bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of a new benzodiazepine derivative: 4-dichloromethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one
Authors: Chkirate Karim , Kansiz Sevgi , Karrouchi Khalid , Mague Joel T. , Dege Necmi , Essassi El Mokhtar
Published: December 2018

In the title compound, C10H8Cl2N2O, the seven-membered diazepine ring adopts a boat-shaped conformation. The mean planes of the two rings of the benzodiazepine unit are inclined to each other by 22.05 (6)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with anR22(8) ring motif. The dimers are linked by C—H...π interactions, forming layers lying parallel to (10\overline{1}). The roles of the intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing were clarified using Hirshfeld surface analysis; the most important contributions are from Cl...H/H...Cl (30.5%) and H...H (22.5%) interactions.
Time to get into the action
Authors: Raghuvanshi Juhi , Garg Chandra Prakash
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The aim of this study is to identify and rank the factors of innovation capability (IC) in Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This study focuses on ascertaining the important factors that help in enhancing the IC with an emblematic focus on the MSME sector of India.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a multicriteria decision-making methodology, which is based on fuzzy analytic hierarchical process to prioritize the factors that enhance the IC of MSMEs. Finally, sensitivity analysis is conducted to examine the ranking stability.

Findings

Knowledge management is the most important enabler, followed by creativity and idea management and organizational culture.

Practical implications

Several organizations promote the strategic measures for enhancing the IC. To increase their capability to innovate, there is a need to identify, acknowledge and implement the drivers of IC into practice.

Originality/value

Prioritization done in the study facilitates the entrepreneurs to determine the most important factors that need crucial attention in dealing with sensitive issues of IC. Entrepreneurs can take several steps to implement the most important factors for enhancing the IC into practices for meeting the needs of the consumers, generating profits and enhancing the competitiveness.
Expatriates’ motivations for going abroad
Authors: Linder Christian
Published: December 2018

Purpose

It is widely accepted that expatriates have career expectations and motivations for working abroad that differ according to whether their posting is self-initiated or assigned by their employer. These factors also affect organisational embeddedness in the host country organisation. The purpose of this paper is to analyse job effort and career satisfaction in expatriates working for foreign organisations and investigates how these concepts depend on expatriates’ initial career plans and motivations for working abroad.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from two groups: managers of assigned expatriate workers and self-initiated expatriate workers. The surveys assessed workers’ motivations for going abroad, and differences between the two groups were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA). A partial least squares (PLS) analysis was used to assess the effect of motivation on job performance.

Findings

There were positive relationships between the degree of organisational embeddedness in institutions abroad and job performance and career satisfaction. Perceptions of embeddedness depended on workers’ mindsets regarding their career ambitions.

Practical implications

This paper shows that self-initiated and assigned expatriates (AEs) require different staffing strategies, since variation in their motivations to go abroad are likely to affect their job effort in host organisations.

Originality/value

By linking expatriate motivation to go abroad with job performance and career satisfaction, contributions are made to the discussion of the differences between self-initiated and AEs.
HR metrics and workforce analytics: it is a journey, not a destination
Authors: Durai D. Subhashini , Rudhramoorthy Krishnaveni , Sarkar Shulagna
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The main objective in adopting the use of metrics and analytics is to use the expertise of HR professionals in human resource management regarding their understanding of the best way to recruit, select, train, design, motivate, develop, evaluate, and retain employees at an organization to help achieve its goals more effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

The first and foremost step to generate metrics and analytics strategies in an organization is identification of existing problems faced by them. Owing to the changing environment and global requirement, the labor measurement also changes. The main focus is on the problems faced by the organization and human resources in the working environment.

Findings

Through the use of human resources measures and workforce analytics, decision-makers will gain the ability to more effectively manage and improve human resources programs and processes. This in turn improves the effectiveness of the workforce and organizational performance.

Practical implications

Metrics and analytics is a better problem-solving measure in organizations, because in any situations, decisions are made after analyzing the tactical choices.

Social implications

The development of effective human resource metrics and workforce analytics is likely to be seen in the future as a very important source of competitive advantage.

Originality/value

The use of human resource metrics and workforce analytics improves organizational effectiveness and strategic decision-making of managers that positively impact the organization’s performance as a whole.
Emerging themes and theories in the sharing economy: a critical note for hospitality and tourism
Authors: Altinay Levent , Taheri Babak
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review and synthesise recent studies in the sharing economy literature and identify the knowledge gap and future opportunities for hospitality and tourism researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study commences by introducing sharing economy models and strategic frameworks for profitable service enabler performance. Following this, it identifies emerging overarching theories (e.g. complexity theory, social exchange theory, norm activation model, and value co-creation) and some emerging themes (i.e. trust and reputation, disruptive behaviour, choice and segmentation, pricing strategies, socially excluded consumers, personality and satisfaction) in current hospitality and tourism studies from top-tier journals.

Findings

The findings of the study suggest new paths for advancing theoretical and practical implications for hospitality and tourism studies.

