bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The carbon footprint of an Australian satellite haemodialysis unit
Authors: Lim Allan E. K. , Perkins Anthony , Agar John W. M.
Published: July 2013

Objectives.
This study aimed to better understand the carbon emission impact of haemodialysis (HD) throughout Australia by determining its carbon footprint, the relative contributions of various sectors to this footprint, and how contributions from electricity and water consumption are affected by local factors.

Methods.
Activity data associated with HD provision at a 6-chair suburban satellite HD unit in Victoria in 2011 was collected and converted to a common measurement unit of tonnes of CO2 equivalents (t CO2-eq) via established emissions factors. For electricity and water consumption, emissions factors for other Australian locations were applied to assess the impact of local factors on these footprint contributors.

Results.
In Victoria, the annual per-patient carbon footprint of satellite HD was calculated to be 10.2 t CO2-eq. The largest contributors were pharmaceuticals (35.7%) and medical equipment (23.4%). Throughout Australia, the emissions percentage attributable to electricity consumption ranged from 5.2% to 18.6%, while the emissions percentage attributable to water use ranged from 4.0% to 11.6%.

Conclusions.
State-by-state contributions of energy and water use to the carbon footprint of satellite HD appear to vary significantly. Performing emissions planning and target setting at the state level may be more appropriate in the Australian context.

What is known about the topic?
Healthcare provision carries a significant environmental footprint. In particular, conventional HD uses substantial amounts of electricity and water. In the UK, provision of HD and peritoneal dialysis was found to have an annual per-patient carbon footprint of 7.1 t CO2-eq.

What does this paper add?
This is the first carbon-footprinting study of HD in Australia. In Victoria, the annual per-patient carbon footprint of satellite conventional HD is 10.2 t CO2-eq. Notably, the contributions of electricity and water consumption to the carbon footprint varies significantly throughout Australia when local factors are taken into account.

What are the implications for practitioners?
We recommend that healthcare providers consider local factors when planning emissions reduction strategies, and target setting should be performed at the state, as opposed to national, level. There is a need for more comprehensive and current emissions data to enable healthcare providers to do so.
When habitat complexity increases predation risk: experiments with invasive and neotropical native fishes
Authors: Santos Alejandra F. G. N. , García-Berthou Emili , Hayashi Carmino , Santos Luciano N.
Published: July 2013

We tested the predator–prey relationships between a native piscivore (Salminus brasiliensis) and introduced and native fish species of the Paraná River, Brazil. We hypothesised that S. brasiliensis can exert biotic resistance against invasive fishes but not at the same degree for all species. Three invasive (Cichla piquiti, Oreochromis niloticus and Ictalurus punctatus) and two native (Astyanax altiparanae and Prochilodus lineatus) species were offered as prey to S. brasiliensis in 300 L aquaria trials at three levels of cover (0%, 50% and 100% of artificial macrophytes). S. brasiliensis had a greater ability to capture prey in complex habitats, so predation success did not decrease with habitat complexity and even increased on I. punctatus. Prey survival was variable through time and among species, being high for I. punctatus. The three most consumed species (P. lineatus, C. piquiti, and O. niloticus) were less active and occupied the aquaria surfaces, changing strongly their behaviour with habitat complexity. Except for P. lineatus and C. piquiti, S. brasiliensis preferably preyed on smaller individuals of the other species. Our experiments support that S. brasiliensis is an interesting candidate to resist the invasion by C. piquiti and O. niloticus but not to control the abundance of I. punctatus.
Attendance, weight and waist circumference outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes receiving Medicare-subsidised dietetic services
Authors: Spencer Lisa , O'Shea Marie-Claire , Ball Lauren , Desbrow Ben , Leveritt Michael
Published: July 2013

