bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political connections and organisational performance: evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Cheema Moeen Umar , Munir Rahat , Su Sophia
Published: November 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the association between political connections (PCs) and organisational performance in a South Asian country, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected for 250 non-financial organisations listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange of Pakistan. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to empirically test the research question.

Findings

PCs in Pakistan are common across all industries. The study found a significantly negative effect of PCs on organisational performance, measured in terms of return on assets and return on equity. In addition, negative association of PCs with organisational performance is more pronounced for organisations having connections with politicians, compared to those having connections with former government officials.

Originality/value

The study extends the PCs literature by providing evidence of the impact of PCs on organisational performance in a South Asian country. Several implications for organisations, banks, accounting professionals and policy-makers are provided.
Corporate political connections, agency costs and audit quality
Authors: Khan Arifur , Mihret Dessalegn Getie , Muttakin Mohammad Badrul
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The effect of political connections of agency costs has attracted considerable research attention due to the increasing recognition of the fact that political connection influences corporate decisions and outcomes. This paper aims to explore the association between corporate political connections and agency cost and examine whether audit quality moderates this association.

Design/methodology/approach

A data set of Bangladeshi listed non-financial companies is used. A usable sample of 968 firm-year observations was drawn for the period from 2005 to 2013. Asset utilisation ratio, the interaction of Tobin’s Q and free cash flow and expense ratio are used as alternative proxies for agency costs; membership to Big 4 audit firms or local associates of Big 4 firms is used as a proxy for audit quality.

Findings

Results show that politically connected firms exhibit higher agency costs than their unconnected counterparts, and audit quality moderates the relationship between political connection and agency costs. The results of this paper suggest the importance of audit quality to mitigate agency problem in an emerging economic setting.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this paper could be of interest to regulators wishing to focus regulatory effort on significant issues influencing stock market efficiency. The findings could also inform auditors in directing audit effort through a more complete assessment of risk and determining reasonable levels of audit fees. Finally, results could inform financial statement users to direct investments to firms with lower agency costs.

Originality/value

To the knowledge of the authors, this study is one of the first to explore the relationship between political connection and agency costs, and the moderating effect of audit quality of this relationship.
Risk reporting during a crisis: evidence from the Egyptian capital market
Authors: Marzouk Mahmoud
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine corporate risk disclosure (CRD) practices and determinants in the annual reports of Egyptian listed companies during the 2011 political crisis (uprising) in Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis of the annual reports of a sample of non-financial listed companies representing different industry sectors was conducted to investigate attributes and factors underlying their risk disclosures.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that companies disclosed more monetary, future and good risk information. The results show a positive and significant relationship between company size and the level of CRD, a positive but insignificant relationship between the extent of CRD and some company-specific characteristics: industry type, profitability and cross-listing, and a negative and insignificant relationship between corporate reserves and the level of CRD.

Research limitations/implications

A larger sample size would be needed for greater generalization of the findings. This study extends the literature on CRD by examining CRD practices at a time of current and ongoing crisis. However, more research is needed to examine variations in CRD practices before and after the 2011 political crisis.

Practical implications

The results could be used by information users, companies and the capital market authority to inform policy-making and tighten regulations to improve CRD. Recommendations are made for improving the quality and informativeness of risk information.

Originality/value

It is important to investigate CRD practices, considering the dearth of research, particularly in emerging capital markets and during crises, when companies are exposed to more, especially uncontrollable, risks. This study fills a void in literature by examining CRD practices during the 2011 political crisis in Egypt.
Retrievability bias in explaining the hurdle rate premium puzzle
Authors: Hornung Mareike , Luther Robert , Schuster Peter
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Making rational and undistorted corporate investment decisions is critically important to organisations. “Scientific” investment appraisal can play a central role, particularly setting the hurdle rate. Empirical research reveals that actual rates generally exceed organisations’ cost of capital – the so-called hurdle rate premium (HRP) puzzle. Allowing for bounded rationality of corporate decision-makers, the purpose of this paper is to mobilise the retrievability cognitive bias as one explanation of this paradox.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic structuring and investigation of the legacy of eight scenarios, representing “correct” and “incorrect” decisions on “good” and “bad” proposals, is used to explain the inconsistency between normative capital investment theory and actual practice.

Findings

Decision makers’ cognitive processes based on informal perceptions, strengthened by the scope of formal post-audit routines, provide a plausible explanation why investment decision makers tend to systematically set hurdle rates too high.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have still to be explored in more depth by fieldwork and experimental research.

