bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of supply chain disruptions on stockholder wealth in India
Authors: Kumar Sanjay , Liu Jiangxia , Scutella Jess
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Supply chain structure, characteristics, and applicable policies differ between developing and developed countries. While most supply chain management research is directed toward supply chains in developed countries, the authors wish to explore the financial impact of disruptions on supply chains in a developing country. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of effective supply chain management practices that could help avoid or mitigate disruptions in Indian companies. The authors study the stock market impact of supply chain disruptions in Indian companies. The authors also aim to understand the difference in financial implications from disruptions between companies in India and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– Event study methodology is applied on supply chain disruptions data from Indian companies. The data are compiled from public news release in Indian press. A data set of 301 disruptions for a ten-year period from 2003-2012 is analyzed. Stock valuation of a company is used to assess the financial impact.

Findings

– The results show that Indian companies on average lose −2.88 percent of shareholder wealth in an 11-day window covering the event day and five days pre- and post-disruption announcement. A significant stock decline was observed as early as three days prior to announcement, indicating possibility of insider trading and information differentials between investors. Irrespective of the location and responsibility of a disruption, companies experience significant negative returns. Company size, book-to-market ratio, and debt-to-equity ratio were found to be insignificant in affecting the stock market reactions to disruptions. The authors also compiled supply chain disruptions data for US companies. When compared to the US companies, Indian companies register a significantly higher stock decline in the event of a disruption.

Research limitations/implications

– Supply chain disruptions data from India and the USA are analyzed. Broad applicability of results across countries may require studying other developing countries. The research demonstrates potential effectiveness of investment in supply chain management initiatives. It also motivates research focussed specifically on supply chains in developing countries.

Practical implications

– Supply chain decision makers in India could benefit from investment in disruptions management and mitigation practices. The results provide a valuation of effective supply chain management. The findings provide guidance for investors in making decisions when supply chains face disruptions.

Originality/value

– The paper studies the financial consequences of supply chain disruptions in a developing country. The study is valuable because of increasing globalization, outsourcing, and the economic role of developing countries.
Population ageing and economic growth in Japan
Authors: Oliver Mikiko
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine how population ageing is related to economic growth as measured by real GDP per capita in Japan. This study is to address the following questions: first, how is population composition by age group related to economic change? Second, how is the dependency ratio related to economic change? And finally, what are the predictions for economic growth in the future? This study answers these questions in relation to Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

– Regression methods were applied to single-country data for the period 1975-2011.

Findings

– This study finds that an increase in the 70-74 population age group is associated with a decrease in economic growth, while an increase in the 75 and over population age group is associated with an increase in economic growth in Japan.

Research limitations/implications

– The relationships that were found in this study do not imply causation from demographic change to economic change.

Practical implications

– One potential way of promoting sustainable economic growth under conditions of population ageing is to devise a comprehensive policy that focuses on demographic factors.

Originality/value

– This study analyses population ageing and economic growth in Japan using single-country data by applying regression methods.
Does migration make financial sense? The case of domestic workers from Vietnam to Taiwan
Authors: Phuong Nguyen Quynh , Venkatesh Sundar
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Adopting a view that migration is an investment, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the risk-adjusted returns that migrant domestic workers from Vietnam to Taiwan can expect to earn.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study analyses data obtained through interviews of a sample of migrant domestic workers, all from Phu Tho in the north of Vietnam, who had migrated to Taiwan.

Findings

– The study found that migrants were driven strongly by financial motivations. Analysis of the typical costs of migrating, wages in the host country, average length of stay and especially, uncertainties affecting the length of stay, found that the investment in migration is a highly risky one for migrants. In most cases, migration does not pay.

Research limitations/implications

– Estimates of costs and benefits can be improved with larger samples of respondents and data sources that can help validate the interviews.

Practical implications

– There is a need to improve financial literacy among migrants to help them better assess their investment in migration.

Social implications

– This paper highlights the inequity in risk allocation in the context of migration.

Originality/value

– To the knowledge, there is no research of the financial costs and benefits of migration as domestic workers, especially from Vietnam to Taiwan.
Happy ever after in the quasi-market place? The dowry logic of active labour policy in the Lombardy Region
Authors: Sabatinelli Stefania , Villa Matteo
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The dote system is the most recent and only way to finance and deliver services in the training and labour policy field in Lombardy (Italy), strengthening the regional quasi-market approach. The purpose of this paper is to analyse its logic and highlight the implications for the policy system.

Design/methodology/approach

– Qualitative case-study including preliminary documentation, analysis of administrative data, in-depth interviews with stakeholders and practitioners.

