bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How not to punish your neighbour
Authors: Yang Hsu Becky
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The paper aims to better understand why borrowers do not sanction one another in group-lending microfinance programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper utilises interviews conducted in 16 villages in Western China. The data were complemented by ethnographic fieldwork of an NGO in the region.

Findings

– The paper confirms the relevance to microfinance of existing literature showing that punishing others is costly, so people tend to wait for others to do it. It also reveals the existence of particularistic metanorms – norms of sanctioning that focus on whom one can and cannot punish. Additionally, it shows that people may punish according to whether they believe others are punishing.

Research limitations/implications

– The results are not immediately generalisable to all group-lending programmes.

Originality/value

– Fieldwork in rural China is difficult to conduct. Although cultural and social patterns are known to be important in development work, little is known about how it affects microfinance.
Factors affecting quality in the Jordanian housing sector
Authors: J. Sweis Rateb , O. Shanak Rifat , Abu El Samen Amjad , Suifan Taghrid
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to measure the perceptions of both architects and contractors regarding the factors affecting quality in the Jordanian housing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– Twenty quality factors were identified from the literature and ranked by respondents. Next, the weighted indices for importance and frequency of quality variables were calculated. The quality variables were ranked according to their severity index. Finally, the principal component and factor analysis methodology was employed to arrive at the most prominent factors.

Findings

– Major factors affecting quality were human resource management, customer satisfaction, uses of technology and supplier management. Although both samples of architects and contractors chose the factor “uses of technology” as the common factor, the t-test showed statistically significant differences in the means of both samples.

Originality/value

– This study’s findings build on prior research conducted in different countries. The major factors identified in this study are compared to other similar studies’ findings, thereby adding to the available literature on factors affecting quality in the housing sector in developing countries.
Quick detection of NFC vulnerability
Authors: Azhari Firman
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this research is to explain particular implementation weaknesses of near field communication (NFC) systems done by several institutions which apply for critical purposes and provide practical solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research is done by literature studies of previous findings in NFC security, observations of some existing implemented systems and experimentations to provide practical solutions.

Findings

– Unintentional lack of security protection of the NFC cards and tags by some card issuers make them a vulnerable target. The outcomes of this research are proposed solutions on methods to quickly detect vulnerability in NFC tags using an Android-based mobile application. Another solution involves the assembly of a detection device using the portable, low power and powerful Raspberry Pi to analyze the NFC tags or cards and NFC reader vulnerabilities.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is conducted in Indonesia; therefore, the results and solutions may lack generalizability. However, the findings may occur in other countries which newly apply NFC technology.

Practical implications

– System implementer should become more aware about the security issue of old NFC tags like MIFARE Classic. Price should be considered after tag security. People also need to be aware of identity or money theft using NFC-enabled smartphones, as many identity cards and electronic money are now relying on NFC technology.

Social implications

– People also need to be aware of identity or money theft using NFC-enabled smartphones, as many identity cards and electronic money are now relying on NFC technology.

Originality/value

– This research fulfills an identified need to evaluate the security aspect of a system that uses NFC as one of the main technologies. The results and solutions also provides cheap, easy and practical tools to analyze NFC security.
Ontology in information studies: without, within, and withal knowledge management
Authors: Wendell Compton Bradley
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Ontology in information studies consists of antinomic conceptions, methodologies, and emphases in both application and philosophizing. A comprehensive understanding of ontology in information studies can be achieved by employing Slavoj Žižek's parallax view which holds that reality is not only best understood by articulating conflicting perspectives on a particular phenomenon, but that given phenomena are fundamentally constrained by incommensurable perspectives that must be acknowledged accordingly. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Ontology in information studies, including computational ontology development, is analyzed using critical information theory based on Heideggerian, poststructuralist, and anti-postmodern philosophy. The discussion is framed by Žižek's notion of the parallax Real.

Findings

– A complete understanding of ontology in information studies that does not reduce ontology to a totalizing theory or sequester notions of ontology to conflicting, unrelated discourses, necessarily accepts articulating the alterity between differing ontological views as the means by which one can best allude to what “ontology in information studies really is.”

Originality/value

– This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of radically different ontological perspectives on the nature of reality with respect to digital technology.
HIVEing: the effect of a semantic web technology on inter-indexer consistency
Authors: White Hollie , Willis Craig , Greenberg Jane
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the Helping Interdisciplinary Vocabulary Engineering (HIVE) system on the inter-indexer consistency of information professionals when assigning keywords to a scientific abstract. This study examined first, the inter-indexer consistency of potential HIVE users; second, the impact HIVE had on consistency; and third, challenges associated with using HIVE.

