bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)-banking long-term relationship building
Authors: Ojeme Mark , Robson Andrew , Coates Nigel
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of the commitment between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their banks in Nigeria from the perspective of the senior SME employees. The antecedents to, and outcomes from, commitment that underpin these crucial business-to-business (B2B) relationships are quantified as part of a proposed relationship model.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 850 SMEs located across three Nigerian regions were targeted leading to the achievement of 491 complete surveys. The data collected comprised various validated items from which scales were developed. Data collection was supported by means of face-to-face interviews with senior SME representatives. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modelling (SEM) were employed to validate the research model and quantify the associated relationships.

Findings

Two dimensions of commitment are relevant here, namely, the affective and calculative components. The key respective antecedents to these commitment dimensions are trust and social bonding for affective commitment and costs related to benefit loss for calculative commitment. Affective commitment has the greater marginal effect on SMEs’ behavioural intentions towards their banks.

Research limitations/implications

The research could be expanding further in future studies through consideration of the banks’ perspectives alongside those of the SMEs as consumers.

Originality/value

This lies in the assessment of the relationships’ strengths and characteristics from the perspectives of SMEs as clients, a sector under-represented in relationship marketing research and in a location where B2B relationships have perhaps not been fully supported by their banking sector.
Investigating causal linkages in the balanced scorecard: an Indian perspective
Authors: Zahoor Adil , Sahaf Musadiq Amin
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Kaplan and Norton (1996b) claimed that there exists a sequential dependency between the four balanced scorecard perspectives (learning and growth, internal business processes, customer, and financial). Although theoretically supported by various researchers, the said claim has, somehow, attracted limited empirical attention. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate whether empirical evidence will support the theoretically grounded interrelations between the four balanced scorecard perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, a total of 13 key performance indicators were identified and then clustered into the four perspectives of balanced scorecard, followed by the development of causal linkages. Data related to these indicators were collected from 1,001 employees and 985 customers of two Indian retail banks and then tested for hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling. All the constructs were measured using scales developed in previous research works.

Findings

The results indicate that employee learning and growth positively influence the internal business processes which in turn influence the customer perspective. Finally, the customer perspective has a significant positive influence on the financial performance. Further, it was also revealed that internal business processes mediate the relationship between employee learning and growth and customer perspective. Also, the relationship between internal business processes and financial performance is significantly mediated by customer perspective.

Originality/value

Majority of the previous research on causal linkages of balanced scorecard has been theoretical in nature. Whatever little empirical research is available in this regard is limited to developed nations. In a developing nation like India, these linkages have seldom been examined in the past. The study has been conducted to plug this gap in the literature and, resultantly, provide further insights into the interrelations of the balanced scorecard perspectives.
Institutional pluralism, two publics theory and performance reporting practices in Zambia’s health sector
Authors: Phiri Joseph , Guven-Uslu Pinar
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate accounting and performance reporting practices embraced in the midst of a pluralistic institutional environment of an emerging economy (EE), Zambia. The research is necessitated due to the increased presence and influence of donor institutions whose information needs may not conform to the needs of local citizens in many EEs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws on institutional pluralism and Ekeh’s post-colonial theory of “two publics” to depict pluralistic environments that are typical of EEs. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 33 respondents drawn from the main stakeholder groups involved in health service delivery including legislators, policy makers, regulators, healthcare professionals and health service managers. Data analysis took the form of thematic analysis which involved identifying, analysing and constructing patterns and themes implicit within the data that were deemed to address the study’s research questions.

Findings

Findings indicate that Zambia’s institutional environment within the health sector is highly fragmented and pluralistic as reflected by the multiplicity of both internal and external stakeholders. These stakeholder groups equally require different reporting mechanisms to fulfil their information expectations.

Social implications

The multiple reporting practices evident within the health sector entail that the effectiveness of health programmes may be compromised due to the fragmentation in goals between government and international donor institutions. Rather than pooling resources and skills for maximum impact, these practices have the effect of dispersing performance efforts with the consequence of compromising their impact. Fragmented reporting equally complicates the work of policy makers in terms of monitoring the progress and impact of such programmes.

Originality/value

Beyond Goddardet al.(2016), the study depicts the usefulness of Ekeh’s theory in understanding how organisations and institutions operating in pluralistic institutional environments may be better managed. In view of contradictory expectations of accounting and performance reporting requirements between the civic and primordial publics, the study indicates that different practices, mechanisms and structures have to be embraced in order to maintain institutional harmony and relevance to different communities within the health sector.
Rooted in relationships
Authors: Woulfin Sarah L. , Jones Britney
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw on the concepts of social capital in order to reveal the organizational conditions, including structural and relational factors, associated with reform-oriented instructional coaching (ROIC) in an urban school district.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretivist approach was used to analyze organizational conditions enabling ROIC. Interview, observation and document data collected focused on coaching, leadership, and school-level organizational conditions. Qualitative data analyses, including coding and memoing, were used to summarize key information and quotes across data sources; this was followed by qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to identify combinations of factors associated with reform-oriented coaching.

