bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The accounting professional project and bank failures
Authors: Carnegie Garry D.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the strategies and dynamics of the fledging accounting professional project in the context of boom, bust and reform in colonial Victoria. In doing so, the study provides evidence of the association of members of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants, Victoria (IIAV) (1886) and other auditors with banks that failed during the early 1890s Australian banking crisis, and addresses the implications for the professionalisation trajectory.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses primary sources, including the surviving audited financial statements of a selection of 14 Melbourne-based failed banks, reports of relevant company meetings and other press reports and commentaries, along with relevant secondary sources, and applies theoretical analysis informed by the literature on the sociology of the professions.

Findings

IIAV members as bank auditors are shown to have been associated with most of the bank failures examined in this study, thereby not being immune from key problems in bank auditing and accounting of the period. The study shows how the IIAV, while part of the problem, ultimately became part of a solution that was regarded within the association’s leadership as less than optimal, essentially by means of 1896 legislative reforms in Victoria, and also addresses the associated implications.

Practical implications

The study reveals how a deeper understanding of economic and social problems in any context may be obtainable by examining surviving financial statements and related records sourced from archives of surviving business records.

Originality/value

The study elucidates accounting’s professionalisation trajectory in a colonial setting during respective periods of boom, bust and reform from the 1880s until around 1896 and provides insights into the development of financial auditing practices, which is still an important topic.
Justice perceptions, leader-member exchange, and upward influence tactics
Authors: Williams Ethlyn A. , Scandura Terri A. , Pissaris Seema , Woods Juanita M.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The authors examine the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and the selection of upward influence tactics. The purpose of this paper is to integrate research on perceptions of justice, LMX, and influence tactics in order to empirically test an integrative model.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were administered ton=407 employed Masters of Business Administration students at a private Southeastern University in the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to test the statistical significance of paths specified in the models.

Findings

Results indicate that perceptions of organizational justice have indirect effects on upward influence tactics reported. LMX had mediating effects on the relationship between interactional justice and the use of rational and coalition tactics.

Research limitations/implications

The data are cross-sectional and were collected using self-reports, which limits the conclusions that can be drawn. The findings however, suggest that perceptions of interactional justice are associated with LMX, whose effects in turn are associated with the use of influence tactics.

Practical implications

Coalition strategies were used more when subordinates experienced poor LMX. The research suggests that perhaps for individuals experiencing poor relationships with the supervisor, coalition strategies might present an alternative to “rational” influence tactics (which are used more in high-quality relationships).

Originality/value

The current study extends LMX research by examining differing subordinate influence strategies in high- and low-quality relationships. It also extends organizational justice research by examining the effects of the interpersonal implementation of fair procedures on the dynamics between leadership and upward influence.
Transformational leadership, social capital and organizational innovation
Authors: Chen Lu , Zheng Wei , Yang Baiyin , Bai Shuaijiao
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the forces driving organizational innovation, particularly CEO transformational leadership as it affects external and internal social capital in top management teams.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey questionnaires were administered to 90 Chinese top management teams. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

Both internal and external social capital mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational innovation.

Practical implications

Organizations should strengthen internal and external capital of top management teams to reap maximal innovation outcomes from transformational leadership.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to the transformational leadership, social capital, and innovation literature first by showing how leadership influences innovation through largely neglected mechanisms – internal and external social capital. Second, a social capital focus challenges the tacit assumption that transformational leadership has only internal influences by showing that it potentially spills over to the external domain.
Impact of active constructive leadership and passive corrective leadership on collective organizational commitment
Authors: Wei Feng , Lee Jean , Kwan Ho Kwong
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the factor structure of the multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) in the Chinese context and determine whether leader-member exchange (LMX) mediates the effects of active constructive leadership (ACL) and passive corrective leadership (PCL) on subordinates’ organizational commitment at the group level.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were completed by two employee samples. The first sample consisted of 615 employees from five pharmaceutical companies. The second sample consisted of 676 employees from 144 teams. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The factor analysis results showed two types of leadership in the data: ACL and PCL. The structural equation modeling showed that LMX mediated the effect of leadership on collective organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The data were cross-sectional in nature. Furthermore, leadership and LMX were both measured from the perspective of followers.

Practical implications

Managers must realize that leadership is an art that requires not only the self-cultivation of individual behavior, but also appropriate and intelligent conduct when interacting with followers. Team leaders also must pay attention to both their high quality relationships with subordinates and the mutual influence within their groups.

