bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do strategic actors think about the value of talent management? Moving from talent practice to the practice of talent
Authors: Makram Heba , Sparrow Paul , Greasley Kay
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of strategic actors in multinational organisations and to contribute to our understanding of how multinational companies articulate and define talent management and how – or what – they perceive its value to be.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an empirical research study in which data were collected through 50 in-depth interviews across five multinational companies, conducted at a regional level across ten countries. Participants in the study were strategic actors representing two groups of managers/leaders (HR and talent management system designers and business leaders who are directly involved in the implementation of talent management).

Findings

The absence of a formal talent management definition led to the emergence of different views and interpretations of what it is. It was viewed as a bundle, or set, of management ideologies manifested in all HR-related practices across four key areas: hiring the right talent, performance management, succession planning and development and retention. Performance management acted as the cornerstone. Talent management strategies displayed little participation for both system designers and implementers and distinct patterns of mystification, technologization and concretisation. The language of value was uncommonly used but provoked different ways of thinking about the role and meaning of talent management.

Practical implications

The strategic actors in the talent system continue to see talent management in narrow functional and HR process terms. However, by bundling these HR functions and processes together, it is evident that they can be encouraged to recast their activity in a broader strategic narrative. Borrowing the notions and theories of value and value creation, and investigating talent management through this lens, should help to surface interesting insights into how talent management might be defined in practice, and how the language of value may in future be used to understand what talent management really is.

Originality/value

The global study underpinning this paper attempts to deconstruct the understanding that strategic actors have about talent management from an empirical base. It contributes to the conceptual development of the talent management discourse by revealing the logics being pursued and address the definitional problem currently evidenced in the literature. It also provides direction for future research.
Feasibility of signal enhancement with multiple grounded‐wire sources for a frequency‐domain electromagnetic survey
Authors: Zhou Haigen , Yao Yao , Liu Changsheng , Lin Jun , Kang Lili , Li Gang , Zeng Xinsen
Published: November 2017

Frequency‐domain electromagnetic methods with a grounded‐wire source are powerful tools in geophysical exploration. However, the signal may be too weak to guarantee the quality of survey data in complex electromagnetic environments, especially when the receiver is located in the air for the newly developed grounded‐source airborne frequency‐domain electromagnetic method. In this paper, a signal enhancement method with multiple sources is proposed to solve this problem. To evaluate the signal enhancement effect, we compared the signals generated by a single source and multiple sources with equal electric moment. The signal differences caused by synchronisation error and separation distance between source elements were analysed, and the methods to achieve maximum signal were introduced. Besides, we discussed the interaction between adjacent source elements to ensure the system safety, including the changes in output current and the safe distance between two sources using a dual‐source model. Lastly, a comprehensive field experiment was designed and conducted to test the multiple‐source method. The data processing results are comparable for single and dual sources, and the signal‐to‐noise ratio of dual source is higher in the field test. The subsurface resistivity structure at the test site is consistent with the previous controlled‐source audio‐frequency magnetotellurics method. These results show that signal enhancement with multiple sources is feasible. This study provides guidance to the application of multiple sources in field surveys when the survey environment is complex and rigorous.
A computer vision for animal ecology
Authors: Weinstein Ben G.
Published: November 2017

A central goal of animal ecology is to observe species in the natural world. The cost and challenge of data collection often limit the breadth and scope of ecological study. Ecologists often use image capture to bolster data collection in time and space. However, the ability to process these images remains a bottleneck.

Computer vision can greatly increase the efficiency, repeatability and accuracy of image review. Computer vision uses image features, such as colour, shape and texture to infer image content.

I provide a brief primer on ecological computer vision to outline its goals, tools and applications to animal ecology.

I reviewed 187 existing applications of computer vision and divided articles into ecological description, counting and identity tasks.

I discuss recommendations for enhancing the collaboration between ecologists and computer scientists and highlight areas for future growth of automated image analysis.
Inflation and the Dispersion of Relative Prices: A Case for 4 % Solution
Authors: Rather Sartaj Rasool , Durai Raja Sethu , Ramachandran Muthia
Published: November 2017

Unlike earlier literature that documented positive association between inflation and the dispersion of relative prices over time, the empirical evidence from this study suggests that the relative price dispersion increases in response to the deviation of inflation from certain threshold/target level in either direction rather than inflation per se. The striking feature of the empirical evidence from United States and Japan is that the inflation rate at which the dispersion of relative prices is minimised turn out to be 4%; hence, supporting the proposal of 4% inflation target for both the countries.
Enhancement of Moisture Protective Properties and Stability of Pectin through Formation of a Composite Film: Effects of Shellac and Plasticizer
Authors: Luangtana‐anan Manee , Soradech Sitthiphong , Saengsod Suthep , Nunthanid Jurairat , Limmatvapirat Sontaya
Published: November 2017

