bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of Confucianism on Chinese politics and foreign policy
Authors: Zhao Quansheng
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role Confucianism has in affecting domestic and foreign policy which is accomplished by looking at historical trends and contemporary developments and arguments posed by leading scholars. This paper finds that Confucianism has had a significant impact on current Chinese policy; however, it has been a selective application. In particular, the Chinese Government has focused on the traditional Confucian moral framework and the mandate to rule, which has allowed the Chinese Government to work toward further securing their right to rule and enhance a more assertive foreign policy abroad.

Design/methodology/approach

This study based on historical, theoretical and empirical discussions.

Findings

It is clear that Confucianism has had profound influence on Chinese politics and foreign policy. As rulers in the past of Chinese history, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has also utilized Confucianism to enhance nationalist sentiments among the people. Confucianism, therefore, has been served as the codifying ideology to further secure the CCP’s right to rule domestically, and to enhance a more assertive foreign policy abroad. With confidence, one can argue that Confucianism will continue to serve as a leading source of ideas in China for its effort to pursue modernization.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the impact of Confucianism on Chinese politics and foreign policy. In the field of international relations and foreign policy analysis, it is well known that ideas are always critical to any changes of a country’s foreign policy. That is to say, a country’s politics and foreign policy would be heavily influenced not only by the changes of tide in contemporary world politics, but also heavily influenced by its traditional thinking and heritage. In this paper, the author will examine the influence of Confucianism on Chinese domestic politics and foreign policy. The analysis will cover recent arguments about the role of Confucianism from several leading contemporary thinkers. It will also make some brief comparisons between China and other East Asian societies, including Japan and Korea.
Examining spatio-temporal patterns, drivers and trends of residential fires in South East Queensland, Australia
Authors: Chhetri Prem , Corcoran Jonathan , Ahmad Shafiq , KC Kiran
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first is to examine the changing spatio-temporal patterns and regional trends in residential fires; and second is to investigate the likely association of fire risk with seasons, calendar events and socio-economic disadvantage.

Design/methodology/approach

Using spatial analytic and predictive techniques, 11 years of fire incident data supplied by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services are mapped and analysed.

Findings

The results show significant spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of residential fires. Residential fire incidents are more likely to occur in the inner city and across more disadvantaged areas. Mapped outputs show some areas in Brisbane at a higher risk of fire than others and that the risk of fire escalates at specific times of the year, in neighbourhoods with a higher disadvantage, during major sporting events and school holidays. The residential fires showed strong seasonal periodicity. There is a continuous yet gradual increase in the number of fire incidents recorded for all five sub-regions within SEQ. Sunshine Coast experienced the highest upward trend whereas Toowoomba and West Moreton show the lowest increase.

Originality/value

This study provides an empirical basis to guide future operational strategies through targeting high fire risk areas at particular times. This, in turn, will help utilise finite resources in areas where and when they need and thus enable minimise emergency management costs.
A multi-methods study exploring the role of stakeholders in the digital preservation environment
Authors: Adu Kofi Koranteng
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of stakeholders in the digital preservation under the following key research questions: What are the levels of awareness of the volumes of digital material? What are the contributory factors for the growth of digital records and the types of information and communication technology products?

Design/methodology/approach

With the convergence of questionnaire, documentary evidence, observation, interview and questionnaire, this paper aims to examine the state and role of stakeholders in the digital preservation environment. The adoption of the multi-methods approach to the study offered a panoramic view of the inquiry where the quantitative paradigm became the emphasis or the priority for the study, while the qualitative data set provided a secondary or supportive role.

Findings

The study underscored the adoption of collaborative and participatory opportunities in the digital preservation environment and reinforced the concept of Open Data, which thrives on citizen’s trust, participation and collaboration (UN e-government survey, 2014). It further revealed lack of knowledge about the likely growth of digital material across the ministries and agencies and confirmed that government legislations have contributed to the increased demand for information and the growth of digital records.

Originality/value

The study underlined two mutually exclusive concepts (collaboration and participation) as part of the strategies to ameliorate the digital preservation conundrum confronted by memory institutions in Ghana. The applications of these concepts as solutions to the digital preservation problems are novel and currently gaining prominence and acceptance within the archival community Their adoption in this study could not have come at a better time, particularly when public sector organizations are confronted with the challenge of preserving digital records.
The influence of social interactions on senior customers’ experiences and loneliness
Authors: Song Haiyan , Altinay Levent , Sun Ning , Wang Xuan Lorna
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This study aims to use the theory of third places to understand how different kinds of social interactions in small hospitality businesses, such as restaurants and cafes, can enhance senior customers’ experiences and alleviate their loneliness.

