bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality practices in travel agencies
Authors: Perramon Jordi , Bagur-Femenias Llorenç , Amat Oriol
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivations for the adoption of quality management practices (QMPs) and the effects exerted by the advanced management information systems (AMIS) as mediating factors in a sector consisting of highly competitive companies with a high mortality rate in recent years: travel agencies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The results were based on a survey completed by 185 travel agencies with less than 50 employees, covering over 5 per cent of the SME travel agencies in Spain. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the links between the studied dimensions.

Findings

– The findings indicate that QMPs have a positive, direct influence on the adoption of AMIS and that the adoption of AMIS has a positive, direct impact on financial performance. The results suggest that quality policies facilitate greater use of financial indicators but not in the use of non-financial indicators, where the key to better business performance lies.

Originality/value

– Therefore, the results of this paper indicate that being proactive about quality practices can provide travel agencies a great number of benefits through the implementation of AMIS.
Neglecting justice? Exploring Scottish convictions for ill-treatment and wilful neglect
Authors: Godwin Christopher , Mackay Kathryn
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceived low number of Scottish criminal convictions in cases of ill-treatment or wilful neglect of adults where the victims experienced mental disorder, and/or incapacity. Human rights and anti-discrimination legislation are drawn upon to consider whether victims are gaining equality of access to justice through the charging and conviction of those who commit these offences.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses the concept of parity of participation to first set out the wider legal framework in which access of justice takes place and to try to determine how it may be working in practice. Second the paper explores Scottish guidance, research and case law in relation ill-treatment or wilful neglect to evaluate the seeming lack of progress towards criminal convictions.

Findings

– Whilst the legal framework, at least on paper, appears to promote equality of access to justice, little is known about how it is working in practice; in particular whether cultural barriers to participation are being addressed. Evaluation of Scottish statistical data on cases of ill-treatment and wilful neglect revealed a small number of cases progressing to court though there were challenges in constructing a pathway from charges to convictions. There also appeared to be no Scottish legal opinions published in connection with these cases. In addition lack of research means that little is known about why cases progress, and how victims might be being supported through the process.

Research limitations/implications

– It is suggested that these gaps in information, in comparison to England and Wales, might be hindering practice. In particular the apparent lack of operational definitions for ill-treatment and wilful neglect in Scotland may reduce the use of this type of criminal offence. As such criminal offences embedded within civil mental health and mental capacity legislation may currently be hidden in plain sight. The human rights consequences of the issues raised in this paper are argued as significant. Research is needed to fill these gaps and inform future guidance and training.

Practical implications

– Improved Scottish guidance and publicity of this issue is required. Local inter-agency discussions and training could develop a better understanding of how these offences have been defined and how disabled people might be supported through the legal processes. The Scottish publication of statistical information for charging and convictions might usefully record these offences separately to give them a greater public profile in the future.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights the dearth of publicly available information on the number and nature of Scottish prosecutions for ill-treatment or wilful neglect. It suggest ways in how this might be addressed.
Ambidexterity deconstructed: a hierarchy of capabilities perspective
Authors: Carter William R.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to deconstruct the organizational capability of ambidexterity into a typology of hierarchical dimensions that includes each type’s enabling mechanisms and capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

– This work reviews and integrates extant literature on ambidexterity and the hierarchy of capabilities to distinguish dimensions of ambidexterity and link each type to capabilities identified in prior research.

Findings

– A hierarchy involving zero-, first- and second-order ambidexterity is developed. Mechanisms and capabilities for creating and sustaining each type of ambidexterity are described.

Research limitations/implications

– As only an initial and conceptual foray toward the purpose stated above, this research does not attempt to argue a comprehensive theoretical framework. Nor does it intend to extend or propose new theory regarding the origins of ambidexterity capabilities or the specific causal relationships between them.

Practical implications

– Although prior literature emphasizes approaches for achieving and maintaining ambidexterity, these generally refer to what is described here as zero-order ambidexterity. The hierarchical and holistic system view offered in this research suggests greater importance for second-order ambidexterity and capabilities of top managers for exercising cognitive, behavioral and process leadership complexity.

