bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of absorbed slack and potential slack in improving small business performance during economic uncertainty
Authors: Jifri Ali Omar , Drnevich Paul , Tribble Larry
Published: December 2016

Purpose

While previous strategy research has provided significant attention to resource slack and its important roles in firm performance, particularly through strategic agility and flexibility in responding to environmental conditions, the majority of such theory and empirical work was developed for large business contexts. Therefore, the understanding of the relative contributions of absorbed and potential slack, particularly for resource-constrained small businesses, remains largely under theorized and unexamined. As many small businesses often face internal resource limitations, the ability to access external resources, in addition to internal resources, is likely significant, for firm performance, especially when small firms face high economic uncertainty. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the authors utilize a data set from National Federation of Independent Business on small business economic trends. The sample consists of approximately 13,000 US-based small and medium businesses.

Findings

The findings highlight the importance of resource slack in firm performance offering general support for the applicability of classic management theories to the small business context. Environmental hostility and competitive intensity appear to positively moderate the observed relationship between both absorbed and potential resource slack and performance, but in different ways. Environmental hostility positively moderates the relationship between potential slack and firm performance, while competitive intensity positively moderates the relationship between absorbed slack and firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

Because most classic theories in strategic management were only theorized for, and examined through, large organizations, entrepreneurship research should consider these potential limitations and carefully consider factors differing between large and small firms.

Practical implications

Business owners and managers should be aware that not all types of slack have equal performance implications. Absorbed slack is extremely valuable in highly competitive situation. Therefore, business owners should develop plans to recover absorbed slack during highly competitive situations as a defensive strategy. One the other hand, potential slack forces more accountability, which lowers the possibility of small firms using it to engage in price wars, but it is extremely valuable during worsening economic conditions.

Originality/value

In this paper the authors separate absorbed slack from potential slack conceptually and then test their individual effects on firm performance. Through this study, the authors establish boundary conditions for the important role of resource slack on performance through the moderating roles of environmental hostility and competitive intensity.
Exploring strategic execution
Authors: Smith Meabh , Loonam John
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Globally and particularly in Ireland, reduced expenditure on healthcare along with increasing pressure to increase patient throughput and improved performance against standards, is forcing healthcare providers to adopt tools from the business sector and apply them in the healthcare sector to bring about improved performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is interpretivist in nature, specifically focussing on exploring how the balanced scorecard can support improved service delivery within a hospital department. The research will conduct an exploratory case study of a single hospital site within the Irish republic. This research is based on qualitative interviews with corroboration from document review and direct observation. This study provides a snap-shot of the Cath Lab service at a moment in time.

Findings

The development of a strategy map and proposed balanced scorecard for an Irish hospital unit.

Originality/value

The development of a balanced scorecard for a healthcare organisation.
Chinese students’ behavior intention to use mobile library apps and effects of education level and discipline
Authors: Hu Jiming , Zhang Yin
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine behavior intention of Chinese university students toward mobile library (m-library) applications (apps) and to explore the determinants of their perceptions of m-library apps.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on previous research, this study first proposed an integrated model and hypothesized the relationships between constructs while exploring the significance of the effects of education level and discipline. In all, 466 undergraduate and graduate students from various disciplines participated in a survey for this study. A structural equation modeling approach was applied for analysis.

Findings

Attitude is the main predictor of behavior intention toward m-library apps, and it is significantly affected by perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and subjective norm. The quality of m-library apps determines students’ perception of usefulness. In addition, education level and discipline have significant effects on behavior intention toward m-library apps, which may reflect students’ different focuses and purposes of use.

Originality/value

This study deepens understanding of the continuance usage of m-library apps and has practical implications on related developments and services.
Digital preservation
Authors: Adu Kofi Koranteng , Dube Luyande , Adjei Emmanuel
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which digital preservation facilitate the implementation of electronic government, open data and the right to information.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study research which chronicles the link between transparency and data availability. It makes use of a theoretical framework based on the open archival information system to analyse, explain, clarify and justify the application of open data, electronic government and the right to information.

Findings

The paper argued that e-government, open data and the RTI will remain elusive if a digital preservation infrastructure is not pursued. Within the context of e-government, the paper adumbrated that government agencies can incorporate e-government legislations into their digital preservation activities, precisely because the relationship between digital preservation and e-government have always been symbiotic. It alluded to the fact that an obligation will be placed on all public authorities and private agencies covered by the RTL law to create, keep and organise an effective and efficient system of record keeping, so as to give meaning to the right to information when citizens apply for information.

Practical implications

Future research should examine closely the implication of open data government within the context of digital preservation. Whilst digital preservation looks forward to the longevity of digital records and its accessibility, open data focusses on the utility of these records through online services, reuse and distribution for the purposes of transparency and citizens’ participation.

