bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female Entrepreneurship and the Metanarrative of Economic Growth: A Critical Review of Underlying Assumptions
Authors: Dean Hannah , Larsen Gretchen , Ford Jackie , Akram Muhammad
Published: December 2017

This critical review of the literature on female entrepreneurship problematizes the metanarrative of economic growth and the mechanisms through which it both operates and is maintained. Central to this is the axiomatic ‘underperformance hypothesis’, which states that ‘all else being equal, female entrepreneurs tend to be less successful than their male counterparts in terms of conventional economic performance measures’ (Du Rietz and Henrekson (2000, p. 1). As an axiom, the truth of the ‘underperformance hypothesis’ is taken for granted, and thus it invisibly serves as a starting point, delimiter and interpretive lens for analysis in this field. While it remains invisible, the hypothesis will continue to reproduce the differences between male and female entrepreneurs, and thus the subordination of women to men in the realm of entrepreneurship. The review illustrates how, by associating females with underperformance, the persistent influence of the metanarrative of economic growth has been masked and the image of the female entrepreneur as problematic and inferior to her male counterpart has been reinforced. The authors argue that a postmodern feminist epistemology will destabilize both the metanarrative of economic growth, and the axiomatic ‘underperformance hypothesis’ it supports, thus opening up space for a heterogeneous understanding of (female) entrepreneurship. By questioning accepted knowledge about female entrepreneurs, the review sets the platform for the exploration of new research questions and a broad agenda for future research. Such an agenda is crucial in order to move future research beyond the pervasive influence of the metanarrative of economic growth and its attendant underperformance hypothesis.
Clinical pharmacists in general practice: an initial evaluation of activity in one English primary care organisation
Authors: Bush Joseph , Langley Christopher A , Jenkins Duncan , Johal Jaspal , Huckerby Clair
Published: December 2017

Objectives

This aim of this research was to characterise the breadth and volume of activity conducted by clinical pharmacists in general practice in Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and to provide quantitative estimates of both the savings in general practitioner (GP) time and the financial savings attributable to such activity.

Methods

This descriptive observational study retrospectively analysed quantitative data collected by Dudley CCG concerning the activity of clinical pharmacists in GP practices during 2015.

Key findings

Over the 9-month period for which data were available, the 5.4 whole time equivalent clinical pharmacists operating in GP practices within Dudley CCG identified 23 172 interventions. Ninety-five per cent of the interventions identified were completed within the study period saving the CCG in excess of £1 000 000. During the 4 months for which resource allocation data were available, the clinical pharmacists saved 628 GP appointments plus an additional 647 h that GPs currently devote to medication review and the management of repeat prescribing.

Conclusions

This research suggests that clinical pharmacists in general practice in Dudley CCG are able to deliver clinical interventions efficiently and in high volume. In doing so, clinical pharmacists were able to generate considerable financial returns on investment. Further work is recommended to examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of clinical pharmacists in general practice in improving outcomes for patients.
Examining digital interviews for personnel selection: Applicant reactions and interviewer ratings
Authors: Langer Markus , König Cornelius J. , Krause Kevin
Published: December 2017

Digital interviews are a potentially efficient new form of selection interviews, in which interviewees digitally record their answers. Using Potosky's framework of media attributes, we compared them to videoconference interviews. Participants (N = 113) were randomly assigned to a videoconference or a digital interview and subsequently answered applicant reaction questionnaires. Raters evaluated participants’ interview performance. Participants considered digital interviews to be creepier and less personal, and reported that they induced more privacy concerns. No difference was found regarding organizational attractiveness. Compared to videoconference interviews, participants in digital interviews received better interview ratings. These results warn organizations that using digital interviews might cause applicants to self‐select out. Furthermore, organizations should stick to either videoconference or digital interviews within a selection stage.
Family interference with work and its relationship with organizational citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors
Authors: Mercado Brittany K. , Dilchert Stephan
Published: December 2017

Most employed adults must manage both work and family responsibilities. Consequently, many employees also experience conflict between their roles, which often leads to compromised performance in one or both domains. We examined family interference with work (FIW) as a potential drain on resources leading to increased counterproductive work behaviors (CWB) and decreased organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) in three samples with a multi‐measure, time‐lagged design. Results demonstrated that employees who experience FIW display higher levels of CWB and lower levels of OCB, especially for organizationally targeted behaviors.
Y5Si2B8: A theoretically predicted new damage‐tolerant MAB phase with layered crystal structure
Authors: Zhou Yanchun , Xiang Huimin , Dai Fu‐Zhi , Feng Zhihai
Published: December 2017