Originality/value

– Recent literature on ambidexterity begins to suggest varied types or levels of ambidexterity. No known work, however, has expressly deconstructed ambidexterity into component dimensions via the hierarchy of capabilities framework.
Understanding individuals’ initial and continued use of online auction marketplaces
Authors: Schlaegel Christopher
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The current study aims to systematically review the existing literature, identify the main determinants that impact individuals’ perceptions, attitude, intention and behavior and meta-analytically evaluate their respective strength. Moreover, this study examines the specific mechanism through which more distal factors, such as trust, risk, experience and enjoyment influence individuals’ decision in the context of online auction markets. Finally, the moderating effects of contextual and methodological factors that could potentially influence the relationships are explored. During the past two decades, a large number of empirical studies examined the factors that hinder or foster individuals’ initial and continued acceptance of online auction marketplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the effect sizes reported, 91 studies, including 95 independent samples (N= 36.788), the current study utilizes bivariate meta-analysis, meta-analytic structural equation modeling and weighted least squares regression moderator analysis to examine the nature of the identified relationships, the mechanisms through which they operate and the boundary conditions under which they do or do not hold.

Findings

– The results show that trust and experience explain individuals’ initial usage intention, while risk and experience explain actual usage behavior, indicating that these variables are viable extensions to the technology acceptance model in the context of online auction marketplaces. The results also demonstrate that, once individuals participate in online auction markets, trust and enjoyment are important predictors of satisfaction, which, in turn, is the strongest determinant of loyalty intention. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that cultural context acts as moderator and, to some degree, explains the mixed empirical findings in prior research.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the existing literature by identifying the main determinants and their average direct and indirect effect on the individuals’ decisions in online auction marketplaces. The findings provide critical insights into the complex network of relationships which impact individuals’ perceptions, attitude, intention and behavior to initially and continuously use online auction marketplaces. Furthermore, the result contributes to the existing research by examining the effect of contextual and methodological boundary conditions – moderating factors that are difficult to test in primary studies.
Empowering and trustful leadership: impact on nurses’ commitment
Authors: Freire Carla Maria Freitas da Costa , Azevedo Ricardo Manuel Machado
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of workplace empowerment and staff nurses’ perceptions of trustworthiness in their supervisor as determinators of organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 189 nurses working at Portuguese public hospitals.

Findings

– Results indicate that an empowering work context was significantly predictive of nurses’ affective commitment and on the perceptions of trustworthiness of the supervisor. The employees who understand that they have access to factors of empowerment (formal power, informal power, resources, opportunity, support and information), and feel that they can influence the organization where they work, are in a better position to establish affective connections with the organization, as well as to perceive their supervisor as trustworthy.

Research limitations/implications

– One limitation relates to the generalization of the study’s findings outside the national context.

Practical implications

– Organizations must meet the conditions that contribute to increasing the organizational commitment of healthcare professionals when developing policies for human resources since the emotional bond with the organization seems to provide the strength to withstand moments of great difficulties.

Originality/value

– This research contributes to the understanding of how fostering empowering and trustful leadership will generate positive effects on job attitudes, even in a particularly difficult context of austerity.
Linking high involvement human resource practices to employee proactivity
Authors: Maden Ceyda
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between employees’ perceptions of high-involvement human resource (HR) practices, their levels of work engagement and learning goal orientation, and their proactive behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample of the study included 240 employees who work in Istanbul, Turkey, chosen from the major industries that represent the economic profile of this city. The hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling procedure.

Findings

– The results revealed that apart from perceived recognition, all the perceived high-involvement HR practices were positively related to employees’ work engagement, which in turn predicted their learning goal orientation. Besides, the results indicated that work engagement affected both individual innovation and feedback inquiry significantly, whereas learning goal orientation predicted only feedback inquiry. Finally, the findings revealed that only perceived empowerment and competency development practices were linked to feedback inquiry through work engagement and learning goal orientation.

Research limitations/implications

– The generalizability of the findings is limited. The data are based on self-report and the use of cross-sectional data does not allow any definite conclusions to be drawn about causality.

Practical implications

– Organizations that aim to increase employee proactivity need first to identify the means of increasing work engagement. One way of increasing engagement levels among employees is to invest in various kinds of supportive, high-involvement HR practices, such as competence development and information sharing.

Originality/value

– This study explores the notion of high-involvement HR practices with employee proactivity in an integrative way by viewing work engagement as a latent mechanism that links high-involvement HR practices to proactive behaviors both directly and indirectly via increased learning goal orientation.
Do employees high in general human capital tend to have higher turnover intention? The moderating role of high-performance HR practices and P-O fit
Authors: Wei Yu-Chen
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how high-performance HR practices and person-organization fit (P-O fit) affect general human capital and turnover intention. The author introduce and test a multilevel model to measure the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

– A longitudinal research study was conducted using survey data collected from 456 engineers and their immediate supervisors in 31 Taiwanese high-technology companies.