Practical implications

The policy implications of this study are that corporate success could be enhanced by making executives aware of the HRP phenomenon and of its behavioural causes; also by including significant rejected investment proposals in the post-audit programme and communicating the opportunity cost of “false negative” decisions on proposals not adopted.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new explanation for a recognised phenomenon: Allowing for bounded rationality of corporate decision-makers, the paper applies research on a cognitive bias to the setting of the hurdle rate in investment appraisal.
Managing online service recovery: procedures, justice and customer satisfaction
Authors: Singh Jaywant , Crisafulli Benedetta
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The internet has changed the way services are delivered and has created new forms of customer-firm interactions. Whilst online service failures remain inevitable, the internet offers opportunities for delivering efficient service recovery through the online channel. Notwithstanding, research evidence on how firms can deliver online service recovery remains scarce. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of two online service recovery strategies – online information and technology-mediated communication – on customer satisfaction, switching and word of mouth intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A scenario-based experiment is employed. Data are analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

Online information and technology-mediated interactions can be used as online service recovery strategies. When fair, online service recovery can restore customer satisfaction, lower switching and enhance positive word of mouth. Interactional justice delivered through technology-mediated communication is a strong predictor of satisfaction with online service recovery. Yet, customers in subscription services show greater expectations of online service recovery than those in non-subscription services.

Research limitations/implications

Further research could examine the impact of online service recovery on relational constructs, such as trust. Since customers participate in the online recovery process, future research could investigate the role of customers as co-creators of online service recovery.

Practical implications

Service managers should design online recovery strategies that meet customer need for interactional justice, for example, bespoke e-mails, and virtual chat communications with genuine customer care.

Originality/value

Online information and technology-mediated communication function as online service recovery strategies. Customer perceptions of justice towards online service recovery restore satisfaction, and encourage loyal behaviour.
Improving service quality through customer journey analysis
Authors: Halvorsrud Ragnhild , Kvale Knut , Følstad Asbjørn
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework based on customer journeys for a structured portrayal of service delivery from the customer’s point of view. The paper also introduces customer journey analysis (CJA) for empirical investigation of individual service experiences in a multichannel environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents case studies for onboarding new customers on broadband services. CJA starts with modeling of the service process in terms of touchpoints. The individual customer journeys are reconstructed through methodological triangulation of interviews, diary studies, and process tracking.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights into individual customer journeys. Four types of deviations during service delivery are identified: occurrence of ad hoc touchpoints, irregularities in the sequence of logically connected touchpoints, occurrence of failures in touchpoints, and missing touchpoints. CJA seems effective in revealing problematic and incoherent service delivery that may result in unfavorable customer experiences.

Practical implications

For a service company, the proposed framework may serve as a unifying language to ease cross-departmental communication and approach service quality in a systematic way. CJA discloses the gap between the planned and actual service delivery and can be used as a tool for service improvement.

Originality/value

The framework provides concepts, definitions, and a visual notation to structure and manage services in terms of customer journeys. CJA is a novel method for empirical studies of the service delivery process and the associated customer experience.
Clarifying multilevel governance
Authors: TORTOLA PIER DOMENICO
Published: November 2016

Despite its widespread use in European studies and beyond, the concept of multilevel governance (MLG) still suffers from a considerable degree of uncertainty as to its precise meaning, which in turn hinders the cumulative development of this research programme. In an attempt to stimulate a systematic methodological discussion of the idea of MLG, this article presents a critical reconstruction of the concept structured around three ‘axes of ambiguity’– the applicability of MLG beyond the European Union; the role of non‐state actors; the focus on policy‐making structures versus processes – followed by a conceptual assessment and clarification strategy based on John Gerring's criterial framework. Building particularly on Gerring's criterion of causal utility, the article argues that the MLG concept is best clarified along the (not necessarily exclusive) lines of two theoretical directions emerging from the literature: MLG as a theory of state transformation, and MLG as a theory of public policy. For each of the two models, the criterial framework also indicates a number of corresponding conceptual shortcomings which MLG scholars should try to reduce as much as possible in future refinements of this idea.
The Influence of the Rebaudioside A Content of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) on the Determination of Sweetness Equivalence in Bittersweet Chocolates, Using the Time‐Intensity Analysis
Authors: Azevedo Bruna M. , Ferreira Janaína M. M. , Luccas Valdecir , Bolini Helena M. A.
Published: November 2016