Originality/value

The current study makes an empirical contribution to the psychometric properties of the MLQ, suggesting a higher two-factor structure appropriate for Chinese employees. It also clarifies the relationships between leadership, LMX and organizational commitment at multiple levels.
The relationship between leader self-deprecating humor and perceived effectiveness
Authors: Gkorezis Panagiotis , Bellou Victoria
Published: September 2016

Purpose

Recent years have seen an increasing interest in leader’s use of humor among organizational scholars. In this regard, leader positive humor has been shown to be related to leader effectiveness. However, to date there is limited theoretical and empirical attention regarding the relationship between self-deprecating humor in particular and leadership effectiveness. As such, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of leader’s self-deprecating humor on follower’s perceptions of leader effectiveness. In doing so, the authors also encompassed trust in leader as a mediator.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from three different samples. The authors examined the hypotheses using hierarchical regression, bootstrapping analysis and Sobel test.

Findings

Results produced consistent evidence that the use of self-deprecating humor by the leader positively affects his/her perceived effectiveness and that this relationship is partially mediated by trust in leader.

Research limitations/implications

A main limitation of the present research relates to its cross-sectional design that cannot infer causality. In addition, data were gathered from a single source. As such, this may raise the possibility of common method bias.

Originality/value

The present paper contributes to the limited theoretical and empirical organizational research regarding the role of leader self-deprecating humor. More specifically, this is the first study, to the best of authors’ knowledge that links this type of humor to his/her effectiveness.
Team learning, team performance and safe team climate in elder care nursing
Authors: Leicher Veronika , Mulder Regina H.
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to determine whether elder care nurses engage in knowledge sharing and reflection within their teams and if these team-learning activities influence an elder care nursing team’s performance. Furthermore, the authors investigated the relation between elder care nurses' estimation of the team climate as being safe and team-learning activities.

Design/methodology/approach

For this research, a questionnaire survey of 30 elder care nursing teams (N= 30,n= 149) working in 17 different retirement homes was conducted.

Findings

Structural equation model showed significant positive relations between knowledge sharing and team performance, and between reflection and knowledge sharing. A safe team climate had a significantly positive influence on reflection.

Originality/value

Little is known about the performance of elder care nursing teams, how to measure team performance in this domain and how performance is influenced by learning activities. This study fills these gaps by providing an insight into the relationship between team-learning activities and team performance. Team performance was measured by the estimation of the team members and by using performance assessments from an independent institution.
How staff experience teamwork challenges in a new organizational structure
Authors: Sandoff Mette , Nilsson Kerstin
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to explore challenges arising from the development of teamwork in a new organizational structure, based on the experiences of the staff involved.

Design/methodology/approach

An explorative and qualitative approach was used, with individual interviews as the data collection method. These interviews were analyzed using qualitative and interpretative analysis with a modified editing style.

Findings

The results describe how the lack of essential organizational prerequisites for teamwork and the absence of the leadership qualities needed to facilitate teamwork contribute to difficulties in working in a team-orientated way. Shortage of information among the team members and few scheduled meetings signify insufficient coordination within the working team. Without a team leader who can keep things together, read the team members’ needs and support and guide them, team work is difficult to uphold because the members will need to seek support elsewhere. Assumed synergies from working together as team member experts will be thwarted.

Originality/value

This study contributes knowledge about the difficulties in creating team-orientated cooperation in a new organizational structure when leadership as well as structures and processes supporting team work are absent. The challenges described are drawn from the experiences of the staff concerned, providing insights to form a basis for theoretical and practical discussion.
Mindful infrastructure as an enabler of innovation resilience behaviour in innovation teams
Authors: Oeij Peter R.A. , Dhondt Steven , Gaspersz Jeff
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the principles of high reliability organisations (HROs), present in safety and crisis teams, as applied to innovation teams. Safety and crisis teams cannot fail, as failure leads to disaster and casualties. Innovation teams cannot fail either, as this harms the organisations’ competitiveness and effectiveness. Do HRO principles, rooted in mindful infrastructure, enable innovation resilience behaviour (IRB)?

Design/methodology/approach

A study of 18 innovation projects performed by project teams was carried out. A survey by team members/leaders of these teams was completed; team members/leaders of other projects were added to achieve a larger sample. Mindful infrastructure consists of team psychological safety, team learning, complexity leadership and team voice. The analyses assessed the teams’ mindful infrastructures as a causal condition enabling IRB.

Findings

Applying qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), the findings indicate that mindful infrastructure enables team IRB, which is a set of team behaviours indicating their resilience when encountering critical incidents. Teams apply different “paths” to IRB.

Research limitations/implications

The exploratory study’s generalizability is limited. The findings nonetheless indicate the usefulness of non-linear techniques for understanding different roads to successful innovation processes.

Practical implications

HRO principles are applicable by non-HROs. These require investments in organisational learning.

