bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic value of N‐terminal pro C‐type natriuretic peptide in heart failure patients with preserved and reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Lok Dirk J. , Klip IJsbrand T. , Voors Adriaan A. , Lok Sjoukje I. , Bruggink‐André de la Porte Pieta W. , Hillege Hans L. , Jaarsma Tiny , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , van der Meer Peter
Published: July 2014

Aims

A‐type and B‐type natriuretic peptides are established markers in chronic heart failure (HF). C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) belongs to the same peptide family, but is predominantly localized in the endothelium. The prognostic role of CNP in heart failure has not been established. The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic power and clinical correlates of the N‐terminal part of pro CNP (NT‐proCNP) in patients with chronic HF.

Methods and results

In 567 hospitalized heart failure patients, NT‐proCNP levels were measured at hospital discharge. The primary endpoint was a combined endpoint of all‐cause mortality and HF hospitalization after 18 months. Heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was pre‐defined as an LVEF >40%. Mean (±SD) age was 71 ± 11 years, 62% were male, mean LVEF was 32 ± 14%, and 23% had HFpEF. In multivariate linear regression, NT‐proCNP levels showed a positive correlation with NT‐proBNP levels and parameters of renal function, whereas a negative correlation with female sex and vascular endothelial growth factor was observed. After 18 months follow‐up, 240 patients reached the combined endpoint. We observed interaction between NT‐proCNP and LVEF for outcome (P = 0.046). Multivariate analyses revealed NT‐proCNP to be strongly predictive for the primary endpoint [hazard ratio (HR) 1.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–2.67, P = 0.006) in patients with HFpEF, but not in patients with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.81–1.43, P = 0.616). Finally, reclassification showed significant additive value in patients with HFpEF (P < 0.001), but not in those with HFrEF (P = 0.453).

Conclusion

NT‐proCNP is a strong independent marker for outcome in patients with HFpEF, but not in those with HFrEF.
Synthesis of New Substituted Thioglycolurils via a Tandem Hydrazone Formation‐ Ring Contraction Reaction
Authors: Gazieva Galina A. , Karpova Tatyana B. , Popov Leonid D. , Nelyubina Yulia V. , Kravchenko Angelina N.
Published: July 2014

A series of new (E)‐1,3‐dialkyl‐4‐((hetarylmethylidene)amino)‐5‐thioxohexahydroimidazo[4,5‐d]imidazole‐2(1H)‐ones (thioglycolurils) was synthesized via tandem hydrazone formation—ring contraction reaction of 5,7‐dialkyl‐3‐thioxoperhydroimidazo[4,5‐e]‐1,2,4‐triazin‐6‐ones with heteroaromatic aldehydes.
Changes in inpatient staffing following implementation of new residency work hours
Authors: Oshimura Jennifer M. , Sperring Jeffrey , Bauer Benjamin D. , Carroll Aaron E. , Rauch Daniel A.
Published: July 2014

BACKGROUND

In 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education added additional resident work‐hour restrictions that limited the number of hours residents could work, with increased emphasis on attending supervision.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to determine how residency programs have responded to residency work hours, specifically assessing residency night float systems and in‐house attending physicians.

DESIGN

In May 2012, an electronic survey was sent to all US pediatric residency training programs via the Association of Pediatric Program Directors listserv with e‐mail reminders to nonresponding programs. We analyzed data to assess the use of resident night float systems, admission caps, and attending physicians in‐house at night.

RESULTS

Out of 198 programs contacted, 152 programs responded (77% response rate). Residency programs utilizing a night float system increased from 43% to 71% after new work hours were implemented. Overall use of resident admission caps did not change significantly. Twenty‐three percent of programs increased the number of attending physicians in‐house at night; 57% of those programs increased the number of pediatric hospitalist attendings, whereas 37% increased the number of pediatric intensivists. There is a trend toward increased pediatric hospitalist attending in‐house 24/7 coverage. Of programs without 24/7 coverage, 26% plan to add coverage within 5 years. Only 12% of programs have no in‐house attending coverage at night.

CONCLUSIONS

Although programs vary in their response to changes in residency work restrictions, they most commonly utilize night float systems and increased the amount of in‐house attending coverage at night, especially pediatric hospitalist attendings. Many programs plan to add 24/7 pediatric hospitalist coverage within 5 years. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:640–645. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
Maintenance scheduling for modular systems: Modeling and algorithms
Authors: Levi Retsef , Magnanti Thomas , Muckstadt Jack , Segev Danny , Zarybnisky Eric
Published: July 2014

We study new models of scheduled maintenance management for modular systems, consisting of multiple components with respective cycle limits. The cycle limit of each component specifies the time interval in which this component must be repaired or replaced. The goal is to compute a feasible maintenance schedule that minimizes the cost associated with component maintenance. Applications of these models arise in Air Force aircraft maintenance as well as in other arenas with required preventive maintenance. The typical cost structures that arise in practical settings are submodular, which make the resulting models computationally challenging. We develop two efficient and operationally tenable approximation algorithms. We prove constant factor worst‐case guarantees for both algorithms, and present computational experiments showing that these algorithms perform within a few percent of optimality on operationally relevant instances. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 472–488, 2014
Resolution and discrimination–two sides of the same coin
Authors: Bröcker Jochen
Published: July 2014