Originality/value

The application of digital preservation to open data in this paper appears to be more relevant at a time when most governments of the world are striving to obtain data to fight poverty, achieve universal primary education, fight HIV and foster maternal health. Its originality can further be established from the symbiotic relationship between digital preservation and electronic government, open data and the right to information.
Construction of the structural definition-based terminology ontology system and semantic search evaluation
Authors: Ko Young Man , Song Min Sun , Lee Seung Jun
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to construct a structural definition-based terminology ontology system that defines the meanings of academic terms on the basis of properties and links terms with properties that are structured by conceptual categories (classes). This study also aims to test the possibility of semantic searches by generating inference rules and setting very complicated search scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

For the study, 55,236 keywords from the articles of the “Korea Citation Index” were structurally defined and relationships among terms and properties were built. Then, the authors converted the RDB data into RDF and designed ontologies using the ontology developing tool Protégé. The authors also tested the designed ontology with the inference engine of the Protégé editor. The generated reference rules were tested by TBox and SPARQL queries.

Findings

The authors generated inference control rules targeting high-input-ratio data in the properties of classes by calculating the input ratio of real input data in the system, and then the authors executed a semantic search by SPARQL query by setting very complicated search scenarios, for which it would be difficult to deduce results via a simple keyword search. As a result, it was confirmed that the search results show the logical combination of semantically related term data.

Practical implications

The proposed terminology ontology system was constructed with the author keywords from research papers, it will be useful in searching the research papers which include the keywords as search results by the complex combination of semantic relation. And the Structural Terminology Net database could be utilized as an index database in retrieval services and the mining of informal big data through the application of well-defined semantic concepts to each term.

Originality/value

This paper presented a methodology for supporting IR using expanded queries based on a novel model of structural terminology-based ontology. The user who wants to access the specific topic can create query that brings the semantically relevant information. The search results show the logical combination of semantically related term data, which would be difficult to deduce results via traditional IR systems.
Online library tutorials in Mexican universities: presence and characteristics
Authors: Fernández-Ramos Andrés
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the presence of online library tutorials in the library websites of public universities in Mexico and to analyze the main characteristics of these materials.

Design/methodology/approach

Through October and November, 2015, the number of online library tutorials was quantified in 230 public universities in Mexico and their characteristics were analyzed based on an 18-item template grouped into four categories: general information, presentation, content and active learning.

Findings

Only 81 (29.2 percent) of the 279 libraries evaluated offer some type of instructional material to their users. A great variability was found regarding the quantity of tutorials presented by each library and its origin (elaborated by the library vs third party materials). The majority of tutorials deal with the use of library services or the management of a specific information resource. The most usual formats are pdf and video, and generally have few elements of active learning.

Practical implications

Results obtained in this study provide a useful diagnosis for decision-making regarding the creation, improvement and diffusion policies of online library tutorials in university libraries.

Originality/value

This is the first study carried out about the presence and characteristics of online library tutorials in university libraries in Mexico.
Optimizing environmental expenditures for maximizing economic performance
Authors: Singh Nitish , Ma Jieqiong , Yang Jie
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Corporate environmental expenditure has been a growing concern in recent years, yet mixed findings exist regarding its economic impact. The purpose of this paper is to explain the mixed relationship between environmental expenditure and economic performance from the natural-resource-based view.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Global Reporting Initiative survey data from 120 firms in 30 countries, this study uses PROCESS, a path-based analysis software, to test the moderation and mediation hypotheses in an integrated analytical model.

Findings

The findings show that environmental expenditure has a negative impact on economic performance through pollution prevention capability. In contrast, environmental expenditure has a positive impact on economic performance through product stewardship capability. Both effects are significantly strengthened when the firm is located in an environmentally munificent country.

Practical implications

This study intends to inform firm managers, especially those in environmentally munificent countries, to relocate their environmental expenditure to enhance firms’ economic performance. In particular, firms should focus more on the reduction of input, such as raw materials, energy, and water, instead of output, including emissions, effluents, and wastes.

Originality/value

The contrasting indirect effects of pollution prevention and product stewardship offer a viable explanation for the mixed findings in the existent literature on environmental expenditure from a new perspective.
CEO incentive compensation and earnings management
Authors: Almadi Madi , Lazic Philip
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of CEO incentive-based compensation on earnings management, taking into account the influence of institutional settings and corporate governance systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Using archival data of 3,000 British, Australian, German, and Austrian firm-years between 2005 and 2014, the study applies fixed-effect estimator to reduce risks of endogeneity bias.