The consumption of diet products has increased greatly in recent years. The objectives of the study were to develop a bittersweet chocolate added inulin and stevias with different rebaudioside A contents (60%, 80%, and 97%). Five chocolate samples were formulated with different sucrose concentrations to determine the ideal sucrose concentration for bittersweet chocolate. The use of just‐about‐right scale identified an ideal sucrose concentration of 47.5% (w/w). The sweetness equivalence in sugar‐free bittersweet chocolates was determined by the time–intensity method by 14 selected and trained judges. The data collected during each session of sensory evaluation furnished the following parameters in relation to the sweet stimulus: Imax (maximum intensity recorded), Timax (time at which the maximum intensity was recorded), Area (area of time × intensity curve), and Ttot (total duration time of the stimulus). The time–intensity analysis indicated that the percentages of rebaudioside A did not interfere with the sweetness intensity of the sweetener stevia in bittersweet chocolate and there was no significant difference in the concentrations tested (0.16%, 0.22%, 0.27%) of each stevia, in relation to the parameters evaluated. In addition, the reduction in fat content did not alter the perception of the sweetness intensity of the samples. These results showed important information to research and development of chocolate products. Therefore, the use of the lowest stevia concentration tested (0.16%) is the most indicated for use, since this quantity was sufficient to reach the ideal sweetness of the product, so there was no point in adding more.
Coupling of the Water Cycle with Patterns of Urban Growth in the Baltimore Metropolitan Region, United States
Authors: Bhaskar Aditi S. , Jantz Claire , Welty Claire , Drzyzga Scott A. , Miller Andrew J.
Published: November 2016

Regional municipal water plans typically do not recognize complex coupling patterns or that increased withdrawals in one location can result in changes in water availability in others. We investigated the interaction between urban growth and water availability in the Baltimore metropolitan region where urban growth has occurred beyond the reaches of municipal water systems into areas that rely on wells in low‐productivity Piedmont aquifers. We used the urban growth model SLEUTH and the hydrologic model ParFlow.CLM to evaluate this interaction with urban growth scenarios in 2007 and 2030. We found decreasing groundwater availability outside of the municipal water service area. Within the municipal service area we found zones of increasing storage resulting from increased urban growth, where reduced vegetation cover dominated the effect of urbanization on the hydrologic cycle. We also found areas of decreasing storage, where expanding impervious surfaces played a larger role. Although the magnitude of urban growth and change in water availability for the simulation period were generally small, there was considerable spatial heterogeneity of changes in subsurface storage. This suggests that there are locally concentrated areas of groundwater sensitivity to urban growth where water shortages could occur or where drying up of headwater streams would be more likely. The simulation approach presented here could be used to identify early warning indicators of future risk.
Genetic variation in leptin and leptin receptor genes as a risk factor for idiopathic male infertility
Authors: Hodžić A. , Ristanović M. , Zorn B. , Tulić C. , Maver A. , Novaković I. , Plaseska‐Karanfilska D. , Peterlin B.
Published: November 2016

The aim of this study was to examine whether there is an association among genetic variability in leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes and male infertility. We performed a case–control study and were searching for an association between polymorphisms of LEP and LEPR genes and male infertility. The study group consisted of 317 patients with idiopathic infertility and a control group of 241 fertile men from Slovenia. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LEP gene and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LEPR gene were chosen and genotyped. Statistically significant SNP was further validated in additional 255 infertile patients and 168 controls from Serbia and Macedonia. In the Slovenian population, we found a statistically significant difference in genotype distribution for rs10244329 polymorphism in LEP gene (recessive genotype model, p value = 0.048). The trend toward statistically significant difference in genotype distribution for rs10244329 polymorphism was confirmed in the Serbian and Macedonian populations (p value = 0.07). Our data suggest that genetic variability in the LEP gene might be associated with male infertility warranting further confirmation and mechanistic investigations.
Retinal oxygen saturation in Chinese adolescents
Authors: Liu Xue , Wang Shuang , Liu Yi , Liu Li Juan , Lv Yan Yun , Tang Ping , Jonas Jost B. , Xu Liang
Published: November 2016

Purpose

To study the retinal oxygen saturation in normal eyes of Chinese adolescents.

Methods

Performing retinal oximetry with the Oxymap T1 Retinal Oximeter in healthy children and adolescents (aged 5–18 years old), we measured the arterial (SaO2) and venular (SvO2) oxygen saturation and the arteriovenous difference in oxygen saturation (Sa‐vO2).

