bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Sex on the Risk to Develop Contrast-Induced Nephropathy after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation
Authors: Madershahian Navid , Scherner Maximilian , Rudolph Tanja , Slottosch Ingo , Grundmann Franziska , Kuhn Elmar , Michels Guido , Wahlers Thorsten
Published: April 2014

Objective

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is the third most common cause of acute renal failure and is associated with increased morbidity and in-hospital mortality. Some recent studies identified female sex as a risk factor of CIN. The aim of this study was to determine the relative impact of female sex on the development and clinical outcome of CIN in patients with preexisting renal impairment after transapical transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods

From February 2008 to February 2011, a total of 55 TAVI patients [82.4 (6.5) years] with preprocedural serum creatinine level of greater than 1.1 mg/dL were retrospectively investigated. The incidence of postprocedural CIN, lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and short-term mortality among men and women were compared. Contrast-induced nephropathy was defined as a creatinine increase of greater than 0.5 mg/dL or greater than 25% from baseline within 3 days after contrast medium (CM) exposure.

Results

The women had significantly lower body surface area [1.8 (0.18) vs 1.95 (0.17) m2; P = 0.002), lower hemoglobin levels [11.5 (1.3) vs 12.7 (1.6) g/dL, P < 0.001], and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate [34.2 (9.7) vs 49.4 (12.3) mL/min per 1.73 m2, P = 0.002]. The amount of CM given was significantly higher in the women relative to body surface area [67.3 (42.5) vs 48.3 (16.6) mL/m2, P = 0.043]. The women received a higher number of blood cell transfusion units [4.4 (3.4) vs 2.1 (2.7) U, P = 0.006]. The frequency of CIN within 72 hours after CM exposure was significantly higher in the women (62.1% vs 26.9%, P = 0.009). A total of 31% of the women (n = 9) versus 7.7% of the men (n = 2) needed hemodialysis ( P = 0.031). Analysis of the postoperative morbidity in terms of length of intensive care unit and hospital stay revealed no significant difference between the two groups. Mortality results reached a significant difference at 60 days, with 31% (n = 9) mortality in the women compared with 7.7% (n = 2) in the men ( P = 0.031).

Conclusions

Women with preexisting renal impairment are at higher risk than men for CIN, with resultant higher early mortality after transapical TAVI.
The HeartShield Device Reduces the Risk for Right Ventricular Damage in Patients with Deep Sternal Wound Infection
Authors: Ingemansson Richard , Malmsjö Malin , Lindstedt Sandra
Published: April 2014

Objective

Right ventricular rupture, resulting in serious bleeding, is a life-threatening complication associated with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in cardiac surgery. The use of a rigid barrier between the heart and the sharp sternal edges has been successfully tested on pigs. In the present article, we demonstrate increased safety in NPWT through the use of the HeartShield device.

Methods

Six patients were treated with a specially designed device in combination with NPWT. The device consists of a horizontally placed disk covered in foam. The back of the T-shaped device sticks up between the sternal edges and up above skin level. This part of the device is also covered in foam. Drainage is performed through two holes at the top of the device. The device and foam are changed every second to third day, and −120 mm Hg of continuous therapy is used. Six patients were treated with traditional NPWT, serving as control group.

Results

No signs of calluslike formation were seen on the right ventricle in the group treated with the HeartShield device. In the conventional NPWT control group, all six patients had calluslike formation (>1 × 2 cm2) on the anterior part of the right ventricle. All patients in the HeartShield group had grade 1 epicardial petechial bleeding (<0.5 cm2) on the right ventricle. In the control group, one patient had grade 1 (<0.5 cm2), three patients had grade 2 (0.5–2.0 cm2), and two patients had grade 3 (>2.0 cm2) epicardial petechial bleeding on the right ventricle. No major bleeding or mortality was observed in either group during the course of the study.

Conclusions

The use of the HeartShield device significantly minimizes the contact between the right ventricle and the sternal edges, thereby decreasing the risk for life-threatening complications due to bleeding.
A field study investigating effects of landmarks on territory size and shape
Authors: Suriyampola Piyumika S. , Eason Perri K.
Published: April 2014