The aim of the present study was to investigate the participation and weight and waist circumference outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receiving Medicare-subsidised dietetic services. A prospective observational study was conducted between January and September 2011 involving three private practice dietitians who provided services at 11 medical centres in south-east Queensland. All patients with T2D who were referred by their general practitioner (GP) to one of the dietitians as part of their team care arrangements were asked to participate. Participants’ attendance at consultations was recorded for the study duration. The dietitian collected weight and waist circumference measures at each consultation. In all, 129 participants (mean age 58.9 ± 15.7 years; mean body mass index 32.2 ± 5.6 kg m–2) were included in the study. The most frequent number of consultations allocated to a dietitian was two. Small, but significant reductions in bodyweight (1.9 ± 2.9 kg; P ≤ 0.05) and waist circumference (2.0 ± 4.8 cm; P ≤ 0.05) were observed from the initial to final consultation. Participants who attended more than two consultations lost significantly more weight than those who attended two consultations only (3.7 ± 4.2 vs 1.1 ± 1.6 kg, respectively; P ≤ 0.05). Almost one-third of participants (n = 38; 29%) did not complete the allocated number of consultations available through their referral. Modest weight and waist circumference reductions are achievable for patients with T2D receiving Medicare-subsidised dietetic services. The clinical significance of these reductions requires further investigation. Patients who attend more consultations with a dietitian may experience further improvements in weight and waist circumference outcomes. However, many patients do not complete the number of consultations allocated. Further research is required to explore the determinants of attendance at consultations in order to maximise potential improvements in health outcomes for patients receiving Medicare-subsidised dietetic services.
Direct Field and Laboratory Evidence that a Combination of Egg and Larval Predation Controls Recruitment of Invasive Common Carp in Many Lakes of the Upper Mississippi River Basin
Authors: Silbernagel Justin J. , Sorensen Peter W.
Published: July 2013

Field and laboratory experiments tested the hypothesis that recruitment of the invasive Common Carp Cyprinus carpio is often controlled by the feeding activity of egg and larval predators in interconnected lakes of the upper Mississippi River basin. The survival of naturally spawned carp eggs was monitored in a seemingly typical lake by sampling the abundance of such eggs in spawning areas and in the diets of fish caught at these locations. Over 95% of the carp eggs found attached to spawning substrate disappeared within 4 d of spawning, at the same time that large numbers of eggs were found in the stomachs of Bluegills Lepomis macrochirus. Egg predation closely paralleled but lagged egg disappearance. Concurrent laboratory studies showed that carp eggs hatched after 4.75 d at lake temperatures, demonstrating that most (but perhaps not all) of the eggs had been eaten by egg predators prior to hatching. A second laboratory experiment found that Bluegills readily find and consume carp larvae while Black Bullheads Ameiurus melas do not, suggesting that predation on larvae contributes to carp recruitment. These data, together with previous studies of the survival of carp eggs placed into lakes and the distribution of young carp relative to various species of native fish, add strong support to the hypothesis that the recruitment of carp in interconnected lakes of the upper Mississippi River basin is often controlled by native fish predators.
Impacts of Exotic Rainbow Trout on Habitat Use by Native Juvenile Salmonid Species at an Early Invasive Stage
Authors: Thibault Isabel , Dodson Julian
Published: July 2013

The detrimental impact of introduced Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss on native communities has been well documented around the world. Previous studies have focused on streams where the invasion has been successful and the species is fully established. In eastern Quebec, the invasion of Rainbow Trout is an ongoing process and, for now, there are few established populations. The presence of two native salmonids in these rivers, Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar and Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, implies a risk of competition for habitat, despite the relatively low density of the Rainbow Trout populations, as all three species are known to use similar resources. In order to evaluate the strength of the interaction between the invading fish and the native species, we sampled nine rivers (five with Rainbow Trout and four free of Rainbow Trout) and characterized the habitat used by the three salmonids at the juvenile stage. River‐scale analysis revealed that in invaded rivers, Rainbow Trout were associated with habitats characterized by closer proximity to the shoreline and by increasing shoreline cover. Estimates of habitat niche overlap integrating depth, water velocity, and substrate size revealed that niche overlap between Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon significantly increased in the presence of Rainbow Trout. Furthermore, the two indigenous species preferred full cover in the absence of Rainbow Trout but in the presence of Rainbow Trout, which also preferred full cover, the indigenous species moved to more open habitats. Rainbow Trout showed a high growth rate, despite a size disadvantage at the beginning of the growing season, as compared with Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout. It thus appears that even at an early stage of invasion, when its density is still low, Rainbow Trout significantly impact native salmonids.
mRMRe: an R package for parallelized mRMR ensemble feature selection
Authors: De Jay Nicolas , Papillon-Cavanagh Simon , Olsen Catharina , El-Hachem Nehme , Bontempi Gianluca , Haibe-Kains Benjamin
Published: July 2013

Motivation: Feature selection is one of the main challenges in analyzing high-throughput genomic data. Minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) is a particularly fast feature selection method for finding a set of both relevant and complementary features. Here we describe the mRMRe R package, in which the mRMR technique is extended by using an ensemble approach to better explore the feature space and build more robust predictors. To deal with the computational complexity of the ensemble approach, the main functions of the package are implemented and parallelized in C using the openMP Application Programming Interface.

Results: Our ensemble mRMR implementations outperform the classical mRMR approach in terms of prediction accuracy. They identify genes more relevant to the biological context and may lead to richer biological interpretations. The parallelized functions included in the package show significant gains in terms of run-time speed when compared with previously released packages.