Results

The study included 122 individuals with a mean age of 13.0 ± 2.9 years (range: 5–18 years) and a mean refractive error of −3.25 ± 2.49 dioptres (range:−8.88 to +3.13 dioptres). Mean SaO2, SvO2 and Sa‐vO2 was 85.5 ± 7.1%, 48.2 ± 5.5% and 37.3 ± 6.5%, respectively. Mean SaO2 was significantly (p < 0.001) the lowest in the inferotemporal quadrant (79.1 ± 9.0%), followed by the superotemporal quadrant (83.4 ± 9.7%), the inferonasal quadrant (90.4 ± 10.6%) and the superonasal quadrant (93.4 ± 10.8%). In a similar manner, the values of the SvO2 were the lowest (p < 0.001) in the inferotemporal quadrant (42.1 ± 8.3%), followed by the superotemporal quadrant (47.8 ± 7.2%), the inferonasal quadrant (52.3 ± 8.4%) and the superonasal quadrant (55.1 ± 7.6%). Arteriovenous difference in oxygen saturation (Sa‐vO2) did not differ significantly (all p > 0.05) between the fundus quadrants. In multiple linear regression analysis, SaO2 increased (regression coefficient r2 = 0.28) with older age (standardized regression coefficient β: 0.23; p = 0.01) and more myopic refractive error (β: −0.39; p < 0.001). Higher SvO2 was significantly correlated with more myopic refractive error (β: −0.46; p < 0.001; r2 = 0.20), while Sa‐vO2 increased significantly only with older age in the multivariate analysis (β: 0.26; p = 0.01; r2 = 0.07).

Conclusions

Our study provides normative data for Chinese children and adolescents who showed lower values than adults for SaO2 and SvO2. SaO2 increased with older age and higher myopic refractive error, SvO2 increased with higher myopic refractive error, and Sa‐vO2 increased with older age.
Clinicopathological features of primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the central nervous system – strong EZH2 expression implying diagnostic and therapeutic implication
Authors: Guo Shuangping , Bai Qingxian , Rohr Joseph , Wang Yingmei , Liu Yang , Zeng Kaixuan , Yu Kangjie , Zhang Xiumin , Wang Zhe
Published: November 2016

Primary diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS DLBCL) is a rare entity which is difficult to diagnose and treat. The histone methyltransferase EZH2 was reported to be involved in the tumorigenesis of systemic DLBCL but has not been implicated in primary CNS DLBCL. The clinicopathological features of 33 cases of primary CNS DLBCL and expression of EZH2 and Y641 mutation were assessed. The tumor cells of the majority cases resembled centroblasts, and intriguingly, three cases of rare anaplastic variant were observed. Immunophenotypically, 25/33 (75.8%) cases were non‐germinal center B‐cell‐like type. Several cases (10/33; 30.3%) co‐expressed BCL2 and MYC, 6/33 (18.2%) expressed both BCL6 and MYC, and 5/33 (15.2%) expressed BCL2, BCL6, and MYC. MYC expression alone and BCL2/MYC co‐expression were associated with poor prognosis. EZH2 was strongly expressed in all 33 cases independent of Y641 mutation and was significantly associated with the tumor proliferative index Ki67. However, no association was found between the level of EZH2 expression and outcomes of patients. In summary, the clinicopathological features including three rare anaplastic variant of primary CNS DLBCL are described. Strong expression of EZH2 in all the primary CNS DLBCL and association with high proliferative index provides further information for treatment and diagnosis of this distinctive entity.
Fine needle aspiration in retroperitoneal lesions
Authors: Gupta Parikshaa , Rajwanshi Arvind , Nijhawan Raje , Srinivasan Radhika , Gupta Nalini , Saikia Uma Nahar , Dey Pranab
Published: November 2016

The retroperitoneal space is a potential space extending from lumbar to the pelvic region, behind the peritoneum. It encloses many vital organs like adrenals, kidneys, ureters, pancreas, aorta and its branches, inferior vena cava and its tributaries and many lymph nodes along with loose connective tissue and fat. The literature regarding role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for diagnosis of retroperitoneal lesions as a whole, is exceedingly limited. The present study was conducted to elucidate the spectrum of retroperitoneal lesions and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology, presenting to a tertiary care referral centre. A total of 389 aspirates from retroperitoneal lesions were reviewed for clinical and radiological details. The smears were studied for the cytological diagnosis. Cytological–histological correlation was assessed and the causes for discordant diagnoses were determined. The patients’ age ranged from 1 to 88 years. There were 234 (60.2%) males and 155 (39.8%) females. In 61 (15.7%) aspirations, the yield was inadequate for reporting and 328 were satisfactory. About 113 (29.0%) aspirates were from pancreatic masses alone, 97 (24.9%) from the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, 70 (17.9%) from the kidneys, 45 (11.5%) from the adrenals, 41 (10.5%) from the retroperitoneal soft tissues and 23 (5.9%) from retroperitoneal segments of the gut. There were 249 (64.0%) neoplastic lesions and 79 (20.3%) non‐neoplastic lesions, the ratio being 3.1:1. Eight (2.0%) aspirates were reported as suspicious for malignancy, and 5 (1.2%) aspirates were reported as neoplastic but could not be categorized as benign or malignant. Of the neoplastic lesions, malignant neoplasms (n = 216; 87.1%) were much more common than the benign (n = 20; 8.0%), the ratio being 10.8:1. Of all the satisfactory aspirates, subsequent histopathology was available only in 33/327 (10%) cases. A positive correlation between cytological and histological diagnosis was observed in 27/33 (81.8%) cases. We believe FNAC is a useful method for an early, rapid, minimally invasive and reliable pre‐operative diagnosis for retroperitoneal lesions and can often obviate the need for open surgical biopsy.
Perceptions of stigma and its correlates among patients with major depressive disorder: A multicenter survey from China
Authors: Shi‐Jie Feng , Hong‐Mei Gao , Li Wang , Bin‐Hong Wang , Yi‐Ru Fang , Gang Wang , Tian‐Mei Si
Published: November 2016

