bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of call centre stressors on inbound and outbound call‐centre agent burnout
Authors: Rod Michel , Ashill Nicholas J.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The aim of this study is to draw on various models of burnout and test hypotheses relating to anticipated differences in the burnout process between inbound versus outbound call centre agents. This is achieved by comparing the magnitude of the relationships in the sequence of customer stressors → emotional exhaustion → depersonalization → reduced personal accomplishment across a sample of inbound and outbound call centre agents working in a large retail bank call centre in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from inbound and outbound call centre agents of a large retail bank call centre in New Zealand via a self‐administered survey questionnaire electronically distributed to all 195 call centre agents working in the bank's two call centre locations. Data obtained from the call centre agents were analysed using the SEM‐based partial least squares (PLS) methodology.

Findings

The findings of the study reveal significant differences between inbound and outbound call centre agents in terms of the extent to which emotional exhaustion impacts depersonalisation as well as the extent to which depersonalisation influences feelings of reduced personal accomplishment.

Practical implications

The research advances understanding of differences in the burnout process as perceived by inbound versus outbound call centre agents. Call centre management might consider improving the work environment to bring about greater job discretion/autonomy, greater job variety and performance monitoring in order to attenuate the stronger impact of these relationships in an inbound context.

Originality/value

These findings extend our understanding of these phenomena in the largely unexplored yet important context of call centre agent‐customer interaction in specifically highlighting differences between inbound and outbound call centre agent burnout.
Narratives of transition from social to enterprise: you can’t get there from here!
Authors: Seanor Pam , Bull Mike , Baines Sue , Ridley‐Duff Rory
Published: May 2013

Purpose

In response to calls to critically analyse and conceptually advance social enterprise, the purpose of this paper is to examine narratives and models representing a spectrum of social enterprise from the “social” to the “economic”. The paper tests these against the experience of practitioners who were either employees in social organisations or support workers tasked with promoting social enterprise. This is timely against a background of imperatives from central governments for social organisations to compete for the delivery of public services and become more “entrepreneurial”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports qualitative research in which participants were invited to draw lines and arrows onto spectrum models to illustrate the social and economic contexts they perceived themselves to be working within. The data comprise interviews and drawings, combined with verbal descriptions of the drawings and reflections on their significance.

Findings

The paper shows how participants interpreted the “social” and “economic” of social enterprise in pictures and words. The research suggests that social enterprise can not be told as a single narrative but as a set of little stories showing oscillations, contradictions and paradox.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding of social enterprise can be much improved by giving greater recognition to ambiguities and compromises within the lived experience of contemporary practice.

Originality/value

The article offers new reflection on widely used images that represent social enterprise along a dichotomous, polar spectrum from social to economic.
The impact of specialist training on professional identity, organisational membership, organisational commitment, and stress in correctional psychologists
Authors: Curtis Ashlee , Day Andrew
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Recent years have seen some significant changes to the psychology profession in Australia that have prompted debate about the role of specialist areas of practice. This study aims to investigate those attitudes and values that might be associated with one particular specialism, that of forensic psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

The influence of specialist forensic training on the professional identity of 30 correctional psychologists was examined in relation to their self‐reported level of stress, organisational membership, and organisational commitment.

Findings

The results suggest that exposure to specialist training in forensic psychology may not be directly associated with organisational commitment, membership or stress, although some differences between forensic psychologists and those who held other professional practice qualifications were observed.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations of the study include the small sample size and the use of a scale that has not been well‐validated. Replication and extension of the study is required.

Practical implications

The study has implications for the recruitment and retention of psychologists in correctional settings and for the development of professional identity in post‐graduate training programmes.

Originality/value

This study is the first to explore the differences in professional identity, organisational commitment, organisational membership and stress in a sample of psychologists who practice in the correctional setting.
Knowledge protection in knowledge‐intensive business services
Authors: Bolisani Ettore , Paiola Marco , Scarso Enrico
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of knowledge protection in knowledge‐intensive business services (KIBS). In particular, it addresses four research questions: do KIBS firms perceive the necessity to protect their knowledge? If so, do they protect it? What method (or combinations of methods) they typically use? What are the main factors affecting the approaches to knowledge protection adopted by these companies?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper illustrates and discusses the findings of a survey of 471 KIBS companies located in the Northeast of Italy and operating in three different sectors: IT Services, Design and Communication, Professional Services.

