bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From resistance to readiness: the role of mediating variables
Authors: Thakur Rajiv R. , Srivastava Shalini
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of trust, perceived organizational support, and emotional attachment in bridging the gap between resistance and readiness to change.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model including five constructs is developed. The questionnaire survey using the study variables readiness to change, trust, perceived organizational support, emotional attachment, and resistance to change was used in this study. Descriptive statistics and mediation regression analysis are used to test all hypotheses using the survey data of 276 middle-level managers.

Findings

The findings reflect how readiness to change reduces the impact of resistance to change during organizational change. Furthermore it also finds that how trust, perceived organizational support, and emotional attachment mediates the relationship between resistance and readiness and reduces the gap between the two.

Research limitations/implications

The findings in the study have made significant contribution to the literature especially on middle-level managers in the Indian context. There was a paucity of research done on the study variables. The mediating effects of the study variable have never been explored earlier and therefore make an immense contribution to the field of knowledge for practitioners and academicians.

Practical implications

The research results have many practical implications. It could be established that trust, perceived organizational support, and emotional attachment have a strong and positive association with the management of change. Linking of study variables during change is helpful for the top managers for better understanding during a major organizational change. Supporting the employees through human touch during change will lead to easier transition. Understanding of various dimensions that influence employee to readiness for organizational change is an important endeavor for organizational change.

Social implications

The research is of utmost significance for the top management as it can provide a better insight to understand and keep in mind the key aspects during organizational change in such a way that chances of resistance reduces to minimal. If the employees are contented by receiving support from their bosses, if there exists a mutual trust which increases emotional attachment, introducing change in the organization will be much easier for the management.

Originality/value

This research attempts to investigate how during times of turbulent change in an organization trust between the employees and their supervisor, perceived social support, and emotional attachment with the organization positively impact the change management process. The findings provide valuable insights for the top management to understand the psyche of its employees and provide them a human touch during the time of organizational change.
How customer participation influences service failure attribution
Authors: Chen Chia-Yi
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Previous studies offer two contradictory propositions for the influence of customer participation on service failure attribution. The purpose of this paper is to solve this theoretical inconsistency by incorporating the concept of self-efficacy into its theoretical framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Two 2 (customer participation: high vs low) by 2 (self-efficacy: high vs low) experimental designs were employed under scenarios relating to education and haircut services.

Findings

The results show that customers with high self-efficacy attribute more responsibility to the firms for a service failure as their participation in service increases. In contrast, customers with low self-efficacy are less likely to blame firms for service failures in the high-participation condition than in the low-participation condition.

Practical implications

This study suggests that understanding customers’ self-efficacy could help firms improve recovery performance according to customers’ individual differences if service failure occurs.

Originality/value

The findings help resolve conflicting results reported in the literature and show that the impact of customer participation on service failure attribution differs according to customers’ self-efficacy. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical contribution by enhancing the knowledge of how customer participation influences causal attribution and satisfaction after a service failure.
Essential audits for proactive electronic resources troubleshooting and support
Authors: Mortimore Jeffrey M. , Minihan Jessica M.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

This study aims to report on a series of “essential audits” implemented by technical services personnel at Georgia Southern University to provide proactive troubleshooting of electronic resources.

Design/methodology/approach

These “essential audits” include bi-weekly link tests in the library’s A-Z database list, quarterly book and link asset tests in LibGuides and rolling authentication audits of link resolver records. Taken together, these techniques help to reduce access issues before they arise, improving overall provision of access.

Findings

Since implementing these “essential audits,” Georgia Southern has seen reductions in troubleshooting requests related to database-level authentication and access, as well as reductions in link-level troubleshooting requests originating from the library’s LibGuides platform and article-level troubleshooting requests originating from the link resolver.

Practical implications

Findings recommend implementation of regular audits pursuant to proactive troubleshooting of electronic resources and improved overall provision of access.

Originality/value

This case study contributes to the recent literature and discourse on electronic resource access troubleshooting by highlighting simple, proactive auditing techniques.
Peer-to-peer word-of-mouth: word-of-mouth extended to group online exchange
Authors: Toder-Alon Anat , Brunel Frédéric F.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how peer-to-peer word-of-mouth (PPWOM) conversations evolve over time because of the dynamic social nature of the community in which they take place.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed PPWOM conversations in an online community website for new and expectant mothers. Two data collection phases were undertaken during a four-year period. In phase I, messages were collected for a one-month period from five different bulletin boards (i.e. cross-sectional data) and at two points in time (i.e. semi-longitudinal). In phase II, a full longitudinal study was conducted, and the complete text of all messages of a newly formed bulletin board was captured for a nine-month period. The corpus of messages was examined in line with the basic tools of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

Findings

This research developed a typology of PPWOM genres and showed that these genres change over the community lifespan. The findings confirmed that the levels of social cohesiveness and the interaction communicative motives are the main factors that distinguish different PPWOM genres.