Practical implications

The themes, models and overarching theories reviewed in this study are relevant and insightful across the fulcrum of hospitality and tourism research. It offers several useful guides for practitioners and academics to trace relevant literature on different aspects of sharing economy and perceptibly highlight the gaps in existing studies.

Originality/value

The paper provides new directions to broaden interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches undertaken by scholars within both the field of hospitality and tourism management and beyond.
The outcome of online social interactions on Facebook pages
Authors: Khobzi Hamid , Lau Raymond Y.K. , Cheung Terence C.H.
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different ways of message framing on users’ engagement behavior regarding the brand posts on Facebook and to determine whether users’ thumbs-up and reply moderate this impact.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel data analysis was conducted on a panel with 11,894 observations on 850 unique brand posts from the Facebook pages of the world’s most valuable brands over a seven days window with two observations each day. A system of equations was estimated using ordinary least squares, Hausman–Taylor IV and seemingly unrelated regressions to test study’s hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical findings confirm that more positively and negatively framed comments result in increased users’ engagement. Also, an increase in thumbs-up ratio for neutrally and negatively framed comments results in less engagement. The reply ratio might also have a positive and negative moderation effect on the influence of neutrally and positively framed comments on engagement behavior, respectively.

Practical implications

This study provides an in-depth understanding of online social interactions on Facebook pages for firms’ managers and marketers. Online social interactions might be either harmful or fruitful for firms depending on the type of interaction and engagement behavior. Findings can help managers and marketer to improve their strategies for leveraging Facebook for electronic marketing.

Originality/value

This is likely to be the first study that examines the moderating effect of users’ thumbs-up and reply on the relationship between message framing and users’ engagement behavior. By providing robust findings by addressing issues like omitted variables and endogeneity, the findings of this study are promising for developing new hypotheses and theoretical models in the context of online social interactions.
The most optimal way to deal with negative consumer review
Authors: Brunner Christian Boris , Ullrich Sebastian , De Oliveira Mauro Jose
Published: December 2018

Purpose

After a negative consumer review (NCR) has been posted on an online shopping site such as Amazon.com, the immediate concern of a brand holder should be to focus on the steps the brand should take to rebuild the unhappy consumers’ trust. The purpose of this paper is to employ the signalling theory to analyse whether a brand response, a customer response or a response that combines both when responding to a NCR leads to better product purchase intentions at the customer end.

Design/methodology/approach

In a laboratory study comprising 351 respondents, six different response scenarios are tested, both for a well-known and an unknown brand. The experiment employs a 6 (response scenario: single brand response, single customer response, brand response and one customer response or vice versa, brand response and three customer responses or vice versa)×2 (customer-based brand equity: strong/weak) between-subject design.

Findings

The findings show that after a NCR, the subjects perceive a customer response as more trustworthy than a response from an unknown brand. However, customer-based brand equity changes the whole story. If a strong brand responds, the purchase intentions of the subjects are similar to those generated by a single customer’s response. In addition, after considering multiple responses, it can be seen that a response combining a brand and a customer response has a higher effect than from a single response. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate that perceptions are more favourable if several customer responses are sent in case of an unknown brand.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in the fact that it tries to explore how the consumers perceive multiple responses from different sources after a NCR has been posted. The results highlight that a response that combines a brand and a customer response has a significantly higher effect than what is achieved from a single response. It must also be noted that customer-based brand equity plays a key role.
Online privacy behavior among youth in the Global South
Authors: Bernadas Jan Michael Alexandre Cortez , Soriano Cheryll Ruth
Published: December 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, it explores the extent to which diversity of connectivity or the connection through multiple internet access points may facilitate online privacy behavior. Second, it explains the diversity of connectivity-online privacy behavior link in terms of information literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Situated in the context of urban poor youth in the Philippines (n = 300), this paper used a quantitative approach, specifically an interview-administered survey technique. Respondents were from three cities in Metro Manila. To test for indirect relationship, survey data were analyzed using bootstrapping technique via SPSS macro PROCESS (Hayes, 2013).

Findings

Urban poor youth with diversified connection to the internet engaged in online privacy behavior. The more the youth are connected to the internet through diverse modalities, the more this fosters cautious online privacy behavior. In addition, information literacy explained how diversity of connectivity facilitated online privacy behavior. It suggests that differences in online privacy behavior may result from the extent of basic know-how of navigating online information. In the context of the urban poor in the Global South, the youth are constantly negotiating ways to not only connect to the internet but also acquire digital skills necessary for protective online behaviors.

Originality/value

To date, this is one of the few papers to contribute to conversations about online privacy among youth in the Global South. It broadens the literature on social determinants of online privacy behavior that is crucial for designing policy interventions for those in the margins.
An employee’s best friend? How AI can boost employee engagement and performance
Authors: Smith Cameron
Published: December 2018

Purpose

How to keep employees engaged, rewarded and retained to improve the end-user and customer experience.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides practical advice on how a business can attract, recruit, retain and develop talented employees to improve customer service, using the author’s experience at Genesys.

