bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The rise of Asian elephants and tigers: what makes Indian and Chinese firms competitive?
Authors: Berning Sue Claire
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the resources and determinants of capabilities and attributes which enable Indian and Chinese firms to develop competitive advantages. The leading research question asks whether the traditional concept of competitiveness can capture Indian and Chinese firms’ competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic and comprehensive literature review of 62 studies published between 1994 and 2016 with focus on Indian and Chinese firms is conducted to examine the nature and contextual conditions of their competitiveness, as well as the research methods and underlying theories.

Findings

Turning disadvantages into advantages and shifting the points of take-off are the most outstanding findings. Moreover, the majority of 88 per cent of the examined studies concludes that Indian and Chinese firms built nontraditional competitive strengths.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the unconventional competitiveness of Indian and Chinese firms, existing theoretical perspectives and research settings need revisions and extensions.

Originality/value

Unlike most extant research on India and China, which studies country- or industry-level variables using aggregate data, this paper reveals distinct patterns and similarities and differences of firm-level characteristics. In addition, by exclusively focusing on Indian and Chinese firms’ competitiveness, conclusions about their uniqueness and generalizability can be drawn.
A design template for transforming games into twenty-first century skills assessments
Authors: Scoular Claire
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The resources needed to develop assessments of the twenty-first century skills, such as problem solving and collaboration, are huge, and require the introduction of cost-effective methods (Griffin and Care, 2015). The intention of the design template is to identify whether the presented approach to game development is viable for measuring collaborative problem solving (CPS) and if so, by using the template the same measures can be captured regardless of the specific task context. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper demonstrates a design template which utilises learning analytics and applies a measurement model to transform games into the twenty-first century assessments. The design template provides parameters for game design that provide sufficient data capture in which a measurement model can be applied. The learning analytics approach allows for capture of student behaviours in game play. By applying the measurement model, inferences can be made about demonstrated behaviours that are indicative of student ability.

Findings

Following the task design template, it is evident that games can be designed taking into consideration the requirement for generalizability and measurement principles. In turn, tasks developed using a defined set of common characteristics and structure allow consistent measurement processes to be applied in an efficient and sufficient manner. In summary, this paper identifies a viable task design template in regards to design principles and scoring protocols for games generating measures of CPS.

Originality/value

This approach combines various fields of research to present an approach that is a feasible, effective and efficient method for capturing data that are useful for understanding complex social and cognitive skills. The design template presents a method by which games can be designed in a way that assesses cognitive and social skills and provides a platform on which additional games can be readily created.
Has European monetary union influenced the European Union bank lending flows to the EU countries from Central and Eastern Europe?
Authors: Tang Donny
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to modify the gravity model to identify the main determinants of the European Union (EU) bank lending to the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries during 1994-2012.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses both two-stage least squares and dynamic generalized method of moments to estimate the modified gravity model.

Findings

This study finds that the CEE countries with more developed stock markets have received the higher EU bank lending inflows. The EU banks have greater access to additional financing in the stock markets. Second, the higher stock market difference between the CEE and EU countries has boosted the EU bank lending. Compared to the developed EU stock markets, the less developed CEE stock markets have become more favorable to the EU banks seeking to earn higher profits.

Research limitations/implications

The CEE countries can further boost the EU bank lending inflows through deepening capital liberalization. They should facilitate easy foreign bank entry by reducing excessive bank legislations and regulations. Moreover, they can promote the EU bank lending through substantial EU bank integration. This can accelerate the major bank reform which would facilitate better bank supervision and regulations.

Originality/value

Most previous studies have primarily used the macroeconomic and institutional factors to explain the EU bank lending. In contrast, this study explores the growing importance of the CEE financial development and bilateral trade in explaining the EU bank lending.
Modelling channel partners’ opinions to achieve value-based relationship
Authors: Bhattacharya Subhajit
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The present competitive marketing environment demands effective role of distribution channels to create and develop a value-based infrastructure where companies can easily distribute their products into the consumers’ market. Relationship bonding between the channel partners and the company strengthens marketing efficiencies of the distribution function, which is supported by policies of the companies relating to joint business actions and value sharing. Both the tangible functional value and emotional functionalities play a vital role in the continuous success and the growth of distribution channel. The purpose of this paper is to understand the value-based distribution channel relationship for greater channel equity in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study used a survey design to collect data from 156 FMCG channel members selected through stratified random sampling procedure. A five-point Likert-type scale was personally administered to obtain participants’ responses. Data were analysed using the Relative to an Identified Distribution (RIDIT) approach.