Research limitations/implications

This research has offered a new perspective into the study of PPWOM, and hopefully it will serve as a starting point for a broader dialogue regarding the social context in which PPWOM is exchanged.

Originality/value

In contrast to traditional word-of-mouth research, this study demonstrated that PPWOM conversations go much beyond the exchange of functional information, and instead serve numerous social and emotional goals.
Measuring of cutting forces and chip shapes based on different machining parameters
Authors: Anicic Obrad , Jovic Srdjan , Camagic Ivica , Radojkovic Mladen , Stanojevic Nenad
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The main aim of the study was to measure the cutting forces and chip shapes based on different machining parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

To get the best optimal machining conditions, it is essential to use the best combination of machining parameters. Although some machining parameters are not important for the process, there are machining parameters which are very important for the machining process.

Findings

It is essential to determine which machining parameters are the most dominant to make the optimal machining conditions.

Originality/value

Six different chip shapes are obtained according to ISO standardization. It was determined that the different cutting forces occurred for the different chip shapes.
Liponeurofibroma: Clinicopathological features and histogenesis
Authors: Lee Solam , Bak Hana , Ahn Sung Ku
Published: February 2018

A neurofibroma is a common cutaneous benign tumor of neural origin. Various histological variants have been reported. Recently, sporadic reports of fatty variants have been reported but their clinicopathological features have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to examine liponeurofibroma, and to report the distinctive clinicopathological features and histogenesis in comparison with the classic form. A retrospective study was performed on 130 cases. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for S100, factor VIIIa, perilipin and vascular endothelial growth factor. Masson's trichrome stain was also used. Intratumoral adipocytes were examined with transmission electron microscopy. Thirty‐two (24.6%) cases were classified as liponeurofibroma on microscopic examination. This variant was more common in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, older age and female sex. The most prevalent location was the head and neck. Intratumoral fat deposits showed differences in morphology and size compared with subcutaneous fat on light microscopy. Neurofibromatosis type 1 had the highest odds of fatty change in liponeurofibroma. In sporadic cases, fatty change can be caused by senescence, chronic injury, or tissue hypoxia secondary to internal or external stimuli. Further investigation is needed to identify the pathomechanism of fatty change in various cutaneous neoplasms, including neurofibroma.
Three Metals and the ‘Post‐Socialist City’: Reclaiming the Peripheries of Urban Knowledge
Authors: Gentile Michael
Published: February 2018

Urban theory has long been in the grip of a handful of cities and, despite the recent recalibration of the catalogue of cities that inform it, the emerging geographies of urban studies remain skewed, at the expense of cities often referred to as ‘post‐socialist’. This essay considers the notion of the ‘post‐socialist city’, suggesting that it inadvertently poses limits to our imagination, parochializing research, pauperizing its theoretical capacity, and limiting its potential for comparison by automatically organizing differences into the preconceived categories of what it is and what it is not. It is proposed that the concept (re)produces artificial boundaries that consign ‘post‐socialist’ urban research to the peripheries of urban knowledge, joining the vast ranks of ordinary cities that fail to meet the criteria of relevance or admissibility embedded in the hegemonic theorizations stemming (mainly) from the northwest quadrant of the world map. Using the example of an extremely peripheral city in Kazakhstan, this essay argues that research on the ‘post‐socialist city’ should turn its focus to relations, networks and flows while simultaneously dropping the ‘post‐socialist’, which (re)produces differences vis‐à‐vis the supposed normality of the ‘Western’ city––differences that are either imagined, exaggerated, misrepresented, outdated or imposed.
Attitudes towards highly skilled and low‐skilled immigration in Europe: A survey experiment in 15 European countries
Authors: NAUMANN ELIAS , F. STOETZER LUKAS , PIETRANTUONO GIUSEPPE
Published: February 2018

To what extent do economic concerns drive anti‐migrant attitudes? Key theoretical arguments extract two central motives: increased labour market competition and the fiscal burden linked to the influx of migrants. This article provides new evidence regarding the impact of material self‐interest on attitudes towards immigrants. It reports the results of a survey experiment embedded in representative surveys in 15 European countries before and after the European refugee crisis in 2014. As anticipated by the fiscal burden argument, it is found that rich natives prefer highly skilled over low‐skilled migration more than low‐income respondents do. Moreover, the study shows that these tax concerns among the wealthy are stronger if fiscal exposure to migration is high. No support is found for the labour market competition argument predicting that natives will be most opposed to migrants with similar skills. The results suggest that highly skilled migrants are preferred over low‐skilled migrants irrespective of natives’ skill levels.
Are we any closer to treating liver fibrosis (and if no, why not)?
Authors: Feng Rilu , Yuan Xiaodong , Shao Chen , Ding Huiguo , Liebe Roman , Weng Hong‐Lei
Published: February 2018