Findings

The findings reveal that institutional factors influence the relationship between CEO incentive-based compensation and earnings management. Particularly, firms from countries within the Anglo-American model (the UK and Australia), which provide greater protection for investor, stricter legal enforcement, and higher quality of corporate governance, tend to have lower level of earnings management. However, besides corporate governance quality, it is relevant to consider weaker investor protection and legal enforcement to motivate earnings management in firms from countries within the Euro-Continental model (Germany and Austria).

Originality/value

The study suggests that robust implementation of corporate governance, derived from either model, helps in restraining CEO opportunistic behavior. Importantly, more qualified institutions have higher impact on the relative adequacy of CEO incentive-based pay formulas in mitigating earnings management concerns. This can be extended by future research through comparative studies using other contexts or influential institutions.
With a little help from my friends
Authors: Intindola Melissa , Weisinger Judith , Gomez Claudia
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Studies of multi-sector collaborations have increased in recent years. However, the topic is still complex and lacks synthesis. Toward that end, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how collaboration is addressed in the public administration and nonprofit sector journals, and applies well-established strategic decision-making theories to shed light on possible research directions that would provide rigor to the field of collaboration.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a literature review of the top nonprofit and public administration journals, believing these most likely to contain articles on the topic of multi-sector collaboration.

Findings

The authors identify a number of themes, including need for clarity, temporality, call to collaborate, funding, partnering issues and processes, benefits of collaboration across three different collaborative types.

Originality/value

The authors embed well-known strategic decision-making theories into the themes emergent from this review and offer suggestions as to how future researchers may test strategic decision-making processes within multi-sector collaborations.
Factors enhancing the posting of negative behavior in social media and its impact on venting negative emotions
Authors: Yen Yung-Shen
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Venting negative emotions on social networking sites (SNS) has become a growing phenomenon among dissatisfied customers. Drawing on social cognitive theory (SCT), the purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of personal outcome expectations and computer self-efficacy on the posting of negative behavior and its impact on venting negative emotions on SNS.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was conducted, and 342 dissatisfied customers in Taiwan made up the sample.

Findings

This study found that both personal outcome expectations and computer self-efficacy positively affect the posting of negative behavior, which increases the effect of venting negative emotions. Moreover, gender moderates the relationships between the variables in the proposed model.

Research limitations/implications

A bias may exist because sampling was conducted through an online survey on a specific website. This study extended the SCT model by adding the effect of venting negative emotions to the original model and suggested that researchers take gender into consideration when developing consumer complaint theories.

Practical implications

This study suggested that service providers need to detect negative statements and take action before these statements lead to switching behavior among dissatisfied customers. Moreover, “webcare” is recommended as an effective tool to counter negative comment effects among those exposed to complaints on SNS.

Originality/value

This study advanced the understanding of SCT for dissatisfied customers posting negative experiences in the context of SNS.
Mental health, race, and police contact: intersections of risk and trust in the police
Authors: Thompson Melissa , Kahn Kimberly Barsamian
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand whether mental health status – either alone or in conjunction with race – affects perceptions of police legitimacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data collected from Portland, Oregon residents (n=259), this research examines predictors of trust in the police.

Findings

Results show that individuals with a history of mental illness are similar to African-American respondents: both are especially distrustful of the police. The combination of race and mental illness does not appear to create additional levels of distrust.

Social implications

This research suggests there are important racial and mental health disparities in perceived police legitimacy, and that these disparities will need to be addressed for the police to successfully combat crime and encourage compliance with the law.

Originality/value

Although research has consistently highlighted how race affects perceptions of police legitimacy, research has not yet examined whether mental health status affects perceptions of police legitimacy; in addition to race, this paper highlights the unique perspectives of individuals with mental health concerns regarding policing.
Law enforcement agencies’ participation in the military surplus equipment program
Authors: Johnson Thomas C. , Hansen J. Andrew
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The police response to the protests in Ferguson, Missouri refocused attention on law enforcement agencies’ participation in the military surplus equipment program, or 1,033 Program. Given the extensive media coverage, particularly regarding the acquisition of military vehicles and weapons, it is important to empirically investigate the 1,033 Program. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 1,205 law enforcement regarding 1,033 Program participation and the types of equipment acquired. This study also explores whether significant differences exist by region, agency type, and size.

Findings

The results demonstrated that while a majority of state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the 1,033 Program, a significant number of agencies did not. Acquisition of military surplus weapons, vehicles, and other types of equipment was not the norm. Significant differences were discerned for overall participation and equipment acquisition based on region, agency type, and size.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not address other concerns such as how surplus military equipment is used or policies agencies may have to govern that use, which provide avenues for further research to discern best practices.