Design/methodology/approach

The target population of this study were Hong Kong residents of age 60 or older. The sampling frame comprised respondents who visited a Cha Chaan Teng (i.e. a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant) more than once a year. The authors distributed 500 questionnaires and collected 411 valid responses in 2016. They used structural equation modeling for data analysis.

Findings

The results show that social interactions (service manner and need identification) with employees and other customers have a positive effect on senior customers’ experiences, while the service manner of employees reduces senior customers’ loneliness.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the respective contributions of social interactions with employees and those with other customers to enhancing senior customers’ experiences and alleviating their loneliness. This study’s findings may provide a foundation for future research into the relationships between social interactions, customer experience and loneliness in third places (that are, informal public places that offer individuals opportunities to escape from home and the workplace and to enjoy voluntary conversation, entertainment and gatherings). Further, this study also demonstrates the specific role and importance of the hospitality industry in addressing a contemporary social problem in the form of seniors’ loneliness.
A two-phase multiobjective optimization for benchmarking and evaluating service quality in banks
Authors: Ayo Femi Emmanuel
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Service quality is an evaluation of how well a delivered service meets customers’ expectations. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reliable scale of measurement for service quality in banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The SERVQUAL model was adopted based on a Banking Service Quality (BSQ) model and a two-phase multiobjective optimization model was designed. A structured questionnaire with five-point Likert scale was administered with a 93 percent response rate of 270 sample size. A total of 22 variables were considered based on the BSQ model and the significance of these variables to customers’ satisfaction were investigated. Factor analysis was used to extract the most influential factors on the measure of service quality and four factors were selected namely: they deliver when promised, precision on account statements, queues that move rapidly and sufficient number of ATMs per branch. In order to determine the reliability of the multiple Likert questions in the survey, Cronbach’s α was used indicating a scale reliability of 0.743. Moreover, multiple regression analysis was carried out on the selected factors to design an objective function for the design and evaluation of service quality model. The model design used for benchmarking was done using multiobjective genetic algorithm in MATLAB. Similarly, the model evaluation was done in a java interface using multiobjective particle swamp optimization.

Findings

The evaluation results validated the designed model and showed that the factors they deliver when promised and queues that move rapidly are a more reliable scale of measurement for customer’s satisfaction than the factors precision on account statements and sufficient number of ATMs per branch.

Research limitations/implications

The implication of the results is that effectiveness and assurance combined with access is a more significant factor for measuring customers’ satisfaction than tangibles based on the BSQ model.

Originality/value

The introduction of a two-phase optimization model for model benchmarking and evaluation as compared to ordinary factor analysis of the dimension constructs.
Citizens and expatriates satisfaction with public services in Qatar – evidence from a survey
Authors: Abdelkader Benmansour Nada
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze citizens’ and expatriates’ satisfaction with public service delivery in Qatar, one of the world’s highest per capita incomes countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses a 2017 survey conducted in Qatar among both Qatari and expatriates’ respondents. The scientifically grounded sample consisted of 1,356 respondents, who were 18 years of age and older. The data were collected through a face-to-face survey. The focus was on citizen satisfaction with basic public services such as education, health, roads and infrastructure, water and electricity and government services. The author uses logit and regression analysis to estimate the determinants of satisfaction.

Findings

Expatriates hold more positive feelings about local public services than citizens. The highest levels of satisfaction are with government offices and the lowest levels of satisfaction are with independent schools. The dispersion by municipality is less significant as there is no municipality where citizens and expatriates are totally satisfied with all the public services provided.

Research limitations/implications

Qatar has one of the fastest population growth and highest migrant population which makes the question of the satisfaction with public services unique. And, since the blockade on Qatar in May 2017 and the environment of economic restriction, the issue becomes even more critical.

Originality/value

Until now, there have been no empirical studies published analyzing the level of satisfaction with public services in Qatar for citizens and for expatriates.
An empirical analysis of service quality factors pertaining to ocean freight forwarding services
Authors: Subhashini S. , Preetha S.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The service sector is the key driver of a country’s economic growth. The quality of service is more important for the survival of any organization. It is the interactive process by which the organization understands the customer and satisfies their needs. The main purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing service quality in ocean freight forwarding and to study the association between the factors.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a deductive approach, which understands the theory first and collects the data. A questionnaire is designed to collect the data. The sampling technique used is two-stage sampling. First, the freight forwarders are selected and then the customers, importers and exporters are selected randomly. Likert scales are used to measure quality factors such as tangibility, reliability, responsibility, value, empathy and assurance. The association of factors is empirically evaluated. The SPSS tool is used for the correlation analysis.

