bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crystal structure of dicyclohexylammonium nitrate(V)
Authors: Rojek Tomasz , Matczak-Jon Ewa
Published: October 2015

In the title molecular salt, C12H24N+·NO3−, the cyclohexyl rings adopt chair conformations with the exocyclic C—N bonds in equatorial orientations. In the crystal, a bifurcated N—H...(O,O) hydrogen bond links the cation to the anion; the ion pairs are linkedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming layers in theacplane.
Crystal structure of 5-(furan-2-yl)-N-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amine
Authors: Paswan Santosh , Bharty Manoj K. , Kumari Sanyucta , Gupta Sushil K. , Singh Nand K.
Published: October 2015

The title compound, C12H9N3O2, was obtained as a cyclized oxadiazole derivative from substituted thiosemicarbazide in the presence of manganese(II) acetate. The furan ring is disordered over two orientations, with occupancies of 0.76 (2) and 0.24 (2). The dihedral angles between the central oxadiazole ring and the pendant phenyl ring and furan ring (major disorder component) are 3.34 (18) and 5.7 (6)°, respectively. A short intramolecular C—H...O contact generates anS(6) ring. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds generateR22[8] loops. The dimers are linked by C—H...π and π–π interactions [range of centroid–centroid distances = 3.291 (2)–3.460 (8) Å], generating a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of 3,4′-diphenyl-3′-p-tolyl-4′H-spiro[indan-2,5′-[1,2]oxazol]-1-one
Authors: Mahfoud Asmae , Al Houari Ghali , El Yazidi Mohamed , Saadi Mohamed , El Ammari Lahcen
Published: October 2015

In the title compound, C30H23NO2, the five-membered rings are both in envelope conformations with the same spiro C atom as the flap. The benzene ring and the two phenyl rings are inclined to the mean plane of the indene ring system by 83.98 (8), 81.46 (8) and 72.31 (7)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of C—H...O hydrogen bonds into inversion dimers. The dimers are further connected by C—H...N interactions, forming layers parallel to (10-1).
Crystal structure of (5-chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)(3-methylisoxazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-5-yl)methanone
Authors: Raja Rajamani , Poomathi Nataraj , Perumal Paramasivam T. , SubbiahPandi A.
Published: October 2015

In the title compound, C14H9ClN2O3, the fused pyridine and isoxazole rings are approximately planar, making a dihedral angle of 1.14 (16)°. The molecule is twisted with the benzene ring and the mean plane through the fused pyridine-isoxazole ring system being inclined to one another by 47.03 (13)°. There is an intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bond forming anS(6) ring motif. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming chains propagating along [001]. The chains are linked by slipped parallel π–π interactions, involving inversion-related benzene rings, forming slabs lying parallel to thebcplane {inter-centroid distance = 3.770 (2) Å].
Crystal structure of the 1,3,6,8-tetraazatricyclo[4.3.1.13,8]undecane (TATU)–4-nitrophenol (1/2) adduct: the role of anomeric effect in the formation of a second hydrogen-bond interaction
Authors: Rivera Augusto , Osorio Héctor Jairo , Uribe Juan Manuel , Ríos-Motta Jaime , Bolte Michael
Published: October 2015

In the title ternary co-crystalline adduct, C7H14N4·2C6H5NO3, molecules are linked by two intermolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming a tricomponent aggregates in the asymmetric unit. The hydrogen-bond formation to one of the N atoms is enough to induce structural stereoelectronic effects in the normal donor→acceptor direction. In the title adduct, the two independent nitrophenol molecules are essentially planar, with maximum deviations of 0.0157 (13) and 0.0039 (13) Å. The dihedral angles between the planes of the nitro group and the attached benzene rings are 4.04 (17) and 5.79 (17)°. In the crystal, aggregates are connected by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a supramolecular dimer enclosing anR66(32) ring motif. Additional C—H...O intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions form a second supramolecular inversion dimer with anR22(10) motif. These units are linkedviaC—H...O and C—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of {6,6′-dihydroxy-2,2′-[iminobis(propane-1,3-diylnitrilomethanylylidene)]diphenolato-κ5O1,N,N′,N′′,O1′}copper(II)
Authors: Noor Shabana , Kumar Sarvendra , Sabir Suhail , Seidel Rüdiger W. , Goddard Richard
Published: October 2015

The title compound, [Cu(C20H23N3O4)], crystallizes in the space groupCcwith two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The CuIIatoms are each coordinated by the pentadentate Schiff base ligand in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal N3O2geometry. The equatorial plane is formed by the two phenolic O atoms and the amine N atom, while the axial positions are occupied by the two imine N atoms. In the crystal, the two independent molecules are each connected into a column along thebaxis through intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The two independent columns are further linked through an N—H...O hydrogen bond, forming a double-column structure.
The value relevance of exploration and evaluation expenditures
Authors: Zhou Teng , Birt Jacqueline , Rankin Michaela
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the value relevance of the various components of exploration and evaluation expenditures in the Australian extractives industry. Whether exploration and evaluation expenditures is more value relevant, following the adoption of AASB 6, and whether it differs for firms engaged only in exploration when compared to those also engaged in mining production is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper uses a modified Ohlson model as a benchmark against which to compare an alternative valuation model featuring the disclosed components of exploration and evaluation expenditures. A sample comprising 430 firm-year observations between 2003 and 2009 is utilised.