Findings

This study explores various research findings including Coleman Parks to establish the challenges organizations face when trying to ensure employees are engaged with their own business.

Originality/value

This is my viewpoint on the situation; I have researched various areas of employee engagement to understand why organizations are facing challenges, and I can provide unique insight as we work with world-leading brands to use technology that will solve these problems in some way at the least.
Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for major capsid VP1 protein of trichodysplasia spinulosa‐associated polyomavirus
Authors: Khatun Hajera , Yamaoka Yutaro , Matsushima Yuki , Matsunaga Satoko , Kimura Hirokazu , Ho Jonhan , Shuda Masahiro , Ryo Akihide
Published: December 2018

Trichodysplasia spinulosa‐associated polyomavirus (TSPyV), a newly identified polyomavirus, has been implicated as a causative agent of trychodysplasia spinulosa (TS), a rare proliferative skin disease in severely immunocompromised hosts. Diagnosis using mAbs is a promising tool with high specificity towards the specific antigen. However, thus far, no suitable mAbs for diagnosing TS disease have been identified. In this study, mAbs specific for VP1 of TSPyV were developed and characterized. Wheat germ cell‐free synthesized VP1 protein of TSPyV was used to immunize BALB/c mice to generate hybridomas. Screening of the resultant hybridoma clones resulted in selection of five strongly positive clones that produce mAbs that react with the TSPyV‐VP1 antigen. Epitope mapping and bioinformatic analysis showed that these mAbs recognized epitopes located within highly conserved C‐terminal region of all clinical isolates of TSPyV‐VP1. Further, all these mAbs were highly effective for immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation analysis. Three of the five mAbs exhibited no cross‐reactivity with VP1 of other related polyomaviruses. In addition, one of our mAbs (#14) provided immunohistochemical staining of skin tissue of TS disease. It can be concluded that three of the mAbs in this panel of anti‐VP1 antibodies may provide a useful set of tools for studying TSPyV infection and making the specific diagnosis.
Predictors of non‐compliant classroom behaviour of secondary school students. Identifying the influence of sex, learning problems, behaviour problems, social behaviour, peer relations and student–teacher relations
Authors: Schwab Susanne , Eckstein Boris , Reusser Kurt
Published: December 2018

Students’ non‐compliant classroom behaviour is mentioned as one of the biggest challenges for teaching. This study examines the non‐compliant behaviour of secondary school students and its predictors. Data were obtained from a longitudinal sample of 639 secondary school students in Austria (Styria). Students filled out a paper‐pencil questionnaire at the end of the 7th grade (mean age = 13.5 years, SD = 0.61) and 8th grade. Non‐compliant classroom behaviour was assessed using a 15 item self‐rating scale. First results indicate that boys show more non‐compliant classroom behaviour than girls. Students with hyperactivity stated to show more non‐compliant classroom behaviour than students without hyperactivity. However, students with and without emotional problems as well as students with and without learning problems did not differ in their self‐rated non‐compliant classroom behaviour. Findings of multi‐level analyses showed that more positive student–teacher relation is linked with less non‐compliant classroom behaviour for both girls and boys. As non‐compliant classroom behaviour is a relatively stable characteristic of both male and female students, it is important to intervene as early as possible. In addition, schools should take classroom compositions into account and make teachers aware of the high importance of the student–teacher relation for students’ behaviour.
Analysis of agriculture‐related life‐threatening injuries presenting to emergency departments of rural generalist hospitals in Southern Queensland
Authors: Pinidiyapathirage Janani , Kitchener Scott , McNamee Sarah , Wynter Sacha , Langford Jack , Doyle Ashley , McMahon Andrew
Published: December 2018

Objective

Agricultural industries are among the most dangerous in Australia posing significant public health risks. This study analyses the nature and management of agriculture‐related injuries presenting to EDs in selected hospitals in Southern Queensland.

Methods

Data on agricultural injury presentations over a 6 month period was collected at four rural hospitals by a dedicated onsite hospital data coordinator. Additionally, in two of the participating hospitals all injury presentations over the same 6 month period were recorded. A pre‐tested survey instrument, modified for rural settings and designed and developed to export the abstracted data using an iPad application was used as the survey tool.

Results

The incidence of agriculture‐related injuries was 11% of all injuries, most were males (73%), averaging 40 years. On presentation, 66.5% (n = 234) were categorised as imminently or potentially life threatening with 44% of those patients presenting to hospital ED >3 h after the injury. Large animals were more commonly reported as involved in the aetiology of the presenting injury, particularly using horses and handling cattle.