The aim of this investigation was to develop the high moisture protective ability and stable pectin through the design of composite films based on varying shellac concentrations. A film casting method was applied to prepare a free film. The moisture protective properties and mechanical properties were investigated. The findings was the composite films exhibited the reductions in the hydrophilicity, water vapor permeability, and the moisture content compared with pectin films. The single and composite films were then study for their stability at 40 °C and 75% RH for 90 d. Among the concentrations of shellac, 50% (w/w) could improve stability in terms of moisture protection after 90 d of storage, whereas lower concentrations of shellac (10% to 40%) could not achieve this. However, the higher shellac content also contributed to weaker mechanical properties. The mechanical improvement and stability of composite films with the incorporation of plasticizers were further investigated. Polyethylene glycol 400 and diethyl phthalate at a concentration of 10% were used. The results indicated that both plasticizers could enhance the mechanical characteristics and had a slight effect on moisture protection. The stability of pectin in terms of moisture protective properties could, therefore, be modified through the fabrication of composite films with hydrophobic polymers, that is, shellac and the addition of proper plasticizers to enhance mechanical properties, which could offer wide applications for edible film in food, agro, and pharmaceutical industries.

Practical Application

The composite film with 50% shellac could improve moisture protective properties of pectin film. Adding a plasticizer could build up the higher mechanical characteristics of composite film. Stability of pectin could be modified by fabrication of composite films with proper content of shellac and plasticizer.
The Periplus, Pliny and Arabia
Authors: GROOM NIGEL
Published: November 2017

Factual differences between the Periplus and Pliny about Roman trade with India reveal a time gap which indicates a date for the Periplus of circa 45 AD. In the light of this, a number of conclusions concerning Arabia in the 1st century AD can be drawn, in particular that awr Rūnī is not the site of Moscha, while the historical background in the Persian Gulf can be more readily understood. Points touched on concerning the sea routes to India and Italian mediaeval versions of Ptolemy's map of Arabia are discussed more fully in two appendices.
Alcohol‐Induced Impairment of Balance is Antagonized by Energy Drinks
Authors: Marczinski Cecile A. , Fillmore Mark T. , Stamates Amy L. , Maloney Sarah F.
Published: November 2017

Background

The acute administration of alcohol reliably impairs balance and motor coordination. While it is common for consumers to ingest alcohol with other stimulant drugs (e.g., caffeine, nicotine), little is known whether prototypical alcohol‐induced balance impairments are altered by stimulant drugs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the coadministration of a high‐caffeine energy drink with alcohol can antagonize expected alcohol‐induced increases in body sway.

Methods

Sixteen social drinkers (of equal gender) participated in 4 separate double‐blind dose administration sessions that involved consumption of alcohol and energy drinks, alone and in combination. Following dose administration, participants completed automated assessments of balance stability (both eyes open and eyes closed) measured using the Biosway Portable Balance System. Participants completed several subjective measures including self‐reported ratings of sedation, stimulation, fatigue, and impairment. Blood pressure and pulse rate were recorded repeatedly.

Results

The acute administration of alcohol increased body sway, and the coadministration of energy drinks antagonized this impairment. When participants closed their eyes, alcohol‐induced body sway was similar whether or not energy drinks were ingested. While alcohol administration increased ratings of sedation and fatigue, energy drink administration increased ratings of stimulation and reduced ratings of fatigue. Modest increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure following energy drink administration were also observed.

Conclusions

Visual assessment of balance impairment is frequently used to indicate that an individual has consumed too much alcohol (e.g., as part of police‐standardized field sobriety testing or by a bartender assessing when someone should no longer be served more alcohol). The current findings suggest that energy drinks can antagonize alcohol‐induced increases in body sway, indicating that future work is needed to determine whether this observation regarding neuromotor functioning applies to alcohol in combination with all types of stimulant drugs.
Dispatches from Flyover Country: Four Appraisals of Impacts of Trump's Immigration Policy on Families, Schools, and Communities
Authors: Hamann Edmund T. , Morgenson Cara
Published: November 2017

A university professor and high school ESL teacher, both based in Lincoln Nebraska, each write two short essays that detail implications of the Trump administration immigration policies for students, teachers, schools, and communities. The first two dispatches come from the transition period (after Trump won but while Obama still presided) while the latter two come from the 50‐day mark of the Trump presidency. Juxtaposing voices contrasts overarching impact with the local; juxtaposing chronologies allows comparison of political promises and threats to early actions and reactions.
A Time to Keep Silence and a Time to Speak
Authors: O'Connor Brendan H. , Mangual Figueroa Ariana
Published: November 2017

The authors consider the implications of speaking out and remaining silent in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. They reflect on the forms of speech available to and expected of educators and educational anthropologists in order to raise questions about whose voices are heard or ignored in the current public discourse. Drawing from their language‐focused work alongside Latino immigrant communities, the authors raise questions about when and how to honor and break silences.
The Body Is Purple: A Visceral Cartography of Activist Labors
Authors: Valenzuela Cecilia A.
Published: November 2017