Design/methodology/approach

– A within-subjects quasi-experimental research design was used for this study. Data were collected using a task-scenario based questionnaire. Analysis was performed on consistency results using Hooper's and Rolling's inter-indexer consistency measures. A series of t-tests was used to judge the significance between consistency measure results.

Findings

– Results suggest that HIVE improves inter-indexing consistency. Working with HIVE increased consistency rates by 22 percent (Rolling's) and 25 percent (Hooper's) when selecting relevant terms from all vocabularies. A statistically significant difference exists between the assignment of free-text keywords and machine-aided keywords. Issues with homographs, disambiguation, vocabulary choice, and document structure were all identified as potential challenges.

Research limitations/implications

– Research limitations for this study can be found in the small number of vocabularies used for the study. Future research will include implementing HIVE into the Dryad Repository and studying its application in a repository system.

Originality/value

– This paper showcases several features used in HIVE system. By using traditional consistency measures to evaluate a semantic web technology, this paper emphasizes the link between traditional indexing and next generation machine-aided indexing (MAI) tools.
Distance-to-default measures and determinants for systemically important financial institutions
Authors: A. Schenck Natalya
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to compare two distance-to-default methods, data-transformed maximum likelihood estimation and “naïve”, that are suitable for financial institutions. The links between these measures and asset size, Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital ratios, non-performing assets and operating efficiency have been examined and an alternative default risk measure has been introduced. Most of the market-based distance-to-default measures are not appropriate for banks due to their unique debt structure.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author has compared two distance-to-default measures and has identified their accounting determinants using Pearson’s correlation and regressions with clustered standard errors. The sample of the US-based systemically important financial institutions covers the period from 2000 to 2010.

Findings

– Non-performing assets and operating efficiency are found to be statistically and economically significant determinants of both distance-to-default measures. Tier 1 capital ratio is not a significant indicator of default risk.

Practical implications

– The results emphasize the importance of using a combination of market-based default risk measures and accounting ratios in default prediction models for the financial institutions.

Originality/value

– This paper identifies accounting determinants of two distance-to-default measures for large financial institutions, before and during the 2008 financial crisis. It introduces a spread between two measures as an alternative default risk indicator.
Knowledge sharing of academic staff
Authors: Wei Chong Chin , Yen Yuen Yee , Chew Gan Geok
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to build upon Jainet al.'s (2007) work by investigating the knowledge-sharing barriers and strategies of academic staff in public and private universities in Malaysia which have received relatively little research attention to date.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey of 502 questionnaires was collected on both public and private universities in Malaysia. Data were analysed using SPSS.

Findings

– The overall findings show that private universities are more effective and are more willing to share knowledge. Linking knowledge sharing with non-monetary rewards and fair performance appraisals are strongly recommended in private universities, while monetary rewards, recognitions, publication of knowledge on websites and newsletters and the use of appropriate technology tools and systems are strongly recommended in public universities.

Practical implications

– Top management in Malaysian public and private universities must play their role and put in more effort to ensure academics have the proper platform and support to share their knowledge.

Originality/value

– This study is perhaps one of the first to address the comparison between knowledge sharing among lecturers in private and public universities in Malaysia.
Examining the incentives and motivations for research-based legislation in Uganda
Authors: Lugya Fredrick Kiwuwa
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to discuss the factors that would increase or decrease the prospects to use research evidence in legislation in a developing country.

Design/methodology/approach

– Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to identify the gaps in ability to utilise research evidence among policymakers. A combination of expert analysis of five policy brief formats, 13 self-administered semi-structured interviews with policymakers, focus group discussion and literature analysis informed data collection.

Findings

– The incentives and motivations for research-based legislation are classified into three categories: those that concern legislators and researchers, those that concern legislators only and those that concern researchers only.

Originality/value

– The work discusses the need for policymakers to make decisions based on facts. The findings are a reflection of a long interaction the author had with policymakers and researchers in Uganda.
Fashion globally
Authors: G. Fowler Jie , H. Reisenwitz Timothy , R. Fowler Aubrey
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to focus on consumers’ responses towards visual fashion ideal in hybrid magazine advertisements from a cross-cultural and generational perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

– This exploratory qualitative focus group study showed a set of validated advertisements to 64 female participants. Half of the sample was from the USA, the other half was from China. To examine generational differences, the interviewees were split by age in each group: half of the participants were between 18 and 34, and half were between the age of 45 and 65 years.

Findings

– Both Chinese and American target audiences viewed the trendy advertisements with an aspirational eye in which the advertisement was interpreted as representing an ideal self to which they aspired, one that they wanted to achieve but, for some reason(s), were not capable of achieving at the time. However, the degree of aspiration varied for Chinese and American audiences.

Research limitations/implications

– Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, future research may use survey and experimental research approaches.