Conclusions

Agricultural injuries are a significant group of primary care presentations to rural hospitals and training and resourcing for rural hospitals should reflect this. A better understanding of common injury types can lead to efficient allocation of available resources in rural hospitals and potentially improve ED practices. The delay in presentation must be considered in response planning both by farmers and hospital EDs.
Trends and state variations in out‐of‐hospital births in the United States, 2004‐2017
Authors: MacDorman Marian F. , Declercq Eugene
Published: December 2018

Background

Out‐of‐hospital births have been increasing in the United States, although past studies have found wide variations between states. Our purpose was to examine trends in out‐of‐hospital births, the risk profile of these births, and state differences in women’s access to these births.

Methods

National birth certificate data from 2004 to 2017 were analyzed. Newly available national data on method of payment for the delivery (private insurance, Medicaid, self‐pay) were used to measure access to out‐of‐hospital birth options.

Results

After a gradual decline from 1990 to 2004, the number of out‐of‐hospital births increased from 35 578 in 2004 to 62 228 in 2017. In 2017, 1 of every 62 births in the United States was an out‐of‐hospital birth (1.61%). Home births increased by 77% from 2004 to 2017, whereas birth center births more than doubled. Out‐of‐hospital births were more common in the Pacific Northwest and less common in the southeastern states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Women with planned home and birth center births were less likely to have a number of population characteristics associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, including teen births, smoking during pregnancy, obesity, and preterm, low birthweight, and multiple births. More than 2/3 of planned home births were self‐paid, compared with 1/3 of birth center and just 3% of hospital births, with large variations by state.

Conclusions

Lack of insurance or Medicaid coverage is an important limiting factor for women desiring out‐of‐hospital birth in most states. Recent increases in out‐of‐hospital births despite important limiting factors highlight the strong motivation of some women to choose out‐of‐hospital birth.
The effect of donor alcohol abuse on outcomes following heart transplantation
Authors: Newman Joshua , Liebo Max , Lowes Brian D. , Ilias Basha Haseeb , Peled Yael , Cendrowski Emily , Zolty Ronald , Douglas Dylan , Um John Y. , McGee Edwin , Heroux Alain , Raichlin Eugenia
Published: December 2018

Background

Current guidelines recommend against the use of hearts from donors that abuse alcohol. We explored the effect of donor alcohol abuse (AA) on cardiac allograft function and outcomes in heart transplant (HTx) recipients.

Methods

Overall, 370 HTx recipients were divided into two groups: (a) the alcoholic donor group (AD, n = 58) and (b) the non‐alcoholic donor group (NAD, n = 312).

Results

Recipients in the AD group had a slower heart rate (86 ± 13 vs 93 ± 13, P = 0.004) and an increased incidence of early atrial fibrillation (AF) (30% vs 11%, P = 0.003). Echocardiographic left ventricular mass was higher among alcoholic donors (171.7 ± 66.7 vs 151.6 ± 54.7, P = 0.02). This difference remained present 1 year following HTx (185 ± 43 vs 166 ± 42, P = 0.007). E/E′ was higher in the AD group (9.5 ± 3.9 vs 8.4 ± 2.9, P = 0.04) and a larger number of AD recipients had a ventilatory equivalent for VCO2 > 34 (50% vs 31%, P = 0.04) on cardiopulmonary exercise test. There was no significant difference in rejection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), or survival between the groups.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that donor AA does not impact rejection, CAV, or intermediate‐term survival, but may cause increased incidence of post‐HTx AF and impaired cardiac allograft diastolic function.
Unnötige abdominelle Eingriffe bei Patienten mit hereditärem Angioödem
Authors: Hahn Janina , Hoess Alisa , Friedrich Daniel Thomas , Mayer Benjamin , Schauf Lucia , Hoffmann Thomas K. , Greve Jens
Published: December 2018

Hintergrund

Das hereditäre Angioödem (HAE) ist eine seltene genetische Erkrankung mit rezidivierenden Schwellungen der Schleimhäute und der Haut. Es wird durch Bradykinin vermittelt und kann praktisch jeden Teil des menschlichen Körpers betreffen, einschließlich des Gastrointestinaltrakts, der Extremitäten sowie des Kehlkopfs und des Rachens. Zur akuten und prophylaktischen Behandlung des HAE stehen sichere und wirksame Arzneimittel zur Verfügung. Aufgrund seiner unspezifischen Symptome und besonderen Manifestationen wird das HAE jedoch häufig verkannt und falsch behandelt. Insbesondere abdominelle Ödeme können einer Appendizitis oder Cholezystitis ähneln, weshalb sie häufig unnötig chirurgisch behandelt werden. Wir haben eine Fragebogen‐Studie zur Quantifizierung dieses Problems durchgeführt.

Patienten und Methoden

Es wurden Fragebögen für HAE‐Patienten und Probanden ohne HAE entworfen. Das Verhältnis von Patienten zu Kontrollpersonen betrug 1: 2.