Background

The stigma of major depressive disorder (MDD) is an important public health problem. This study evaluated stigma in MDD patients in China using explanatory model interview catalogue (EMIC) questionnaire and the demographic and clinical symptom factors associated with the stigma of these patients.

Methods

A total of 158 MDD patients from domestic 3 mental health centers were surveyed. We used the EMIC questionnaire to assess stigma of these patients, Montgomery and Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) to assess depressive severity, self‐reporting inventory (SCL‐90) to assess mental health level, Sheehan disability scale (SDS) to assess social function, and fatigue severity scale (FSS) to assess degree of fatigue.

Results

The stigma scores were significantly higher in the 18‐ to 30‐year‐old (z = 2.875, P = .024) and 31‐ to 40‐year‐old (z = 3.204, P = .008) groups than the 51‐ to 65‐year‐old group; in the full‐time employment group than the retired group (z = 3.163, P = .016). The stigma scores exhibited significant negative correlation with age (r = −0.169, P = .034) but positive correlations with the scores of MADRS (r = .212, P = .007), total scores (r = .273, P = .001) and subscales of interpersonal sensitivity (r = .233, P = .003), depression (r = .336, P < .001), and anxiety (r = .228, P = .004) of SCL‐90, scores of FSS (r = .230, P = .004), and SDS (r = .254, P = .001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that depression subscale of SCL‐90 and FSS were independently correlated with stigma.

Conclusion

The age, employment status, fatigue, and depressive severity are closely associated with the perceived stigma of MDD patients and may be important factors considered for stigma interventions of MDD in China.
Atypical scrapie in Australia
Authors: Cook RW , Bingham J , Besier AS , Bayley CL , Hawes M , Shearer PL , Yamada M , Bergfeld J , Williams DT , Middleton DJ
Published: November 2016

Background

Since its initial detection in Norway in 1998, atypical scrapie (‘atypical/Nor98 scrapie’) has been reported in sheep in the majority of European countries (including in regions free of classical scrapie) and in the Falkland Islands, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Case series

The diagnosis in Australia of atypical scrapie in four Merino and one Merino‐cross sheep showing clinical signs of neurological disease was based on the detection of grey matter neuropil vacuolation (spongiform change) in the brain (particularly in the molecular layer of the cerebellar cortex) and associated abnormal prion protein (PrPSc
) deposition in both grey and white matter. Changes were minimal in the caudal brainstem, the predilection site for lesions of classical scrapie.

Conclusion

The distinctive lesion profile of atypical scrapie in these five sheep highlights the diagnostic importance of routine histological evaluation of the cerebellum for evidence of neuropil vacuolation and associated PrPSc
deposition in adult sheep with suspected neurological disease.
Payment systems and incentives in dentistry
Authors: Grytten Jostein
Published: November 2016