Practical implications

– International marketers may need to design advertisements with more “realistic” imagery, while keeping the idealized Western style in Chinese advertising. Advertisers should also be cognizant of intergenerational influences in the Chinese market; many young Chinese women still rely on their mothers regarding fashion purchase decisions.

Originality/value

– This paper fills a need to understand both the similarities and the differences in marketing communications across cultures.
Emotions in supermarket brand choice
Authors: Spanjaard Daniela , Young Louise , Freeman Lynne
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to show how the application of multiple qualitative methods reveals insights into grocery shopping that cannot be captured via traditional survey methods.

Design/methodology/approach

– A mixed-method approach was applied where the results of one technique provided the guidelines for the next as a way to understand how decisions are made within a grocery store. A mail survey started the process which subsequently presented input for the focus group, leading to videographic observations, depth interviews and consumer diaries.

Findings

– The results show that many decisions in the grocery store are not driven by the store environment but rather by emotional connections to the brand. This suggests that using behavioral and attitudinal surveys to understand this perspective may not adequately capture important aspects of grocery buying. Instead, consideration must be given to alternative methods which offer the shopper freedom to discuss what is important to them in terms of product selection.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is unique in applying multiple qualitative methods to an environment that is often overlooked as a source for meaningful insights into consumer decisions. The ability to use methods such as videography and self-assessment provides consequential reasons behind consumer behaviour rather than just statistical measurements of this.

Practical implications

– The results make a note of caution for retailers. Radical changes to brand offerings (e.g. deleting lines) and accessibility to preferred products (e.g. out of stocks, store layouts) runs the risk of potentially isolating regular customers. Our research shows that when a favorite product is not available, a substitute is not likely. Instead respondents tend to go to another store that does stock their brand, or they buy a smaller, cheaper product to “make do” until the next shop. Neither option is a good outcome for the consumer, the manufacturer or the store.

Originality/value

– This study will show that for grocery buying, not all decisions are rational where the use of available information is what drives the final brand choice. Instead, consumers display evidence of emotion that one research method in isolation is unlikely to adequately capture.
No association of atherosclerosis with digital ulcers in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis: Evaluation of carotid intima‐media thickness and plaque characteristics
Authors: Motegi Sei‐ichiro , Toki Sayaka , Hattori Tomoyasu , Yamada Kazuya , Uchiyama Akihiko , Ishikawa Osamu
Published: June 2014

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) usually develop Raynaud's phenomenon, persistent digital ischemia and sometimes develop digital ulcers (DU). Several studies have reported an association of carotid artery atherosclerosis with SSc by evaluating carotid intima‐media thickness (IMT) in SSc patients. However, none of those studies analyzed the association between DU and carotid artery atherosclerosis in SSc patients. We examined the association of carotid artery atherosclerosis with digital ulcers by comparing SSc patients with (n = 48, 29.5%) and without (n = 206, 70.5%) DU. The demographic and clinical features of the SSc patients showed that young age, male sex, anti‐topoisomerase I antibody positivity, severe skin sclerosis, interstitial lung disease complication and cardiac involvements were significantly prevalent in patients with DU. In addition, diffuse cutaneous type, anti‐RNA polymerase III antibody positivity and severe skin sclerosis are more frequent in SSc patients with DU at the extensor surface of joints than SSc patients with DU at the digital tip. There were no differences in serum lipid level, carotid IMT or plaque score between SSc patients with and without DU, suggesting that atherosclerotic changes are not primarily involved in the development of DU.
Remission period in psoriasis after multiple cycles of narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy
Authors: Ryu Hyeong Ho , Choe Yun Seon , Jo Seongmoon , Youn Jai Il , Jo Seong Jin
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of remission periods in psoriasis after narrowband ultraviolet B (NB‐UVB) phototherapy, especially during multiple cycles of treatment. We analyzed 63 patients (101 cases) demonstrating marked improvement after NB‐UVB phototherapy. The remission period was defined as the duration of time from the end of phototherapy until treatment using either phototherapy or systemic treatments was required again. It was found that an age of 60 years or older, history of systemic therapy within 6 months and three or more phototherapy cycles were significantly associated with shorter remission periods. Furthermore, multivariate analysis confirmed that three or more phototherapy cycles (odds ratio [OR], 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.73–9.33; P = 0.001) and a history of systemic therapy (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.27–3.95; P = 0.005) were independently associated with the shorter remission period. In conclusion, when planning NB‐UVB phototherapy for psoriatic patients who have undergone multiple phototherapy cycles, clinicians should consider the possibility of shorter remission periods.
Life‐history costs make perfect sprouting maladaptive in two herbaceous perennials
Authors: Shefferson Richard P. , Warren Robert J. , Pulliam H. Ronald
Published: June 2014

Why some herbaceous plant species refrain from sprouting in some years is a longstanding puzzle in plant ecology. When vegetatively ‘dormant’, the plant lives as a rootstock, but does not produce or maintain photosynthetic tissue. During this time, energy may be remobilized from resource reserves or acquired from mycorrhizal fungi, although the mechanisms are still poorly understood. If vegetative dormancy is adaptive, it may be in response to a harsh environment, to life‐history costs, or as a bet‐hedge against unpredictable environmental variability.