This review provides a personal view on anti‐fibrosis therapy in the liver. The worst clinical consequence of liver fibrosis is the development of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Etiology is a decisive factor which determines patterns of fibrous septa and subsequent vascular remodeling, which is essential for the development of portal hypertension. Removing or controlling the disease‐causing agent, i.e. anti‐viral treatment for hepatitis, is the essential first step for treating chronic liver diseases and can reverse fibrosis in some settings. However, removing etiology is not always sufficient to prevent fibrosis from progressing towards cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In liver diseases such as severe alcoholic hepatitis and massive parenchymal loss, the formation of vascular anastomoses between portal to central veins based on bridging fibrosis results in cirrhosis and portal hypertension. For these patients, anti‐fibrotic treatment is crucial and urgent. Unfortunately, a lack of understanding how fibrosis contributes to vascular remodeling caused by and combined with a lack of suitable experimental models that recapitulate human liver diseases, has hampered the development of successful anti‐fibrotic drugs for clinical use to date.
An overview of cervical cancer epidemiology and prevention in Scandinavia
Authors: Pedersen Kine , Fogelberg Sara , Thamsborg Lise H. , Clements Mark , Nygård Mari , Kristiansen Ivar S. , Lynge Elsebeth , Sparén Pär , Kim Jane J. , Burger Emily A.
Published: February 2018

New technologies such as human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and vaccination necessitate comprehensive policy analyses to optimize cervical cancer prevention. To inform future Scandinavian‐specific policy analyses, we aimed to provide an overview of cervical cancer epidemiology and existing prevention efforts in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. We compiled and summarized data on current prevention strategies, population demography and epidemiology (for example, age‐specific HPV prevalence and cervical cancer incidence over time) for each Scandinavian country by reviewing published literature and official guidelines, performing registry‐based analyses using primary data and having discussions with experts in each country. In Scandinavia, opportunistic screening occurred as early as the 1950s and by 1996, all countries had implemented nationwide organized cytology‐based screening. Prior to implementation of widespread screening and during 1960–66, cervical cancer incidence was considerably higher in Denmark than in Norway and Sweden. Decades of cytology‐based screening later (i.e. 2010–2014), cervical cancer incidence has been considerably reduced and has converged across the countries since the 1960s, although it still remains lowest in Sweden. Generally, Scandinavian countries face similar cervical cancer burdens and utilize similar prevention approaches; however, important differences remain. Future policy analyses will need to evaluate whether these differences warrant differential prevention policies or whether efforts can be streamlined across Scandinavia.
Association between provider type and cesarean birth in healthy nulliparous laboring women: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Carlson Nicole S. , Corwin Elizabeth J. , Hernandez Teri L. , Holt Elizabeth , Lowe Nancy K. , Hurt K. Joseph
Published: February 2018

Background

Term nulliparous women have the greatest variation across hospitals and providers in cesarean rates and therefore present an opportunity to improve quality through optimal care. We evaluated associations between provider type and mode of birth, including examination of intrapartum management in healthy, laboring nulliparous women.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected perinatal data from a United States academic medical center (2005‐2012). The sample included healthy nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset and term, singleton, vertex fetus managed by either obstetricians or certified nurse‐midwives. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to compare labor interventions and mode of birth by provider type.

Results

A total of 1339 women received care by an obstetrician (n = 749) or nurse‐midwife (n = 590). The cesarean rate was 13.4% (179/1339). Adjusting for maternal and pregnancy characteristics, care by obstetricians was associated with an increased risk of unplanned cesarean birth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.48 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.04‐2.12]) compared with care by midwives. Obstetricians more frequently used oxytocin augmentation (aOR 1.41 [95% CI 1.10‐1.80]), neuraxial anesthesia (aOR 1.69 [95% CI 1.29‐2.23]), and operative vaginal delivery with forceps or vacuum (aOR 2.79 [95% CI 1.75‐4.44]). Adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes were not different by provider type across all modes of birth, but were more frequent in women with cesarean than vaginal births.

Discussion

In low‐risk nulliparous laboring women, care by obstetricians compared with nurse‐midwives was associated with increased risk of labor interventions and operative birth. Changes in labor management or increased use of nurse‐midwives could decrease the rate of a first cesarean in low‐risk laboring women.
Taxane chemotherapy vs antiandrogen agents as first‐line therapy for metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Sonpavde Guru , Huang Ahong , Wang Li , Baser Onur , Miao Raymond
Published: February 2018

Objectives

To assess treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving first‐line chemotherapy or antiandrogen therapy.

Patients and Methods

Patients initiating first‐line antiandrogen therapy (abiraterone, enzalutamide) or chemotherapy (taxane) between October 2012 and September 2014 were retrospectively identified in the US Veterans Health Administration database. The impact of antiandrogen therapy vs chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) and time to discontinuation was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for prior androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) duration and available prognostic factors.