This poem draws from my research and work experiences on a campus where I advise, support, and advocate on behalf of those who are from historically marginalized communities. It voices a collective and embodied cartography of spiritual and creative resistance against continuous modes of dehumanization, and it illuminates this through specific motifs. I share this as a response to current activist efforts.
How Much of This Is New? Thoughts on How We Got Here, Solidarity, and Research in the Current Moment
Authors: Shirazi Roozbeh
Published: November 2017

This article offers three meditations on the 2016 election of Donald Trump for consideration by the readers of Anthropology & Education Quarterly: first, to query what is “new” about this political era; second, to draw attention to the performance of political opposition and violences of solidarity; third, to document my own navigations of the political present as a researcher and educator with thoughts for others who work with or are marked as “targeted populations.”
Maximum residual levels of pesticides and public health: best friends or faux amis?
Authors: Carrère Myriam , DeMaria Federica , Drogué Sophie
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this article is to analyze the relation between public health and the regulations of Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of pesticides. Many authors underline the role of trade protectionism in fixing these limits, whereas these regulations should be intended for public health protection. We first establish the link between the MRL for a given chemical in plant products and its level of toxicity. In order to perform this analysis, we cross the FAS USDA MRL database and the classification of the long‐term toxicological effects (LTE) for active substances provided by SAgE pesticide. We then compute a synthetic and polyvalent tool, namely, “Health Score,” which provides a first overview of the link between LTE and MRL by country. Then this score is regressed in a logit model in order to identify the relationship between the countries’ Health Score and the socioeconomic and political characteristics of such areas. Results highlight the importance of public health expenditures in determining the settings of MRL toward stricter levels.
Child‐Adolescent Teasing Scale: psychometric properties of the Turkish version
Authors: Mutlu Banu , Yilmaz Medine
Published: November 2017

Background

The tools to measure teasing are not available in Turkish literature. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and performance of a Turkish version of the Child‐Adolescent Teasing Scale (CATS) among a sample of Turkish children.

Methods

Four hundred middle school (grades 5‐6‐7‐8) students comprised the sample. CATS is composed of four subfactors and 32 items. Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by five experts. Psychometric testing included internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item‐total correlations), test–retest reliability, construct validity (principal component analysis via oblique rotation and confirmatory factor analysis), and variability (floor and ceiling effects).

Results

Of the participants, 52.5% were female. Their mean age was 12.54 ± 1.11. Language equivalence and content validity were assessed by five experts. The Content Validity Index of the scale was .87. The correlation coefficient ranged between .34 and .70. Cronbach's alpha was .92 for the total scale. The test–retest correlation value was r = .87. The scale confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale had a four‐factor structure. These four factors explained 55.51% of the total variance. The reliability coefficient of the relationship between each subscale in relation to the total scores of the scale ranged from .56 to .93.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the Turkish version of the CATS which has good psychometric properties similar to those of the original English version is a valid and reliable tool. While the original scale has 32 items, the Turkish version of the CATS has four factors and 23 items. It can be used to assess teasing in children and adolescents.
A novel three‐dimensional printed guiding device for electrode implantation of sacral neuromodulation
Authors: Cui Z. , Wang Z. , Ye G. , Zhang C. , Wu G. , Lv J.
Published: November 2017

Aim

The aim was to test the feasibility of a novel three‐dimensional (3D) printed guiding device for electrode implantation of sacral neuromodulation (SNM).

Method

A 3D printed guiding device for electrode implantation was customized to patients’ anatomy of the sacral region. Liquid photopolymer was selected as the printing material. The details of the device designation and prototype building are described. The guiding device was used in two patients who underwent SNM for intractable constipation. Details of the procedure and the outcomes are given.

Results

With the help of the device, the test needle for stimulation was placed in the target sacral foramen successfully at the first attempt of puncture in both patients. The time to implant a tined SNM electrode was less than 20 min and no complications were observed. At the end of the screening phase, symptoms of constipation were relieved by more than 50% in both patients and permanent stimulation was established.

Conclusion

The customized 3D printed guiding device for implantation of SNM is a promising instrument that facilitates a precise and quick implantation of the electrode into the target sacral foramen.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA quantification in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of immunocompromised patients with CMV pneumonia
Authors: Beam Elena , Germer Jeffrey J. , Lahr Brian , Yao Joseph D.C. , Limper Andrew Harold , Binnicker Matthew J. , Razonable Raymund R.
Published: November 2017