The notions of resolution and discrimination of probability forecasts are revisited. It is argued that the common concept underlying both resolution and discrimination is the dependence (in the sense of probability theory) of forecasts and observations. More specifically, a forecast has no resolution if and only if it has no discrimination if and only if forecast and observation are stochastically independent. A statistical tests for independence is thus also a test for no resolution and, at the same time, for no discrimination. The resolution term in the decomposition of the logarithmic scoring rule, and the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic will be investigated in this light.
Adding eyebrows to CSCL; understanding the combined use of synchronous and asynchronous communication, and the role of motivation in computer-supported collaborative learning
Authors: Giesbers Bas
Published: July 2014

None
Acid ceramidase is associated with an improved prognosis in both DCIS and invasive breast cancer
Authors: Sänger Nicole , Ruckhäberle Eugen , Györffy Balazs , Engels Knut , Heinrich Tomas , Fehm Tanja , Graf Anna , Holtrich Uwe , Becker Sven , Karn Thomas
Published: July 2014

Acid ceramidase (ASAH1) a key enzyme of sphingolipid metabolism converting pro‐apoptotic ceramide to sphingosine has been shown to be overexpressed in various cancers. We previously demonstrated higher expression of ASAH1 in ER positive compared to ER negative breast cancer. In the current study we performed subtype specific analyses of ASAH1 gene expression in invasive and non invasive breast cancer. We show that expression of ASAH1 is mainly associated with luminal A – like cancers which are known to have the best prognosis of all breast cancer subtypes. Moreover tumors with high ASAH1 expression among the other subtypes are also characterized by an improved prognosis. The good prognosis of tumors with high ASAH1 is independent of the type of adjuvant treatment in breast cancer and is also detected in non small cell lung cancer patients. Moreover, even in pre‐invasive DCIS of the breast ASAH1 is associated with a luminal phenotype and a reduced frequency of recurrences. Thus, high ASAH1 expression is generally associated with an improved prognosis in invasive breast cancer independent of adjuvant treatment and could also be valuable as prognostic factor for pre‐invasive DCIS.
Transatlantic Textbooks: Karl Hagenbach, Shared Interests, and German Academic Theology in Nineteenth-Century America
Authors: Purvis Zachary
Published: July 2014

The rise of German academic institutions in the nineteenth century considerably altered the landscape of American higher education. American students of theology looked to Germany to develop their discipline, where they found model textbooks that gave directives in learning and piety, transforming academic and theological practice. With sensitivity to the history of the book and the history of the rich cultural traffic across the Atlantic, this article focuses on the reception in English translation of the important and widely read Swiss-German church historian Karl Rudolf Hagenbach, whose textbooks enjoyed a considerable audience in the United States by crossing ideological boundaries and unseating obdurate assumptions. By examining this reception in the United States and Britain and investigating those “transatlantic personalities” who played pivotal roles in bringing his ideas from the “Old World” to the “New,” this article demonstrates Hagenbach's lasting influence on the changing fields of history, church history, and academic theology in America. An “Atlantic” perspective on these themes offers new insights for our understanding of religion in the modern academy, the movement and translation of theological ideas in an age of steamship travel, and the surfacing of commonalities among ostensibly mismatched, if not outright conflicting, Protestant religious cultures.
Conservation introduction of the threatened Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata: post-release dispersal differs between wild-caught and captive founders
Authors: Bocci A. , Menapace S. , Alemanno S. , Lovari S.
Published: July 2014

Sixteen Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata (10 females, 6 males) were released into a protected area, the Sibillini Mountains National Park, Central Apennines, Italy, and monitored using global positioning system radio tags during 2008–2010. Founders caught in the wild (n = 8) and those reared in large enclosures (n = 8) differed in movement frequency (inter-fix distance per hour) and maximum distance covered (from the release site) in the first 5 months after release: both were significantly greater in wild individuals, males moved significantly more than females, wild individuals shifted their home ranges significantly more often than captive ones, and no differences were observed between the sexes or age classes. A mixed strategy of selection of wild and captive founders has proven successful in preventing large movements in the initial stages of release yet still providing sufficient opportunity to avoid inbreeding depression.
Pattern of rapid tranquillisation and restraint use in a central London mental health service
Authors: Shepherd Neil , Parker Caroline , Arif Nawal
Published: July 2014

