTH and α‐MSH were decreased 5 days after UVB irradiation. However, the β‐endorphin level 5 days after UVB eye irradiation did not decrease. In addition, UVB eye irradiation increased the expression of dopa‐positive cells, tyrosinase, and dopa decarboxylase, and also increased the immunoreactivity of melanocortin‐1 receptor in the ovaries. The dopamine content in the plasma was also increased.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the melanin and dopamine systems of the ovary are affected by UVB eye irradiation, and the synthesized dopamine is maintained at high levels as β‐endorphin.
Disappointment and regret enhance corrugator reactivity in a gambling task
Authors: Wu Yin , Clark Luke
Published: October 2014

This study investigated how the corrugator and zygomaticus respond to decision outcomes (i.e., gains and losses). We used a gambling task in which participants were presented with obtained followed by non‐obtained outcomes. Activity at the corrugator site was sensitive to decision outcomes, such that higher obtained losses (disappointment) and higher non‐obtained gains (regret) both heightened corrugator reactivity. Activity at the zygomaticus site was not responsive to obtained or non‐obtained outcomes, but did show sensitivity to emotional images in the same participants, in the form of a positive linear relationship with self‐reported emotional valence. Corrugator activity was negatively related to emotional valence. The findings indicate the sensitivity of corrugator to objective decision outcomes and also counterfactual comparisons, highlighting the utility of facial electromyography in research on decision making and gambling behavior.
Telomerase gene mutations and telomere length shortening in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a Chinese population
Authors: Dai Jinghong , Cai Hourong , Zhuang Yi , Wu Yongzheng , Min Haiyan , Li Jinheng , Shi Yi , Gao Qian , Yi Long
Published: October 2014

Background and objective

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an age‐related disease and the most common manifestation of telomere‐mediated disorders.

Methods

We collected detailed medical histories and DNA samples from 100 IPF patients seen at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Nanjing University. All patients had sporadic IPF, with no family history reported. We screened all patients for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA component (TERC) variants, and measured their telomere lengths in lymphocytes.

Results

Six novel telomerase gene mutations were identified in six IPF patients enrolled in the studies. They were two heterozygous mutations in TERC (257 G>A and 108 C>T) and four in TERT (R622H, T644M, V777L and F1032I). IPF patients with TERT/TERC mutations had significant thrombocytopaenia (160.167 ± 28.089 × 109) compared with the non‐mutation groups (191.018 ± 71.187 × 109, P = 0.047). All IPF patients with TERT/TERC mutations had shortened telomeres (0.656 ± 0.125) compared with the patients lacking TERT/TERC mutations (1.080 ± 0.6819, P = 0.0184). IPF patients lacking TERT or TERC mutations (1.080 ± 0.6819) had significantly shorter telomeres compared with age‐matched healthy controls (1.244 ± 0.5890, P = 0.0355).

Conclusions

Six novel mutations in the telomerase genes were identified for the first time in individuals diagnosed with sporadic IPF in a Chinese Han population. Shorter telomeres and mild thrombocytopaenia could be clues to association with telomerase gene mutation and sporadic IPF.
Vascular patterns of nonpigmented tumoral skin lesions: confocal perspectives
Authors: Incel P. , Gurel M. S. , Erdemir A. V.
Published: October 2014

Background

The characteristic vascular patterns of nonpigmented skin tumors have been established by dermoscopy. Recently, in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) has become an established method for the noninvasive examination of skin tumors.

Objectives

Determination of the value of RCM on the vascularity of nonpigmented skin tumors.

Methods

One hundred and twenty two tumoral lesions have been evaluated by RCM in terms of their vascular structures. They were classified in five groups as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), seborrheic keratosis (SK), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)/keratoacanthoma, actinic keratosis (AK)/Bowen disease and others. Vascular morphologies were investigated as curved linear, straight linear, branching, tubular/canalicular, round and polymorphic vessels in six types.

Limitations

Relatively, small number of patients with some tumor subgroups is limitation. Larger prospective studies are required before firm conclusions can be drawn.

Results

Excellent compliance was obtained in interobserver analysis. Branching vessels had a high predictive value for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with RCM (P < 0.001). Also vascular polymorphism was more frequently (69.4%) seen in malignant nonpigmented tumors (P < 0.05) than benign nonpigmented tumors (30.6%). Furthermore, vessels with opposite flows had high predictive value for malignant tumors (P < 0.05) compared with benign tumors.

Conclusion

Vascular properties can be evaluated in the diagnosis of nonpigmented tumoral skin lesions via RCM.