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia causes major morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis requires demonstration of viral cytopathic changes in tissue, entailing risks of lung biopsy. This study aimed to determine CMV viral load (VL) thresholds in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for diagnosis of CMV pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. CMV VL in BALF was studied in 17 patients (83% transplant recipients) and 21 control subjects with and without CMV pneumonia, respectively, using an FDA‐approved PCR assay (Cobas® AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan® CMV Test, Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.) calibrated to the WHO International Standard for CMV DNA (NIBSC: 09/162). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis produced a BALF CMV VL threshold of 34 800, IU/mL with 91.7% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity for diagnosis of possible, probable, and proven CMV pneumonia in transplant patients, while a threshold of 656 000 IU/mL yielded 100% sensitivity and specificity among biopsy‐proven cases. For all immunocompromised patients, a VL threshold of 274 IU/mL was selected. VL thresholds also were normalized to BALF cell count yielding a threshold of 0.32 IU/106 cells with 91.7% sensitivity and 90.5% specificity for possible, probable, and proven CMV pneumonia in transplant recipients. Monitoring CMV VL in BALF may be a less invasive method for diagnosing CMV pneumonia in immunocompromised patients.
Na+/H+ exchanger 3 blockade ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus via inhibition of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 1‐mediated glucose absorption in the small intestine
Authors: Chan Leo K. Y. , Wang Yi , Ng Enders K. W. , Leung Po Sing
Published: November 2017

Aim

To elucidate the role of Na+/H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) in sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 1 (SGLT1)‐mediated small intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) glucose absorption and its functional implications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials and Methods

Human jejunal samples were obtained from patients undergoing gastrectomy. 14C‐glucose absorption was measured by liquid scintillation counting. NHE3 expression was suppressed by siRNA‐mediated knockdown or augmented in Caco2 cells. Glucose and insulin tolerance in db/db and m+/db mice was assessed with oral and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, and an intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test. Insulin resistance and β‐cell function were assessed using homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and β‐cell function.

Results

NHE3 expression was upregulated in db/db mouse jejunal BBM and high‐glucose‐treated Caco2 cells. NHE3 blockade impaired SGLT1‐mediated glucose absorption in human jejunum, m+/db and db/db mouse jejunums, and Caco2 cells, via serum/glucocorticoid‐regulated kinase 1 (SGK1). NHE3 knockdown suppressed SGLT1‐mediated glucose uptake and reduced mRNA and protein levels of SGK1 and SGLT1, which were conversely enhanced by NHE3 overexpression. Chronic S3226 treatment diminished postprandial glucose levels and ameliorated glucose intolerance in db/db mice.

Conclusion

NHE3 is essential in the modulation of small intestinal BBM glucose absorption. Our findings provide a rationale for future possible clinical application of NHE3 for treatment of T2DM through reducing intestinal glucose uptake and counteracting postprandial hyperglycaemia.
Empirical and theoretical investigation into the potential impacts of insecticide resistance on the effectiveness of insecticide‐treated bed nets
Authors: Glunt Katey D. , Coetzee Maureen , Huijben Silvie , Koffi A. Alphonsine , Lynch Penelope A. , N'Guessan Raphael , Oumbouke Welbeck A. , Sternberg Eleanore D. , Thomas Matthew B.
Published: November 2017

In spite of widespread insecticide resistance in vector mosquitoes throughout Africa, there is limited evidence that long‐lasting insecticidal bed nets (LLINs) are failing to protect against malaria. Here, we showed that LLIN contact in the course of host‐seeking resulted in higher mortality of resistant Anopheles spp. mosquitoes than predicted from standard laboratory exposures with the same net. We also found that sublethal contact with an LLIN caused a reduction in blood feeding and subsequent host‐seeking success in multiple lines of resistant mosquitoes from the laboratory and the field. Using a transmission model, we showed that when these LLIN‐related lethal and sublethal effects were accrued over mosquito lifetimes, they greatly reduced the impact of resistance on malaria transmission potential under conditions of high net coverage. If coverage falls, the epidemiological impact is far more pronounced. Similarly, if the intensity of resistance intensifies, the loss of malaria control increases nonlinearly. Our findings help explain why insecticide resistance has not yet led to wide‐scale failure of LLINs, but reinforce the call for alternative control tools and informed resistance management strategies.
The Role of Parental Support and Family Variables in L1 and L2 Vocabulary Development of Japanese Heritage Language Students in the United States
Authors: Mori Yoshiko , Calder Toshiko M.
Published: November 2017

This study investigated the role of parental support and selected family variables in the first (L1) and second language (L2) vocabulary development of Japanese heritage language (JHL) high school students in the United States. Eighty‐two JHL students ages 15–18 from eight hoshuukoo (i.e., supplementary academic schools for Japanese‐speaking children) were assessed for their L1 Japanese and L2 English vocabulary knowledge. Simultaneously, the students’ parents, at least one of whom was a Japanese native, completed a family background questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis identified five components that the parents considered effective for supporting their children's language development: Japanese pop culture, reading for pleasure in Japanese, use of Japanese at home, reading to the child, and family conversation. Regression analyses revealed that reading for pleasure in Japanese positively predicted the students’ L1 Japanese vocabulary and that Japanese pop culture negatively predicted their L2 English vocabulary. L1 Japanese vocabulary was also predicted by students’ dominant language and parents’ goals for their children's achievement, whereas L2 English vocabulary was predicted by future residency plan, mother's self‐rated English proficiency, and home language use. In short, JHL students’ L1 Japanese and L2 English vocabulary development involves different family factors. Consequently, different approaches should be recommended to support HL students’ L1 and L2 development.
Shrub encroachment and vertebrate diversity: A global meta‐analysis
Authors: Stanton Richard A. , Boone Wesley W. , Soto‐Shoender Jose , Fletcher Robert J. , Blaum Niels , McCleery Robert A.
Published: November 2017