Ergebnisse

Im Vergleich zur Gesamtbevölkerung wird bei HAE‐Patienten eine signifikant höhere Zahl invasiver diagnostischer und therapeutischer Interventionen durchgeführt. Unsere Studie zeigt, dass bei HAE‐Patienten die Wahrscheinlichkeit abdominalchirurgischer (wie gynäkologischer und urologischer) Eingriffe 2,5mal höher ist als bei Probanden ohne HAE (p = 0,007). Die Zahl der Operationen pro Patient korrelierte mit dem Zeitraum (Anzahl der Jahre) zwischen Einsetzen der Symptome und Diagnose stellung (Korrelationskoeffizient 0,511; Spearman). Außerdem wurden bei HAE‐Patienten doppelt so viele Appendektomien durchgeführt (18,9 % vs. 37.7 %). Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen auch, dass Gastroskopien bei HAE‐Patienten 2,3mal häufiger waren als bei Kontrollpersonen ohne HAE (p = 0,003).

Schlussfolgerungen

Patienten mit seltenen Krankheiten wie dem HAE leiden nicht nur an den Auswirkungen der Krankheit selbst. Die Krankheiten werden aufgrund mangelnden Wissens über solche Störungen und unspezifischer Symptome häufig jahrelang verkannt. Dies führt nicht nur zu falscher und wirkungsloser Behandlung, sondern auch zu unnötiger invasiver Diagnostik und Therapie. Daher ist es wichtig, Kenntnisse zu und Aufmerksamkeit gegenüber seltenen Krankheiten wie HAE zu stärken, um Diagnostik und Behandlung zu verbessern, das Leiden der Patienten zu minimieren und ihre Lebensqualität zu steigern.
Update Dermatologische Lasertherapie 2018 I – Epilation, Gefäße und Pigmente
Authors: Paasch Uwe , Grunewald Sonja
Published: December 2018

Technische Innovationen der letzten Jahre führen zu neuen dermatologischen Lasern, Strahlquellen und Behandlungskonzepten. Bekannte Wellenlängen, die neuerdings auf der Basis von LED emittiert werden können, ermöglichen die Kombination verschiedener Gewebeeffekte und lassen bessere Ergebnisse erwarten. Laserepilationen werden infolge simultaner Applikation verschieden wirksamer Wellenlängen auf Diodenbasis effizienter. Die Gefäßbehandlung wird in naher Zukunft ebenso von neuen LED beeinflusst werden, da auch hier die Kombination von Wellenlängen Vorteile erwarten lässt. Möglicherweise lassen sich in Zukunft auch komplexe Farbstofflaser durch LED ersetzen. Zur Entfernung kleiner Pigmente wie in Tätowierungen sind nunmehr Pikosekundenlaser verfügbar.
Disturbance or propagule pressure? Unravelling the drivers and mapping the intensity of invasion of free‐ranging dogs across the Atlantic forest hotspot
Authors: Ribeiro Fernando S. , Nichols Elizabeth , Morato Ronaldo G. , Metzger Jean Paul , Pardini Renata
Published: December 2018

Aim

Identifying the drivers of biological invasions is crucial to predict the risk of invasion across broad spatial scales and to devise strategies to prevent invasion impacts. Here, we explore the relative importance and synergies between two key drivers—propagule pressure and landscape disturbance—in determining the invasion of native forest remnants by dogs, one of the most abundant, widely distributed, and harmful invasive species worldwide.

Location

Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Methods

Combining a camera trap dataset (96 sites in forest remnants) and censuses of populations of dogs raised by humans across 12 landscapes (2,830 ha each), we used N‐mixture models that account for imperfect detection to confront alternative hypotheses of invasion drivers. We then used this empirical evidence to predict the intensity of dog invasion across the Atlantic Forest hotspot.

Results

Propagule pressure (density of raised dogs, positive effect) and landscape disturbance (forest cover, negative effect) were equally important drivers of dog invasion, presenting additive rather than synergistic effects. Dogs invade forest remnants far from their homes, making the density of raised dogs the key component of propagule pressure (relative to dog spatial distribution). Forest cover was more important than either the length or density of forest edges, suggesting that both reduced area of forested barriers to long‐distance movements and increased proximity of forests to edges facilitate dog access to forests. Across the Atlantic Forest, the combination of high human population density and extensive deforestation makes dog invasion an additional and widespread threat.

Main conclusion

Combined with available maps of priority areas for biodiversity conservation, our spatial prediction of dog invasion can help target areas for integrated management actions. These actions should go beyond measures to control dog populations and encompass the maintenance and restoration of native forests and strategic planning of afforestation through planted forests.
Complex biogeographical patterns support an ecological connectivity network of a large marine predator in the north‐east Atlantic
Authors: Alves Filipe , Alessandrini  Anita , Servidio Antonella , Mendonça Ana Sofia , Hartman Karin L. , Prieto Rui , Berrow Simon , Magalhães Sara , Steiner Lisa , Santos Rui , Ferreira Rita , Pérez Jacobo Marrero , Ritter Fabian , Dinis Ana , Martín Vidal , Silva Mónica , Aguilar de Soto Natacha
Published: December 2018

Aim

The knowledge of a species biogeographical patterns greatly enhances our understanding of geographical ecology, which can improve identifying key conservation needs. Yet, this knowledge is still scarce for many marine top predators. Here, we aim to analyse movement patterns and spatial structuring of a large predator, the short‐finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, over a wide geographical area.