Findings

– Written-off exploration and evaluation expenditures and the number of projects in which firms are involved is relevant to investors when assessing the value of extractive firms. Further, the implementation of AASB 6 has led to an improvement in the relevance of exploration and evaluation information in assessing firm value.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample is based on observations from the years 2003-2004 to the years 2006-2009. The authors do not incorporate 2005, as this is the first year the new standard was implemented, and there is the possibility of a settling in effect. The authors base our sample on the top 100 extractive firms in 2009. As such, these companies may not represent the accounting practices of smaller firms in the Australian extractive industry.

Originality/value

– The authors address a gap in the literature by examining the value relevance of the detailed line items of exploration and evaluation expenditure reported by extractives firms. The authors also explore the effect of regulatory changes by examining the value relevance of exploration and evaluation expenditures pre- and post-International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 6/Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) 6 implementation. Finally, the authors contribute useful findings to the standard setters’ ongoing deliberations aimed at producing a comprehensive standard on extractive activities by providing useful feedback on the relevance of accounting for pre-production costs under a regime using the “area of interest” method.
The effects of comprehensive income on investors’ judgments
Authors: Du Ning , Stevens Kevin , McEnroe John
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to understand the effects of different presentation formats on nonprofessional investors’ judgments. Both International Financial Reporting Standards and US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles require an entity to present items of net income and other comprehensive income (OCI) either in one continuous or in two separate, but consecutive, statements but limited understanding exists about their differential effects on evaluation of company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– To investigate this research question, we used a two (Financial Position) x two (Format) randomized between-subjects experiment. Ninety-four graduate students assumed the role of investor and participated in this study.

Findings

– Results of the experiment suggest that participants are more likely to incorporate OCI information presented in the one-statement format than in the two-statement format. Further analysis suggests that participants both assign more weight to OCI and perceive OCI to be relatively more important in the one-statement format than in the two-statement format, especially when the entity suffers an economic loss.

Originality/value

– Results from this study provide evidence to the Financial Accounting Standards Board and International Accounting Standards Board that should be useful in evaluating the effectiveness of alternative comprehensive income reporting formats and should be of interest to accounting rule-making bodies, investors, publicly traded entities and financial analysts, among others.
Book-tax differences: are they affected by equity-based compensation?
Authors: Xian Chunwei , Sun Fang , Zhang Yinghong
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of equity-based compensation on the sources of book-tax differences. The authors investigate whether equity-based compensation affects the association between book-tax differences and tax planning, and the association between book-tax differences and earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a sample of 9,024 firm-year observations (913 firms) spanning the period 1992-2011, obtained from ExecuComp and Compustat. They estimate cross-sectional regressions of the proxy for tax planning, discretionary accruals and their interactions with equity-based compensation on book-tax differences.

Findings

– The authors find that tax planning-related book-tax differences increase as the equity-based pay of executives does, and that earnings management-related book-tax differences decrease as the equity-based pay of executives increases. The results are robust across three alternative measures of tax planning.

Originality/value

– Equity-based compensation plays an important role in managerial discretion on tax planning and earnings management. The findings suggest that, although equity incentives promote a high level of both tax planning and earnings management, they motivate managers to constrain the level of earnings management to avoid larger book-tax differences.
The growing pressures on Groupon's once-successful daily deal business
Authors: Miu Yee Cathy Leung
Published: October 2015

Subject area

Marketing Management, Business Strategy and Promotion & Advertising.

Study level/applicability

Associated degree, undergraduate and graduate students as well as executives from profit-making organizations.

Case overview

Groupon is the world's largest daily-deal Web site and a pioneer in the group-buying industry. The major feature of the company's business model is that merchants use Groupon as a platform to offer coupons with a discounted price, and the coupon buyers can then redeem these coupons. Groupon has done business in over 50 countries and, by 2012, had over 39.5 million subscribers received its daily news. It had a 59.1 per cent share of the daily-deals market in 2013. Groupon is a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ in the USA, trading under the ticker symbol of “GPRN”.