Findings

The findings identified particular structures, systems, and activities enabling ROIC at the school level, with social capital playing a role in facilitating or impeding implementation of such work. That is, relationships, routines, norms, and webs of interaction enabled coaching. Principals’ prioritization of coaching as an improvement lever and their persuasive framing of coaching, coupled with principal-coach collaboration, fostered a positive culture for ROIC.

Practical implications

This paper points to the vital role of collaboration amongst administrators, coaches, and teachers. Principals play a significant role in defining coaching, setting up structures, and creating conditions supportive of the implementation of ROIC. By managing structures and routines, principals can encourage coaching aligned with reform efforts to yield positive outcomes.

Originality/value

This research advances the field’s understanding of organizational factors influencing the enactment of ROIC. It uses QCA to reveal the value of leadership in shaping structural and relational conditions in a school site.
Evidence on the usefulness of management accounting systems in integrated manufacturing environment
Authors: Ismail Kamisah , Isa Che Ruhana , Mia Lokman
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to report the results of a study investigating the mediating role of managerial use of management accounting system (MAS) information in the relationship between integrated manufacturing practices (IMPs) and organisational performance (OP). IMP comprises three manufacturing practices, namely, just in time (JIT), total quality management (TQM) and advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mailed questionnaire, the data were gathered from senior managers working in 110 manufacturing firms listed in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Directory. Partial least square (PLS) was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results reveal that the relationship between IMP and OP exists via managerial use of MAS information, that is, adoption of IMP is positively associated with managerial use of MAS information, which in turn, is positively associated with the performance. In other words, managerial use of MAS information plays a significant role in linking adoption of IMP with OP.

Originality/value

The use of MAS information in integrated manufacturing environment is found to assist firms in improving performance. Prior research on the IMP–OP relationship reports mixed (inconclusive) results. The authors contend that a possible reason for such results reported in prior studies is that the studies did not investigate the relationship between OP and IMP comprising each of the three manufacturing practices and performance as proposed by Dean and Snell (1991).
Banks’ lending behaviour under repressed financial regulatory environment
Authors: Win Sandar
Published: December 2017

Purpose

Regulatory authorities in Myanmar are increasing banks’ independence in providing loans to facilitate better financial resource allocations. On the other hand, not only in the USA but also among European countries, policymakers are designing regulations that could reduce banks’ autonomies in risk management and decrease risk taking behaviour. These governments have made policy interventions in their banking sectors which could be identified as repressive policies. They are commonly justified as macro-prudential regulations rather than financial repression. However, the authors are yet to understand as to what extent regulations need to be tightened or loosened up to reach optimal risk-taking behaviour. Using Myanmar as an example where the extreme form of governmental interventions and prudential regulations exists, this paper aims to identify the effectiveness of such policies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper relies on a case study of the Myanmar’s Banking Sector. The paper adopts of the synthesis of institutional theory and Oliver’s strategic response to identify how banks respond to repressive financial policies. The empirical evidence is collected through conducting 16 interviews including banks’ general managers, deputy chairmen and loan officers. Afterwards, the authors analysed the data using categorical thematic analysis with the assistance of NVIVO.

Findings

First of all, the extent to which repressive financial measures enforced on banks differ depending on their political affiliations and ownership structures. Second, though repressive policies were enforced on banks to curb risk taking behaviour among banks and maintain financial stability, Myanmar banks themselves had inherent nature of risk aversion towards lending. Third, in Myanmar, financial repression does not always mean banks need to compromise their efficiency in profit maximisation to achieve legitimacy from the regulatory authorities. If the formal constraints were not in line with economic actors’ internal objectives, a different set of rules of the game were formed.

Originality/value

This paper provides new evidences for the controversial subject on financial repression and liberalisation through analysing micro level data of banks’ lending practice rather than using aggregate macro-level data. Bank-level information provides banks’ concerns, challenges and their loan assessment process while operating under repressive financial policies. This study is also unique in the sense that it is contributing to the limited academic literature on Myanmar’s financial system. It represents the last surviving case of repressed financial system and the presence governmental interventions and prudential regulations. Hence, it was used as an example to identify the effectiveness of such policies.
Micro study of low-income households in India: a poverty expectation hypothesis?
Authors: Pandey Ashish
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether existing theories on saving behaviour and empirical findings on the determinants of saving behaviour can be generalised for the low-income households in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with female household members that belong to low-income households and do not have any member of the household with a permanent job. Interviews were conducted in the cities of Bangalore and Indore in India. Lived experience of participants was captured using conversational interviews and thematic analyses.