Results

Overall, 1445 patients were evaluable, of whom 1108 received antiandrogen therapy and 337 received chemotherapy (docetaxel). On multivariable analysis and propensity score analysis, the OS times for antiandrogen therapy vs chemotherapy were not significantly different (hazard ratio [HR] 1.041, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.853–1.270, P = 0.694, and HR 1.047, 95% CI 0.861–1.273, P = 0.644, respectively). Time to discontinuation was shorter for chemotherapy vs antiandrogen therapy (HR 2.339, 95% CI 1.969–2.779; P < 0.001). Prior ADT duration above the median was associated with longer OS (HR 0.566, 95% CI 0.464–0.690; P < 0.001) and time to discontinuation (HR 0.831, 95% CI 0.699–0.988; P = 0.036) in the antiandrogen therapy cohort and not the chemotherapy cohort, while prior ADT duration below the median was associated with higher prostate specific antigen (PSA) response rate in the chemotherapy vs antiandrogen therapy cohort (61.5% vs 51.1%; P = 0.024). The treatment‐free interval after discontinuation was longer after first‐line chemotherapy vs antiandrogen therapy (mean 53 vs 39 days; P = 0.030).

Conclusion

After adjusting for key prognostic factors in this large mCRPC dataset, the OS was similar for first‐line chemotherapy vs antiandrogen therapy despite shorter time to discontinuation with chemotherapy and longer treatment‐free interval after first‐line chemotherapy. These hypothesis‐generating data also suggest that duration of prior ADT may assist in the selection of patients for chemotherapy vs antiandrogen therapy.
A novel class of human 15‐LOX‐1 inhibitors based on 3‐hydroxycoumarin
Authors: Alavi Seyed Jamal , Sadeghian Hamid , Seyedi Seyed Mohammad , Salimi Alireza , Eshghi Hossein
Published: February 2018

Inflammations, sensitivities, and some cancers in mammals are intimately linked to the activity of lipo‐oxygenase enzymes. Owing to the importance of these enzymes, mechanistic studies, product analysis, and synthesis of inhibitors have expanded. In this study, a series of hydroxycoumarins, methoxy‐3‐hydroxy coumarins, and 7‐alkoxy‐3‐hydroxy coumarins were synthesized and evaluated as potential inhibitors of human 15‐LOX‐1. Among the synthetic coumarins, 7‐methoxy‐3‐hydroxycoumarin derivative demonstrated potent inhibitory activity and the compound, 5f, showed the best result. Radical scavenging assessment, IC50, HNMR, and DPPH bleaching results indicate that the electronic properties are the major factors for the lipo‐oxygenase inhibition potency of the synthetic coumarins. Based on the theoretical studies, it was suggested that the mesomeric effect of the substituent at the seventh position of the benzene ring is one of the major factors in the stability of the oxy‐radical intermediate.
Changes in bone mineral density and bone turnover markers during treatment with teriparatide in pregnancy‐ and lactation‐associated osteoporosis
Authors: Hong Namki , Kim Jo Eun , Lee Su Jin , Kim Se Hwa , Rhee Yumie
Published: February 2018

Context

Teriparatide (TPTD) therapy has been proposed as a potential treatment strategy in severe cases of pregnancy‐ and lactation‐associated osteoporosis (PLO) characterized by the occurrence of fragility fractures in the third trimester or early postpartum.

Objective

To investigate the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in patients with PLO with and without TPTD treatment.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

Thirty‐two patients with PLO who presented with multiple vertebral fractures to a tertiary institution between 2007 and 2015 were included.

Measurements

Changes in BMD at the lumbar spine (LSBMD) and proximal femur after 12 months of daily subcutaneous injections of 20 μg TPTD (n = 27) were assessed. Subjects who rejected the TPTD treatment were used as controls (n = 5).

Results

LSBMD increased in both subjects treated with TPTD and controls, with greater increases in the TPTD group (15.5 ± 6.6% vs 7.5 ± 7.1%, P = .020) after adjustment for age and baseline LSBMD. During follow‐up, serum levels of osteocalcin (OCN) and C‐telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) increased significantly in the TPTD group. In multivariate linear regression models, TPTD treatment (adjusted β = 7.92, P = .032) and younger age (adjusted β = 1.06, P = .046), but not baseline LSBMD, body mass index, serum OCN level and CTX level, were independently associated with greater increases in LSBMD.