Findings

– The findings show: first, general human capital can positively predict turnover intention. Second, the P-O fit moderates the positive relationship between general human capital and turnover intention since the stronger the P-O fit, the weaker this relationship. Third, the P-O fit can negatively predict turnover intention. Fourth, high-performance HR practices are positively related to general human capital and weaken the relationship between general human capital and turnover intention.

Practical implications

– Companies should ensure employees are a good match with their organizations to reduce the negative impact of the loss of talented employees on the organization. In addition, organizations should build HR systems that attract and retain outstanding employees.

Originality/value

– This study integrates a strategic perspective and a person-environment fit perspective to understand the impact of general human capital on individual leaving attitudes. This paper contributes to the literature because, to the author’s knowledge, it is the first study to examine the effects of high-performance HR practices and P-O fit on talented employee retention.
Explaining the black box: HPWS and organisational climate
Authors: Cafferkey Kenneth , Dundon Tony
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between human resource practices (HRP) and employee outcomes at two distinct levels of analysis. While significant evidence exists as to the occurrence of a relationship, the mechanisms and process through which this happens remain largely unexplored. This paper aims to test the impact of organisational climate (OC) as a mediating mechanism between HRP and employees’ outcomes as the expected routed to organisational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses two related surveys to test the research propositions at two different levels. First a macro management-based survey of multiple top performing organisations provides the basis for locating a suitable case organisation to test the same propositions using an employee-based survey.

Findings

– The findings indicate that OC is shown to be an important and neglected mediating factor in the causal relationship between HR and employee outcomes. The findings also indicate that the strength of the relationship is dependent on the level of analysis employed.

Originality/value

– The originality/value of the findings argue that employees are better placed to report on items such as the impact of human recourse management practice and OC outcomes on performance indicators over and above their managerial counterparts.
Peer research with young Muslims and the politics of knowledge production
Authors: Vassadis Anna , Karimshah Ameera , Harris Anita , Youssef Youssef
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to draw on the authors’ experiences as a team made up of both “insiders” and “outsiders” in order to investigate how an insider-outsider peer research method facilitates productive forms of research into the lives of young Muslims, and to contribute to debates about ways of knowing youth. The authors aim to shift focus from a common claim that peer research methods simply improve research about youth to more deeply investigate how they enable, as well as limit, the production of particular kinds of knowledge, in this case, about Muslim youth in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research aimed to explore how “ordinary” young Australian Muslims engage in civic life. Yet the authors were faced with the challenge of accessing and recruiting “ordinary” youth in times of Islamophobia, wherein Muslim communities expressed serious concerns about their voices being misinterpreted, misused and misappropriated. Therefore, the authors sought to utilise an approach of outsider-designed and guided research that was then shaped and executed by insider peer researchers. It is this research design and its execution that the authors interrogate in this paper.

Findings

– As well as affording the authors access and the elicitation of rich, complex and high-quality data, the approach also fostered more complex stories about young Muslim identities and experiences, and enabled the authors to contest some common and homogenising representations. It also allowed opportunities for fundamental issues inherent in these kinds of qualitative research methods to be made explicit. These include the politics of performativity and issues of positionality in the peer research process. The authors suggest that the “insider” and “outsider” approach succeeded not so much because it got the authors closer to the “truth” about young Muslims’ civic lives, but because it revealed some of the mechanics of the ways stories are constructed and represented in youth research.

Originality/value

– The originality and value of this paper lie in its contribution to a debate about the politics of knowledge production about young people and Muslims in particular, and in its effort to move forward a discussion about how to be accountable in youth research to the various communities and to one another in insider-outsider research teams.
The methodological challenge of cross-national qualitative research
Authors: Martinus Kirsten , Hedgcock David
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the difficulties faced during the interview process in a cross-national qualitative comparative case study between Japan and Australia. It discusses the challenges in producing insightful data and preserving the integrity of findings when methodologies are influenced by different cultural and professional environments.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explores literature on cross-national qualitative research in the context of policy research as well as the philosophical and professional differences between Japan and Western countries (like Australia). It reflects on practical examples and strategies used by the researcher during the ethics and interview processes when adapting widely accepted qualitative case study methodology to suit the Japanese cultural and professional environment.