Availability: The R package mRMRe is available on Comprehensive R Archive Network and is provided open source under the Artistic-2.0 License. The code used to generate all the results reported in this application note is available from Supplementary File 1.

Contact:  bhaibeka@ircm.qc.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Selection Bias Approach to Sensitivity Analysis for Causal Effects
Authors: Blackwell Matthew
Published: July 2013

The estimation of causal effects has a revered place in all fields of empirical political science, but a large volume of methodological and applied work ignores a fundamental fact: most people are skeptical of estimated causal effects. In particular, researchers are often worried about the assumption of no omitted variables or no unmeasured confounders. This article combines two approaches to sensitivity analysis to provide researchers with a tool to investigate how specific violations of no omitted variables alter their estimates. This approach can help researchers determine which narratives imply weaker results and which actually strengthen their claims. This gives researchers and critics a reasoned and quantitative approach to assessing the plausibility of causal effects. To demonstrate the approach, I present applications to three causal inference estimation strategies: regression, matching, and weighting.
Relationship between Intraoperative Mean Arterial Pressure and Clinical Outcomes after Noncardiac Surgery
Authors: Walsh Michael , Devereaux Philip J. , Garg Amit X. , Kurz Andrea , Turan Alparslan , Rodseth Reitze N. , Cywinski Jacek , Thabane Lehana , Sessler Daniel I.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Intraoperative hypotension may contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) and myocardial injury, but what blood pressures are unsafe is unclear. The authors evaluated the association between the intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the risk of AKI and myocardial injury.

Methods:

The authors obtained perioperative data for 33,330 noncardiac surgeries at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. The authors evaluated the association between intraoperative MAP from less than 55 to 75 mmHg and postoperative AKI and myocardial injury to determine the threshold of MAP where risk is increased. The authors then evaluated the association between the duration below this threshold and their outcomes adjusting for potential confounding variables.

Results:

AKI and myocardial injury developed in 2,478 (7.4%) and 770 (2.3%) surgeries, respectively. The MAP threshold where the risk for both outcomes increased was less than 55 mmHg. Compared with never developing a MAP less than 55 mmHg, those with a MAP less than 55 mmHg for 1–5, 6–10, 11–20, and more than 20 min had graded increases in their risk of the two outcomes (AKI: 1.18 [95% CI, 1.06–1.31], 1.19 [1.03–1.39], 1.32 [1.11–1.56], and 1.51 [1.24–1.84], respectively; myocardial injury 1.30 [1.06–1.5], 1.47 [1.13–1.93], 1.79 [1.33–2.39], and 1.82 [1.31–2.55], respectively].

Conclusions:

Even short durations of an intraoperative MAP less than 55 mmHg are associated with AKI and myocardial injury. Randomized trials are required to determine whether outcomes improve with interventions that maintain an intraoperative MAP of at least 55 mmHg.
Intrathecal Gabapentin to Treat Chronic Intractable Noncancer Pain
Authors: Rauck Richard , Coffey Robert J. , Schultz David M. , Wallace Mark S. , Webster Lynn R. , McCarville Sally E. , Grigsby Eric J. , Page Linda M.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Oral gabapentin is approved as an anticonvulsant medication and to treat postherpetic neuralgia. Its nonopioid properties and presumed spinal site of analgesic action made the study on intrathecal gabapentin attractive to establish the minimum effective dose for a later, pivotal trial.

Methods:

The authors examined the safety and efficacy of intrathecal gabapentin in a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial in a heterogeneous cohort of candidates with chronic pain for intrathecal drug therapy.

Results:

Patients (N = 170) were randomized to receive continuous intrathecal gabapentin (0 [placebo], 1, 6, or 30 mg/day) during 22 days of blinded treatment after implantation of a permanent drug delivery system. The highest dose, 30 mg/day, was selected to maintain a safety margin below the 100-mg/day dose that was explored in a phase 1 study. The authors found no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome measure, which was the numerical pain rating scale and response rate after 3 weeks, for any dose versus placebo. Physical functioning, quality of life, and emotional functioning also revealed no differences. Small, nonsignificant changes occurred in opioid medication use. The most frequent device-related adverse events were transient postimplant (lumbar puncture) headache, pain, and nausea. The most frequent gabapentin-related adverse events were nausea, somnolence, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and peripheral edema.