Location

North‐east Atlantic, in Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira and Canaries) and Iberian Peninsula (Sagres).

Methods

We used likelihood techniques to estimate residency times and transition probabilities and carried out social analysis from individual photographic identification data, and analysed year‐round distribution from effort‐related sightings, collated between 1999 and 2015.

Results

The best‐fitting models included emigration and reimmigration and showed different residency times within each archipelago. A total of 26 individual movements from 21 individuals (from a sample of >2,300 individuals) were recorded between Madeira and the neighbouring archipelagos, and heterogeneous transition probabilities were estimated within and between areas. A social network diagram showed associations from animals with distinct residency patterns. Higher significant sighting rates were recorded during autumn in the Azores and Madeira.

Main conclusions

The variation in site fidelity and year‐round occupancy among areas of the Macaronesia is consistent with some degree of population structuring, which combined with a connectivity network and seasonal inflows from animals inhabiting offshore waters, support the development of a complex social and geographical ecology in short‐finned pilot whales. The combination of techniques applied in this study was an effective way to estimate parameters of movement, which could be a good practice to be used for other scenarios and species.
The biogeography of invasion in tropical and temperate seagrass beds: Testing interactive effects of predation and propagule pressure
Authors: Cheng Brian S. , Ruiz Gregory M. , Altieri Andrew H. , Torchin Mark E.
Published: December 2018

Aim

Recent work has documented latitudinal gradients of biotic resistance, revealing diminished invasion success in the tropics as compared to the temperate zone. However, no studies have explored the biogeography of biotic resistance simultaneously with propagule pressure, which can greatly influence invasion dynamics and covary with latitude.

Location

9–41° latitude, north‐western Atlantic seagrass beds.

Methods

We conducted field experiments to test the interactive effects of propagule pressure (experimentally placed recruits) and biotic resistance (predation) on invader performance in temperate and tropical seagrass beds. For these experiments, we used marine invertebrate propagules from bryozoans (Bugula neritina) and tunicates (Didemnum spp.). We also quantified natural recruitment with and without exposure to predators.

Results

Surprisingly, predation substantially reduced invader survival at almost all latitudes. Overall, invaders experienced 15%–27% survival with predation as opposed to 75%–87% survival without predation. These patterns did not change when we increased local scale propagule pressure of Bugula by over 2‐fold. However, predation had no effect on invader survival in Florida, where natural recruitment was up to 500‐fold greater than other sites. We also measured substantial in situ recruitment of Bugula onto bare experimental surfaces that was not diminished with exposure to predators at mid‐latitudes, suggesting a regional scale predator swamping effect.

Conclusions

Contrary to recent findings of latitudinal variation in biotic resistance, we found that predation strongly reduced invader success in both temperate and tropical seagrass beds. However, our results also indicate that propagule pressure (natural recruitment) can influence invasion at the regional scale to overwhelm native communities. Our data suggest that predation and propagule pressure act at varying spatial scales to affect biogeographic patterns of invasion. The importance of latitudinal variation in these interactions is largely untested but deserves attention given that globalization will continue to facilitate opportunities for invasion.
Environmental tolerance of three gammarid species with and without invasion record under current and future global warming scenarios
Authors: Casties Isabel , Clemmesen Catriona , Briski Elizabeta
Published: December 2018

Aim

Numerous regions worldwide are highly impacted by anthropogenic activities and globalization, with climate change and species introductions being among the greatest stressors to biodiversity and ecosystems. A main donor region of non‐indigenous species (NIS) for numerous European water bodies, as well as in the North American Great Lakes is the Ponto‐Caspian region (i.e., Black, Azov and Caspian Seas), with some of those species having significant impact on local communities and ecosystem functioning.

Location

Northern European, Ponto‐Caspian and North American regions.

Methods

To determine environmental tolerance of native species and related NIS under current and future global warming scenarios of the Baltic Sea, we conducted common garden experiments to test temperature tolerance of three euryhaline gammarid species: one Baltic (Gammarus oceanicus), one Ponto‐Caspian (Pontogammarus maeoticus) and one North American species (Gammarus tigrinus) in two different salinities.

Results

Our results determined that mortality of P. maeoticus in all temperature treatments (i.e., increased, control, and decreased) at the end of both experiments (i.e., conducted in salinities of 10 and 16 g/kg) was lower when compared to mortality of G. oceanicus and (c) G. tigrinus. The highest mortality was observed for G. oceanicus, reaching 100% in both experiments in the increased temperature treatment.

