bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The placement of country reputation towards place management
Authors: Mariutti Fabiana Gondim
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Until now, scholars have devoted insufficient attention to theories of place reputation – at the city, region and country levels. Furthermore, the literature does suggest a theoretical link between country reputation and country-of-origin (COO). To foster an alignment between country reputation and place management, this paper aims to trace the advance of country branding and nation branding, as deriving place management recommendations from studies on country reputation. Therefore, this work is grounded on the consistent principle in the current literature – that a place must first improve itself via development and management before it can create a positive reputation via communications; it is fundamental, geographically, to work on the development initiatives towards the improvement of a place.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper based on literature search on country reputation published in the past decade (2005-2015).

Findings

The analysis indicates that nine papers have been published on country reputation since 2005, but none of them deal with principles of place management. This paper also consolidates the field’s decades-long theoretical evolution into a visual diagram. To close, it concludes by highlighting the need for theoretical and managerial advancements involving principles from place reputation and place management, which could help countries achieve sustainable prosperity.

Research limitations/implications

As limitations, this conceptual paper lacks review of each country in the evolutionary timeline regarding country branding and nation branding. As another limitation, this paper focused specifically on theoretical contributions and did not address the administrative challenges implied by the sub-themes. Indeed, there is much complexity involved with aligning government policies with internal and external stakeholders.

Social implications

Inspire academia, government and citizens to be engaged with the sustainable prosperity of their country through initiatives of place management and development.

Originality/value

The present study provides additional evidence with respect to the evolution of COO to country reputation, considering studies on nation branding and country branding, towards place management. To date, this is the first publication that offers an extensive examination of country reputation. Thus, the principal theoretical implication of this study is that place management and place reputation can be aligned to develop and improve places (cities, regions and countries) for sustainable prosperity.
Non-GAAP earnings: international overview and suggestions for future research
Authors: Marques Ana
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize insights from existing research on the disclosure of non-generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings, from an international point of view, and to suggest several avenues for future research in this area.

Design/methodology/approach

In conjunction with the analysis of existing research, the paper examines how different regulators and accounting standard setters have approached the topic of non-GAAP earnings disclosure.

Findings

The paper shows how non-GAAP earnings have been found to be more informative than GAAP earnings in several scenarios (countries where non-GAAP disclosures are compulsory, countries where these disclosures are voluntary but regulated and countries where they are not regulated). However, in certain circumstances, these disclosures may also mislead investors. Corporate governance mechanisms can curb managers’ opportunistic use of these measures.

Originality/value

The paper provides the growing number of academic researchers in this emerging area with a foundation and agenda upon which they can build their research.
Corporate sustainability measurement based on entropy weight and TOPSIS
Authors: Aras Guler , Tezcan Nuray , Kutlu Furtuna Ozlem , Hacioglu Kazak Evrim
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure Garanti Bank’s corporate sustainability performance along with the main indicators of economic, social and environmental factors, taking into consideration of the governance indicators.

Design/methodology/approach

Recent global economic developments indicate that the main corporate sustainability indicators of economic, environmental and social factors are insufficient for the sustainability practices of the companies. Along with these indicators, a good administrative structure should be evaluated as a whole to measure the sustainability performance. For measuring corporate sustainability performance of the bank along with the economic, environmental, social and governance dimensions of corporate sustainability, content analysis, entropy and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods are used with a total of four corporate sustainability reports published by Garanti Bank within the period of 2010-2014.

Findings

The results depict that the sustainability performance of Garanti Bank tends to increase during the time span. Among all dimensions, economic dimension has the highest impact on overall sustainability performance, as it has the highest weight in entropy. On contrary, governance dimension has the lowest impact on overall performance.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has implications in enhancing the understanding of corporate sustainability measurement both using content analysis, and TOPSIS particularly in a developing country, although it is limited by the size of the corporate sustainability reports and time span.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to reveal an emerging banking sector specific corporate sustainability materiality. This is the first study in Turkey which includes both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques considering the content analysis and TOPSIS.
The design and fabrication of electromagnetic microgenerator with integrated rectifying circuits
Authors: Gierczak Miroslaw Gracjan , Wróblewski Jacek , Dziedzic Andrzej
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The paper focuses on design, fabrication and characterization of electromagnetic microgenerators with integrated rectifying circuits to convert AC output signal to DC one. The work includes research on simulation of voltage-rectifying circuits, including charge pump, realization of the experimental printed circuit board (PCB) with selected electronic circuits and the execution of the final structure with integrated rectifying circuit. Measurements were performed on these circuits.