Findings

The paper provides evidence that the existing literature on saving behaviour is inadequate in explaining either the saving behaviour or the determinants for saving for low-income households in developing countries. This paper finds evidence of poor institutional access and reliance on informal financial intermediaries for low-income households.

Research limitations/implications

This paper establishes the need for a qualitative study with a large sample size to determine the policy interventions and institutional drivers that will encourage low-income households to migrate from the informal financial intermediaries to formal banking institutions.

Originality/value

To the best of author’s knowledge, this is the first qualitative paper aimed at understanding saving behaviour of low-income households. Extant literature is focused on normative economic frameworks that bear limited relation to the contextual realities of low-income households in the developing countries.
An analysis of the methodologies adopted by CSR rating agencies
Authors: Saadaoui Khaled , Soobaroyen Teerooven
Published: December 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the similarities and differences in the methodologies adopted by corporate social responsibility (CSR) rating agencies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors gather secondary and primary evidences of practices from selected agencies on the methodologies and criteria they rely upon to assess a firm’s CSR performance.

Findings

The authors find not only evidence of similarities in the methodologies adopted by the CSR rating agencies (e.g. the use of environment, social and governance themes, exclusion criteria, adoption of positive criteria, client/“customised” input, quantification) but also several elements of differences, namely, in terms of the thresholds for exclusion, transparent vs confidential approach, industry-specific ratings and weights for each dimension. Drawing from Sandberg et al.’s (2009) conceptualisations, the authors tentatively argue that this mixed picture may reflect competing organisational pressures to adopt a differentiation approach at the strategic and practical levels whilst recognising, and incorporating, the “globalising” tendencies of the CSR business at the terminological levels.

Social implications

Although these data are based on a relatively small number of agencies, the findings and analysis convey some implications for users of CSR ratings and policymakers, particularly in light of the recent Paris 2016 Agreement on Climate Change and the increased emphasis on the monitoring of social, environmental and governance performance.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to the literature by highlighting how key intermediate rating organisations operationalise notions of CSR.
Digital aspirations: ‘wrong‐number’ mobile‐phone relationships and experimental ethics among women entrepreneurs in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Huang Julia Qermezi
Published: December 2017

‘Wrong‐number’ mobile‐phone relationships are initiated by men dialling random numbers, but they enable young women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to experiment with the boundaries of fearful excitement; negotiatepurdah, dowry, and gender norms; and reimagine their futures. These virtual relationships thus constitute a field of cultural struggle for young women that involves ambivalence, ethical‐boundary work, cultural critique and the recognition of social alternatives, and the expansion of aspirations. These processes are vernacularized in women's notions of ‘being digital’, a Bangladeshi idiomatic response to the contradictions of contemporary social life.
Predictors of Longitudinal Trajectories of Alcohol Consumption in People with HIV
Authors: Bilal Usama , McCaul Mary E. , Crane Heidi M. , Mathews W. Christopher , Mayer Kenneth H. , Geng Elvin , Napravnik Sonia , Cropsey Karen L. , Mugavero Michael J. , Saag Michael S. , Hutton Heidi , Lau Bryan , Chander Geetanjali
Published: December 2017

Background

Our aim was to describe alcohol consumption trajectories in a cohort of people living with HIV and determine clinical and sociodemographic predictors of each trajectory.

Methods

This is a prospective cohort study of 7,906 patients in the 7 Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems sites. Alcohol consumption was categorized as none, moderate, and alcohol misuse. Predictors included age, race/ethnicity, depressive or anxiety symptoms, illicit drug use (opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine/crack), marijuana use, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, HIV transmission risk factor, and HIV disease progression. We estimated sex‐stratified alcohol consumption trajectories and their predictors.

Results

We found 7 trajectories of alcohol consumption in men: stable nondrinking and increased drinking (71% and 29% of initial nondrinking); stable moderate, reduced drinking, and increased alcohol misuse (59%, 21%, and 21% of initial moderate alcohol use); and stable alcohol misuse and reduced alcohol misuse (75% and 25% of initial alcohol misuse). Categories were similar in women, except lack of an increase to alcohol misuse trajectory among women that begin with moderate use. Older men and women were more likely to have stable nondrinking, while younger men were more likely to increase to or remain in alcohol misuse. Minorities, people with depressive or anxiety symptoms, HCV‐infected individuals, and people who injected drugs were more likely to reduce use. Illicit drug use was associated with a reduction in overall drinking, while marijuana use was associated with stable moderate drinking or misuse.