Findings

The findings of the current research paper have demonstrated that in the current competitive marketing environment, only the functional values are not enough. This research paper identifies that there is a strong need of emotional touch and linkages which leads to a symbiotic channel–company relationship and commitments in FMCG industry.

Originality/value

The present research is an original and innovative thought process of evaluating factors influencing the value-based distribution channel relationship for greater channel equity pertaining to FMCG industry by using the RIDIT approach.
The investment turn
Authors: Dormer Rodney J.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the recently increased use of the word “investment” in the public management discourse. In particular, it examines the implications of this for accounting and public governance. It asks, is that discourse simply concerned to account for “investment” in the efficient provision of public goods and services? Or does it also seek to hold governments, and government agencies, to account for the results they achieve and, more broadly, for their investment in, and stewardship of, the capacity to do so in the future?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a range of literature as well as speeches made by both New Zealand politicians and officials to track the emergence and evolution of a discourse in respect of “an investment approach”. As such, the analysis represents a diachronic approach for, as Jäger and Meyer (2009) note: “To identify the knowledge of a society on a topic, the analyst has to reconstruct the genesis of this topic” (p. 46).

Findings

The initial adoption of “an investment approach” occurred in the context of attempts to gain a clearer focus on, and accountability for, the results of government interventions. Subsequently, a broader, and arguably more classic, conception of public investment has involved a developing focus on changes to the nation’s economic, social and environmental capitals. Both approaches provide significant practical challenges for accounting and the continued relevance of the accounting profession.

Research limitations/implications

The paper points to an urgent need to engage the accounting profession in debates that extend beyond the adoption of accrual accounting for the control of inputs and the provision of outputs. It is suggested that a future research agenda should focus on how models of well-being, and the public capitals that enable well-being, might be better accounted for and monitored.

Originality/value

This paper provides an insight into the emergence, spread and ultimate fading of the use of the word “investment” in the public policy discourse in New Zealand. However, it also places that process in a wider development that is focusing on citizens’ well-being. In so doing, it also highlights the challenges for the accounting profession created by the investment turn – whether relating to investment in operational activities or in public capitals.
Construction equipment engine performance degradation due to environmental and operation factors in Latin America
Authors: Azevedo Kurt , Olsen Daniel B.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the altitude at which construction equipment operates affects or contributes to increased engine wear.

Design/methodology/approach

The study includes the evaluation of two John Deere PowerTech Plus 6,068 Tier 3 diesel engines, the utilization of OSA3 oil analysis laboratory equipment to analyze oil samples, the employment of standard sampling scope and methods, and the analysis of key Engine Control Unit (ECU) data points (machine utilization, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and engine sensor data).

Findings

At 250 h of engine oil use, the engine operating at 3,657 meters above sea level (MASL) had considerably more wear than the engine operating at 416 MASL. The leading and earliest indicator of engine wear was a high level of iron particles in the engine oil, reaching abnormal levels at 218 h. The following engine oil contaminants were more prevalent in the engine operating at the higher altitude: potassium, glycol, water and soot. Furthermore, the engine operating at higher altitude also presented abnormal and critical levels of oil viscosity, Total Base Number and oxidation. When comparing the oil sample analysis with the engine ECU data, it was determined that engine idling is a contributor for soot accumulation in the engine operating at the higher altitude. The most prevalent DTCs were water in fuel, extreme low coolant levels and extreme high exhaust manifold temperature. The ECU operating data demonstrated that the higher altitude environment caused the engine to miss-fire and rail pressure was irregular.

Practical implications

Many of the mining operations and construction projects are accomplished at mid to high altitudes. This research provides a comparison of how construction equipment engines are affected by this type of environment (i.e. higher altitudes, cooler temperatures and lower atmospheric pressure). Consequently, service engineers can implement maintenance strategies to minimize internal engine wear for equipment operating at higher altitudes.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this paper will help construction equipment end-users, maintenance engineers and manufacturers to implement mitigation strategies to improve engine durability for countries with operating conditions similar to those described in this research.
Collaboratives to improve industrial maintenance contract relationships
Authors: De Jong Arjan , Smit Klaas
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how collaborative contracts can improve industrial maintenance contract relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The research compares performance contracts with collaborative contracts, a new contract type whereby the contract parties align their objectives. The study uses game theory and describes the contract types as mechanism designs to compare the contract types. The mechanisms are validated with case studies. The utility of the contract types is verified with Monte Carlo simulations using expert opinions.

Findings

The research demonstrates that, under certain conditions, collaborative contracts result in a higher utility than performance contracts for all contract parties.