Design/methodology/approach

Electromagnetic microgenerators include multipole permanent magnets secured on rotor three-phase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor and planar multilayer multiple coils. These were fabricated using low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology. In our experiment, six rectifying circuits were simulated and tested with a structure consisting of eight layers of coils and with an outer diameter of 50 mm fabricated earlier.

Findings

The microgenerator with Graetz bridge generates higher output power than the modified charge pump at the same rotary speed. However, it is less stable for the distance change between the structure and the magnets than the modified charge pump, which has more constant output power in a wider range of load resistance.

Originality/value

The presented electronic rectifying circuits are novel for LTCC-based electromagnetic microgenerator application. The structure with integrated rectifying circuits allows generation of electrical output power larger than 100 mW at the rotor speed of about 8,000 rpm.
Multilayer LTCC structures based on glass-cordierite layers with different porosity
Authors: Synkiewicz Beata , Szwagierczak Dorota , Kulawik Jan
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The paper aims to report on fabrication procedure and present microstructure and dielectric behavior of multilayer porous low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) structures based on glass-cordierite and glass-alumina.

Design/methodology/approach

The LTCC structures were created as multi-layered composites with dense external layers and inner layers with intentionally introduced porosity. Two preparation methods were applied – subsequent casting of both kinds of slurries and conventional isostatic lamination of dried green tapes arranged in the designed order. Optical microscope observations were carried out to analyze the microstructure of green and fired multilayer structures and pore concentration. To evaluate the adhesion strength of the composite layers, pull test was performed. Dielectric behavior of the composites was studied in the frequency range 50 kHz-2 MHz.

Findings

The fabricated porous LTCC structures showed dielectric constant of 3-5.6. The lowest dielectric constant was attained for glass-cordierite composite made by the conventional tape casting/lamination/firing method from slurry with 50 per cent graphite content. The samples prepared using multiple casting were of worse quality than those fabricated in conventional process, contained irregular porosity, showed tendency for deformation and delamination and exhibited a higher dielectric constant.

Originality/value

Search for new low dielectric constant materials applicable in LTCC technology and new methods of their fabrication is an important task for development of modern microwave circuits.
Comparison of manifold learning algorithms used in FSI data interpolation of curved surfaces
Authors: Liu Ming-min , Li L.Z. , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a data interpolation method of curved surfaces from the point of dimension reduction and manifold learning.

Design/methodology/approach

Instead of transmitting data of curved surfaces in 3D space directly, the method transmits data by unfolding 3D curved surfaces into 2D planes by manifold learning algorithms. The similarity between surface unfolding and manifold learning is discussed. Projection ability of several manifold learning algorithms is investigated to unfold curved surface. The algorithms’ efficiency and their influences on the accuracy of data transmission are investigated by three examples.

Findings

It is found that the data interpolations using manifold learning algorithms LLE, HLLE and LTSA are efficient and accurate.

Originality/value

The method can improve the accuracies of coupling data interpolation and fluid-structure interaction simulation involving curved surfaces.
Eigenvalue formulation to micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate using dual phase lag model
Authors: Kumar Rajneesh , Miglani Aseem , Rani Rekha
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the axisymmetric problem in a micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate with dual phase lag model by employing eigenvalue approach subjected to thermomechanical sources.

Design/methodology/approach

The Laplace and Hankel transforms are employed to obtain the expressions for displacements, microrotation, volume fraction field, temperature distribution and stresses in the transformed domain. A numerical inversion technique has been carried out to obtain the resulting quantities in the physical domain. Effect of porosity and phase lag on the resulting quantities has been presented graphically. The results obtained for Lord Shulman theory (L-S, 1967) and coupled theory of thermoelasticity are presented as the particular cases.

Findings

The variation of temperature distribution is similar for micropolar thermoelastic with dual (MTD) phase lag model and coupled theory of thermoelasticity. The variation is also similar for tangential couple stress for MTD and L-S theory but opposite to couple theory. The behavior of volume fraction field and tangential couple stress for L-S theory and coupled theory are observed opposite. The values of all the resulting quantities are close to each other away from the sources. The variation in tangential stress, tangential couple stress and temperature distribution is more uniform.

Originality/value

The results are original and new because the authors presented an eigenvalue approach for two dimensional problem of micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate with dual phase lag model. A comparison of porosity, L-S theory and coupled theory of micropolar thermoelasticity is made. Such problem has applications in material science, industries and earthquake problems.
Influence of temperature of substrate during the growth of a heterostructure on properties of materials
Authors: Pankratov Evgeny L. , Bulaeva Elena Alexeevna
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the changing of profile of heterostructure during growth with changing of temperature of substrate.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors introduced an analytical approach for the analysis of technological process.

Findings

The authors formulate the condition for minimization of changing of the profile.