Findings

– The dote system is based on a strongly pre-structured and pure performance logic. It predefines forms, ways and steps towards people’s “autonomy”, further categorising the policy system and establishing a combination of individualisation without personalisation. The strict regulation makes it difficult to design accessible, high-quality and tailor-made interventions. Dote could represent an interesting innovation for high-profile measures, but as a universal equivalent it often fails to match the needs of people and the labour market.

Research limitations/implications

– The self-funded research is limited to a regional context, analysed against the background of European welfare transformations. Greater effort in qualitative research could improve the knowledge about the implications of NPM and quasi-markets.

Practical implications

– Regional centralism is strengthened; local authorities and private bodies are excluded from planning; freedom of choice is limited. A marriage of convenience between providers and users increases the level of stress and the dispersion of resources.

Originality/value

– Dote is a particular experiment in the panorama of activation. It works in a unique way, impacting on governance and activation modes. The paper is addressed to researchers, practitioners and policy makers interested in gaining better understanding of the implications of quasi-markets and NPM.
Flying lessons: Malaysia and other airlines avoiding Pan Am’s final destination
Authors: Thomas Mark
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This article examines the strategic option of airlines facing a crisis. It analyses the current troubles faced by Malaysia Airlines (MAS). Having faced major crises in five months in 2014, the company has been saved only by nationalisation and has a very uncertain future. However, the article shows that the problems of the company can also be traced to bad strategic positioning and some poor management decisions. A comparison with the demise of another former premium airline, Pan American World Airlines (Pan Am), is drawn.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article draws upon over 100 research and press articles as well as discussion with managers in the airline industry.

Findings

– The article shows that bad luck certainly had a negative impact on MAS in 2014. However, just as with Pan Am, luck is not the sole explanation. Given that airlines cannot predict a disaster, maintaining a robust strategic position and healthy finances are vital their survival.

Originality/value

– By drawing parallels with history, the article gives a greater insight into the problems that one company has found itself in. It shows how companies need to be aware of the changing dynamics of an industry and to prepare for crises.
Strategic principles at Southwest Airlines
Authors: Thomas Mark
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Southwest is the world’s fourth largest airline and has consistently been one of the most admired organisations in the USA. Its founder and Chairman Emeritus, Herb Kelleher, attributes much of this success to the use of strategic principles. This gives a guiding framework for employees within the company but allows them leeway to make their own decisions. The result is greater employee engagement, a more efficient organisation that is adapting to the needs of its major stakeholders and greater customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article analysis of the use of the strategic principle methodology at Southwest Airlines. It focuses on the position of Southwest as “THE low fare” airline and the use of humour and different working practices within the airline.

Findings

– The article shows that If this can be done in an industry as heavily regulated as aviation, it can be applied with the same success to many other business sectors and organisations.
Unbundling services: the route to profitability for airlines in India
Authors: Pathak Atul Arun
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explain how airlines in India and customers can both benefit by the unbundling of services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explores how a recent regulatory change allowing unbundled services will affect the airline industry in India. Using illustrations, it highlights the benefits to the airlines and to the customers. It recommends the strategies that airlines can follow.

Findings

– Airlines in India can now offer unbundled services. However, regulatory authorities need to allow greater flexibility to airlines. Given more flexibility, airlines can design offerings that will improve their profitability while simultaneously benefiting customers.

Practical implications

– The government needs to go beyond the current regulatory changes. Providing increased flexibility will benefit both airlines and customers. Airlines would need to understand customers more intimately, experiment in the market, lobby for flexibility and develop strategic agility to benefit from the changed regulations on unbundled services.

Social implications

– It concedes that airlines can now design unbundled services such that only those customers who value a service get charged for the service. Those customers who do not need a service can get away by paying a lower fare. The government has taken the first steps in the right direction. Once it provides greater flexibility, the airlines in India can benefit significantly.

Originality/value

– The paper considers the unique context of the airline industry in India where recent regulatory changes are likely to make the industry more dynamic and improve profitability of airlines. It provides insights in to the challenges faced under the current system and recommends strategies for the government and companies to follow.
WestJet Airlines: hybrid but profitable
Authors: Thomas Mark
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The article looks at a Canadian airline, WestJet, that began as a low-cost carrier and is now adopting a more hybrid strategy. It analyses the difficulty of such a strategy and makes the comparison with Singapore Airlines (SIA) which has attempted to do the same.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article is a case study primarily of WestJet, but also of SIA.

