bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An empirical model of marketing strategy and shareholder value
Authors: Akroush Mamoun N.
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine an empirical model of marketing strategy and shareholder value through customer satisfaction and financial performance by using a value‐based marketing approach on organisations listed in Amman Stock Exchange Market operating in Jordan.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative methodology was employed through conducting two surveys targeting Jordanian organisations' marketing managers and their customers as well as utilising hard measures for financial performance and shareholder value data analysis. A total of 218 marketing managers were involved in the managers' survey and 1,200 customers were involved in the customers' satisfaction survey. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the research constructs dimensions, unidimensionality, validity and composite reliability. Structural path model analysis was also used to test the hypothesised research model.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that external and internal marketing orientations (IMOs) exerted a positive and significant effect on marketing strategy components, namely: product, price, promotion and distribution strategies. Marketing strategy components exerted a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. The findings also indicate that product and price strategies are the strongest drivers of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on financial performance. More importantly, financial performance has a strong positive contribution to shareholder value measured by market value added and earning per share.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical research paper that has investigated a model of marketing strategy and shareholder value through customer satisfaction and financial performance especially in developing countries, e.g. Jordan. This research offered executives and marketing directors empirical evidence on drivers of shareholder value maximisation and how to enhance marketing's strategic influence on strategic decisions which were not available to them before.
Consumer‐oriented CSR communication: focusing on ability or morality?
Authors: Schmeltz Line
Published: January 2012

Purpose

This article aims to investigate young people's opinions and attitudes towards companies' engagement and communication about corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a survey designed to uncover the underlying attitudes and values guiding young consumers' perception and evaluation of companies' engagement in and communication about CSR. The respondents are Danish students enrolled in eight different types of further or higher education.

Findings

The survey shows that consumers are interested in and expect more explicit CSR communication than currently assumed by corporations and academics alike. They favour communication that is personally relevant and factually based, and consumer scepticism is not as high as suggested by current literature. The findings reflect that the value system guiding CSR evaluation and perception is not based on moral aspects and social, society‐centred values. On the contrary, consumers' focus tends to be on competence and personal, self‐centred values, which has implications for the challenge of communicating CSR.

Practical implications

The findings provide new insights that can inform corporations in their planning and execution of CSR communication aimed at young consumers.

Originality/value

This paper provides empirical evidence that corporations communicating CSR should have a much more externally oriented and explicit approach focusing on competence and self‐centred values instead of on morality and society‐centred values. This will allow them to create a healthy balance between what they can offer and what consumers demand.
Evidence‐based inpatient handovers: a literature review and research agenda
Authors: Scott Philip , Ross Penny , Prytherch Deborah
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The objective of this review is to address two research questions: What is evidence‐based best practice for intra‐hospital inpatient handovers? What areas need further research? The paper aims to take a particular interest in the interpersonal skills involved in successful handover, theoretically‐based approaches to implementing improvements in handovers, and whether there is sufficient data to construct an evaluation methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of a narrative synthesis based on search of PubMed, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library.

Findings

A total of 82 papers, comprising 29 implementation studies, 13 conceptual models or improvement methods, five subject reviews and 35 background papers were identified. None of the studies met the normal parameters of evidence‐based medicine, but this is unsurprising for a complex healthcare service intervention.

Research limitations/implications

Those papers published in English between 2000 and July 2010 that were indexed in CINAHL, Medline or the Cochrane Library or found opportunistically were the only ones to be reviewed. The authors did not search any grey literature or hand‐search any journals.

Practical implications

The evidence is sufficient to justify widespread adoption of the guiding principles for inpatient handover best practice, provided that concurrent evaluation is also undertaken.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive review published in the peer‐reviewed literature that examines the evidence base for the practice of inpatient handovers across healthcare professions and specialties.
Clinical audits by trainee doctors: obstacles and solutions
Authors: Garg Deepak , Singhal Ankush , Neelam Kishen
Published: January 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate trainee doctors' experience of clinical audits and to explore solutions for identified problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Psychiatry trainees from all the deaneries in the UK were invited to participate in a semi‐qualitative online survey. It focused on estimating the quantity and quality of the clinical audits done by the trainees, exploring their experience and possible solutions for identified problems. Descriptive statistics and framework analysis were used to analyse the data.

Findings

A total of 2,267 audits were carried out by 504 respondents. Of the respondents, 42 per cent completed at least one audit‐cycle. Nearly half of the audits were presented locally and 37 per cent were submitted to the local audit departments. Recommendations from two‐thirds of all the audits went unnoticed because of inadequate dissemination and implementation. Suggestions for improvement included: formal training, participation by non‐medical colleagues, emphasis on quality of audits rather than quantity, and better co‐ordination by audit departments.