Main conclusions

Due to the high environmental tolerance of the Ponto‐Caspian species tested in this study, as well as the fact that Ponto‐Caspian species evolved in environmentally variable habitats and currently inhabit warmer waters than species from North America and Northern Europe, we suggest that species from the Ponto‐Caspian region may benefit from global warming when invading new areas. Those new invasions may, in the best case scenario, increase biodiversity of the Baltic Sea. However, if notorious invaders arrive, they may have a significant impact on local communities and ecosystem functioning.
Beta diversity response to stress severity and heterogeneity in sensitive versus tolerant stream diatoms
Authors: Pound Katrina L. , Lawrence Gregory B. , Passy Sophia I.
Published: December 2018

Aim

Severity and heterogeneity of stress are major constraints of beta diversity, but their relative influence is poorly understood. Here, we addressed this question by examining the patterns of beta diversity in stress‐sensitive versus stress‐tolerant stream diatoms and their response to local versus regional factors along gradients of stress severity and heterogeneity.

Location

The Adirondack region of New York.

Methods

Beta diversity was measured as multivariate dispersion of communities across high stress, low stress, and high + low stress (heterogeneous) environments, encompassing 200 stream samples. Null models were implemented to assess community similarity relative to randomly assembled communities and the importance of local assembly processes versus the regional species pool.

Results

The overall beta diversity was influenced by a combination of severity and heterogeneity of stress, while beta diversity of sensitive species increased with heterogeneity. Beta diversity of tolerant species did not vary with either severity or heterogeneity of stress. Heterogeneity decreased community similarity relative to the null expectation in all groups of species. Stress reduced the importance of local assembly mechanisms for the overall beta diversity and sensitive species beta diversity. In contrast, the importance of local assembly mechanisms increased with stress regarding beta diversity of tolerant species.

Main conclusions

Beta diversity responded to both severity and heterogeneity of stress, but turnover along these gradients was mostly driven by sensitive species. The overall beta diversity and beta diversity of sensitive species became more constrained by the depauperate regional species pool, as opposed to local assembly mechanisms. While heterogeneous stress contributed to beta diversity, severe stress suppressed beta diversity through elimination of sensitive species. Therefore, an increase in beta diversity in an environmentally‐stressed region may serve as a forewarning for future loss of sensitive species, should the stress continue to intensify.
The importance of olfaction in neurodisability
Authors: Dan Bernard
Published: December 2018

Video Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K26xY-5EdCo&feature=youtu.be
Retrieving the ‘subject’ of European integration
Authors: Neuvonen Päivi Johanna
Published: December 2018

In this article, a critical reinterpretation of citizens as subjects of European integration moves the focus of EU law from EU citizens' subjection to their subjectification. This analysis draws on post‐structural social theory in arguing that the law is instrumental to securing the material conditions for transnational political subjectification because it regulates both EU citizens' access to transnational social relations and the perception of difference between them. However, the law also reinforces constraints on the process of transnational subjectification. Systematic obstacles, which must be taken into account, are not limited to economic status, but include other variables like gender or age. It will be argued on this basis that EU law needs to develop a more coherent politics of subjectivity. Towards this goal, the law must carefully attend to what is (and is not) depoliticising in EU citizenship rights.
Efficient management and storage of a multiversion OWL 2 DL domain ontology
Authors: Bayoudhi Leila , Sassi Najla , Jaziri Wassim
Published: December 2018

Ontology is the chief technology to model domain knowledge and fix its heterogeneity. Knowledge evolution is unavoidable in all fields, and ontology should reflect such an evolution while preserving its consistency. The access to an ontology evolution history is also a crucial need. Thereby, ontology versions should be stored efficiently. To address these requirements, some works focused only on managing ontology inconsistency. To this end, they adopted an a posteriori approach that checks inconsistency after its occurrence. Others have mainly focused on some ontology versioning aspects other than the storage and the consistency preservation issues. Specifically, the state of the art storage strategies perform well some typical queries at the cost of a high storage space. Strategies with low space overhead lose the main specificity of ontology: the knowledge semantics modelling. So, it is useful to address all these shortcomings. This paper presents an approach that allows generating consistent OWL 2 DL ontology versions in a priori way. It also proposes an efficient storage strategy that preserves the semantics aspect of ontology and performs well typical queries with a low storage space. A protégé plug‐in is developed to show the feasibility of the main ideas presented in this paper.
Understanding dispersal limitation through the assessment of diversity patterns across phylogenetic scales below the species level
Authors: Gómez‐Rodríguez Carola , Miller Kirsten E. , Castillejo José , Iglesias‐Piñeiro Javier , Baselga Andrés
Published: December 2018

Aim

We show how macroecological patterns at different phylogenetic scales below the species level may aid the identification of the predominant process controlling biological assemblages (niche versus dispersal). We compare two taxa with different ecological and dispersal requirements (terrestrial molluscs and leaf beetles) in the same geographical setting.

Location

Iberian Peninsula.

Time period

2010–2015.

Major taxa

Terrestrial molluscs and leaf beetles.