Few studies have examined how landmarks affect territories' fundamental characteristics. In this field study, we investigated effects of landmarks on territory size, shape and location in a cichlid fish (
Amatitlania siquia
). We provided cans as breeding sites and used plastic plants as landmarks. During 10 min trials, we recorded locations where residents chased intruders and used those locations to outline and measure the territory. In two experiments, we observed pairs without landmarks and with either a point landmark (one plant) or linear landmark (four plants) placed near the nest can. We alternated which trial occurred first and performed the second trial 24 h after the first. Territories were approximately round without landmarks or with a point landmark but were significantly more elongated when we added a linear landmark. Without landmarks, nests were centrally located; however, with any landmark, pairs set territory boundaries closer to the landmark and thus the nest. Territory size was significantly reduced in the presence of any landmark. This reduction suggests that a smaller territory with well-defined boundaries has greater benefits than a larger territory with less well-defined borders.
Mysterious bio-duck sound attributed to the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)
Authors: Risch Denise , Gales Nicholas J. , Gedamke Jason , Kindermann Lars , Nowacek Douglas P. , Read Andrew J. , Siebert Ursula , Van Opzeeland Ilse C. , Van Parijs Sofie M. , Friedlaender Ari S.
Published: April 2014

For decades, the bio-duck sound has been recorded in the Southern Ocean, but the animal producing it has remained a mystery. Heard mainly during austral winter in the Southern Ocean, this ubiquitous sound has been recorded in Antarctic waters and contemporaneously off the Australian west coast. Here, we present conclusive evidence that the bio-duck sound is produced by Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis). We analysed data from multi-sensor acoustic recording tags that included intense bio-duck sounds as well as singular downsweeps that have previously been attributed to this species. This finding allows the interpretation of a wealth of long-term acoustic recordings for this previously acoustically concealed species, which will improve our understanding of the distribution, abundance and behaviour of Antarctic minke whales. This is critical information for a species that inhabits a difficult to access sea-ice environment that is changing rapidly in some regions and has been the subject of contentious lethal sampling efforts and ongoing international legal action.
Cougars’ key to survival through the Late Pleistocene extinction: insights from dental microwear texture analysis
Authors: DeSantis Larisa R. G. , Haupt Ryan J.
Published: April 2014

Cougars (
Puma concolor
) are one of only two large cats in North America to have survived the Late Pleistocene extinction (LPE), yet the specific key(s) to their relative success remains unknown. Here, we compare the dental microwear textures of Pleistocene cougars with sympatric felids from the La Brea Tar Pits in southern California that went extinct at the LPE (
Panthera atrox
and
Smilodon fatalis
), to clarify potential dietary factors that led to the cougar's persistence through the LPE. We further assess whether the physical properties of food consumed have changed over time when compared with modern cougars in southern California. Using dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), which quantifies surface features in three dimensions, we find that modern and Pleistocene cougars are not significantly different from modern African lions in any DMTA attributes, suggesting moderate durophagy (i.e. bone processing). Pleistocene cougars from La Brea have significantly greater complexity and textural fill volume than
Panthera atrox
(inferred to have primarily consumed flesh from fresh kills) and significantly greater variance in complexity values than
S. fatalis
. Ultimately, these results suggest that cougars already used or adopted a more generalized dietary strategy during the Pleistocene that may have been key to their subsequent success.
Is the Donnan effect sufficient to explain swelling in brain tissue slices?
Authors: Lang Georgina E. , Stewart Peter S. , Vella Dominic , Waters Sarah L. , Goriely Alain
Published: April 2014

Brain tissue swelling is a dangerous consequence of traumatic injury and is associated with raised intracranial pressure and restricted blood flow. We consider the mechanical effects that drive swelling of brain tissue slices in an ionic solution bath, motivated by recent experimental results that showed that the volume change of tissue slices depends on the ionic concentration of the bathing solution. This result was attributed to the presence of large charged molecules that induce ion concentration gradients to ensure electroneutrality (the Donnan effect), leading to osmotic pressures and water accumulation. We use a mathematical triphasic model for soft tissue to characterize the underlying processes that could lead to the volume changes observed experimentally. We suggest that swelling is caused by an osmotic pressure increase driven by both non-permeating solutes released by necrotic cells, in addition to the Donnan effect. Both effects are necessary to explain the dependence of the tissue slice volume on the ionic bath concentration that was observed experimentally.
The WKB approximation for analysis of wave propagation in curved rods of slowly varying diameter
Authors: Nielsen Rasmus , Sorokin Sergey
Published: April 2014

The Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation is applied for asymptotic analysis of time-harmonic dynamics of corrugated elastic rods. A hierarchy of three models, namely, the Rayleigh and Timoshenko models of a straight beam and the Timoshenko model of a curved rod is considered. In the latter two cases, the WKB approximation is applied for solving systems of two and three linear differential equations with varying coefficients, whereas the former case is concerned with a single equation of the same type. For each model, explicit formulations of wavenumbers and amplitudes are given. The equivalence between the formal derivation of the amplitude and the conservation of energy flux is demonstrated. A criterion of the validity range of the WKB approximation is proposed and its applicability is proved by inspection of eigenfrequencies of beams of finite length with clamped–clamped and clamped-free boundary conditions. It is shown that there is an appreciable overlap between the validity ranges of the Timoshenko beam/rod models and the WKB approximation.
A medieval multiverse?: Mathematical modelling of the thirteenth century universe of Robert Grosseteste
Authors: Bower Richard G. , McLeish Tom C. B. , Tanner Brian K. , Smithson Hannah E. , Panti Cecilia , Lewis Neil , Gasper Giles E. M.
Published: April 2014