Originality/value

The approach gives a possibility to analyze mass and heat transports in a heterostructure without cross-linking of solutions on interfaces between layers of the heterostructure with account nonlinearity of these transports and variation in time of their parameters.
Long memory volatility in Asian stock markets
Authors: Duppati Geeta , Kumar Anoop S. , Scrimgeour Frank , Li Leon
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess to what extent intraday data can explain and predict long-term memory.

Design/methodology/approach

This article analysed the presence of long-memory volatility in five Asian equity indices, namely, SENSEX, CNIA, NIKKEI225, KO11 and FTSTI, using five-min intraday return series from 05 January 2015 to 06 August 2015 using two approaches, i.e. conditional volatility and realized volatility, for forecasting long-term memory. It employs conditional-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH), i.e. autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA)-FIGARCH model and ARFIMA-asymmetric power autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (APARCH) models, and unconditional volatility realized volatility using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and ARFIMA in-sample forecasting models to estimate the persistence of the long-term memory.

Findings

Given the GARCH framework, the ARFIMA-APARCH long-memory model gave the better forecast results signifying the importance of accounting for asymmetric information when modelling volatility in a financial market. Using the unconditional realized volatility results from the Singapore and Indian markets, the ARIMA model outperforms the ARFIMA model in terms of forecast performance and provides reasonable forecasts.

Practical implications

The issue of long memory has important implications for the theory and practice of finance. It is well-known that accurate volatility forecasts are important in a variety of settings including option and other derivatives pricing, portfolio and risk management.

Social implications

It could be said that using long-memory augmented models would give better results to investors so that they could analyse the market trends in returns and volatility in a more accurate manner and reach at an informed decision. This is useful to minimize the risks.

Originality/value

This research enhances the literature by estimating the influence of intraday variables on daily volatility. This is one of very few studies that uses conditional GARCH framework models and unconditional realized volatility estimates for forecasting long-term memory. The authors find that the methods complement each other.
The association of earnings quality with corporate performance
Authors: Ma Shiguang , Ma Liangbo
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the association of earnings quality with corporate performance of publicly listed firms of China and tries to provide a new explanation. Poor earnings quality is normally characterized by unhealthy profitability and/or untrue financial information, which leads to a misallocation of capital and low corporate performance. The largest emerging economy of China has experienced a fast and fluctuant growth, while the companies have been thought of low earnings quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Initial univariate and multivariate analyses are conducted using four earnings quality measures and either accounting-based corporate performance or market-based corporate performance. Further analyses apply unmanaged earnings, earnings-increase management and financially distressed firms.

Findings

The authors find that low earnings quality is associated with high corporate performance for the Chinese publicly listed firm in their sample period. Further evidence shows that earnings management is only a contributor to the negative relationship, not its main driver. They argue that the negative association of earnings quality with corporate performance is a phenomenon of a new emerging market within an economy booming period, particularly in China.

Research limitations/implications

The results and argument of this paper may not totally follow the traditional literature. But they provide a new research question that requires further studies.

Originality/value

In theoretical discussion, this paper partitions earnings quality into two components: One results from reporting accuracy and the other results from firm’s operating outcome. In empirical analyses, this paper examines both accounting-based performance and market-based performance, and both managed earnings and unmanaged earnings.
Ownership structure, corporate governance and investment efficiency of Chinese listed firms
Authors: Chen Naiwei , Sung Hao-Chang , Yang Jingjing
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether and how ownership structure and corporate governance have bearings on the investment efficiency of Chinese listed firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors measure the investment efficiency by following the work of Richardson (2006) and classify listed firms into two categories: state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private firms. OLS regressions with both industry and year fixed effects are used to investigate the effect of ownership structure and governance mechanisms on the listed firms’ investment efficiency.

Findings

The authors find that ownership concentration has a negative impact on investment efficiency, and this effect is more pronounced in SOEs than in private firms. In addition, adoption of incentive-based compensation helps improve investment efficiency. Compared with other types of institutional investors, mutual funds are more likely to exert a positive effect on the investment efficiency of investee companies.

Originality/value

This paper examines the monitoring effect of governance mechanisms in China from a new perspective, which is the investment efficiency. Furthermore, previous studies provide minimal evidence indicating any effect of incentive-based compensation on firm performance in China. This study provides empirical evidence on this effect by using incentive-based compensation (whether CEOs have been granted stock options) as an explanatory variable in the regression models.
Exchange rate risk and the bilateral trade between Malaysia and Singapore
Authors: Aftab Muhammad , Rehman Ijaz Ur
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the influence of exchange rate risk on the bilateral trade of two closely connected East Asian open economies – Malaysia and Singapore – at industry level.

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates import and export demand models considering 65 import and 65 export industries of Malaysia, with Singapore using monthly data over the period 2000-2014. Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model is used to measure the exchange rate risk, and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to co-integration is used to examine the study empirical models.