Findings

The study classifies the types of knowledge protection mechanisms and investigates similarities and differences in knowledge protection between KIBS operating in distinct sectors, having different size, and pursuing different knowledge management strategies.

Practical implications

The outcomes of the investigation can have some important implications from a managerial viewpoint. In particular, the study provides food for though to both CEOs of KIBS companies regarding the mechanisms of knowledge protection, and to policy makers about the possible public policies that may help companies to protect their competitive knowledge capital without hindering their networks of interaction.

Originality/value

The issue of knowledge protection is relatively new in the literature of KIBS, and findings are quite controversial. In particular, the state‐of‐the‐art research shows that there are some important gaps that the paper tries to fill.
Value relevance of human capital information
Authors: Gamerschlag Ramin
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if human capital information voluntarily provided by German companies is value‐relevant.

Design/methodology/approach

By means of word‐based content analysis, human capital information is extracted from German companies’ annual reports. Subsequently, the value relevance of the disclosed human capital information is analyzed by applying two established valuation models.

Findings

The results show that human capital information is value‐relevant. Especially, information on qualification and competence issues is positively associated with firm value. Nonetheless, the disclosed information does not lead to short‐term changes in market value. Consequently, human capital information is value‐relevant but not immediately.

Practical implications

First, companies can improve their valuation on the capital market by disclosing information on their human capital. Second, standard setters can use this paper's results in defining relevant information categories for human capital disclosures. Third, the amount of human capital disclosures is increasing over time.

Originality/value

This study explicitly evaluates the value relevance of the overall (especially nonfinancial) human capital information voluntarily provided in corporate annual reports.
Outsourcing, subcontracting-in and radical innovativeness
Authors: Oke Adegoke , Onwuegbuzie Henrietta
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– The authors aim to develop and test hypotheses that link outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities of small high-tech firms to their radical innovativeness. In addition, they seek to investigate how a firm's strategy moderates the associations between their outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities and radical innovativeness.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors utilized regression analytical technique and categorical moderation analytical technique to test their hypotheses on survey data of 579 firms.

Findings

– Results show that outsourcing has a positive association with radical innovativeness. In contrast, subcontracting-in shows a negative association with radical innovativeness. Finally, the influence of both outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities on radical innovativeness are contingent upon a firm's manufacturing strategy.

Research limitations/implications

– There are potential limitations relating to the authors' use of secondary data. There is a need to investigate the processes through which outsourcing and subcontracting-in relate to innovation performance.

Practical implications

– An implication of this study is that in order to develop radical innovativeness, firms need to consider their strategic or competitive inclination when evaluating their outsourcing and subcontracting-in decisions and activities.

Social implications

– There are also social implications since outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities involve social relationships.

Originality/value

– Linking boundary spanning activities of firms to innovation performance represents a contribution to the literature. Further, establishing that the effectiveness of such boundary activities depends on a firm's specific manufacturing strategy represents a contribution.
An alternative state-space representation for APVIOBPCS inventory systems
Authors: White A.S. , Censlive M.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– Lalwani et al. devised a controllable state-space model for a general APVIOBPCS production and inventory system. However, their procedure did not cater for production delays of other than one time unit. The authors have sought to devise a model that allows for any value of production delay.

Design/methodology/approach

– A discrete z transform model of APVIOBPCS inventory is obtained using conventional algebra and converted to a state-space model using a reachable control formulation. This is then analysed to produce an analytic expression for the eigenvalues and then the general stability solution is derived from the unit circle condition.

Findings

– This model allows a state-space model conversion from a discrete time input-output model using an exponential production delay with no loss of generality and is fully controllable and observable. Stability of these models can be obtained from the system eigenvalues and agrees with the authors' previously published stability boundaries using transform models.

Research limitations/implications

– The system is described by a linear control model of the production process and does not include production limits or other resource limitations. It does not include any past history of sales demand and responses.

Practical implications

– This work allows a model to be implemented in a spreadsheet of APVIOBPCS PIC that can be used for any production delay and can be modified to include different sales smoothing procedures.

Originality/value

– This present model is an extension and improvement of the model devised by Lalwani, in that it allows more accurate modelling of inventory production systems by permitting a more flexible selection of delay parameter values, closer to those of real systems.
Analysis of restructuring a manufacturing system using graph theoretic model
Authors: Singh Varinder , Singru P.M.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of restructuring in the manufacturing system at the conceptual stage using graph theoretic model.