Aim

Across the planet, grass‐dominated biomes are experiencing shrub encroachment driven by atmospheric CO2enrichment and land‐use change. By altering resource structure and availability, shrub encroachment may have important impacts on vertebrate communities. We sought to determine the magnitude and variability of these effects across climatic gradients, continents, and taxa, and to learn whether shrub thinning restores the structure of vertebrate communities.

Location

Worldwide.

Time period

Contemporary.

Major taxa studied

Terrestrial vertebrates.

Methods

We estimated relationships between percentage shrub cover and the structure of terrestrial vertebrate communities (species richness, Shannon diversity and community abundance) in experimentally thinned and unmanipulated shrub‐encroached grass‐dominated biomes using systematic review and meta‐analyses of 43 studies published from 1978 to 2016. We modelled the effects of continent, biome, mean annual precipitation, net primary productivity and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on the relationship between shrub cover and vertebrate community structure.

Results

Species richness, Shannon diversity and total abundance had no consistent relationship with shrub encroachment and experimental thinning did not reverse encroachment effects on vertebrate communities. However, some effects of shrub encroachment on vertebrate communities differed with net primary productivity, amongst vertebrate groups, and across continents. Encroachment had negative effects on vertebrate diversity at low net primary productivity. Mammalian and herpetofaunal diversity decreased with shrub encroachment. Shrub encroachment also had negative effects on species richness and total abundance in Africa but positive effects in North America.

Main conclusions

Biodiversity conservation and mitigation efforts responding to shrub encroachment should focus on low‐productivity locations, on mammals and herpetofauna, and in Africa. However, targeted research in neglected regions such as central Asia and India will be needed to fill important gaps in our knowledge of shrub encroachment effects on vertebrates. Additionally, our findings provide an impetus for determining the mechanisms associated with changes in vertebrate diversity and abundance in shrub‐encroached grass‐dominated biomes.
Cholesterol‐α‐glucosyltransferase gene is present in most Helicobacter species including gastric non‐Helicobacter pylori helicobacters obtained from Japanese patients
Authors: Kawakubo Masatomo , Horiuchi Kazuki , Matsumoto Takehisa , Nakayama Jun , Akamatsu Taiji , Katsuyama Tsutomu , Ota Hiroyoshi , Sagara Junji
Published: November 2017

Background

Non‐Helicobacter pylori helicobacters (NHPHs) besides H. pylori infect human stomachs and cause chronic gastritis and mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Cholesteryl‐α‐glucosides have been identified as unique glycolipids present in H. pylori and some Helicobacter species. Cholesterol‐α‐glucosyltransferase (αCgT), a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of cholesteryl‐α‐glucosides, plays crucial roles in the pathogenicity of H. pylori. Therefore, it is important to examine αCgTs of NHPHs.

Materials and Methods

Six gastric NHPHs were isolated from Japanese patients and maintained in mouse stomachs. The αCgT genes were amplified by PCR and inverse PCR. We retrieved the αCgT genes of other Helicobacter species by BLAST searches in GenBank.

Results

αCgT genes were present in most Helicobacter species and in all Japanese isolates examined. However, we could find no candidate gene for αCgT in the whole genome of Helicobacter cinaedi and several enterohepatic species. Phylogenic analysis demonstrated that the αCgT genes of all Japanese isolates show high similarities to that of a zoonotic group of gastric NHPHs including Helicobacter suis, Helicobacter heilmannii, and Helicobacter ailurogastricus. Of 6 Japanese isolates, the αCgT genes of 4 isolates were identical to that of H. suis, and that of another 2 isolates were similar to that of H. heilmannii and H. ailurogastricus.

Conclusions

All gastric NHPHs examined showed presence of αCgT genes, indicating that αCgT may be beneficial for these helicobacters to infect human and possibly animal stomachs. Our study indicated that NHPHs could be classified into 2 groups, NHPHs with αCgT genes and NHPHs without αCgT genes.
Physicochemical characterisation and α‐amylase inhibitory activity of tea polysaccharides under simulated salivary, gastric and intestinal conditions
Authors: Li Weiwei , Wang Cong , Yuan Guoqi , Pan Yuxiang , Chen Haixia
Published: November 2017