In his treatise on light, written about 1225, Robert Grosseteste describes a cosmological model in which the universe is created in a big-bang-like explosion and subsequent condensation. He postulates that the fundamental coupling of light and matter gives rises to the material body of the entire cosmos. Expansion is arrested when matter reaches a minimum density and subsequent emission of light from the outer region leads to compression and rarefaction of the inner bodily mass so as to create nine celestial spheres, with an imperfect residual core. In this paper, we reformulate the Latin description in terms of a modern mathematical model, teasing out consequences implicit in the text, but which the author would not have had the tools to explore. The equations which describe the coupling of light and matter are solved numerically, subjected to initial conditions and critical criteria consistent with the text. Formation of a universe with a non-infinite number of perfected spheres is extremely sensitive to the initial conditions, the intensity of the light and the transparency of these spheres. In this ‘medieval multiverse’, only a small range of opacity and initial density profiles leads to a stable universe with nine perfected spheres. As in current cosmological thinking, the existence of Grosseteste’s universe relies on a very special combination of fundamental parameters.
Machine learning methods in the computational biology of cancer
Authors: Vidyasagar M.
Published: April 2014

The objectives of this Perspective paper are to review some recent advances in sparse feature selection for regression and classification, as well as compressed sensing, and to discuss how these might be used to develop tools to advance personalized cancer therapy. As an illustration of the possibilities, a new algorithm for sparse regression is presented and is applied to predict the time to tumour recurrence in ovarian cancer. A new algorithm for sparse feature selection in classification problems is presented, and its validation in endometrial cancer is briefly discussed. Some open problems are also presented.
Long-term effects of birth weight and breastfeeding duration on inflammation in early adulthood
Authors: McDade Thomas W. , Metzger Molly W. , Chyu Laura , Duncan Greg J. , Garfield Craig , Adam Emma K.
Published: April 2014

Chronic inflammation is a potentially important physiological mechanism linking early life environments and health in adulthood. Elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP)—a key biomarker of inflammation—predict increased cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in adulthood, but the developmental factors that shape the regulation of inflammation are not known. We investigated birth weight and breastfeeding duration in infancy as predictors of CRP in young adulthood in a large representative cohort study (n= 6951). Birth weight was significantly associated with CRP in young adulthood, with a negative association for birth weights 2.8 kg and higher. Compared with individuals not breastfed, CRP concentrations were 20.1%, 26.7%, 29.6% and 29.8% lower among individuals breastfed for less than three months, three to six months, 6–12 months and greater than 12 months, respectively. In sibling comparison models, higher birth weight was associated with lower CRP for birth weights above 2.5 kg, and breastfeeding greater than or equal to three months was significantly associated with lower CRP. Efforts to promote breastfeeding and improve birth outcomes may have clinically relevant effects on reducing chronic inflammation and lowering risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in adulthood.
The effects of island ontogeny on species diversity and phylogeny
Authors: Valente Luis M. , Etienne Rampal S. , Phillimore Albert B.
Published: April 2014

A major goal of island biogeography is to understand how island communities are assembled over time. However, we know little about the influence of variable area and ecological opportunity on island biotas over geological timescales. Islands have limited life spans, and it has been posited that insular diversity patterns should rise and fall with an island's ontogeny. The potential of phylogenies to inform us of island ontogenetic stage remains unclear, as we lack a phylogenetic framework that focuses on islands rather than clades. Here, we present a parsimonious island-centric model that integrates phylogeny and ontogeny into island biogeography and can incorporate a negative feedback of diversity on species origination. This framework allows us to generate predictions about species richness and phylogenies on islands of different ages. We find that peak richness lags behind peak island area, and that endemic species age increases with island age on volcanic islands. When diversity negatively affects rates of immigration and cladogenesis, our model predicts speciation slowdowns on old islands. Importantly, we find that branching times of
in situ
radiations can be informative of an island's ontogenetic stage. This novel framework provides a quantitative means of uncovering processes responsible for island biogeography patterns using phylogenies.
Decision accuracy in complex environments is often maximized by small group sizes
Authors: Kao Albert B. , Couzin Iain D.
Published: April 2014