Rapid tranquillisation (RT) aims to quickly calm the severely agitated patient, in order to reduce the risk of imminent and serious violence to self or others. While it is widely used within mental health care settings, there is little published information on patterns of practice. Retrospective data collection identified a total of 2267 incidents of RT within the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust over a 19 month period equating to a mean frequency of approximately four incidents per day. These incidents mainly occurred in acute inpatient services and two and a half times more frequently in PICUs than on open wards. Of all the PICUS, the female PICU used most RT. Intramuscular RT was reported more often in most services. Restraint was used in 57% (n=1300) of RT incidents and minor injury resulted in only 11% of these incidents overall. There were no reports of major injury or death in the data set. Variations in RT use were seen across the Trust’s geography and ward types.
Structural patterns in Swedish health policy: a 30-year perspective
Authors: Saltman Richard B.
Published: July 2014

This perspective reviews key institutional and organizational patterns in Swedish health care over the last 30 years, probing the roots of several complicated policy questions that concern present-day Swedish decision-makers. It explores in particular the ongoing structural tension between stability, on the one hand, and the necessary levels of innovation and dynamism demanded by the current period of major clinical, technological, economic, social and supranational (EU) change. Where useful, the article compares Swedish developments with those in the other three European Nordic countries as well as other northern European health systems. Sweden’s health sector evolution can provide valuable insight for other countries into the complexity involved in re-thinking tradeoffs between policies that emphasize stability as against those that encourage innovation in health sector governance and provision.
Fiscal politics in time: pathways to fiscal consolidation in Ireland, Greece, Britain, and Spain, 1980–2012
Authors: Dellepiane-Avellaneda Sebastian , Hardiman Niamh
Published: July 2014

The comparative study of debt and fiscal consolidation has acquired a new focus in the wake of the global financial crisis. This paper re-evaluates the literature on fiscal consolidation that flourished during the 1980s and 1990s. The conventional approach to explanation is based on segmenting episodes of fiscal change into discrete observations. We argue that this misses the dynamic features of government strategy, especially in the choices made between expenditure-based and revenue-based fiscal consolidation strategies. We propose a focus on pathways rather than episodes of adjustment, to capture what Pierson terms ‘politics in time’. A case-study approach facilitates analysis of complex causality that includes the structures of interest intermediation, the role of ideas in shaping the set of feasible policy choices, and the situation of national economies in the international political economy. We support our argument with qualitative data based on two case studies, Ireland and Greece, and with additional paired comparisons of Ireland with Britain, and Greece with Spain. Our conclusions suggest that the conventional literature, by excluding key political variables from consideration, may distort our understanding and result in misleading policy prescription.
A comparative theoretical study of metal functionalized carbon nanocones and carbon nanocone sheets as potential hydrogen storage materials
Authors: Shalabi A. S. , Soliman K. A. , Taha H. O.
Published: July 2014

The hydrogen storage of Ti functionalized carbon nanocones and carbon nanocone sheets is investigated by using the state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations.
Improving carbon capture from power plant emissions with zinc- and cobalt-based catalysts
Authors: Lippert Cameron A. , Liu Kun , Sarma Moushumi , Parkin Sean R. , Remias Joseph E. , Brandewie Christine M. , Odom Susan A. , Liu Kunlei
Published: July 2014

A carbonic anhydrase mimic converting CO2 to carbonic acid, deprotonated under highly basic conditions, and being converted to a carbamate upon reaction with monoethanolamine, a solvent reported for carbon capture reactions.
Preparation and validation of low cost microfluidic chips using a shrinking approach
Authors: Focaroli S. , Mazzitelli S. , Falconi M. , Luca G. , Nastruzzi C.
Published: July 2014

The present paper describes the production of microfluidic chips using an approach based on shrinkable biocompatible polymers (i.e. agarose) for the production of size controlled microfluidic channels.
Exploring the substrate promiscuity of an antibiotic inactivating enzyme
Authors: Agarwal Vinayak , Vondenhoff Gaston , Gadakh Bharat , Severinov Konstantin , Van Aerschot Arthur , Nair Satish K.
Published: July 2014

Peptide–nucleotide conjugates have been extensively studied as scaffolds for the development of new antibiotics.
A neighboring group participation strategy: direct and highly diastereoselective synthesis of 2-substituted and 2,2-bisubstituted perhydrofuro[2,3-b]pyran derivatives
Authors: Ma Xiaofeng , Tang Qin , Ke Jun , Zhang Jichao , Yang Xinglong , Shen Xudong , Shao Huawu
Published: July 2014

A highly diastereoselective synthesis method for 2-substituted and 2,2-bisubstituted perhydrofuro[2,3-b]pyran derivatives from 2-C-branched sugarsviaa neighboring group participation strategy was developed.
Linear synthesis of the branched pentasaccharide repeats of O-antigens from Shigella flexneri 1a and 1b demonstrating the major steric hindrance associated with type-specific glucosylation
Authors: Hargreaves Jason M. , Le Guen Yann , Guerreiro Catherine , Descroix Karine , Mulard Laurence A.
Published: July 2014