Conclusions

Longitudinal trajectories of increasing alcohol use and stable misuse highlight the need to integrate routine screening and alcohol misuse interventions into HIV primary care.
Effects of Withdrawal from Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure on Sleep Characteristics of Female and Male Mice
Authors: Huitron‐Resendiz Salvador , Nadav Tali , Krause Stephanie , Cates‐Gatto Chelsea , Polis Ilham , Roberts Amanda J.
Published: December 2017

Background

Sleep disruptions are an important consequence of alcohol use disorders. There is a dearth of preclinical studies examining sex differences in sleep patterns associated with ethanol (EtOH) dependence despite documented sex differences in alcohol‐related behaviors and withdrawal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic intermittent EtOH on sleep characteristics in female and male mice.

Methods

Female and male C57BL6/J mice had access to EtOH/water 2‐bottle choice (2BC) 2 h/d for 3 weeks followed by exposure to EtOH vapor (vapor‐2BC) or air for 5 cycles of 4 days. An additional group never experienced EtOH (naïve). Mice were implanted with electroencephalographic (EEG) electrodes, and vigilance states were recorded across 24 hours on the fourth day of withdrawal. The amounts of wakefulness, slow‐wave sleep (SWS), and rapid eye movement sleep were calculated, and spectral analysis was performed by fast Fourier transformation.

Results

Overall, vapor‐2BC mice showed a decrease in the amount of SWS 4 days into withdrawal as well as a decrease in the power density of slow waves, indicating disruptions in both the amount and quality of sleep in EtOH‐dependent mice. This was associated with a decrease in duration and an increase in number of SWS episodes in males and an increase in latency to sleep in females.

Conclusions

Our results revealed overall deficits in sleep regulation in EtOH‐dependent mice of both sexes. Female mice appeared to be more affected with regard to the triggering of sleep, while male mice appeared more sensitive to disruptions in the maintenance of sleep.
Sleep Characteristics and Behavioral Problems Among Children of Alcoholics and Controls
Authors: Wong Maria M. , Brower Kirk J. , Conroy Deirdre A. , Lachance Kathryn A. , Craun Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2017

Background

Past research has indicated that both sleep difficulties and a parental history of alcoholism increase the risk of behavioral problems. But it is not known whether sleep difficulties differentially increase the risk of problem behaviors among children of alcoholics (COAs) and controls. We compared multiple measures of sleep and the relationships between sleep and behavioral problems in these 2 groups of children.

Methods

One hundred and fifteen children aged 8 to 12 (67% COAs; 56% girls; Mage = 10.85, SDage = 1.51) participated in this study. Data presented here were taken from Time 1 of a larger prospective study designed to understand the relationship between sleep and alcohol use. All participants were naïve to alcohol and other illicit drugs. Participants were asked to wear an actigraph watch on their nondominant wrist for 1 week. Parents completed the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire and the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist.

Results

Parents of COAs were more likely to rate their children as overtired compared with parents of non‐COAs. Structural equation modeling analyses focusing on overall internalizing and externalizing problems did not reveal any group differences on the relationships between sleep measures and behavioral problems. Regression analyses focusing on specific behavioral problems showed that longer total sleep time, parental ratings of “sleep more” and “sleep less” than other children interacted with COA status to predict specific behavioral problems.

Conclusions

Sleep difficulties and duration appear to be a general risk factor for behavioral problems in both COAs and non‐COAs, yet the relationships between specific sleep parameters and behavioral problems appear to be different between the 2 groups.
Effects of scale economies and production seasonality on optimal hub locations: the case of regional fresh produce aggregation
Authors: Ge Houtian , Canning Patrick , Goetz Stephan , Perez Agnes
Published: December 2017

Interest in supporting local and regional food systems is rising and food hubs have attracted considerable attention among Federal, State, and local policymakers. This study explores the problem of endogenous hub location in fresh produce value chains in the Northeastern United States. To overcome limitations in the literature, we incorporate the effects of economies of scale and production seasonality into our models. Three experimental models are designed to examine the effects of alternatively applying yearly, quarterly, and monthly data on model solutions. We explicitly assess how interactions of scale economies and seasonality influence the structure and spatial attributes of an optimal regional produce aggregation hub system. The three models generate marketed different solutions and in many respects they lead to different conclusions about developing local/regional supply chains. The monthly model allows for production seasonality and actual hub operation cycle frequency and thus leads to more efficient hub solution with rich policy implications.
Genome sequence of an Australian strain of canid alphaherpesvirus 1
Authors: Sarker S , Das S , Helbig K , Peters A , Raidal SR
Published: December 2017

Objective

Characterisation of a complete genome sequence of an Australian strain of canid alphaherpesvirus 1 (CHV‐1) and its phylogenetic relationship with other varicellovirus species.