Individuals in groups, whether composed of humans or other animal species, often make important decisions collectively, including avoiding predators, selecting a direction in which to migrate and electing political leaders. Theoretical and empirical work suggests that collective decisions can be more accurate than individual decisions, a phenomenon known as the ‘wisdom of crowds’. In these previous studies, it has been assumed that individuals make independent estimates based on a single environmental cue. In the real world, however, most cues exhibit some spatial and temporal correlation, and consequently, the sensory information that near neighbours detect will also be, to some degree, correlated. Furthermore, it may be rare for an environment to contain only a single informative cue, with multiple cues being the norm. We demonstrate, using two simple models, that taking this natural complexity into account considerably alters the relationship between group size and decision-making accuracy. In only a minority of environments do we observe the typical wisdom of crowds phenomenon (whereby collective accuracy increases monotonically with group size). When the wisdom of crowds is not observed, we find that a finite, and often small, group size maximizes decision accuracy. We reveal that, counterintuitively, it is the noise inherent in these small groups that enhances their accuracy, allowing individuals in such groups to avoid the detrimental effects of correlated information while exploiting the benefits of collective decision-making. Our results demonstrate that the conventional view of the wisdom of crowds may not be informative in complex and realistic environments, and that being in small groups can maximize decision accuracy across many contexts.
Frustrative reward omission increases aggressive behaviour of inferior fighters
Authors: Vindas Marco A. , Johansen Ida B. , Vela-Avitua Sergio , Nørstrud Karoline Sletbak , Aalgaard Marion , Braastad Bjarne O. , Höglund Erik , Øverli Øyvind
Published: April 2014

Animals use aggressive behaviour to gain access to resources, and individuals adjust their behaviour relative to resource value and own resource holding potential (RHP). Normally, smaller individuals have inferior fighting abilities compared with larger conspecifics. Affective and cognitive processes can alter contest dynamics, but the interaction between such effects and that of differing RHPs has not been adjudged. We investigated effects of omission of expected reward (OER) on competing individuals with contrasting RHPs. Small and large rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were conditioned to associate a light with reward. Thereafter, the reward was omitted for half of the fish prior to a contest between individuals possessing a 36–40% difference in RHP. Small control individuals displayed submissive behaviour and virtually no aggression. By contrast, small OER individuals were more aggressive, and two out of 11 became socially dominant. Increased aggression in small OER individuals was accompanied by increased serotonin levels in the dorsomedial pallium (proposed amygdala homologue), but no changes in limbic dopamine neurochemistry were observed in OER-exposed individuals. The behavioural and physiological response to OER in fish indicates that frustration is an evolutionarily conserved affective state. Moreover, our results indicate that aggressive motivation to reward unpredictability affects low RHP individuals strongest.
An island-wide predator manipulation reveals immediate and long-lasting matching of risk by prey
Authors: Orrock John L. , Fletcher Robert J.
Published: April 2014

Anti-predator behaviour affects prey population dynamics, mediates cascading effects in food webs and influences the likelihood of rapid extinctions. Predator manipulations in natural settings provide a rare opportunity to understand how prey anti-predator behaviour is affected by large-scale changes in predators. Here, we couple a long-term, island-wide manipulation of an important rodent predator, the island fox (
Urocyon littoralis
), with nearly 6 years of measurements on foraging by deer mice (
Peromyscus maniculatus
) to provide unequivocal evidence that prey closely match their foraging behaviour to the number of fox predators present on the island.
Peromyscus maniculatus
foraging among exposed and sheltered microhabitats (a measure of aversion to predation risk) closely tracked fox density, but the nature of this effect depended upon nightly environmental conditions known to affect rodent susceptibility to predators. These effects could not be explained by changes in density of deer mice over time. Our work reveals that prey in natural settings are cognizant of the dynamic nature of their predators over timescales that span many years, and that predator removals spanning many generations of prey do not result in a loss of anti-predator behaviour.
How sailfish use their bills to capture schooling prey
Authors: Domenici P. , Wilson A. D. M. , Kurvers R. H. J. M. , Marras S. , Herbert-Read J. E. , Steffensen J. F. , Krause S. , Viblanc P. E. , Couillaud P. , Krause J.
Published: April 2014