Shigella flexneriserotypes 1b and 1a are Gram-negative enteroinvasive bacteria causing shigellosis in humans.
Stereoselective synthesis of C-fused pyranoindoles, pyranobenzofurans and pyranobenzothiophene scaffolds using oxa-Pictet–Spengler type reaction of vinylogous carbonates
Authors: Gharpure Santosh J. , Prasath V.
Published: July 2014

C-fused pyranoheterocycles can be assembled in a highly diastereoselective manner using an intramolecular oxa-Pictet–Spengler type reaction of vinylogous carbonates.
Combustion, performance and emission characteristics of a DI diesel engine fueled with Brassica juncea methyl ester and its blends
Authors: Sanjid A. , Kalam M. A. , Masjuki H. H. , Rahman S. M. Ashrafur , Abedin M. J.
Published: July 2014

Novelty of the work is that mustard oil is a promising and relatively new feedstock for biodiesel production.
Recognition and sensing of AcO− and F− using a calix[4]pyrrole-derived hydrazone: a potential molecular keypad lock
Authors: Li Qian , Wang Zhenzhong , Xu Jian , Yue Ying , Shao Shijun
Published: July 2014

Calix[4]pyrroles based colorimetric anion receptor 2 could recognize F− and AcO− anions in DMSO solvent. This type of sensing behaviour could mimic a molecular level keypad lock stimulated by the two sequential chemical inputs (AcO− and F−), which has the potential for application in security devices.
“On-water” synthesis of novel trisubstituted 1,3-thiazolesviamicrowave-assisted catalyst-free domino reactions
Authors: Karamthulla Shaik , Pal Suman , Khan Md. Nasim , Choudhury Lokman H.
Published: July 2014

A clean, efficient and catalyst-free multicomponent domino reaction of arylglyoxals, cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls and thioamides in aqueous media under microwave conditions is reported.
pH-dependent binding of guests in the cavity of a polyhedral coordination cage: reversible uptake and release of drug molecules
Authors: Cullen William , Turega Simon , Hunter Christopher A. , Ward Michael D.
Published: July 2014

Binding of organic guests containing acidic or basic groups inside a water-soluble coordination cage host shows strong pH dependence.
Composition and grain size effects on the structural and mechanical properties of CuZr nanoglasses
Authors: Adibi Sara , Branicio Paulo S. , Zhang Yong-Wei , Joshi Shailendra P.
Published: July 2014

Nanoglasses (NGs), metallic glasses (MGs) with a nanoscale grain structure, have the potential to considerably increase the ductility of traditional MGs while retaining their outstanding mechanical properties. We investigated the effects of composition on the structural and mechanical properties of CuZr NG films with grain sizes between 3 to 15 nm using molecular dynamics simulations. Results indicate a transition from localized shear banding to homogeneous superplastic flow with decreasing grain size, although the critical average grain size depends on composition: 5 nm for Cu36Zr64 and 3 nm for Cu64Zr36. The flow stress of the superplastic NG at different compositions follows the trend of the yield stress of the parent MG, i.e., Cu36Zr64 yield/flow stress: 2.54 GPa/1.29 GPa and Cu64Zr36 yield/flow stress: 3.57 GPa /1.58 GPa. Structural analysis indicates that the differences in mechanical behavior as a function of composition are rooted at the distinct statistics of prominent atomic Voronoi polyhedra. The mechanical behavior of NGs is also affected by the grain boundary thickness and the fraction of atoms at interfaces for a given average grain size. The results suggest that the composition dependence of the mechanical behavior of NGs follows that of their parent MGs, e.g., a stronger MG will generate a stronger NG, while the intrinsic tendency for homogeneous deformation occurring at small grain size is not affected by composition.
Chemomechanical oscillations in a responsive gel induced by an autocatalytic reaction
Authors: Li Kai , Wu Peiyi , Cai Shengqiang
Published: July 2014

In this article, we investigate dynamic behaviors of a gel layer attached to a rigid substrate and submerged in a continuous stirred tank reactor. With a continuous feed of fresh reactants in the reactor, the concentrations of reactants stay constant on the surface of the gel layer. However, the concentrations of reactants inside the gel are inhomogeneous and vary with time, which are determined by the diffusion and chemical reactions of the reactants. Additionally, both monotonic and oscillatory swelling-shrinking dynamics are predicted in the gel if the swelling capability of the gel depends on the concentration of a reactant. Based on autocatalytic reaction, kinetic model, and nonequilibrium thermodynamic theory of gels, in this article, we investigate the effect of the thickness of the gel layer, lateral prestretches in the gel and the initial concentrations of reactants in the gel on its dynamic behaviors. We have also calculated the evolution of the swelling force that the gel layer exerts on its constrained substrate. The results of this article may find potential applications in using responsive gels to make chemo-mechanical sensors, actuators, biomimetic devices, and even drug delivery systems.
Characterization of laser-driven ultrafast shockless compression using gold targets
Authors: Miyanishi K. , Ozaki N. , Brambrink E. , Amadou N. , Benuzzi-Mounaix A. , Cauble R. , Dizière A. , Guyot F. , Koenig M. , Morard G. , de Resseguier T. , Ravasio A. , Smith R. , Tange Y. , Vinci T. , Wei H. G. , Kodama R.
Published: July 2014