Methods

Standard pathology and PCR methods were used to initially detect herpesvirus in hepatic tissue from an infected 4‐week‐old Labrador Retriever puppy. The complete CHV‐1 genome was sequenced using next‐generation sequencing technology followed by de novo and reference assembly, and genome annotation.

Results

The CHV‐1 genome was 125 kbp in length and contained 74 predicted open reading frames encoding functional proteins, all of which have counterparts in other alphaherpesviruses. Phylogenetic analysis using the DNA polymerase gene revealed that the newly sequenced CHV‐1 clustered with canid alphaherpesvirus isolated from the UK and shared a 99% overall nucleotide sequence similarity.

Conclusion

This is the first complete genome of an Australian strain of CHV‐1, which will contribute to our understanding of the genetics and evolution of herpesvirus.
Psychological mechanisms in a digital intervention to improve physical activity: A multicentre randomized controlled trial
Authors: Schwarzer Ralf , Warner Lisa , Fleig Lena , Gholami Maryam , Salvatore Sergio , Cianferotti Luisella , Ntzani Evangelia , Roman‐Viñas Blanca , Trichopoulou Antonia , Brandi Maria L.
Published: December 2017

Objectives

The randomized controlled trial examined factors that might be responsible for individual differences in physical activity change among men and women who participated in a lifestyle intervention. The main purpose of the analyses regarded the role of psychological mechanisms involving motivation, planning, self‐monitoring, and habit strength.

Design

A two‐arm digital intervention was conducted in Italy, Spain, and Greece to improve physical activity levels, with follow‐ups at 3 and 6 months after baseline assessment.

Methods

Participants were 1,564 adults at baseline, n = 638 at 6‐month follow‐up. Linear mixed models examined the intervention effects, and a two‐group longitudinal structural equation model explored which psychological constructs (motivation, planning, self‐monitoring, habit strength) were associated with changes in physical activity.

Results

In addition to an overall increase in self‐reported activity, there were interactions between time and sex and between time and experimental groups, and a triple interaction between time, sex, and experimental groups, indicating that men reported an increase in activity independent of groups, whereas women in the active control group did not benefit from the intervention. Planning, self‐monitoring, and habit strength mediated sequentially between initial motivation and follow‐up physical activity.

Conclusions

Although the intervention produced overall improvements in physical activity, the time‐by‐treatment interaction emerged only for women. The mechanism included a sequence leading from motivation via planning, self‐monitoring, and habit strength towards physical activity.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Digital lifestyle interventions can be effective in terms of physical activity performance gains.

Men are on average more physically active than women.

Long‐term adherence rates to digital interventions are usually low.

What does this study add?

Giving users of an online platform more interactive options did not make a difference.

Women gained more than men from adaptive, dynamic online platform content.

Individual characteristics (motivation, planning, self‐monitoring, habit) were more important than online treatment features.
Development of a simplified dysphagia assessment by dentists in older persons
Authors: Rech Rafaela Soares , Hugo Fernando Neves , Baumgarten Alexandre , dos Santos Karoline Weber , de Goulart Bárbara Niegia Garcia , Hilgert Juliana Balbinot
Published: December 2017

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a simplified clinical examination of swallowing by dentists and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT‐10), when compared with the diagnosis provided by a speech pathologist (gold standard).

Methods

Three dentists and 1 speech pathologist clinically evaluated 265 older persons in southern Brazil, 123 were residents in long‐term care and 142 were community‐dwelling, all able to respond to the research protocol independently. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (+PV and −PV), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (+LR and −LR) were calculated according to standard methods. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Results

Mean age of the participants was 73.5 (±8.9) years and most of them were women (N = 157, 59.2%). The prevalence of dysphagia as diagnosed by a speech pathologist was 45.3%. The accuracy of diagnosis was 0.84 for the clinical examination of swallowing by dentists. Furthermore, sensitivity was 0.77, specificity was 0.89, +PV was 0.85, −PV was 0.83, +LR was 7.02 and −LR was 0.25. The accuracy of EAT‐10 was 0.72, the sensitivity was 0.45, specificity was 0.94, +PV was 0.87, −PV was 0.67, +LR was 8.31 and −LR was 0.57.