Practical implications

The use of collaborative contracts between an operator of a technical system and a maintenance organisation reduces maintenance costs and improves the availability of the technical system, increasing the utility for all contract parties.

Originality/value

The collaborative contract is a new contract type for maintenance services and the research method provides a new approach to optimise industrial maintenance contract relationships.
Growth-focused resilience: development and validation of a new scale
Authors: Amir Muhammad Taufiq , Standen Peter
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This study argues that existing constructs of psychological resilience of employees focus too narrowly on recovery from adverse events. Therefore, this paper aims to present an alternative construct in which resilience reflects an intention to grow as a person when facing both opportunities and difficulties. Initial evidence for a measure of growth-based resilience is presented.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1, a six-step scale development procedure was used. Items were generated deductively, and an exploratory factor analysis on data from a sample of 167 Indonesian managers was used to refine the scale structure. Study 2 validated the Study 1 results using a two-step confirmatory factor analysis, including structural equation modelling, involving a second sample of 241 Indonesian managers.

Findings

Study 1 suggested a scale using 16 items reflecting two dimensions, Developmental Persistency, involving perseverance and commitment to growth, and Positive Emotion. Study 2 generally confirmed the structure of this measure and produced expected correlations with other theoretically related constructs. Overall, the findings support the reconceptualisation of resilience as a response to life challenges and opportunities focussed on growing as a person.

Research limitations/implications

Further testing of the validity of this construct is recommended, and its nomological network should be examined to clarify its relationship to related concepts such as hardiness, coping, thriving and similar qualities.

Practical implications

The growth-based perspective allows organisations to better assess and improve employee resilience as it more accurately reflects the nature of resilience as a fundamental “positive” dimension of human personality, where existing approaches focus merely on recovering from workplace adversities. An implication is that employee development efforts focussed more on personal development than specific work skills, or at least contextualising the latter in the person’s life context, will be more successful.

Originality/value

A more holistic view of resilience as the capacity for responding to life’s challenges and opportunities through personal growth resolves a number of issues created by existing recovery-based constructs.
Are collaboration and trust sources for innovation in the reverse logistics? Insights from a systematic literature review
Authors: Paula Istefani Carisio de , Campos Elaine Aparecida Regiani de , Pagani Regina Negri , Guarnieri Patricia , Kaviani Mohammad Amin
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose in this paper is to develop a systematic literature review aiming to reveal innovation opportunities associated with the thematic collaboration and trust in the reverse logistics field.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted a parallel analysis approach segregating the systematic literature review papers in two groups at NVivo®, collaboration and trust in the supply chain and collaboration and trust in reverse logistics, aiming to explore in the first group of papers insights for innovation on collaboration and trust in reverse logistics. The content analysis strategy was supported by the knowledge exchange theory described in Gravier et al. (2008).

Findings

Reverse logistics is hardly dissociated from broader sustainable supply chain management approaches, which make all considerations on collaboration and trust designed for such approaches valuable and valid for reverse logistics. Collaboration and trust concepts in supply chain and in reverse logistics contexts are quite similar, while collaboration/trust is mandatory for managing networks in sustainable approaches and in reverse logistics, as well. Downstream and upstream, the chain disruptive innovation business models may be developed between focal companies and returns system third-party logistics providers, fourth-party logistics providers or end-customers, in a business-to-customer collaboration approach. Several collaboration technologies are listed in three perspectives: knowledge sharing, knowledge generation and knowledge implementation.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses a specific protocol for the systematic literature review, and due to inclusion and exclusion criteria, other protocols can provide different results. The strategy of analysis under the knowledge exchange perspective may give a type of result different from other perspectives.

Originality/value

This research systematizes the existing knowledge on the collaborations and trust, which is a priority basis for reverse logistics, providing insights to researchers and practitioners in the area and identifying an agenda for future studies.
Role of compatibility and supply chain process integration in facilitating supply chain capabilities and organizational performance
Authors: Rajaguru Rajesh , Matanda Margaret J
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how compatibility between supply chain partners’ technological systems, as well as cultural and operational values, enhance supply chain process integration. Additionally, the paper examines whether supply chain capabilities mediate the relationship between supply chain process integration and organizational performance. The contradictory findings on the relationship between supply chain process integration and organizational performance in prior research point to the need for investigating the possibility of supply chain capabilities having a mediating effect on the link between the two factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used survey data from 302 managers and executives responsible for supply chain functions in food and hardware retailing businesses in Australia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses, and then Zhao et al.’s (2010) procedure was used to test for mediation effects.