Findings

An extensive review of the literature has been done to study and identify these service quality factors influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The result of this extensive literature review revealed that tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, trust, empathy and value are the service quality. It has been proved that there exists a significant association between the service quality factors and is positively related to the customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

Some studies have examined the freight forwarders’ service quality, but not specifically related to any dimension. This study attempts to bring together the five dimensions of SERVQUAL scale and the value dimension evaluating the cost, freight charges, safety and security criteria in the industry and examines the association between the quality factors and customer satisfaction.
Patsy Flanagan in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Flanagan Patsy , Carson Jerome
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Patsy Flanagan.

Design/methodology/approach

Patsy provides a short background to her life story and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Patsy shares with us a journey of suffering that started when she was only five, to today where she feels she has been saved by motherhood and would like to save others through her books.

Research limitations/implications

Case studies illustrate the complexities and the richness of human experience and help us understand mental health and mental illness better.

Practical implications

Patsy makes a heartfelt plea to those contemplating suicide, “I beg of you, reconsider. Life can improve”.

Social implications

To tackle the mental health epidemic we are witnessing, Patsy says we must start conversations about mental wellbeing in childhood. Schools have a vital role to play.

Originality/value

Patsy states that creativity and empathy can arise from suffering. Her own story bears witness to this.
Optimal Deficit Financing in a Constrained Fiscal Space in Ghana
Authors: Alagidede Paul , Mensah Jones Odei , Ibrahim Muazu
Published: September 2018

Ghana's public debt has been on the rise in recent years, raising questions of fiscal sustainability. At the same time prices of Ghana's main commodities such as crude oil, gold and cocoa have not fared well in world markets. Coupled with an underdeveloped financial system and weak domestic revenue mobilization capacity, the higher public debt levels pose a significant challenge to macroeconomic stability, and long‐run economic growth. This study contributes to a better understanding of the growth effects of high fiscal deficit in Ghana. We employ annual data spanning 1967–2013 and a sample splitting approach to examine the threshold level of Ghana's fiscal deficit and its impact on the country's economic growth. Our finding reveals an optimal fiscal deficit of 7.6 per cent of GDP. We find that the impact on economic growth of fiscal deficit is negative regardless of the sample splitting. However, our evidence shows that this effect is only statistically significant above the threshold. Although, the impact of fiscal deficit on growth is less clear and debatable, we document that fiscal deficit significantly hurts growth when the level exceeds the threshold. We discuss key implications for policy.
Drug Shortage Impacts Patient Receipt of Induction Treatment
Authors: Hedlund Nancy G. , Isgor Zeynep , Zwanziger Jack , Rondelli Damiano , Crawford Stephanie Y. , Hynes Denise M. , Powell Lisa M.
Published: September 2018

Objective

Examine the impact of the 2011 shortage of the drug cytarabine on patient receipt and timeliness of induction treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

Study Design

A retrospective cohort was utilized to examine odds of receipt of inpatient induction chemotherapy and time to first dose across major (N = 105) and moderate (N = 316) shortage time periods as compared to a nonshortage baseline (N = 1,147).

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

De‐identified patient data from 2008 to 2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) were linked to 2007–2013 Medicare claims and 2007–2013 Hospital Characteristics.

Principal Findings

Compared to prior nonshortage time period, patients diagnosed during a major drug shortage were 47 percent less likely (p < .05) to receive inpatient chemotherapy within 14 days of diagnosis. Patients who were younger, had a lower Charlson Comorbidity score, and for whom AML was a first primary cancer were prioritized across all periods.

Conclusions

Period of major shortage of a generic oncolytic, without an equivalent therapeutic substitute, reduced timely receipt of induction chemotherapy treatment. More favorable economic and regulatory policies for generic drug suppliers might result in greater availability of essential, older generic drug products that face prolonged or chronic shortage.
Measuring Constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research in the Context of Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Federally Qualified Health Center
Authors: Kegler Michelle C. , Liang Shuting , Weiner Bryan J. , Tu Shin Ping , Friedman Daniela B. , Glenn Beth A. , Herrmann Alison K. , Risendal Betsy , Fernandez Maria E.
Published: September 2018

Objective

To operationalize constructs from each of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains and to present psychometric properties within the context of evidence‐based approaches for promoting colorectal cancer screening in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

Methods

Data were collected from FQHC clinics across seven states. A web‐based Staff Survey and a Clinic Characteristics Survey were completed by staff and leaders (n = 277) from 59 FQHCs.

Results

Internal reliability of scales was adequate ranging from 0.62 for compatibility to 0.88 for other personal attributes (openness). Intraclass correlations for the scales indicated that 2.4 percent to 20.9 percent of the variance in scale scores occurs within clinics. Discriminant validity was adequate at the clinic level, with all correlations less than 0.75. Convergent validity was more difficult to assess given lack of hypothesized associations between factors expected to predict implementation.