Practical implications

Law enforcement agencies do not appear to acquire military vehicles and weapons to the extent that has been dramatized by the media.

Originality/value

This study contributes empirical data to inform the discussion of law enforcement agencies’ acquisition of military surplus equipment in the USA.
Conflict and compatibility
Authors: Shernock Stan
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare and analyze perspectives of law enforcement officers with combat deployment experience, other military background, and no military service regarding the meaning, relevance, and consequences of the military model of policing.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from an online survey of police officers throughout a rural Northern New England state. A t-test compared the difference of means on 25 items measured as military attributes and as relevant to policing and an ANCOVA analysis examined the relationship between military service status and the meaning, relevance, and consequences of the military model.

Findings

Officers gave statistically lower ratings to the relevancy than they did to the military character of most of 25 stipulated attributes of the military model, particularly the use of force, but indicated that the military model had positive consequences on both police personnel and the community. There were few differences between officers of different military background regarding the meaning, relevance, and consequences of the military model. However, significantly different ratings given to empowerment of those at lowest levels, to the relevancy of military leadership, and to the effects of military organization and style on the ability to deal with stress were largely attributable to those with combat deployment experience.

Originality/value

This is the only study to use more accurate measures of the relevance of the military model and to empirically examine how police officers themselves, particularly with different military service background, evaluate constituent aspects of the military model.
Institutional isomorphism and the federal consent decree
Authors: Phillips Jeffry R. , Jiao Allan Y.
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which constructs of institutional isomorphism apply to Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) performance measurements of the US Department of Justice’s federal consent decree.

Design/methodology/approach

A case-study approach was used to gather and analyze the data, including documentary research, personal interviews, and observations.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that isomorphic pressures existed in the LAPD’s Audit Division and influenced the development of performance measures for reforms although not in a straightforward or unidimensional manner.

Originality/value

Police auditing in the context of the federal consent decree is shown to be a viable approach for institutionalizing police reforms, but further research is necessary on specific performance measurements of police operations and relationship between these measures and police effectiveness.
Ranging behaviour of badgersMeles melesvaccinated with Bacillus Calmette Guerin
Authors: Woodroffe Rosie , Donnelly Christl A. , Ham Cally , Jackson Seth Y. B. , Moyes Kelly , Chapman Kayna , Stratton Naomi G. , Cartwright Samantha J.
Published: December 2016

Because biological systems are complex, management interventions occasionally have unintended adverse consequences. For example, attempts to control bovine tuberculosis (TB) by culling badgersMeles meleshave, under some circumstances, inadvertently increased cattleTBrisks. Such harmful effects occur because culling profoundly alters badger movement behaviour, increasing pathogen transmission both between badgers and from badgers to cattle.

It has recently been suggested that anotherTBmanagement tool, badger vaccination with Bacillus Calmette Guerin, might provoke similar behavioural changes and hence similar harmful effects for cattle. We therefore took advantage of an existing project, which monitored 54GPS‐collared badgers across four study sites in southwest Britain, to explore whether vaccination, or live trapping to administer vaccine, influenced badger movement behaviour.

We detected no significant effects of either vaccination or trapping on badgers’ monthly home range size, nightly distance travelled, or frequency of trespassing in neighbouring territories. The estimated effect of vaccination on badger home range size [2% reduction, 95% confidence interval (CI) 18% reduction – 17% increase] was statistically non‐significant, but significantly smaller than that associated with both widespread (180% increase, 95%CI70–362% increase;P < 0·001) and localised badger culling (74% increase, 95%CI4–191% increase;P = 0·038).

Synthesis and applications. In contrast with culling, live trapping and vaccinating badgers did not measurably alter their movement behaviour, fuelling optimism that vaccination might contribute positively to cattle tuberculosis control. Our study illustrates how existing monitoring can be exploited to assess potentially adverse effects of wildlife management.
Internet Search Behavior, Liquidity and Prices in the Housing Market
Authors: van Dijk Dorinth W. , Francke Marc K.
Published: December 2016

We employ detailed internet search data to examine price and liquidity dynamics of the Dutch housing market. We show that the number of clicks on properties listed online proxies demand and the number of listed properties proxies supply. From this internet search behavior, we create a market tightness indicator and we find that this indicator Granger causes changes in both house prices and housing market liquidity. The results of a panel VAR suggest that a demand shock results in a temporary increase in liquidity and a permanent increase in prices in urban areas. This is in accordance with search and matching models.
PATERNAL INCARCERATION AND CHILDREN'S RISK OF BEING CHARGED BY EARLY ADULTHOOD: EVIDENCE FROM A DANISH POLICY SHOCK*
Authors: WILDEMAN CHRISTOPHER , ANDERSEN SIGNE HALD
Published: December 2016