The istiophorid family of billfishes is characterized by an extended rostrum or ‘bill’. While various functions (e.g. foraging and hydrodynamic benefits) have been proposed for this structure, until now no study has directly investigated the mechanisms by which billfishes use their rostrum to feed on prey. Here, we present the first unequivocal evidence of how the bill is used by Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) to attack schooling sardines in the open ocean. Using high-speed video-analysis, we show that (i) sailfish manage to insert their bill into sardine schools without eliciting an evasive response and (ii) subsequently use their bill to either tap on individual prey targets or to slash through the school with powerful lateral motions characterized by one of the highest accelerations ever recorded in an aquatic vertebrate. Our results demonstrate that the combination of stealth and rapid motion make the sailfish bill an extremely effective feeding adaptation for capturing schooling prey.
Efficient de novo assembly of highly heterozygous genomes from whole-genome shotgun short reads
Authors: Kajitani Rei , Toshimoto Kouta , Noguchi Hideki , Toyoda Atsushi , Ogura Yoshitoshi , Okuno Miki , Yabana Mitsuru , Harada Masayuki , Nagayasu Eiji , Maruyama Haruhiko , Kohara Yuji , Fujiyama Asao , Hayashi Tetsuya , Itoh Takehiko
Published: April 2014

Although many de novo genome assembly projects have recently been conducted using high-throughput sequencers, assembling highly heterozygous diploid genomes is a substantial challenge due to the increased complexity of the de Bruijn graph structure predominantly used. To address the increasing demand for sequencing of nonmodel and/or wild-type samples, in most cases inbred lines or fosmid-based hierarchical sequencing methods are used to overcome such problems. However, these methods are costly and time consuming, forfeiting the advantages of massive parallel sequencing. Here, we describe a novel de novo assembler, Platanus, that can effectively manage high-throughput data from heterozygous samples. Platanus assembles DNA fragments (reads) into contigs by constructing de Bruijn graphs with automatically optimized k-mer sizes followed by the scaffolding of contigs based on paired-end information. The complicated graph structures that result from the heterozygosity are simplified during not only the contig assembly step but also the scaffolding step. We evaluated the assembly results on eukaryotic samples with various levels of heterozygosity. Compared with other assemblers, Platanus yields assembly results that have a larger scaffold NG50 length without any accompanying loss of accuracy in both simulated and real data. In addition, Platanus recorded the largest scaffold NG50 values for two of the three low-heterozygosity species used in the de novo assembly contest, Assemblathon 2. Platanus therefore provides a novel and efficient approach for the assembly of gigabase-sized highly heterozygous genomes and is an attractive alternative to the existing assemblers designed for genomes of lower heterozygosity.
Substitutional disorder in Sr2−y
Eu
y
B2−2x
Si2+3x
Al2−x
N8+x
(x ≃ 0.12, y ≃ 0.10)
Authors: Funahashi Shiro , Michiue Yuichi , Takeda Takashi , Xie Rong-Jun , Hirosaki Naoto
Published: April 2014

A novel nitride, Sr2−y
Eu
y
B2−2x
Si2+3x
Al2−x
N8+x
(x ≃ 0.12, y ≃ 0.10) (distrontium europium diboron disilicon dialuminium octanitride), with the space group P\overline{6}2c, was synthesized from Sr3N2, EuN, Si3N4, AlN and BN under nitrogen gas pressure. The structure consists of a host framework with Sr/Eu atoms accommodated in the cavities. The host framework is constructed by the linkage of MN4 tetrahedra (M = Si, Al) and BN3 triangles, and contains substitutional disorder described by the alternative occupation of B2 or Si2N on the (0, 0, z) axis. The B2:Si2N ratio contained in an entire crystal is about 9:1.
Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of the new pentahydrate of bis(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2
N,N′)(oxalato-κ2
O
1,O
2)nickel(II)
Authors: Farkašová Nela , Černák Juraj , Tomás Milagros , Falvello Larry R.
Published: April 2014

The reaction of NiCl2, K2C2O4·H2O and 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) in water–ethanol solution at 281 K yields light-purple needles of the new pentahydrate of bis(2,2′-bipyridine)oxalatonickel(II), [Ni(C2O4)(C10H8N2)2]·5H2O or [Ni(ox)(bpy)2]·5H2O, while at room temperature, deep-pink prisms of the previously reported tetrahydrate [Ni(ox)(bpy)2]·4H2O [Román, Luque, Guzmán-Miralles & Beitia (1995), Polyhedron, 14, 2863–2869] were gathered. The asymmetric unit in the crystal structure of the new pentahydrate incorporates the discrete molecular complex [Ni(ox)(bpy)2] and five solvent water molecules. Within the complex molecule, all three ligands are bonded as chelates. The complex molecules are involved in an extended system of hydrogen bonds with the solvent water molecules. Additionally, π–π interactions also contribute to the stabilization of the extended structure. The dehydration of the pentahydrate starts at 323 K and proceeds in at least two steps as determined by thermal analysis.
syn and anti conformations in 2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]benzoic acid and two related salts
Authors: Yatsenko Alexandr V. , Paseshnichenko Ksenia A.
Published: April 2014