Conclusions

Simplified clinical examination of swallowing by dentists was found to be an accurate method to screen dysphagia in older persons.
The alchemy of gold: interest rates, money stock, and credit in eighteenth‐century Lisbon
Authors: Costa Leonor Freire , Rocha Maria Manuela , Brito Paulo B.
Published: December 2017

This article addresses the partial equilibrium functioning of the short‐term credit market in eighteenth‐century Lisbon and its response to massive gold inflows from Brazil. Gold inflows were a colonial rent, and thus a source of income and a financial asset that increased the liquidity supply in a credit market populated by both (direct) participants and non‐participants in the colonial trade or in mining. As a source of income it would induce a positive upward pressure on interest rates, while as a financial asset it would lead to the opposite. A method is developed to extract interest rates from notarized personal credit, unbundling the aggregate and the idiosyncratic components of risk pricing. The results show that interest rates in Lisbon did not differ critically from those observed in other cities at the core of the premodern European economy, which were spared from devastation by the earthquake that struck Lisbon in 1755. A simple model relating the market interest rate series to gold stock variations finds that the liquidity channel dominated over the endowment channel, which explains the downward trend in interest rates up until 1757 when the interest rates were freely settled. Mild credit rationing may have been introduced by a 5 per cent ceiling on interest rates that was imposed after 1757.
Regional grassland productivity responses to precipitation during multiyear above‐ and below‐average rainfall periods
Authors: Petrie Matthew D. , Peters Debra P. C. , Yao Jin , Blair John M. , Burruss Nathan D. , Collins Scott L. , Derner Justin D. , Gherardi Laureano A. , Hendrickson John R. , Sala Osvaldo E. , Starks Patrick J. , Steiner Jean L.
Published: December 2017

There is considerable uncertainty in the magnitude and direction of changes in precipitation associated with climate change, and ecosystem responses are also uncertain. Multiyear periods of above‐ and below‐average rainfall may foretell consequences of changes in rainfall regime. We compiled long‐term aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and precipitation (PPT) data for eight North American grasslands, and quantified relationships between ANPP and PPT at each site, and in 1–3 year periods of above‐ and below‐average rainfall for mesic, semiarid cool, and semiarid warm grassland types. Our objective was to improve understanding of ANPP dynamics associated with changing climatic conditions by contrasting PPT–ANPP relationships in above‐ and below‐average PPT years to those that occurred during sequences of multiple above‐ and below‐average years. We found differences in PPT–ANPP relationships in above‐ and below‐average years compared to long‐term site averages, and variation in ANPP not explained by PPT totals that likely are attributed to legacy effects. The correlation between ANPP and current‐ and prior‐year conditions changed from year to year throughout multiyear periods, with some legacy effects declining, and new responses emerging. Thus, ANPP in a given year was influenced by sequences of conditions that varied across grassland types and climates. Most importantly, the influence of prior‐year ANPP often increased with the length of multiyear periods, whereas the influence of the amount of current‐year PPT declined. Although the mechanisms by which a directional change in the frequency of above‐ and below‐average years imposes a persistent change in grassland ANPP require further investigation, our results emphasize the importance of legacy effects on productivity for sequences of above‐ vs. below‐average years, and illustrate the utility of long‐term data to examine these patterns.
Anticorrosion assessment of Al2O3‐TiO2 composite thin films derived from sol‐gel dipping technique
Authors: Oliaee Seyyed Alireza , Naghibi Sanaz
Published: December 2017

Metal surface protection by means of nanostructured ceramic coatings is considered an issue, which is variously scrutinized, and more efforts are made to improve steel performance in accordance with this method. In this respect, this study sought to examine the protective effects of a nanostructured coating containing TiO2 and Al2O3. The optimization approach for obtaining a coating without any cracks with the highest efficiency of corrosion resistance is reported. The variables under assessment were as follows: weight ratio of the oxides, calcination temperature, and preparation parameters. The synthesized samples were analyzed utilizing XRD, FESEM, AFM, Tafel test, EIS, and microhardness measurement. The results revealed that the optimized conditions were as follows: (i) Ti:Al precursor mixture with a weight ratio of 75:25, (ii) heat treatment at 1000°C. This process yielded a uniform composite coating without any cracks with 5.1 nm roughness, containing crystalline rutile phase and amorphous alumina. Not only the intended coating improves the corrosion resistance of steel up to 97%, but it also increases its surface hardness up to 10 units.
Biogenic amines assessment during different stages of the canning process of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Authors: Barbosa Roberta Garcia , Gonzaga Luciano Valdemiro , Lodetti Eduarda , Olivo Gisele , Costa Ana Carolina Oliveira , Aubourg Santiago Pedro , Fett Roseane
Published: December 2017