Originality/value

HRO studies fail to account for the antecedents of HRO principles. This study groups these antecedents of team behaviour into a mindful infrastructure. QCA has not been applied within the domain of HROs before and only scarcely within the domain of innovation teams.
Nitrate salts suppress sporulation and production of enterotoxin in Clostridium perfringens strain NCTC8239
Authors: Yasugi Mayo , Otsuka Keisuke , Miyake Masami
Published: September 2016

Clostridium perfringens type A is a common source of food‐borne illness in humans. Ingested vegetative cells sporulate in the small intestinal tract and in the process produce C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE). Although sporulation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of food‐borne illness, the molecules triggering/inhibiting sporulation are still largely unknown. It has previously been reported by our group that sporulation is induced in C. perfringens strain NCTC8239 co‐cultured with Caco‐2 cells in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM). In contrast, an equivalent amount of spores was not observed when bacteria were co‐cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute‐1640 medium (RPMI). In the present study it was found that, when these two media are mixed, RPMI inhibits sporulation and CPE production induced in DMEM. When a component of RPMI was added to DMEM, it was found that calcium nitrate (Ca[NO3]2) significantly inhibits sporulation and CPE production. The number of spores increased when Ca(NO3)2‐deficient RPMI was used. The other nitrate salts significantly suppressed sporulation, whereas the calcium salts used did not. qPCR revealed that nitrate salts increased expression of bacterial nitrate/nitrite reductase. Furthermore, it was found that nitrite and nitric oxide suppress sporulation. In the sporulation stages, Ca(NO3)2 down‐regulated the genes controlled by Spo0A, a master regulator of sporulation, but not spo0A itself. Collectively, these results indicate that nitrate salts suppress sporulation and CPE production by down‐regulating Spo0A‐regulated genes in C. perfringens strain NCTC8239. Nitrate reduction may be associated with inhibition of sporulation.
Brattleboro rats have impaired apical membrane water permeability regulation in the outer medullary collecting duct principal cells
Authors: Baturina Galina S , Katkova Liubov E , Zarogiannis Sotirios G , Solenov Evgeniy I
Published: September 2016

Vasopressin (AVP) regulates the body salt‐water balance. Brattleboro rats carry an AVP gene mutation resulting in a recessive form of central diabetes insipidus, being ideal for AVP deficiency studies. Herein, we studied the water permeability of the apical and basolateral sides of outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) principal cells in response to dDAVP (a V2 receptor agonist) administration in Wistar and Brattleboro rats. Biophysical measurements of the water permeability (Pf) of isolated OMCD principal cells were performed with the calcein quenching method with/without dDAVP (10−8 mol/L). mRNA transcripts and protein levels of AQP2, AQP3 and AQP4 were assessed by RT‐PCR and western blot respectively. dDAVP increased the apical and basolateral Pf of OMCD principal cells in Wistar rats, while in Brattleboro rats this effect was present basolaterally. Long‐term dDAVP administration in both strains resulted in a significant increase in mRNA expression of all assessed AQP's while only the protein levels of AQP2 and AQP3 were significantly increased. Short‐term (20 minutes) dDAVP treatment of isolated OMCD fragments resulted in significantly increased plasma membrane expression of AQP2 in Wistar rats and of AQP2 and AQP3 in Brattleboro rats. In summary, dDAVP induces different expression of AQP2, AQP3 and AQP4 in Wistar and Brattleboro rats during short‐ and long‐term treatment. In Wistar rats dDAVP mainly increased AQP2 expression while in Brattleboro rats it increased functional water permeability mainly by AQP3 expression.
The clinical utility of genetic testing of tissues from pregnancy losses
Authors: Waterman CA , Batstone P , Bown N , Cresswell L , Delmege C , English CJ , Fews G , Grimsley L , Imrie S , Kulkarni A , Mann K , Johnson R , Morgan SM , Roberts P , Simonic I , Trueman S , Wall M , McMullan D
Published: September 2016

Objective

To map the current testing being undertaken following pregnancy loss across the UK and to examine the clinical utility in terms of identifying a cause for the loss and in identifying couples at risk of an unbalanced liveborn child.

Design

Retrospective audit.

Setting

UK, for the year 2014.

Population

An audit of 6465 referrals for genetic testing of tissue samples following pregnancy loss.

Methods

Data were obtained by questionnaire from 15 UK regional genetics laboratories.

Main outcome measures

Data were analysed with respect to gestational age, the presence of identified fetal anomalies, methodologies used, abnormality rates and the presence of a parental balanced rearrangement.

Results

Of 6465 referrals a genetic cause was identified in 22% of cases (before 12 weeks’ gestation, in 47%; at 12–24 weeks, in 14%; after 24 weeks, in 6%). In 0.4% of cases a balanced parental rearrangement was identified where there was a risk of an affected liveborn child in a future pregnancy. Eighty percent of genetic imbalances identified were aneuploidy or triploidy and could be identified by quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction alone. There was significant variation across the UK in acceptance criteria, testing strategies and thus level of resolution of testing.

Conclusions

Genetic testing of tissues following pregnancy loss identifies a probable cause of fetal demise in 22% of cases, but it is of low clinical utility in identifying couples at risk of a future unbalanced liveborn child. A comprehensive multidisciplinary review is needed to develop proposals for an affordable and equitable service.