The crystal structures of 2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]benzoic acid, C13H9N3O5, (I), ammonium 2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-phenyldiazenyl]benzoate, NH4
+·C13H9N2O3
−, (II), and sodium 2-hydroxy-5-[(E)-(4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl]benzoate trihydrate, Na+·C13H8N3O5
−·3H2O, (III), have been determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In (I) and (III), the phenyldiazenyl and carboxylic acid/carboxylate groups are in an anti orientation with respect to each other, which is in accord with the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, whereas in (II), the anion adopts a syn conformation. In (I), molecules form slanted stacks along the [100] direction. In (II), anions form bilayers parallel to (010), the inner part of the bilayers being formed by the benzene rings, with the –OH and –COO− substituents on the bilayer surface. The NH4
+ cations in (II) are located between the bilayers and are engaged in numerous N—H...O hydrogen bonds. In (III), anions form layers parallel to (001). Both Na+ cations have a distorted octahedral environment, with four octahedra edge-shared by bridging water O atoms, forming [Na4(H2O)12]4+ units.
Education for sustainable development in East Timor
Authors: Capelo Ana , Santos Conceição , Pedrosa Maria Arminda
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in East Timor and proposes a set of ESD indicators to be implemented in the formal education sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– A detailed analysis of relevant literature concerning national development plans (Republica Democrática de Timor-Leste, 2011), literature centred in East Timor and international perspectives about ESD principles, policies and values (UN reports) was carried, in order to examine the relevance of ESD in East Timor and to assist the selection of a set of ESD indicators. These indicators are proposed in order to assess and monitor if the current national policies, educational programmes, secondary school content, learning goals and activities in formal education express concerns related with ESD promotion in terms of specific curricular themes, learning characteristics, learning resources, skills, values and attitudes.

Findings

– This paper argues that the East Timor government has intentions in ESD promotion and implementation. Thus, ESD indicators could be helpful in assessment of new curricular practices. However, even though ESDI may indicate that secondary school programmes, content, learning goals or activities are aligned with ESD principles, it is also important to assess if they then contribute effectively to sustainable development.

Originality/value

– The case study of East Timor adds to the literature about the current interests of young countries such as this in progressing towards a sustainable future, starting from the selection and implementation of ESD indicators in the current curriculum reform. If it is successful, ESD will contribute to transforming not only education but also the quality of life of the East Timorese.
Developing internal crisis communication
Authors: Heide Mats , Simonsson Charlotte
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The article has two major purposes. The first purpose is to examine the roles and practices of communication professionals in relation to internal aspects of crisis communication. The second is to suggest new roles and practices for communication professionals that will enable a strategic approach to internal crisis communication. This article is based on empirical material from a larger three-year research project that focuses on internal crisis communication at a university hospital (UH) in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article is based on empirical material from a larger, three-year research project that focuses on internal crisis communication at a university hospital (UH). For the purpose of this article the authors have mainly analysed transcripts of 24 semi-structured interviews that lasted 1-1.5 hours each. The authors chose to interview both communication professionals and other key persons/crisis managers in order to have the role and practices of communication professionals elucidated not only from the perspective of communication professionals themselves.

Findings

– A conclusion from the case study is that communication professionals have a rather limited role in internal crisis communication. Their role is primarily focused on information distribution through the intranet, even though they are also involved in strategic managerial work during the acute stage of the crisis. The communication professionals are first and foremost called for once the crisis has already occurred, which can be seen as a “communication on demand” approach, which limits a strategic orientation. In this paper some new roles and practices for communication professionals are suggested, which involve a strategic approach and cover all the stages of crisis.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research needs to go deeper into the practices and processes of these roles.

Practical implications

– Important prerequisites for fulfilling a strategic role as a communication professional are membership of the board, diversified communication roles, a developed managerial role, being closer to core operations, and legitimacy.

Originality/value

– The absence of a strategic crisis management thinking and discourse in organisations delimits communication professionals to a technical role rather than a managerial and strategic role. Taking internal crisis communication seriously and adopting a broader view of crises will raise new demands on communication professionals, which go beyond the operational and tactical roles in the acute phase of a crisis.
Preliminary evidence on the relationship between corporate governance attributes and audit committee functionality in Egypt: beyond checking the box
Authors: Abdel-Meguid Ahmed , Samaha Khaled , Dahawy Khaled
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–This exploratory study aims to provide preliminary evidence regarding the non-audit committee corporate governance determinants of audit committee functionality.

Design/methodology/approach

–The study is based on archival accounting, corporate governance data, and interviews of subjects of the top 100 companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX100). A logistic regression is used to identify the non-audit committee governance attributes that affect the likelihood of of having a functional audit committee.