The present research focused on the biogenic amines (BAs) formation in skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) throughout the whole canning process. In agreement with its wide employment on this species, on‐board brine immersion freezing (BIF) was tested as post‐mortem processing. The study included fish samples corresponding to different stages of the canning process such as frozen, thawed, cooked and canned; after cooking, two kinds of tuna muscles were considered, that is, whole fillets (main product) and grated muscle (off‐product arising from small pieces). For the BAs (tryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, spermidine and spermine) assessment, an HPLC‐DAD method was developed and validated in skipjack tuna samples, in agreement with different parameters such as suitability, linearity, limits of detection and quantification, precision, accuracy and robustness. Tuna submitted on‐board to BIF procedure provided low levels of spermine and spermidine (up to 27.6 mg kg−1), while contents on the remaining BAs maintained below the limit of detection. Throughout the different stages of the canning process, skipjack tuna showed a low formation of most BAs; interestingly, histamine content was found below 10.6 mg kg−1 level. The highest values were obtained for spermidine, these related to cooked grated tuna (from 22.6 to 66.7 mg kg−1) and canned grated tuna (from 70.6 to 104.4 mg kg−1). Values for pH assessment in all kinds of tuna samples corroborated the results obtained for BAs determination. BIF procedure proved to be an amenable post‐mortem processing to guarantee the quality of canned skipjack tuna.
Corporate Responsibilization
Authors: Mildenberger Carl David
Published: December 2017

This article examines the conditions for responsibilizing corporations. When we responsibilize an agent, we hold him responsible for his choices – although we are aware that he is not yet fully fit to be held responsible – in order to induce in him the relevant characteristics for being fit to be held responsible at a later time. I find that the conditions of responsibilizability are not identical to the conditions for responsibilization we usually and reasonably apply. Typically, we only responsibilize agents who do not only meet the comparably weak conditions of responsibilizability, but who also fulfil additional criteria, as for example having demonstrated first signs of normative reasoning. I argue that corporations do not only meet the minimum threshold of responsibilizability, but also a comparably higher threshold, which allows us to engage in particularly effective forms of responsibilization. Basically, we may permissibly responsibilize the overwhelming majority of corporations in the same way parents responsibilize their growing children.
The Case for Markets in Citizenship
Authors: Freiman Christopher
Published: December 2017

A number of countries sell citizenship rights to foreign buyers. Gary Becker makes an economic case for the state's sale of citizenship; more recently, Javier Hidalgo has offered a moral defence. However, the private sale of citizenship on a market remains largely unexplored and undefended. This article argues that under certain conditions states ought to permit their citizens to swap citizenship rights with foreigners in exchange for payment. I begin by offering two defeasible reasons to legalize citizenship markets: they would enable mutually beneficial exchange and increase the labour market opportunities of the global poor. I consider a number of counterarguments and conclude that none are dispositive, leaving the case for citizenship markets undefeated.
Influence of abandonment on syrphid assemblages in mountainous meadows
Authors: Hussain R. I. , Walcher R. , Brandl D. , Jernej I. , Arnberger A. , Zaller J. G. , Frank T.
Published: December 2017

Grasslands are often managed with different intensities in the European Alps. Studies have shown that a medium management can benefit plant and animal biodiversity in these ecosystems. However, in recent decades abandonment of extensively managed meadows is an ongoing global challenge. Syrphids (hoverflies) have been recognized as a threatened group due to environmental drivers, and these managed grasslands provide preferred habitats for them. Yet, at what extent syrphids respond to grassland management strategies is little known. We investigated whether abandonment of managed mountain meadows (mown once a year, no fertilizer use) affects syrphid abundance, richness and species assemblages. Moreover, the influence of plant richness, flower frequency and surrounding landscape on syrphids were assessed. Four managed meadows were compared with four abandoned meadows in a mountainous region in Austria. Adult syrphids were sampled over two consecutive years (June and August 2015–2016) by sweep netting using line transects and observation plots. Syrphid abundance was significantly higher in managed than abandoned meadows and increased with increasing plant richness and flower frequency across management types. Management and sampling time also significantly affected syrphid species assemblages. Syrphid richness and abundance were not influenced by surrounding landscape. We conclude that both abandoned and managed meadows provide important habitat types for syrphids. Therefore, efforts should be made to maintain both managed and abandoned meadows in order to protect syrphid species within mountainous landscapes.
Selective, age‐related autobiographical memory deficits in children with severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: Lah Suncica , Gott Chloe , Parry Louise , Black Carly , Epps Adrienne , Gascoigne Michael
Published: December 2017

Objectives

Autobiographical memory (AM) is a complex function that involves re‐experiencing of past personal events (episodic memory) scaffolded by personal facts (semantic memory). While AM is supported by a brain network and cognitive skills that are vulnerable to disruption by child traumatic brain injury (TBI), AM has not been examined in this patient population.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Participants included children with severe closed TBI (n = 14) and healthy control (NC) children (n = 20) of comparable age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Participants completed (1) the Child Autobiographical Interview (Willoughby et al., 2012, Front. Psychol., 3, 53), which required recall of autobiographical events and distinguished episodic (internal) from non‐episodic (external) details, and self‐rating of event phenomenological qualities, and (2) a battery of neuropsychological tests.