In this commentary, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the following incentive‐based remuneration systems in dentistry: fee‐for‐service remuneration, per capita remuneration, a mixed payment system (a combination of fee‐for‐service remuneration and per capita remuneration) and pay‐for‐performance. The two latter schemes are fairly new in dentistry. Fee‐for‐service payments secure high quality, but lead to increased costs, probably due to supplier‐induced demand. Per capita payments secure effectiveness, but may lead to under‐treatment and patient selection. A mixed payment scheme produces results somewhere between over‐ and under‐treatment. The prospective component (the per capita payment) promotes efficiency, while the retrospective component (the fee‐for‐service payment) secures high quality of the care that is provided. A pay‐for‐performance payment scheme is specifically designed towards improvements in dental health. This is done by linking provider reimbursements directly to performance indicators measuring dental health outcomes and quality of the services. Experience from general health services is that pay‐for‐performance payment has not been very successful. This is due to significant design and implementation obstacles and lack of provider acceptance. A major criticism of all the incentive‐based remuneration schemes is that they may undermine the dentists’ intrinsic motivation for performing a task. This is a crowding‐out effect, which is particularly strong when monetary incentives are introduced for care that is cognitively demanding and complex, for example as in dentistry. One way in which intrinsic motivation may not be undermined is to introduce a fixed salary component into the remuneration scheme. Dentists would then be able to choose their type of contract according to their abilities and their preferences for nonmonetary rewards as opposed to monetary rewards. If a fixed salary component cannot be introduced into the remuneration scheme, the fees should be ‘neutral’; that is, they should just cover the costs of the services provided. This is one way in which supplier‐induced demand can be limited and costs contained.
Long‐term low‐dose macrolides for chronic rhinosinusitis in adults – a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Lasso A. , Masoudian P. , Quinn J.G. , Cowan J. , Labajian V. , Bonaparte J.P. , Kilty S.
Published: November 2016

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a very common inflammatory disease that impairs quality of life and is associated with high healthcare spending. Chronic rhinosinusitis treatment commonly involves the use of intranasal corticosteroids, oral antibiotics, and surgery. Macrolides have been identified as a potential treatment option for chronic rhinosinusitis due to their immunomodulatory effects; however, the evidence supporting their use is still conflicting.

Objective

The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate new evidence along with previously reported studies of the use of macrolides in the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

Search strategy

Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS, clinicaltrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were all searched (until June 2015 Medline and EMBASE searches were updated January 2016). Randomised controlled trials comparing low‐dose macrolide antibiotics versus placebo, as an adjunct to other therapies, or low‐dose macrolide therapy alone versus other therapies were included in this review.

Evaluation method

Quality of the evidence was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Continuous outcomes were expressed as mean differences or standardised mean differences with 95% confidence interval. Data were pooled using fixed‐effects models.

Results

Nine randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Studies were classified into three distinct comparisons: Low‐dose macrolide therapy vs. placebo, low‐dose macrolide +/− nasal steroids vs. nasal steroid and low‐dose macrolides vs. other therapies. The overall quality of the evidence is low due to limitations in study design, imprecision, and indirectness.

Conclusions

Positive results were seen with the use of macrolide therapy in the postoperative period in patients with nasal polyps. A firm conclusion with respect to the effectiveness of the use of macrolides for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis cannot be reached based on the available evidence. Further study using a placebo‐controlled design evaluating the use of macrolides in clearly defined chronic rhinosinusitis populations is needed.
The contribution of theory and experiments to conservation in fragmented landscapes
Authors: Resasco Julian , Bruna Emilio M. , Haddad Nick M. , Banks‐Leite Cristina , Margules Christopher R.
Published: November 2016

The clearing and fragmentation of terrestrial ecosystems is commonly acknowledged as a major cause of the decline of biodiversity. These and other predicted responses to habitat fragmentation are derived from theory, which ecologists have tested with empirical approaches ranging from observations to experimental manipulations. These empirical approaches have also identified areas of theory in need of additional development. For example, experimental studies of fragmentation have provided insights such as the key role played by the matrix surrounding fragments, the importance of edge effects, and the impacts of corridors linking fragments with one another. Much less clear, however, is the extent to which these theoretical and empirical studies – while advancing our conceptual understanding of ecological responses to landscape change – help guide management and conservation practice. We review lessons learned from landscape‐scale fragmentation experiments and observational studies, present the results of a survey of fragmentation and conservation experts which probed for links and mismatches between fragmentation studies and conservation practice, and discuss how future studies can contribute to conservation practice. Our survey showed that respondents consider fragmentation theory and empirical studies and their findings important for guiding conservation and management practices. The survey also identified that there are disconnects between what is typically studied by fragmentation ecologists and factors that are central to the practice of biodiversity conservation, notably, community‐based human dimensions (e.g. economic, social, health issues), policy and governance, ecosystem services, eco‐evolutionary responses of species, and interaction of multiple threats to biodiversity and ecosystem processes. We discuss how these disconnects can present opportunities for experiments to continue to provide valuable recommendations for conservation practice in fragmented landscapes.
Prevalence of multimodal species abundance distributions is linked to spatial and taxonomic breadth
Authors: Antão Laura H. , Connolly Sean R. , Magurran Anne E. , Soares Amadeu , Dornelas Maria
Published: November 2016

Aim

Species abundance distributions (SADs) are a synthetic measure of biodiversity and community structure. Although typically described by unimodal logseries or lognormal distributions, empirical SADs can also exhibit multiple modes. However, we do not know how prevalent multimodality is, nor do we have an understanding of the factors leading to this pattern. Here we quantify the prevalence of multimodality in SADs across a wide range of taxa, habitats and spatial extents.