Expected learning outcomes

The students' business knowledge and skills will be sharpened by working through this case, and students will be challenged to identify solutions to the marketing concerns: specifically, how the driving approach of its daily-deal business model enabled the company to adopt a growth strategy that will confront the difficulties of the emergent “golden age” of the daily-deal industry in the twenty-first century. In addition, it will also be of help to the students to take the active roles of thinker, analyst, evaluator, decision-maker and implementer to evaluate the continuing changes in a competitive environment and consider how Groupon can seize available opportunities to predict future performance by comparing data from 2008 and 2012.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Computer education and societal change
Authors: Tatnall Arthur
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– It is widely acknowledged that the computer has caused great societal changes over recent years, but the purpose of this paper is to relate specifically to those due to the use of computers in education and teaching about computing. The adoption and use of computers in education was very much a socio-technical process with influence from people, organisations, processes and technologies: of a variety of human and non-human actors.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper makes use of actor-network theory to analyse these events and their educational and societal impact. Data were collected from published sources, interviews with those involved at the time, discussions and from personal experience and observations.

Findings

– Computers have, of course, had a huge impact on society, but particularly in relation to the use of computers in school education there was a different societal impact. Some of this related directly to education, some to school administration and some to student attitudes, experiences and knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper investigates the development of early courses in computing in universities and schools in Victoria, Australia. The paper does not, however, consider the use of computers in university research, only in education.

Practical implications

– The paper describes the significant educational events of the era from punch-card tabulating machines in the 1930s to micro-computers in the late 1980s, and investigates the relationship between the development of courses in the Universities and those in the more vocationally oriented Colleges of Advanced Education. It examines whether one followed from the other. It also investigates the extent of the influence of the universities and CAEs on school computing.

Social implications

– The advent of the computer made a significant impact on university and school education even before the internet, Google, Wikipedia and smart phones in the late 1990s and 2000s. Computers in schools cause a rethink of how teaching should be handled and of the role of the teacher.

Originality/value

– This paper investigates the history of computers and education in both universities and schools in Victoria, Australia over the period from the 1930s to the early 1990s. It considers how and why this technological adoption occurred, and the nature of the resulting educational and societal change this produced. Primary and High School use of computers did not commence until the 1970s but prior to this there is a considerable and interesting history associated with the development of Higher Education courses relating to computing.
ICT and environmental sustainability in a changing society
Authors: Lennerfors Thomas Taro , Fors Per , van Rooijen Jolanda
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of information and communication technology (ICT) for promoting environmental sustainability in a changing society. Isolated studies exist, but few take a holistic view. Derived from a Marxian tradition, the authors propose Ecological World Systems Theory (WST) as a holistic framework to assess the environmental impact of ICT. The theory is adapted responding to theoretical critiques of absence of change, namely state-centrism and structuralism.

Design/methodology/approach

– Theoretical study. Empirical examples derived from already published literature.

Findings

– Ecological WST focuses on the unequal distribution of environmental degradation, sees technological development as a zero-sum game rather than cornucopia and holds that technology is often seen as a fetish in today ' s society. The findings are that popular discourses on ICT and sustainability are since the 1990s becoming increasingly cornucopian, while conditions in the ICT value chain are less cornucopian.

Research limitations/implications

– Theoretical contributions to Marxian critiques of ICT, with more environmental focus than earlier Marxian critiques, for example Fuchs’ work. Develop a theoretical framework for ICT and sustainability which could be compared with works of e.g. Hilty, Patrignani and Whitehouse. The work is mostly based on existing empirical studies, which is a limitation.

Practical implications

– This theoretical framework implies that unequal environmental degradation in different parts of the world should be taken into account when assessing environmental impact, for example by means of LCA.

Social implications

– The framework brings together questions of environmental effects of ICT and global justice.

Originality/value

– The authors apply a rarely discussed theoretical framework to ICT and environmental sustainability. By doing this the authors suggest how the discourses and the value chain of ICT is intrinsically tied to the world system.
Theorising Web 3.0: ICTs in a changing society
Authors: Kreps David , Kimppa Kai
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the broad phases of web development: the read-only Web 1.0, the read-write Web 2.0, and the collaborative and Internet of Things Web 3.0, are examined for the theoretical lenses through which they have been understood and critiqued.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual piece, in the tradition of drawing on theorising from outside the Information Systems field, to shed light on developments in information communication technologies (ICTs).

Findings

– Along with a summary of approaches to Webs 1.0 and 2.0, the authors contend that a more complex and poststructuralist theoretical approach to the notion of, and the phenomenon of Web 3.0, offers a more interesting and appropriate theoretical grounding for understanding its particularities.

Originality/value

– The discussion presages five further papers engaged with ICTs in a changing society, each of which similarly addresses novel theoretical understandings.
Relations of fit and organizational identification to employee-customer identification
Authors: Anaza Nwamaka A.
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine a model of employee-customer identification (ECID) using two samples: nurses and cooperative extension frontline employees. The model posits that person-organization fit, person-job fit, and organizational identification are positively related to ECID.

Design/methodology/approach

– A recursive path-based structural model was employed to test seven hypotheses regarding the relationships between the two fit constructs, organizational identification, and ECID.