We tested whether vegetative dormancy is adaptive via game theoretical analysis of deterministic and stochastic ahistorical and historical life‐history models parameterized with long‐term census data for two long‐lived plants, Anemone americana and Cypripedium parviflorum. The ahistorical deterministic model provided a test of the hypothesis that dormancy is adaptive in response to a generally harsh environment and/or short‐term life‐history costs, while the historical model tested whether long‐term costs drove the evolution of dormancy. The stochastic ahistorical model provided a test of whether dormancy is a bet‐hedging trait.

We found that vegetative dormancy is an adaptive consequence of life‐history costs of growth to survival and that these costs may be operating under a variable but generally harsh environment. Such costs led to sprouting and survival probabilities that generally increased with size in adults but never reached unity and decreased with size in juveniles. Historical deterministic models particularly predicted observed sprouting frequencies, while deterministic ahistorical and stochastic models did not, suggesting although the environment is likely stressful and fluctuates between harsh and mild states, short‐term costs and temporal stochasticity alone do not explain observed sprouting frequencies.

Synthesis. Life‐history costs can drive the evolution of seemingly paradoxical traits. In particular, growth can lead to survival costs that may become significant in future years. These costs may be incurred via the use of stored reserves that, once used, cannot be used in the next several years. Such costs are the currency favouring the evolutionary maintenance of vegetative dormancy in two distantly related perennial plant species and may account for dormancy throughout the plant kingdom.
A metagenetic approach for revealing community structure of marine planktonic copepods
Authors: Hirai J. , Kuriyama M. , Ichikawa T. , Hidaka K. , Tsuda A.
Published: June 2014

Marine planktonic copepods are an ecologically important group with high species richness and abundance. Here, we propose a new metagenetic approach for revealing the community structure of marine planktonic copepods using 454 pyrosequencing of nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA. We determined an appropriate similarity threshold for clustering pyrosequencing data into molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) using an artificial community containing 33 morphologically identified species. The 99% similarity threshold had high species‐level resolution for MOTU clustering but overestimated species richness. The artificial community was appropriately clustered into MOTUs at 97% similarity, with little inflation in MOTU numbers and with relatively high species‐level resolution. The number of sequence reads of each MOTU was correlated with dry weight of that taxon, suggesting that sequence reads could be used as a proxy for biomass. Next, we applied the method to field‐collected samples, and the results corresponded reasonably well with morphological analysis of these communities. Numbers of MOTUs were well correlated with species richness at 97% similarity, and large numbers of sequence reads were generally observed in MOTUs derived from species with large biomass. Further, MOTUs were successfully classified into taxonomic groups at the family level at 97% similarity; similar patterns of species richness and biomass were revealed within families with metagenetic and morphological analyses. At the 99% similarity threshold, MOTUs with high proportions of sequence reads were identified as biomass‐dominant species in each field‐collected sample. The metagenetic approach reported here can be an effective tool for rapid and comprehensive assessment of copepod community structure.
Double hit lymphoma: the MD Anderson Cancer Center clinical experience
Authors: Oki Yasuhiro , Noorani Mansoor , Lin Pei , Davis Richard E. , Neelapu Sattva S. , Ma Long , Ahmed Mohamed , Rodriguez Maria Alma , Hagemeister Fredrick B. , Fowler Nathan , Wang Michael , Fanale Michelle A. , Nastoupil Loretta , Samaniego Felipe , Lee Hun J. , Dabaja Bouthaina S. , Pinnix Chelsea C. , Medeiros Leonard J. , Nieto Yago , Khouri Issa , Kwak Larry W. , Turturro Francesco , Romaguera Jorge E. , Fayad Luis E. , Westin Jason R.
Published: June 2014