Design/methodology/approach

– Some restructuring decisions are conceptualized which reflect the aim of the organization to gradually evolve the manufacturing system towards a leaner structure. This is achieved by way of defining simplified procedures so that lesser hindrance in terms of cycles of interactions is encountered. The restructuring decisions are represented by five restructured configurations of the manufacturing system, through gradual removal of appropriate interaction links. The graph theoretic models are developed for original configuration and each of the new restructured configurations and the resulting structural characterization information is used to compare the structure of restructured configurations with the original configuration. The value of the coefficient of dissimilarity of each of the new configurations with respect to the original configuration is obtained to have a quantitative estimate of the simplification that may be achieved by different contemplated restructuring decisions.

Findings

– The present work shows that the restructuring decisions can be represented by different configurations in the form of schematic diagrams involving minor changes in the interaction structure among subsystems of the manufacturing system. The quantitative analysis using coefficient of dissimilarity for restructuring decisions indicated that there are varying levels of impact created by five comparable restructuring decisions considered in the study. The findings have a potential to guide the restructuring efforts by identifying a focus area that can produce greater impact of restructuring.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are valid for a particular case manufacturing organization which does not involve itself in extensive design activity. The study is based on the assumption that the schematic diagram and graph theoretic model captured all the relevant influencing factors of the manufacturing system.

Practical implications

– The study provides an easy to use methodology for the practical decision makers in manufacturing industry striving to improve the performance of their organization. It can provide the analysis of restructuring decisions at the conceptual stage itself without the necessity of disturbing the normal functioning of the organization. There is a scope for identifying focus areas where the restructuring may yield comparatively greater dividends.

Originality/value

– The study of restructuring by representing it in the form of changes in interactions among subsystems of a manufacturing system and investigation of the impact of such restructuring efforts at the conceptual stage using graph theoretic model has been carried out for the first time.
Servitization of manufacture
Authors: Baines Tim , Lightfoot Howard , Smart Palie , Fletcher Sarah
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– This “research note” sets out to fuel the debate around the practices and technologies within operations that are critical to success with servitization. It presents a study of four companies which are delivering advanced services and reports on the organisation and skill-sets of people within these.

Design/methodology/approach

– This has been case-based research at four manufacturers leading in their delivery of services.

Findings

– It describes the desirable behaviour of people in the front-line of service delivery, identifies the supporting skill-sets, how these people are organised, and explains why all these factors are so important.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the understanding of the servitization process and, in particular, the implications to broader operations of the firm.
School‐business partnerships: the case of the UAE
Authors: Barza Lydia
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for businesses to partner with schools from the point of view of both stakeholders. Understanding the process by which schools and business entities collaborate with the goal of improving student achievement is important to ensure success and anticipate barriers. Pitfalls and keys to success are outlined. Recommendations for school and business leaders interested in forming partnerships based on lessons learned from the literature are provided.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper achieves this aim by reviewing the literature on school‐business partnership formation and assessment.

Findings

Characteristics of successful school‐business partnerships are discussed.

Practical implications

Both business and education leaders will be able to assess the value and scope of such partnership arrangements and be able to determine if their current or planned endeavours encompass the identified keys to success.

Originality/value

This paper concisely examines the major, practical issues involved for those interested in forming school‐business partnerships and synthesizes the research on program evaluations while placing the issue in the context of current trends in corporate social responsibility programs.
Pastoralism and ecosystem‐based adaptation in Kenyan Masailand
Authors: Osano Philip M. , Said Mohammed Y. , de Leeuw Jan , Moiko Stephen S. , Ole Kaelo Dickson , Schomers Sarah , Birner Regina , Ogutu Joseph O.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential for pastoral communities inhabiting Kenyan Masailand to adapt to climate change using conservancies and payments for ecosystem services.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple methods and data sources were used, comprising: a socio‐economic survey of 295 households; informal interviews with pastoralists, conservancy managers, and tourism investors; focus group discussions; a stakeholder workshop. Monthly rainfall data was used to analyse drought frequency and intensity. A framework of the interactions between pastoralists' drought coping and risk mitigation strategies and the conservancy effects was developed, and used to qualitatively assess some interactions across the three study sites. Changes in household livestock holdings and sources of cash income are calculated in relation to the 2008‐09 drought.