Findings

– In both samples, person-organization fit and person-job fit were positively related to organizational identification, and organizational identification was positively related to ECID. In the cooperative extension sample, person-job fit was positively related to ECID. Person-job fit was also indirectly related to ECID through organizational identification in both samples.

Research limitations/implications

– The results imply an important relationship between person-job fit and ECID that could be useful for improving service encounters between employees and customers. In addition, an emphasis on organizational identification may also contribute to improved employee-customer relationships.

Originality/value

– This study represents one of the first attempts to demonstrate a link between person-job and person-organization fit on ECID. The results of this study provide support for organizational identification and person-job fit as important factors in employee-customer relationships.
Plant functional shifts in the invaded range: a test with reciprocal forest invaders of Europe and North America
Authors: Heberling J. Mason , Kichey Thomas , Decocq Guillaume , Fridley Jason D.
Published: October 2015

Comparative trait analyses of native and invasive plant species have enriched our understanding of the strategies that make plants successful in particular contexts. However, it is generally unknown whether traits associated with invasiveness arise de novo in the introduced range or represent a case of ‘pre‐adaptation’ of some species to become invasive.

We compared the functional strategies of two invasive species, Prunus serotina, a tree native to Eastern North America (ENA) and invasive in European forests, and Rhamnus cathartica, a shrub native to Europe and invasive in ENA, in both their native and invasive ranges. We measured leaf functional traits related to plant carbon and nitrogen economics in populations across northeastern ENA (New York) and northern France. This reciprocal field approach is unique, comparing in situ physiology within and between each species' shared ranges.

For both species, we found striking differences in leaf economic traits and intraspecific trait scaling relationships. Prunus serotina exhibited similar photosynthetic rates in New York (native range) and France (invasive range), but French populations had significantly greater leaf carbon investments in the form of increased leaf respiration, construction costs, and carbon concentrations. Rhamnus cathartica exhibited 50–60% higher photosynthetic rates in New York (invasive range) than France (native range), along with increased leaf nitrogen costs. New York populations also had significantly lower nitrogen resorption efficiency, with autumn leaf nitrogen concentrations 69% lower in France.

Intraspecific trait differences between native and invasive ranges indicate shifts in resource‐use strategies between the native and invasive range are possible in invasive species. While further investigations with additional species would be needed to determine the role of phenotypic plasticity and prevalence of post‐introduction trait shifts, our results question the assumption that functional strategies of invasive species are conserved from the native range and highlight the utility of measuring in situ functional strategies of reciprocal invaders to provide mechanistic understanding of invasions.
Ecology drives natural variation in an extreme antipredator trait: a cost–benefit analysis integrating modelling and field data
Authors: Kuo Chi‐Yun , Irschick Duncan J.
Published: October 2015

Autotomy, or the voluntary shedding of body parts, is an extreme antipredator behaviour used by species in more than 100 animal families. Despite the long‐standing observation that the propensity for autotomy can vary extensively among populations, how ecology might drive such variation is still poorly understood.

We tested the hypothesis that the variation in this extreme behaviour reflects the balance between costs and benefits determined by the local ecological environment. We focused on three ecological factors that can influence the cost–benefit dynamics of autotomy: predation, male–male competition, and food abundance.

Using tail autotomy in lizards as the study system, we first built an individual‐based model to show that environments with high predation, high food abundance, and low male–male competition favoured individuals that autotomized more readily. Moreover, predation likely maintained the ability to autotomize, whereas male–male competition and food abundance fine‐tuned the propensity for autotomy.

We used field data from five side‐blotched lizard populations to verify model results, as well as to test the explanatory power of our model. Field data supported simulation results regarding the roles predation, male–male competition and food abundance. Our model also successfully explained the variation in the propensity for tail autotomy among those five lizard populations. Our approach can be easily extended to examine how ecology might drive adaptive variation in autotomy in other taxa, as well as any traits that share similar cost–benefit dynamics.
Twins with autism: utilising video feedback to improve job‐related behaviours
Authors: Mackey Megan , Nelson Gretchen
Published: October 2015

Employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a significant factor in assuring quality of life in adulthood. The research reported in this article examines the effectiveness of video feedback (VFB) in improving the job‐related behaviours of twin adolescents with ASD and learning disabilities. The targeted behaviours included active engagement, decision‐making, responding to others, hygiene, and transition making. A within‐participant multiple‐probe design across targeted job behaviours, replicated across two participants, was used. The experimental phases of the design consisted of (A) baseline, (B) VFB + job coach evaluation, (C) VFB + concurrent job coach and self‐evaluation, and (A) maintenance. Using a modified Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools (BOSS) form broken into one‐minute intervals, job coaches evaluated participants on job‐related behaviours. Data gathered shows that VFB significantly impacted active engagement, responding to others, hygiene and transitioning. Decision‐making was least impacted by the interventions. The use of VFB is one way that job‐related behaviours of adolescents with ASD and other disabilities can be positively influenced.
Structural similarities of human and mammalian lipocalins, and their function in innate immunity and allergy
Authors: Jensen‐Jarolim E. , Pacios L.F. , Bianchini R. , Hofstetter G. , Roth‐Walter F.
Published: October 2015