We report our experience with 129 cases of double hit lymphoma (DHL), defined as B‐cell lymphoma with translocations and/or extra signals involving MYC plus BCL2 and/or BCL6. All cases were reviewed for histopathological classification. Median age was 62 years (range, 18–85), 84% of patients had advanced‐stage disease, and 87% had an International Prognostic Index score ≥2. Fourteen patients (11%) had a history of low‐grade follicular lymphoma. MYC translocation was present in 81%, and extra signals of MYC in 25% of patients. IGH‐BCL2 translocation was present in 84% and extra signals of BCL2 in 12% of patients. Two‐year event‐free survival (EFS) rates in all patients and patients who received R‐CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), R‐EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin), and R‐HyperCVAD/MA (rituximab, hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, alternating with cytarabine plus methotrexate) were 33%, 25%, 67% and 32%, respectively. In patients achieving complete response with initial therapy (n = 71), 2‐year EFS rates in patients who did (n = 23) or did not (n = 48) receive frontline stem cell transplantation were 68% and 53%, respectively (P = 0·155). The cumulative incidence of central nervous system involvement was 13% at 3 years. Multivariate analysis identified performance status ≥2 and bone marrow involvement as independent adverse prognostic factors for EFS and OS. Further research is needed to identify predictive and/or targetable biological markers and novel therapeutic approaches for DHL patients.
Functional relevance of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated interleukin (IL)-1β during acute allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Ritter M , Straubinger K , Schmidt S , Busch D H , Hagner S , Garn H , Prazeres da Costa C , Layland L E
Published: June 2014

Overall asthmatic symptoms can be controlled with diverse therapeutic agents. However, certain symptomatic individuals remain at risk for serious morbidity and mortality, which prompts the identification of novel therapeutic targets and treatment strategies. Thus, using an adjuvant-free T helper type 2 (Th2) murine model, we have deciphered the role of interleukin (IL)-1 signalling during allergic airway inflammation (AAI). Because functional IL-1β depends on inflammasome activation we first studied asthmatic manifestations in specific inflammasome-deficient [NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3−/−) and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC−/−)] and IL-1 receptor type 1−/− (IL-1R1−/−) mice on the BALB/c background. To verify the onset of disease we assessed cellular infiltration in the bronchial regions, lung pathology, airway hyperresponsiveness and ovalbumin (OVA)-specific immune responses. In the absence of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated IL-1β release all symptoms of AAI were reduced, except OVA-specific immunoglobulin levels. To address whether manipulating IL-1 signalling reduced asthmatic development, we administered the IL-1R antagonist anakinra (Kineret®) during critical immunological time-points: sensitization or challenge. Amelioration of asthmatic symptoms was only observed when anakinra was administered during OVA challenge. Our findings indicate that blocking IL-1 signalling could be a potential complementary therapy for allergic airway inflammation.
Mechanical and hydrodynamic homecare devices to clean rough implant surfaces – an in vitro polyspecies biofilm study
Authors: Ioannidis Alexis , Thurnheer Thomas , Hofer Deborah , Sahrmann Philipp , Guggenheim Bernhard , Schmidlin Patrick R.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To investigate the cleaning efficacy of a mechanical and a hydrodynamic homecare device on biofilm‐coated titanium surfaces with and without chlorhexidine.

Material and methods

Six‐species biofilms were grown on 108 SLA‐titanium discs, which were cleaned as follows: sonic toothbrush alone (i) or in combination with either a 0.2% chlorhexidine (ii) or a placebo gel (iii) and oral irrigator (hydrodynamic action) with water (iv) or combined with 0.2% chlorhexidine solution (v). Untreated samples served as control (vi). Biofilms were then harvested either immediately after treatment (study part A) or after a regrowth phase of 24 h (study part B) and colony‐forming units (CFU) were assessed. Results were analysed using Whitney U‐tests between the treatment groups. After the Bonferroni correction, the significance level was set at α = 0.0033.

Results

The median CFU counts directly after instrumentation accounted – in ascending order (P‐values in comparison with the control group A6 were <0.001 for all groups except for A3: P = 0.014) – 2.0E1 (A5), 1.1E5 (A4), 3.6E5 (A2), 3.3E5 (A1) and 6.8E6 (A3), respectively. The untreated control group showed the highest CFU counts: 1.8E7 (A6). After regrowth, the following CFU counts were measured in ascending order (all P‐values <0.001 when compared to the control group B6 = 2.0E8): 1.6E2 (B5), 1.9E5 (B2), 1.4E7 (B4), 3.1E7 (B1) and 3.9E7 (B3).

Conclusions

An oral irrigator combined with 0.2% chlorhexidine is effective in reducing biofilms attached to rough titanium surfaces immediately after cleaning. Following a regrowth phase of 24 h, micro‐organisms could be equally effective removed with a sonic toothbrush combined with 0.2% chlorhexidine and an oral irrigator with 0.2% chlorhexidine.
The influence of laparoscopy on incisional hernia rates: a retrospective analysis of 1057 colorectal cancer resections
Authors: Mishra A. , Keeler B. D. , Maxwell‐Armstrong C. , Simpson J. A. , Acheson A. G.
Published: June 2014

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of incisional hernia formation after laparoscopic and open surgery for colorectal cancer.