Practical implications

Trainees identify that local audits do not result in service improvement. Suggested changes may lead to improved effectiveness of the local clinical audit programmes.

Originality/value

Audit activities by the trainee doctors lay the foundation of their involvement in clinical governance later on. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to capture the clinical audit activities by the trainee doctors at the national level in the UK.
Playing around an oxymoron: international business with a human face
Authors: Zanfei Antonello
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to discuss the apparent paradox that multinational firms may and sometimes do pursue social benefits as their main objective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the grey area that lays between some consolidated analytical concepts, namely: spillovers, corporate responsibility, social cooperation and non‐governmental organizations. It is in this grey area that “social multinationals” can be placed and examined. Scattered evidence is provided to illustrate the emergence of this relatively new phenomenon.

Findings

There are weak signals that the “social multinational” is a viable institutional innovation. The economic rationale is mainly represented by what could be defined in Smithian terms as the “selfless component of self‐interest”, combined with the ex ante and ex post advantages associated to multinationality. Institutional and technological transformations have created opportunities for the emergence of this phenomenon over the past three decades. However, there is a need for specifically designed policies to reinforce this relatively new trend in international business.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a new analytical category and draws insights on its potential implications for welfare, poverty reduction and economic development.
The linkage between HRM, CSR and performance outcomes
Authors: Bučiūnienė Ilona , Kazlauskaitė Rūta
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look into the current corporate social responsibility (CSR) and human resource management (HRM) developments in Lithuania and to study the relationship between CSR, HRM and organisational performance outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 119 medium and large‐sized organisations (over 100 employees) in Lithuania was conducted to study CSR and HRM implementation in the country and to test the relationship between CSR, HRM and organisational performance outcomes.

Findings

In total, 78.1 per cent of the respondent organisations have a written or unwritten HR strategy. Only 38.8 per cent have a CSR statement, but more than half of respondent organisations have a code of ethics, corporate values statement and diversity statement (respectively 65.4, 63.0 and 53.1 per cent). Research findings show that there is a linkage between HRM, CSR and performance outcomes – organisations with more developed HRM, i.e. those where HRM performs a strategic role and the HR function performance is evaluated, have better developed CSR policies. The latter were found to have an impact on organisational and financial performance outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The study is built on the Cranet survey data, therefore not all CSR‐related HRM practices are analysed. Due to a limited number of organisations using CSR‐related HRM practices, the statistical analysis fails to determine statistically significant relationships between the usage of those practices, the level of CSR development and performance outcomes.

Practical implications

Organisations that are socially responsible and follow a strategic approach to HRM exhibit better performance outcomes, profitability in particular.

Originality/value

The paper confirms the existence of the HRM‐CSR‐performance linkage, i.e. organisations with better developed HRM, where HR plays a more strategic role and its performance is more evaluated, also have more developed formal CSR policies, which in turn has a positive impact on organisational and financial performance outcomes.
Exploring leadership effectiveness: nurses as clinical leaders in the NHS
Authors: Willcocks Stephen George
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore leadership effectiveness, with reference to nurses in the UK National Health Service (NHS).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is literature based. It explores the history and policy background to nurse leadership. It reviews a range of approaches to leadership and applies the theoretical findings to the case study of nurse leaders

Findings

The paper suggests there are several inter‐related aspects to consider in relation to developing the effectiveness of nurse leaders – these may be grouped around: developing core competencies; developing emotional intelligence; developing readiness and motivation; developing contextual sensitivity; and developing clinical innovation and change.

Practical implications

The paper discusses the implications of the findings for the leadership development of nurses and makes recommendations.

Originality/value

The paper attempts to incorporate the insights from a variety of different approaches to leadership and apply them to nurse leaders in the UK NHS.
Development and validation of patient satisfaction instrument
Authors: Hazilah Abd Manaf Noor , Mohd Dinon , Abdullah Kalthom
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Patient satisfaction of healthcare organisation is often used as a measure of organisational efficiency. However, there is a need for valid and reliable instruments to be used in order to ensure that the findings are accurate. This paper aims to explore the development and validation of an outpatient satisfaction instrument, with emphasis on the service of the attending physician.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty‐six items on service of the attending physician and registration service were developed for the instrument based on earlier published research. The instrument was applied to a cross‐sectional study and data collected were factor analysed to ascertain construct validity, while reliability was established by assessing the internal consistency.

Findings

The instrument was found to establish excellent reliability with Cronbach's alpha 0.975, and two factors, “service of doctors” and “registration service”, were extracted from the factor analysis.

Research limitations/implications

A valid and reliable instrument on the service of the attending physician and the registration encounter prior to consultation was established. The instrument does not measure other outpatient services such as laboratory services, which could be considered for future research.