Layer structured MAB phases (M=transition metal, A=IIIA or IVA group element, B is boron) are promising ternary borides for high and ultrahigh‐temperature applications. Herein, a new MAB phase Y5Si2B8 consisting of alternative stacking of YB4 and Y3Si2 slabs along the [001] direction is investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the electronic structure and chemical bonding reveal that this new MAB phase has diverse chemical bonding and properties similar to MAX phases. The strong covalent bonds in the two‐dimensional B network on (001) plane in the YB4 slab and between Si atoms on (002) plane in the Y3Si2‐slab warrant the high stiffness (Ex=288 GPa) of Y5Si2B8 in the ab plane and the weak Y2‐Si and Y1‐B2 bonds that connecting the YB4 and Y3Si2 slabs underpin the low Young's modulus in [001] direction (Ez=200 GPa). The low shear deformation resistance is due to the presence of the metallic bond and the weak bond within the B6 octahedral. The possible slip systems are {001}< 100> and {110}< 111> . Based on the low shear modulus (G = 104 GPa) and Pugh's ratio G/B, Y5Si2B8 is predicted as a damage tolerant MAB phase. Y5Si2B8 is also predicted electrically conductive and the conductivity is higher in directions parallel to ab plane. In addition, temperature‐dependent phonon and electron heat capacity are predicted based on the electron and phonon density of states analysis.
What makes the Sino‐Himalayan mountains the major diversity hotspots for pheasants?
Authors: Cai Tianlong , Fjeldså Jon , Wu Yongjie , Shao Shimiao , Chen Youhua , Quan Qing , Li Xinhai , Song Gang , Qu Yanhua , Qiao Gexia , Lei Fumin
Published: December 2017

Aim

The Sino‐Himalayas have higher species richness than adjacent regions, making them a global biodiversity hotspot. Various mechanisms, including ecological constraints, energetic constraints, diversification rate (DivRate) variation, time‐for‐speciation effect and multiple colonizations, have been posited to explain this pattern. We used pheasants (Aves: Phasianidae) as a model group to test these hypotheses and to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes that have generated the extraordinary diversity in these mountains.

Location

Sino‐Himalayas and adjacent regions.

Taxon

Pheasants.

Methods

Using distribution maps predicted by species distribution models (SDMs) and a time‐calibrated phylogeny for pheasants, we examined the relationships between species richness and predictors including net primary productivity (NPP), niche diversity (NicheDiv), DivRate, evolutionary time (EvolTime) and colonization frequency using Pearson's correlations and structural equation modelling (SEM). We reconstructed ancestral ranges at nodes and examined basal/derived species patterns to reveal the mechanisms underlying species richness gradients in the Sino‐Himalayas.

Results

We found that ancestral pheasants originated in Africa in the early Oligocene (~33 Ma), and then colonized the Sino‐Himalayan mountains and other regions. In the Sino‐Himalayas, species richness was strongly related to DivRate, NPP, NicheDiv and colonization frequency, but weakly correlated with EvolTime. The direct effects of NicheDiv and DivRate on richness were stronger than NPP and EvolTime. NPP indirectly influenced species richness via DivRate, but its effect on richness via NicheDiv was relatively weak.

Main conclusions

Higher species diversity in the Sino‐Himalayas was generated by both ecological and evolutionary mechanisms. An increase in available niches, rapid diversifications and multiple colonizations was found to be key direct processes for the build‐up of the diversity hotspots of pheasants in the Sino‐Himalayan mountains. Productivity had an important but indirect effect on species richness, which worked through increased DivRate. Our study offers new insights on species accumulation in the Sino‐Himalayas and provides a useful model for understanding other biodiversity hotspots.
Ultrasound‐based scoring system for differential diagnosis of polypoid lesions of the gallbladder
Authors: Liu Xue‐Song , Chen Tao , Gu Li‐Hong , Guo Yi‐Fen , Li Chun‐Yang , Li Feng‐Hua , Wang Jian
Published: December 2017

Background and Aim

Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder may be neoplastic or non‐neoplastic. Correct diagnosis would help reduce unnecessary cholecystectomies. This study aimed to determine the predictive value of individual ultrasound characteristics for diagnosis of neoplastic polyps and to build a scoring system based on these characteristics.

Methods

A total of 109 patients with gallbladder polyps ≥ 6 mm underwent conventional ultrasound examination and received finally diagnosis by pathological examination. All images were analyzed to determine characteristics of the lesions. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the predictors of neoplastic polyps, and a scoring system was built based on multivariate analysis.

Results

Maximum diameter, height/width ratio, base width, presence of hyper‐echoic spots, and intralesional blood flow were statistically significant (P = 0.011, P = 0.016, P = 0.003, P = 0.031, and P = 0.022, respectively) predictors of neoplastic lesions. The total score = (Maximum diameter, ≥ 13.9 mm = 1, < 13.9 = 0) + (Base width, ≥ 3.5 mm = 1, < 3.4 = 0) + (Height/width ratio, ≤ 1.05 = 1, > 1.05 = 0) + (Hyper‐echoic spots, presence = 0, absence = 1) + (Blood flow, presence = 1, absence = 0). Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the risk of neoplastic polyps with scores of 3 or higher were 81.6%, 86.7%, and 84.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

This ultrasound‐based scoring system could be a useful means for differentiating between neoplastic and non‐neoplastic gallbladder polyps in the clinic.
Corporate Governance in China: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Mutlu Canan C. , Van Essen Marc , Peng Mike W. , Saleh Sabrina F. , Duran Patricio
Published: December 2017