Findings

–Board size and board independence, (CEO-chairman duality) are positively (negatively) related to audit committee functionality, suggesting complementary governance relations. On the other hand, the authors document a negative relation between auditor type (Big4) and audit committee functionality indicating a substitutive governance effect.

Originality/value

–To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that explores the actual functioning of audit committees in Egypt beyond mere regulatory requirements. The study highlights the importance of assuring that the “spirit” of corporate governance laws and regulations is adhered to rather than the mere compliance with their “letter”.
Intertwining CSR with strategy – the way ahead
Authors: Jhunjhunwala Shital
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance and means of making corporate social responsibility (CSR) an integral part of corporate strategy with the help of case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article explores the transformation of business from being egocentric to socially responsible. With the use of examples it demonstrates how integrating CSR into strategy can create sustainable business models.

Findings

– Firms need to develop a framework for integrating CSR into their business strategy for long term successful survival.

Social implications

– Corporates and society are intertwined and mutually dependent. Business cannot survive without society's acquiescence nor succeed without its active support.

Originality/value

– The article explains the benefits of CSR and how to make it an integral part of business strategy to gain a competitive advantage.
Making sense of board effectiveness: a socio-cognitive perspective
Authors: Sur Sujit
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–This paper aims to investigate a team dynamics based approach to assess board effectiveness, namely the interplay between boardroom decision-making processes and the board members' cognitive mental models.

Design/methodology/approach

–A socio-cognitive perspective is utilized for analyzing board processes and determining board effectiveness. Utilizing the concepts of team mental models and sensemaking, a theoretically grounded model of board effectiveness is developed, wherein the propositions predict the causality and effect of the socio-cognitive and sensemaking processes on board effectiveness.

Findings

–The proposed model is able to analyze the relationship among the different decision-making processes and members' cognitive models as determinants of board effectiveness, wherein the board's decision making process mediates the board's cognitive model – effectiveness relationship, while the board's cognitive model moderates the decision process – effectiveness relationship.

Research limitations/implications

–The conceptual model advances a rationale that might explain the mixed or modest findings in literature on the relationship between board demographics, dynamics and effectiveness.

Practical implications

–The model allows practitioners and policy makers an alternative mechanism to assess board effectiveness, that is able to not only integrate the demographic, diversity and dynamics related measures, but also enables a clear understanding of the cognitive influences on board decision making and effectiveness.

Originality/value

–The conceptual model encompasses most of the relevant constructs and findings of previous studies and offers a parsimonious yet holistic understanding of the boardroom mechanisms that might determine board effectiveness.
Corporate social responsibility practices and motivations in a peripheral country: two Portuguese illustrative cases
Authors: F. Proença João , Castelo Branco Manuel
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–The purpose of the paper is to provide an illustrative picture of how large corporations in a peripheral country such as Portugal engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and discuss the motivations underlying these practices.

Design/methodology/approach

–In this study, a case study methodology was used to explore CSR practices and the underlying motivations in two Portuguese companies.

Findings

–The results obtained suggest that some specificity may be present in the way of defining corporate responsibility for society by Portuguese companies. The Portuguese companies analysed seem to display an historical preference for corporate paternalism. This suggests that moral reasons can motivate firms (and individuals within them) to engage in social responsibility activities.

Research limitations/implications

–This work focuses on two specific case studies, but other cases might find diverse findings.

Originality/value

–It adds to the scarce research on CSR by Portuguese companies by providing new empirical data. It contributes to the growing body of evidence which seems to suggest that cultural differences associated with different countries affect CSR dynamics.
Boards and governance of state-owned enterprises
Authors: Nana Yaw Simpson Samuel
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–This study aims to examine the structure, attributes, and performance of boards of directors of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) within the broader context of public sector governance. This is informed by the less attention given to the concept among public sector organizations despite efforts to make state enterprises more effective and efficient, especially in developing and middle income countries.

Design/methodology/approach

–Data was collected through questionnaires self-administered in 2010 to all 25 SOEs in Accra, Ghana, out of the 29 nationwide. Some key officials were interviewed and documentary evidence analyzed to achieve triangulation of data and results.

Findings

–Results show that state-owned enterprises have boards and comply with the minimal governance issues outlined the legal frameworks establishing them. However, they exhibit significant weaknesses in the areas of board performance evaluation, criteria for board appointment, the balance of executive directors and non-executive directors, and other board characteristics, indicating a departure from general practices.

Practical implications

–Findings suggest the need for a tailored corporate governance framework or code for state-owned enterprises in developing countries.