Methods

Thecox1‐5′ fragment was sequenced for 1,592 mollusc specimens in 20 localities. Leaf beetle assemblages had been sequenced previously in 15 of these localities. Species richness, distance decay of similarity, endemism and range size were measured at two levels: molecular variants (i.e., haplotypes) and putative species (i.e., operational taxonomic units). Using a multi‐hierarchical macroecology approach, distance‐decay patterns were measured at multiple intermediate genealogical levels (nested clades) to assess whether the geometry of the ranges of lineages followed a fractal pattern.

Results

Richness and distance‐decay patterns at both molecular variant and species levels were different in leaf beetles and terrestrial molluscs, although both taxa showed a fractal pattern in the distance decay of similarity across genealogical levels. The self‐similarity of the distance‐decay pattern across phylogenetic scales suggests a predominance of neutral, but limited, dispersal driving macroecological patterns in both taxa. Endemism was similar in both taxa at the level of molecular variants but higher at the species level in terrestrial molluscs, and range size was smaller at both levels in terrestrial molluscs. Taken altogether, our results suggest that dispersal limitation is stronger in terrestrial molluscs.

Main conclusion

The assessment of how diversity patterns change at different phylogenetic scales below the species level allowed us to identify unifying characteristics in otherwise seemingly heterogeneous biological systems. Congruence was observed in diversity patterns of leaf beetles and terrestrial molluscs, suggesting that dispersal is a relevant process in both taxa but acts at a different strength.
Digital pathology is a practical alternative to on‐site intraoperative frozen section diagnosis in thoracic surgery
Authors: French Jonathan M R , Betney Daniel T , Abah Udo , Bhatt Nidhi , Internullo Eveline , Casali Gianluca , Batchelor Timothy J P , West Douglas G
Published: December 2018

Aims

Telepathology uses digitised image transfer to allow off‐site reporting of histopathology slides. This technology could facilitate the centralisation of pathology services, which may improve their quality and cost‐effectiveness. The benefits may be most apparent in frozen section reporting, in which turnaround times (TATs) are vital. We moved from on‐site to off‐site telepathology reporting of thoracic surgery frozen section specimens in 2016. The aim of this study was to compare TATs before and after this service change.

Methods and results

All thoracic frozen section specimens analysed 4 months prior and 4 months following the service change were included. Demographics, operation, sample type, time taken from theatre, time received by laboratory, time reported by laboratory, TAT, frozen section diagnosis, final histopathological diagnosis and final TNM staging were recorded. The results were analysed with spss statistical software version 24. In total, there were 65 samples from 59 patients; 34 before the change and 31 after the change. Specimens included 51 lung, six lymph node, three bronchial, three chest wall and two pleural biopsies. Before the change, the median TAT was 25 min [interquartile range (IQR) 20–33 min]. No diagnoses were deferred. No diagnoses were changed on subsequent paraffin analysis. After the change, with the use of digital pathology, the median TAT was 27.5 min (IQR 21.75–38.5 min). This difference was not significant (P = 0.581). Diagnosis was deferred in one case (3.23%). There was one (3.23%) mid‐case technical failure resulting in the sample having to be transported by courier, resulting in a TAT of 106 min. No diagnoses were changed on subsequent paraffin analysis.

Conclusions

There was no significant difference in reporting times between digital technology and an on‐site service, although one sample was affected by a technical failure requiring physical transportation of the specimen for analysis. Our study was underpowered to detect differences in accuracy.
Perpetual Struggle
Authors: Norlock Kathryn J.
Published: December 2018

What if it doesn't get better? Against more hopeful and optimistic views that it is not just ideal but possible to put an end to what John Rawls calls “the great evils of human history,” I aver that when it comes to evils caused by human beings, the situation is hopeless. We are better off with the heavy knowledge that evils recur than we are with idealizations of progress, perfection, and completeness; an appropriate ethic for living with such heavy knowledge could include resisting evils, improving the lives of victims, and even enjoying ourselves. Better conceptions of the objects of hope, and the good life, inform a praxis‐centered, nonideal, feminist ethic, supportive of sustained moral motivation, resilience, and even cheer. I connect elements of stoic and pessimistic philosophy in order to outline some normative recommendations for living with evils. A praxis‐centered ethic would helpfully adjust our expectations from changing an uncontrollable future to developing better skills for living in a world that exceeds our control. As Aldo Leopold once said, “That the situation is hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best.”
Thought as Revolt inThe Old Man and the Wolves
Authors: Rus Bianca L.
Published: December 2018

This article explores how Julia Kristeva's construction of a fictional narrative space enables her to examine the conditions that can produce a culture of revolt. Focusing on one of her novels,The Old Man and the Wolves, the article brings together Hannah Arendt's political philosophy (which provides a framework for Kristeva's depiction of totalitarianism) with Duns Scotus's principle of individuation and Giorgio Agamben's notion ofquodlibet(“whatever singularity”) to argue that the future of a culture of revolt is closely connected to the role of women. By aligning feminine thought to political revolt, I demonstrate that Kristeva's revalorization of feminine experiences in the novel constitutes the basis of an ethics that includes the recognition of “whatever” forms of life that have been historically neglected.