How has the impact of ‘good corporate governance’ principles on firm performance changed over time in China? Amassing a database of 84 studies, 684 effect sizes, and 547,622 firm observations, we explore this important question by conducting a meta‐analysis on the corporate governance literature on China. The weight of evidence demonstrates that two major ‘good corporate governance’ principles advocating board independence and managerial incentives are indeed associated with better firm performance. However, we cannot find strong support for the criticisms against CEO duality. In addition, we go beyond a static perspective (such as certain governance mechanisms are effective or ineffective) by investigating the temporal hypotheses. We reveal that over time, with the improvement in the quality of market institutions and development of financial markets, the monitoring mechanisms of the board and state ownership become more strongly related to firm performance, whereas the incentive mechanisms lose their significance. Overall, our findings advance a dynamic institution‐based view by substantiating the case that institutional transitions matter for the relationship between governance mechanisms and firm performance in the second largest economy in the world.
Feasibility of the salivary transcriptome as a novel biomarker in determining disease susceptibility
Authors: Hidayat M. F. H. , Milne T. , Cullinan M. P. , Seymour G. J.
Published: December 2017

Background and Objective

The salivary transcriptome may present as a readily available and non‐invasive source of potential biomarkers. The development of chronic periodontitis is determined by individual patient susceptibility; hence, the aim of this study was to determine the potential of the salivary transcriptome as a biomarker of disease susceptibility using chronic periodontitis as an example.

Material and Methods

Using an Oragene® RNA kit, the total RNA was purified from the saliva of 10 patients with chronic periodontitis and 10 patients without chronic periodontitis. The quantity and quality of the total RNA was determined, and a measure of gene expression via cDNA was undertaken using the Affymetrix microarray system. The microarray profiling result was further validated by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Spectrophotometric analysis showed the total RNA purified from each participant ranged from 0.92 μg/500 μL to 62.85 μg/500 μL. There was great variability in the quantity of total RNA obtained from the 2 groups in the study with a mean of 10.21 ± 12.71 μg/500 μL for the periodontitis group and 15.97 ± 23.47 μg/500 μL for the control group. Further the RNA purity (based on the A260/A280 ratio) for the majority of participants (9 periodontitis and 6 controls) were within the acceptable limits for downstream analysis (2.0 ± 0.1). The study samples, showed 2 distinct bands at 23S (3800 bp) and 16S (1500 bp) characteristic of bacterial rRNA. Preliminary microarray analysis was performed for 4 samples (P2, P6, H5 and H9). The percentage of genes present in each of the 4 samples was not consistent with about 1.8%‐18.7% of genes being detected. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the total RNA purified from each sample was mainly bacterial RNA (Uni 16S) with minimal human mRNA.

Conclusion

This study showed that minimal amounts of human RNA were able to be isolated from the saliva of patients with periodontitis as well as controls. Further work is required to enhance the extraction process of human mRNA from saliva if the salivary transcriptome is to be used in determining individual patient susceptibility.
Subjective sleep‐related variables in those who have and have not experienced sleep paralysis
Authors: Denis Dan , French Christopher C. , Schneider Melanie N. , Gregory Alice M.
Published: December 2017

Research suggests that poor sleep quality is related to the occurrence of sleep paralysis, although the precise relationship between these two variables is unknown. This association has generated interest due to the related possibility that improving sleep quality could help to combat episodes of sleep paralysis. To date, studies examining the association between sleep quality and sleep paralysis have typically measured sleep quality using general measures such as the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The aim of this study was to increase the precision of our understanding of the relationship between sleep paralysis and other aspects of sleep by investigating associations between different sleep‐related variables and sleep paralysis. Using data from the G1219 twin/sibling study, analyses were performed on 860 individuals aged 22–32 years (66% female). Results showed that two components of the PSQI, sleep latency and daytime dysfunction, were predictors of sleep paralysis. In addition, a number of other sleep‐related variables were related significantly to sleep paralysis. These were: insomnia symptoms, sleep problems commonly related to traumatic experiences, presleep arousal, cognitions about sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. There was no relationship with sleep‐disordered breathing, diurnal preference or sleeping arrangements. Potential mechanisms underlying these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Screening of genes involved in epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and differential expression of complement‐related genes induced by PAX2 in renal tubules
Authors: Wang Xiu‐Li , Hou Ling , Zhao Cheng‐Guang , Tang Ying , Zhang Bo , Zhao Jing‐Ying , Wu Yu‐Bin
Published: December 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to screen and verify downstream genes involved in the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by paired box 2 (PAX2) in NRK‐52E cells.

Methods

NRK‐52E cells were transfected with lentivirus carrying PAX2 gene or no‐load virus respectively. Total RNA was isolated 72 h after transfection from PAX2‐overexpressing cells and control cells. Isolated RNA was then hybridized with the Rat OneArray Plus expression profile chip. The chips were examined by Agilent 0.1 XDR to screen for differentially expressed genes, which were further analyzed to investigate complement‐related genes as genes of interest.