Findings

The frequency and intensity of droughts are increasing but are localised across the three study sites. The proportion of households with per capita livestock holdings below the 4.5 TLU poverty vulnerability threshold increased by 34 per cent in Kitengela and 5 per cent in the Mara site, mainly due to the drought in 2008‐2009. Payment for ecosystem services was found to buffer households from fluctuating livestock income, but also generates synergies and/or trade‐offs depending on land use restrictions.

Originality/value

The contribution of conservancies to drought coping and risk mitigation strategies of pastoralists is analyzed as a basis for evaluating the potential for ecosystem‐based adaptation.
Building adaptive capacity in rural Namibia
Authors: David Asella , Braby Justine , Zeidler Juliane , Kandjinga Laudika , Ndokosho Johnson
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This community based initiative seeks to increase communities’ adaptive capacity through the development of resilient farming practices and improved natural resource management in the face of climate change. Integrating the basic aspects on climate information, the project toolkit had two main objectives; firstly it increases community awareness about climate change risks to farmers and natural resource users, and secondly it aims to build momentum at community levels for innovative adaptation tools as applicable to their environments. These toolkits are applicable to the rural communities, peri‐urban and communities across Namibia.

Design/methodology/approach

Participatory rural appraisal methods were used to solicit inputs from the local people during the toolkits development process. Resource mapping, root analysis of climate impacts, and gender mainstreaming were key to this project. A total of 30 community consultations were held in 12 constituencies in all the regions. About 200 people per region were consulted. Their selection was based on their day‐to‐day engagement with community members – these included community activists, farmers, local NGOs as well as governmental civil servants and resource users.

Findings

The main outcomes of the project were the compilation of the climate change toolkits, as well as outreach materials such as a video for training of trainers events on climate change adaptation, posters, and radio talks in the different regions. The toolkits are in the process of being implemented, and there are positive reports from the regions where they have been distributed.

Originality/value

This paper is a synopsis of the experiences from Namibia's climate change adaptation toolkits and offers insights relevant to many other African countries, and how these can be improved to make climate change adaptation work especially in the rural areas.
Attitude toward the website scale development in professional sports: a research note
Authors: Nicholls Jeananne , Schimmel Kurt , Manna Dean , Schnurr Norman , Clinton Steven
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Sports’ team websites are the front door to their relationship management programs with teams’ fan bases. As such, consumer attitudes toward these websites are a vital and important measure for the success of a team's CRM program. The purpose of this paper is to present the conceptualization and development of a four‐item unidimensional measure of attitude toward the Website.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected via a pen and paper survey at a professional hockey event in the USA. The confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using generalized structural component analysis GeSCA www.sem‐gesca.org/. The scale's face, convergent, predictive and discriminant validity are all empirically demonstrated via regression and correlation.

Findings

The measure is shown to meet the four criteria for validation for positivist research in information systems set by Straub, Boudreau and Gefen in 2004. The internal consistency is assessed by Cronbach's alpha (0.917) as is the unidimensionality, which was assessed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The study develops a four item measure, attitude toward the website, that addresses both the affective and cognitive components of attitudes. The scale is shown to have predictive and discriminant validity.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected via a convenience sample at one professional sporting event and represents the fan base and the attitude toward that team's website. The significant implication is that it provides researchers with a unidimensional measure of attitude toward the website. The scale is parsimonious and will benefit researchers exploring the impact of attitudes toward websites on a variety of constructs such as brands, sales and site visits.

Originality/value

The paper is important because it provides a new measure of attitude toward the website and because it demonstrates the use of generalized structural component analysis.
Performance based market valuation of cricketers in IPL
Authors: Saikia Hemanta , Bhattacharjee Dibyojyoti , Bhattacharjee Atanu
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the cricketers who were able to justify their salary by their on‐field performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Design/methodology/approach

A measure is developed to quantify the batting, bowling and wicket keeping performance of a cricketer into one single index called as the performance index. Based on the performance index of cricketers, from first three seasons of IPL, and using the binomial option pricing model, the neutral present values of the cricketers are determined. The distributional pattern of the present values of cricketers is identified and cricketers are classified based on the level of present values. Similarly, the distributional pattern of the bid prices of cricketers is identified and the cricketers are classified on the level of their bid prices. The cross tabulation of the classified bid prices and classified present values, can be used to identify the cricketers who were able to justify their salaries.

Findings

The study can spell out which players had amplified their bid prices and to what extent by their on‐field performances.

Research limitations/implications

The performance measure developed in the paper does not consider the fielding skill of the cricketers, as there is no established measure for fielding performance in the game of cricket. Another limitation of the study is that the risk neutral probabilities for the upward and downward states, for the different time periods are assumed to be constant. However, in real life situations these risk neutral probabilities may not be constant for the different time periods.