In this article, we exploit a Danish criminal justice reform that dramatically decreased the risk of incarceration for individuals convicted of some types of crimes to isolate how having a father who was eligible for a noncustodial sentence under the reform affected a child's risk of ever subsequently being charged with a crime. Specifically, we use a difference‐in‐differences framework to compare all Danish children 12–18 years of age whose fathers were eligible for a noncustodial sentence instead of incarceration under the reform [N = 1,546] with a reference group of children whose fathers were convicted of similar crimes but were ineligible [N = 1,852] in the 2 years surrounding when the reform was enacted [July 1, 2000] as a way of testing the effects of the reform on children's risk of ever being charged with a crime by 22–28 years of age. Our estimates indicate that having a father sentenced under the reform sharply decreased the risk of being charged in the next 10 years for boys but not for girls. Taken together, these results indicate that both paternal criminality and paternal incarceration promote the criminal justice contact of male children and, hence, that paternal incarceration is not solely a symptom of criminality but also a cause of it.
Simulations of biomass dynamics in community food webs
Authors: Delmas Eva , Brose Ulrich , Gravel Dominique , Stouffer Daniel B. , Poisot Timothée
Published: December 2016

Food webs are the backbone upon which biomass flows through ecosystems. Dynamical models of biomass can reveal how the structure of food webs is involved in many key ecosystem properties, such as persistence, stability, etc.

In this contribution, we present BioEnergeticFoodWebs, an implementation of Yodzis & Innes (The American Naturalist 139, 1151?1175, 1992) bio‐energetic model, in the high‐performance computing language Julia.

We illustrate how this package can be used to conduct numerical experiments in a reproducible and standard way.

A reference implementation of this widely used model will ease reproducibility and comparison of results across studies.
Strong epidemiological evidence that alcohol causes cancer, but how might the public interpret this information?
Authors: Emslie Carol , Macdonald Sara
Published: December 2016

Commentary to: Alcohol consumption as a cause of cancer
Purity, adulteration and price of drugs bought on‐line versus off‐line in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Gouwe Daan , Brunt Tibor M. , van Laar Margriet , van der Pol Peggy
Published: December 2016

Background and aims

On‐line drug markets flourish and consumers have high expectations of on‐line quality and drug value. The aim of this study was to (i) describe on‐line drug purchases and (ii) compare on‐line with off‐line purchased drugs regarding purity, adulteration and price.

Design

Comparison of laboratory analyses of 32 663 drug consumer samples (stimulants and hallucinogens) purchased between January 2013 and January 2016, 928 of which were bought on‐line.

Setting

The Netherlands.

Measurements

Primary outcome measures were (i) the percentage of samples purchased on‐line and (ii) the chemical purity of powders (or dosage per tablet); adulteration; and the price per gram, blotter or tablet of drugs bought on‐line compared with drugs bought off‐line.

Findings

The proportion of drug samples purchased on‐line increased from 1.4% in 2013 to 4.1% in 2015. The frequency varied widely, from a maximum of 6% for controlled, traditional substances [ecstasy tablets, 3,4‐methylenedioxy‐methamphetamine (MDMA) powder, amphetamine powder, cocaine powder, 4‐bromo‐2,5‐dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C‐B) and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)] to more than a third for new psychoactive substances (NPS) [4‐fluoroamphetamine (4‐FA), 5/6‐(2‐aminopropyl)benzofuran (5/6‐APB) and methoxetamine (MXE)]. There were no large differences in drug purity, yet small but statistically significant differences were found for 4‐FA (on‐line 59% versus off‐line 52% purity for 4‐FA on average, P = 0.001), MDMA powders (45 versus 61% purity for MDMA, P = 0.02), 2C‐B tablets (21 versus 10 mg 2C‐B/tablet dosage, P = 0.49) and ecstasy tablets (131 versus 121 mg MDMA/tablet dosage, P = 0.05). The proportion of adulterated samples purchased on‐line and off‐line did not differ, except for 4‐FA powder, being less adulterated on‐line (χ2 = 8.3; P < 0.02). Drug prices were mainly higher on‐line, ranging for various drugs from 10 to 23% higher than that of drugs purchased off‐line (six of 10 substances: P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Dutch drug users increasingly purchase drugs on‐line: new psychoactive substances in particular. Purity and adulteration do not vary considerably between drugs purchased on‐line and off‐line for most substances, while on‐line prices are mostly higher than off‐line prices.
Bat species diversity and distribution in a disturbed regime at the Lake Bogoria National Reserve, Kenya
Authors: Wechuli David B. , Webala Paul W. , Patterson Bruce D. , Ochieng Raphael S.
Published: December 2016