Findings

The findings suggest that exchange risk has an impact on a moderate number of industries in the short run; however, this influence endures in very few industries in the long run. It is interesting to note that exchange rate volatility expedites import demand for the large Malaysian import industries like gas and plastic.

Originality/value

No prior study has explored the topic at industry level focusing on the bilateral trade flows between Malaysia and Singapore. This research serves important implications while thinking about exchange rate risk and trade linkage in a case of open economies trade pairs that are highly integrated in presence of a variety of bilateral trade agreements and economic groupings.
Zoonotic diagrams: mastering and unsettling human‐animal relations
Authors: Lynteris Christos
Published: July 2017

This article approaches interspecies relations through an examination of the prevalent visual device employed in the representation of animal‐human infection in the life sciences: the zoonotic cycles diagram. After charting its emergence and development in the context of bubonic plague, I explore how this diagrammatic regime has been applied in two distinct practical contexts: a plague warning sign on the Grand Canyon National Park hiking trail; and the on‐line public information campaign launched by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the wake of the Ebola outbreak of 2014‐16. The article demonstrates the principal ontological and biopolitical operations of these diagrams, arguing that, far from simply summarizing epidemiological narratives of animal‐human infection, they function both as pilots of human mastery over human‐animal relations and as crucial sites of unsettlement for the latter.
Plasma lipids affect dabigatran etexilate anticoagulation in rats with unbalanced diabetes mellitus
Authors: Scridon Alina , Perian Marcel , MĂrginean Alina , Huţanu Adina , Gherţescu Doina , Vântu Adriana , FişcĂ Paul C. , Chevalier Philippe , Şerban Răzvan C. , Dobreanu Dan
Published: July 2017

Background

Dabigatran etexilate (DE) has similar stroke prevention efficacy in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). However, the benefit of reducing major bleeding was not seen in diabetics. Thus, this study investigated anticoagulant responses to DE and the biological predictors of this response in a DM model.

Methods

Experiments were performed in six control (C), eight DE‐treated control (CD), five diabetic (D), and eight DE‐treated diabetic (DD) rats. Dabigatran etexilate (50 mg/kg/day) was administered in chow for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, plasma glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), and plasma creatinine were measured. Correlations were ascertained with the diluted thrombin time (dTT).

Results

When corrected for similar DE intake, dTT was significantly higher in DD than CD rats (P < 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between creatinine clearance (CCr) and dTT (r = −0.91, P < 0.01) in DD rats. In addition, dTT was positively correlated with TC (r = 0.96, P < 0.01), LDL‐C (r = 0.75, P = 0.04), and glucose (r = 0.83, P = 0.02). In multiple regression analysis, CCr (r = −0.81, P = 0.01), TC (r = 0.93, P < 0.001), and LDL‐C (r = 0.74, P < 0.01) remained the only independent predictors of dTT.

Conclusions

The results show a significantly more intense DE‐induced anticoagulation in diabetic rats that does not seem to be solely related to altered kidney function, and demonstrate that plasma cholesterol can significantly affect DE anticoagulation in this setting.
SOMANZ guidelines for the investigation and management sepsis in pregnancy
Authors: Bowyer Lucy , Robinson Helen L. , Barrett Helen , Crozier Timothy M. , Giles Michelle , Idel Irena , Lowe Sandra , Lust Karin , Marnoch Catherine A. , Morton Mark R. , Said Joanne , Wong Maggie , Makris Angela
Published: July 2017

SOMANZ (Society of Obstetric Medicine Australia and New Zealand) has written a guideline to provide evidence‐based guidance for the investigation and care of women with sepsis in pregnancy or the postpartum period. The guideline is evidence‐based and incorporates recent changes in the definition of sepsis. The etiology, investigation and treatment of bacterial, viral and non‐infective causes of sepsis are discussed. Obstetric considerations relevant to anaesthetic and intensive care treatment in sepsis are also addressed. A multi‐disciplinary group of clinicians with experience in all aspects of the care of pregnant women have contributed to the development of the guidelines. This is an executive summary of the guidelines.
Factors related to retinal haemorrhage in infants born at high risk
Authors: Pu Qinglan , Li Ping , Jiang Huiqin , Wang Hong , Zhou Qiaoyun , Liu Jia , Zhong Wenhua , Huang Huafei
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study aims to determine risk factors for retinal haemorrhage (RH) in high‐risk infants.

Methods

A total of 3123 cases with high‐risk pregnancy and/or neonatal asphyxia 72 hr after delivery were enrolled into this study. Fundus examinations were performed on newborns utilizing a wide‐angle imaging system (RetCam III). Retinal haemorrhage (RH) was classified into three grades. Maternal, obstetric and neonatal parameters from high‐risk infants with RH were compared with parameters from infants without RH.