Practical implications

The patient satisfaction instrument can be used by healthcare organisations in other settings due to its strong psychometric properties.

Originality/value

Patient satisfaction studies are often used by healthcare organisations for service improvements and the instrument developed from this research will enable healthcare organisations to improve their service based on reliable and valid findings.
The effect of off‐farm employment on the decisions of households to rent out and rent in cultivated land in China
Authors: Huang Jikun , Gao Liangliang , Rozelle Scott
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Developing nations need good cultivated land rental markets to foster rational resource use and to enhance productivity and equity. Can cultivated land rental markets emerge in the face of rapidly developing off‐farm labor markets? The purpose of this paper is to measure the correlation between the emergence of off‐farm employment and cultivated land rental in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a panel data from 2000 and 2008, the authors constructed econometric models to identify the impact of off‐farm employment on the decisions of households to rent out and rent in cultivated land.

Findings

This paper finds that the emergence of off‐farm employment has significant and positive impacts on stimulating household to rent out cultivated land. The effect is less prominent for renting‐in decisions.

Originality/value

The paper empirically estimates the impacts of off‐farm employment on cultivated land rent markets based on a unique panel data set from a national representative sample.
Nonlinear investigations of China's agricultural transformation based on the structural break regime switching model
Authors: Lu Jie , Hu Angang , Yan Yilong
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Investigating the characteristics of the transformation of China's agricultural growth and the institutional reforms during the whole transition period in the 1980s will help to understand China's economic and agricultural reform and offer some successful experiences to other developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to answer the following questions: Has China's agricultural output experienced a structural break toward a more stable state? When did the break point happen? What factors did play key roles during the transformation?

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies the nonlinear structural break regime switching analysis which includes two different models: one with the structural break only in the variance and one with the structural break in both shift parameters and the variance.

Findings

The empirical results showed that it took five years for agricultural development in China to finish the reform that began in 1980. The agricultural growth had become more stable after the break point which was around 1985‐1986. Both the primary industry and agricultural sector had transformed from a “low growth rate, high volatility” state to a “high growth rate, low volatility” state. Among the different driving factors, the Household Responsibility System (HRS) and preferential policies for agricultural products played the most important roles in the early stage of the economic reform.

Originality/value

The authors first study the structural break of China's agricultural output by the regime switching model. From the empirical results, the structural break point was determined to be around 1985‐1986, after which China's agricultural output had become more stable.
Technology, factor endowments, and China's agricultural foreign trade: a neoclassical approach
Authors: Li Xilin
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the determination of China's agricultural foreign trade pattern since the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession.

Design/methodology/approach

The neoclassical trade theory indicates that differences in both technology levels and factor endowments can explain the international trade pattern. In terms of a neoclassical framework based on the restricted profit function, this paper employs the province‐level panel data to investigate whether China's agricultural foreign trade pattern is consistent with the neoclassical explanation.

Findings

The findings indicate that China's agricultural foreign trade pattern is evidently characterized by regional specific features. In the eastern region, agricultural foreign trade pattern is jointly determined by differences in technology levels and factor endowments. Agricultural foreign trade patterns are driven in the central and western regions by land and capital endowments, respectively. The findings also imply that the utilization of comparative advantage in China's agriculture needs to be exploited further.

Originality/value

As far as the author knows, this paper is the first to apply the neoclassical framework based on the restricted profit function and employ the province‐level panel data to investigate the determination of China's agricultural foreign trade pattern.
Viewpoint: were the riots political?
Authors: Angel Harry
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The plethora of popular and social scientific accounts of the English riots of August 2011 have not only failed to distinguish between the events that “triggered” the initial disturbances and the underlying conditions which gave them impetus, they have also ignored the reality that while rioters may be apolitical, rioting is an inherently political phenomenon. This article endeavours to contextualize the riots by plotting the probabilistic connections between the trigger event and the underlying conditions which brought the riots to fruition.

Design/methodology/approach

Throughout, the article utilizes the form of the “essai” (essay) developed originally by Michel de Montaigne from 1580, which endeavours to link ideas in logical and original ways. The article draws upon recent research concerning the relationship between governmental austerity and social disorder and assesses whether, and to what extent, Durkheim's notion of anomie, Habermas's notion of “legitimation crises” and the idea at the heart of the Marxist dialect, of the transformation of quantity into quality have any explanatory power vis‐à‐vis the English riots of August 2011.

Findings

The article suggests that the riots should be understood and responded to as illustrations of crises in economic and political relations rather than simple problems of morality, culture, and the efficiency, or otherwise, of the criminal justice apparatus.