Method

A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1057 colorectal cancer resection cases (289 laparoscopic, 768 open) performed in a single national laparoscopic training centre between January 2006 and December 2011. Clinical notes and serial computed tomography scans were reviewed, with any incisional hernia including those at a surgical incision, port site, stoma and stoma closure site identified and the size of the defect measured.

Results

The overall incisional hernia rate was 14.8%. There was no significant difference between the open and laparoscopic groups (14.4% vs 15.9%, P = 0.566). Excluding stoma‐related hernia, 10.7% of the open group developed a surgical wound hernia, and 11.1% of the laparoscopic group developed a hernia at a port site, extraction site or surgical midline incision. There was no statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.853). The defects were smaller in the laparoscopic group (P < 0.005). There were significantly more parastomal hernias in the laparoscopic group (40%) than in the open group (12.7%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The incidence of incisional hernia formation was similar after laparoscopic or open surgery for colorectal cancer. Parastomal hernia was more frequent after laparoscopic surgery.
To excise or not: impact of MelaFind on German dermatologists’ decisions to biopsy atypical lesions
Authors: Hauschild Axel , Chen Suephy C. , Weichenthal Michael , Blum Andreas , King Hadley C. , Goldsmith Jeff , Scharfstein Daniel , Gutkowicz‐Krusin Dina
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To determine the biopsy sensitivity to melanoma of dermatologists in Germany and the impact of MelaFind® on their decisions to biopsy melanomas.

Design

Randomized two‐armed online reader study presenting case information, clinical/dermatoscopic images of pigmented skin lesions and MelaFind results (Arm 2).

Methods

Each participant was asked to review 130 pigmented skin lesions. Biopsy decisions of dermatologists without MelaFind versus MelaFind and dermatologists without MelaFind versus dermatologists with MelaFind were compared.

Results

Dermatologists without MelaFind had average sensitivity to melanoma of 69.5 % and average specificity of 55.9 %. MelaFind had greater sensitivity than dermatologists alone (96.9 % vs. 69.5 %, one‐sided p < 0.00001) and lower specificity (9.2 % vs. 55.9 %, one‐sided p < 0.00001). Dermatologists with MelaFind had higher sensitivity than those without MelaFind (78 % vs. 69.5 %, one‐sided p < 0.00001) and a lower specificity (45.8 % vs. 55.9 %, one‐sided p < 0.00001). The number of dermatologists detecting over 90 % of melanomas increased from 3 of 101 without MelaFind to 22 of 101 with MelaFind (p = 0.00006) while specificity remained relatively equivalent (23 % vs. 21 %, p = 0.99).

Conclusions

The MelaFind information, when incorporated into the final biopsy decision, can improve biopsy sensitivity with modest effect on biopsy specificity.
Parent support is less effective in buffering cortisol stress reactivity for adolescents compared to children
Authors: Hostinar Camelia E. , Johnson Anna E. , Gunnar Megan R.
Published: June 2014

The goal of the present study was to investigate developmental differences in the effectiveness of parent support to alleviate hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis stress responses of children (ages 9–10, N = 40) and adolescents (ages 15–16, N = 41). We experimentally manipulated the provision of parent support during the speech preparation period before a modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and examined its effect on levels of salivary cortisol secreted in response to this laboratory stressor. Analyses revealed a significant interaction of condition and age group such that social support from the parent (versus a stranger) significantly eliminated the cortisol stress response in children, but had no effect on the response among adolescents.
Knowledge cannot explain the developmental growth of working memory capacity
Authors: Cowan Nelson , Ricker Timothy J. , Clark Katherine M. , Hinrichs Garrett A. , Glass Bret A.
Published: June 2014

According to some views of cognitive growth, the development of working memory capacity can account for increases in the complexity of cognition. It has been difficult to ascertain, though, that there actually is developmental growth in capacity that cannot be attributed to other developing factors. Here we assess the role of item familiarity. We document developmental increases in working memory for visual arrays of English letters versus unfamiliar characters. Although letter knowledge played a special role in development between the ages of 6 and 8 years, children with adequate letter knowledge showed practically the same developmental growth in normalized functions for letters and unfamiliar characters. The results contribute to a growing body of evidence that the developmental improvement in working memory does not wholly stem from supporting processes such as encoding, mnemonic strategies, and knowledge. A video abstract is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJdqErLR2Hs&feature=youtu.be
Ranking factors affecting emissions of GHG from incubated agricultural soils
Authors: García‐Marco S. , Ravella S. R. , Chadwick D. , Vallejo A. , Gregory A. S. , Cárdenas L. M.
Published: June 2014