Conclusions

In patients with PLO, LSBMD at 12 months increased in both the TPTD‐treated and control groups. TPTD treatment and younger age were associated with greater increases in LSMBD irrespective of baseline LSBMD.
Expanding the clinical and genetic spectra of NKX6‐2‐related disorder
Authors: Baldi C. , Bertoli‐Avella A.M. , Al‐Sannaa N. , Alfadhel M. , Al‐Thihli K. , Alameer S. , Elmonairy A.A. , Al Shamsi A.M. , Abdelrahman H.A. , Al‐Gazali L. , Shawli A. , Al‐Hakami F. , Yavuz H. , Kandaswamy K.K. , Rolfs A. , Brandau O. , Bauer P.
Published: February 2018

Hypomyelinating leukodystrophies (HLDs) affect the white matter of the central nervous system and manifest as neurological disorders. They are genetically heterogeneous. Very recently, biallelic variants in NKX6‐2 have been suggested to cause a novel form of autosomal recessive HLD. Using whole‐exome or whole‐genome sequencing, we identified the previously reported c.196delC and c.487C>G variants in NKX6‐2 in 3 and 2 unrelated index cases, respectively; the novel c.608G>A variant was identified in a sixth patient. All variants were homozygous in affected family members only. Our patients share a primary diagnosis of psychomotor delay, and they show spastic quadriparesis, nystagmus and hypotonia. Seizures and dysmorphic features (observed in 2 families each) represent an addition to the phenotype, while developmental regression (observed in 3 families) appears to be a notable and previously underestimated clinical feature. Our findings extend the clinical and mutational spectra associated with this novel form of HLD. Comparative analysis of our 10 patients and the 15 reported previously did, however, not reveal clear evidence for a genotype‐phenotype correlation.
Non‐Scientific Criteria for Belief Sustain Counter‐Scientific Beliefs
Authors: Metz S. Emlen , Weisberg Deena S. , Weisberg Michael
Published: February 2018

Why is evolutionary theory controversial among members of the American public? We propose a novel explanation: allegiance to different criteria for belief. In one interview study, two online surveys, and one nationally representative phone poll, we found that evolutionists and creationists take different justifications for belief as legitimate. Those who accept evolution emphasize empirical evidence and scientific consensus. Creationists emphasize not only the Bible and religious authority, but also knowledge of the heart. These criteria for belief remain predictive of views about evolution even when taking into account other related factors like religion, political affiliation, and education. Each view is supported by its own internally specified criteria for what constitutes a justified belief. Changing minds may thus require changing epistemic norms.
Indirect effects of sea ice loss on summer‐fall habitat and behaviour for sympatric populations of an Arctic marine predator
Authors: Hauser Donna D. W. , Laidre Kristin L. , Stern Harry L. , Suydam Robert S. , Richard Pierre R.
Published: February 2018

Aim

Climate change is fundamentally altering habitats, with complex consequences for species across the globe. The Arctic has warmed 2–3 times faster than the global average, and unprecedented sea ice loss can have multiple outcomes for ice‐associated marine predators. Our goal was to assess impacts of sea ice loss on population‐specific habitat and behaviour of a migratory Arctic cetacean.

Location

Arctic Ocean.

Methods

Using satellite telemetry data collected during summer‐fall from sympatric beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) populations (“Chukchi” and “Beaufort” belugas), we applied generalized estimating equations to evaluate shifts in sea ice habitat associations and diving behaviour during two periods: 1993–2002 (“early”) and 2004–2012 (“late”). We used resource selection functions to assess changes in sea ice selection as well as predict trends in habitat selection and “optimal” habitat, based on satellite‐derived sea ice data from 1990 to 2014.

Results

Sea ice cover declined substantially between periods, and Chukchi belugas specifically used significantly lower sea ice concentrations during the late than early period. Use of bathymetric features did not change between periods for either population. Population‐specific sea ice selection, predicted habitat and the amount of optimal habitat also generally did not change during 1990–2014. Chukchi belugas tracked during 2007–2012 made significantly more long‐duration and deeper dives than those tracked during 1998–2002.

Main conclusions

Taken together, our results suggest bathymetric parameters are consistent predictors of summer‐fall beluga habitat rather than selection for specific sea ice conditions during recent sea ice loss. Beluga whales were able to mediate habitat change despite their sea ice associations. However, trends towards prolonged and deeper diving possibly indicate shifting foraging opportunities associated with ecological changes that occur in concert with sea ice loss. Our results highlight that responses by some Arctic marine wildlife can be indirect and variable among populations, which could be included in predictions for the future.
International Mobility of Academics: Brain Drain and Brain Gain
Authors: Siekierski Paulette , Lima Manolita Correia , Borini Felipe Mendes
Published: February 2018

The objective of this research was to investigate which of the following factors is most important in the academics mobility decision: the impact of the science, technology and innovation (ST&I) infrastructure, or the quality of life in the host country. We considered journals of scientific prestige and research and development (R&D) institutions as proxies for ST&I and the human development index (HDI) as a proxy for quality of life. These data came from several databases. The results of a multiple linear regression show that, although the ST&I infrastructure takes precedence over quality of life, both are influential factors in academics’ mobility decisions. The results offer guidance for academics in their decisions regarding mobility, as well as offering guidance for government policy‐makers with regard to national investments to address brain drain and brain gain.
Credit Insurance, Distress Resolution Costs, and Bond Spreads
Authors: Narayanan Rajesh , Uzmanoglu Cihan
Published: February 2018