Tweetable abstract

UK audit of genetic testing of fetal loss shows variation in access to and resolution of analysis.
Good COP, Bad COP: Climate Reality after Paris
Authors: Ivanova Maria
Published: September 2016

The twenty‐first Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris was a good COP in contrast to COP15 in Copenhagen, which will remain in history as the low point in climate policy. COP21 demonstrated unprecedented global collaboration when divisions were deep and stakes were high and resulted in the Paris Agreement, the first legally binding document to articulate a clear global temperature goal and a commitment to reach global net‐zero emissions after 2050. The agreement is also universal, with developed and developing countries alike expected to act. This article outlines key outcomes and explains what led to the shift from a bad to a good COP. It also examines the threats and opportunities as the world moves from making commitments to implementing them and draws parallels to the global agenda‐setting process on sustainable development that is also unfolding in the United Nations at the same time.
Bacterial and viral contamination of breathing circuits after extended use – an aspect of patient safety?
Authors: Dubler S. , Zimmermann S. , Fischer M. , Schnitzler P. , Bruckner T. , Weigand M. A. , Frank U. , Hofer S. , Heininger A.
Published: September 2016

Background

In the past, anaesthetic breathing circuits were identified as a source of pathogen transmission. It is still debated, whether breathing circuits combined with breathing system filters can be safely used for more than 1 day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the transmission risk of bacteria and also viruses via breathing circuits after extended use.

Methods

The inner and outer surface of 102 breathing circuits used for 1 day and of 101 circuits used for 7 days were examined for bacteria and viruses. Additionally, 10 and 20 breathing circuits each were examined after use on patients with pulmonary virus infection and with multidrug‐resistant organism (MDRO) colonisation/infection respectively. Bacteria were detected by standard microbiological procedures; PCR techniques were applied for herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, influenza, parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

Results

Endoluminal bacterial contamination of breathing circuits remained unchanged after 7‐day vs. 1‐day use (5.9% vs. 7.8%) [CI95%: −0.0886–0.0506, pnon‐inferiority 0.0260]. Only outside surface contamination with bacteria belonging to environmental species or human flora increased (16.8 vs. 6.9%) [CI 95%: 0.0118 – 0.1876, pnon‐inferiority 0.8660]. Viruses occurred on the patient side, but not in breathing circuits. No MDRO occurred in the 20 circuits after use on patients harbouring such germs.

Conclusion

Endoluminal contamination of breathing circuits with bacteria did not increase after extended use. No viruses were detected in the breathing circuits using filters. Based on our results, the extended use of ABC without exceptions appears safe, if a high level of anaesthesia workplace cleaning is secured.
Neural response to alcohol taste cues in youth: effects of the OPRM1 gene
Authors: Korucuoglu Ozlem , Gladwin Thomas E. , Baas Frank , Mocking Roel J.T. , Ruhé Henricus G. , Groot Paul F.C. , Wiers Reinout W.
Published: September 2016

Genetic variations in the mu‐opioid receptor (OPRM1) gene have been related to high sensitivity to rewarding effects of alcohol. The current study focuses on the neural circuitry underlying this phenomenon using an alcohol versus water taste‐cue reactivity paradigm in a young sample at relatively early stages of alcohol use, thus limiting the confound of variations in duration of alcohol use. Drinkers (17–21 years old) were selected on genotype carrying the AA—(n = 20) or the AG—(n = 16) variant of the A118G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the OPRM1 gene (rs1799971), and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Magnitude of the neural activity and frontostriatal functional connectivity in response to alcohol versus water were investigated. The AG‐group demonstrated reduced activation in prefrontal and parietal regions, including the inferior and middle frontal gyrus, superior and inferior parietal lobule, compared with the AA‐group. No activation differences were observed in the mesolimbic pathway. Connectivity from the ventral‐striatum to frontal regions for alcohol > water trials was higher in the AG than the AA group. For the dorsal‐striatum seed region, the AG group showed increased connectivity to non‐PFC regions. These results indicate that adolescents carrying the G‐allele may be more vulnerable for the alcohol to hijack the reward system in the absence of frontal control to regulate craving. This implies that findings of hyperactivation in the mesolimbic structures of G‐allele carriers in earlier studies might result from both genetic susceptibility and heavy drinking.
Impact of type 2 diabetes, obesity and glycaemic control on pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Abell Sally K. , Boyle Jacqueline A. , de Courten Barbora , Soldatos Georgia , Wallace Euan M. , Zoungas Sophia , Teede Helena J.
Published: September 2016

Background

There are no contemporary cohorts examining pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Australia.

Aim

To compare pregnancy outcomes in women with and without T2D, and assess effects of body mass index (BMI) and glycaemic control on outcomes.

Materials and methods

An historical cohort study was conducted of all singleton births > 20 weeks gestation at a specialist maternity network in Australia from 2010 to 2013. Data were extracted from the Birthing Outcomes System database. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between presence of T2D and pregnancy outcomes.