Indirect laser-driven shockless compression experiments on gold targets were performed to characterize pressure loading processes and target states. Free surface velocities of the gold target under ramped pressure loading were measured using line-imaging velocity interferometers. From the velocity data and the equation of state, the maximum pressure and strain rate attained under compression were estimated to be ∼50 GPa and ∼4 × 107 s−1, respectively. Optical reflectivity was measured simultaneously with the velocity, the result suggesting no significant or unexpected temperature increases in the ultrafast shockless compression process.
Linear temperature behavior of thermopower and strong electron-electron scattering in thick F-doped SnO2 films
Authors: Lang Wen-Jing , Li Zhi-Qing
Published: July 2014

Both the semi-classical and quantum transport properties of F-doped SnO2 thick films (∼1 μm) were investigated experimentally. We found that the resistivity caused by the thermal phonons obeys Bloch-Grüneisen law from ∼90 to 300 K, while only the diffusive thermopower, which varies linearly with temperature from 300 down to 10 K, can be observed. The phonon-drag thermopower is completely suppressed due to the long electron-phonon relaxation time in the compound. These observations, together with the fact that the carrier concentration has negligible temperature dependence, indicate that the conduction electrons in F-doped SnO2 films possess free-electron-like characteristics. At low temperatures, the electron-electron scattering dominates over the electron-phonon scattering and governs the inelastic scattering process. The theoretical predications of scattering rates of large- and small-energy-transfer electron-electron scattering processes, which are negligibly weak in three-dimensional disordered conventional conductors, are quantitatively tested in this lower carrier concentration and free-electron-like highly degenerate semiconductor.
Effect of Magnesium Alginate Plus Simethicone on Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants
Authors: Ummarino Dario , Miele Erasmo , Martinelli Massimo , Scarpato Elena , Crocetto Felice , Sciorio Elisa , Staiano Annamaria
Published: July 2014

Objectives:

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is a frequently occurring condition in infants capable of causing distressing symptoms. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of Mg alginate plus simethicone (Gastrotuss Baby, DMG Italia SRL, Pomezia, Italy), compared with rice‐starch–thickened formula or with reassurance alone, in the treatment of GER in infants.

Methods:

The present randomized controlled trial was conducted in full‐term infants affected by symptoms suggestive of GER, evaluated through a validated questionnaire (Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire Revised). The patients were randomized into 3 groups according to treatment (group A: Mg alginate plus simethicone; group B: thickened formula; group C: reassurance with lifestyle changes). Evaluation of symptom scores was performed after 1 month (T1) and 2 months (T2).

Results:

A total of 64 (85.3%) of 75 enrolled infants (median age 5 months; range 1–10) concluded the study. After 1 month of treatment (T1), infants treated with Mg alginate plus simethicone showed a statistically significant improvement in symptoms compared with the thickened formula and reassurance (P < 0.03, <0.0001, respectively). At the end of the study, all 3 groups of patients showed a significant reduction in symptom scores (P < 0.002, <0.038, <0.03, respectively). Median symptom score values were more significantly reduced in group A than in group B and in group C (group A vs group B P < 0.002; group A vs group C P < 0.0001; group B vs group C P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Mg alginate plus simethicone seems to be more efficacious on GER symptom scores than thickened formula and reassurance with lifestyle changes alone.
Reproductive isolation of hybrid populations driven by genetic incompatibilities
Authors: Schumer Molly , Cui Rongfeng , Rosenthal Gil G. , Andolfatto Peter
Published: July 2014

Despite its role in homogenizing populations, hybridization has also been proposed as a means to generate new species. The conceptual basis for this idea is that hybridization can result in novel phenotypes through recombination between the parental genomes, allowing a hybrid population to occupy ecological niches unavailable to parental species. A key feature of these models is that these novel phenotypes ecologically isolate hybrid populations from parental populations, precipitating speciation. Here we present an alternative model of the evolution of reproductive isolation in hybrid populations that occurs as a simple consequence of selection against incompatibilities. Unlike previous models, our model does not require small population sizes, the availability of new niches for hybrids or ecological or sexual selection on hybrid traits. We show that reproductive isolation between hybrids and parents evolves frequently and rapidly under this model, even in the presence of substantial ongoing migration with parental species and strong selection against hybrids. Our model predicts that multiple distinct hybrid species can emerge from replicate hybrid populations formed from the same parental species, potentially generating patterns of species diversity and relatedness that resemble an adaptive radiation.
Wand and Weber's good decomposition conditions for BPMN
Authors: Johannsen Florian , Leist Susanne , Tausch Reinhold
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to specify the decomposition conditions of Wand and Weber for the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). Therefore, an interpretation of the conditions for BPMN is derived and compared to a specification of the conditions for enhanced Event-Driven Process Chains (eEPCs). Based on these results, guidelines for a conformance check of BPMN and eEPC models with the decomposition conditions are shown. Further, guidelines for decomposition are formulated for BPMN models. The usability of the decomposition guidelines is tested with modelling experts.