Findings

The results indicate that technical, operational and cultural compatibility facilitates supply chain process integration. In support of dynamic capabilities theory, the study reveals the importance of integrating resources among supply chain partners to achieve supply chain capabilities, operational and competitive performance. Additionally, the current study found supply chain capabilities to play a mediating role on the relationships between supply chain process integration and organizational performance.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to supply chain management literature by identifying technical, operational and cultural compatibility as antecedents to supply chain process integration. By revealing the mediating role of supply chain capabilities, the paper highlights how supply chain process integration enhance operational and competitive performance.
Customer categorization, relational justice and SME performance in supermarket supply chains
Authors: Malagueño Ricardo , Gölgeci Ismail , Fearne Andrew
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of perceived relational justice on the relationship between key customer categorization and performance of small food and drink producers in supermarket supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data are derived from a sample of (small-scale) suppliers of local and regional food to a large British supermarket. Partial least squares regression analysis was used to test a conceptual framework, which positions relational justice as a mediator in the relationship between key customer categorization and supplier performance, moderated by the length of the relationship.

Findings

The findings reveal that small suppliers who perceive their treatment by their key customers as fair tend to achieve higher business performance, which supports the hypothesized mediating role of relational justice on supplier performance. However, this research found no evidence to support the hypothesis that this role is moderated by the length of the relationship between the supplier and buyer.

Originality/value

This paper makes a novel empirical contribution, focusing on performance outcomes for small-scale suppliers in a highly competitive environment (fast-moving consumer goods) with customers (supermarkets) who have significant market power. Accordingly, the paper shows that the way supermarket buyers treat their suppliers matters more for the performance of their suppliers than the very fact that they are key customers.
A step towards sustainable development in higher education in India by implementing new media technologies
Authors: Jampala Maheshchandra Babu , Shivnani Tina
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on changing the dynamics of higher education in the Indian education system toward a paperless approach by implementing new media technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The review paper highlights the need for sustainable development in higher education by using new media technologies by providing them with some real-time examples used in universities. This paper also highlights a different step toward the paperless approach in various universities in India. This paper draws the analysis based on the recent review of the literature as well as experience at the professional level.

Findings

The author discusses how the implementation of different new media technologies is helping universities in shifting toward a paperless approach for sustainable development and concern toward the environmental threat. To support the evidence, the authors have given some real-time examples through data collection and observations of various uses of new media technologies among private universities.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of various new media technologies and blends the critical issues of how technologies are changing the educational dimension toward a paperless approach among public and private universities in India. The paper also proposes to create a sustainable model by addressing the challenges by which the universities can support themselves and others.
Non Violent Resistance parent training and adolescent substance misuse
Authors: Attwood Juliette , Butler Catherine , Rogers Libby , Batterham Mark , Cousins Luke , Wilson Ramon
Published: February 2019

Adolescent substance misuse is increasingly being viewed as a systemic problem and several studies have shown the benefit of increased parental involvement. This article describes the evaluation of a ten‐week Non‐Violent Resistance (NVR) group parent training programme delivered within a Young People’s Specialist Substance Misuse Treatment Service. Eighteen participants completed questionnaires before and after the programme, and at follow‐up. Eight participants also took part in semi‐structured interviews. Parents reported experiencing the programme as unique and helpful, and highlighted some challenges. Measures of parental self‐efficacy and goal‐based outcomes showed significant improvement at the end of the programme, and improvement in parental self‐efficacy remained significant at follow‐up. This evaluation provides preliminary evidence that NVR parent training may be a useful intervention in this context. However, the generalisability of the data is limited and further research is needed.

Practitioner points

Non‐Violent Resistance parent training helps parents resist their child’s behaviour, manage their own emotional reactions, and recruit supporters from their wider network

Qualitative data suggests that parents who have attended this programme experience additional benefits to those found in qualitative evaluations of other parenting interventions

A group training programme delivered within a Young People’s Specialist Substance Misuse Treatment Service improves parents’ self‐efficacy and helps them achieve their goals for their children
The Right to Rent: Active Resistance to Evolving Geographies of State Regulation
Authors: Crawford Joe , Mckee Kim , Leahy Sharon
Published: February 2019