Agriculture significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and there is a need to develop effective mitigation strategies. The efficacy of methods to reduce GHG fluxes from agricultural soils can be affected by a range of interacting management and environmental factors. Uniquely, we used the Taguchi experimental design methodology to rank the relative importance of six factors known to affect the emission of GHG from soil: nitrate (NO3−) addition, carbon quality (labile and non‐labile C), soil temperature, water‐filled pore space (WFPS) and extent of soil compaction. Grassland soil was incubated in jars where selected factors, considered at two or three amounts within the experimental range, were combined in an orthogonal array to determine the importance and interactions between factors with a L16 design, comprising 16 experimental units. Within this L16 design, 216 combinations of the full factorial experimental design were represented. Headspace nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations were measured and used to calculate fluxes. Results found for the relative influence of factors (WFPS and NO3− addition were the main factors affecting N2O fluxes, whilst glucose, NO3− and soil temperature were the main factors affecting CO2 and CH4 fluxes) were consistent with those already well documented. Interactions between factors were also studied and results showed that factors with little individual influence became more influential in combination. The proposed methodology offers new possibilities for GHG researchers to study interactions between influential factors and address the optimized sets of conditions to reduce GHG emissions in agro‐ecosystems, while reducing the number of experimental units required compared with conventional experimental procedures that adjust one variable at a time.
Common garden comparison of the leaf‐out phenology of woody species from different native climates, combined with herbarium records, forecasts long‐term change
Authors: Zohner Constantin M. , Renner Susanne S.
Published: June 2014

A well‐timed phenology is essential for plant growth and reproduction, but species‐specific phenological strategies are still poorly understood. Here, we use a common garden approach to compare biannual leaf‐out data for 495 woody species growing outdoors in Munich, 90% of them not native to that climate regime. For three species, data were augmented by herbarium dates for 140‐year‐long time series. We further meta‐analysed 107 temperate‐zone woody species in which leaf‐out cues have been studied, half of them also monitored here. Southern climate–adapted species flushed significantly later than natives, and photoperiod‐ and chilling‐ sensitive species all flushed late. The herbarium method revealed the extent of species‐specific climate tracking. Our results forecast that: (1) a northward expansion of southern species due to climate warming will increase the number of late flushers in the north, counteracting documented and expected flushing time advances; and (2) photoperiod‐ and chilling‐sensitive woody species cannot rapidly track climate warming.
Mutation‐order divergence by sexual selection: diversification of sexual signals in similar environments as a first step in speciation
Authors: Mendelson Tamra C. , Martin Michael D. , Flaxman Samuel M.
Published: June 2014

The origin of species remains a central question, and recent research focuses on the role of ecological differences in promoting speciation. Ecological differences create opportunities for divergent selection (i.e. ‘ecological’ speciation), a Darwinian hypothesis that hardly requires justification. In contrast, ‘mutation‐order’ speciation proposes that, instead of adapting to different environments, populations find different ways to adapt to similar environments, implying that speciation does not require ecological differences. This distinction is critical as it provides an alternative hypothesis to the prevailing view that ecological differences drive speciation. Speciation by sexual selection lies at the centre of debates about the importance of ecological differences in promoting speciation; here, we present verbal and mathematical models of mutation‐order divergence by sexual selection. We develop three general cases and provide a two‐locus population genetic model for each. Results indicate that alternative secondary sexual traits can fix in populations that initially experience similar natural and sexual selection and that divergent traits and preferences can remain stable in the face of low gene flow. This stable divergence can facilitate subsequent divergence that completes or reinforces speciation. We argue that a mutation‐order process could explain widespread diversity in secondary sexual traits among closely related, allopatric species.
The Importance of Validating Experimental Setups: Lessons from Studies of Food Choice Copying in Zebra Finches
Authors: Rojas Mora Alfonso , Forstmeier Wolfgang
Published: June 2014

The use of social information for foraging decisions has attracted much research attention. One line of research makes use of experimental assays of food choice copying to study whether specific traits of demonstrators influence whether or not an onlooking individual will copy their behavior. For instance, Benskin (Animal Behaviour, 64, 2002 and 823) reported that captive juvenile zebra finches always copied the foraging decision made by a male wearing red color rings as opposed to one wearing green rings. Here, we report an attempt to examine the generalizability of this finding using another zebra finch population. Our experiment did not show any effect of male ring color on onlooker's food choice and further revealed various population‐specific differences in behavior, for instance, in aversion toward novel feeding sources. We therefore conducted two follow‐up experiments to test the validity of the behavioral assay. These experiments revealed that zebra finches of our population often do not copy demonstrator food choice at all, and that copying, if it occurs, may be sensitive to very specific conditions of the experimental setup. Problematically, after testing a total of 124 onlookers (60 in the first experiment, 32 in the second, and 32 in the third), we still cannot confidently say whether or when our birds copy from demonstrators. Hence, we emphasize the risks of adopting experimental procedures that have proven successful in one study, without extensively validating them for the own study. The seemingly more rewarding follow‐up experiments can bear high risks of yielding false‐positive findings that can then be misinterpreted as justification for an actually uninformative experimental procedure.
Alternative reproductive tactics increase effective population size and decrease inbreeding in wild Atlantic salmon
Authors: Perrier Charles , Normandeau Éric , Dionne Mélanie , Richard Antoine , Bernatchez Louis
Published: June 2014