Originality/value

This paper could promote a more thoughtful debate.
Rotis not Riots: a feminist dialogue on the riots and their aftermath
Authors: Kelly Liz , Gill Aisha K.
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The “Rotis not Riots” group is an online discussion forum formed during the August 2011 riots in England to facilitate feminist dialogue aimed at making sense of these unprecedented events.

Design/methodology/approach

The founders use roti (a type of unleavened bread) as a symbol to focus attention on the importance of sharing different perspectives. This reflective paper draws on the group's exchanges, exploring: the complexity of the ways in which gender intersects with the riots and their aftermath; the role of consumerism and race; the ways in which the media has framed the riots in news stories; and the ways in which criminal justice system responses have been received by both the media and the general public.

Findings

The paper concludes by examining some of the group's ideas about how Britain might move forwards through responses that are constructive rather than punitive, aimed at ensuring that all citizens feel they have a stake in both their local community and British society as a whole.

Originality/value

The focus of this paper is on fostering positive collective action and dialogue that involves people of all ages and backgrounds.
Capital regulation, monetary policy and asymmetric effects of commercial banks' efficiency
Authors: Li Yong , Wang Mancang
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Owing to the importance of the efficiency of commercial banks, the aim of this paper is to find the relationship between capital regulation, monetary policy and the asymmetric effects of the commercial banks' efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the paper makes a static profit model of commercial banks with double constraints and then makes a proposition with numeric simulation.

Findings

In this paper, the author finds it unreasonable to calculate the commercial banks' cost and profit efficiency by SFA (DEA) directly, as there is no evidence that indicates the linearity relationship among them. Hence, more complicated solutions should be introduced.

Research limitations/implications

The rate of non‐performing loans (NPL) is inversely proportional to the commercial banks' cost and profit efficiency and capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and statutory reserve ratio (SRR) show a nonlinear relationship between commercial banks' cost and profit efficiency. Hence, the paper defines the different influences of commercial banks' efficiency imposed by CAR and SRR as the asymmetric effects of commercial banks' efficiency.

Practical implications

The nonlinear relationship is found based on improved Kopecky and VanHoose, so excessive regulation has harmful effects on the commercial banks. The reasonable capital regulation and other prudential supervision measures should be emphasized.

Originality/value

First, the paper gets its proposition through the improved KV model, which displays a new perception on analyzing this problem. Second, the nonlinear relationship is discovered by this new model and the empirical results show the nonlinear relationship further.
Twenty years of invasion: a review of round gobyNeogobius melanostomusbiology, spread and ecological implications
Authors: Kornis M. S. , Mercado‐Silva N. , Vander Zanden M. J.
Published: January 2012

The round gobyNeogobius melanostomusis one of the most wide‐ranging invasive fish on earth, with substantial introduced populations within the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed, the Baltic Sea and several major European rivers. Rapid expansion and deleterious ecosystem effects have motivated extensive research on this species; here this research is synthesized. Maps of the global distribution are provided and the invasion history ofN. melanostomus, which spread more rapidly at first in North America, but has undergone substantial expansion over the past decade in the Baltic Sea, is summarized. Meta‐analyses comparing their size at age, diet, competitors and predators in North American and European ecosystems are provided. Size at age is region specific, with saline habitats typically supporting larger and faster growing individuals than fresh water.Neogobius melanostomusprey differs substantially between regions, demonstrating a capacity to adapt to locally abundant food sources.Neogobius melanostomuscomprise at least 50% of the diet of eight taxa in at least one site or life stage; in total, 16 predator taxa are documented from the Laurentian Great Lakesv.five from Eurasia. InvasiveN. melanostomusare the only common forage fish to heavily exploit mussels in the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Baltic Sea, facilitating the transfer of energy from mussels to higher trophic levels in both systems.Neogobius melanostomusmorphology, life history, reproduction, habitat preferences, environmental tolerances, parasites, environmental effects, sampling strategies and management are also discussed.Neogobius melanostomusinhabit a wide range of temperate freshwater and brackish‐water ecosystems and will probably continue to spreadviaballast water, accidental bait release and natural dispersal worldwide. Climate change will probably enhanceN. melanostomusexpansion by elevating water temperatures closer to its energetic optimum of 26° C. Future research needs are presented; most pressing are evaluating the economic effects ofN. melanostomusinvasion, determining long‐term population level effects of egg predation on game‐fish recruitment and comparing several variables (density, ecological effects morphology and life history) among invaded ecosystems. This review provides a central reference as researchers continue studyingN. melanostomus, often as examples for advancing basic ecology and invasion biology.
Using maximum heart rate as a rapid screening tool to determine optimum temperature for aerobic scope in Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp.
Authors: Casselman M. T. , Anttila K. , Farrell A. P.
Published: January 2012