Findings

– The paper finds that linguistic, cultural, professional and philosophical differences between the countries challenged initial researcher assumptions that comparability between the case study regions would be maintained through the application of accepted methodologies and an “insider” status. It observes that the quest to generate rich and insightful data places the character and capability of the researcher as central in the research process.

Originality/value

– This paper provides practical examples and strategies for social science researchers using interview methods in Japan and Australian. It points to a need for further research on the ambiguous and elusive nature of the “insider” paradigm as well as the “comparability” of cross-national qualitative case studies when methodological “flexibility” is used to enrich and preserve the integrity of research findings.
Understanding breast cancer patients’ journey from diagnosis through survivorship
Authors: Williams Faustine
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to understand the lived experiences of women who have been diagnosed, treated and are cancer free as survivors.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using purposive sampling approach, participants were recruited from two Missouri cancer centers. A total of 15 breast cancer free women (ten white and five black) were interviewed. The participants ranged in age from 34 to 62 years, and all had at least a bachelor degree.

Findings

– Eight unique themes were identified from the interviews. The women noted that maintaining positive attitude, and support from family and friends were the greatest resources that helped them through their cancer journey. They were generally positive about their experiences but uncertain what “survivor” meant individually and personally.

Research limitations/implications

– All the women in this study had at least a college degree, stable family economic resources and health insurance.

Originality/value

– The women interviewed in this study did not want to be called breast cancer “survivors” which is a common name for anyone who has been diagnosed, treated and cancer free. For those who are breast cancer educators, nurses, medical practitioners and counselors it is important to consider how they use the word “survivor.” Referring to women who have successfully completed a treatment program for breast cancer as “survivors” attaches an identity that may not be accepted by all.
International human rights law: a selected annotated bibliography
Authors: Burchfield Amy
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This selected annotated bibliography guides users to print and online tools for researching international human rights law.

Design/methodology/approach

– To research international human rights law, users may need to access a wide range of resources that represent varying levels of depth and analysis. Thus, this selected annotated bibliography reviews a selection of dictionaries, handbooks, nutshells, encyclopedias, guides and Web sites that will be useful to scholars, students, practitioners and the general public. The results of a trial search for information on the women’s human rights are included for each resource.

Findings

– As recent world events such as the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War make headlines, the need for understanding international human rights law continues to be essential to life in a just society. The resources reviewed here help researchers, practitioners and the general public better understand the human rights implications of the events happening around them today, as well as past events.

Originality/value

– This is an original bibliography that aims to select and review tools for researching international human rights law from a variety of types and formats. It may be valuable to librarians working in academic, school and public libraries who handle questions about human rights, legal issues and world events.
College recruiting using social media: how to increase applicant reach and reduce recruiting costs
Authors: Wazed Shahid , Ng Eddy S.W.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative approach to traditional campus recruiting, using the social media. Specifically, we propose a three-step strategy using Facebook to attract and recruit college graduates.

Design/methodology/approach

– In Step 1, employers use Facebook to attract as many target students as possible to an employer’s Fan page. In Step 2, employers actively engage with students to enhance their employer brand as a prospective employer. In Step 3, employers initiate a call-to-action to encourage students to act upon a job opportunity and apply for the position.

Findings

– Social media recruiting can payoff in several ways: First, employers have the advantage of speed through social media recruiting. Second, employers also have broad and frequent access to college students. Employers will also reduce their overall college recruiting costs and lastly, employers enhance their overall employment branding through the use of Facebook for college recruiting.

Practical implications

– Given the impending retirement of baby boomers, there is an urgent need to recruit college graduates in large numbers. Historically, college recruiting has been the preferred channel; however, few students attend campus career fairs or find information sessions and their campus career centers helpful. As an alternative, employers should consider using social media as a recruiting tool to attract and recruit college graduates.

Originality/value

– Social media recruiting has the potential to help smaller employers stand out among larger employers, reach out to a larger pool of candidates, speed up the recruitment process and reduce overall recruitment costs.
Encouraging millennials to collaborate and learn on the job
Authors: Trees Lauren
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present enterprise social networking and gamification as two potential tools to help organizations engage Millennial employees in collaboration and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research provides general descriptions of enterprise social networking and gamification approaches, shares data on adoption of these approaches from APQC’s “2015 Knowledge Management Priorities Data Report” (based on a January 2015 survey of 524 knowledge management professionals) and includes four company examples adapted from APQC’s Connecting People to Content and Transferring and Applying Critical Knowledge best practices studies. The methodology for APQC’s best practices studies involves screening 50 or more organizations with potential best practices in a given research scope area and identifying five or six with proven best practices. APQC then conducts detailed site visits with the selected organizations and publishes case studies based on those site visits.