Originality/value

–Compared to the literature, this study provides insight on boards from the perspective of state enterprises in ensuring good corporate governance, particularly in the context of a middle income country (Ghana).
Corporate governance as a value driver for firm performance: evidence from India
Authors: Mishra Supriti , Mohanty Pitabas
Published: April 2014

Purpose

–The study aims to examine corporate governance issues in India and establish the relationship between corporate governance and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

–The sample comprises 141 companies belonging to the “A” group stocks listed in the Mumbai Stock Exchange of India. Considering the institutional uniqueness in India, a composite measure of corporate governance is developed comprising three indicators – legal, board and proactive indicators. Data on the three indicators and financial performance were procured from secondary sources. In the step-wise multiple regression analysis, the influence of these three indicators and the composite measure of corporate governance was examined on firm performance after controlling the confounding effects of firm size.

Findings

–The board and the proactive indicators influence the firm performance significantly whereas legal compliance indicator does not do so. The composite corporate governance measure is a good predictor of firm performance.

Originality/value

–This study has two contributions: one, it proposes a composite measure of corporate governance considering the unique institutional characteristics of the Indian economy. Two, the study establishes the predictability of the new measure of corporate governance on firm performance as a tool to boost investors' confidence and financial health of firms.
Antecedents and consequences of replacing international independent intermediaries
Authors: B. Nes Erik
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– What characterizes the relationships with intermediaries that are soon to be replaced, and are the replacements successful? The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study applies a longitudinal design. The paper conducted a survey among a sample of exporters concerning their relationships with independent intermediaries in terms of trust, commitment, communication, control and two performance variables; financial performance and strategic goal achievement. Five years thereafter the author contacted the same companies again and questioned which independent intermediaries had been replaced in the period. The author then compared the replaced intermediaries with the extended intermediaries before they were replaced and analysed changes in the evaluations of the relationships and of the performance after the replacement.

Findings

– The relationships with terminated intermediaries that were replaced by sales subsidiary or home-based direct sales were characterized having higher trust, communication and control than extended relationships before replacement. While it may be surprising that these quite successful relationships were terminated, this is in line with internationalization process theories. The replacements, both intermediaries that were replaced by other intermediaries and by sales subsidiary/home-based direct sales, were highly successful in terms of improvement in performance and behavioural relationship variables.

Research limitations/implications

– The empirical findings are limited by the sample and by data collection from the principal only in the dyadic relations.

Practical implications

– International independent intermediaries should analyse the likelihood of being replaced by the principal because the relationship or the performance is unsatisfactory, but also because of satisfactory evaluations. Terminations of satisfactory relationships tend to be accompanied by change in operation mode to internal organization. The independent intermediary should in such cases build a defence structure against unwanted termination and/or prepare for buyout. The success of the replacements suggests that international marketers benefit from being proactive in replacing intermediaries with new intermediaries or with a hierarchal entry mode.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that applies most of these variables from interorganizational relations theory in the study of international independent intermediary replacements. It is also the first to give insight into the consequences of intermediary terminations.
Policing pornography in the workplace: the case of Australia Post
Authors: Chelliah John
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– Highlights the risks employers face in disciplining employees for inappropriate behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– Considers the types of approach that are necessary for a fair disciplinary process.

Findings

– Reveals that an employer's policies governing inappropriate behavior are worthless unless employees are educated on these policies and the consequences of breaching these policies are clearly communicated.

Practical implications

– Guides managers in successfully defending claims of unfair dismissal for inappropriate behavior.

Social implications

– Draws attention to the risks associated with the access and storage of pornography at the workplace.

Originality/value

– Raises the issue of organizational awareness and preparedness to undertake challenges posed by inappropriate behavior.
Examining brand communities among children and adolescents: an exploratory study
Authors: Ann Flurry Laura , R. Swimberghe Krist , M. Parker Janna
Published: April 2014

Purpose

– Online communities designed to appeal to children are on the rise. The success of this marketplace phenomenon indicates that adolescents are likely candidates for brand community membership; however, the literature has yet to examine this trend. This research aims to address this gap and establish the likely existence of brand community involvement among adolescents. It further seeks to explore the characteristics which may differentiate children who are more likely to become involved in brand communities and examine what impact their involvement may have on adolescents' psychological well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

– A national online panel was employed to collect survey data from respondents aged 7-18 and their parents.

Findings

– The results support the existence of a high brand community involvement segment among adolescents. Adolescents high in brand community involvement are found to display noteworthy differences in attitudes, values, and marketplace behaviors. Several interesting avenues of future research are proposed.

Originality/value

– To the authors' knowledge this is the first study attempting to measure differences between adolescents who measure high and low in brand community involvement. Of particular interest are the results indicating that adolescents involved in brand communities may have important distinguishing attitudes and values and exhibit noteworthy differences in their marketplace behavior.