Tea polysaccharides (TPS) are one of the main components of tea with various bioactivities. Digestion could result in the changes of the physicochemical properties and bioactivities of polysaccharides. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in physicochemical properties and α‐amylase inhibitory activities of TPS after simulated digestion. The structure of TPS determined by UV, IR and SEM showed that no obvious changes after salivary digestion, but significant changes after gastrointestinal digestion were observed. After intestinal digestion, the contents of reducing sugar were increased from 0.650 ± 0.011 to 1.594 ± 0.078 mm, and the centre molecular weight was decreased from 540.57 to 375.35 KDa. The molar ratio of monosaccharide was changed after digestion. And α‐amylase inhibition rate was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The results could provide information on the digestibility of TPSin vitro and contribute to the development of related functional foods or medicines.
Deodorisation of fish oil by nanofiltration membrane process: focus on volatile flavour compounds and fatty acids composition
Authors: Fang Yizhou , Gu Saiqi , Zhang Jianyou , Liu Shulai , Ding Yuting , Liu Jianhua
Published: November 2017

This study focuses on the investigations for the deodorisation of tuna oil and squid oil through n‐hexane extraction and nanofiltration membrane process with a molecular weight cut‐off of 360 Da. The change of the odour and the fatty acids composition were analysed. Volatile components analysed by monolithic material sorptive extraction (MMSE) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) suggested that nanofiltration membrane process could remove the majority of the volatile components, and the removal rate was approximate to 80%. The odour activity values (OAVs) of the volatile components in tuna oil and squid oil were significantly reduced from 125.23 to 17.47 and 129.76 to 10.06 (P < 0.05), respectively. On the other hand, the contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were increased as expected. These results indicated that the organic solvent nanofiltration technique had obvious effects on deodorisation of fish oil, and it would be a promising deodorisation method in fish oil refining industry.
Optimisation of experimental conditions for binding of divalent iron to bioactive casein phosphopeptides
Authors: Delshadian Zohre , Mortazavian Amir Mohammad , Tabarzad Maryam , Hosseini Seyede Marzieh , Mohammadi Reza , Rouhi Milad , Salami Maryam , Khosravi‐Darani Kianoush
Published: November 2017

Casein phosphopeptides (CPPs) are mineral‐binding bioactive peptides derived from enzymatic digestion of casein. They have been shown to increase iron bioavailability due to increasing iron solubility at the alkaline pH of the intestine. Thus, they are potentially applicable as an advantageous preparation for iron fortification of food. This study aimed to characterise a commercially available CPP and determines optimum experimental conditions for binding it with ferrous iron. The effect of three variables – pH (5–7.5), mass ratio of iron to CPP (MR) (0.04–0.16) and holding time (40–80 min) – on the CPP's iron content was investigated using the central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM), and a quadratic model was developed. The optimisation in this survey was based on the maximum response. Among all the regression's terms, the main and quadratic effects of pH represented the most significant influences on the iron content (P‐value <0.05). The obtained optimum conditions were as follows: pH 6.5, MR 0.14 and holding time 72 min, resulting in binding 68.66 mg iron per gram of the CPP. The quantity of iron bound to the CPP depended considerably on the experimental conditions and proved the importance of optimisation.
Cashew nut oil: effect of kernel grade and a microwave preheating extraction step on chemical composition, oxidative stability and bioactivity
Authors: de Carvalho Joelia Marques , de Figueiredo Raimundo Wilane , de Sousa Paulo Henrique Machado , de Luna Francisco Murilo Tavares , Maia Geraldo Arraes
Published: November 2017

The cashew nut kernels can be broadly classified by colour, size, quality and integrity, into whole (W), butts (B), splits (S) and P (pieces). This work evaluated seven sizes and qualities of cashew kernel (B1, S1, W4, SP1, SP2, P2 and W240), for oil extraction. Then, two oil extraction methods, using cold pressing (CP) and microwave preheating (MP), respectively, were investigated. In evaluation of cashew kernel grades, the fat content varied between 51.6 and 57.6 g 100 g−1, and the acidity and peroxide were low, indicating good chemical quality for all grades. The oil extracted by MP showed a higher induction time in the Rancimat test (46.25 h). The cashew nut oil showed bioactivity, mainly associated with the level of total phenolic compounds (CP: 202.17 mg 100 g−1; MP: 371.95 mg 100 g−1), and showed antiproliferative activity against cancer cells (lung, breast and liver) but only at high concentrations. The MP extraction preserved many components and increased the phenolic compounds in the cashew kernel oil, without promoting negative changes in its physicochemical and oxidative qualities.
Leaf, canopy and agronomic water‐use efficiency of field‐grown sugar beet in response to potassium fertilization
Authors: Jákli B. , Hauer‐Jákli M. , Böttcher F. , Meyer zur Müdehorst J. , Senbayram M. , Dittert K.
Published: November 2017