Findings

– Enterprise social networking platforms are in place at 50 per cent of organizations, with another 25 per cent planning to implement them by the end of 2015. By providing near-immediate access to information and answers, enterprise social networking helps Millennials learn the ropes at their new workplaces, gives them direct access to more knowledgeable colleagues who can assist and mentor them, and helps them improve their business outcomes by reusing knowledge and lessons learned across projects. Younger workers can also harness the power of social networking to create a sense of belonging and build their reputations in large, dispersed firms, where it is particularly difficult for them to gain visibility. A recent APQC survey indicates that 54 per cent of organizations either currently employ gamification to encourage collaboration or expect to implement it within the next three years. The rush to gamify the enterprise is, at least in part, a reflection of employers’ desire to satisfy Millennials and make them feel connected to a community of co-workers. Although games appeal to a wide range of age groups, Millennials grew up with digital interaction and tend to prefer environments that emphasize teamwork, social learning and frequent feedback – all of which can be delivered through gamification.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is to introduce the value of and relationship between enterprise social networking and gamification platforms to human resource (HR) professionals looking to increase engagement and retention rates for Millennial employees.
Creating and sustaining a highly engaged company culture in a multigenerational workplace
Authors: Blattner John , Walter Thomas J.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how organizations can create and sustain a highly engaged, high performing company culture, one that fully integrates and leverages the strengths of boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials.

Design/methodology/approach

– Once a company run with a command and control approach, Tasty Catering leadership was confronted by its younger generation, mid-level leaders who said, “We no longer wanted to be told what to do”. Instead, they wanted to be given clearly defined tasks with identified outcomes and measures, and the freedom to pursue those goals how they so choose. In short, they wanted to change from “command and control” management to “team” leadership. After considerable thought, Tasty Catering leadership decided to embrace this creative destruction and the transformation began. From all employees reading Good to Great and breaking into teams to discuss applicability to the company to employee-led development of company culture starting with core values, the leadership team witnessed the beginning of something they realized was going to take their organization to new heights. This case study will outline key steps for leaders and HR leaders with lessons learned and tips for success as they transform with team leadership, open-book management and engaging younger workers.

Findings

– Business and HR leaders should consider assessing their organizational culture and effectiveness to gain a baseline and make measurable improvements. PAS International administered Tasty Catering’s assessment using the Organizational Culture Inventory® (OCI®) and the Organizational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI®), finding a rare and very strong match up of ideal and current operating culture for both employee and leadership segments in an organization. The results of the assessment, normed against more than a thousand other organizations, validate Tasty Catering’s healthy, high performing work environment.

Originality/value

– The culture-based leadership model and financial transparency led and implemented by Tasty Catering’s younger workers are examples of workplace practices that enable high employee involvement, growth, development and recognition. The company’s cultural efforts continue to pay off in high staff morale, as well as a 14 percent rise in sales and a 117 per cent increase in profits last year. Recognizing the importance of sustainability and continuous improvement, all of Tasty Catering’s employees, those representing every generation, are constantly identifying the best and new ways to maintain their strong culture and performance link.
Transparency policy and students’ satisfaction and trust
Authors: Medina Cayetano , Rufín Ramón
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyse the effectiveness of the transparency policy carried out by a public university in terms of the impact on students’ satisfaction and trust. The loss of trust suffered by public institutions means that they are trying to identify the existing formulae so that this can be restored, and this includes transparency. In universities, certain changes in their situation mean that the demand for transparency policies is even greater.

Design/methodology/approach

– To carry out the transparency survey, data were collected using 6,180 valid questionnaires among the degree, postgraduate and continuing education students of the UNED. The statistical behaviour of the constructs included in the model was analysed by developing the structural equation model with SmartPLS.

Findings

– The results of this research show that transparency does have both a direct effect on trust and an indirect effect that is mediated by satisfaction. This latter indirect effect comes out stronger than the direct one. Thus, satisfaction emerges as a key factor for any research on the relationship between transparency and trust.