Conclusions

Our results move the field forward by describing initial psychometric properties of constructs across CFIR domains.
Retaining an ageing workforce: The effects of high‐performance work systems and flexible work programmes
Authors: Stirpe Luigi , Trullen Jordi , Bonache Jaime
Published: September 2018

Older workers make up a growing proportion of the workforce, and research on how best to manage them is being conducted accordingly. Here, we explored the employee retention payoff of high‐performance work systems (HPWS) and flexible work programmes (FWPs) when used with an older workforce. Drawing from the job demands‐resources model, we hypothesised that HPWS retention outcomes decrease as the workforce ages, whereas the retention capacity of FWPs increases. We also explored how the parallel provision of HPWS and FWPs affects workforce retention in more ageing workplaces. The results suggest that workforce age composition affects the HPWS‐retention relationship. However, the value of FWPs as retention tools does not vary significantly with workforce ageing. Furthermore, the provision of FWPs alongside HPWS appears to be a less‐than‐optimal approach to this retention. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the HRM‐performance relationship, while inspiring further research into successful age‐differentiated HR strategies.
A review of factors influencing radiologists’ visual search behaviour
Authors: Ganesan Aarthi , Alakhras Maram , Brennan Patrick C , Mello‐Thoms Claudia
Published: September 2018

This narrative literature review aims to identify the various factors that have significant impact on radiologists’ visual search patterns. Identifying the factors that influences readers’ visual search behaviour helps to understand their perception and interpretation of medical images, which in turn could lead to the development and implementation of effective strategies that could aid in improving the ability to detect abnormalities. Databases including PubMed, MedLine, Web of Science and ScienceDirect were searched using terms ‘visual search’, ‘eye‐tracking’, ‘radiology OR radiography’, ‘mammogram OR mammography’ published since the early 1960s until June 30, 2016. Some of the factors that have been identified to significantly influence radiologists’ visual search patterns were (i) readers’ expertise, (ii) Satisfaction of Search, (iii) readers’ visual fatigue, (iv) readers’ confidence in reporting abnormalities, (v) training received and (vi) readers’ prior knowledge. Readers’ level of expertise was the factor that has been identified to have the most significant impact on their visual search pattern. Eye‐tracking studies have shown the differences in visual search patterns of readers with different levels of experience and not so surprisingly, more experienced readers have shown effective visual search strategies. Readers’ expertise has also been found to have significant impact in their confidence in reporting abnormalities and their ability to discriminate lesions from background structures in medical images.
Stable isotope analyses as a forensic tool to monitor illegally traded African grey parrots
Authors: Alexander J. , Downs C. T. , Butler M. , Woodborne S. , Symes C. T.
Published: September 2018

Stable isotope analyses are a powerful tool in understanding diets, defining trophic networks, inferring geographical origins of animals and in forensic tracing of the origins of deceased humans or illegally traded animal and plant material. African grey parrots Psittacus erithacus are one of the most traded animal species in the world, and the origin of confiscated illegal or deceased specimens are often unknown. We measured stable isotope values (δ13C, δ15N and δ2H) in different African grey parrots (n = 32) and determined feather type (i.e. primary, tail, breast) standardization values for comparing individuals. δ13C and δ2H values differed between known wild (n = 42) and captive (n = 50) birds when standardized for feather type, but not for δ15N. δ13C and δ2H values in feathers from a consignment of African grey parrots (n = 100), all of which were deceased, aligned significantly with that of known wild birds. We suggest that further analyses of feathers, across a range of spatial and temporal scales, will enhance stable isotope analyses as a valuable tool in monitoring and combatting the trade of African grey parrots. Furthermore, the use of stable isotope analyses may improve the monitoring of illegally traded bird species, and other wildlife, across the globe.
Time, Waste, and the City: The Rise of the Environmental Industry
Authors: MacFarlane Key
Published: September 2018

In many US cities, especially those in the Rust Belt, the environmental goods and services (EGS) industry has played a significant role in restructuring local economies to promote new, flexible, and “creative” forms of service‐based labour. And yet much of the environmental work conducted in these cities has been directed at an industrial past, cleaning up the waste left over from long‐departed manufacturing sectors. Returning to David Harvey's earlier work on the urban process, this paper develops a theory of waste switching that situates EGS within a larger renegotiation of space and time across city landscapes. This theory is fleshed out in case studies of the EGS industry in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee, where new cycles of accumulation have been built on refuse, toxins, and dead labour. These “toxi‐cities” and their cleanup challenge traditional conceptions of urbanisation as spatially—but also temporally—bounded.
Making Space for Wind Farms: Practices of Territorial Stigmatisation in Rural Denmark
Authors: Rudolph David , Kirkegaard Julia K.
Published: September 2018