Human population growth drives intrusion and progressive conversion of natural habitats for agriculture. We evaluated human impacts on bat species diversity and distribution among four vegetation types in and around Lake Bogoria National Reserve between November 2012 and July 2013. Plants were surveyed using the Braun–Blanquet cover/abundance method, whereas bats were sampled using standard mist nets erected on poles at ground level. Floristic similarity analysis revealed three broad vegetation assemblages, namely riverine vegetation, farmland and Acacia woodland/Acacia–Commiphora woodland. Two hundred and 33 bats representing eleven species in eleven genera and seven families were recorded. These were Epomophorus minimus, Rhinolophus landeri, Hipposideros caffer, Cardioderma cor, Lavia frons, Nycteris hispida, Chaerephon pumilus, Mops condylurus, Neoromicia capensis, Scotoecus hirundo and Scotophilus dinganii. Species richness estimators indicated that sampling for bats at ground level was exhaustive. Bat species richness and diversity were highest in the more structurally complex Acacia woodland compared to more homogenous farmlands where we recorded only common and generalist species that often occur in open habitats. The higher bat species richness and diversity in the Acacia woodland as compared to farmland underscore the importance of remnant natural savannah woodlands in the conservation of bats and other elements of biodiversity.
Management of early‐onset neonatal sepsis differs in the north and south of Scandinavia
Authors: Drageset Martin , Fjalstad Jon Widding , Mortensen Sven , Klingenberg Claus
Published: December 2016

Aim

This study compared the management and outcomes of early‐onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) in two tertiary neonatal units in Denmark and Norway.

Methods

We retrospectively studied all infants diagnosed with EONS between April 2010 and March 2013 and managed at Odense University Hospital, Denmark, and the University Hospital of North Norway, Norway. Clinical and laboratory data were collected from patient records.

Results

We identified 137 EONS cases in Denmark and 101 in Norway. There were 35 culture‐confirmed EONS cases: 16% of the Danish cases and 13% of the Norwegian cases. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently detected pathogen in 11 cases (31%), followed by Group B streptococci in nine (26%) and Escherichia coli in six (17%). In 85% of the 238 cases, the empiric therapy comprised gentamicin and a beta‐lactam, namely ampicillin in Denmark and benzylpenicillin in Norway. Patients with positive blood cultures had higher C‐reactive protein levels than patients with negative blood cultures and higher sepsis‐attributable mortality. Lumbar punctures were performed more frequently in Denmark.

Conclusion

There were marginal differences in the management of EONS between units in Denmark and Norway, mainly in their choice of antibiotics and the use of lumbar punctures. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen.
Manipulating tablets and capsules given to hospitalised children in Norway is common practice
Authors: Bjerknes Kathrin , Bøyum Silje , Kristensen Solveig , Brustugun Jørgen , Wang Siri
Published: December 2016

Aim

This study provided an overview of manipulating oral medicines given to hospitalised children and evaluated this practice in two hospitals. It focused on the type of manipulation and the dosage forms that were manipulated.

Method

This was a cross‐sectional, prospective study, carried out on the paediatric wards at two Norwegian hospitals for four weeks in 2013. A medicine was said to have been manipulated if it was not administered as described in the Norwegian summary of product characteristics.

Results

This study showed that 17% of the 3070 administrations of oral medicines to the hospitalised children involved manipulation. Tablets, including modified release preparations, were the most frequently manipulated medicines. In approximately half of these cases, only a segment of the unit dose was administered. No manipulation of oral liquids was seen. The bioavailability of as much as 44% of the most frequent given substances may be sensitive to such manipulations due to limited aqueous solubility. Various routines for splitting and handling the unit doses were observed.

Conclusion

Manipulation of oral medication was regularly performed on paediatric wards. There is an urgent need for age‐appropriate medicines, documented and standardised processes for manipulating medicines and staff training on the consequences of manipulation.
Effects of alpha‐lipoic acid supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters for ammonia‐exposed broilers
Authors: Lu Min , Bai Jie , Wei Fengxian , Xu Bin , Sun Quanyou , Li Jie , Wang Gaili , Tang Xiangfang , Zhang Hongfu , Yin Qingqiang , Li Shaoyu
Published: December 2016