Owners and their domestic animals via skin shedding and secretions, mutually exchange microbiomes, potential pathogens and innate immune molecules. Among the latter especially lipocalins are multifaceted: they may have an immunomodulatory function and, furthermore, they represent one of the most important animal allergen families. The amino acid identities, as well as their structures by superposition modeling were compared among human lipocalins, hLCN1 and hLCN2, and most important animal lipocalin allergens, such as Can f 1, Can f 2 and Can f 4 from dog, Fel d 4 from cats, Bos d 5 from cow's milk, Equ c 1 from horses, and Mus m 1 from mice, all of them representing major allergens. The β‐barrel fold with a central molecular pocket is similar among human and animal lipocalins. Thereby, lipocalins are able to transport a variety of biological ligands in their highly conserved calyx‐like cavity, among them siderophores with the strongest known capability to complex iron (Fe3+). Levels of human lipocalins are elevated in nonallergic inflammation and cancer, associated with innate immunoregulatory functions that critically depend on ligand load. Accordingly, deficient loading of lipocalin allergens establishes their capacity to induce Th2 hypersensitivity. Our similarity analysis of human and mammalian lipocalins highlights their function in innate immunity and allergy.
Changes in Vascular Tone Occur Early During Hemodialysis Treatments Independently of Volume Reduction
Authors: Power Albert , Charitaki Evangelia , Davenport Andrew
Published: October 2015

Hypotension commonly occurs during hemodialysis (HD). Hypotension can result from an absolute reduction in plasma volume following excessive ultrafiltration or from a reduction in vascular tone. We hypothesized that changes in vascular tone could occur during dialysis. Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) was measured in 197 HD patients, mean age 63.3 ± 16.6 years, 62% male, 49% diabetic, during a single HD session. aPWV did not change (9.6 ± 2.2 vs. 9.6 ± 2.2 m/s) with HD. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) declined from 151 ± 31 to 147 ± 32 after 20 min and to 140 ± 36 mm Hg on completion of HD (P < 0.05), with an ultrafiltration volume of 2.2 ± 0.9 L over a 3.9 ± 0.4 h HD session. Aortic SBP declined from 154 ± 32 to 146 ± 29 after 20 min and 143 ± 35 at the end of HD, P < 0.001. Aortic augmentation index (Aortic Aix) decreased from 65% (52–79%) to 36.7% (23.3–52.9%) by 20 min and to 34.3 (15.1–49.1%) on completion of HD (P < 0.05), and brachial augmentation index (brachial Aix) from 5.7% (−25.2 to 27.5%) to −1.9% (−2.2 to 30.1%) and −6.6% (−44 to 22.7%), respectively, P < 0.05. Diastolic reflection area (DRA) increased from 36.7 (27.9–46.3) to 40.4 (32.2–51) after 20 min and 47.1 (34.2–60.5) on completion of HD, P < 0.05. We report changes in arterial tone within 20 min of starting HD, when minimal ultrafiltration has occurred, suggesting that volume changes may not be the only predisposing cause of intradialytic hypotension. The combination of a fall in SBP and a rise in DRA would suggest a reduction in coronary blood flow in keeping with reports of “myocardial stunning” during HD.
Calculation and word problem‐solving skills in primary grades – Impact of cognitive abilities and longitudinal interrelations with task‐persistent behaviour
Authors: Jõgi Anna‐Liisa , Kikas Eve
Published: October 2015

Background

Primary school math skills form a basis for academic success down the road. Different math skills have different antecedents and there is a reason to believe that more complex math tasks require better self‐regulation.

Aims

The study aimed to investigate longitudinal interrelations of calculation and problem‐solving skills, and task‐persistent behaviour in Grade 1 and Grade 3, and the effect of non‐verbal intelligence, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning on math skills and task persistence.

Sample

Participants were 864 students (52.3% boys) from 33 different schools in Estonia.

Methods

Students were tested twice – at the end of Grade1 and at the end of Grade 3. Calculation and problem‐solving skills, and teacher‐rated task‐persistent behaviour were measured at both time points. Non‐verbal intelligence, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning were measured in Grade 1.