Design/methodology/approach

– An approach building on a representational mapping is used for specifying the decomposition conditions. Therefore, ontological constructs of the Bunge-Wand-Weber ontology are mapped to corresponding modelling constructs and an interpretation of the decomposition conditions for BPMN is derived. Guidelines for a conformance check are then defined. Based on these results, decomposition guidelines are formulated. Their usability is tested in interviews.

Findings

– The research shows that the decomposition conditions stemming from the information systems discipline can be transferred to business process modelling. However, the interpretation of the decomposition conditions depends on specific characteristics of a modelling language. Based on a thorough specification of the conditions, it is possible to derive guidelines for a conformance check of process models with the conditions. In addition, guidelines for decomposition are developed and tested. In the study, these are perceived as understandable and helpful by experts.

Research limitations/implications

– Research approaches based on representational mappings are subjected to subjectivity. However, by having three researchers performing the approach independently, subjectivity can be mitigated. Further, only ten experts participated in the usability test, which is therefore to be considered as a first step in a more comprising evaluation.

Practical implications

– This paper provides the process modeller with guidelines enabling a conformance check of BPMN and eEPC process models with the decomposition conditions. Further, guidelines for decomposing BPMN models are introduced.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to specify Wand and Weber's decomposition conditions for process modelling with BPMN. A comparison to eEPCs shows, that the ontological expressiveness influences the interpretation of the conditions. Further, guidelines for decomposing BPMN models as well as for checking their adherence to the decomposition conditions are presented.
Going the extra-mile: a question of attachment orientations and gender?
Authors: Schusterschitz Claudia , Stummer Harald , Geser Willi
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance and gender on different forms of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 132 employees with different occupational backgrounds were surveyed by means of the “Scales to measure two dimensions of attachment insecurity” (Grau, 1999) and a German-speaking OCB questionnaire (Staufenbiel and Hartz 2000).

Findings

– Results suggest that employees high in anxiety show higher ratings in OCB-conscientiousness, whereas employees high in avoidance show higher ratings in OCB-civic virtue. Moreover, we found highly avoidant individuals to be less likely to engage in OCB-altruism. Finally, besides an overall gender effect for OCB-loyalty, results reveal significant interaction effects of anxiety and gender on OCB-conscientiousness as well as of avoidance and gender on OCB-civic virtue.

Practical implications

– Considering the increase in flexible employment relationships and in team work, we think of attachment orientations as a concept of practical relevance because adjustment to such work environments can be assumed to be highly dependent on attachment security.

Originality/value

– The research at hand is the first that analyzes unique and joint contributions of attachment orientations and gender to the prediction of different OCBs. Thereby, it provides evidence for the neglected applicability of attachment theory to the understanding of workplace behaviors in general and of OCBs in particular. Furthermore, the present study expands existing knowledge on the relationship between gender and OCB and implies that the influence of attachment orientations on some OCB-dimensions is stronger in the absence of gender stereotypes.
Comparisons of media types and congruence in positioning of service brands
Authors: Blankson Charles , P. Kalafatis Stavros , Coffie Stanley , H. Tsogas Markos
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to undertake a comparative examination of the media types used in projecting positioning strategies of service brands, and to establish whether there is evidence of congruence/fit between managerial decisions, adopted communications and target audience perceptions of positioning strategies of the brands. The relative congruence among intended, conveyed and perceived brand positions is an important research task. Also, how to ensure such synergy and minimize incongruence is an important research question both to theory and to practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– Following extensive review of the literature, triangulation research method (face-to-face long interviews, survey and content analysis) characterized this study.

Findings

– The findings reveal that overall parity between the three media (TV; newspaper; and pamphlets, leaflets, brochures and billboards) is evident in terms of failure to translate managerial decisions into corresponding positioning messages. The findings also show that fit or congruence between managerial decision and communicated message fails to deliver the desired message in 19 per cent of the observations. Further 23 per cent of the adopted strategies are neither present in communications nor perceived by the target audience. Irrespective of a positioning strategy being adopted or not, there is total congruence/fit between messages in newspapers and target audience’s perceptions, while the corresponding results for TV and other media are moderate. Moreover, channels for positioning offerings can be multifaceted and they do not strictly have to occur via communications. Only “brand name” positioning strategy demonstrates total fit, while “top of the range” shows high frequency of failure to translate managerial decisions into appropriate communication messages.

Originality/value

– This paper offers useful insights into the overall differences between the three media (TV; newspaper; and pamphlets, leaflets, brochures and billboards) in the positioning of service brands. The study is a step forward in the diagnosis of the congruence/fit or coherence in the positioning activities between managers, firm practices and consumers’ perceptions. Without this knowledge, executives may encounter difficulties and challenges in their efforts at establishing, maintaining or reframing market “positions” for their offerings.
Australian accounting academics: challenges and possibilities
Authors: Guthrie James , Evans Elaine , Burritt Roger
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a thought-provoking, attention-directing diegesis about the quality of the experience for those working as academic accounting scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using storytelling by the authors as narrators and a literature review, this paper examines challenges to, and possibilities for, accounting academics.