Drawing on recent qualitative research on the UK's Immigration Act 2016, this article sets out to explain the opposition of social housing professionals to the imposition of the Right to Rent. By locating this policy intervention within the evolving geographies of state regulation, it is possible to account for the mechanisms through which housing professionals can resist the extension of duties that were previously the remit of border agents and immigration officials. Synthesizing Bourdieu's critical sociology with Boltanski and Thevenot's sociology of critique helps explain not only the governmental underpinnings of contemporary immigration rhetoric, but also the forms of resistance for which housing professionals display a strong justification in exercising. The universal nature of ‘classification struggles’ within and beyond state institutions extends the relevance of this research to encompass most, if not all, welfarist regimes operating within actually existing neoliberal orders. The analysis of the findings of this research has wider implications that reach beyond housing and urban studies while immigration persists as one of the most significant contemporary political issues, almost without geographical exception, right across the globe.
Strain‐specific effects of parental age on offspring in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Lee Ji‐Hyeon , Seo Woong , Lee Shin‐Hae , Lee Hye‐Yeon , Min Kyung‐Jin
Published: February 2019

Maternal age is generally known to be negatively correlated with the lifespan of offspring in several animal models including yeast, rotifers, flies, and possibly in humans. However, several reports have shown positive effects of parental age on offspring lifespan. Thus, there was a need to investigate further the inconsistent results on the effect of parental age on lifespan. In this study, the effects of parental age on offspring fitness and lifespan were examined by using Drosophila melanogaster. The lifespan of offspring from old parents was significantly increased compared with that of the young counterparts in the Canton‐S (CS) strain but not in other D. melanogaster strains, such as Oregon‐R (OR) and w1118. To find out why the lifespan is increased in the offspring from old parents in CS flies, fitness components that could modulate lifespan were examined in CS flies. Egg weight and body weight were reduced by parental aging and the offspring of old fathers or old mothers developed faster than that of the young. In addition, the offspring of old parents had increased resistance to oxidative and heat shock stresses. However, reproductive capacity, mating preference, and food intake were unaffected by parental aging. These results indicate that parental aging in CS strain D. melanogaster has beneficial effects on the lifespan and fitness of offspring. The presence of strain‐specific manner effects suggests that genetic background might be a significant factor in the parental age effect.
Assessment of Alcohol Use in the Natural Environment
Authors: Piasecki Thomas M.
Published: February 2019

The current article critically reviews 3 methodological options for assessing drinking episodes in the natural environment. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) typically involves using mobile devices to collect self‐report data from participants in daily life. This technique is now widely used in alcohol research, but investigators have implemented diverse assessment strategies. This article focuses on “high‐resolution” EMA protocols that oversample experiences and behaviors within individual drinking episodes. A number of approaches have been used to accomplish this, including using signaled follow‐ups tied to drinking initiation, asking participants to log entries before and after individual drinks or drinking episodes, and delivering frequent signaled assessments during periods of the day when alcohol use is most common. Transdermal alcohol sensors (TAS) are devices that are worn continuously and are capable of detecting alcohol eliminated through the skin. These methods are appealing because they do not rely upon drinkers’ self‐report. Studies using TAS have been appearing with greater frequency over the past several years. New methods are making the use of TAS more tractable by permitting back‐translation of transdermal alcohol concentration data to more familiar estimates of blood alcohol concentration or breath alcohol concentration. However, the current generation of devices can have problems with missing data and tend to be relatively insensitive to low‐level drinking. An emerging area of research investigates the possibility of using mobile device data and machine learning to passively detect the user's drinking, with promising early findings. EMA, TAS, and sensor‐based approaches are all valid, and tend to produce convergent information when used in conjunction with one another. Each has a unique profile of advantages, disadvantages, and threats to validity. Therefore, the nature of the underlying research question must dictate the method(s) investigators select.
An Examination of Parental Permissiveness of Alcohol Use and Monitoring, and Their Association with Emerging Adult Drinking Outcomes Across College
Authors: Mallett Kimberly A. , Turrisi Rob , Reavy Racheal , Russell Michael , Cleveland Michael J. , Hultgren Brittney , Larimer Mary E. , Geisner Irene M. , Hospital Michelle
Published: February 2019

Background

Studies have shown that parents have a significant influence on emerging adult college students’ drinking during the first year of college. Limited research has been conducted to address the question of whether parenting later in college continues to matter in a similar manner. The current study utilized a prospective design to identify associations between parental permissiveness toward alcohol use and monitoring behaviors and student drinking outcomes during the first and fourth years of college.

Methods

Participants (N = 1,429) at 3 large public universities completed surveys during the fall semesters of their first (T1) and fourth years (T2) (84.3% retention). The study employed a saturated autoregressive cross‐lag model to examine associations between parental permissiveness of college student alcohol use, parental monitoring, student drinking, and consequences at T1 and T2, controlling for peer norms, sex, and campus.