While issues of siting wind farms have often revolved around their local resistance, finding adequate locations and gaining access to land for large wind energy projects has become an increasingly significant challenge for developers, in particular in small countries with relatively mature wind energy sectors, such as Denmark. By drawing on the case of “Outskirts‐Denmark”, this paper focuses on how existing territorial stigma of rural areas is co‐produced and mobilised by wind farm developers to make space for large wind farm projects. In doing so, we demonstrate that the mobilisation of stigma through derogatory rhetoric and forecasting rural decline is used to legitimise the purchase and demolition of properties in marginalised rural areas. We then critically discuss how these developer practices produce controversies over the erosion of rural communities and are entangled in a neoliberal undermining of the planning system, revealing issues of rural energy justice.
Retinal vascular function in asymptomatic individuals with a positive family history of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Seshadri Swathi , Karimzad Said E. , Shokr Hala , Gherghel Doina
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To compare retinal microvascular function in healthy individuals with and without a positive family history (FH) of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

Retinal vessel reactivity was assessed by means of dynamic retinal vessel analysis in 38 healthy subjects aged between 30 and 66 years with a positive FH of CVD and 37 age‐ and gender‐matched control subjects. Other assessments included blood pressure (BP) profiles, blood glucose and lipid metabolism markers, Framingham risk scores (FRS), carotid intima‐media thickness (c‐IMT) and brachial flow‐mediated dilation (FMD).

Results

Family history‐positive subjects showed decreased retinal arterial baseline diameter fluctuation, dilation amplitude, percent dilation, and overall constriction response slope (p = 0.001; p = 0.015; p = 0.001; and p < 0.001, respectively) and increased percent constriction (p = 0.008). On the venous side, baseline‐corrected flicker response and dilation response slope were decreased in the FH‐positive group (p = 0.009 and p = 0.010, respectively). There were no significant differences between groups in c‐IMT scores or FMD parameters (all p > 0.05). The arterial MC% correlated negatively with decreased high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = −0.52, p = 0.002) in only FH‐positive group.

Conclusion

Although macrovascular function is preserved in individuals with FH positive for CVD but with low FRS, there are, however, functional impairments at the retinal microvascular level that correlate with established plasma markers for cardiovascular risk.
Blue light negatively affects the survival of ARPE19 cells through an action on their mitochondria and blunted by red light
Authors: Núñez‐Álvarez Claudia , Suárez‐Barrio Carlota , del Olmo Aguado Susana , Osborne Neville N.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To ascertain whether red light, known to enhance mitochondrial function, can blunt a blue light insult to ARPE19 cells in culture.

Methods

Semi‐confluent ARPE19 cells cultured in 10% FBS were subjected to various regimes of treatment with blue (465–475 nm, 800 lux, 26 W/m2) and red (625–635 nm, 950 lux, 6.5 W/m2) light, as well as with toxins that inactivate specific enzymes associated with mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Cultures were then analysed for cell viability (MTT assay), mitochondrial status (JC‐1), ROS formation, immunocytochemistry and the activation of specific proteins by electrophoresis/Western blotting. In addition, ARPE19 cells were cultured in polycarbonate membrane inserts in culture medium containing 1% FBS. Such cultures were exposed to cycles of red, blue or a combination of red and blue light for up to 6 weeks. Culture medium was changed and the trans‐epithelium membrane resistance (TER) of the inserts‐containing cells was measured twice weekly.

Results

ARPE19 cells in culture are affected negatively when exposed to blue light. This is indicated by a loss of viability, a depolarization of their mitochondria and a stimulation of ROS. Moreover, blue light causes an up‐regulation of HO‐1 and phospho‐p‐38‐MAPK and a cleavage of apoptosis inhibitory factor, proteins which are all known to be activated during cell death. All of these negative effects of blue light are significantly blunted by the red light administered after the blue light insult in each case. ARPE19 cell loss of viability and mitochondrial potential caused by toxins that inhibit specific mitochondrial enzyme complexes was additive to an insult delivered by blue light in each case. After a time, ARPE19 cells in culture express the tight junction protein ZO‐1, which is affected by blue light. The development of tight junctions between ARPE19 cells grown in inserts reached a steady peak of resistance after about 40 days and then increased very slightly over the next 40 days when still in darkness. However, maximum resistance was significantly attenuated, when cultures were treated with cycles of blue light after the initial 40 days in the dark and counteracted significantly when the blue light cycle insult was combined with red light.

Conclusion

Blue light affects mitochondrial function and also the development tight junctions between ARPE19 cells, which results in a loss of cell viability. Importantly, red light delivered after a blue light insult is significantly blunted. These findings argue for the therapeutic use of red light as a noninvasive procedure to attenuate insults caused by blue light and other insults to retinal pigment epithelial cell mitochondria that are likely to occur in age‐related macular degeneration.
Development and testing of a patient‐derived questionnaire for treatment of neovascular age‐related macular degeneration: dimensions of importance in treatment of neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Jelin Elma , Wisløff Torbjørn , Moe Morten C. , Heiberg Turid
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Studies reporting on patient perspectives during treatment of neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) are limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop and test psychometric performance of a patient‐derived questionnaire to capture important experiences during intravitreal treatment.