Results

In NRK‐52E cells, PAX2 overexpression promoted EMT followed by upregulation of 298 genes and downregulation of 293 genes. KEGG analysis indicated the differential expression of genes related to cytokines and their receptors, extracellular matrix (ECM), MAPKs, local adhesion, cancer, the complement cascade, and coagulation. Gene oncology analysis screened out genes related to molecular functions (e.g., hydrolase activity, phospholipase activity, components of the ECM) and biological processes (e.g., cell development, signal transduction, phylogeny), and cell components (e.g., cytoplasm, cell membrane, and ECM). Analysis of the complement system revealed upregulation of C3 and downregulation of CD55 and complement regulator factor H (CFH).

Conclusion

PAX2 overexpression upregulates EMT in vitro and may regulate C3, CD55, and CFH.
Gastrodia putaoensissp. nov. (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae) from North Myanmar
Authors: Jin Xiao‐Hua , Kyaw Myint
Published: December 2017

Gastrodia putaoensis, a new species from the montane region in northern Myanmar, is described and illustrated.Gastrodia putaoensisis similar toG. dyeriana, but differs from it by having a narrowly triangular lip that is subdivided into two parts, with the apical part densely covered with yellow hairs and the apex obtuse and densely covered with red papillae.
Nursing as concrete philosophy, Part I: Risjord on nursing knowledge
Authors: Theodoridis Kyriakos
Published: December 2017

This essay addresses the problem of the essentiality of nursing knowledge and what kind of theory, if any, is essential to nursing practice. The overarching aim of the essay was to argue for the thesis that nursing may be described as a kind of philosophical activity, and, consequently, that philosophy is the kind of “theory” that is essential to nursing practice and to the nursing discipline at large. The essay consists of two papers. The present paper, Part I, is a critical examination of Mark Risjord's discussion of the problem of the theory‐practice gap in his Nursing Knowledge: Practice, Science, Philosophy, from 2010. According to Risjord, the cause of the theory‐practice gap originates in an erroneous conception of science (logical positivism) which had a decisive influence upon the way nursing scholars appropriated theoretical frameworks for the nursing discipline. This philosophical influence is considered in effect to have generated the theory–practice gap. In order to bridge the gap, Risjord suggests, the nursing discipline needs to adopt a standpoint epistemology conjoined with a postpositivist conception of scientific theory. In this way, a legitimate brand of nursing science may be developed and the theory–practice gap overcome. I will argue that neither Risjord's diagnosis of the problem, nor his recommended cure, may succeed in rescuing the nursing discipline from the theory–practice gap. Rather, the real cause of the theory–practice gap, I will claim, derives from an erroneous conception of nursing (not of science), namely the conception of nursing as a kind of science (roughly speaking). On my view, to overcome the gap, the nursing discipline needs to make salient the inherently philosophical character of nursing. In the second paper (Part II), I will continue the discussion of nursing knowledge and delineate the thesis of nursing as a kind of concrete philosophy.
Characterization of the functional near‐infrared spectroscopy response to nociception in a pediatric population
Authors: Olbrecht Vanessa A. , Jiang Yifei , Viola Luigi , Walter Charlotte M. , Liu Hanli , Kurth Charles D.
Published: December 2017

Background

Near‐infrared spectroscopy can interrogate functional optical signal changes in regional brain oxygenation and blood volume to nociception analogous to functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Aims

This exploratory study aimed to characterize the near‐infrared spectroscopy signals for oxy‐, deoxy‐, and total hemoglobin from the brain in response to nociceptive stimulation of varying intensity and duration, and after analgesic and neuromuscular paralytic in a pediatric population.

Methods

We enrolled children 6 months‐21 years during propofol sedation before surgery. The near‐infrared spectroscopy sensor was placed on the forehead and nociception was produced from an electrical current applied to the wrist. We determined the near‐infrared spectroscopy signal response to increasing current intensity and duration, and after fentanyl, sevoflurane, and neuromuscular paralytic. Heart rate and arm movement during electrical stimulation was also recorded. The near‐infrared spectroscopy signals for oxy‐, deoxy‐, and total hemoglobin were calculated as optical density*time (area under curve).

Results

During electrical stimulation, nociception was evident: tachycardia and arm withdrawal was observed that disappeared after fentanyl and sevoflurane, whereas after paralytic, tachycardia persisted while arm withdrawal disappeared. The near‐infrared spectroscopy signals for oxy‐, deoxy‐, and total hemoglobin increased during stimulation and decreased after stimulation; the areas under the curves were greater for stimulations 30 mA vs 15 mA (13.9 [5.6‐22.2], P = .0021; 5.6 [0.8‐10.5], P = .0254, and 19.8 [10.5‐29.1], P = .0002 for HbO2, Hb, and HbT, respectively), 50 Hz vs 1 Hz (17.2 [5.8‐28.6], P = .0046; 7.5 [0.7‐14.3], P = .0314, and 21.9 [4.2‐39.6], P = .0177 for HbO2, Hb, and HbT, respectively) and 45 seconds vs 15 seconds (16.3 [3.4‐29.2], P = .0188 and 22.0 [7.5‐36.5], P = .0075 for HbO2 and HbT, respectively); the areas under the curves were attenuated by analgesics but not by paralytic.