The mean ±s.e. optimum temperature (Topt) for aerobic scope in juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch was determined to be 17·0 ± 0·7° C. The repeated measures protocol took 3 weeks to complete the Topt determination using 12 fish tested at five temperatures separated by 2° C increments. This experiment also demonstrated that the Topt was associated with maximum heart rate (fH) failing to maintain a Q10‐related increase with temperature. When maximum fH was produced in anaesthetized fish with pharmacological stimulation and fH measured from electrocardiogram recordings during acute warming, the Arrhenius break temperature (ABT) for Q10 discontinuities in maximum fH (mean ±s.e. = 17·1 ± 0·5° C for 15 ppm clove oil and 16·5 ± 0·2° C for 50 ppm MS‐222) was statistically indistinguishable from the Topt measured using aerobic scope. Such a determination took only 3 days rather than 3 weeks. Therefore, it is proposed that determining ABT for discontinuities in maximum fH in anaesthetized fish presents itself as a valuable, high‐throughput screening tool to assess Topt in fishes, a metric that has become recognized as being extremely valuable in fish biology and fisheries management.
Migratory patterns of exotic brown troutSalmo truttain south‐western Hokkaido, Japan, on the basis of otolith Sr:Ca ratios and acoustic telemetry
Authors: Honda K. , Arai T. , Kobayashi S. , Tsuda Y. , Miyashita K.
Published: January 2012

Acoustic telemetry and microchemical analysis of otolith strontium–calcium ratios were used to evaluate how exotic brown troutSalmo truttahave responded to Japanese riverine environments of south‐western Hokkaido by observing their migratory patterns. The existence of anadromousS. truttawas also verified. MostS. truttacaught in rivers for otolith analysis were freshwater residents (95·6%), whereas those caught in the sea were mainly smolts (91·3%), which had just migrated from rivers during spring. AnadromousS. trutta(n= 6) were captured in rivers and in the sea, confirming the existence of mature pre‐ and post‐spawning fish. According to telemetry results, both mature and immatureS. truttaused the river in winter, and their estimated sea‐run timings showed individual differences. Through the combination of these two methods, migratory patterns on various spatio‐temporal scales were observed. This first documentation of the presence of both male and female anadromousS. truttain the same region within Japan indicated the risk of further colonization of exoticS. trutta viaoceanic migration.
Population structure of the black seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus along the south‐west Portuguese coast inferred from otolith chemistry
Authors: Correia A. T. , Gomes P. , Gonçalves J. M. S. , Erzini K. , Hamer P. A.
Published: January 2012

The chemistry of black seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus otoliths from three main fishery grounds (Olhão, Sagres and Sesimbra) located along c. 400 km of the Portuguese south and west coasts was examined. Element:Ca ratios were determined in whole otoliths and otolith cores of young adult specimens of 2–3 years of age. Using the data from whole otoliths, it was possible to discriminate among S. cantharus from the three fishing grounds with an average accuracy of 91%. Differences among fishing grounds were significant for all element:Ca ratios, and otoliths from Sagres had significantly higher levels of all ratios compared to the other fishing grounds. In contrast, the chemical composition of the otolith core, representative of the larval stage, showed limited variation among the fishing grounds, with an average discrimination accuracy of only 44%, although the Mg:Ca ratio of the otolith cores was also significantly higher for the Sagres samples. The data suggest that larval stages experienced a homogenous environment consistent with an offshore oceanic spawning. Juveniles appeared to display local residency on the inshore fishing grounds, areas probably characterized by greater environmental heterogeneity. Spondyliosoma cantharus population structure is consistent with distinct local population units that share a spawning ground providing recruits to different coastal fishery areas.
Are phenotypic traits useful for differentiating among a priori Coregonus taxa?
Authors: Etheridge E. C. , Adams C. E. , Bean C. W. , Durie N. C. , Gowans A. R. D. , Harrod C. , Lyle A. A. , Maitland P. S. , Winfield I. J.
Published: January 2012

A key for three putative species apparently found in three geographic areas, i.e. Coregonus clupeoides (in Scotland), Coregonus stigmaticus (in England), and Coregonus pennantii (in Wales) given in a recent review was tested quantitatively using 544 individuals from nine populations. The classification success of the key was very low (27%). It was concluded that there is currently no robust evidence for the recognition of the three putative species. Furthermore, the use of phenotypic characters alone to distinguish putative species in postglacial fish species such as those of the genus Coregonus that show homoplasy in many of these traits is questioned. In the absence of further evidence, it was concluded that a single highly variable species best describes the pattern of phenotypic variation in these U.K. populations. On this basis it is argued that taxonomic subdivision of U.K. European coregonids is inappropriate and that Coregonus lavaretus should prevail as the species name applicable to all populations.
Caught in the Cross Fire: Children’s Right to Education During Conflict — The Case of Nepal 1996–2006
Authors: Parker Sara , Standing Kay , Pant Bijan
Published: January 2012