Credit default swaps (CDS) introduce friction in debt renegotiations as they alter the incentives of creditors insured with CDS to favor bankruptcy instead of restructuring debt out of court. Such renegotiation friction can increase bond spreads by increasing distress resolution costs. Alternatively, they can decrease bond spreads by deterring the firm from strategic default. Using newly available data on firm‐level CDS positions to proxy for the extent of CDS insurance, we find that bond spreads increase with CDS insurance. Additional tests indicate that this increase is associated with the effect CDS insurance has on increasing distress resolution costs. These results, which are robust to endogeneity concerns associated with CDS insurance, provide evidence that credit insurance can affect a firm's cost of debt.
High proportion of patients with bleeding of unknown cause in persons with a mild‐to‐moderate bleeding tendency: Results from the Vienna Bleeding Biobank (VIBB)
Authors: Gebhart J. , Hofer S. , Panzer S. , Quehenberger P. , Sunder‐Plassmann R. , Hoermann G. , Eigenbauer E. , Haslacher H. , Kepa S. , Kyrle P. A. , Eichinger S. , Knöbl P. , Eischer L. , Mannhalter C. , Ay C. , Pabinger I.
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Data on clinical characteristics and the prevalence of underlying coagulopathies in patients with mild‐to‐moderate bleeding disorders (MBDs) are scarce.

Aim

We established the Vienna Bleeding Biobank (VIBB) to characterize and thoroughly investigate Austrian patients with MBDs.

Results

Four hundred eighteen patients (female = 345, 82.5%) were included. A platelet function defect (PFD) was diagnosed in 26 (6.2%) and a possible PFD in 30 (7.2%) patients. Eight patients (1.9%) were diagnosed with von Willebrand disease (VWD) (type 1 n = 6; type 2 n = 2), and 29 patients had low VWF (30‐50 IU/dL). Deficiencies in factor VIII, IX, XI or XIII were found in 11 (2.6%), 3 (0.7%), 3 (0.7%) and 1 patient(s), 2 patients had dysfibrinogenaemia, and further 2 had possible PFD and FXI deficiency. Probable causal mutations were detected in 8 of 11 patients with FVIII deficiency, 2 of 3 patients with FIX deficiency and 2 of 8 patients with VWD. Three hundred three patients (72.5%) had normal results in the coagulation assays and were categorized as patients with bleeding of unknown cause (BUC). The bleeding score did not differ between patients with and without established diagnosis. A diagnosis of a bleeding disorder was more frequently made in men than in women (49.3% vs 22.9%). Male sex (OR 3.55, 95% CI: 2.02‐6.22; P < .001) and blood group 0 (OR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.17‐2.94; P = .008) were independently associated with diagnosis of a bleeding disorder.

Conclusion

The high rate of patients with BUC despite in‐depth haemostatic assessment underlines the incompleteness of available routine laboratory tests. Males with MBDs were more likely to be diagnosed with an established bleeding disorder than females.
Estimating Precision and Recall for Deterministic and Probabilistic Record Linkage
Authors: Chipperfield James , Hansen Noel , Rossiter Peter
Published: February 2018

Linking administrative, survey and census files to enhance dimensions such as time and breadth or depth of detail is now common. Because a unique person identifier is often not available, records belonging to two different units (e.g. people) may be incorrectly linked. Estimating the proportion of links that are correct, called Precision, is difficult because, even after clerical review, there will remain uncertainty about whether a link is in fact correct or incorrect. Measures of Precision are useful when deciding whether or not it is worthwhile linking two files, when comparing alternative linking strategies and as a quality measure for estimates based on the linked file. This paper proposes an estimator of Precision for a linked file that has been created by either deterministic (or rules‐based) or probabilistic (where evidence for a link being a match is weighted against the evidence that it is not a match) linkage, both of which are widely used in practice. This paper shows that the proposed estimators perform well.
Effects of anxiety levels on learning performance and gaming performance in digital game‐based learning
Authors: Yang J. C. , Lin M. Y. D. , Chen S. Y.
Published: February 2018