Conclusion:

Twenty-two days of intrathecal gabapentin did not demonstrate statistically significant or clinically meaningful analgesic effects. The study sponsor has no current plans for further studies. Drug-related adverse events were similar to those for oral gabapentin. Most device-related adverse events resulted from the implant surgery or anesthesia.
USP49 deubiquitinates histone H2B and regulates cotranscriptional pre-mRNA splicing
Authors: Zhang Zhuo , Jones Amanda , Joo Heui-Yun , Zhou Dewang , Cao Ying , Chen Shaoxia , Erdjument-Bromage Hediye , Renfrow Matthew , He Hang , Tempst Paul , Townes Tim M. , Giles Keith E. , Ma Ligeng , Wang Hengbin
Published: July 2013

Post-translational histone modifications play important roles in regulating chromatin structure and function. Histone H2B ubiquitination and deubiquitination have been implicated in transcriptional regulation, but the function of H2B deubiquitination is not well defined, particularly in higher eukaryotes. Here we report the purification of ubiquitin-specific peptidase 49 (USP49) as a histone H2B-specific deubiquitinase and demonstrate that H2B deubiquitination by USP49 is required for efficient cotranscriptional splicing of a large set of exons. USP49 forms a complex with RuvB-like1 (RVB1) and SUG1 and specifically deubiquitinates histone H2B in vitro and in vivo. USP49 knockdown results in small changes in gene expression but affects the abundance of >9000 isoforms. Exons down-regulated in USP49 knockdown cells show both elevated levels of alternative splicing and a general decrease in splicing efficiency. Importantly, USP49 is relatively enriched at this set of exons. USP49 knockdown increased H2B ubiquitination (uH2B) levels at these exons as well as upstream 3′ and downstream 5′ intronic splicing elements. Change in H2B ubiquitination level, as modulated by USP49, regulates U1A and U2B association with chromatin and binding to nascent pre-mRNA. Although H3 levels are relatively stable after USP49 depletion, H2B levels at these exons are dramatically increased, suggesting that uH2B may enhance nucleosome stability. Therefore, this study identifies USP49 as a histone H2B-specific deubiquitinase and uncovers a critical role for H2B deubiquitination in cotranscriptional pre-mRNA processing events.
The effect of labour earnings on post retirement income
Authors: Adami Roberta , Gough Orla , Theophilopoulou Angeliki
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how changes in the distribution of pre retirement labour earnings affect post‐retirement income in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors estimate a PROBIT model and perform a counterfactual simulation to assess the effects of changes in the earnings distributions on pensions in the UK. The paper uses data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS).

Findings

The distribution of labour earnings before retirement plays a considerable role in the pension distribution of current retirees, particularly for low and medium incomes in the period 1991‐2007 for the UK. Improvements in Social Security have lifted many out of poverty; however there is still a gender gap as it is found that the current system of public and private schemes has not substantially improved pension income dispersion among women. On the other hand, changes in labour earning distributions have benefited more poor female pensioners than male.

Originality/value

The paper uses BHPS data, which is a longitudinal panel of survey questions made to UK households between 1991 and 2007. The level of detail of such data allows the study of the complete distributions of pre and post retirement income rather than focussing only on some measures of dispersion.
Trade performances and technology in the enlarged European Union
Authors: Antimiani Alessandro , Costantini Valeria
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of the enlargement process of the European Union as a factor fostering international competitiveness of EU Member States. The paper argues that the economic integration process has reduced the technological gap between old and new EU Member States, and this pattern of technological innovation can partially explain the strong impulse on the export dynamics of European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds an augmented gravity model by including the role of technological innovation, proxied by the stock of knowledge at the sector level. The authors gather together information on patents applied to international offices and bilateral export flows available from COMTRADE dataset.

Findings

By using a dynamic panel data estimator the authors find three main empirical evidences. First, the enlargement process has produced an overall larger positive impact on export flows for new Members than for old ones, and more importantly that sectors with the higher technological content have received the strongest impulse. Second, the augmented gravity model allows shaping the crucial role of technological innovation in fostering export competitiveness. Third, this impact seems to be stronger for old EU Member States than for new ones.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation concerns time span adopted in this work. By expanding the dataset to further years it could be possible to better disentangle the effects also related to the new wave of the EU enlargement.

Social implications

The policy implication derived is that the more the new EU Members catch up technologically as a result of the integration process, the more they will benefit in terms of economic development.

Originality/value

The major originality of this paper is the construction of an augmented gravity model by including the role of technological innovation, applied to distinguished manufacturing sectors in a dynamic panel setting.
Including patients, staff and visitors in the design of the psychiatric milieu
Authors: Perkins Nathan H.
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Participation by patients, staff and visitors in healthcare design and planning offers multiple benefits in addressing the complex challenges of creating salutary environments for hospital patients, staff and visitors. The purpose of this paper is to present the benefits of participatory design and design imperatives to facilities architects and landscape architects.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes three case studies in which participatory methods were used to engage users in decision making over 15 years and creates a framework using “design imperatives” that has been successful in the design of outdoor settings.