Practical implications

The proposed model of performance measurement can also be used in several other professional sports. As the idea of IPL works, on franchisee‐system based of hiring players and transfers, so the same model can be applicable to all such sports like football, rugby, baseball where such system exists. This may be helpful to the franchisee to decide on which players should be considered and who should to be dropped for a given price. The players can also use this model to understand what their market price should be and ensure that they are not underpaid.

Originality/value

The article is the first of its kind and hence original in nature.
Do intangible investments matter? Evidence from soccer corporations
Authors: Mnzava Bernard
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The aim of this research is to analyse the impact of intangible assets on firm’s sporting and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypothesis of this research was developed through grounded theory and previous findings from the literature. This study adopted multiple regression method to analyse the impact of intangible assets on sporting and financial performance.

Findings

The findings indicate that intangible assets affect both sporting and financial performance. This is consistent with resource‐based view theory, which maintains that firms achieve a sustainable competitive advantage and superior financial performance by owning or controlling intangible strategic assets. By intangible strategic assets, it is meant the specific and valuable capability that belongs to the organisation.

Research limitations/implications

The finding of this study is limited to a sample of UK listed soccer corporations. A possible opportunity of future research is to replicate the current study with other corporations and explore alternative measures of intangible assets.

Originality/value

The main innovation contained in this study relies on the measure of intangible assets. This paper employed players’ registration costs as a measure of intangible assets. To my knowledge this has not been addressed before in finance and accounting research.
Ethnic diversity, distrust and corruption in Afghanistan
Authors: Mujtaba Bahaudin G.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Afghanistan is an ethnically diverse country which has suffered from many negative consequences caused by mismanagement of diversity, low levels of education, and political acrimony among different groups. The paper seeks to discuss how cultural and ethnic diversity can lead to civil unrest and make management of a country more complex. When diversity is not managed well, its consequences can be high levels of conflict, animosity, discrimination, corruption, and distrust among different ethnic groups.

Design/methodology

This is a conceptual paper. It covers the realities of ethnic, religious and language diversity in Afghanistan based on first hand observations and experience along with findings from the literature.

Findings

The paper suggests that diversity education along with an ethical climate is especially crucial for Afghanistan if the aim is to create an inclusive culture where everyone's voice is heard, understood and integrated for implementation. A diversity continuum model for inclusivity is created for managers, expatriates, diversity officers, government officials, and educators so they can use it for their training and development programs in their efforts to create a fair work climate in Afghanistan.

Research limitations

This paper is limited to personal observations and experiences along with a review of literature from experts who write about diversity and corruption.

Practical implications

Managers, employers, and employees can use this material for training to create diversity awareness, provide diversity management skills, and to reduce unfair, discriminatory, and corrupt practices.

Social implications

Employees of all ethnicities should know their rights and work toward the creation of an inclusive culture in Afghanistan.

Originality

This is an original paper and the inclusivity model is created by the author for this study.
Rediscovering “Anekta mein ekta” or “kasrat mein wahdat”
Authors: Syed Jawad , Pio Edwina
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an editorial introduction to the special issue on “Gender and diversity in organizations in South Asia”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the state of extant research on equality, diversity and inclusion in South Asia. It also offers an overview of the papers included in the special issue and the unique contributions they make to this field of knowledge.

Findings

Findings vary for each paper; however, overall, the special issue brings to the fore theoretical ideas, alternative organizing and organisations and challenges involved in diversity management in South Asia.

Research limitations/implications

The papers offer fresh insights in theorizing and managing diversity and equality which depart from the dominant Anglo‐centric theorizations in this field.

Practical implications

Educators, policy makers and managers in organisations may take into account various findings and recommendations offered in the papers leading to greater awareness of the challenges and opportunities to formulate context‐sensitive policies and practices of diversity in South Asia.

Originality/value

Barring a few exceptions, the topic of gender and diversity management in South Asia, as for example the centrality of national culture and values, remains generally ignored in work and organization studies. Papers that are published appear in a wide variety of journals rarely achieving a critical mass. The current (special) issue of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion addresses these gaps and seeks to strengthen understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion pertaining to the region classified as South Asia.
Perceived diversity climate and employees’ organizational loyalty
Authors: Jauhari Hemang , Singh Shailendra
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impact of a company's diversity strategy on employees’ attitudes and behaviors at the workplace. Specifically, the paper seeks to test the relationship between perceived diversity climate and employee's organizational loyalty with mediating role of perceived organizational support.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on survey based empirical research. Measurements of predictor and criterion variables were temporally separated and the hypothesized relationships were investigated by using a structural equation modelling approach.