In order to estimate the effect of alpha‐lipoic acid (LA) supplementation on relieving ammonia stress of broilers, 180 22‐day‐old male broilers were assigned to three groups, six replicates in each group and 10 birds per replicate. The three groups were: (1) a control group without ammonia stress; (2) exposure to 70 ppm atmospheric ammonia (AM); (3) exposure to 70 ppm atmospheric ammonia and administration of 300 mg/kg LA (AM + LA). The experimental period was 3 weeks. Results showed that average daily weight gain was increased and feed conversion ratio was decreased in the AM + LA group, compared with the AM group (P < 0.05). Total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in serum, and glutathione content in liver were higher in the AM + LA group than that in the AM group (P < 0.05); however, serum malondialdehyde content was decreased by LA addition (P < 0.05). Additionally, serum glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities were reduced and albumin level was increased by LA addition (P < 0.05). In conclusion, LA addition could relieve ammonia stress to restore broiler production performance to normal levels.
CASP9 germline mutation in a family with multiple brain tumors
Authors: Ronellenfitsch Michael W. , Oh Ji‐Eun , Satomi Kaishi , Sumi Koichiro , Harter Patrick N. , Steinbach Joachim P. , Felsberg Jörg , Capper David , Voegele Catherine , Durand Geoffroy , McKay James , Le Calvez‐Kelm Florence , Schittenhelm Jens , Klink Barbara , Mittelbronn Michel , Ohgaki Hiroko
Published: December 2016

We report a novel CASP9 germline mutation that may increase susceptibility to the development of brain tumors. We identified this mutation in a family in which three brain tumors had developed within three generations, including two anaplastic astrocytomas occurring in cousins. The cousins were diagnosed at similar ages (29 and 31 years), and their tumors showed similar histological features. Genetic analysis revealed somatic IDH1 and TP53 mutations in both tumors. However, no germline TP53 mutations were detected, despite the fact that this family fulfills the criteria of Li–Fraumeni‐like syndrome. Whole exome sequencing revealed a germline stop‐gain mutation (R65X) in the CASP9 gene, which encodes caspase‐9, a key molecule for the p53‐dependent mitochondrial death pathway. This mutation was also detected in DNA extracted from blood samples from the two siblings who were each a parent of one of the affected cousins. Caspase‐9 immunohistochemistry showed the absence of caspase‐9 immunoreactivity in the anaplastic astrocytomas and normal brain tissues of the cousins. These observations suggest that CASP9 germline mutations may have played a role at least in part to the susceptibility of development of gliomas in this Li–Fraumeni‐like family lacking a TP53 germline mutation.
In Search of New Product Ideas: Identifying Ideas in Online Communities by Machine Learning and Text Mining
Authors: Christensen Kasper , Nørskov Sladjana , Frederiksen Lars , Scholderer Joachim
Published: December 2016

Online communities are attractive sources of ideas relevant for new product development and innovation. However, making sense of the ‘big data’ in these communities is a complex analytical task. A systematic way of dealing with these data is needed to exploit their potential for boosting companies' innovation performance. We propose a method for analysing online community data with a special focus on identifying ideas. We employ a research design where two human raters classified 3,000 texts extracted from an online community, according to whether the text contained an idea. Among the 3,000, 137 idea texts and 2,666 non‐idea texts were identified. The human raters could not agree on the remaining 197 texts. These texts were omitted from the analysis. The remaining 2,803 texts were processed by using text mining techniques and used to train a classification model. We describe how to tune the model and which text mining steps to perform. We conclude that machine learning and text mining can be useful for detecting ideas in online communities. The method can help researchers and firms identify ideas hidden in large amounts of texts. Also, it is interesting in its own right that machine learning can be used to detect ideas.
Structural insight into the antiprion compound inhibition mechanism of native prion folding over misfolding
Authors: Choi Jiwon , Govindaraj Rajiv Gandhi , Hyeon Jae Wook , Lee Kyungro , Ma SongLing , Kim Su Yeon , Lee Jeongmin , No Kyoung Tai
Published: December 2016

Transition of a physiological folded prion (PrPC) into a pathogenic misfolded prion (PrPSc) causes lethal neurodegenerative disorders and prion diseases. Antiprion compounds have been developed to prevent this conversion; however, their mechanism of action remains unclear. Recently, we reported two antiprion compounds, BMD29 and BMD35, identified by in silico and in vitro screening. In this study, we used extensive explicit‐solvent molecular dynamics simulations to investigate ligand‐binding inhibition by antiprion compounds in prion folding over misfolding behavior at acidic pH. The two antiprion compounds and the previously reported GN8 compound resulted in a remarkably stabilized intermediate by binding to the hotspot region of PrPC, whereas free PrPC and the inactive compound BMD01 destabilized the structure of PrPC leading to the misfolded form. The results uncovered a secondary structural transition of free PrPC and transition suppression by the antiprion compounds. One of the major misfolding processes in PrPC, alternation of hydrophobic core residues, disruption of intramolecular interactions, and the increase in residue solvent exposure were significantly inhibited by both antiprion compounds. These findings provide insights into prion misfolding and inhibition by antiprion compounds.
Reactivity of 9‐aminoacridine drug quinacrine with glutathione limits its antiprion activity
Authors: Šafařík Martin , Moško Tibor , Zawada Zbigniew , Šafaříková Eva , Dračínský Martin , Holada Karel , Šebestík Jaroslav
Published: December 2016