Results

Outcomes for 138 pregnancies with T2D and 27 075 pregnancies in women without diabetes were compared (type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes excluded). Women with T2D were older and more overweight compared to women without diabetes (P < 0.01). Their babies were born earlier (P < 0.01) with increased risk of large for gestational age (adjusted odds ratio 2.13 (95% CI 1.37–3.32)), hypoglycaemia (4.90 (2.79–8.61)), jaundice (2.58 (1.61–4.13)) and shoulder dystocia (2.72 (1.09–6.78)), but not congenital malformations or perinatal death. Women with T2D had a higher risk of induction (4.03 (2.71–5.99)), caesarean section (2.10 (1.44–3.04)), preterm birth (2.74 (1.78–4.24)) and pre‐eclampsia (2.75 (1.49–5.10)). An HbA1c ≥ 6.0% (42 mmol/mol) was associated with increased preterm birth, special care nursery admission, hypoglycaemia and jaundice.

Conclusions

Despite availability of preconception care, good glycaemic control and specialist management, T2D remains associated with increased adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Further research to examine predictors of adverse outcomes may assist in targeted antenatal surveillance and management.
Randomised clinical trial: the effects of a multispecies probiotic vs. placebo on innate immune function, bacterial translocation and gut permeability in patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Horvath A. , Leber B. , Schmerboeck B. , Tawdrous M. , Zettel G. , Hartl A. , Madl T. , Stryeck S. , Fuchs D. , Lemesch S. , Douschan P. , Krones E. , Spindelboeck W. , Durchschein F. , Rainer F. , Zollner G. , Stauber R. E. , Fickert P. , Stiegler P. , Stadlbauer V.
Published: September 2016

Background

Probiotics may correct intestinal dysbiosis and proinflammatory conditions in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Aim

To test the effects of a multispecies probiotic on innate immune function, bacterial translocation and gut permeability.

Methods

In a randomised, double blind, placebo‐controlled study, stable cirrhotic out‐patients either received a daily dose of a probiotic powder containing eight different bacterial strains (Ecologic Barrier, Winclove, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) (n = 44) or a placebo (n = 36) for 6 months and were followed up for another 6 months.

Results

We found a significant but subclinical increase in neutrophil resting burst (2.6–3.2%, P = 0.0134) and neopterin levels (7.7–8.4 nmol/L, P = 0.001) with probiotics but not with placebo. Probiotic supplementation did not have a significant influence on neutrophil phagocytosis, endotoxin load, gut permeability or inflammatory markers. Ten severe infections occurred in total; one during intervention in the placebo group, and five and four after the intervention has ended in the probiotic and placebo group, respectively. Liver function showed some improvement with probiotics but not with placebo.

Conclusions

Probiotic supplementation significantly increased serum neopterin levels and the production of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils. These findings might explain the beneficial effects of probiotics on immune function. Furthermore, probiotic supplementation may be a well‐tolerated method to maintain or even improve liver function in stable cirrhosis. However, its influence on gut barrier function and bacterial translocation in cirrhotic patients is minimal.
Reflected Glory Versus Repulsive Envy: How Do the Smiths Feel About the House of the Joneses?*
Authors: Nanda Anupam , Yeh Jia‐Huey
Published: September 2016

A key question raised regarding conspicuous consumption is whether such consumption leads to positive or negative net externalities. The present paper examines how the presence of luxury and expensive properties within a local area affects the house prices in Taipei City. Positive externalities may be associated with improved urban amenities or reflected glory. Negative externalities may be associated with the adverse reference group effect; that is, repulsive envy. The paper discusses the spillover effects due to changes in neighborhood's housing characteristics, and shows significant spatial patterns in house prices and the importance of socioeconomic influences on house prices.
Successful laparoscopic treatment of a giant solitary fibrous tumor of the mesorectum: A case report and literature review
Authors: Kawamura Junichiro , Tani Masaki , Kida Yuya , Sumida Kimiaki , Ogawa Ryotaro , Kawasoe Junya , Yazawa Takefumi , Yamada Masahiro , Yamamoto Michihiro , Harada Hideki , Yamamoto Hidekazu , Zaima Masazumi
Published: September 2016

A solitary fibrous tumor is a ubiquitous mesenchymal fibroblastic tumor that was previously considered limited to the pleural cavity. Here, we report a rare case of a large solitary fibrous tumor of the mesorectum, which was successfully resected laparoscopically. A 56‐year‐old woman was referred to our hospital for a giant pelvic mass. Pelvic MRI showed a well‐circumscribed mass, 12 cm in diameter, with heterogeneous signal intensity on T2‐weighted images. It was diagnosed as a benign mesorectal tumor of unknown origin. We successfully resected the entire tumor laparoscopically. Histological examination revealed it to be an extrapleural solitary fibrous tumor. For large tumors in the pelvis, the laparoscopic approach is preferable in terms of intraoperative hemorrhage, as long as they do not invade surrounding tissues.
Pre‐slaughter mortality among turkeys related to their transport
Authors: Machovcova Zuzana , Vecerek Vladimir , Voslarova Eva , Malena Milan , Conte Francesca , Bedanova Iveta , Vecerkova Lenka
Published: September 2016