Originality/value

– This paper verifies the impact of the transparency policy on the satisfaction and trust towards a public university’s services.
Prevalence and characterization of Chlamydia DNA in zoo animals in Japan
Authors: Kabeya Hidenori , Sato Shingo , Maruyama Soichi
Published: July 2015

Because many people visit zoos, prevention of zoonoses is important from the standpoint of public health. This study examined the prevalence of Chlamydia among zoo animals in Japan by PCR and characterized these bacteria by performing phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of the variable domain (VD) 2 and VD4 regions of the ompA gene, which encodes the Chlamydia major outer membrane protein. Fecal samples were collected from 1150 zoo animals in five zoos and examined for Chlamydia DNA. Chlamydia psittaci DNA was found in 3.9% of mammals, 7.2% of birds and 8.1% of reptiles. The prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA was significantly higher in reptiles (5.8%) than in mammals (0.3%) and birds (0.3%). Phylogenetic analysis of the ompA VD2 region from 18 samples showed that nine were in three different clusters containing C. psittaci strains, six were in a cluster containing C. pneumoniae strains and three each formed a distinct branch. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of the ompA VD4 region showed that C. pneumoniae DNAs from reptiles were close to those from human patients. The C. pneumoniae DNAs from the European glass lizard, Emerald tree boa, and Panther chameleon were classified in clusters that were distinct from other strains, suggesting that these reptiles had each been infected with a specific C. pneumoniae genotype. This study showed that diverse Chlamydia strains have been prevalent among a variety of zoo animals.
Extreme precipitation reduces reproductive output of an endangered raptor
Authors: Fisher Ryan J. , Wellicome Troy I. , Bayne Erin M. , Poulin Ray G. , Todd L. Danielle , Ford Adam T.
Published: July 2015

The frequency and intensity of extreme weather has increased in North America against a backdrop of anthropogenic land change. Few studies have examined how wildlife is affected by extreme weather, and none have examined whether any resulting effects are contingent upon the degree of anthropogenic landscape change.

Using an 8‐year study in Canada (2003–2010), we examined how nest survival of burrowing owls Athene cunicularia varied in relation to weather, vegetation and soil type around the nest. Using a 3‐year (1992, 1993 and 1996) feeding experiment, we examined whether food limitation also causes owlet mortality during inclement weather. Lastly, we examined how productivity (i.e. annual fledgling output) between 2003 and 2010 varied as a function of breeding season precipitation anomalies. Using this relationship, we estimated how productivity has changed in response to breeding season precipitation anomalies from 1960 to 2012.

During extreme precipitation events, nest survival decreased because of flooding. When burrow flooding did not occur, the youngest owlets in broods that were not food‐supplemented had the lowest survival rates when there was precipitation, yet almost all food‐supplemented owlets survived bouts of inclement weather. Accordingly, annual productivity from 2003 to 2010 varied inversely with breeding season precipitation anomalies, and we estimated that mean annual productivity decreased by 12% from 1960 to 2012.

Synthesis and applications. Extreme rainfall during the breeding season reduced reproductive success of burrowing owls. Given that many raptors experience food limitation during extreme rainfall, large‐scale habitat management to increase the abundance and availability of prey may allow these species to better withstand acute food shortages. In light of predicted increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, supplemental feeding could be used in triage situations for burrowing owl management and has the potential to be an effective short‐term conservation measure for other raptors. Protecting or reclaiming pastures in uplands that are less prone to flooding would further buffer burrowing owls and other ground‐nesting species from extreme precipitation. These actions should mitigate the negative effects of extreme rainfall in the short term; however, long‐term persistence of many species will become increasingly uncertain, as climate change scenarios predict an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather.
Modelling the interactive effects of selective fishing and environmental change on Atlantic salmon demogenetics
Authors: Piou Cyril , Taylor Marc H. , Papaïx Julien , Prévost Etienne
Published: July 2015

Changes in life‐history traits have been observed in many fish species over past decades. This led to the ‘fisheries‐induced evolution’ hypothesis proposing that fisheries may be causing genetic changes to populations through selective harvesting. Another hypothesis, which is not mutually exclusive, is that observed changes are due to phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental changes.

Using an individual‐based demogenetic model, we investigate the relative importance of selective fishing and environmental change scenarios on the Atlantic salmon Salmo salar.

In simulation experiments, results show that poor oceanic growth conditions resulting from environmental change drove mainly phenotypic responses, such as a shift towards a multiple‐sea‐winter life history accompanied by a decline in population size. These changes were attributable to the longer time needed to reach maturation and the resulting increase in cumulative mortality during the oceanic phase.