Findings

The findings show that perceived organizational support mediates the positive relationship between perceived diversity climate and employee's organizational loyalty, after controlling for the demographic factors.

Research limitations/implications

This paper relies on self‐report surveys for data collection from a single organization. Future studies should consider multiple organizations for generalizability and collect data through multiple methods to avoid common‐method bias.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that management should adopt a strategic approach to diversity management for building employees’ organizational loyalty, which will help them counter talent attraction and retention problems.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the diversity management literature by investigating how the company's diversity strategy influences employees’ attitudes and behaviors at the workplace.
Association between MEFV gene mutations and recurrent aphthous stomatitis in a cohort of Turkish patients
Authors: Kalkan Göknur , Yigit Serbulent , Karakus Nevin , Baş Yalçın , Pancar Günseli Ş. , Balta İlknur
Published: May 2013

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) has a multifactorial etiopathogenesis, an interaction between predisposing factors and/or systemic conditions and immunological components in genetically predisposed subjects. The Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene has already been identified as being responsible for familial Mediterranean fever. Because the association between MEFV gene mutations and Behçet's disease has been reported before in several studies, we considered that the role of MEFV gene mutations should be studied in patients with RAS, because of the clinical similarities of both diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency and clinical significance of MEFV gene mutations in a cohort of Turkish patients with RAS. The study population comprised 100 unrelated patients with a clinical diagnosis of RAS and 156 healthy controls. Genomic DNA was isolated and genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism for the four MEFV gene mutations (M694V, M680I, V726A and E148Q). There were statistically significant differences of the MEFV gene mutation carrier rates and allele frequencies between RAS patients and healthy controls (P = 0.042, odds ratio [OR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–3.41; and P = 0.039, OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.02–3.14, respectively). Even if it is not statistically significant, the E148Q allele frequency was higher in patients with RAS than the control group. A statistically significant increased prevalence of MEFV variants in RAS patients was found. This is the first study to report that missense mutations of MEFV is associated with RAS in the Turkish population.
Collapse of the keratin filament network through the expression of mutant keratin 6c observed in a case of focal plantar keratoderma
Authors: Kubo Akiharu , Oura Yuiko , Hirano Takashige , Aoyama Yumi , Sato Showbu , Nakamura Kaori , Takae Yujiro , Amagai Masayuki
Published: May 2013

Focal palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) with severe pain is a hallmark of pachyonychia congenita, a rare autosomal dominant disorder involving PPK and hypertrophic nail dystrophy. Some families present focal PPK with either minimal or no nail changes. Dominant‐negative mutations in any of the four identified keratin genes, KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT16 or KRT17, lead to pachyonychia congenita. However, the majority of families with focal PPK showing minimal or no nail changes do not harbor mutations in these genes. Recently, mutations of KRT6C were identified in families with focal PPK alone. Here, we report a 26‐year‐old Japanese man with focal plantar hyperkeratosis that developed at approximately 10 years of age with no palmar involvement and no nail alterations. We identified a missense KRT6C mutation c.1414G>A resulting in an p.Glu472Lys substitution, as reported in other Japanese patients. When the mutant keratin 6c protein is exogenously expressed in human HaCaT cells, a collapse of the keratin filament network is observed in a dose‐dependent manner, suggesting the mutation has a dominant‐negative effect on keratin filament network formation. The mutated residue is located at the helix termination motif of keratin 6c. The peptide sequence around this residue is highly conserved among type II, III and IV intermediate filament proteins. Glu to Lys mutations of the equivalent residue have been reported in a variety of inherited diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, corneal dystrophy and skin disorders, suggesting that this residue is vital to keratin function.
Prevalence of staphylococcal enterotoxins inStaphylococcus pseudintermediusisolates from dogs with pyoderma and healthy dogs
Authors: Tanabe Taishi , Toyoguchi Midori , Hirano Fumitaka , Chiba Mei , Onuma Kenta , Sato Hisaaki
Published: May 2013