Results

Examination of the association between parenting and student drinking outcomes revealed: (i) parental permissiveness was positively associated with drinking at T1 and again at T2; (ii) parental permissiveness had indirect effects on consequences via the effects on drinking at both times. Specifically, a 1‐unit increase in parental permissiveness at T1 resulted in students experiencing 4 to 5 more consequences as a result of their drinking; (iii) parental permissiveness was not directly associated with monitoring at T1 or T2; and (iv) parental monitoring was significantly associated with drinking at T1 but not T2.

Conclusions

The findings provide evidence for the continued importance of parenting in the fourth year of college and parents expressing low permissiveness toward student drinking may be beneficial to reducing risky drinking even as students turn 21.
Genome‐wide association study identifies variants in theCAPN9gene associated with umbilical hernia in pigs
Authors: Li X. , Xu P. , Zhang C. , Sun C. , Li X. , Han X. , Li M. , Qiao R.
Published: February 2019

Pig umbilical hernia (UH) affects pig welfare and brings considerable economic loss to the pig industry. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying pigUHare still poorly understood. To identify potential loci for susceptibility to this disease, we performed a genome‐wide association study in an Erhualian × Shaziling F2intercross population. A total of 45 animals were genotyped using Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChips. We observed aSNP(rs80993347) located in thecalpain‐9(CAPN9) gene onSus scrofachromosome 14 that was significantly associated withUH(P = 1.97 × 10−10). Then, we identified a synonymous mutation rs321865883 (g.20164T>C) in exon 10 of theCAPN9gene that distinguished two affected individuals (CC) from their normal full‐sibs (TC). Finally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction was explored to investigate themRNAexpression profile of theCAPN9gene in 12 tissues in Yorkshire pigs at different developmental stages (3, 90 and 180 days).CAPN9showed high expression levels in the gastrointestinal tract at these three growth stages. The results of this study indicate that theCAPN9gene might be implicated inUH. Further studies are required to establish a role ofCAPN9in pigUH.
Letter: anxiety after coeliac disease diagnosis predicts mucosal healing—a population‐based study
Authors: Kilincalp Serta , Haji Amil Younes
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Ludvigsson et al and Emilsson and Ludvigsson papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14991 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15130.
Editorial: is cirrhosis depressing?
Authors: Argent Vikki , Smyth Roger Simon
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Buganza‐Torio et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15068.
Editorial: simplifying screening for primary liver cancer – do the LCR1 and LCR2 tests hold the key? Authors' reply
Authors: Poynard Thierry , Deckmyn Olivier , Housset Chantal ,   the HECAM‐FibroFrance Group
Published: February 2019

Linked Content

This article is linked to Poynard et al and Drake and Bird papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15082 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15119.
Earnings‐based Delisting Regulations and Government Subsidies
Authors: Li Zhaohua
Published: February 2019

This paper examines who receives government subsidies when a firm faces delisting risk and how subsidies affect such a firm's performance in China. It focuses on the accounting‐based delisting rule issued in 1998 that relies heavily on the profitability of firms. Using the probit model, this study finds that subsidies are less likely to be granted to a firm that has a higher risk of being delisted than a healthy firm, but are more likely to be granted to such a firm if it is state‐owned. It is also found that having a political connection increases a firm's chance of receiving subsidies, but such an effect disappears when a firm faces a delisting risk. In assessing the impact of a subsidy on firm performance, this study shows that a subsidy increases a firm's valuation and profitability for firms at delisting risk.
Variations in chemical element compositions in different types of Holocene calcareous root tubes in the Tengger Desert, NW China, and their palaeoenvironmental significance
Authors: Zhu Ruixia , Li Zhuolun , Gao Youhong , Chen Qiujie , Yu Qiangjing
Published: February 2019