Overall mortality among turkeys transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic from 2009 to 2014 was 0.147%. The lowest mortality (0.023%) was found in turkeys transported for distances up to 50 km; longer distances were associated with increasing death rates, with the highest losses (0.543%) recorded for distances from 201 to 300 km. Differences were also found when comparing transport‐related mortality rates according to the season of the year. The highest mortality (0.228%) was associated with transports carried out in summer, whereas the lowest death rates were found in turkeys transported for slaughter in winter (0.105%) and autumn (0.113%). According to the ambient temperatures in which transports associated with the highest death rates among turkeys were carried out (14 to 21°C), it appears that heat stress can be a major factor in the birds’ mortality. However, low ambient temperatures (i.e. below −2°C) also appear to increase transport‐related mortality, as shown by our results. In addition to shortening the lengths of transport distances, appropriate consideration of prevailing climatic conditions and the sensitivity of turkeys to high and low temperatures during transport may also lead to a reduction in the number of turkeys dying during transport for slaughter.
Cross‐cultural validity of the German version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI‐G)—a Rasch model application
Authors: Schulze C. , Page J. , Lilja M. , Kottorp A.
Published: September 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cross‐cultural validity of the German version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI‐G) when used in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Method

A total of 118 girls and 144 boys participated in this study; 198 of the children (75.6%) had a developmental disability and 64 (24.4%) were without a known disability. The mean age was four years (range 11 months to 10 years and six months, SD 1.91). Item goodness of fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and differential test functioning (DTF) were evaluated by use of a Rasch model.

Results

Twenty‐four (11.6%) out of 206 items of the Functional Skills Scale and one (5%) out of 20 items of the Caregiver Assistance Scale demonstrated misfit according to the Rasch model. Thirty‐four (16.5%) out of 206 items of the Functional Skills Scale and no item from the Caregiver Assistance Scale demonstrated DIF. Almost half (46%) of the items demonstrating misfit also demonstrated DIF, indicating an association between them. The DIF by country only demonstrated a minimal impact on the person measures of the PEDI‐G.

Interpretation

Even though some items did not meet the statistical and clinical criteria set, the PEDI‐G can be used, on a preliminary basis as a valid tool to measure activities of daily living of children with and without a disability in these countries. Further larger studies are needed to evaluate more psychometric item properties of the PEDI‐G in relation to context.
Consumer Preferences for Improved Hen Housing: Is a Cage a Cage?
Authors: Doyon Maurice , Bergeron Stéphane , Cranfield John , Tamini Lota , Criner George
Published: September 2016

The rising concern among consumers regarding animal welfare in livestock production has prompted several regions, including California and the European Union to ban the use of battery cage housing systems for laying hens. In Quebec, battery cages are being phased out with new barns required to be equipped with enriched cages or alternative housing system. Since switching housing systems generates costs, it is important to verify consumer receptivity to these changes. This paper examines the results of a discrete choice experiment to understand Quebec consumers’ demand for enriched cages and preferences for amenities commonly included in these cages. Results show that each subgroup of consumers provides a positive value for eggs produced in enhanced housing systems but differ in the features that are valued. However, in all subgroups there is low or no valuation associated with increased cage space, as well as the presence of scratch pads and dust baths.

Les consommateurs sont de plus en plus soucieux du bien‐être animal. Plusieurs régions, incluant la Californie et l'Europe, interdissent l’élevage de poules dans des systèmes de cages traditionnelles. Au Québec, ce type de cage sera graduellement éliminé, les producteurs ayant collectivement décidé que les nouvelles constructions seront équipées de cages enrichies ou de système alternatif. Puisqu'un système de cages enrichies implique des coûts additionnels pour les producteurs, il est important de vérifier la réceptivité des consommateurs pour les œufs produits dans ce type de système de logement. Les données d'une expérience à choix discret sont analysées, notamment par segment de consommateurs. Les résultats indiquent une valeur positive pour le système enrichi, mais les différentes composantes du système de cages enrichies sont valorisées différemment selon les segments de consommateurs. Toutefois, l'espace supplémentaire, la possibilité de bains de poussières et le coussin de grattage sont peu ou pas valorisés, et ce, pour l'ensemble des segments de consommateurs.
Understanding Strategic Behavior and Its Contribution to Hypothetical Bias When Eliciting Values for a Private Good
Authors: Doyon Maurice , Bergeron Stéphane
Published: September 2016

Understanding market demand and premiums paid for food products with social and environmental attributes is increasingly important to ensure adequate information for the agri‐food system. Stated preference (SP) surveys are a flexible and affordable approach to elicit values, however the presence of hypothetical bias compromises their reliability. In this study, we seek to identify strategic behaviors and how they relate to hypothetical bias in SP survey for private goods. An online survey was conducted to measure willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for regular and free‐run eggs using two treatments, a nonhypothetical experimental auction and an open‐ended elicitation question. We find that the bias associated with the presence of strategic behavior in the open‐ended elicitation survey can be isolated by calculating premiums, which are defined as the difference between declared values for free‐run eggs and regular eggs. The insight gained from this study can be used to improve experimental design of hypothetical SPs surveys and significantly reduce hypothetical bias.