Findings

– The airline industry is notorious for its low profits in the good years and appalling losses in the bad ones. The Canadian airline, WestJet, is one of the few companies that has defied this trend over the past decade. Indeed, it has reported positive net incomes for all but one year since it was created in 1996. In doing so, the Alberta-based firm is bucking not just the trend on profitability but also on strategic positioning.
Evolutionary response of plant interaction traits to nutrient enrichment modifies the assembly and structure of antagonistic‐mutualistic communities
Authors: Georgelin Ewen , Loeuille Nicolas
Published: September 2015

Nutrient enrichment is one of the major threats acting on natural communities. The ecological consequences of this disturbance for ecosystems have been largely studied, but we still have little knowledge on its evolutionary effects at community scale. We are interested in the evolutionary consequences of nutrient enrichment for plant interaction traits, embedded in complex communities made of antagonistic and mutualistic interactions.

We built a mathematical model of a plant–pollinator–herbivore community confronted by nutrient enrichment. Plants have an interaction trait that is involved in an ecological trade‐off. An increase in this trait, leading to more attractive phenotypes, increases the strength of both interactions with pollinators and herbivores. A lower value of this trait leads to defensive phenotypes with weak interactions with both herbivores and pollinators. We use the framework of adaptive dynamics to study the evolutionary dynamics of this kind of traits and the consequences for community dynamics.

We found that evolutionary dynamics of plants modify the assembly of the community along a nutrient enrichment gradient. Due to top‐down controls, herbivory leads to priority effects when only ecological dynamics are considered. Evolution of the plant interaction trait alleviates this priority effect and facilitates community assembly. In the three‐species community, we find that nutrient enrichment leads to more defended phenotypes of plants, at the expense of pollinator attraction.

We find that, when the ecological trade‐off between pollination and herbivory is convex, evolution of interaction trait may lead to plant diversification. Two plant phenotypes then coexist in the community, one which is highly attractive and one which is highly defensive.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that accounting for evolutionary dynamics will profoundly modify the dynamics of communities in the face of nutrient enrichment. Both community assembly and equilibrium dynamics are altered and enrichment may even lead to diversification. These results advocate for the development of an eco‐evolutionary theory of nutrient enrichment and may be particularly important in agro‐ecosystems relying on fertilization.
Fatal Insulin Overdoses: Case Report and Update on Testing Methodology
Authors: Sunderland Nick , Wong Sophia , Lee Carol K.
Published: September 2015

Suicidal insulin overdoses are an under‐recognized and uncommon cause of death, often relying on scene and nonspecific autopsy findings. Here, we present a case report of a fatal exogenous insulin overdose in a patient with type 1 diabetes. In our case, there were no contributory autopsy findings; however, serum analog aspart insulin levels were c. 10× the predicted therapeutic upper limit (4000, reference 6.6–55 uU/mL), which correlated with scene findings. This was specifically determined by a newly developed immunocapture liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay, able to discriminate between various synthetic insulin analogs. Total insulin levels by immunoassay were highly elevated on the Siemens Advia Centaur, but not the Roche platforms (4741 vs. 5.2 uU/mL, respectively), showing variable sensitivity of detection within the same analog depending on assay. We discuss the prevalence and features to look for at autopsy in these types of cases. Additionally, analytical options for testing insulin levels, including new methodologies, guidance on collection of samples, as well as an outline of available historical reference range data are discussed.
Time and financial outcomes of private practice dietitians providing care under the Australian Medicare program: A longitudinal, exploratory study
Authors: Brown Jessica A. , Lee Patricia , Ball Lauren
Published: September 2015

Aim

To better understand the income of dietitians delivering Medicare Chronic Disease Management services by comparing the amount of time dietitians spend on activities with remuneration received.

Methods

Data were collected on time invested and remuneration received for 179 consultations provided by 20 dietitians through the Medicare Chronic Disease Management initiative. Descriptive statistics and t‐tests were used to compare time spent and remuneration received. A mixed effects model was performed to assess the significant factors in predicting the mean hourly rate received for consultations.

Results

Consultations accrued an average of $67.32 ± $24.38 (range $0–$150) in remuneration, and required an average of 44 ± 20 minutes (range 14–136 minutes) including over 10 minutes of administration time. The average calculated gross rate of pay was $102.62/hour. Set‐fee consultations were longer than bulk‐billed consultations (51 minutes vs 39 minutes, P = 0.002), but resulted in greater remuneration ($83.20 vs $52.95, P < 0.001). Initial consultations resulted in greater remuneration than review consultations ($76.52 vs $60.75, P < 0.001). Dietitians without administration assistance spent more total time on consultations compared with dietitians with administration support (54 minutes vs 42 minutes, P = 0.001), but there was no difference in fees charged (P > 0.005).