Results

Cross‐lagged structural equation modelling indicated that calculation skills depend on previous math skills and linguistic abilities, while problem‐solving skills require also non‐verbal intelligence, executive functioning, and task persistence. Task‐persistent behaviour in Grade 3 was predicted by previous problem‐solving skills, linguistic abilities, and executive functioning. Gender and mother's educational level were added as covariates.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that math skills and self‐regulation are strongly related in primary grades and that solving complex tasks requires executive functioning and task persistence from children. Findings support the idea that instructional practices might benefit from supporting self‐regulation in order to gain domain‐specific, complex skill achievement.
Cannabidiol protects an in vitro model of the blood–brain barrier from oxygen‐glucose deprivation via PPARγ and 5‐HT1A receptors
Authors: Hind William H , England Timothy J , O'Sullivan Saoirse E
Published: October 2015

Background and Purpose

In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated a protective effect of cannabidiol (CBD) in reducing infarct size in stroke models and against epithelial barrier damage in numerous disease models. We aimed to investigate whether CBD also affects blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability following ischaemia.

Experimental Approach

Human brain microvascular endothelial cell (HBMEC) and human astrocyte co‐cultures modelled the BBB. Ischaemia was modelled by oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and permeability was measured by transepithelial electrical resistance.

Key Results

CBD (10 μM) prevented the increase in permeability caused by 4 h OGD. CBD was most effective when administered before the OGD, but protective effects were observed up to 2 h into reperfusion. This protective effect was inhibited by a PPARγ antagonist and partly reduced by a 5‐HT1A receptor antagonist, but was unaffected by antagonists of cannabinoid CB1 or CB2 receptors, TRPV1 channels or adenosine A2A receptors. CBD also reduced cell damage, as measured by LDH release and by markers of cellular adhesion, such as the adhesion molecule VCAM‐1. In HBMEC monocultures, CBD decreased VCAM‐1 and increased VEGF levels, effects which were inhibited by PPARγ antagonism.

Conclusions and Implications

These data suggest that preventing permeability changes at the BBB could represent an as yet unrecognized mechanism of CBD‐induced neuroprotection in ischaemic stroke, a mechanism mediated by activation of PPARγ and 5‐HT1A receptors.
A randomized controlled trial comparing a prepackaged low‐residue diet with a restricted diet for colonoscopy preparation: the impact on the results of colonoscopy in adenoma detection
Authors: Matsumura T. , Arai M. , Ishigami H. , Okimoto K. , Saito K. , Minemura S. , Maruoka D. , Nakagawa T. , Katsuno T. , Yokosuka O.
Published: October 2015

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of a prepackaged low‐residue diet (PLD) compared with a restricted diet (RD) for colonoscopic bowel preparation.

Method

A prospective randomized controlled trial was carried out with patients undergoing colonoscopy. One hundred patients were randomly assigned to PLD and RD groups. In the RD group, the patients received an information sheet containing acceptable low‐residue options and instructions from the medical staff. All patients received 10 ml sodium picosulphate the day before colonoscopy and 1 l of polyethylene glycol with ascorbic acid (PEG‐A) on the day of the colonoscopy. If the bowel preparation was not adequate, an additional PEG‐A solution was given. The primary outcome was the efficacy of colonic cleansing as rated by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS). The additional amount of PEG‐A solution, adenoma detection rate and patient tolerance were assessed as secondary outcomes.

Results

The BBPS score in the PLD group was 7.3 ± 1.7 compared with 6.5 ± 1.7 in the RD group. The quality of bowel preparation was significantly better in the PLD group (P < 0.05). The mean amount of additional PEG‐A solution in the PLD group was smaller than in the RD group (293.8 ± 474.8 vs 444.1 ± 625.0 ml), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups. Adenoma detection rates and patient tolerance were similar in the two groups.

Conclusion

Prepackaged low‐residue diets PLD is superior to RD for bowel preparation for colonoscopy.
Relationships between problematic alcohol consumption and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to young adulthood
Authors: Miller Peter G. , Butler Erin , Richardson Ben , Staiger Petra K. , Youssef George J. , Macdonald Jacqui A. , Sanson Ann , Edwards Ben , Olsson Craig A.
Published: October 2015

Background

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) has been associated with increased risk for short‐ and long‐term injury and harms, such as violence and delinquent behaviour; however, the temporal relationship between the two remains unclear, particularly on transition to young adulthood. This study investigates transactional pathways between HED and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Australian Temperament Project; a population‐based longitudinal study that has followed the health and development of participants (and parents) across 30 years from birth in 1982. The analytic sample was 1650 participants and included five measurement waves spanning adolescence (3 waves: 13–18 years) and young adulthood (2 waves; 19–24 years).

Results

There was strong continuity across waves of both HED and delinquency, as well as across‐time associations between them. Delinquent behaviour in adolescence was associated with up to twofold increases in the odds of HED at each subsequent adolescent wave. HED in the late teens was associated with over fourfold increases in the odds of persistent (two waves) HED in young adulthood. HED in the late teens was associated with increases in the odds of delinquent behaviour in young adulthood (over twofold for male and one and a half‐fold for female participants).