Comprendre la demande et la volonté de payer pour des biens alimentaires avec des caractéristiques sociales et environnementales est important afin d'assurer une information adéquate pour le secteur agroalimentaire. Les sondages déclaratifs sont une approche flexible et peu coûteuse pour capturer les valeurs, par contre la présence d'un biais hypothétique réduit la fiabilité des valeurs ainsi estimées. Dans cette étude nous tentons d'identifier le comportement stratégique en lien avec le biais hypothétique intrinsèque aux sondages déclaratifs. À cet effet, nous réalisons un sondage en ligne qui mesure le consentement à payer pour des œufs réguliers et de poules en liberté en utilisant deux traitements, une enchère non hypothétique et une question ouverte. Nous trouvons que le comportement stratégique présent en situation déclarative peut être isoler en calculant la prime, laquelle est définie comme étant la différence entre la valeur déclarée pour les œufs de poules en liberté et des œufs réguliers. Les résultats de cette étude peuvent être utilisés pour améliorer le design expérimental des enquêtes de préférences révélées et limiter le biais hypothétique.
Development for Children, or Children for Development? Examining Children's Participation in School‐Led Total Sanitation Programmes
Authors: Joshi Deepa , Kooy Michelle , van den Ouden Vincent
Published: September 2016

The Community‐Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach is said to have radically revolutionized a poorly performing sanitation sector. The claims of CLTS programmes successfully stopping practices of open defecation have only recently begun to be critically reviewed: scholars and practitioners are questioning the sustainability and scrutinizing the participatory nature of this approach. This article builds on these analyses to draw attention to the School‐Led Total Sanitation (SLTS) programme which promotes the role of children as sanitation change agents to ‘trigger’ a shift of behaviour in their peers and elders in school and surrounding environments. The article reviews the active role of children in SLTS in the context of how ‘participation’ is structured in demand‐led sanitation approaches, as well as in relation to children's rights to participation in developmental projects in general. Reviewing the arguments supporting SLTS in practitioner literature and drawing on observations from SLTS case studies in Ghana, the authors notice a significant contradiction in the concept of children's participation as premised in SLTS initiatives and as outlined in the child rights agenda. These findings expose inherent tensions in SLTS between children's rights, participation and the role of children as sanitation change agents. They build on existing critiques of participation as coercion within demand‐led sanitation approaches that have ‘gone global’.
Ulinzi Shirikishi: Popular Experiences of Hybrid Security Governance in Tanzania
Authors: Cross Charlotte
Published: September 2016

In the context of increasing academic and policy‐related attention to hybrid forms of security provision which combine state and non‐state institutions, in Africa and elsewhere, this article explores the implementation of community‐based or participatory policing (ulinzi shirikishi) in Tanzania. Through ulinzi shirikishi citizens are encouraged to form local security committees, organize neighbourhood patrols and investigate reported crime. In contrast to earlier forms of state‐sponsored sungusungu vigilantism in Tanzania, community police are expected to cooperate with the Tanzania Police Force and to adhere to state law. Based on 11 months’ fieldwork in three sub‐wards of the city of Mwanza, this article argues that community policing has been fairly effective in improving residents’ perceptions of local safety. However, two important concerns emerge that may compromise the sustainability and legitimacy of community policing in the future. Firstly, organizing local policing entails considerable costs for communities, which disproportionately disadvantage the relatively poor. Secondly, controlling local service provision can enable individuals to pursue private gains, at the expense of the production of public goods. It is thus important to consider the development of hybridity over time towards models that may look less like community‐based policing and more like commercial security provision.
The Double Life of Development: Empowerment, USAID and the Maoist Uprising in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Dinesh
Published: September 2016