The article focuses on the impact on children, schools and education during the 10 year conflict in Nepal and raises questions for further research on schooling in the post‐conflict era. The article is based on research undertaken as part of a British Council funded Higher Education Link. Focus group discussions and interviews were conducted with school children, parents, teachers and community leaders between 2004 and 2006 and draws on informal discussions and observations with NGOs and teachers in the post‐conflict period, including NGOs visual methods to enable children’s voices to be heard in the peace process.
Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and storage throughout the soil profile in a sweetgum plantation after 11 years of CO2‐enrichment
Authors: Iversen Colleen M. , Keller Jason K. , Garten Charles T. , Norby Richard J.
Published: January 2012

Increased partitioning of carbon (C) to fine roots under elevated [CO2], especially deep in the soil profile, could alter soil C and nitrogen (N) cycling in forests. After more than 11 years of free‐air CO2 enrichment in a Liquidambar styraciflua L. (sweetgum) plantation in Oak Ridge, TN, USA, greater inputs of fine roots resulted in the incorporation of new C (i.e., C with a depleted δ13C) into root‐derived particulate organic matter (POM) pools to 90‐cm depth. Even though production in the sweetgum stand was limited by soil N availability, soil C and N contents were greater throughout the soil profile under elevated [CO2] at the conclusion of the experiment. Greater C inputs from fine‐root detritus under elevated [CO2] did not result in increased net N immobilization or C mineralization rates in long‐term laboratory incubations, possibly because microbial biomass was lower in the CO2‐enriched plots. Furthermore, the δ13CO2 of the C mineralized from the incubated soil closely tracked the δ13C of the labile POM pool in the elevated [CO2] treatment, especially in shallower soil, and did not indicate significant priming of the decomposition of pre‐experiment soil organic matter (SOM). Although potential C mineralization rates were positively and linearly related to total SOM C content in the top 30 cm of soil, this relationship did not hold in deeper soil. Taken together with an increased mean residence time of C in deeper soil pools, these findings indicate that C inputs from relatively deep roots under elevated [CO2] may increase the potential for long‐term soil C storage. However, C in deeper soil is likely to take many years to accrue to a significant fraction of total soil C given relatively smaller root inputs at depth. Expanded representation of biogeochemical cycling throughout the soil profile may improve model projections of future forest responses to rising atmospheric [CO2].
Cyclic fatigue of Reciproc and WaveOne reciprocating instruments
Authors: Plotino G. , Grande N. M. , Testarelli L. , Gambarini G.
Published: January 2012

Plotino G, Grande NM, Testarelli L, Gambarini G. Cyclic fatigue of Reciproc and WaveOne reciprocating instruments. International Endodontic Journal, 45, 614–618, 2012.

Aim  To evaluate the cyclic fatigue resistance of Reciproc® and WaveOne® instruments in simulated root canals.

Methodology  Two groups of 15 NiTi endodontic instruments of identical tip size of 0.25 mm were tested, group A; Reciproc® R25 and group B: WaveOne® primary. Cyclic fatigue testing was performed in a stainless steel artificial canal manufactured by reproducing the instrument’s size and taper. A simulated root canal with a 60° angle of curvature and 5‐mm radius of curvature was constructed for both the instruments tested. The centre of the curvature was 5 mm from the tip of the instrument and the curved segment of the canal was approximately 5 mm in length. The Reciproc® instruments were activated using the preset programme specific for the Reciproc® instruments, whilst the WaveOne® instruments were activated using the preset programme specific for the WaveOne® instruments. All instruments were rotated until fracture occurred and the time to fracture (TtF) and the length of the fractured tip were recorded and registered. Means and standard deviations of TtF and fragment length were calculated for each system and data were subjected to Student’s t‐test (P < 0.05).

Results  A statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) was noted between Reciproc® and WaveOne® instruments. Reciproc® R25 instruments were associated with a significant increase in the mean time to fracture when compared with primary WaveOne® instruments (130.8 ± 18.4 vs. 97.8 ± 15.9 s). There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the mean length of the fractured fragments between the instruments.

Conclusions  Reciproc® instruments were associated with a significantly higher cyclic fatigue resistance than WaveOne® instruments.
The upregulation of tumour necrosis factor‐α and surface antigens expression on macrophages by bisphenol A‐glycidyl‐methacrylate
Authors: Kuan Y.‐H. , Li Y.‐C. , Huang F.‐M. , Chang Y.‐C.
Published: January 2012

Kuan Y‐H, Li Y‐C, Huang F‐M, Chang Y‐C. The upregulation of tumour necrosis factor‐α and surface antigens expression on macrophages by bisphenol A‐glycidyl‐methacrylate. International Endodontic Journal, 45, 619–626, 2012.