Conclusion

Near‐infrared spectroscopy detected functional activation to nociception in a broad pediatric population. The near‐infrared spectroscopy response appears to represent nociceptive processing because the signals increased with noxious stimulus intensity and duration, and were blocked by analgesics but not paralytics.
On‐line preparatory information for children and their families undergoing dental extractions under general anesthesia: A phase III randomized controlled trial
Authors: Huntington Corinne , Liossi Christina , Donaldson Ana Nora , Newton Jonathan Timothy , Reynolds Patricia A. , Alharatani Reham , Hosey Marie Therese
Published: December 2017

Background

Family‐centered interactive on‐line games are increasingly popular in healthcare, but their effectiveness for preoperative preparation needs further research. www.scottga.org is the new on‐line version of a proven nonweb‐based game for children and parents/caregivers.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate if www.scottga.org improved children's anxiety and families' satisfaction compared with controls.

Methods

In this phase III double‐blind randomized controlled trial, children/parents/caregivers received (i) www.scottga.org, (ii) standard care, or (iii) a placebo hand‐washing game. The intervention and placebo games were available online for home usage and provided again on the ward before surgery. All children were accompanied by parent/caregivers at induction and observed and scored using validated measures. Stratified randomization and generalized linear models were used. An intention‐to‐treat approach was adopted.

Results

Overall, 52/176 children had baseline “psychological disturbance.” Children's anxiety increased preinduction, but there were no differences between groups (Facial Image Scale: video‐standard OR = 1.08, P = .82, 95% CI [0.56, 2.1]; video‐placebo OR = 0.9, P = .77 95% CI [0.46, 1.8]). There were no differences in induction behavior (visual analog scale: video mean = 3.5; standard care mean = 3.5; placebo mean = 3.7: video‐standard OR = 2.0, P = .42, 95% CI [−0.6, 1.3]; video‐placebo OR = 1.53, P = .65, 95% CI [−0.8, 1.1]) or induction anxiety (modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale: video‐standard OR 1.02, P = .97, 95% CI [0.61, 2.6]; video‐placebo OR 1.38, P = .49, 95% CI [0.87, 3.81]). Families favored the intervention regarding the “child handling the visit better” (Treatment Evaluation Inventory: video‐standard OR = 12; 95% CI 4.7‐32; P < .001; video‐placebo OR = 8.2; 95% CI 3‐22; P < .001) and “improving the child's ability to cope” (Treatment Evaluation Inventory: video‐standard OR = 21; 95% CI 8‐56; P < .001 and video‐placebo OR = 13; 95% CI 5‐34; P < .001).

Conclusion

Families believed that a video‐game preparation helped their child's perioperative anxiety, but there were no objective measures of behavioral improvement associated with this intervention.
Geographic variation in cone volatiles and pollinators in the thermogenic African cycadEncephalartos ghellinckiiLem
Authors: Suinyuy T. N. , Johnson S. D.
Published: December 2017

Heat and odour production can have profound effects on pollination in cycads. It is therefore expected that these traits would co‐vary geographically with pollinator assemblages. Such intraspecific variation, may lead to the evolution of pollination ecotypes, which can be an early stage of pollinator‐mediated speciation.

We measured cone temperatures using miniature temperature data loggers and examined the composition of cone volatile odours using headspace sampling and analysis with gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry in four populations spanning the range of the African cycadEncephalartos ghellinckii. Pollinator assemblages were also investigated in three populations.

Male and female cones were thermogenic at pollen shed and receptive stages, respectively, but patterns of thermogenesis did not vary among populations. Scent emissions from cones in populations in the Drakensberg Mountains were characterised bycis‐β‐ocimene, β‐myrcene and (3E)‐1,3‐octadiene, while camphene and α‐pinene were characteristic of scent emissions from cones in populations closer to the coast. These differences in volatile blends corresponded with differences in insect assemblages.

These results confirm intraspecific variation in volatile emissions ofE. ghellinckiiand support the predictions that intraspecific variation in volatile emissions will be associated with shifts in pollinator assemblages. While further work needs to be done to test for local adaptation in this system, this preliminary evidence is consistent with the formation of pollination ecotypes in theE. ghellinckiispecies complex.
A review of grouper (Family Serranidae: Subfamily Epinephelinae) aquaculture from a sustainability science perspective
Authors: Rimmer Michael A. , Glamuzina Branko
Published: December 2017

Aquaculture of groupers is carried out in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world, but most production is from Asia, with three countries responsible for an estimated 92% of global production: China (65% of total production), Taiwan Province of China (17%) and Indonesia (11%). We calculate that there are at least 47 grouper species plus 15 grouper hybrids that have been trialled or are currently aquacultured. While grouper aquaculture has undoubtedly provided positive social and economic benefits to coastal communities in Asia, practices associated with grouper aquaculture have also led to widespread concerns regarding its environmental impacts. This paper reviews environmental, economic and social impacts of grouper aquaculture within a sustainability science framework. An update, building on early technical reviews of grouper aquaculture, was used to identify the main environmental, economic and social impacts. The main environmental impacts identified were as follows: seedstock sources, particularly the use of wild‐caught postlarval or juvenile fish as seedstock; the use of ‘trash’ fish as the major feed source; and water quality and substrate impacts of sea cage aquaculture. Significant economic and social impacts arising from grouper aquaculture include employment and income generation, but the economic impacts of disease outbreaks are significant, reducing fish survival to harvest size to around 50–70%. Current approaches to ameliorate negative impacts include the following: development and implementation of better management practices (BMPs) at national level, and the development of a global ecolabel certification scheme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Both these approaches have significant constraints, particularly when applied to small‐scale farmers who produce the bulk of farmed grouper. We conclude that there is a need for improved higher level coordination between the major producer countries to address identified sustainability constraints to grouper aquaculture.
Can we reconstruct the textual history of the Hebrew Bible?
Authors: Pakkala Juha
Published: December 2017