To investigate the role of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) produced byStaphylococcus pseudintermediusin the pathogenesis of pyoderma, isolates from dogs with pyoderma and healthy dogs were analyzed. According to reverse passive latex agglutination, 14/184 isolates (7.6%) from dogs with pyoderma and 9/87 (10.3%) from healthy dogs produced SEs (SEA, SEC or SED). According to multiplex PCR, 99 isolates (53.7%) from dogs with pyoderma and 97 (90.8%) from healthy dogs possessed one or moresegenes. There was no significant difference regardingsesbetween dogs with pyoderma and healthy dogs. Therefore, SEs may not be a direct virulence factor in pyoderma.
Phenotypic clines, energy balances and ecological responses to climate change
Authors: Buckley Lauren B. , Nufio César R. , Kingsolver Joel G.
Published: May 2013

The Metabolic Theory of Ecology has renewed interest in using energetics to scale across levels of ecological organization. Can scaling from individual phenotypes to population dynamics provides insight into why species have shifted their phenologies, abundances and distributions idiosyncratically in response to recent climate change?

We consider how the energetic implications of phenotypes may scale to understand population and species level responses to climate change using four focal grasshopper species along an elevation gradient in Colorado. We use a biophysical model to translate phenotypes and environmental conditions into estimates of body temperatures. We measure thermal tolerances and preferences and metabolic rates to assess rates of energy use and acquisition.

Body mass declines along the elevation gradient for all species, but mass‐specific metabolic rates increases only modestly. We find interspecific differences in both overall thermal tolerances and preferences and in the variation of these metrics along the elevation gradient. The more dispersive species exhibit significantly higher thermal tolerance and preference consistent with much of their range spanning hot, low elevation areas. When integrating these metrics to consider metabolic constraints, we find that energetic costs decrease along the elevation gradient due to decreasing body size and temperature. Opportunities for energy acquisition, as reflected by the proportion of time that falls within a grasshopper's thermal tolerance range, peak at mid elevations. We discuss methods for translating these energetic metrics into population dynamics.

Quantifying energy balances and allocation offers a viable approach for predicting how populations will respond to climate change and the consequences for species composed of populations that may be locally adapted.
Evidence for a ‘plant community economics spectrum’ driven by nutrient and water limitations in a Mediterranean rangeland of southern France
Authors: Pérez‐Ramos Ignacio M. , Roumet Catherine , Cruz Pablo , Blanchard Alain , Autran Paul , Garnier Eric
Published: May 2013

Plant species composition and community functional structure (i.e. trait composition at the community level) result from a hierarchy of environmental filters that constrain which species and traits tend to be dominant in a given habitat.

We quantified variation in community functional structure along natural gradients of soil resources using several above‐ and below‐ground parameters and explored links among these attributes to determine whether plant resource economics can be applied at the community level in a Mediterranean rangeland of southern France.

Limitation by nitrogen, soil water and soil depth were the main ecological factors driving the functional response at the community level. Most of the community functional parameters considered in this study were more dependent on nitrogen limitation than on the other two factors, mostly related with the acquisition–conservation trade‐off at both the leaf and the root level.

We found a strong coordination between above‐ground and below‐ground components, with a high level of concordance along the resource gradients explored. As an example, tissue dry matter content – both in leaves and roots – was positively related to nitrogen limitation. These findings indicate that the leaf economic spectrum paradigm (resource conservation in resource‐poor habitats versus resource acquisition in resource‐rich habitats) can be extrapolated to the below‐ground component and extends to a plant community spectrum.

Changes in the functional structure of communities were promoted by two complementary components of variation: (i) the replacement of species with highly contrasting resource‐use strategies and, to a lesser extent, (ii) the intraspecific variation in several above‐ground traits.

Synthesis. This study showed that soil water and nutrient limitations are the main drivers controlling functional community structure in the Mediterranean rangelands studied and that shifts in this structure were mainly due to species turnover. In addition, we provided evidence for a plant community economics spectrum, based on a strong coordination between above‐ and below‐ground components in these resource‐limited communities.
Short seed‐dispersal distances and low seedling recruitment in farmland populations of bird‐dispersed cherry trees
Authors: Breitbach Nils , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin , Laube Irina , Schleuning Matthias
Published: May 2013

In Central Europe, many plant populations are patchily distributed in human‐modified landscapes and depend on animal vectors for seed dispersal. To predict seed‐dispersal distances and locations of seeds of wild cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) in forest and farmland habitats in a human‐modified landscape, we integrate movement data and seed regurgitation times of the Common Blackbird (Turdus merula L.) in a simulation model.