Aim  To evaluate the expression of tumour necrosis factor‐α and surface antigens by bisphenol A‐glycidyl‐methacrylate (BisGMA) on murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7.

Methodology  Cytotoxicity was measured by tetrazolium bromide reduction assay. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α was analysed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Cell surface antigens were investigated by flowcytometry. Statistical analyses were performed using anova followed by the Bonferroni’s t‐test for multigroup comparisons.

Results  BisGMA exhibited cytotoxicity to RAW264.7 in a dose‐dependent manner (P < 0.05) during 2‐h incubation period. BisGMA was found to increase TNF‐α secretion in a dose‐dependent manner (P < 0.05). In addition, CD11, CD14, CD45, CD54, CD40, CD80, and MHC II were significantly stimulated by BisGMA in a dose‐dependent manner (P < 0.05). However, MHC I expression was not affected by BisGMA (P > 0.05).

Conclusions  Taken together, the ability of macrophages to induce an appropriate immune response when exposed to BisGMA has the potential to upregulate TNF‐α production and expression of surface antigens.
Quantitative analysis of compensatory and catch‐up growth in diverse taxa
Authors: Hector Katie L. , Nakagawa Shinichi
Published: January 2012

1. ‘Compensatory growth’ and ‘catch‐up growth’ are often used interchangeably to describe the faster than optimal growth that occurs following a period of dietary restriction in the development of many animals. Concerns about the statistical analysis of these studies have drawn attention to the risk of false detection in reports of compensatory and catch‐up growth.

2. This study aims to quantify the degree to which these compensatory responses occur across the animal kingdom. In addition, this study distinguishes the two terms, ‘compensatory growth’ and ‘catch‐up growth’, to clarify the fitness consequences of rapid growth. Compensatory growth refers to a faster than usual growth rate, while catch‐up growth implies attainment of control size.

3. Eight meta‐analyses and meta‐regression analyses were conducted on data extracted from 88 papers, including 11 taxonomic classes. The results confirmed that both growth tactics (i.e. compensatory and catch‐up growth) occur across a wide range of taxa and result in decreased direct fitness components.

4. Importantly, the meta‐analytic methods used made it possible to identify the specific experimental techniques that most successfully promoted rapid growth after restriction and key differences in the responses of the four major groups (mammals, birds, fish and arthropods) to dietary restriction. Endotherms are more likely to show a compensatory growth response because of their determinate growth; in contrast, the indeterminate and saltatory growth tactics of fish and arthropods reduce the pressure to rapidly achieve a large size.

5. Among the first meta‐analyses to be conducted in this field, this study provides valuable support for the premises of compensatory and catch‐up growth and also discusses weaknesses in experimental design, and possible solutions, in compensatory growth research. For example, we recommend conducting the experiment within the most linear phase of an animal’s growth to avoid analytical complications arising from size‐dependent growth, and our results indicate that dietary dilution more closely resembles quantitative restriction than clutch size and intermittent feeding restriction methods when normal quantitative restriction is not possible.
Benefiting from a migratory prey: spatio‐temporal patterns in allochthonous subsidization of an arctic predator
Authors: Giroux Marie‐Andrée , Berteaux Dominique , Lecomte Nicolas , Gauthier Gilles , Szor Guillaume , Bêty Joël
Published: January 2012

1. Flows of nutrients and energy across ecosystem boundaries have the potential to subsidize consumer populations and modify the dynamics of food webs, but how spatio‐temporal variations in autochthonous and allochthonous resources affect consumers’ subsidization remains largely unexplored.

2. We studied spatio‐temporal patterns in the allochthonous subsidization of a predator living in a relatively simple ecosystem. We worked on Bylot Island (Nunavut, Canada), where arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopusL.) feed preferentially on lemmings (Lemmus trimucronatusandDicrostonyx groenlandicusTraill), and alternatively on colonial greater snow geese (Anser caerulescens atlanticusL.). Geese migrate annually from their wintering grounds (where they feed on farmlands and marshes) to the Canadian Arctic, thus generating a strong flow of nutrients and energy across ecosystem boundaries.

3. We examined the influence of spatial variations in availability of geese on the diet of fox cubs (2003–2005) and on fox reproductive output (1996–2005) during different phases of the lemming cycle.

4. Using stable isotope analysis and a simple statistical routine developed to analyse the outputs of a multisource mixing model (SIAR), we showed that the contribution of geese to the diet of arctic fox cubs decreased with distance from the goose colony.