Conclusions

While delinquent behaviour predicts both future HED and future delinquent behaviour in adolescence, once young people reach the legal drinking age of 18 years, HED becomes a predictor of current and future delinquent behaviour and future HED, suggesting that increased access to alcohol increases the likelihood of young people engaging in delinquent behaviour. [Miller PG, Butler E, Richardson B, Staiger PK, Youssef GJ, Macdonald JA, Sanson A, Edwards B, Olsson CA. Relationships between problematic alcohol consumption and delinquent behaviour from adolescence to young adulthood. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:317–325]
Trajectories of alcohol use and association with symptoms of depression from early to late adolescence: The Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study
Authors: Skogen Jens Christoffer , Knudsen Ann Kristin , Hysing Mari , Wold Bente , Sivertsen Børge
Published: October 2015

Introduction and Aims

Adolescence is a period in which many have an onset of alcohol use, but there is much heterogeneity in the individual development of alcohol use. Further, there is a general increase in depressive symptoms from early to late adolescence, but less is known about how different alcohol habit trajectories are associated with symptoms of depression. The aims of the present study were: to identify trajectories of alcohol consumption and drinking to intoxication during adolescence (age 13–18 years); and examine to what extent the different trajectories of alcohol use were associated with symptoms of depression over the same age span, from early to late adolescence.

Methods

Data from the Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study were employed. Latent class growth analyses were employed to identify different trajectories of both alcohol consumption and drinking to intoxication. The resulting trajectories for each participant were used to estimate the gender‐adjusted association between different development of alcohol use and symptoms of depression.

Results

Four trajectories of both alcohol consumption and drinking to intoxication were identified. The trajectories with an early onset of alcohol consumption or drinking to intoxication were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms compared with late onset or stable low use trajectories.

Conclusions

The findings from the present study suggest that early onset developmental trajectories of alcohol use are associated with depression. Therefore, broad assessment and interventions targeting both alcohol and depression may be indicated among early onset alcohol users, especially if they report increasing levels of consumption. [Skogen JC, Knudsen AK, Hysing M, Wold B, Sivertsen B. Trajectories of alcohol use and association with symptoms of depression from early to late adolescence: The Norwegian Longitudinal Health Behaviour Study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:307–316]
What is the best design for early childhood interventions?
Authors: Grantham‐McGregor Sally
Published: October 2015

This commentary is on the original article by Murray et al. on pages 270–276 of this issue.
Evidence of duplicated Hox genes in the most recent common ancestor of extant scorpions
Authors: Sharma Prashant P. , Santiago Marc A. , González‐Santillán Edmundo , Monod Lionel , Wheeler Ward C.
Published: October 2015

Scorpions (order Scorpiones) are unusual among arthropods, both for the extreme heteronomy of their bauplan and for the high gene family turnover exhibited in their genomes. These phenomena appear to be correlated, as two scorpion species have been shown to possess nearly twice the number of Hox genes present in most arthropods. Segmentally offset anterior expression boundaries of a subset of Hox paralogs have been shown to correspond to transitions in segmental identities in the scorpion posterior tagmata, suggesting that posterior heteronomy in scorpions may have been achieved by neofunctionalization of Hox paralogs. However, both the first scorpion genome sequenced and the developmental genetic data are based on exemplars of Buthidae, one of 19 families of scorpions. It is therefore not known whether Hox paralogy is limited to Buthidae or widespread among scorpions. We surveyed 24 high throughput transcriptomes and the single whole genome available for scorpions, in order to test the prediction that Hox gene duplications are common to the order. We used gene tree parsimony to infer whether the paralogy was consistent with a duplication event in the scorpion common ancestor. Here we show that duplicated Hox genes in non‐buthid scorpions occur in six of the ten Hox classes. Gene tree topologies and parsimony‐based reconciliation of the gene trees are consistent with a duplication event in the most recent common ancestor of scorpions. These results suggest that a Hox paralogy, and by extension the model of posterior patterning established in a buthid, can be extended to non‐Buthidae scorpions.
Ancestral state reconstruction of ontogeny supports a bilaterian affinity for Dickinsonia
Authors: Gold David A. , Runnegar Bruce , Gehling James G. , Jacobs David K.
Published: October 2015

Despite numerous attempts, classification of the Precambrian fossil Dickinsonia has eluded scientific consensus. This is largely because Dickinsonia and its relatives are structurally simple, lacking morphological synapomorphies to clarify their relationship to modern taxa. However, there is increasing precedence for using ontogeny to constrain enigmatic fossils, and growth of the type species Dickinsonia costata is well understood. This study formalizes the connection between ontogeny in Dickinsonia—which grows by the addition of metameric units onto one end of its primary axis—with terminal addition, defined as growth and patterning from a posterior, subtermial growth zone. We employ ancestral state reconstruction and stochastic character mapping to conclude that terminal addition is a synapomorphy of bilaterian animals. Thus, terminal addition allies Dickinsonia with the bilaterians, providing evidence that large stem‐ or crown‐group bilaterians made up a significant proportion of the Precambrian biota. This study also illustrates the potential for combining developmental and phylogenetic data in constraining the placement of ancient problematic fossil taxa on the evolutionary tree.
Evolutionarily divergent thermal sensitivity of germline development and fertility in hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis nematodes
Authors: Poullet Nausicaa , Vielle Anne , Gimond Clotilde , Ferrari Céline , Braendle Christian
Published: October 2015