While nonanadromous males (stream‐resident and/or mature male parr) contribute to reproduction in anadromous salmonids, little is known about their impacts on key population genetic parameters. Here, we evaluated the contribution of Atlantic salmon mature male parr to the effective number of breeders (Nb) using both demographic (variance in reproductive success) and genetic (linkage disequilibrium) methods, the number of alleles, and the relatedness among breeders. We used a recently published pedigree reconstruction of a wild anadromous Atlantic salmon population in which 2548 fry born in 2010 were assigned parentage to 144 anadromous female and 101 anadromous females that returned to the river to spawn in 2009 and to 462 mature male parr. Demographic and genetic methods revealed that mature male parr increased population Nb by 1.79 and 1.85 times, respectively. Moreover, mature male parr boosted the number of alleles found among progenies. Finally, mature male parr were in average less related to anadromous females than were anadromous males, likely because of asynchronous sexual maturation between mature male parr and anadromous fish of a given cohort. By increasing Nb and allelic richness, and by decreasing inbreeding, the reproductive contribution of mature male parr has important evolutionary and conservation implications for declining Atlantic salmon populations.
Stallion fertility: A focus on the spermatozoon
Authors: Varner D. D. , Gibb Z. , Aitken R. J.
Published: June 2014

Stallion fertility is a vast subject, with a wide array of permutations that can impact reproductive performance in either positive or negative ways. This review is intended to address a mere segment of the male fertility issue, but the very essence of the male contribution to fertilisation, that of the spermatozoon. Spermatozoal ultrastructure and form‐to‐function are detailed and spermatozoal metabolism is discussed, with specific reference to distinctive characteristics of stallion spermatozoa. Lastly, methods for assessment of spermatozoal function are considered, with emphasis on spermatozoal motility, the acrosome reaction and spermatozoon–oocyte interactions. Closing comments address the need for development and standardisation of molecular‐based assays for use with spermatozoa of stallions whose subfertility cannot be explained with conventional tests.
A newly discovered linkage between proteoglycans and hair biology: decorin acts as an anagen inducer
Authors: Inui Shigeki , Itami Satoshi
Published: June 2014

Proteoglycans have been suggested to play pivotal roles in hair biology. Decorin is a prototypical member of the small leucine‐rich proteoglycan family, which is involved in numerous biological processes. However, the role of decorin in the hair cycle has not been elucidated. Moreover, the effects of decorin on the activities of many growth factors are complex, and it is hard to predict whether decorin would affect hair growth or the hair cycle positively or negatively. Jing et al. focused on the potential role of decorin in the hair cycle and found that decorin is highly expressed in the epidermis, in hair follicle epithelial cells and in dermal papilla cells in the anagen phase. The expression of decorin was decreased during catagen to telogen, except for the bulge region. Exogenous administration of decorin accelerated anagen and delayed catagen transition as a positive regulator of the hair cycle. Because TGF‐β is one of the androgen‐induced pathogenic factors in androgenetic alopecia, this study provides clues to understand the pathogenesis and new therapeutic targets of hair loss.
Post‐transcriptional regulation of the tumor suppressor miR‐139‐5p and a network of miR‐139‐5p‐mediated mRNA interactions in colorectal cancer
Authors: Shen Ke , Mao Rurong , Ma Li , Li Yueqi , Qiu Yanyan , Cui Daling , Le Vanminh , Yin Peihao , Ni Lei , Liu Jianwen
Published: June 2014

MicroRNAs play key roles in many biological processes, and are frequently dysregulated in tumor cells. However, there are few studies on how microRNAs are dysregulated. miR‐139‐5p, an important tumor suppressor, is often underexpressed in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Here, we describe post‐transcriptional regulation of this intronic microRNA in human colorectal cancer. miR‐139‐5p is expressed independently of its overexpressed host gene PDE2A in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. The miR‐139‐5p target genes IGF1R, ROCK2 and RAP1B exert regulatory effects on the miR‐139‐5p expression level, relying on their ability to compete for miR‐139‐5p binding. These overexpressed target genes also regulate each others' protein levels through 3′‐UTRs, thus regulating tumor cell growth and motility properties. Our study provides a mechanistic, experimentally validated rationale for intronic microRNA dysregulation in colorectal cancer, revealing novel oncogenic roles of IGF1R, ROCK2 and RAP1B 3′‐UTRs.