Anxiety plays an influential role in foreign language learning. However, a lack of attention was paid to examining the effects of anxiety levels on learning performance and gaming performance in digital game‐based learning. To this end, this study developed a game‐based English learning system and investigated how different levels of anxiety affected learners' learning performance and gaming performance. A quasi‐experiment was conducted in an elementary school. The results showed that high‐anxiety learners performed worse than low‐anxiety learners in speaking, word/sentence match, and overall learning performance. However, they performed similarly in listening performance. Moreover, the results showed that high‐ and low‐anxiety learners demonstrated a similar level of gaming performance. A subsequent analysis showed that significant correlations existed between learning performance and gaming performance for learners with high anxiety whereas such positive correlations were rarely found for learners with low anxiety, indicating that high‐anxiety learners' learning performance could be fostered by their gaming performance. The findings suggested that digital game‐based learning was particularly beneficial to high‐anxiety learners, whose gaming performance was a facilitative factor of their learning performance.
Defending Motherhood: Morality, Responsibility, and Double Binds in Feeding Children
Authors: Elliott Sinikka , Bowen Sarah
Published: February 2018

The ideology of intensive mothering sets a high bar and is framed against the specter of the “bad” mother. Poor mothers and mothers of color are especially at risk of being labeled bad mothers. Drawing on 138 in‐depth interviews and ethnographic observations, this study analyzes the discursive and interpersonal strategies poor mothers use to make sense of and defend their feeding and children's body sizes. Food beliefs and practices reflect and reinforce social inequalities and thus represent an exemplary case in which to examine intensive mothering, its ties to growing inequality, and how individuals are called to account for it. Findings demonstrate intersecting inequalities, meanings, and contradictions in mothers' accounts of meeting intensive mothering expectations around feeding, health, and weight. In light of moral framings around feeding and weight, mothers' experiences of surveillance, and the double binds they encounter in feeding children, mothers practice what the authors term defensive mothering.
Obsessive–compulsive disorder as a disorder of attention
Authors: Levy Neil
Published: February 2018

An influential model holds that obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is caused (in part) by distinctive personality traits and belief biases. But a substantial number of sufferers do not manifest these traits. I propose a predictive coding account of the disorder, which explains both the symptoms and the cognitive traits. On this account, OCD centrally involves heightened and dysfunctionally focused attention to normally unattended sensory and motor representations. As these representations have contents that predict catastrophic outcomes, patients are disposed to engage in behaviors and mental rituals designed to forestall these outcomes or to produce more precise information. The same representations also cause the cognitive traits characteristic of sufferers.
Disentangling phylogenetic from non‐phylogenetic functional structure of bird assemblages in a tropical dry forest
Authors: do Nascimento Erivelton Rosário , Correia Isadora , Ruiz‐Esparza Juan Manuel , Gouveia Sidney F.
Published: February 2018

Understanding the factors driving assembling structure of ecological communities remains a fundamental problem in ecology, especially when focusing on ecological and evolutionary relatedness among species rather than on their taxonomic identity. It remains critical though to separate the patterns and drivers of phylogenetic and functional structures, because traits are phylogenetically constrained, but phylogeny alone does not fully reflect trait variability among species. Using birds from the Brazilian dry forest as a study case, we employed two different approaches to decompose functional structure into its components that are shared and non‐shared with the phylogenetic structure. We investigated the spatial pattern and environmental hypotheses for these phylogenetically constrained and unconstrained aspects of functional structure, including climate‐induced physiological constraints, historical climatic stability, resource availability and habitat partitioning. We found only partial congruence between the two methods of structure decomposition. Still, we found a differential effect of factors on specific components of functional structure of bird assemblages. While climate affects phylogenetically constrained traits through endurance, habitat partitioning (especially forest cover) affects the functional structure that is independent of phylogeny. With this strategy, we were able to decompose the patterns and drivers of the functional structure of birds along a semiarid gradient and showed that the decomposition of the functional structure into its phylogenetic and non‐phylogenetic counterparts can offer a more complete portrait of the assembling rules in ecological communities. We claim for a further development and use of this sort of strategy to investigate assembling rules in ecological communities.
Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte therapy for post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after solid organ transplantation in children
Authors: Chiou Fang Kuan , Beath Sue V. , Wilkie Gwen M. , Vickers Mark A. , Morland Bruce , Gupte Girish L.
Published: February 2018

EBV‐CTL immunotherapy targets EBV antigens expressed by tumor cells in PTLD. Data on outcome of EBV‐CTL in pSOT patients are limited. The aim of the study is to describe our experience with allogeneic, third‐party EBV‐CTL for the treatment of PTLD in pSOT patients in a single tertiary center. Retrospective review was performed of all pSOT patients who received EBV‐CTL for PTLD. PTLD was diagnosed using World Health Organization histologic criteria. EBV‐CTLs were derived from human leukocyte antigen‐typed, EBV‐seropositive third‐party donors, and cryopreserved and maintained by an accredited national blood transfusion service. Ten patients received EBV‐CTL for histologically proven PTLD from 1999 to 2016 following liver (n=5), combined intestinal/liver (n=4), and liver/kidney (n=1) transplantation. PTLD occurred at median age of 40 months (range: 12‐144) and median post‐transplant interval of 8 months (range: 2‐107). Seven had monomorphic, two had polymorphic, and one had Hodgkin‐type PTLD. All were of B‐cell origin and EBV‐positive on histology. EBV‐CTL achieved an overall remission rate of 80% (8 of 10). Transient adverse effects included fever, tachycardia, and vomiting. None developed graft‐versus‐host disease or opportunistic infections. EBV‐CTL is an effective treatment for PTLD in pSOT patients, with good remission rate and minimal toxicity.
How have we studied seed rain in grasslands and what do we need to improve for better restoration?
Authors: Arruda André J. , Buisson Elise , Poschlod Peter , Silveira Fernando A. O.
Published: February 2018