Findings

Nine design imperatives can be used to design facilities that achieve a range of therapeutic benefits for patients, staff and visitors.

Research limitations/implications

The research limitations of this paper are those of using case studies in general. The implications suggest that papers such as this can be used in future hypothesis‐driven research.

Practical implications

Designers do not have the luxury or ability to base myriad design decisions on experimental research findings, as almost all design is unique and a hypothesis waiting to be tested. The result is that guiding principles, or design imperatives based on participatory methods, can form the basis for design decision making.

Social implications

The social implications are that some form of participatory decision making in facilities design has benefits to multiple constituencies, specifically, patients, staff and visitors.

Originality/value

Although this paper refers to many existing studies and places the results and conclusions within a context that is supported by the literature, much of the value is because the results are based on practice. More than a dozen projects form the basis for concluding that general principles of design, person‐environment interactions and participatory methods lead to desirable and beneficial outcomes.
Spaces for differences: dwelling after deinstitutionalization
Authors: Baltazar Ana Paula , Kapp Silke , de Tugny Augustin , Pereira Furtado Juarez
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the point of view of architecture of an interdisciplinary research on housing and social integration of people with severe mental disorder (SMD) in Brazil after deinstitutionalization. It first aims to present the need for a qualitative evaluation of the way people with SMD deal with their living spaces (house and city); then to describe the method adopted to approach people living under control – in therapeutic residential services (SRTs) proposed by the State as the only alternative model for those leaving psychiatric institutions – and people living alone – with little psychiatric assistance and no dwelling support provided by the State. It aims to conclude with a discussion of the observed dwellings pointing towards the need to accommodate differences in any housing model adopted by the State.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative evaluation enabled the focus of participant observation on the way people interact with each other and with their living space. The authors followed the routines of chosen people with SMD in three different cities in Brazil and provided reports for the whole group to analyze them.

Findings

It was found that those living in SRTs are much more obstructed by institutional control than those living alone. Despite the difficulties and fragilities of those living alone because of the lack of support, they end with more possibilities for autonomy and social integration.

Originality/value

Most research on the subject approaches objective housing issues focusing on statistical results. This research evaluates qualitative dwelling issues, summarizing little pointers for future health policy on housing for people with SMD.
The role of perception in subsistence farmer adaptation in Africa
Authors: Pauw Pieter
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Africa is a focus area for international climate change adaptation finance. Subsistence farmers are crucial for Africa's adaption. But it is unclear how those that qualify to receive adaptation finance actually perceive climate change, even though perceptions are reflected in adaptive behaviour. This paper aims to show how perceptions of climate‐related hazards drive adaptation and provide recommendations for the climate change finance community to support subsistence farmer adaptation.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 227 households in rural Ghana and Botswana were surveyed and their answers statistically analysed.

Findings

The respondents' perception of climate‐related hazards is analogous to existing environmental degradation. In the complex environment in which farmers operate, high vulnerability and climate dependency do not necessarily result in autonomous adaptation. Experience, means and perceived successfulness are more important factors, but these hardly relate to individual adaptive measures.

Practical implications

Recommendations for adaptation finance institutions: build on existing development plans and policies on climate‐related environmental problems; adaptation is more than a collection of adaptive measures, so financing adaptation is more than financing adaptive measures; extremely vulnerable people do not necessarily adapt autonomously, indicating that ex post adaptation remains important too.

Originality/value

This study shows that highly vulnerable subsistence farmers do not automatically adapt and that adaptation is more than implementing adaptive measures. The outcomes are linked to the adaptation finance institutions.
Measuring greenhouse gas abatement costs in Upper Austria
Authors: Schwarz Markus , Goers Sebastian , Schmidthaler Michael , Tichler Robert
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the methodological approach and the results of the investigation of greenhouse gas emission abatement costs in Upper Austria.

Design/methodology/approach

The assessment covers the quantification of marginal abatement costs (MACs) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the emission reduction potentials of various energy efficiency and fuel switch measures with a special emphasis on the heat, electricity and transport sectors in Upper Austria during the period from 2010 to 2030.

Findings

The expert‐based assessment in Upper Austria shows negative abatement costs for 19 of 56 evaluated strategies. While these measures are very efficient from an economic point of view, the remaining 37 measures are associated with higher costs. The evaluation reveals a significant reduction potential of 5.2 million tons CO2e (which represent 21 per cent) of the current GHG emissions in Upper Austria for the examined period.