Results

Retinal haemorrhage (RH) was found in 550 (18%) of 3123 high‐risk infants. Retinal haemorrhage (RH) was classified as grade I (39%), grade II (24%) and grade III (37%). Monocular RH occurred in 37% of cases, while the remaining cases were binocular. Moreover, six cases had vitreous haemorrhage. The following parameters correlated (p < 0.05) with RH in this study: delivery mode (χ2 = 469), gestational age (χ2 = 35), birth weight (χ2 = 18), asphyxia (χ2 = 73), scalp hematoma (χ2 = 55), maternal age (χ2 = 8.9), precipitate labour (χ2 = 120) and delivery times (χ2 = 6.1). Logistic regression analysis indicated that delivery mode and asphyxia were risk factors for RH in high‐risk infants, with odds ratios of 0.827 and 2.5, respectively. Gender, intracranial haemorrhage and foetal distress were not correlated with RH in high‐risk infants.

Conclusion

The incidence of RH in high‐risk infants was 18%, and delivery mode, and neonatal asphyxia were major risk factors for RH in high‐risk infants.
Lean mass explains the association between muscular fitness and bone outcomes in 13‐year‐old boys
Authors: Ubago‐Guisado Esther , Vlachopoulos Dimitris , Ferreira de Moraes Augusto César , Torres‐Costoso Ana , Wilkinson Kelly , Metcalf Brad , Sánchez‐Sánchez Javier , Gallardo Leonor , Gracia‐Marco Luis
Published: July 2017

Aim

This study investigated the associations between fitness indices and bone outcomes in young males.

Methods

Data were collected between autumn and winter 2014–2015 on 121 males with a mean age of 13.1 ± 0.1 years: 41 swimmers, 37 footballers, 29 cyclists and 14 nonathletes. Participants were recruited from athletic clubs and schools across South West England. Lean mass, areal bone mineral density and hip structural estimates were measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. The relationships between bone outcomes and the vertical jump, standing long jump and the 20‐m shuttle run test were analysed using three regression models: model 1 was adjusted by age and stature, model 2 added vigorous physical activity and model 3 then added lean mass.

Results

The boys’ performance in the vertical jump and standing long jump was positively associated with the majority of bone outcomes in models 1 and 2, but most of these disappeared in model 3. The 20‐m shuttle run test was positively associated with most bone outcomes in all three models. Lean mass played a key role in the association between muscular fitness and bone outcomes.

Conclusion

Vigorous physical activity did not explain the associations between fitness and bone outcomes, but lean mass did.
Young children with severe congenital malformations (VACTERL) expressed mixed feelings about their condition and worries about needles and anaesthesia
Authors: Kassa A‐M , Engvall G , Engstrand Lilja H
Published: July 2017

Aim

Our knowledge of the perceptions that children with severe congenital malformations have of their health, treatment and how to improve hospital care is limited. This study focused on patients with vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheo‐oesophageal fistula, renal anomalies and limb abnormalities (VACTERL).

Methods

We interviewed 10 children aged five to eight years with VACTERL association who were treated in a Swedish tertiary paediatric surgical centre, using a computer‐assisted technique called In My Shoes. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis.

Results

The children described their awareness of their health history and said they felt proud but different due to their physical dysfunction. They were happy to visit the hospital to meet familiar staff, but expressed negative feelings about missing normal life. They were afraid of needle‐related procedures and not wakening up after anaesthesia. Various ways of coping with difficult situations were expressed, and suggestions to improve hospital care were voiced.

Conclusion

Careful follow‐up of these children by multidisciplinary teams is crucial to optimise their health and functional status. Fear of medical procedures may be reduced by carefully delivered information, listening to the children, providing continuity of care and creating individual care strategies.
On the Reliability of N-mixture Models for Count Data
Authors: Barker Richard J. , Schofield Matthew R. , Link William A. , Sauer John R.
Published: July 2017