Findings

– The study reveals a number of possibilities for the sustainability of the accounting academy in Australia, all of which rely on the symbiotic relations between the three elements of the profession – practitioners, policymakers and academics – to prepare accounting and business professionals for the future.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is limited to the Australian context of academic accountants and, therefore, the identified possibilities for accounting academics in other contexts may differ.

Practical implications

– This paper identifies the challenges for contemporary accounting academics in Australia and presents opportunities for sustainability of the Australian accounting academy.

Originality/value

– This paper uses a story to explore its overarching theme of the quality of the academic experience for accounting academics in Australia. The story is developed from the authors’ combined experiences of > 80 years as accounting academics who are also actively engaged with the profession.
It's all relative: Spatial positioning of parties and ideological shifts
Authors: Williams Laron K.
Published: July 2014

The usefulness of the general class of spatial econometric models, which relaxes the assumption that the observations are independent, has only recently been realised. One particularly fruitful application includes models of parties' ideological change as well as the electoral consequences of party competition. In these studies, scholars can explicitly model the spatial interconnectedness of political parties in theoretically pleasing ways, producing inferences that are consistent with formal models of party competition, but are beyond the grasp of traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models. To illustrate these benefits, this article replicatesAdams and Somer‐Topcu's 2009 study of parties' responses to ideological shifts by rival parties to show that appropriately modeling patterns of interconnectivity between parties via weights matrices provides more realistic inferences that are more consistent with formal models of party competition.
Frequency and Clinical Features of Patients who Attempted Suicide by Hara‐Kiri in Japan
Authors: Kato Koji , Kimoto Keitaro , Kimoto Kousuke , Takahashi Yuki , Sato Reiko , Matsumoto Hideo
Published: July 2014

Hara‐kiri is a unique Japanese custom, primarily stemming from the manners and customs that a samurai held. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features of individuals who attempted suicide by hara‐kiri. We enrolled 647 patients who had attempted suicide. Clinical features were compared between those who had employed hara‐kiri and those who had used other methods. 25 of the 647 subjects had attempted suicide by hara‐kiri. The ratio of men to women and the proportion of patients with mood disorders were significantly higher in the hara‐kiri group than in the other methods group. The average length of stay in either the hospital or in the intensive care unit was also longer in the hara‐kiri group than in the other methods group. Hara‐kiri is an original Japanese method of attempting suicide, and suicide attempts by hara‐kiri may be aimed at maintaining a reputation or taking responsibility.
Knowing your enemies: Integrating molecular and ecological methods to assess the impact of arthropod predators on crop pests
Authors: Furlong Michael J.
Published: July 2014

The importance of natural enemies as the foundation of integrated pest management (IPM) is widely accepted, but few studies conduct the manipulative field experiments necessary to directly quantify their impact on pest populations in this context. This is particularly true for predators. Studying arthropod predator–prey interactions is inherently difficult: prey items are often completely consumed, individual predator–prey interactions are ephemeral (rendering their detection difficult) and the typically fluid or soft‐bodied meals cannot be easily identified visually within predator guts. Serological techniques have long been used in arthropod predator gut‐contents analysis, and current enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are highly specific and sensitive. Recently, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for gut‐contents analysis have developed rapidly and they now dominate the diagnostic methods used for gut‐contents analysis in field‐based research. This work has identified trophic linkages within food webs, determined predator diet breadth and preference, demonstrated the importance of cannibalism and intraguild predation within and between certain taxa, and confirmed the benefits (predator persistence) and potential disadvantages (reduced feeding on pest species) of the availability of alternative nonpest prey. Despite considerable efforts to calibrate gut‐contents assays, these methods remain qualitative. Available techniques for predator gut‐contents analysis can provide rapid, accurate, cost‐effective identification of predation events. As such, they perfectly compliment the ecological methods developed to directly assess predator impacts on prey populations but which are imperfect at identifying the key predators. These diagnostic methods for gut‐contents analysis are underexploited in agricultural research and they are almost never applied in unison with the critical field experiments to measure predator impact. This paper stresses the need for a combined approach and suggests a framework that would make this possible, so that appropriate natural enemies can be targeted in conservation biological control.
How resistant is ‘treatment‐resistant’ obsessive‐compulsive disorder in youth?
Authors: Krebs Georgina , Isomura Kayoko , Lang Katie , Jassi Amita , Heyman Isobel , Diamond Holly , Advani Jana , Turner Cynthia , Mataix‐Cols David
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is often perceived as being difficult to treat. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that treatment non‐response in routine clinical practice is often due to failures in the delivery of treatment, and that most patients who are apparently treatment‐resistant will respond to treatment if adequately delivered.