Location

Global.

Methods

We used the second‐order Akaike information criterion for small sample sizes (AICc) and likelihood ratio tests (LRTs) to test whether models with more than one mode accurately describe the empirical abundance frequency distributions of the underlying communities. We analysed 117 empirical datasets from intensely sampled communities, including taxa ranging from birds, plants, fish and invertebrates, from terrestrial, marine and freshwater habitats.

Results

We find evidence for multimodality in 14.5% of the SADs when using AICc and LRT. This is a conservative estimate, as AICc alone estimates a prevalence of multimodality of 22%. We additionally show that the pattern is more common in data encompassing broader spatial scales and greater taxonomic breadth, suggesting that multimodality increases with ecological heterogeneity.

Main conclusions

We suggest that higher levels of ecological heterogeneity, underpinned by larger spatial extent and higher taxonomic breadth, can yield multimodal SADs. Our analysis shows that multimodality occurs with a prevalence that warrants its systematic consideration when assessing SAD shape and emphasizes the need for macroecological theories to include multimodality in the range of SADs they predict.
Migration distance, ecological barriers and en‐route variation in the migratory behaviour of terrestrial bird populations
Authors: La Sorte Frank A. , Fink Daniel
Published: November 2016

Aim

Seasonal migration is a common strategy used by terrestrial birds that breed in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence suggests that long‐distance migrants have limited flexibility in migratory behaviour during the onset of migration but greater flexibility during the migration journey. Here, we examine how two geographical factors are correlated with en‐route flexibility. Due to stronger time‐selection pressures, we expected species with longer migration distances to have greater en‐route variation, that increases when large ecological barriers to migration are present.

Location

Western Hemisphere.

Methods

We estimated annual population‐level migration trajectories for 55 terrestrial bird species over 7 years (2009–15) based on occurrence information from eBird. We calculated migration speed and annual variation in migration speed, timing and location. We examined these metrics as a function of migration distance for species in the eastern (n = 41) and western (n = 14) migration flyways. The eastern flyway contains two large ecological barriers to migration, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Results

Spring migration speeds exceeded autumn migration speeds in both flyways. Migration speeds were faster in the eastern flyway during both seasons. Annual variation in migration speed increased as migration distances increased in both flyways during both seasons. Annual variation in migration timing and location increased as migration distance increased in the eastern flyway during both seasons. In the western flyway, annual variation in migration timing and location increased as migration distance increased, but only during the autumn migration.

Main conclusions

Increasing time‐selection pressures related to migration distance and ecological barriers were associated with greater en‐route variation in migratory behaviour. Variation in migration speed was most consistently associated with variation in migratory behaviour, whereas variation in migration timing and location differed by season and was strongest when large ecological barriers were present. Our results suggest that the capacity to respond to environmental variation during migration increases as migration distances increase.
On asymmetric Bertrand duopoly with price uncertainty
Authors: Kamiński Bogumił , Łatek Maciej
Published: November 2016

We examine a market where consumers are compelled to rely on noisy price signals to choose among homogeneous products. The noise originates from price uncertainty due, for example, to an unknown currency exchange rate used in a transaction, or demand uncertainty due to consumers’ not being sure of the structure of their future demand. Standard theoretical models and empirical research of markets with noisy prices show that they are detrimental to consumers’ welfare. This paper identifies conditions under which opposite results can be obtained. In particular, it shows that in a market with a cost leader moderate noise levels can be beneficial to consumers’ welfare.
Endogenous timing under price competition and unions
Authors: Fanti Luciano
Published: November 2016

We investigate the endogenous order of moves in a duopoly under price competition with a unionized labor market. We show that the established results are not robust to the presence of unions. We find that when product substitutability is sufficiently high and unions are sufficiently wage‐interested the sub‐perfect equilibrium is the simultaneous choice of prices by firms (in sharp contrast to the received literature) and, moreover, the well‐known result that in price games there is always a preference for being a follower no longer holds true under unionization.
Acceptability and use of coercive methods across differing service configurations with and without seclusion and/or psychiatric intensive care units
Authors: Pettit Sophie A. , Bowers Len , Tulloch Alex , Cullen Alexis E. , Moylan Lois Biggin , Sethi Faisil , McCrone Paul , Baker John , Quirk Alan , Stewart Duncan
Published: November 2016

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare across different service configurations the acceptability of containment methods to acute ward staff and the speed of initiation of manual restraint.