Methods

Patients (n = 44) with at least 3‐month experience of intravitreal injection treatment for nAMD identified the dimensions of priority and also performed a weighting procedure to develop a score for comparison. The questionnaire comprised two versions: one focusing on the relative importance’ of the dimensions and one on the experience of the ‘management’ during treatment. The questionnaire was then tested for psychometric performance in a longitudinal design in newly diagnosed patients at baseline (n = 197), after three (n = 184) and six (n = 150) months of treatment.

Results

Of the 15 included dimensions, the following were most frequently reported: ‘receive treatment to preserve vision’, ‘information’, ‘waiting time’, ‘trust’ and ‘accommodating staff. The psychometric testing showed moderate reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.65–0.67) for the two versions and high level of face validity (8.3). The dimensions, ‘preserving vision’, ‘early access to treatment’, ‘pain relief’, ‘information about the treatment/diagnosis’ and ‘visual aids’ were consistently reported higher in ‘importance’ than in ‘management’, at both 3 and 6 months, indicating a potential for improvement in clinical practice for these dimensions.

Conclusion

This study provides a brief patient‐derived questionnaire, expressed with a score with good psychometric performance that can be used for monitoring during intravitreal injection treatment of nAMD patients.
A strategy for OCT estimation of the optic nerve head pigment epithelium central limit‐inner limit of the retina minimal distance, PIMD‐2π
Authors: Sandberg Melin Camilla , Malmberg Filip , Söderberg Per G.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To develop a semi‐automatic algorithm for estimation of pigment epithelium central limit‐inner limit of the retina minimal distance averaged over 2π radians (PIMD‐2π) and to estimate the precision of the algorithm. Further, the variances in estimates of PIMD‐2π were to be estimated in a pilot sample of glaucomatous eyes.

Methods

Three‐dimensional cubes of the optic nerve head (ONH) were captured with a commercial SD‐OCT device. Raw cube data were exported for semi‐automatic segmentation. The inner limit of the retina was automatically detected. Custom software aided the delineation of the ONH pigment epithelium central limit resolved in 500 evenly distributed radii. Sources of variation in PIMD estimates were analysed with an analysis of variance.

Results

The estimated variance for segmentations and angles was 130 μm2 and 1280 μm2, respectively. Considering averaging eight segmentations, a 95 % confidence interval for mean PIMD‐2π was estimated to 212 ± 10 μm (df = 7). The coefficient of variation for segmentation was estimated at 0.05. In the glaucomatous eyes, the within‐subject variance for captured volumes and for segmentations within volumes was 10 μm2 and 50 μm2, respectively.

Conclusion

The developed semi‐automatic algorithm enables estimation of PIMD‐2π in glaucomatous eyes with relevant precision using few segmentations of each captured volume.
Prevalence of glaucoma in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort Eye Study
Authors: Karvonen Elina , Stoor Katri , Luodonpää Marja , Hägg Pasi , Kuoppala Jaana , Lintonen Timo , Ohtonen Pasi , Tuulonen Anja , Saarela Ville
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To report the prevalence of glaucoma in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) Eye Study.

Methods

Subjects of the population‐based Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort (NFBC), aged 45–49 years at the time of the field examination, were randomized to eye screening (50%) and control (50%) groups. The eye examination protocol included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), measurements of intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness, Humphrey 24‐2 perimetry, stereoscopic optic nerve head (ONH) and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) photography and imaging with optical coherence tomography (OCT), scanning laser polarimetry (GDx) and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (HRT). The diagnosis of glaucoma was made by two independent general ophthalmologists and three independent glaucoma experts based on the evaluation of the ONH and RNFL photographs and the visual fields.

Results

Totally, 10 321 subjects of the NFBC main study were alive in Finland in 2011, and they were randomized to the NFBC Eye Study group (n = 5155) and the control group (n = 5166). Of the randomized subjects, 3039 of 5155 (59%) responded and had sufficient data for the study. Glaucoma was suspected in 172 subjects (5.7%) at the first phase of the evaluation protocol. The interobserver agreement between two screening ophthalmologists was moderately good (kappa value 0.54 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.46–0.61]). Finally, definite glaucoma was found in 33 subjects (1.1% [95% CI 0.8–1.5]).