Research limitations/implications

MACs are generally limited to a certain time frame. Furthermore, the expert‐based approach is based on several assumptions and neglects behavioural and learning aspects.

Originality/value

This contribution uses a multi‐criteria approach that reveals the economic efficiency and the ecological effectiveness of the considered strategies/technologies with regard to greenhouse gas emission reductions, the improvement of the overall energy efficiency, and the competitiveness of a fuel switch towards renewable energy sources. Drawing upon the findings of this study, policy recommendations can be elaborated and the necessary improvements of the regulative framework can be implemented.
(Re‐)telling societal beliefs
Authors: Mitrani Mor
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to explore if and how changes in social representations of conflict are designed and constructed in the formal political discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking a psycho‐sociological approach and by relying on discourse analysis, it explores the discursive patterns used by the political leadership in order to legitimize either war or peace actions. Through the analysis of speeches that were given by Israeli prime ministers in the Knesset and in the context of warfare or peace processes, the paper traces changes in the historical narratives that frame Israel's cluster of societal beliefs in regards to the conflict, and further explores how these are being re‐narrated in light of the process of transition to peace.

Findings

The paper argues that both warfare and peace processes, representing the extreme options available in conflict, require broad public recruitment and immense rhetorical efforts on behalf of the political leadership to reason and legitimatize actions through the formal political discourse. The findings highlight the ways through which the political leadership in Israel justifies its actions and attempts to enlist public support as a prism to trace how societal beliefs have been narrated for the purpose of justifying warfare, and how the same beliefs are re‐narrated to justify conflict resolution.

Originality/value

The paper strives to shed light on the role played by the interplay between political discourse and societal beliefs in the context of transition to peace, and thus advances understandings of the linkage between internal processes and external circumstances, as mitigated by political discourse, in the context of conflict and conflict resolution.
Bolstering food security through agricultural policies: cross‐country evidence
Authors: Petrikova Ivica
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to contribute to the existing literature by examining which combination of three important agricultural policies – land distribution, domestic food production, and trade liberalization – is most conducive to improving food security in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses panel‐data analysis of 58 developing countries between 1990 and 2009, employing OLS, GMM and 2SLS estimators.

Findings

The paper finds that more equal land distribution, higher domestic food production, and a greater degree of trade openness impact food security positively.

Research limitations/implications

Due to limited data on land distribution, the study analyzes data for 58 developing countries only. The fact that this sample is not statistically different from all developing countries, however, bolsters the validity of drawing generalized inferences about all developing countries based on the findings obtained. Another limitation rests with the paper's attempt at examining the effect of the three policies' joint impact on food security through the use of interactive terms, which should be developed further in future research.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that improving land distribution through land reforms, augmenting the level of domestic food production at the expense of non‐consumable crops, and liberalizing trade in a regulated manner could help developing countries bolster food security.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel contribution to existing literature, both because it is one of the first to use empirical cross‐country analysis in the field of global food security and agricultural policy studies and the first to evaluate the conjoint effect of the three agricultural policy decisions on food security.
An evolutionary explanation for shopping behavior
Authors: Prendergast Gerard , Ching Lam Choi
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the shopping experiences of males and females. The central research question is: what does shopping mean for males and females? The sub‐question related to this central research question is: what are the differences in male and female experiences of shopping?

Design/methodology/approach

Using a phenomenological method, a study was conducted of the shopping experiences of males and females. This involved in‐depth interviews, an analysis of significant statements, and generation of core themes.

Findings

The analysis revealed six core themes that highlight the differences in how males and females experience shopping. Categorizing these six themes into textural and structural descriptions of the phenomenon culminates in an essence that depicts shopping as being a pleasurable experience for females but not so pleasurable for males. Through an inductive process, the authors argue that these findings are most suitably explained within an evolutionary psychology framework.

Research limitations/implications

First, the sample consists solely of Hong Kong shoppers. Second, although every effort was made to validate the findings, with an interpretivist study of this nature, the interpretations can be challenged.

Practical implications

Based on the evolutionary instincts of consumers, retailing tactics can be developed to cater for the needs of males, females, and couples.

Originality/value

While many quantitative studies have been conducted of the shopping behavior of males and females, none have deeply probed the shopping experiences using a qualitative line of inquiry. By seeking to discover the essence of the experience of male and female shoppers, this phenomenological research fills the gap in the existing literature.
Consumers' attitudes toward advertising by medical professionals
Authors: Chan Kara , Tsang Lennon , Leung Vivienne
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The study aims to investigate consumers' attitudes toward advertising by medical professionals, and how the attitudes vary among different demographic groups.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey using quota sampling was conducted. Altogether 1,297 adults aged 20 or above in Hong Kong filled in an online questionnaire in March 2012.