The geographies of developmental empowerment and subaltern rebellion have unexpectedly overlapped and expanded rapidly in recent years, especially in peasant societies in the global South. By examining the relationship between the long history of development programmes and the emergence of the Maoist revolution in Nepal in the 1990s, this article demonstrates how developmental ideas, particularly the notion of empowerment, can be articulated politically. The author argues that development has a double life in which development subjectivities are reproduced through the simultaneous processes of enrolment and othering, generating the conditions of subordination for development's own reproduction. Development can generate the possibility of rebellion by creating negative consciousness of the process of othering. This article contributes to the growing literature on rebellion and development by showing how development, while striving for hegemony, continuously produces fissures in geographically specific ways that can become portals for the emergence of rebellious possibilities.
Increased liver fat and glycogen stores after consumption of high versus low glycaemic index food: A randomized crossover study
Authors: Bawden Stephen , Stephenson Mary , Falcone Yirga , Lingaya Melanie , Ciampi Elisabetta , Hunter Karl , Bligh Frances , Schirra Jörg , Taylor Moira , Morris Peter , Macdonald Ian , Gowland Penny , Marciani Luca , Aithal Guruprasad P.
Published: September 2016

Aim

To investigate the acute and longer‐term effects of low (LGI) versus high glycaemic index (HGI) diets on hepatic fat and glycogen accumulation and related blood measures in healthy volunteers.

Methods

Eight healthy men (age 20.1 ± 0.4 years, body mass index 23.0 ± 0.9 kg/m2) attended a test day before and after a 7‐day macronutrient‐ and energy‐matched HGI or LGI diet, followed by a minimum 4‐week wash‐out period, and then returned to repeat the intervention with the alternative diet. During test days, participants consumed either an HGI or an LGI test meal corresponding to their diet week, and liver fat [
1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)], glycogen (
13C MRS) and gastric content volume (MRI) were measured. Blood samples were obtained regularly throughout the test day to assess plasma glucose and insulin levels.

Results

Plasma glucose and insulin peak values and area under the curve were significantly greater after the HGI test meal compared with the LGI test meal, as expected. Hepatic glycogen concentrations increased more after the HGI test meal (
P
< .05) and peak levels were significantly greater after 7 days of HGI dietary intervention compared with those at the beginning of the intervention (
P
< .05). Liver fat fractions increased significantly after the HGI dietary intervention compared with the LGI dietary intervention (two‐way repeated‐measures analysis of variance
P
≤ .05).

Conclusions

Compared with an LGI diet, a 1‐week HGI diet increased hepatic fat and glycogen stores. This may have important clinical relevance for dietary interventions in the prevention and management of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Plant species richness as the main driver of moth metacommunities
Authors: MORENO CAROLINA , LANDEIRO VICTOR L. , FERRO VIVIANE G.
Published: September 2016

1. Ecologists have recognised several factors that may explain the distribution of species in a metacommunity. These factors may be related to the dispersal of individuals among the patches and environmental conditions.

2. Here, we attempted to determine which of the four different metacommunity frameworks (patch dynamics, mass effect, neutral processes, and species sorting) explain the distribution of Arctiinae moths in Brazilian savanna areas with different tree species richness.

3. The Arctiinae moths were categorised as habitat specialists or generalists, common or rare, and belonging to the tribes Arctiini and Lithosiini. We hypothesized that environmental variables best explain the abundance and occurrence of habitat specialist species, common species, and members of Lithosiini; whereas spatial processes are more closely related to habitat generalists, rare species, and members of Arctiini.

4. Contrary to our expectations, we found that the species sorting (mainly dictated by the species richness of trees) best explained the variation in abundance and occurrence of the majority of species groups. Spatial processes (more related to patch dynamics, mass effect, and neutral), although they were significantly related to some species groups, were not strong enough to explain the distribution of these species in the study area.

5. The plant species richness was the most important environmental condition, related to moth species niches. Therefore, species sorting best explained the distribution of the species of Arctiinae in the Brazilian savanna.
Divergent life histories of invasive round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) in Lake Michigan and its tributaries
Authors: Kornis Matthew S. , Weidel Brian C. , Vander Zanden M. Jake
Published: September 2016

Round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) have invaded benthic habitats of the Laurentian Great Lakes and connected tributary streams. Although connected, these two systems generally differ in temperature (Great Lakes are typically colder), food availability (Dreissenid mussels are more prevalent in Great Lakes), and system size and openness. Here, we compare round goby life histories from inshore Lake Michigan and adjacent tributary systems—an uncommon case study of life‐history differences between connected systems. Tributary round gobies grew much faster (average length‐at‐age of 122.3 vs. 65.7 mm for Age 2 +  round gobies), appeared to have shorter life spans (maximum observed age of 2 vs. 5) and had lower age‐at‐50% maturity (1.6 vs. 2.4 years; females only) compared to gobies from Lake Michigan. In addition, tributary gobies had greater fecundity at Ages 1–2 than lake gobies, but had fewer eggs for a given body size prior to the first spawning event of the summer. We were not able to determine the cause of the observed life‐history differences. Nonetheless, the observed differences in growth, maturation and longevity were consistent with known effects of water temperature, as well as predictions of life‐history theory for animals at invasion fronts exposed to novel environmental conditions. The high degree of phenotypic plasticity in connected populations of this invasive species has implications for our understanding of invasive species impacts in different habitats.