Seed rain, the number of seeds reaching an area, is a process that plays a key role in recruitment and regeneration in plant communities. A better understanding of seed rain dynamics is therefore a critical step for restoration practices. A wide variety of methods to study seed rain in grasslands are available, but there is little agreement to which is the most appropriate one. Here, we (1) assessed where, how, and why research on seed rain has been carried out; (2) examined how methodological design and results have been reported; and (3) provided guidelines for future research on seed rain in grasslands. We built a database of 185 papers from a systematic literature survey between 1980 and November 2016 and we found a remarkable unbalance of the numbers of studies between grassland types, which becomes even more dissimilar across global climatic ranges when the area covered by each grassland type is addressed. We also found a great disparity of methods and data being reported across studies. Despite recent progress in understanding seed rain dynamics, large knowledge gaps in important issues such as the role of native dispersers, method efficiency, and application of mechanistic models still persist. Finally, we propose guidelines for the implementation of minimum standardized methodology and data reporting, which will foster higher quality, transparency, reproducibility, and value of seed rain studies and grassland restoration.
Soft depth-profiling of mixed peptide/lipid samples by means of cluster induced desorption/ionization mass spectrometry—High depth resolution and low matrix effect
Authors: Portz André , Aoyagi Satoka , Dürr Michael
Published: February 2018

Mixed peptide/lipid samples were analyzed with respect to their chemical composition by means of desorption/ionization induced by neutral SO2 clusters (DINeC) in combination with mass spectrometry (MS). Depth profiles of the mixed films indicated a segregation layer of lipid on top of all samples. The thickness of this layer as obtained by DINeC-MS was in the order of one nanometer what can be seen as an upper limit for the depth resolution of DINeC-MS. The relative amounts of the substance of peptide and lipid derived for the bulk material of mixed samples with different compositions were found to be close to the nominal values indicating a low matrix effect. Throughout the depth profiles, only intact molecular ions [M+H]+ as well as dimers of peptides and lipids were detectable, indicating the soft nature of DINeC even when used for depth profiling of biomolecular samples.
Areas prone to slow slip events impede earthquake rupture propagation and promote afterslip
Authors: Rolandone Frederique , Nocquet Jean-Mathieu , Mothes Patricia A. , Jarrin Paul , Vallée Martin , Cubas Nadaya , Hernandez Stephen , Plain Morgan , Vaca Sandro , Font Yvonne
Published: February 2018

Frequent slow slip events and rapid postseismic slip reveal persistent aseismic fault areas delineating future seismic ruptures.
India plans to land near moon's south pole
Authors: Bagla Pallava
Published: February 2018

Chandrayaan-2 orbiter could slake scientists' thirst for detailed data on lunar water.
Accelerator boom hones China's engineeringexpertise
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: February 2018

Bevy of particle accelerators could pave the way for future collider that would be world's largest.
Human nature, observed
Authors: Starr Douglas
Published: February 2018

For decades, two psychologists have kept watch over 1000 New Zealanders, teasing out factors that shape a life's course.
Observation of chiral phonons
Authors: Zhu Hanyu , Yi Jun , Li Ming-Yang , Xiao Jun , Zhang Lifa , Yang Chih-Wen , Kaindl Robert A. , Li Lain-Jong , Wang Yuan , Zhang Xiang
Published: February 2018

A phonon merry-go-round

Chirality is associated with the breaking of symmetry, often described as left- or right-handed behavior. Such asymmetry can be seen, for example, in the electronic responses of particular materials or the reactions between particular chemical species. Zhu
et al.
observed a chiral phonon mode in a monolayer of the transition metal dichalcogenide WSe
2
, detected spectroscopically as the circular dichroism of the phonon-assisted transition of holes. Phonon chirality could be used to control the electron-phonon coupling and/or the phonon-driven topological states of solids.

Science
, this issue p.
579
Tracing single-cell histories
Authors: Lee Je H.
Published: February 2018

Origins of mutations in single cells during human brain development and aging are revealed
Looking ahead—
Science Robotics
in its second year
Authors: Yang Guang-Zhong
Published: February 2018

The editor of
Science Robotics
reviews the journal’s first year and plans for the year ahead.