Conclusions

The hourly income received by dietitians providing services under Medicare appears high; however, practice expenditures have not been considered in the present study. Dietitians should consider the logistical and financial outcomes of their practices in order to enhance financial sustainability.
TheRBVtheory foundation of strategicHRM: critical flaws, problems for research and practice, and an alternative economics paradigm
Authors: Kaufman Bruce E.
Published: September 2015

The resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm is a guiding paradigm for strategic HRM research. This article explores theRBV–strategicHRMintersection, identifies and critiquesRBVweaknesses and problem areas, develops new implications forRBV–strategicHRMtheory and empirical work, and develops an alternative economics‐based decision model for makingHRMchoices. The article focuses on fourRBV–strategicHRMdimensions:HRMperformance and the ‘no rules for riches’ proposition; alternative definitions of value and competitive advantage and implications for strategicHRM's dependent variable; neglect of marginal decision rules and consequent misprediction of optimalHRMadoption; and the impact on employee relations ofRBV‐guided rent‐capture practices. Numerous implications for theory and practice are developed; also suggested is a new paradigm approach for strategicHRMtheory.
A GIS Framework for Regional Modeling of Riverine Nitrogen Transport: Case Study, San Antonio and Guadalupe Basins
Authors: Tavakoly Ahmad A. , Maidment David R. , McClelland James W. , Whiteaker Tim , Yang Zong‐Liang , Griffin Claire , David Cédric H. , Meyer Lisa
Published: September 2015

This article presents a framework for integrating a regional geographic information system (GIS)‐based nitrogen dataset (Texas Anthropogenic Nitrogen Dataset, TX‐ANB) and a GIS‐based river routing model (Routing Application for Parallel computation of Discharge) to simulate steady‐state riverine total nitrogen (TN) transport in river networks containing thousands of reaches. A two‐year case study was conducted in the San Antonio and Guadalupe basins during dry and wet years (2008 and 2009, respectively). This article investigates TN export in urbanized (San Antonio) vs. rural (Guadalupe) drainage basins and considers the effect of reservoirs on TN transport. Simulated TN export values are within 10 percent of measured export values for selected stations in 2008 and 2009. Results show that in both years the San Antonio basin contributed a larger quantity than the Guadalupe basin of delivered TN to the coastal ocean. The San Antonio basin is affected by urban activities including point sources, associated with the city of San Antonio, in addition to greater agricultural activities. The Guadalupe basin lacks major metropolitan areas and is dominated by rangeland, rather than fertilized agricultural fields. Both basins delivered more TN to coastal waters in 2009 than in 2008. Furthermore, TN removal in the San Antonio and Guadalupe basins is inversely related to stream orders: the higher the order the more TN delivery (or the less TN removal).
Comparing the performance of three ancient DNA extraction methods for high‐throughput sequencing
Authors: Gamba Cristina , Hanghøj Kristian , Gaunitz Charleen , Alfarhan Ahmed H. , Alquraishi Saleh A. , Al‐Rasheid Khaled A. S. , Bradley DANIEL G. , Orlando Ludovic
Published: September 2015

The DNA molecules that can be extracted from archaeological and palaeontological remains are often degraded and massively contaminated with environmental microbial material. This reduces the efficacy of shotgun approaches for sequencing ancient genomes, despite the decreasing sequencing costs of high‐throughput sequencing (HTS). Improving the recovery of endogenous molecules from the DNA extraction and purification steps could, thus, help advance the characterization of ancient genomes. Here, we apply the three most commonly used DNA extraction methods to five ancient bone samples spanning a ~30 thousand year temporal range and originating from a diversity of environments, from South America to Alaska. We show that methods based on the purification of DNA fragments using silica columns are more advantageous than in solution methods and increase not only the total amount of DNA molecules retrieved but also the relative importance of endogenous DNA fragments and their molecular diversity. Therefore, these methods provide a cost‐effective solution for downstream applications, including DNA sequencing on HTS platforms.
Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth Disease Type 4H Resulting from Compound Heterozygous Mutations inFGD4from Nonconsanguineous Korean Families
Authors: Hyun Young Se , Lee Jinho , Kim Hye Jin , Hong Young Bin , Koo Heasoo , Smith Alec S.T. , Kim Deok‐Ho , Choi Byung‐Ok , Chung Ki Wha
Published: September 2015

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 4H (CMT4H) is an autosomal recessive demyelinating subtype of peripheral enuropathies caused by mutations in theFGD4gene. Most CMT4H patients are in consanguineous Mediterranean families characterized by early onset and slow progression. We identified two CMT4H patients from a Korean CMT cohort, and performed a detailed genetic and clinical analysis in both cases. Both patients from nonconsanguineous families showed characteristic clinical manifestations of CMT4H including early onset, scoliosis, areflexia, and slow disease progression. Exome sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous mutations inFGD4as the underlying cause in both families (p.Arg468Gln and c.1512‐2A>C in FC73, p.Met345Thr and c.2043+1G>A (p.Trp663Trpfs*30) in FC646). The missense mutations were located in highly conserved RhoGEF and PH domains which were predicted to be pathogenic in nature byin silicomodeling. The CMT4H occurrence frequency was calculated to 0.7% in the Korean demyelinating CMT patients. This study is the first report of CMT4H in Korea.FGD4assay could be considered as a means of molecular diagnosis for sporadic cases of demyelinating CMT with slow progression.
Treatment outcomes in opioid dependent patients with different buprenorphine/naloxone induction dosing patterns and trajectories
Authors: Jacobs Petra , Ang Alfonso , Hillhouse Maureen P. , Saxon Andrew J. , Nielsen Suzanne , Wakim Paul G. , Mai Barbara E. , Mooney Larissa J. , S. Potter Jennifer , Blaine Jack D.
Published: September 2015