Variant readings in manuscripts and other documented evidence show that the Hebrew Bible was the focus of intensive scribal activity in its early transmission. Text criticism, which evaluates variant readings, is recognized as an important method, but biblical scholarship uses its results only haphazardly. Historical criticism, which can be divided into literary and redaction criticism, reconstructs the history based on inconsistencies in the text itself. Although dominant especially in continental Europe until the 1980s, historical criticism never received universal recognition, and its influence has diminished in recent decades. This paper presents the rationale of historical criticism and discusses recent challenges to it.
Particle size characteristics of aeolian ripple crests and troughs
Authors: Hong Cheng , Huiru Li , Yi Fang , Xueyong Zou , Jifeng Li , Liqiang Kang , Bo Liu , Chenchen Liu
Published: December 2017

Ripples are prevalent in aeolian landscapes. Many researchers have focused on the shape and formation of sand ripples, but few have studied the differences in the particle size of sand on crests and in troughs along bed, especially the variations caused by changes in friction velocity and the wind‐blowing duration. A particle size of 158 μm (d) was used to create aeolian ripples in a wind tunnel under four friction velocities (u*) with different wind duration times (t). Samples were collected from the surfaces of ripple crests and troughs, respectively, at seven sites, and particle sizes were measured using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000. The main results were: (i) The particle size distributions of sand in troughs are unimodal with slight variations of particle size parameters, including mean particle size, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis, etc., under different conditions, while these particle size parameters of sand on crests change with friction velocity and deflation time. Moreover, some of the particle distribution curves for the sand on crests do not follow typical unimodal curves. (ii) With increasing friction velocity or deflation duration, the sand on the crests shows a coarsening process relative to those on the bed surface. The particle size of sand on crests at a 1 m bed increases linearly with friction velocity (d = 344·27 + 34·54 u*) at a given wind‐blowing duration. The particle sizes of sand on crests at 1 m, 2 m and 4 m beds increase with a power‐law relationship (d = a + tb, where a and b are fitting parameters) with deflation time at a given friction velocity. (iii) The probability cumulative curves of sand showed a three‐section pattern in troughs and on most of the crests but a four‐section pattern at crest locations due to increased influence by friction velocity and deflation time. The proportions of the sediment moved by suspension, saltation and creep in the three‐section pattern were within the ranges of 0·2% to 2·0%, 97·0% to 98·9%, and 0·8% to 3·0%, respectively. For the four‐section pattern, suspension accounted for 0·3% and 3·0%, and the proportion of creep increased with friction velocity and deflation time, while saltation decreased accordingly. Although these results require additional validation, they help to advance current understanding of the grain‐size characteristics of aeolian ripples.
Comparison of the inflammatory and stress response between sprint interval swimming and running
Authors: Casuso R. A. , Aragon‐Vela J. , Huertas J. R. , Ruiz‐Ariza A. , Martínez‐Lopez E. J.
Published: December 2017

The aim of the study was to compare myocellular damage, metabolic stress, and inflammatory responses as well as circulating sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) between a single sprint swimming and running training. Eighteen subjects regularly involved in swimming and running training for at least 2 years were recruited. The subjects performed 8 × 30 seconds “all out” exercise on different days either by running or by swimming in a random order. Blood was collected before each training session, after the cessation of exercise (post) and after 2 hours of rest (2 hours). We then analyzed tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin 10 (IL‐10), interleukin 6 (IL‐6), cortisol, creatine kinase MB isoform (CK‐MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), K+, and Na+. Neither TNF‐α nor IL‐10 differed between swimming and running. Most of the subjects showed a non‐statistically significant increase of LDH and CK‐MB after swimming. On the other hand, IL‐6 (P < .05) and cortisol (P < .05) were significantly lower after 2 hours of swimming than after running. In addition, post‐exercise K+ was significantly lower (P < .001) for swimming than for running. Our results provide evidence of similar inflammatory responses between exercise modes but lower metabolic stress in response to swimming than in response to running.
The prevalence and severity of health problems in youth elite sports: A 6‐month prospective cohort study of 320 athletes
Authors: Moseid C. H. , Myklebust G. , Fagerland M. W. , Clarsen B. , Bahr R.
Published: December 2017