Findings

Consumers' attitudes toward advertising by medical professionals were in general favorable. Respondents reported that advertising by medical professionals provides consumers with information about the services and qualifications of practitioners. However, consumers were worried about misleading information in these advertisements. Respondents perceived strongly that advertising by medical professionals would lead to an increase in the price of services. Younger respondents and respondents with higher education were more sceptical toward advertising by medical professionals.

Practical implications

Medical professionals should put emphasis on providing consumers with relevant information of their services, expertise, and qualifications to assist consumers' information search. They should refrain from using price appeal.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine consumers' attitudes toward advertising by medical professionals in a Chinese context.
The moderating role of human values in planned behavior: the case of Chinese consumers' intention to buy organic food
Authors: Zhou Yanfeng , Thøgersen John , Ruan Yajing , Huang Guang
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This article aims to study the role of personal values as moderators of the antecedents of consumers' “green” buying intentions in the context of Chinese consumers' inclination to buy organic food.

Design/methodology/approach

Ordinary Chinese consumers (n=479) were intercepted and filled out a questionnaire outside upscale supermarkets in Guangzhou. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses about personal values' moderating effect in the theory of planned behavior.

Findings

Self‐transcendence values moderate the relationship between two antecedents and behavioral intentions: the attitude towards buying organic food and perceived behavioral control. Both of these antecedents have a stronger impact on intentions among consumers with strong self‐transcendence values than among consumers with weak ones.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a single consumer survey collected from a convenience sample of consumers from one Chinese city. Hence, care needs to be exercised when making inferences about causality and representativeness.

Practical implications

Study results have direct implications for the marketing of organic food. As the food safety problem in China is getting more severe and environmental issues are increasing on the political and public agendas, the consumption of organic food is being increasingly advocated by both the government and food producers, as a healthy and environment‐friendly alternative, which also may contribute positively to the development of the economy.

Originality/value

This article extends the rare literature analyzing Chinese consumers' inclination to buy organic food. It also extends the understanding of the role of personal values as moderators of antecedents of consumers' buying intentions for “green” products.
The Hero's dream and other primordial patterns of imagery
Authors: Moxnes Paul
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of archetypes on collective fantasies and covert ideations and argue that archetypal fantasies, dreams and emotions impact organisational performance all the way down to the bottom line.

Design/methodology/approach

The author maintains that role‐figures in fairy tales and mythology can teach us significant lessons about the management of organisations. The impact of the Hero archetype is elaborated in particular.

Findings

In order to manage hidden, yet important, dimensions of organisational life, the study of managerial behaviour should focus more on archetypal dimensions of human interaction.

Originality/value

The paper asserts that allowing scholars, management, and leadership practitioners to study organisational behaviour and cultural patterns from an archetypal perspective, offers prospects of more effective leadership and decision making.
Online newspapers and ad banners: an eye tracking study on the effects of congruity
Authors: Porta Marco , Ravarelli Alice , Spaghi Francesco
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the possible influence of congruity on the way ad banners are watched and remembered in online newspapers.

Design/methodology/approach

The effects of the thematic connection between banner subject and article content are examined at the level of gaze behaviour using eye tracking technology, while questionnaires are exploited to assess both free and helped recall. Two “kinds of reading” are also considered, namely “imposed” (where the tester has to read a specific article) and “free” (where the tester can choose the article's topic from a set).

Findings

Results indicate that congruity matters for the way banners are looked at, although it seems to have a limited influence on memory. Moreover, the kind of reading is significant in a few cases.

Practical implications

The design of ad banners for web content is very critical, due to the so‐called “banner blindness” phenomenon. At the same time, ad banners are crucial for online newspapers, which rely on them as the main source of revenues. Understanding the potential of congruity is therefore an essential point.

Originality/value

Results to date obtained from previous research about congruity between online content and ad banners are contrasting, and further investigations are thus necessary. Moreover, in the context of online newspapers, congruity has been considered in extremely few cases and, to the best of the authors' knowledge, without using eye tracking technology. The outcomes of this study can be exploited to drive further research in the field.
Deception in video games: examining varieties of griefing
Authors: Rubin Victoria L. , Camm Sarah C.
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Though not new to online gamers, griefing – an act of play intended to cause grief to game players – is fairly understudied in LIS scholarship. The purpose of this paper is to expand the inventory of griefing varieties, consider their deceptive elements and examine attitudes towards the phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected and content analysed 80 (non‐elicited) posts from the Something Awful forum thread and compared them to the results of ten (elicited) e‐mail interviews.