Background and Objectives

Induction is a crucial period of opioid addiction treatment. This study aimed to identify buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP) induction patterns and examine their association with outcomes (opioid use, retention, and related adverse events [AEs]).

Methods

The secondary analysis of a study of opioid‐dependent adults seeking treatment in eight treatment settings included 740 participants inducted on BUP with flexible dosing.

Results

Latent class analysis models detected six distinctive induction trajectories: bup1‐started and remained on low; bup2‐started low, shifted slowly to moderate; bup3‐started low, shifted quickly to moderate; bup4‐started high, shifted to low; bup5‐started and remained on moderate; bup6‐started moderate, shifted to high dose (Fig. 1). Baseline characteristics, including Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS), were important predictors of retention. When controlled for the baseline characteristics, bup6 participants were three times less likely to drop out the first 7 days than bup1 participants (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = .28, p = .03). Opioid use and AEs were similar across trajectories. Participants on ≥16 mg BUP compared to those on <16 mg at Day 28 were less likely to drop out (aHR = .013, p = .001) and less likely to have AEs during the first 28 days (aOR = .57, p = .03).

Discussion and Conclusions

BUP induction dosing was guided by an objective measure of opioid withdrawal. Participants with higher baseline COWS whose BUP doses were raised more quickly were less likely to drop out in the first 7 days than those whose doses were raised slower.

Scientific Significance

This study supports the use of an objective measure of opioid withdrawal (COWS) during BUP induction to improve retention early in treatment. (Am J Addict 2015;XX:XX–XX)
Contesting Urban Metabolism: Struggles Over Waste‐to‐Energy in Delhi, India
Authors: Demaria Federico , Schindler Seth
Published: September 2015

Recent scholarship on the materiality of cities has been criticized by critical urban scholars for being overly descriptive and failing to account for political economy. We argue that through the conceptualization of urban metabolisms advanced by ecological economists and industrial ecologists, materialist and critical perspectives can be mutually enriching. We focus on conflict that has erupted in Delhi, India. Authorities have embraced waste‐to‐energy incinerators, and wastepickers fear that these changes threaten their access to waste, while middle class residents oppose them because of their deleterious impact on ambient air quality. We narrate the emergence of an unlikely alliance between these groups, whose politics opposes the production of a waste‐based commodity frontier within the city. We conclude that the materiality and political economy of cities are co‐constituted, and contestations over the (re)configuration of urban metabolisms span these spheres as people struggle to realize situated urban political ecologies.
First‐trimester glycosylated hemoglobin in women at high risk for gestational diabetes
Authors: Amylidi Sofia , Mosimann Beatrice , Stettler Christoph , Fiedler Georg Martin , Surbek Daniel , Raio Luigi
Published: September 2015

Introduction

Our aim was to investigate the prognostic value of first‐trimester glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in pregnant women with risk factors for developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Material and methods

This is an observational retrospective cohort study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland. We included pregnant women at high risk for GDM (n = 208), who had an HbA1c measurement in the first trimester. We compared HbA1c values of women who later developed GDM with those who did not develop GDM. Diagnosis of GDM was made on the basis of a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test performed between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. We further examined the prevalence of GDM in relation to the first‐trimester HbA1c value.

Results

The prevalence of GDM in our high‐risk group was 14.7%. Women who developed GDM had significantly higher first‐trimester HbA1c values [5.43 ± 0.31% (36 ± 3 mmol/mol) vs. 5.23 ± 0.28% (34 ± 3 mmol/mol); p = 0.0026]. Moreover, all pregnant women with HbA1c ≥6.0% (42 mmol/mol) developed GDM, whereas those with <4.5% (26 mmol/mol) did not.

Conclusions

Women at risk for GDM have higher first‐trimester HbA1c levels and values ≥6.0% (42 mmol/mol) are predictive of GDM. This information may be useful for counseling these women and providing appropriate advice on diet and lifestyle modification early in pregnancy.
Attitudes towards the resuscitation of periviable infants: a national survey of American Muslim physicians
Authors: Arzuaga Bonnie , Adam Huda , Ahmad Maha , Padela Aasim
Published: September 2015

Aim

To examine the associations between American Muslim physicians' characteristics and intended behaviours towards resuscitation of 22‐ and 23‐week gestation infants.