Design

Retrospective cohort data analysis.

Methods

Forty‐three young people with severe, treatment‐resistant OCD (defined as Children's Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale [CY‐BOCS] scores ≥30 and non‐response to previous cognitive behaviour therapy [CBT] and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) were referred to a specialist clinic and completed a course of manualized CBT, with (N = 21) or without (N = 22) optimization of medication. A sub‐sample (N = 15) completed a semi‐structured interview to determine characteristics of their previous CBT; quality was assessed according to pre‐determined criteria.

Results

Specialist treatment was associated with significant reductions in OCD symptoms at post‐treatment with gains maintained at 3‐month follow‐up. At the 3‐month follow‐up, 58% of patients showed a meaningful clinical response (≥35% drop on the CY‐BOCS) and 22% were in remission (≤12 on the CY‐BOCS). Patients whose medication was optimized tended (non‐significantly) to have better responses. The quality of previous CBT was assessed in a sub‐group of participants and rated as inadequate in 95.5% of cases. The most common inadequacy was insufficient focus on exposure techniques.

Conclusions

These findings provide support for the notion that treatment non‐response in routine practice may be due to technical treatment failures and highlight the need to disseminate good quality evidence‐based treatment among this population. Research is also needed to understand factors that impede outcome to further improve response and remission rates.

Practitioner points

Among young people with OCD, failure to respond to treatment in routine clinical practice may often reflect the nature of the treatment received.

Exposure techniques may often be overlooked in CBT for OCD, potentially resulting in poor therapeutic response.

Most young people with severe and apparent treatment‐resistant OCD respond to outpatient CBT incorporating E/RP.

Further research is needed to establish effective methods for disseminating good quality CBT for OCD.
Development and Validation of Team Creativity Measures: A Complex Systems Perspective
Authors: Jiang Hui , Zhang Qing‐pu
Published: July 2014

Without formalizing the team creativity (TC) concept with reliable and valid measurement, it is difficult to conduct rigorous research to help teams generate creative ideas and problem solving at a high level, of good quality and great value. The one‐sidedness and lack of depth of existing research on team creativity leads to the limited reliability and validity of team creativity measurements. In order to solve these problems, we introduce the complex system theory and develop the TC Scale with nine items for team creativity from three dimensions: team creative thinking, team creative action and team creative outcome. The data is collected from three distinct positions of respondents (managers, team leaders and senior staff) in 183 creative teams. The results of reliability measures, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis strongly support our scale. Further, we test the correlation between team trust and team creativity to establish its predictive validity and make a further verification on the scale structure through second‐order confirmatory factor analysis. Finally, we discuss the implications for research and practice.
Age of the Taishu Group, southwestern Japan, and implications for the origin and evolution of the Japan Sea
Authors: Ninomiya Takashi , Shimoyama Shoichi , Watanabe Koichiro , Horie Kenji , Dunkley Daniel J. , Shiraishi Kazuyuki
Published: July 2014

The Taishu Group, a marine formation with a thickness of >5400 m, crops out on Tsushima Island, located in the southwestern Japan Sea. The group, which is generally regarded as early Eocene to early Miocene in age, provides important information about the tectonic setting of the Japan Sea. In this study, we present new SHRIMP U–Pb dates for igneous zircons from the Kunehama Tuff, which is in the basal part of the Taishu Group, and the Oobaura Tuff, which is in the uppermost part of the group. Results show that the Taishu Group was deposited rapidly, during the short interval of 17.9–15.9 Ma (early–middle Miocene), and is equivalent to other early–middle Miocene strata found in the Japan Sea region. Our results provide new constraints on the geological history of the Japan Sea and its islands.
Unilateral ablation of trunk superficial neuromasts increases directional instability during steady swimming in the yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi
Authors: Yanase K. , Herbert N. A. , Montgomery J. C.
Published: July 2014

Detailed swimming kinematics of the yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi were investigated after unilateral ablation of superficial neuromasts (SNs). Most kinematic variables, such as tail‐beat frequency, stride length, caudal fin‐beat amplitude and propulsive wavelength, were unaffected but lateral amplitude at the tip of the snout (A0) was significantly increased in SN‐disrupted fish compared with sham‐operated controls. In addition, the orientation of caudal fin‐tip relative to the overall swimming direction of SN‐disrupted fish was significantly deflected (two‐fold) in comparison with sham‐operated control fish. In some fish, SN disruption also led to a phase distortion of the propulsive body‐wave. These changes would be expected to increase both hydrodynamic drag and thrust production which is consistent with the finding that SN‐disrupted fish had to generate significantly greater thrust power when swimming at ≥1·3 fork lengths (LF) s−1. In particular, hydrodynamic drag would increase as a result of any increase in rotational (yaw) perturbation and sideways slip resulting from the sensory disturbance. In conclusion, unilateral SN ablation produced directional instability of steady swimming and altered propulsive movements, suggesting a role for sensory feedback in correcting yaw and slip disturbances to maintain efficient locomotion.