Conclusion

The study provides up‐to‐date information on the prevalence of glaucoma in a middle‐aged Caucasian population in Finland. The baseline data reported here allows the evaluation of the cost‐effectiveness of screening later on.
Black limestone used in antiquity: recognizing the limestone of Teos
Authors: Brilli M. , Giustini F. , Kadıoğlu M.
Published: September 2018

This paper documents the petrographic and isotopic characteristics of some black limestones that were exploited in antiquity near the ancient site of Teos in Ionia (south‐western Anatolia, Turkey). The best‐quality black limestone of Teos is represented by a series of step‐cut‐shaped blocks situated north of the Seferihisar–Sığacık road, destined to be exported and used for architectural elements. The techniques used to study these blocks allow possible identification of the origin of Teos in ancient black stone artefacts. Nevertheless, petrographic and geochemical investigation on some black limestones that outcrop in the area near Teos has not firmly identified the quarry fronts from which these blocks were quarried away, but it supports the known hypothesis that Teian black limestones were found and quarried in conjunction with the Africano marble.
Effects of three probiotic Bacillus on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidative capacity, serum immunity, and biochemical parameters in broilers
Authors: Gong Li , Wang Baikui , Mei Xiaoqiang , Xu Han , Qin Yan , Li Weifen , Zhou Yingshan
Published: September 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of three Bacillus strains on growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, antioxidative capacity, serum immunity, and biochemical parameters in broilers. A total of 360 one‐day‐old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated into four groups with three replicates per group (n = 30). The control group was fed a basal diet, whereas the other groups fed basal diet supplemented with either Bacillus subtilis natto or Bacillus licheniformis or Bacillus cereus (108 cfu/kg) for 42 days, respectively. The results revealed that the probiotic‐treated groups markedly improved final body weight, daily weight gain, and the activities of trypsin, amylase, lipase and total protease (p < 0.05). Moreover, chicks fed probiotics had higher serum glutathione peroxidase activity and O2− level, as well as hepatic catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, whereas malondialdehyde levels in serum and liver were reduced (p < 0.05). The significant increased IgA (p < 0.05) was observed in the probiotics groups as compared to the control group. In addition, dietary administration of probiotic strain markedly reduced the levels of serum ammonia, uric acid, total cholesterol, and triglyceride. Taken together, these three probiotic Bacillus showed beneficial effects on chickens with minor strain specificity.
Modelling the executive components involved in processing false belief and mechanical/intentional sequences
Authors: Tsuji Hiromi , Mitchell Peter
Published: September 2018

To understand the executive demands of the false‐belief (FB) task relative to an alternative theory‐of‐mind (or mechanical causality) task, picture sequencing, the present study used path analyses. One hundred and sixty‐six children between 3 and 6 years old completed the FB and picture‐sequencing tasks, three executive function tasks (updating, inhibition, and shifting), and the receptive language test. The model with the best fit indicated that FB performance had a direct contribution from shifting of attention and inhibitory control, which was independent of the significant contribution made by picture sequencing. This model indicates that FB inference requires more executive processing than picture sequencing, which is used as an alternative task to measure theory of mind.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

The majority of researchers use the false‐belief task to assess mentalizing ability in young children.

Sources of information used in various different mentalizing tasks require different levels of cognitive demand.

Many executive functions (EFs) are involved in children's judgements of false belief.

What does this study add?

A statistical model was created to compare processing requirements of false‐belief and picture‐sequencing tasks.

The model supported the claim that the false‐belief task involves considerably more than just mentalizing.

Shifting the focus of attention was an EF that was found to be a key component of performance in the false‐belief task.
Training Νovice teachers to design moodle‐based units of learning using a CADMOS‐enabled learning design sprint
Authors: Boloudakis Michail , Retalis Symeon , Psaromiligkos Yannis
Published: September 2018

Numerous research publications have mentioned the need to prepare teachers to design and enact technologically enhanced learning experiences for students, thus increasing their academic performance and their engagement when learning. This paper addresses the crucial issue of how to train pre‐service and novice teachers effectively to become good designers of Moodle‐based units of learning (UoLs), and to improve their critical thinking skills when engaging in peer‐review sessions. A teacher training professional development approach for teachers that requires trainees to elicit, depict, reflect on, share design ideas, and co‐create small UoLs in a Moodle learning management system is proposed. The training process follows the phases of the Think–Pair–Share learning strategy, and makes use of the features of the CADMOS graphic learning design editor that allows designers to see a preview of their unit of learning in Moodle. The findings of an evaluation study with 28 trainees showed that the proposed approach was easy to follow, and led to the creation of good‐quality, re‐usable designs for Moodle‐based UoLs and enhanced trainees’ design thinking skills. Transformations in the way in which the newly minted learning designers thought, acted, and reflected were observed.
Two types of serial dependence in visual working memory
Authors: Czoschke Stefan , Fischer Cora , Beitner Julia , Kaiser Jochen , Bledowski Christoph
Published: September 2018