Little is known regarding the overall health of youth elite athletes. Our aim was to describe the prevalence and severity of health problems in a cohort of youth elite athletes representing a variety of endurance, team, and technical sports. Elite sport athletes (N = 260, 16.2 years) from different Sport Academy High Schools in Norway, and a group of their teammates (N = 60, 16.4 years) attending regular high schools, were included in the study. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) questionnaire on health problems was used to self‐report injuries and illnesses for 26 weeks. At any given time, an average of 43% [95% CI: 37%‐49%] of the elite sport athletes had some form of health problem and 25% [20%‐31%] had substantial health problems. The prevalence of health problems was similar between the elite team sport athletes and their teammates, except for substantial injuries (22% [16%‐30%] vs 10% [5%‐20%]). Endurance sport athletes reported more illnesses (23% [15%‐35%]) than technical and team sport athletes (10% [5%‐20%] and 8% [4%‐14%]). In contrast, technical and team sport athletes reported more injuries (36% [95% CI: 25‐48] and 37% [95% CI 29‐45]) compared to endurance sport athletes (15% [8%‐25%]). The total impact of health problems was roughly split in thirds between overuse injuries (37%), acute injuries (34%), and illnesses (30%). This is the first prospective study to present self‐reported injury and illness data in a large heterogeneous group of youth elite athletes, documenting a substantial impact of both injuries and illnesses on the health of this population.
What It Means to (Not) Belong: A Case Study of How Boundary Perceptions Affect Second‐Generation Immigrants’ Attachments to the Nation
Authors: Simonsen Kristina Bakkær
Published: December 2017

Across Europe, the symbolic boundaries drawn against Muslim/Middle Eastern immigrants and their children are increasingly rigid and exclusive. While there is broad agreement in the literature that external symbolic boundaries matter for individuals’ self‐identifications, the process by which boundaries translate into experiences of (not) belonging is theoretically underdeveloped and empirically understudied. Through inductive analysis of in‐depth interviews with second‐generation immigrants of Middle Eastern descent in Denmark, this study contributes to the literature by examining boundary perceptions as the mediating link between externally drawn boundaries and subjectively felt belonging. The analysis demonstrates widespread agreement in interviewees’ perception of a bright boundary. At the same time, however, there is variation in the degree of belonging, which is explained by the interviewees’ perceptions of their own position in relation to the boundary. A central contribution of the study is a suggested reconceptualization of the concept of belonging to improve our understanding of the complexity of how second‐generation immigrants simultaneously feel attachment to and distance from the nation.
Emotions as student feedback
Authors: Belch Karin , Law Susan
Published: December 2017

Background

Student feedback is often sought by educators in order to inform future developments in teaching or curriculum development. A lack of engagement with current feedback tools is thought, partly, to result from students perceiving no gain from the activity. The emotional adjective feedback tool (EAFT) is designed around the concept of emotional intelligence, where students feed back to tutors, after clinical teaching, by selecting and elaborating on emotional adjectives that describe their learning experiences. With a need to enhance and drive compassionate care, this emotional engagement might make the process of feedback more meaningful for students and may provide more useful feedback for staff.

Methods

Year‐1 medical students (n = 115) completed the EAFT and a traditional feedback tool (TFT) after two clinical skills sessions. Using a questionnaire, they demonstrated their preference and explained their reasoning. After the collection of student feedback using both tools, staff members (n = 12) in two focus groups reviewed the feedback and discussed their preferred tool if they were the tutor of that lesson.

Results

Thematic analysis of both student and staff data demonstrated that EAFT provided staff with information relating to teaching qualities and the learning experience of students. TFT delivered information regarding the organisational aspects of lessons. Reflection using the EAFT granted more personal and thought‐provoking feedback, emphasising its student‐centred structure.

Emotional engagement might make the process of feedback more meaningful for students

Discussion

Completing the EAFT encouraged students to reflect upon their learning, providing feedback for staff that was more student‐centred; however, it remains clear that various tools work for different feedback objectives, environments and students.
Lack of evidence for the transmission of hepatitis E virus by coagulation factor concentrates based on seroprevalence data
Authors: Juhl D. , Nowak‐Göttl U. , Blümel J. , Görg S. , Hennig H.
Published: December 2017

Background

Whether hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can be transmitted by coagulation factor concentrates remains unclear.

Objectives

The HEV seroprevalence in blood donors and recipients of coagulation factor concentrates was compared to obtain evidence of whether a transmission of HEV by coagulation factor concentrates could occur.

Methods

Archived samples from whole blood donors and patients who had received coagulation factor concentrates were investigated for the presence of anti‐HEV IgG by ELISA. Western blotting was used to confirm the positive samples that showed reactivity in the ELISA.

Results

Of 357 blood donors, 68 (19%) presented IgG antibodies against HEV. Two of 92 patients who had received coagulation factor concentrates (2·2%) and 1 of the 69 patients who had received plasma‐derived products (1·5%) tested positive for anti‐HEV IgG. The seroprevalence of HEV in the patient group was significantly lower (P = 0·038) than that in the donor group. The two positive patients were a 72‐year‐old man treated with plasma‐derived products and a 5‐year‐old girl treated with a recombinant coagulation factor concentrate.