Calcareous root tubes (CRTs) contain abundant information about palaeoenvironmental conditions and have been used for palaeoenvironmental studies in the desert hinterlands of arid regions. However, as subclasses of CRTs, calcareous sheaths and rhizocretions are formed by different processes, and it remains unclear whether these differences produce variations in the chemical element composition. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether variations in chemical element concentrations amongst different subclasses of the CRTs can affect palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. In this study, we collected 54 CRT samples from the Tengger Desert of northwestern China. All samples were dated by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C dating, and the chemical element composition and concentration differences of the two CRT subclasses were determined using X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry. The CRT samples were dated to the Holocene. The calcareous sheath and rhizocretion samples contained varying concentrations of the same chemical elements. The rhizocretions had high concentrations of mobile elements (Ca, Mg and Sr) and P, whereas the calcareous sheaths had high concentrations of stable elements, including Al, Si, Ti, Zr, Rb and Ba. These differences were due to the different formation processes of the two subclasses of CRTs. Moreover, the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios in the calcareous sheaths were higher than those in the rhizocretions from the same period, but these ratio differences had little effect on palaeo‐effective moisture reconstructions at the millennial scale during the Holocene. The reconstructions were not influenced by the various CRT subclasses. The Holocene millennial‐scale moisture changes in the Tengger Desert revealed by the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios showed that there was an arid period during the Early Holocene, a humid period during the Middle Holocene and a humid to arid period during the Late Holocene.
The effects of mindfulness training on suicide ideation among left‐behind children in China: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lu Runhao , Zhou Yuyang , Wu Qian , Peng Xiaoxue , Dong Jing , Zhu Zhi , Xu Wei
Published: February 2019

Background

The population of left‐behind children is growing rapidly in China in recent years. Without parents' company, left‐behind children may develop severe emotional problems, which can trigger extreme behaviours such as self‐harm and suicide. Previous literature suggests that mindfulness‐based intervention could effectively alleviate a variety of sufferings such as anxiety and suicide ideation. The current study sought to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based intervention on suicide ideation among left‐behind children in China.

Methods

This study investigated the effects of an 8‐week mindfulness training programme on suicide ideation of left‐behind children in China. Forty‐nine left‐behind children completed a pretest and posttest on mindfulness level, social anxiety, self‐esteem, and suicide ideation, with 21 in the mindfulness training group and 28 in the waitlist control group.

Results

Adjusting for pretest differences analyses of covariance found that, compared with waitlist control group, the mindfulness training group showed a significant improvement in mindfulness level and decreases in social anxiety and suicide ideation after the 8‐week mindfulness training.

Conclusion

The findings from this study support that the use of mindfulness‐based intervention can effectively reduce the suicide ideation and social anxiety of left‐behind children in China.
Mitochondrial integrity in neurodegeneration
Authors: Cowan Katrina , Anichtchik Oleg , Luo Shouqing
Published: February 2019

The mitochondrion is a unique organelle with a diverse range of functions. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key pathological process in several neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria are mostly important for energy production; however, they also have roles in Ca2+ homeostasis, ROS production, and apoptosis. There are two major systems in place, which regulate mitochondrial integrity, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy. These two processes remove damaged mitochondria from cells and protect the functional mitochondrial population. These quality control systems often become dysfunctional during neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, causing mitochondrial dysfunction and severe neurological symptoms.
Parental coping socialization is associated with healthy and anxious early‐adolescents’ neural and real‐world response to threat
Authors: Butterfield Rosalind D. , Siegle Greg J. , Lee Kyung Hwa , Ladouceur Cecile D. , Forbes Erika E. , Dahl Ronald E. , Ryan Neal D. , Sheeber Lisa , Silk Jennifer S.
Published: February 2019

The ways parents socialize their adolescents to cope with anxiety (i.e., coping socialization) may be instrumental in the development of threat processing and coping responses. Coping socialization may be important for anxious adolescents, as they show altered neural threat processing and over reliance on disengaged coping (e.g., avoidance and distraction), which can maintain anxiety. We investigated whether coping socialization was associated with anxious and healthy adolescents’ neural response to threat, and whether neural activation was associated with disengaged coping. Healthy and clinically anxious early adolescents (N = 120; M = 11.46 years; 71 girls) and a parent engaged in interactions designed to elicit adolescents’ anxiety and parents’ response to adolescents’ anxiety. Parents’ use of reframing and problem solving statements was coded to measure coping socialization. In a subsequent visit, we assessed adolescents’ neural response to threat words during a neuroimaging task. Adolescents’ disengaged coping was measured using ecological momentary assessment. Greater coping socialization was associated with lower anterior insula and perigenual cingulate activation in healthy adolescents and higher activation in anxious adolescents. Coping socialization was indirectly associated with less disengaged coping for anxious adolescents through neural activation. Findings suggest that associations between coping socialization and early adolescents’ neural response to threat differ depending on clinical status and have implications for anxious adolescents’ coping.
Microhabitat preferences of fish assemblages in the Udzungwa Mountains (Eastern Africa)
Authors: Muñoz‐Mas Rafael , Sánchez‐Hernández Javier , Martínez‐Capel Francisco , Tamatamah Rashid , Mohamedi Shafi , Massinde Richard , McClain Michael E.
Published: February 2019