We performed feeding trials with Common Blackbirds and wild cherries to determine the distribution of regurgitation times. We captured 32 male blackbirds and equipped them with radio tags to follow their movements in forest and farmland habitats. To simulate the movement of cherry seeds through the landscape, we combined the distribution of regurgitation times with bird movement data and modelled seed‐dispersal distances and locations of seed deposition for forest and farmland birds.

According to our simulations, more cherry seeds were deposited under foraging trees in farmland (20.8%) than in forest populations (9.5%). Median seed‐dispersal distances (50.8 vs. 68.2 m) and the proportion of long‐distance dispersal events (distances > 100 m) were predicted to be lower in farmland (14.9%) than in forest populations (28.2%).

In the model, forest‐dwelling blackbirds dispersed more cherry seeds into suitable habitat (98.7%) than farmland blackbirds (85.4%). In both habitats, seed deposition in suitable habitat was much higher than expected from the proportion of suitable habitat within blackbirds' home ranges, indicating directed dispersal.

To test whether differences in seed‐dispersal locations were related to recruitment success, we recorded seedling densities in farmland and forest populations of P. avium and determined survival probabilities of seedlings. Seedling densities and survival were much lower in farmland than in forest populations, even accounting for strong environmental effects on seedling recruitment.

Synthesis: Our findings show that behavioural differences of animal seed dispersers between habitat types can result in substantial changes in seed‐dispersal distances and locations in human‐modified habitats. These changes in seed‐dispersal services for bird‐dispersed plant species may be related to reduced seedling recruitment in farmland populations making such populations prone to extinction in the long term.
Improving approaches to the analysis of functional and taxonomic biotic homogenization: beyond mean specialization
Authors: Gosselin Frédéric
Published: May 2013

Abadie et al., Journal of Ecology, 99, 2011, 1134 claim that ‘landscape disturbance causes small‐scale functional homogenization but limited taxonomic homogenization’. This statement does not seem to accurately summarize their results.

Abadie et al. provide no strong arguments in favour of a cause and effect relationship between landscape disturbance and functional homogenization because their approach is correlational.

Abadie et al. associate an index of mean community specialization with functional biotic homogenization (BH), and they in turn associate functional BH with ecosystem functioning. However, the community specialization index is associated with a very specific kind of ‘function’ – the species response – which has no clear link with ecosystem functioning. This problem is frequent in the literature on biotic homogenization.

There is no clear sign in the data shown by Abadie et al. that metrics incorporating species attributes are ‘much more reliable’ than taxonomic diversity indices.

As frequently observed in the literature on biotic homogenization within communities, their results show no sign of loser or winner species or of ‘extirpation of specialist species’. Therefore, there seems to be no evidence in support of the biotic homogenization model they propose.

Synthesis. The Average Community Specialization – a mean specialization index– is in itself incapable of identifying loser and winner species and has no clear link with ecosystem functioning. Methods other than mean trait approaches should be used to study either functional homogenization or the extirpation of specialist species.
Do niche‐structured plant communities exhibit phylogenetic conservatism? A test case in an endemic clade
Authors: Araya Yoseph N. , Silvertown Jonathan , Gowing David J. , McConway Kevin J. , Linder H. P. , Midgley Guy
Published: May 2013

The growing literature on the phylogenetic structure of plant communities places great emphasis on the role of phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC) in community assembly. However, the patterns revealed by such analyses are difficult to interpret in the absence of independent data on niche structure. While there is increasing evidence that plant coexistence does depend upon niche differences, it is still not clear in most cases what the relevant niche axes are.

We address this problem by testing for PNC within the African Restionaceae (‘restios’), a clade endemic to the Western Cape where we have shown niche segregation along soil moisture gradients to be common.

Significant niche segregation on soil moisture gradients occurred among restios in 7 of 10 communities sampled, but PNC was detectable in only one of these and then only by one of three methods used.

Phylogenetic analysis of the evolution of hydrological niche traits for the species pool of 37 Restionaceae in the study showed tolerance of drought to be convergent rather than conserved.

Synthesis. The demonstration that clear niche segregation may occur among related species without PNC being detectable supports the hypothesis that hydrological niche responses are evolutionarily labile. More generally, the results demonstrate that phylogenetic analysis can be a poor guide to the process of community assembly. We argue that it may in future be better to apply ecological data to the interpretation of phylogenies, rather than to follow the current preoccupation with the application of phylogenies to ecology.