Results

Children with TBI recalled significantly fewer internal details relative to NCs, but the between‐group difference was eliminated when specific probes were provided. The groups did not differ in either recall of external details or in ratings of events’ phenomenological qualities. The gap between the groups in recall of internal details increased with age, as the greater number of internal details was associated with older age in the NC group, but not in the TBI group. Poorer verbal memory and lower IQ were related to recall of fewer internal details in the TBI group.

Conclusions

This study unveils, to our knowledge for the first time, that severe child TBI is associated with a selective deficit in autobiographical memory that involves episodic, but spares semantic details, and identifies the risk factors for this impairment.
Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Examination in Dogs with Suspected Intracranial Hypertension Caused by Neurologic Diseases
Authors: Sasaoka K. , Nakamura K. , Osuga T. , Morita T. , Yokoyama N. , Morishita K. , Sasaki N. , Ohta H. , Takiguchi M.
Published: December 2017

Background

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound examination (TCD) is a rapid, noninvasive technique used to evaluate cerebral blood flow and is useful for the detection of intracranial hypertension in humans. However, the clinical usefulness of TCD in diagnosing intracranial hypertension has not been demonstrated for intracranial diseases in dogs.

Objectives

To determine the association between the TCD variables and intracranial hypertension in dogs with intracranial diseases.

Animals

Fifty client‐owned dogs with neurologic signs.

Methods

Cross‐sectional study. All dogs underwent TCD of the basilar artery under isoflurane anesthesia after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dogs were classified into 3 groups based on MRI findings: no structural diseases (group I), structural disease without MRI evidence of intracranial hypertension (group II), and structural disease with MRI evidence of intracranial hypertension (group III). The TCD vascular resistance variables (resistive index [RI], pulsatility index [PI], and the ratio of systolic to diastolic mean velocity [Sm/Dm]) were measured.

Results

Fifteen, 22, and 13 dogs were classified into groups I, II, and III, respectively. Dogs in group III had significantly higher Sm/Dm (median, 1.78; range, 1.44–2.58) than those in group I (median, 1.63; range, 1.43–1.75) and group II (median, 1.62; range, 1.27–2.10). No significant differences in RI and PI were identified among groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Our findings suggest that increased Sm/Dm is associated with MRI findings of suspected intracranial hypertension in dogs with intracranial diseases and that TCD could be a useful tool to help to diagnose intracranial hypertension.
Prevalence of post‐micturition dribble in Japanese men and its relationship with benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Kobayashi Ko , Fukuta Fumimasa , Masumori Naoya
Published: December 2017

Objective

Post‐micturition dribble (PMD) is one of the post‐micturition lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Although there have been many studies of LUTS in Japanese men, PMD is not completely understood in the Japanese population. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence and bother of PMD in Japanese men.

Methods

From 2007 to 2008, a cross‐sectional community‐based study on LUTS was conducted in Japanese men aged 40–79 years in Shimamaki‐mura, Hokkaido, Japan. The prevalence and bother of PMD were investigated using a validated questionnaire, and prostate volume (PV) and the peak flow rate (Qmax) were measured.

Results

The prevalence of PMD in men aged their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s was 13.6%, 39.0%, 44.2%, and 41.2%, respectively. PMD was not rare compared with other LUTS. The degree and bother of PMD were statistically correlated (r = 0.558, P < .001), suggesting that the presence of PMD impairs quality of life. There was no significant relationship between the prevalence of PMD and PV or Qmax.

Conclusions

PMD is not rare compared with other LUTS. The presence of PMD impairs quality of life.
DAMS: A Model to Assess Domino Effects by Using Agent‐Based Modeling and Simulation
Authors: Zhang Laobing , Landucci Gabriele , Reniers Genserik , Khakzad Nima , Zhou Jianfeng
Published: December 2017

Historical data analysis shows that escalation accidents, so‐called domino effects, have an important role in disastrous accidents in the chemical and process industries. In this study, an agent‐based modeling and simulation approach is proposed to study the propagation of domino effects in the chemical and process industries. Different from the analytical or Monte Carlo simulation approaches, which normally study the domino effect at probabilistic network levels, the agent‐based modeling technique explains the domino effects from a bottom‐up perspective. In this approach, the installations involved in a domino effect are modeled as agents whereas the interactions among the installations (e.g., by means of heat radiation) are modeled via the basic rules of the agents. Application of the developed model to several case studies demonstrates the ability of the model not only in modeling higher‐level domino effects and synergistic effects but also in accounting for temporal dependencies. The model can readily be applied to large‐scale complicated cases.