N-mixture models describe count data replicated in time and across sites in terms of abundance N and detectability p. They are popular because they allow inference about N while controlling for factors that influence p without the need for marking animals. Using a capture–recapture perspective, we show that the loss of information that results from not marking animals is critical, making reliable statistical modeling of N and p problematic using just count data. One cannot reliably fit a model in which the detection probabilities are distinct among repeat visits as this model is overspecified. This makes uncontrolled variation in p problematic. By counter example, we show that even if p is constant after adjusting for covariate effects (the “constant p” assumption) scientifically plausible alternative models in which N (or its expectation) is non-identifiable or does not even exist as a parameter, lead to data that are practically indistinguishable from data generated under an N-mixture model. This is particularly the case for sparse data as is commonly seen in applications. We conclude that under the constant p assumption reliable inference is only possible for relative abundance in the absence of questionable and/or untestable assumptions or with better quality data than seen in typical applications. Relative abundance models for counts can be readily fitted using Poisson regression in standard software such as R and are sufficiently flexible to allow controlling for p through the use covariates while simultaneously modeling variation in relative abundance. If users require estimates of absolute abundance, they should collect auxiliary data that help with estimation of p.
Realized trophic niche driven by apparent competition: an example with marsupials
Authors: Kuhnen Vanessa V. , de Aguiar Marcus A. Martinez , Gonçalves Ana Z. , Setz Eleonore Z. F.
Published: July 2017

According to apparent competition theory, the co‐occurrence of two species that share the same predators appears to affect each other's population growth and abundance. However, due to habitat loss and over‐hunting, top predators are being made rare worldwide. Considering that apparent competitors share similar resources, we would expect the absence of top predators to reflect in changes on prey realized trophic niches. To test our hypothesis, we developed a model to predict the abundance ratio of apparent competitor species based on changes in their realized trophic niches. We tested our model against field data on the Neotropical marsupials Didelphis aurita and Metachirus nudicaudatus. Our results revealed that D. aurita and M. nudicaudatus are two species under apparent competition and their realized trophic niche and diet overlap change according to the presence of top predators. The model was able to predict the actual relative abundances of D. aurita and M. nudicaudatus in the three empirical studies analyzed. Our study presents quantitative support to the apparent competition theory; however, the model's applications to other groups still need to be verified. Additionally, our study shows that the lack of top predators has consequences on the realized trophic niche of their prey, and therefore, we reinforce that conservation plans need to focus on the effects of top predator loss on ecosystems.
SIX3 deletions and incomplete penetrance in families affected by holoprosencephaly
Authors: Stokes Bethany , Berger Seth I. , Hall Beth A. , Weiss Karin , Martinez Ariel F. , Hadley Donald W. , Murdock David R. , Ramanathan Subhadra , Clark Robin D. , Roessler Erich , Kruszka Paul , Muenke Maximilian
Published: July 2017

Holoprosencephaly (HPE) is failure of the forebrain to divide completely during embryogenesis. Incomplete penetrance has not been reported previously in SIX3 whole gene deletions, which are known to cause HPE. Both chromosomal microarray and whole exome sequencing (WES) were used to evaluate families with inherited HPE. Two families showed inherited deletions that contain SIX3 and were incompletely penetrant for HPE. Using WES, we ruled out parental mosaicism, a SIX3 hypomorph, and clinically significant variants in genes that are known to interact with SIX3 as causes of incomplete penetrance. We demonstrate the importance of molecular cascade testing in families with HPE and we answer important questions about incomplete penetrance.
Corporate governance indices and construct validity
Authors: Black Bernard , de Carvalho Antonio Gledson , Khanna Vikramaditya , Kim Woochan , Yurtoglu Burcin
Published: July 2017

Manuscript Type

Conceptual and empirical.

Research Question/Issue

Many studies of firm‐level corporate governance rely on aggregate “indices” to measure underlying, unobserved governance. But we are not confident that we know how to build these indices. Often we are unsure both as to what is “good” governance, and how one can proxy for this vague concept using observable measures. We conduct an exploratory analysis of how researchers can address the “construct validity” of firm‐level governance indices, which poses a major challenge to all studies that rely on these indices.

Research Findings/Insights

We assess the construct validity of governance indices for four major emerging markets (Brazil, India, Korea, and Turkey), developed in prior work. In that work, we built country‐specific indices, using country‐specific governance elements that reflect local norms, institutions, and data availability, and showed that these indices predict firm market value in each country. The use of country‐specific indices puts great stress on the construct validity challenge of assessing how well a governance measure matches the underlying concept. We address here how well these four country‐specific indices, and subindices for aspects of governance such as board structure or disclosure, coherently measure unobserved, underlying actual governance.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

We provide guidance on how researchers can address the construct validity of corporate governance indices.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

The uncertain construct validity of most corporate governance indices suggests caution in relying on research using these indices as a basis for firm‐level governance changes, or country‐level legal reforms.
Assessing the variability of colour‐rendering indices using a random test‐colour method
Authors: Pardo Pedro J. , Suero María I. , Perez Ángel L. , Mena Jairo , Melgosa Manuel
Published: July 2017