Potassium (K) fertilization is important to maintain adequate concentrations of plant available K in agricultural soils to achieve best yields and improve crop stress tolerance and water‐use efficiency (WUE). Water‐use efficiency (WUE) can be expressed on various spatiotemporal scales, and it is known that responses of WUE to external stress are not uniform across scales. Multiscale evaluations of the impact of varying K fertilization on the WUE of C3 crops under field conditions are missing so far. In the present field study, we evaluated effects of K fertilization on WUE of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) on short‐termed leaf‐ (WUELeaf) and canopy‐scales (WUECanopy) and as the agronomic ratio of white sugar yield (WSY) to in‐season water use (i.e. WUEWSY). In K‐fertilized plots, WUEWSY was enhanced by 15.9%. This effect is attributed to increased beet yield and WSY, as no differences in total in‐season water use between fertilized and unfertilized plots were observed. Potassium (K) fertilization significantly enhanced the leaf area index, resulting in a more efficient depletion of soil moisture by roots in K‐fertilized plots. As a consequence, WUELeaf was increased due to stomatal adjustment. Potassium (K) improved WUECanopy only by tendency. It is concluded that K fertilization improves the WUE of field‐grown sugar beet across scales, but processes that regulate WUE are highly scale dependent.
Triaging the Law: Developing the Common Law on the Supreme Court of India
Authors: Green Andrew , Yoon Albert H.
Published: November 2017

Legal precedent serves as the foundation of the common law. Judges provide their reasoning through precedent, citing cases to support their conclusion while distinguishing between cases cited by that counsel in favor of an opposing result. Legal precedent also provides the mechanism by which judges communicate with one another, at the same time providing guidance to prospective litigants and the practicing bar. This process is particularly important for supreme courts, whose decisions bind all lower courts within their jurisdiction. For this reason, in most common‐law jurisdictions, the supreme court decides relatively few cases but draws heavily on precedent for the opinions it issues. The Supreme Court in India stands in contrast to its counterparts in countries such as the United States and Canada in that it decides thousands, rather than tens, of cases. Examining the universe of Court decisions from 1950–2010, we find that the Court elects not to cite precedent in nearly half its opinions. In turn, these opinions without citation to precedent are rarely subsequently cited. However, there is a second set of decisions that is more analogous to U.S. Supreme Court decisions. These decisions do cite prior decisions and are cited by later cases. Opinions that do cite precedent gravitate to older opinions, whose salience often endures for decades. These findings suggest the Court is constrained in its ability to process a heavy caseload, and makes strategic decisions as to which opinions to emphasize through its use of precedent.
Religion and Judging on the Federal Courts of Appeals
Authors: Shahshahani Sepehr , Liu Lawrence J.
Published: November 2017

We construct a database of federal appellate cases involving religious liberties decided between 2006 and 2015, expanding and improving an existing database covering up to 2005. The data are used to investigate the role of religion in judicial decision making. We find that Jewish judges are significantly more likely than their non‐Jewish colleagues to favor claimants in religious liberties cases, but we find no significant effects for other minority religions. Our findings confirm previous findings in the literature, but we go a number of steps further than existing studies in uncovering the sources of Jewish judges’ influence. We conclude that the effect of Jewish judges comes through their increased concern for the separation of church and state—not through their heightened solicitude for the interests of religious minorities in practicing their religion or through preferential treatment of Jewish claimants. Further, our analysis of cases not involving religion shows that the pro‐claimant effect of Jewish judges is attributable not to a general liberal attitude but to a particular secular concern for the separation of church and state. Finally, we are the first researchers to go beyond individual effects and investigate the panel effects of judges’ religious affiliation. Our findings in this regard have suggestive implications for identifying the mechanism of panel effects.
Moral Disengagement in Legal Judgments
Authors: Neal Tess M. S. , Cramer Robert J.
Published: November 2017

We investigated the role of moral disengagement in a legally‐relevant judgment in this theoretically‐driven empirical analysis. Moral disengagement is a social‐cognitive phenomenon through which people reason their way toward harming others, presenting a useful framework for investigating legal judgments that often result in harming individuals for the good of society. We tested the role of moral disengagement in forensic psychologists’ willingness to conduct the most ethically questionable clinical task in the criminal justice system: competence for execution evaluations. Our hypothesis that moral disengagement would function as mediator of participants’ existing attitudes and their judgments—a theoretical “bridge” between attitudes and judgments—was robustly supported. Moral disengagement was key to understanding how psychologists decide to engage in competence for execution evaluations. We describe in detail the moral disengagement measure we used, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses across two separate samples. The four‐factor measure accounted for a total of 52.18 percent of the variance in the sample of forensic psychologists, and the model adequately fit the data in the entirely different sample of jurors in a confirmatory factor analysis. Despite the psychometric strengths of this moral disengagement measure, we describe the pros and cons of existing measures of moral disengagement. We outline future directions for moral disengagement research, especially in legal contexts.
Insuring Your Donation: An Experiment
Authors: Buijze Renate , Engel Christoph , Hemels Sigrid
Published: November 2017