Findings

As a complex phenomenon, griefing has multiple interpretations and opposing attitudes. The thread results show that griefers, as perpetrators, have predominantly positive or neutral attitudes towards the act. About 15 per cent of the examined griefers reportedly resort to deceptive techniques. More extravagant griefs that require verbal interactions in player‐versus‐player (PvP) online games involve deception and often fall into two categories: scamming or greed play (prioritising personal benefits). The authors found self‐reported instances of deception by scheming, luring, entrapment, pretence and verbal concealment in griefing acts. The interview respondents, as predominantly victims of griefs, do not think of griefing (or may not be aware of it) as an act of deception and primarily associate it with harassment (inciting emotional reactions) or power imposition (exerting superiority). Casual griefing – refusing to comply with the rules for mere entertainment – stands out as another griefing variety.

Originality/value

With the growth of popularity of video gaming, libraries are largely unaware of griefing and should be prepared to address it in video game use policies for online gaming units or tournaments. Online gaming affords a unique opportunity to examine deception in computer‐mediated human‐to‐human communication. The complexity of the phenomenon and associated opposing views are offered here to be weighted by the LIS scholars and professionals.
Are e‐readers suitable tools for scholarly work? Results from a user test
Authors: Schomisch Siegfried , Zens Maria , Mayr Philipp
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer insights into the usability, acceptance and limitations of e‐readers with regard to the specific requirements of scholarly text work. To fit into the academic workflow, non‐linear reading, bookmarking, commenting, extracting text or the integration of non‐textual elements must be supported.

Design/methodology/approach

A group of social science students were questioned about their experiences with electronic publications for study purposes. This same group executed several text‐related tasks with the digitized material presented to them in two different file formats on four different e‐readers. Their performances were subsequently evaluated in detail.

Findings

E‐publications have made advances in the academic world; however e‐readers do not yet fit seamlessly into the established chain of scholarly text‐processing focusing on how readers use material during and after reading. The authors' tests revealed major deficiencies in these techniques.

Originality/value

The usability test of e‐readers in a scientific context aligns with both studies on the prevalence of e‐books in the sciences and technical test reports of portable reading devices. Still, it takes a distinctive angle in focusing on the characteristics and procedures of textual work in the social sciences and measures the usability of e‐readers and file‐features against these standards.
Global logistics management curriculum: perspective from practitioners in Taiwan
Authors: Jim Wu Yen‐Chun , Kevin Huang Shihping , Goh Mark , Hsieh Ying‐Jiun
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This study attempts to list and rank the necessary skills required of a global logistics professional based on objective evaluations from industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a novel mixed‐methods approach using elements of concept mapping (brainstorming, multi‐dimensional scaling, cluster analysis), and link analysis. Concept mapping through repeated brainstorming by industry practitioners helps to summarize the key skill required of an effective global logistician. The multidimensional scaling method and cluster analysis support the classification and weighting of the capabilities into nine clusters. Link analysis helps to evaluate the significance of the results and addresses the gap between industry and academic perceptions of the existing global logistics curriculum in Taiwan.

Findings

In dealing with globalization, a logistician needs to be able to integrate, communicate, and analyze from an international perspective, perform financial analysis, maintain good industry and customer relations, exhibit strong people skills, stay healthy, and understand laws and regulations. Significant differences exist between industry practitioners and educators. The former believe that cross‐functional marketing skills are critical and emphasize the importance of risk and financial management. In contrast, logistics educators consider the traditional logistics management skills, such as demand forecasting, sourcing, planning, and system integration, as key priorities.

Research limitations/implications

There is room for research and theory on how to narrow the mismatch between the current logistics curricula in academia and practical requirements. Different pedagogical strategies and techniques can be further investigated to orchestrate an effective and balanced global logistics management course. One research limitation arises from the sample which is confined to Taiwan. Thus, the authors' findings may be constrained by local and cultural influences. Future research could extend to a large‐scale multi‐country data collection and analysis to reduce the possibility of cultural and context bias.

Practical implications

Arming students with such important but diverse global logistics skills presents a challenge for logistics educators who need to find the right balance between breadth and depth of the modules. Educators and practitioners need to work closely together to co‐design and adapt the logistics curricula for a rapidly changing global environment. This will help to shorten the last stage from the classroom to the workplace by keeping abreast of the changes in industry and produce relevant logisticians without compromising on rigour.

Originality/value

The results provide a reference for educators keen on blending logistics education course design with practitioner inputs, to better develop global logistics capabilities. It also provides a reference to help prioritize what skills are important to be taught jointly in a module.