Increased selective fishing against multiple‐sea‐winter fish mainly induced an evolutionary effect in the form of a lower maturation threshold in females, increasing the proportion of one sea‐winter fish. The maturation threshold of males was not modified by selective fishing due to their earlier reproduction and return after a single winter at sea, thereby avoiding most of the selective effects of fishing.

Policy implications. The results suggest that given the present configuration of traditional fisheries, fishing is likely to worsen the effects of oceanic environmental change. Management strategies avoiding targeting multiple‐sea‐winter fish may need to be considered in order to ensure the populations’ resilience to poor oceanic conditions for growth.
Towards a mechanistic understanding of human‐induced rapid environmental change: a case study linking energy development, nest predation and predators
Authors: Hethcoat Matthew G. , Chalfoun Anna D.
Published: July 2015

Demographic consequences of human‐induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) have been widely documented for many populations. The mechanisms underlying such patterns, however, are rarely investigated and yet are critical to understand for effective conservation and management.

We investigated the mechanisms underlying reduced avian nest survival with intensification of natural gas development, an increasing source of human‐induced rapid environmental change globally. We tested the hypothesis that energy development increased the local activity of important nest predator species, thereby elevating nest predation rates. During 2011–2012, we surveyed predators and monitored 668 nests of Brewer's sparrows Spizella breweri (BRSP), sagebrush sparrows Artemisiospiza nevadensis (SASPs) and sage thrashers Oreoscoptes montanus (SATHs) breeding at twelve sites spanning a gradient of habitat loss from energy development in western Wyoming, USA.

Nine species, representing four mammalian and three avian families, were video‐recorded depredating eggs and nestlings. Important nest predator species differed across songbird species, despite similar nesting habitats. Approximately 75% of depredation events were by rodents.

Consistent with our predictions, detections of most rodent nest predators increased with surrounding habitat loss due to natural gas development, which was associated with increased probability of nest predation for our three focal bird species.

An altered nest predator assemblage was therefore at least partly responsible for elevated avian nest predation risk in areas with more surrounding energy development.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate one mechanism, that is the local augmentation of predators, by which human‐induced rapid environmental change can influence the demography of local populations. Given the accelerating trajectory of global energy demands, an important next step will be to understand why the activity and/or abundance of rodent predators increased with surrounding habitat loss from energy development activities.
Immunomodulation by splenectomy or by FTY720 protects the heart against ischemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Goltz D , Huss S , Ramadori E , Büttner R , Diehl L , Meyer R
Published: July 2015

The pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia‐reperfusion injury (MI/R) involves an inflammatory response in the myocardium undergoing reperfusion. Modulation of this response by splenectomy constitutes an option to protect the heart from MI/R. To mimic the effect of splenectomy in a pharmacological approach, the sphingosine‐1‐phosphate agonist FTY720 was applied at the onset of reperfusion. In a closed chest model of MI/R, infarct size was assessed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining after 1 h of ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion, and by Masson trichrome staining 21 days after reperfusion in splenectomised mice, mice post‐conditioned with FTY720 IP (1 mg/kg), and controls. In addition, hemodynamic parameters were recorded after 24 h and 21 days by catheterization. Infarct size, and immune cell invasion of phagocytic monocytes investigated by FACS after 24 h of reperfusion were significantly reduced by both splenectomy, and FTY720 treatment. Evaluation after 21 days of reperfusion revealed that FTY720 treated animals had an improved hemodynamic outcome compared to placebo treated as well as splenectomised animals. FTY720 treatment reduced cell injury as effectively as splenectomy by lowering the number of phagocytic monocytes invading the myocardium and ameliorated hemodynamic outcome within the first 21 days.
Fibroblast growth factor 23 is associated with the presence of coronary artery disease and the number of stenotic vessels
Authors: Hu Xiang , Ma Xiaojing , Pan Xiaoping , Hao Yaping , Luo Yuqi , Lu Zhigang , Bao Yuqian , Jia Weiping
Published: July 2015