An increasing fraction of donations is channeled through donation intermediaries. These entities serve multiple purposes, one of which seems to be providing donors with greater certainty: that the donation reaches its intended goal, and that the donor may be sure to receive a tax benefit. We interpret this function as insurance and test the option to insure donations in the lab. Our participants indeed have a positive willingness to pay for insurance against either contingency. Yet the insurance option is only critical for their willingness to donate to a charity if the risk affects the proper use of their donation. Participants have a higher willingness to pay for insurance if, in case the risk materializes, they receive their money back. With this design of the insurance, almost no participant wants to donate if she is not insured.
Diets and trophic niches of the main commercial fish species from the Celtic Sea
Authors: Rault J. , Le Bris H. , Robert M. , Pawlowski L. , Denamiel M. , Kopp D.
Published: November 2017

The characterization and quantification of diets of nine commercially important Celtic Sea fish species (black‐bellied angler Lophius budegassa, blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou, Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, European hake Merluccius merluccius, megrim Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis, European plaice Pleuronectes platessa, common sole Solea solea and whiting Merlangius merlangus) was undertaken November 2014 and November 2015 to gain a better understanding of fish feeding strategies, prey preferences, competition for resources and, more generally, increases knowledge of marine ecosystem functioning. Prey were classified into 39 taxonomic groups. A feeding overlap index and multivariate analyses were used to classify the fishes into four main trophic groups where interspecific competition for resources may be important: piscivorous species, omnivorous species, planktivorous species and invertebrate benthic feeders. Ontogenetic changes in diet were also considered for L. budegassa, G. morhua, M. aeglefinus, M. merluccius and M. merlangus through partitioning into size classes. This revealed an important shift in the diet of M. merluccius from omnivory to piscivory, whereas M. aeglefinus exhibited no significant ontogenetic change in diet, remaining an invertebrate benthic feeder. Feeding strategies of these species were also investigated using the Shannon niche‐breadth index and other descriptors, such as the total number of taxonomic groups of prey and the mean number of prey in gut contents.
New Institutionalization in Long‐Term Care After Hospital Discharge to Skilled Nursing Facility
Authors: Middleton Addie , Li Shuang , Kuo Yong‐Fang , Ottenbacher Kenneth J. , Goodwin James S.
Published: November 2017

Background/Objectives

Approximately half of individuals newly admitted to long‐term care (LTC) nursing homes (NHs) experienced a prior hospitalization followed by discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF). The objective was to examine characteristics associated with new institutionalizations of older adults on this care trajectory.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

SNFs and LTC NHs.

Patients

Medicare fee‐for‐service beneficiaries admitted to 7,442 SNFs in 2013 (N = 597,986).

Measurements

We used demographic and clinical characteristics from Medicare data and the Minimum Data Set. We defined “new institutionalization” as LTC NH residence for longer than 90 non‐SNF days, starting within 6 months of hospital discharge.

Results

For individuals who survived 6 months after hospital discharge, the overall rate of new LTC institutionalizations was 10.0% (N = 59,736). Older age, white race, being unmarried, Medicaid eligibility, higher income, more comorbidities, cognitive impairment, depression, functional limitations, hallucinations and delusions, aggressive behavior, incontinence, and pressure ulcers were associated with higher adjusted odds of new LTC institutionalization. In analyses stratified according to race and ethnicity, higher income was associated with lower odds of LTC institutionalization for whites (odds ratio (OR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.89–0.96) and greater odds for blacks (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.27–1.55) and Hispanics (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.25–1.66). Moderate or severe depression, functional limitations, hallucinations and delusions, aggressive behavior, and being unmarried were stronger risk factors for LTC for cognitively intact individuals than for those with moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Being unmarried and having more comorbidities were stronger predictors in those aged 66 to 70 than in those aged 81 to 85 and 91 and older.

Conclusion

Associations between risk factors and new LTC institutionalizations varied according to race and ethnicity, age, and level of cognitive function. Programs that target older adults at greater risk may be an effective strategy for reducing new institutionalizations and fostering aging in place.
Radioimmunoassay of Thyroxine in Dried Blood Spots
Authors: SADLER W. A. , LYNSKEY CLARE P. , LEGGE M.
Published: November 2017

Sadler, W. A., Lynskey, Clare P., and Legge, M. (1978). Aust. Paediatr. J., 14, 154–182. Radioimmunoassay of thyroxine in dried blood spots. A rapid precise radioimmunoassay for thyroxine (T4) in dried blood spots on filter paper has been developed, and appears entirely suitable for use as a mass screening procedure for the early diagnosis of neonatal hypothyroidism.

A systematic study of sampling factors which may influence levels of measured T4 suggests that non‐uniformity of sample preparation is the single greatest error source In a blood spot assay.

The assay reaction mixture consists of a 4.5 mm diameter disc punched from the blood spot and 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalene sulphonic acid, labelled T4 and T4 antiserum in 1.1 ml barbitone buffer. Following incubations for one hour at 37°C and overnight at 4°C, bound and free hormone are separated using dextran coated charcoal. Assay standards consist of a 2:3 mixture of a standardized serum and washed red cells.

In 558 Infants screened to date T4 levels are not normally distributed, being skewed towards the lower end, with a median value of 179 nmol/l. One Infant with congenital hypothyroidism has been found.