Methods

This national survey of physician members of the Islamic Medical Association of North America inquired about physician religiosity, their practice of referring to Islamic resources for bioethical guidance, their preferred model of patient–doctor decision‐making and the perceived importance of quality‐of‐life determinations with respect to medical decision‐making. Four vignettes described birth of a 22‐ and a 23‐week gestation infant. Respondents were given estimated survival data for each and asked whether they would attempt resuscitation.

Results

A total of 255 of 626 responses received. About 51% and 85% of respondents believed that a 22‐ and a 23‐week gestation infant should be resuscitated, respectively. If parents opposed resuscitation, 44% (22 weeks) and 46% (23 weeks) of respondents still endorsed resuscitating. Respondents who were more religious, referred more often to Islamic bioethical resources and did not believe that quality‐of‐life determinations were tied to life's value had greater odds of endorsing resuscitation in many of the scenarios.

Conclusion

American Muslim physicians have high rates of support for delivery room resuscitation of periviable infants. Their intended behaviour appears to associate with religious values.
Association of house staff training with mortality in children with critical illness
Authors: Gupta Punkaj , Tang Xinyu , Rettiganti Mallikarjuna , Lauer Casey , Kacmarek Robert M. , Rice Tom B. , Markovitz Barry P. , Wetzel Randall C.
Published: September 2015

Aim

To evaluate the association of house staff training with mortality in children with critical illness.

Methods

Patients <18 years of age in the Virtual PICU Systems (VPS, LLC) Database (2009–2013) were included. The study population was divided in two study groups: hospitals with residency programme only and hospitals with both residency and fellowship programme. Control group constituted hospitals with no residency or fellowship programme. The primary study outcome was mortality before intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate association of training programmes with ICU mortality.

Results

A total of 336 335 patients from 108 centres were included. Case‐mix of patients among the hospitals with training programmes was complex; patients cared for in the hospitals with training programmes had greater severity of illness, had higher resource utilisation and had higher overall admission risk of death compared to patients cared for in the control hospitals. Despite caring for more complex and sicker patients, the hospitals with training programmes were associated with lower odds of ICU mortality.

Conclusion

Our study establishes that ICU care provided in hospitals with training programmes is associated with improved adjusted survival rates among the Virtual PICU database hospitals in the United States.
Children's expectations about training the approximate number system
Authors: Dillon Moira R. , Pires Ana C. , Hyde Daniel C. , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: September 2015

Humans possess a developmentally precocious and evolutionarily ancient approximate number system (ANS) whose sensitivity correlates with uniquely human symbolic arithmetic skills. Recent studies suggest that ANS training improves symbolic arithmetic, but such studies may engender performance expectations in their participants that in turn produce the improvement. Here, we assessed 6‐ to 8‐year‐old children's expectations about the effects of numerical and non‐numerical magnitude training, as well as states of satiety and restfulness, in the context of a study linking children's ANS practice to their improved symbolic arithmetic. We found that children did not expect gains in symbolic arithmetic after exercising the ANS, although they did expect gains in ANS acuity after training on any magnitude task. Moreover, children expected gains in symbolic arithmetic after a good night's sleep and their favourite breakfast. Thus, children's improved symbolic arithmetic after ANS training cannot be explained by their expectations about that training.
Association between DNA hypomethylation at IL13 gene and allergic rhinitis in house dust mite‐sensitized subjects
Authors: Li J.Y. , Zhang Y. , Lin X.P. , Ruan Y. , Wang Y. , Wang C.S. , Zhang L.
Published: September 2015

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a complex disease, in which gene–environment interactions contribute to its pathogenesis. Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation play an important role in the regulation of gene function. As IL13, a pleiotropic cytokine, may be important in conferring susceptibility to AR, the aim of the present work was to assess the relationship between a CpG island methylation status at the upstream of IL13 gene and house dust mite (HDM)‐sensitized AR in Han Chinese subjects.

Methods

A total of 60 patients with HDM‐sensitized AR and 65 control subjects were enrolled as two independent cohorts from Beijing and Liaoning. MassARRAY EpiTYPER and pyrosequencing was used to systematically screen the status of DNA methylation in peripheral blood leucocytes. IL13 mRNA expression was measured by real‐time quantitative PCR. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to assess the function of methylation site.