Stimulus representations in working memory depend on memory traces of past stimuli both from previous trials and from the current trial. However, it is unclear whether the same or different mechanisms underlie this serial dependence across and within trials. We directly contrasted estimates of bias for pairs of immediately successive stimuli across and within trials. In each trial, participants memorized two consecutive motion direction stimuli (S1 and S2) and after a short delay were cued to report one of them. We found serial dependence across trials: The current S1 was attracted towards the preceding S2 when the latter had been cued for report. In contrast, within the same trial S2 was repulsed from S1. In addition, repulsion within a trial occurred for a broader range of motion direction differences between stimuli than attraction across trials. A second experiment in which 25% of trials did not require a response demonstrated that across‐trial attraction did not depend on whether the previous S2 actually had to be reported. Our findings provide evidence for two types of serial dependence operating across and within trials. They support the notion of different mechanisms integrating or segregating current from similar past memory contents depending on their task relevance.
New interglacial deposits from Copenhagen, Denmark: marine Isotope Stage 7
Authors: Bennike Ole , Hedenäs Lars , High Kirsty , Korshøj Joakim S. , Lemdahl Geoffrey , Penkman Kirsty , Preece Richard C. , Rosenlund Knud , Viehberg Finn A.
Published: September 2018

During a pre‐site survey and construction of a new metro route and station in Copenhagen, fossiliferous organic‐rich sediments were encountered. This paper reports on multidisciplinary investigations of these organic sediments, which occurred beneath a sediment succession with a lower till, glacifluvial sand and gravel, an upper till and glacifluvial sand. The organic sediments were underlain by glacifluvial sand and gravel. The organic‐rich sediments, which were up to 0.5 m thick, accumulated in a low‐energy environment, possibly an oxbow lake. They were rich in plant fossils, which included warmth‐demanding trees and other species, such as Najas minor, indicating slightly higher summer temperatures than at present. Freshwater shells were also frequent. Bithynia opercula allowed the sediments to be put into an aminostratigraphical framework. The amino acid racemization (AAR) ratios indicate that the organic sediments formed during Marine Isotope Stage 7 (MIS 7), which is consistent with optically stimulated luminescence dating that gave ages of 206 and 248 ka from the underlying minerogenic deposit. The assemblages from Trianglen are similar to interglacial deposits from the former Free Port (1.4 km away) in Copenhagen, except that Corbicula and Pisidium clessini were not found at Trianglen. The presence of these bivalves at the Free Port and the ostracod Scottia tumida at Trianglen indicates a pre‐Eemian age. AAR data from archived Bithynia opercula from the Free Port were almost identical to those from Trianglen, indicating that the two sites are contemporary. We suggest the Trianglen interglacial be used as a local name for the MIS 7 interglacial deposits in Copenhagen. MIS 7 deposits have rarely been documented from the region, but MIS 7 deposits may have been mistaken for other ages. The use of AAR ratios in Bithynia opercula has a great potential for correlation of interglacial non‐marine deposits in mainland northern Europe.
Transparency and currency crises
Authors: Kim Nam Kyu
Published: September 2018

The role transparency plays in the prevention of currency crises is widely acknowledged. Nevertheless, the relationship between transparency and currency crises has rarely been subjected to systematic cross‐national scrutiny. This paper attempts to explore the effect of transparency on currency crises by focusing on a specific dimension of transparency: the public dissemination of aggregate economic data by governments. My analysis provides strong evidence that greater transparency is associated with a lower likelihood of currency crises, regardless of economic conditions. When I add economic and political determinants of currency crises, the estimate of transparency remains unaltered in magnitude or statistical significance.
Accounting research on health care – Trends and gaps
Authors: Malmmose Margit
Published: September 2018

This study reviews 317 accounting studies in health care from the past 40 years. In addition to a traditional description of the theory and methods applied, this review focuses on the countries that have been studied, the stakeholder perspectives that have been represented through data collection and the longitudinal accounting topic focuses that have been developed. The findings illuminate trends and gaps in the literature. Specifically, this study identifies a growing trend of applying interviews as a method of data collection, which increases the possibility of representing individual stakeholders. Predominantly, administrators’ and doctors’ viewpoints are presented, whereas a lack of perspectives among nurses, patients, and politicians raises opportunities for future research. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of countries represented in studies. Whereas Scandinavian countries are well represented in this literature review, studies of non‐English‐speaking countries are still significantly lacking. The accounting topic in focus has seen a natural development with New Public Management (NPM) reform developments. A majority of costing and budgeting studies in the 1980s and 1990s have gradually changed to a performance measure focus and different atypical areas, signaling increased nuances in the role of accounting in the health care sector. Thus, although the majority of the existing accounting literature has focused on NPM market reforms, NPM health care reform is far from exhausted, and ample opportunities exist for future research in health care accounting.