Thermal developmental plasticity represents a key organismal adaptation to maintain reproductive capacity in contrasting and fluctuating temperature niches. Although extensively studied, research on thermal plasticity has mainly focused on phenotypic outcomes, such as adult life history, rather than directly measuring plasticity of underlying developmental processes. How thermal plasticity of developmental phenotypes maps into plasticity of resulting final phenotypes, and how such mapping relationships evolve, thus remain poorly understood. Here we address these questions by quantifying thermal plasticity of Caenorhabditis hermaphrodite germline development. We integrate measurements of germline development and fertility at the upper thermal range in isolates of C. briggsae, C. elegans, and C. tropicalis. First, we compare intra‐ and interspecific variation in thermal germline plasticity with plasticity in reproductive output. Second, we ask whether the developmental errors leading to fertility break‐down at upper thermal limits are evolutionarily conserved. We find that temperature variation modulates spermatogenesis, oogenesis and germ cell progenitor pools, yet the thermal sensitivity of these processes varies among isolates and species, consistent with evolutionary variation in upper thermal limits of hermaphrodite fertility. Although defective sperm function is a major contributor to heat‐induced fertility break‐down, high temperature also significantly perturbs oogenesis, germline integrity, and mitosis–meiosis progression. Remarkably, the occurrence and frequency of specific errors are strongly species‐ and genotype‐dependent, indicative of evolutionary divergence in thermal sensitivity of distinct processes in germline development. Therefore, the Caenorhabditis reproductive system displays complex genotype‐by‐temperature interactions at the developmental level, which may remain masked when studying thermal plasticity exclusively at the life history level.
Improving your genetic literacy in epilepsy—A new series
Authors: Tan Nigel C. K. , Lowenstein Daniel H. ,   the ILAE Genetics Commission
Published: October 2015

Advances in epilepsy genetics have been rapid, and it is challenging for clinicians on the ground to keep pace with these advances. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Genetics Commission has thus crafted a new Genetic Literacy series targeted at busy clinicians. Our goal is to help provide a concise, accessible resource on epilepsy genetics for the busy, on‐the‐ground clinician so that he/she can apply that knowledge at point‐of‐care to help patients. This new series is grounded in educational theories and evidence to ensure that learning is effective and efficient. We hope that by promoting and encouraging continuing medical education in epilepsy genetics, this eventually translates to better patient management and therefore better patient health outcomes.
Differentiating Between Attachment Styles and Behaviors and their Association with Marital Quality
Authors: Sandberg Jonathan G. , Bradford Angela B. , Brown Andrew P.
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this study was to distinguish between the influence of attachment styles and behaviors on marital quality for couples. Data were gathered from 680 couples in a married relationship. Results showed attachment style and behaviors predicted marital quality for both men and women, with higher levels of attachment related to greater quality. Attachment behaviors predicted more of the variance in quality than did styles. Specific implications regarding how therapists may wish to foster behaviors that promote attachment security in marriages are discussed.
Caregiver Expressed Emotion and Psychiatric Symptoms in African‐Americans with Schizophrenia: An Attempt to Understand the Paradoxical Relationship
Authors: Gurak Kayla , Weisman de Mamani Amy
Published: October 2015

Expressed emotion (EE) is a family environmental construct that assesses how much criticism, hostility, and/or emotional over‐involvement a family member expresses about a patient (Hooley, Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2007, 3, 329). Having high levels of EE within the family environment has generally been associated with poorer patient outcomes for schizophrenia and a range of other disorders. Paradoxically, for African‐American patients, high‐EE may be associated with a better symptom course (Rosenfarb, Bellack, & Aziz, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2006, 115, 112). However, this finding is in need of additional support and, if confirmed, clarification. In line with previous research, using a sample of 30 patients with schizophrenia and their primary caregivers, we hypothesized that having a caregiver classified as low‐EE would be associated with greater patient symptom severity. We also aimed to better understand why this pattern may exist by examining the content of interviews taken from the Five‐Minute Speech Sample. Results supported study hypotheses. In line with Rosenfarb et al. (2006), having a low‐EE caregiver was associated with greater symptom severity in African‐American patients. A content analysis uncovered some interesting patterns that may help elucidate this finding. Results of this study suggest that attempts to lower high‐EE in African Americans may, in fact, be counterproductive.