Conclusion

HEV seroprevalence was significantly higher in the blood donors than in the patients with a history of coagulation factor concentrate administration. In one of two patients with detectable anti‐HEV IgG antibodies, the coagulation factor concentrate was not the probable source of infection. Our data suggest that HEV is efficiently inactivated during the manufacturing process of coagulation factor concentrates. Thus, testing for the presence of HEV RNA in plasma donated for the preparation of coagulation factor concentrates may not be necessary.
The heterogeneous competitive effects of trade and foreign direct investment: Firm‐level evidence for European countries
Authors: Weche John P.
Published: December 2017

This study evaluates the pro‐competitive effect of foreign market penetration with a broad firm‐level database that covers manufacturing industries in six European countries. The main contribution is the demonstration of the heterogeneous effects on host country competition of the two main channels of foreign market penetration that have been assigned fundamental differences by economic theory: imports and foreign direct investment. The results of dynamic estimates of firm‐level markups reveal a pro‐competitive effect of imports, while foreign direct investment shows no clear overall impact, suggesting a cancelling out of competitive pressure and spillovers. These findings matter for both future empirical research and policy considerations that must weigh the positive and negative effects of foreign market integration on the competitive environment and consumer welfare.
The role of inbound tourist flows in promoting exports
Authors: El‐Sahli Zouheir
Published: December 2017

While it is established that tourism benefits growth through increased employment and investments, it is not well understood whether tourism has an effect on exports. This paper explores exports as an additional channel through which tourism affects domestic economic activity. Using bilateral tourist and trade flows, the paper explores the causal effect of tourist flows on exports. To deal with endogeneity, two instruments are constructed and subsequently used on two different sets of exporters, one of the instruments being the number of casualties due to terrorism in a country. We find that tourism affects mainly the exports of differentiated products. Specifically, we find that tourism benefits the exports from non‐OECD exporters of processed food products and this effect is only estimated for South–North trade with an elasticity close to 1. For European countries, the findings point in the same direction; tourism affects differentiated consumer products and processed food with elasticity close to 1, which adds plausibility to the earlier results. We also find a lagged effect for tourism mainly on the export of consumer goods (for the two samples) and processed food products (for European countries). The results suggest that exporting is an additional channel through which tourism can stimulate domestic economic activity in the tourist destination.
Fertility and savings contractions in China: Long‐run global implications
Authors: Golley Jane , Tyers Rod , Zhou Yixiao
Published: December 2017

Following three decades of rapid but unbalanced economic growth, China's reform agendas are set to rebalance the economy towards consumption while maintaining strong GDP growth. Headwinds include a demographic contraction that will bring negative labour force growth and rapid ageing. Rising aged dependency combined with lower saving rates will rebalance the economy, but they will reduce both GDP growth and real per capita income. While an effective two‐child policy could sustain growth and eventually mitigate the aged dependency problem, it would set real per capita income on a still lower path. These conundrums are examined using a global economic and demographic model, which shows how the continuing demographic and saving contractions in China would alter the trajectories of both the Chinese and global economies.
Cluster algebras and continued fractions
Authors: Çanakçı İlke , Schiffler Ralf
Published: December 2017

We establish a combinatorial realization of continued fractions as quotients of cardinalities of sets. These sets are sets of perfect matchings of certain graphs, the snake graphs, that appear naturally in the theory of cluster algebras. To a continued fraction $[a_{1},a_{2},\ldots ,a_{n}]$ we associate a snake graph ${\mathcal{G}}[a_{1},a_{2},\ldots ,a_{n}]$ such that the continued fraction is the quotient of the number of perfect matchings of ${\mathcal{G}}[a_{1},a_{2},\ldots ,a_{n}]$ and ${\mathcal{G}}[a_{2},\ldots ,a_{n}]$. We also show that snake graphs are in bijection with continued fractions. We then apply this connection between cluster algebras and continued fractions in two directions. First we use results from snake graph calculus to obtain new identities for the continuants of continued fractions. Then we apply the machinery of continued fractions to cluster algebras and obtain explicit direct formulas for quotients of elements of the cluster algebra as continued fractions of Laurent polynomials in the initial variables. Building on this formula, and using classical methods for infinite periodic continued fractions, we also study the asymptotic behavior of quotients of elements of the cluster algebra.
Unexpected Patterns in Snow and Dirt
Authors: Ackerson Bruce J.
Published: December 2017

For more than 30 years, Albert A. Bartlett published “Thermal patterns in the snow” in this journal. These are patterns produced by heat sources underneath the snow. Bartlett’s articles encouraged me to pay attention to patterns in snow and to understanding them. At winter’s end the last snow becomes dirty and is heaped into piles. This snow comes from the final clearing of sidewalks and driveways. The patterns observed in these piles defied my intuition. This melting snow develops edges where dirt accumulates, in contrast to ice cubes, which lose sharp edges and become more spherical upon melting. Furthermore, dirt absorbs more radiation than snow and yet doesn’t melt and round the sharp edges of snow, where dirt accumulates.
On Mass, Spacetime Curvature, and Gravity
Authors: Janis Allen I.
Published: December 2017

The frequently used analogy of a massive ball distorting an elastic sheet, which is used to illustrate why mass causes spacetime curvature and gravitational attraction, is criticized in this article. A different analogy that draws on the students’ previous knowledge of spacetime diagrams in special relativity is suggested.