Results

The mean level of methylation was decreased in the AR patient group compared with the control group (P = 0.01). Two of a total of 33 IL13CpG units analysed (CpG units 24 : 25 : 26 and 38 : 39) showed significant differences in methylation status between the AR patient group and the control group, with DNA hypomethylation at CpG38 significantly associated with higher risk of HDM‐sensitized AR in both independent cohorts and a combined cohort (Beijing: OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.01–1.52, P = 0.036; Liaoning: OR = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.11–2.38, P = 0.013; Combined: OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.10–1.56, P = 0.002). Methylation level of CpG38 correlated negatively with both IL13 mRNA expression and serum total IgE level and affected the binding affinity of SP1.

Conclusions

DNA hypomethylation of IL13 gene may be associated with increased risk of AR from HDM sensitization.
Paradigms for parasite conservation
Authors: Dougherty Eric R. , Carlson Colin J. , Bueno Veronica M. , Burgio Kevin R. , Cizauskas Carrie A. , Clements Christopher F. , Seidel Dana P. , Harris Nyeema C.
Published: September 2015

Parasitic species, which depend directly on host species for their survival, represent a major regulatory force in ecosystems and a significant component of Earth's biodiversity. Yet the negative impacts of parasites observed at the host level have motivated a conservation paradigm of eradication, moving us farther from attainment of taxonomically unbiased conservation goals. Despite a growing body of literature highlighting the importance of parasite‐inclusive conservation, most parasite species remain understudied, underfunded, and underappreciated. We argue the protection of parasitic biodiversity requires a paradigm shift in the perception and valuation of their role as consumer species, similar to that of apex predators in the mid‐20th century. Beyond recognizing parasites as vital trophic regulators, existing tools available to conservation practitioners should explicitly account for the unique threats facing dependent species. We built upon concepts from epidemiology and economics (e.g., host‐density threshold and cost‐benefit analysis) to devise novel metrics of margin of error and minimum investment for parasite conservation. We define margin of error as the risk of accidental host extinction from misestimating equilibrium population sizes and predicted oscillations, while minimum investment represents the cost associated with conserving the additional hosts required to maintain viable parasite populations. This framework will aid in the identification of readily conserved parasites that present minimal health risks. To establish parasite conservation, we propose an extension of population viability analysis for host–parasite assemblages to assess extinction risk. In the direst cases, ex situ breeding programs for parasites should be evaluated to maximize success without undermining host protection. Though parasitic species pose a considerable conservation challenge, adaptations to conservation tools will help protect parasite biodiversity in the face of an uncertain environmental future.
Faster Teaching via POMDP Planning
Authors: Rafferty Anna N. , Brunskill Emma , Griffiths Thomas L. , Shafto Patrick
Published: September 2015

Human and automated tutors attempt to choose pedagogical activities that will maximize student learning, informed by their estimates of the student's current knowledge. There has been substantial research on tracking and modeling student learning, but significantly less attention on how to plan teaching actions and how the assumed student model impacts the resulting plans. We frame the problem of optimally selecting teaching actions using a decision‐theoretic approach and show how to formulate teaching as a partially observable Markov decision process planning problem. This framework makes it possible to explore how different assumptions about student learning and behavior should affect the selection of teaching actions. We consider how to apply this framework to concept learning problems, and we present approximate methods for finding optimal teaching actions, given the large state and action spaces that arise in teaching. Through simulations and behavioral experiments, we explore the consequences of choosing teacher actions under different assumed student models. In two concept‐learning tasks, we show that this technique can accelerate learning relative to baseline performance.
A Fast and Accurate Feature Selection Algorithm Based on Binary Consistency Measure
Authors: Shin Kilho , Miyazaki Seiya
Published: September 2015

Consistency‐based feature selection is an important category of feature selection research, and its advantage over other categories is due to consistency measures used to include the effect of interaction among features into evaluation of relevance of features. Even if features individually appear irrelevant to class labels, they can collectively show strong relevance. In such cases, we say that the features interact with each other. Consistency measures, in this regard, evaluate the collective relevance of a set of features and has been intuitively understood as a metric to measure a distance of an arbitrary feature set from the state of being consistent: A set of features is said to be consistent if, and only if, they as a whole determine class labels. In history, the binary consistency measure, which returns the value 1 if the feature set is consistent and 0 otherwise, was the first consistency measure introduced, and many advanced measures followed. The problem of the binary measure consists in the fact that it always returns 1 if a data set includes no consistent feature set. The measures that followed have solved this problem but sacrificed time efficiency of evaluation. Therefore, feature selection leveraging these measures are not fast enough to apply to large data sets. In this article, we aim to improve time efficiency of consistency‐based feature selection. To achieve the goal, we propose a new idea, which we call data set denoising: We eliminate examples which are viewed as noises from a data set until the data set becomes to include consistent feature sets and then apply the binary measure to find an appropriate feature set that is consistent. In our evaluation through intensive experiments, CWC, a new algorithm that implements data set denoising outperformed in both time efficiency and accuracy the benchmark consistency‐based algorithms. Specifically, CWC was about 31 times faster than the LCC that had been known as the fastest in the literature. Furthermore, in a comparison including feature selection algorithms that are not consistency‐based, CWC has turned out to be one of the fastest and the most accurate feature selection algorithms.
Is supplementary feeding in gardens a driver of evolutionary change in a migratory bird species?
Authors: Plummer Kate E. , Siriwardena Gavin M. , Conway Greg J. , Risely Kate , Toms Mike P.
Published: September 2015