This paper addresses the way in which the random selection of different sets of samples influences the values of two colour‐rendering indices analogous to the ones proposed by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE Publ. 13.3, 1995), Ra, and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES Technical Memorandum TM‐30‐15, 2015), Rf. We report results found for 11 light sources, representative of current indoor and outdoor lighting, using a database with 12 123 spectral reflectance factors from real objects. For these 11 light sources, the differences between official Ra and Rf values and those computed using 100 iterations with 6000 random samples from our database proved to be in the range [−13, 2] and [−15, −1], respectively, the highest differences corresponding to sources with narrow peaks in their spectral power distributions. For 100 random subsets of 10 samples from our database, the average standard deviations of the 11 light sources for indices analogous to Ra and Rf were 8 and 5 (or 2 and 1 using 110 samples) respectively. The standard deviations in computed Ra and Rf values, using subsets with different numbers of samples n, can be modelled as inversely proportional to the square root of n. We propose a method to estimate these standard deviations for n = 6000 using reduced sets of 10 spectral reflectance factors.
Chronic coffee consumption and respiratory disease: A systematic review
Authors: Alfaro Tiago M. , Monteiro Rita A. , Cunha Rodrigo A. , Cordeiro Carlos Robalo
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The widespread consumption of coffee means that any biological effects from its use can lead to significant public health consequences. Chronic pulmonary diseases are extremely prevalent and responsible for one of every six deaths on a global level.

Methods

Major medical databases for studies reporting on the effects of coffee or caffeine consumption on a wide range of non‐malignant respiratory outcomes, including incidence, prevalence, evolution or severity of respiratory disease in adults were searched. Studies on lung function and respiratory mortality were also considered.

Results

Fifteen studies, including seven cohort, six cross‐sectional, one case control and one randomized control trial were found. Coffee consumption was generally associated with a reduction in prevalence of asthma. The association of coffee with natural honey was an effective treatment for persistent post‐infectious cough. One case‐control study found higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with coffee consumption. No association was found with the evolution of COPD or sarcoidosis. Coffee was associated with a reduction in respiratory mortality, and one study found improved lung function in coffee consumers. Smoking was a significant confounder in most studies.

Conclusions

Coffee consumption was associated with some positive effects on the respiratory system. There was however limited available evidence, mostly from cross sectional and retrospective studies. The only prospective cohort studies were those reporting on respiratory mortality. These results suggest that coffee consumption may be a part of a healthy lifestyle leading to reduced respiratory morbidity.
Architecting the ‘third teacher’: Solid foundations for the participatory and principled design of schools and (built) learning environments
Authors: Hall Tony
Published: July 2017

This issue of theEuropean Journal of Educationexamines a crucially important, though largely overlooked, area in educational design research: architecting and building physical educational environments. Effective policymaking in school design necessitates the negotiated, shared and timely input of key educational stakeholders, including policymakers, architects, educational designers, pupils, teachers, and parents. Furthermore, practical, participatory and principled examples of the design and construction of bespoke learning spaces are warranted to guide those formulating and implementing policy, particularly the commissioning and construction of built educational environments. The articles exemplify how to engage diverse, key stakeholders in participatory design of school buildings, whilst practically illustrating design innovations in context. This commentary article offers reflections on the respective articles, informed by extant, relevant research on the history and praxis of school building design internationally. This includes the Reggio Emilia Schools’ socio‐material concept of ‘the third teacher’, a philosophy that is particularly germane to the participatory design of contemporary (built) learning environments. The article concludes with design sensitivities and SEAM framework (space,engagement,aestheticityandmedia), which can be used to explore and extend further the concepts, methods and technologies outlined in this issue.
Fusion of artificial neural networks for learning capability enhancement: Application to medical image classification
Authors: Hemanth Jude D. , Anitha J. , Ane Bernadetta Kwintiana
Published: July 2017

Artificial neural network (ANN) is one of the commonly used tools for computational applications. The specific advantages of ANN are high accuracy, less convergence time, less computational complexity, and so forth. However, all these merits are not available in the same ANN. Even though back propagation neural (BPN) networks are accurate, their computational complexity is significantly high. BPN networks are also not stable. On the other hand, Hopfield neural network (HNN) is better than BPN in terms of computational efficiency. But the accuracy of HNN is low. In this work, a modified ANN is proposed to overcome this specific problem. The modified ANN is a fusion of BPN and HNN. The technical concepts of BPN and HNN are mixed in the training algorithm of the proposed back propagation‐Hopfield network (BPHN). The objective of this fusion is to improve the performance of conventional ANN. Magnetic resonance brain image classification experiments are used to analyse the proposed BPHN. Experimental results have suggested improvement in the learning process of the proposed BPHN. A comparative analysis with the conventional networks is performed to validate the performance of the proposed approach.
Possible Involvement of Hypotension in Postprandial Headache: A Case Series
Authors: Takizawa Tsubasa , Shibata Mamoru , Hiraide Takahiro , Seki Morinobu , Takahashi Shinichi , Suzuki Norihiro
Published: July 2017

Background

It is commonly known that headaches are induced by intake of specific food, drink, and/or additive. In addition, some patients experience postprandial headache independent of ingestion of specific items. Currently, information on the pathophysiology underlying this particular type of headache is scarce.