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) has been reported to be involved in cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between FGF23 and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as the number of stenotic vessels. A total of 254 eligible participants (167 men and 87 postmenopausal women) were enrolled in this study. Coronary angiography was used for diagnosis of CAD. Serum intact FGF23 levels were determined by a two‐sided sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The median serum FGF23 levels of the entire study population were 39.9 (33.1–47.5) pg/mL. Serum FGF23 levels were higher in subjects with one‐vessel disease than those without CAD (P < 0.05), which further increased significantly in the subjects with multi‐vessel disease (P < 0.05). Serum FGF23 levels increased with cumulative number of stenotic vessels (P for trend < 0.001). Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed estimated glomerular filtration rate (standardized β = −0.298; P < 0.001) and body mass index (standardized β = 0.132; P = 0.049) were independent factors correlated with FGF23. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FGF23 was positively and independently associated with the presence of CAD (odds ratio = 1.058, 95% confidence interval = 1.025–1.092; P = 0.001). Additionally, FGF23 was also correlated with multi‐vessel disease significantly (odds ratio = 1.034, 95% confidence interval = 1.007–1.062; P = 0.013). In conclusion, serum FGF23 levels exhibit positive and independent association with the presence of CAD and increase with the cumulative number of stenotic vessels.
The expression of the imprinted gene pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 in placental tissues of preeclampsia and its effects on the proliferation, migration and invasion of trophoblast cells JEG‐3
Authors: Jin Feng , Qiao Chong , Luan Nannan , Shang Tao
Published: July 2015

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the most common hypertensive disorders and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for pregnant women and perinatal babies. Additionally, pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 (PHLDA2) is associated with placental dysfunction. However, the effect of PHLDA2 on trophoblast cell proliferation, migration and invasion has not been investigated. In this study, 15 PE patients and 15 normal pregnant women were recruited and clinical characteristics were summarized. Pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 levels in placental tissues were examined using real‐time PCR and western blot. Overexpression plasmid and PHLDA2 siRNA was introduced into JEG‐3 cells, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured using MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion capacities were assessed by wound healing and Transwell assays. It was found that PE patients collectively presented proteinuria, elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and lower gestational ages and birth weights. Pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 levels in the preeclamptic placenta were significantly upregulated. Pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 overexpression significantly arrested cells in the G0/G1 phase, inhibited cell proliferation and suppressed the migration and invasion of JEG‐3 cells. Pleckstrin homology‐like domain family A member 2 knockdown significantly blocked the cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Knockdown of PHLDA2 alleviated the inhibition on the migration and invasion of trophoblast cells JEG‐3. These findings illustrate that PHLDA2 may participate in PE pathogenesis and indicate its potential application in the early diagnosis of PE.
CCN2 and CCN5 exerts opposing effect on fibroblast proliferation and transdifferentiation induced by TGF‐β
Authors: Xu Honghai , Li Peng , Liu Mengting , Liu Cong , Sun Zhengming , Guo Xiong , Zhang Yuelin
Published: July 2015

Epidural fibrosis might occur after lumbar discectomy and contributes to failed back syndrome. Transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β has been reported to influence multiple organ fibrosis, in which connective tissue growth factor/cysteine‐rich 61/nephroblastoma overexpressed 2 (CCN2) and CCN5 are involved. However, the effect of CCN2 and CCN5 on TGF‐β induced fibrosis has not yet been elucidated. This study reports that CCN2 and CCN5 play opposing roles in cell proliferation and transdifferentiation of human skin fibroblasts or rabbit epidural scar‐derived fibroblasts exposed to TGF‐β. We observed that TGF‐β1 induced fibroblasts proliferation and differentiation in a dose‐dependent manner (from 0 μg/L to 20 μg/L). Meanwhile, CCN2 expression is up‐regulated while CCN5 expression is inhibited by TGF‐β1 exposure. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that CCN2 overexpression leads to promoted proliferation and elevated collagen and α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) expression, which are inhibited by CCN5 overexpression. Moreover, it is shown that the cysteine knot (CT) domain, present in CCN2 but absent in CCN5, plays an essential part in fibroblast proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, enhanced TGF‐β and CCN2 expression but decreased CCN5 expression is found in rabbit epidural scar‐derived fibroblasts. Overall, the results show the opposing effects of CCN2 and CCN5 on fibroblast proliferation and transdifferentiation induced by TGF‐β.
Using Elements of Popular Culture to Teach Africa’s International Relations
Authors: Gibert Marie V.
Published: July 2015

In this article, the author reﬂects on how she and her students were able to draw on elements of popular culture to develop their understanding of Africa’s international relations. The article shows, in particular, how the use of popular culture material has, as the relevant pedagogical literature suggests, strengthened student engagement and deepened their learning experience, notably by offering them greater freedom in their analysis and interpretation of the ideas and issues studied in class. Most importantly, the use of popular culture has helped them consider the very wide range of voices and views on Africa, its politics and international relations, but also apprehend popular culture as a political arena – one where political images and ideas are shaped that durably inform and inﬂuence international relations and politics.