Human activities are causing rapid environmental change at a global scale. Urbanization is responsible for some of the most extreme human‐altered habitats and is a known driver of evolutionary change, but evidence and understanding of these processes is limited. Here, we investigate the potential underlying mechanisms contributing to the contemporary evolution of migration behaviour in the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). Blackcaps from central Europe have been wintering in urban areas of Britain with increasing frequency over the past 60 years, rather than migrating south to the Mediterranean. It has been hypothesized that the popularization of providing supplementary foods for wild birds within Britain may have influenced this marked migratory change, but quantifying the selective forces shaping evolutionary changes remains challenging. Using a long‐term national scale data set, we examine both the spatial distribution and interannual variation in blackcap wintering behaviour in Britain in relation to supplementary food availability and local climate. Over a 12‐year period, we show that blackcaps are becoming increasingly associated with the provision of supplementary foods in British gardens, and that the reliability of bird food supplies is influencing their winter distribution at a national scale. In addition, local climatic temperatures and broader scale weather variation are also important determinants of blackcap wintering patterns once they arrive in Britain. Based on our findings, we conclude that a synergistic effect of increased availability of feeding resources, in the form of garden bird food, coupled with climatic amelioration, has enabled a successful new wintering population to become established in Britain. As global biodiversity is threatened by human‐induced environmental change, this study presents new and timely evidence of the role human activities can play in shaping evolutionary trajectories.
The Causal Impact of Media in Financial Markets
Authors: ENGELBERG JOSEPH E. , PARSONS CHRISTOPHER A.
Published: September 2015

Disentangling the causal impact of media reporting from the impact of the events being reported is challenging. We solve this problem by comparing the behaviors of investors with access to different media coverage of the same information event. We use zip codes to identify 19 mutually exclusive trading regions corresponding with large U.S. cities. For all earnings announcements of S&P 500 Index firms, we find that local media coverage strongly predicts local trading, after controlling for earnings, investor, and newspaper characteristics. Moreover, local trading is strongly related to the timing of local reporting, a particular challenge to nonmedia explanations.
Leverage, Moral Hazard, and Liquidity
Authors: ACHARYA VIRAL V. , VISWANATHAN S.
Published: September 2015

Financial firms raise short‐term debt to finance asset purchases; this induces risk shifting when economic conditions worsen and limits their ability to roll over debt. Constrained firms de‐lever by selling assets to lower‐leverage firms. In turn, asset–market liquidity depends on the system‐wide distribution of leverage, which is itself endogenous to future economic prospects. Good economic prospects yield cheaper short‐term debt, inducing entry of higher‐leverage firms. Consequently, adverse asset shocks in good times lead to greater de‐leveraging and sudden drying up of market and funding liquidity.
Grain Boundary Curvatures Measurements in Annealed Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia (3Y‐TZP) and Their Relation to Mean Grain Size
Authors: Wang Jun , Conrad Hans
Published: September 2015

It was determined that the mean grain boundary radius of curvature in 3 mol% yttria‐stabilized zirconia isothermally annealed without and with a DC electric field  = 18 V/cm was uniquely proportional to the mean linear intercept grain size , the proportionality constant α = 3/2 being in accord with the Rios‐Fonseca stereological model.
High Bipolar Fatigue Resistance of BCTZ Lead‐Free Piezoelectric Ceramics
Authors: Zhang Yichi , Glaum Julia , Ehmke Matthias C. , Blendell John E. , Bowman Keith J. , Hoffman Mark J.
Published: September 2015

(Ba, Ca)(Ti, Zr)O3 ceramics have been considered as a potential lead‐free alternative to commonly used lead‐based piezoelectric ceramics due to their high piezoelectric performance at room temperature. In this study, the bipolar fatigue behavior of this material is investigated at room temperature. Two compositions were cycled with a bipolar electric field signal at 10 Hz with a maximum of three times the coercive field for up to approximately 107 cycles. Both investigated compositions exhibited high bipolar fatigue resistance compared to other ceramics reported in the literatures. The high fatigue resistance originates from the lack of mechanical damage and a weak domain wall pinning effect due to their location in the phase transition region. It was also found that pore morphology affected bipolar fatigue behavior.