5. The probability that a den was used for reproduction by foxes decreased with distance from the subsidized goose colony and increased with lemming abundance. When lemmings were highly abundant, the effect of distance from the colony disappeared. The goose colony thus generated a spatial patterning of reproduction probability of foxes, while the lemming cycle generated a strong temporal variation of reproduction probability of foxes.

6. This study shows how the input of energy owing to the large‐scale migration of prey affects the functional and reproductive responses of an opportunistic consumer, and how this input is spatially and temporally modulated through the foraging behaviour of the consumer. Thus, perspectives of both landscape and foraging ecology are needed to fully resolve the effects of subsidies on animal demographic processes and population dynamics.
Mitochondrial phylogeography of the Holarctic Parnassius phoebus complex supports a recent refugial model for alpine butterflies
Authors: Todisco Valentina , Gratton Paolo , Zakharov Evgeny V. , Wheat Christopher W. , Sbordoni Valerio , Sperling Felix A.H.
Published: January 2012

Aim  Our study provides a description of the mitogenetic structure of alpine butterflies of the Parnassius phoebus complex throughout their Holarctic distribution. Our analyses extend and reassess population history models for alpine butterflies under an explicit calibration of their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) substitution rate.

Location  Mountain ranges of the Holarctic region.

Methods  A fragment (824 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was sequenced in 203 samples (72 locations), and combined with previously available COI sequences (499 samples), to obtain full coverage of the Holarctic distribution of the P. phoebus complex. A global species distribution model (SDM) was calculated by the maximum entropy (Maxent) approach, allowing assignment of samples into geographically consistent ‘operational’ units. Phylogenetic and coalescent methods were applied to describe the global mitogenetic structure and estimate population genetics parameters. Geological and palaeoecological evidence was used for internal calibration and validation of a COI substitution rate.

Results  Eurasian (including Alaskan) and North American populations form two distinct mitochondrial clades. The mitochondrial time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of the North American clade was estimated at less than 125 ka, and the TMRCA of the Eurasian–Alaskan clade at less than 80 ka, except for a single divergent sequence from Mongolia. Pairwise divergence times between all geographical units within each continent date well within the last 100 ka, and most likely, the last 50–10 ka.

Main conclusions  In contrast with its currently scattered distribution within each of Eurasia and North America, the mitogenetic structure of the P. phoebus complex in both continents is shallow and weak, and shows no evidence of geographical structure dating back earlier than the last glacial cycle. We argue that mtDNA data are consistent with recent (Würm/Wisconsin) range expansion across each of the two continents and with persistent glacial long‐range gene flow which ceased during the Holocene. We propose that P. phoebus may represent a model for Holarctic alpine invertebrates with moderate dispersal abilities in that its genetic structure at a continental scale reflects extensive connectivity during the most recent glacial phases.
Clinical outcomes associated with screening and referral for depression in an acute cardiac ward
Authors: Ski Chantal F , Page Karen , Thompson David R , Cummins Robert A , Salzberg Mike , Worrall‐Carter Linda
Published: January 2012

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to describe the implementation of a depression screening and referral tool in two cardiac wards of a major metropolitan public hospital. The tool consisted of two sections: (1) screening for depression risk (Cardiac Depression Scale‐5) and (2) consequential referral actions.

Background.  Prior research has shown that depression in patients with heart disease is associated with significantly impaired quality of life, decreased medication adherence, increased morbidity and increased use of healthcare services.

Design.  A prospective in‐patient study design.

Method.  A consecutive sample of 202 patients admitted to either the cardiac medical (n = 145) or surgical (n = 57) wards of a major Melbourne metropolitan hospital were recruited into the study over an 18‐week period.

Results.  Just over half (54%) of the patients were identified as ‘at risk’ of depression. Of these, 19% were assessed as moderate risk and 35% high risk. Of those patients, 91% had the risk score documented in their medical history, 90% had engaged in discussions with clinicians regarding their risk score, 85% had their risk score communicated formally to the medical team and 25% were formally referred for appropriate follow‐up – significantly more than prior to implementation of the screening and referral tool.

Conclusions.  By providing a formalised mechanism for detecting depression, documented screening and referral rates improved for those with comorbid depression and heart disease affording an opportunity for early intervention. These findings support a move towards integrated approaches to screening of depression to become standard practice in the acute cardiac setting.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Such mechanisms also have the potential to initiate the development of new models of care that acknowledge the complexity of comorbid depression and heart disease and provide pathways from speciality to primary care which integrate the physical and psychosocial domains inclusive of screening, referral, systematic monitoring and streamlined behavioural and physical care.