Quinacrine—the drug based on 9‐aminoacridine—failed in clinical trials for prion diseases, whereas it was active in in vitro studies. We hypothesize that aromatic nucleophilic substitution at C9 could be contributing factor responsible for this failure because of the transfer of acridine moiety from quinacrine to abundant glutathione. Here, we described the semi‐large‐scale synthesis of the acridinylated glutathione and the consequences of its formation on biological and biophysical activities. The acridinylated glutathione is one order of magnitude weaker prion protein binder than the parent quinacrine. Moreover, according to log DpH 7.4, the glutathione conjugate is two orders of magnitude more hydrophilic than quinacrine. Its higher hydrophilicity and higher dsDNA binding potency will significantly decrease its bioavailability in membrane‐like environment. The glutathione deactivates quinacrine not only directly but also decreases its bioavailability. Furthermore, the conjugate can spontaneously decompose to practically insoluble acridone, which is precipitated out from the living systems.
Mapping of inhibitors and activity data to the human kinome and exploring promiscuity from a ligand and target perspective
Authors: Hu Ye , Kunimoto Ryo , Bajorath Jürgen
Published: December 2016

An up‐to‐date collection of publicly available kinase inhibitors and activity data was mapped to the human kinome to comprehensively analyze current small molecule–kinase interactions. Compound distributions across the kinome were explored, structural relationships between inhibitors determined, and the tendency to form activity cliffs assessed. Furthermore, promiscuity was analyzed at the level of inhibitors and kinases, and a number of kinase targets with distinct preferences for single‐ or multitarget inhibitors were identified. Taken together, the results of current analysis provide a detailed view of kinase–inhibitor interaction characteristics across the human kinome.
Warmth and Demand: The Relation Between Students' Perceptions of the Classroom Environment and Achievement Growth
Authors: Sandilos Lia E. , Rimm‐Kaufman Sara E. , Cohen Julia J.
Published: December 2016

Theory suggests that African American students benefit from warm and demanding teachers. This study examines the relation between students' perceptions of 634 teachers' warm demander characteristics and achievement growth in fourth and fifth grades (Mstudent age = 9–11.5 years). Analyses explored whether relations were moderated by the proportion of African American students in the classroom or the ethnic match or mismatch between African American students and their teachers. Results indicated that students' perceptions of teachers' demand (challenge and control) related to student achievement growth. Findings showed a stronger relation between challenge and academic growth in classrooms with more African American students, but no significant findings were identified for ethnic match or mismatch.
Autogenous bone grafting for treatment of osseous defect after impacted mandibular third molar extraction: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ge Jing , Yang Chi , Zheng Jiawei , Hu Yingkai
Published: December 2016

Background

Extraction of impacted mandibular third molar (M3) has been cited as causing osseous defect at the distal aspect of the adjacent second molar (M2).

Purpose

This randomized controlled trial was aimed to evaluate the effect of autogenous bone grafting in situ for regeneration of periodontal osseous defect distal to the M2 compared with non‐grafting after impacted M3 removal.

Materials and Methods

A total of 60 sites in 51 adult patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the control group or the test group. In both groups, the M3 was extracted using a piezosurgical device, and the distal root surface of M2 was scaled and root planned. In addition, the removed alveolar bone was grinded to particles and grafted to the distal osseous defect of M2 in the test group. The primary outcome variable was the osseous defect depth (ODD), the secondary outcome variables were probing pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) on the disto‐buccal aspect of the M2 during a 12‐month follow‐up period. Postoperative symptom at 7‐day postoperatively and adverse events were also recorded and analyzed.

Results

The patient characteristics were homogeneous between the 2 groups. Six and 12 months after surgery, there were statistically significant bone fill in both groups (P ＜ .01). Moreover, the ODD and CAL in the test group were significantly lower than the control group at every postoperative re‐entry (P ＜ .01). The postoperative symptom was more severe in the test group than the control group, but the difference was not significant (P > .05).

Conclusions

The result of this study demonstrated that scaling and root planning was beneficial to periodontal healing of M2 after impacted M3 extraction. Addition of autogenous bone grafting for the treatment of osseous defects distal to M2 was safe and more effective than periodontal treatment alone.

(Registry Number: ChiCTR‐IOC‐15006561)