Environmental flow assessment (EFA) involving microhabitat preference models is a common approach to set ecologically friendly flow regimes in territories with ongoing or planned projects to develop river basins, such as many rivers of Eastern Africa. However, habitat requirements of many African fish species are poorly studied, which may impair EFAs. This study investigated habitat preferences of fish assemblages, based on species presence–absence data from 300 microhabitats collected in two tributaries of the Kilombero River (Tanzania), aiming to disentangle differences in habitat preferences of African species at two levels: assemblage (i.e. between tributaries) and species (i.e. species‐specific habitat preferences). Overall, flow velocity, which implies coarser substrates and shallower microhabitats, emerged as the most important driver responsible of the changes in stream‐dwelling assemblages at the microhabitat scale. At the assemblage level, we identified two important groups of species according to habitat preferences: (a) cover‐orientated and limnophilic species, including Barbus spp., Mormyridae and Chiloglanis deckenii, and (b) rheophilic species, including Labeo cylindricus, Amphilius uranoscopus and Parakneria spekii. Rheophilic species preferred boulders, fast flow velocity and deeper microhabitats. At the species level, we identified species‐specific habitat preferences. For instance, Barbus spp. preferred low flow velocity shallow depth and fine‐to‐medium substratum, whereas L. cylindricus and P. spekii mainly selected shallow microhabitats with coarse substrata. Knowledge of habitat preferences of these assemblages and species should enhance the implementation of ongoing and future EFA studies of the region.
Acute endovascular reperfusion treatment in patients with ischaemic stroke and large‐vessel occlusion (Denmark 2011–2017)
Authors: Truelsen T. , Hansen K. , Andersen G. , Sørensen L. , Madsen C. , Diaz A. , Stavngaard T. , Hundborg H. H. , Højgaard J. , Hjort N. , Iversen H. K. , Johnsen S. P. , Simonsen C. Z.
Published: February 2019

Background and purpose

Acute endovascular reperfusion treatment (aERT) of stroke patients with large‐vessel occlusions is efficacious and safe according to several clinical trials. Data on outcome and safety of aERT in daily clinical routine are warranted and, in this study, we present national data from Denmark during 2011–2017.

Methods

National data for Denmark from 2011 to 2017 on all aERT procedures in patients with acute ischaemic stroke and computed tomography angiography/magnetic resonance angiography‐verified large‐vessel occlusion were derived from the Danish Stroke Registry, a national clinical quality registry to which reporting is mandatory for all hospitals treating stroke patients. Outcome (modified Rankin Scale score) after 3 months, including time of death, was assessed prospectively based on clinical examination or the Danish Civil Registration System.

Results

During the 7 years of observation, a total of 1720 patients were treated with aERT. The annual number of procedures increased from 128 in 2011 to 409 in 2017. The median age was 70 years, 58% were males and median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at baseline was 16. Median time from symptom onset to groin puncture was 238 min with a decreasing trend during the years. Successful recanalization was reported in 1306 (76%) patients. At 3‐month follow‐up, an modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2 was reported in 46% of patients, whereas 14% of patients had died.

Conclusion

Routine data on aERT in acute ischaemic stroke in Denmark from 2011 to 2017 suggest that the procedure is safe and efficacious.
Uveitis and optic perineuritis in the context of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody seropositivity
Authors: Ramanathan S. , Fraser C. , Curnow S. R. , Ghaly M. , Leventer R. J. , Lechner‐Scott J. , Henderson A. , Reddel S. , Dale R. C. , Brilot F.
Published: February 2019

Background and purpose

Antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) have been identified in both children and adults with demyelination, with a strong association with bilateral or recurrent optic neuritis (ON). However, the full clinical spectrum of this newly described condition is unknown. We sought to describe non‐ON inflammatory ophthalmological presentations such as uveitis and optic perineuritis in the context of MOG antibody seropositivity.

Methods

Using a live cell‐based assay analysed by flow cytometry, we identified seropositive patients referred for MOG antibody testing in Australasia between 2014 and 2017. We identified four MOG antibody‐positive patients with non‐ON inflammatory ophthalmological presentations and present their detailed clinical information in this case series.

Results

Three patients had uveitis either in association with, or remote from, ON. One patient had optic perineuritis and peripheral ulcerative keratitis. We describe the presentation, examination, investigation findings and clinical course of these four patients.

Conclusions

Recognition of these novel clinical associations may expand the clinical spectrum of MOG antibody‐associated presentations. An expedited diagnosis may guide the management of these complex patients.