Case reports

We report two cases in which headaches were observed after each meal. Postprandial hypotension was demonstrated in both cases. Tonometry‐based continuous blood pressure measurement during head‐up tilt revealed sympathetic dysfunction. In one patient, meta‐iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy detected cardiac sympathetic denervation, and diagnosis of pure autonomic failure was made. In both cases, treatment of postprandial hypotension was effective in relieving postprandial headache.

Discussion

The possibility of postprandial hypotension should be explored in patients with headache that occurs after meal. To this end, tonometry‐based blood pressure measurement and MIBG myocardial scintigraphy may be useful diagnostic investigations. Treating postprandial hypotension may be effective in alleviating the symptoms.
External stakeholders and internal practices in departments of teacher education at European universities
Authors: Aarrevaara Timo , Wikström Janne , Maassen Peter
Published: July 2017

Research‐intensive universities are operating in an environment of conflicting goals and priorities. Their status in research as well as education is dependent on their performance in various global arenas where performance can be measured with relatively clear indicators. However, success in operations outside the primary tasks of the academic community, such as universities' societal relevance, is more difficult to identify. Tasks outside the core of academic work are subject to requirements that are less well defined and are more abstract. This article seeks to define these noncore requirements as external contingencies and to analyse them by means of a contingency approach.
Processes and stages of differentiation in European higher education
Authors: Goglio Valentina , Regini Marino
Published: July 2017

In this article we discuss processes of internal differentiation that have characterised European higher education systems in the last 50 years. We argue that these processes have gone through two main stages and in two different directions, each of which is showing its limits in the long run. Therefore, we expect a third stage of differentiation, which will be both internal to individual higher education institutions and multi‐dimensional concerning functions performed. In the first stage (1960–1970s) the main objective was to create a vocational track, without having to profoundly modify traditional academic institutions. In the second stage (mid‐1990s) the main objective was to differentiate between the more and the less competitive universities as regards the amount of financial and symbolic resources provided to them. However, large comprehensive universities are containers of smaller units whose performance may vary widely. Moreover, research is just one of the several functions that modern universities perform. The final section of the article provides some empirical evidence from United Kingdom universities to support the hypothesis of a third stage of differentiation.
Significant improvement in triglyceride levels after switching from ritonavir to cobicistat in suppressed HIV‐1‐infected subjects with dyslipidaemia
Authors: Echeverría P , Bonjoch A , Puig J , Ornella A , Clotet B , Negredo E
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Cobicistat seems to have a low rate of adverse events compared with ritonavir.

Methods

This restrospective observational study to evaluated changes in lipid parameters and the percentage of subjects with dyslipidemia in virologically suppressed HIV‐infected patients who were receiving a regimen containing darunavir/ritonavir and were then switched from ritonavir to cobicistat, carried out from December 2015 to May 2016, included 299 HIV‐1‐infected patients who were on stable antiretroviral treatment including darunavir/ritonavir (monotherapy, bitherapy or triple therapy for at least 6 months) and were then switched from ritonavir to cobicistat. Lipid parameters, as well as plasma HIV‐1 RNA and CD4 cell counts, were recorded at baseline just before the switch, and 24 weeks after the switch. Patients were stratified according to the presence of hypercholesterolaemia [baseline total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL and/or low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol > 130 mg/dL] or hypertriglyceridaemia (baseline triglyceride levels > 200 mg/dL).

Results

Two hundred and ninety‐nine patients were enrolled in the study. Fifty‐two per cent of the total study population showed dyslipidaemia at baseline. All patients maintained HIV‐1 RNA ≤ 50 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL at week 24. No statistically significant changes were seen in CD4 T‐cell count from baseline to week 24 [654 (298) to 643 (313) cells/μL; P = 0.173]. When patients were stratified according to the presence of hypercholesterolaemia at baseline (n = 124), significant changes were observed in total cholesterol (P < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (P = 0.047), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P = 0.002) and triglyceride levels (P = 0.025), and when they were stratified according to the presence of hypertriglyceridaemia at baseline (n = 64), changes from baseline to week 24 in triglyceride level were statistically significant [median (interquartile range) 352 (223, 389) mg/dL at baseline and 229 (131, 279) mg/dL at week 24; P < 0.001].

Conclusions

Cobicistat as a booster of darunavir in HIV‐infected subjects had a beneficial effect on the lipid profile in patients with hypercholesterolaemia or hypertrigliceridaemia at baseline.