Background

One of the primary remits of acute inpatient psychiatric care is the reduction in risks. Where risks are higher than normal, patients can be transferred to a psychiatric intensive care unit or placed in seclusion. The abolition or reduction in these two containment methods in some hospitals may trigger compensatory increases in other forms of containment which have potential risks. How staff members manage risk without access to these facilities has not been systematically studied.

Design

The study applied a cross‐sectional design.

Methods

Data were collected from 207 staff at eight hospital sites in England between 2013 ‐ 2014. Participants completed two measures; the first assessing the acceptability of different forms of containment for disturbed behaviour and the second assessing decision‐making in relation to the need for manual restraint of an aggressive patient.

Results

In service configurations with access to seclusion, staff rated seclusion as more acceptable and reported greater use of it. Psychiatric intensive care unit acceptability and use were not associated with its provision. Where there was no access to seclusion, staff were slower to initiate restraint. There was no relationship between acceptability of manual restraint and its initiation.

Conclusion

Tolerance of higher risk before initiating restraint was evident in wards without seclusion units. Ease of access to psychiatric intensive care units makes little difference to restraint thresholds or judgements of containment acceptability.
Autonomy, Respect, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Crisis
Authors: Burch Matthew
Published: November 2016

Article 12(2) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantees persons with disabilities ‘the right to legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life.’ In its General Comment on Article 12, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities claims that this guarantee necessitates the abolition of the world's dominant approach to mental capacity law. According to this approach, when a person lacks the mental capacity to make a particular legal decision at the material time, the state authorises a third‐party to make it on her behalf. The Committee declares such substituted decision‐making a violation of the Convention's guarantee of legal capacity on an equal basis, and therefore demands it be replaced by an allegedly non‐discriminatory alternative called supported decision‐making. This article argues that we should reject the Committee's demand in its current form, because the most influential version of the new approach to supported decision‐making suffers from serious conceptual flaws that make it inferior to the mental capacity approach. However, I then argue that the Committee's demand stems from a legitimate ethical concern with respect and equality that ought to inform the CRPD's implementation process.
The Transfer and Delegation of Responsibilities for Genetic Offspring in Gamete Provision
Authors: Brandt Reuven
Published: November 2016

In this article I reject the claim that the responsibilities acquired by gamete providers can be transferred to their biological children's intending parents. I defend this position by first showing that arguments in defence of the transferability of responsibilities in gamete provision cases fail to distinguish between the transfer and delegation of responsibility. I then provide an argument against the transferability of responsibilities in gamete provision cases that differs from the ones offered by James Lindemann Nelson and Rivka Weinberg. Though I conclude that gamete providers have inalienable responsibilities towards their biological offspring, I note that the precise ethical and policy implications this has for gamete provision remain somewhat unclear.
First genetic assessment of the level of endemism in the avifauna of the Central Sierras in southern South America
Authors: Bukowski Belén , Lavinia Pablo D. , Trujillo‐Arias Natalia , Kopuchian Cecilia , Tubaro Pablo L. , Lijtmaer Darío A.
Published: November 2016

The Andes constitute one of the main factors that have promoted diversification in the Neotropics. However, the role of other highland regions in the southern cone of South America has been barely studied. We analyzed the level of endemism in the avifauna of the Central Sierras in Córdoba, a high region in central Argentina, to evaluate the effect of its geographic isolation from the Andes. There are 11 species with endemic subspecies in this region, all of them described based only on differences in morphology (mainly plumage color) with no genetic evidence. We performed the first genetic analyses of seven of these species using mitochondrial DNA obtained from fresh tissue and toe pad samples. Our results show that for three of these species, Catamenia inornata, Phrygilus unicolor and Cinclodes atacamensis, the population in the Central Sierras is clearly differentiated from those of other regions, and the first two of them also show divergence among Andean subspecies. In the remaining species we found a varying degree of differentiation, ranging from a small divergence in Muscisaxicola rufivertex to the presence of different haplotypes but with an apparent lack of phylogeographic structure in Phrygilus plebejus and Sturnella loyca (being the latter the only species with a continuous distribution between the Central Sierras and the Andes) to haplotype sharing in Asthenes modesta. While further analyses including additional markers, morphological characters and vocalizations are needed, our results show that some of the species that have disjunct distributions, with a population in the Central Sierras isolated geographically from the Andes, possess distinct genetic lineages in the Central Sierras that suggest an evolutionary isolation from other populations. These findings highlight the importance of montane regions in general, and the Central Sierras in particular, as drivers of diversification in the Neotropics.