bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating identification with brand communities on Twitter
Authors: López Manuela , Sicilia María , Moyeda-Carabaza Alberto Alejandro
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Companies are now using social network sites (SNSs) within their marketing and brand-building activities. Twitter is the preferred SNS for creating brand communities, which offer companies many advantages. The purpose of this paper is to examine how individuals manage their competing needs for being affiliated (operationalized as personal and communal-brand connections) and for being seen as distinctive (operationalized as need for uniqueness (NFU)) when they are members of brand communities on Twitter. The authors have also analysed which type of brand community is able to achieve the balance between both needs, enhancing identification with the brand community.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 318 valid responses were collected from three camera brand communities on Twitter. Messages (“tweets”) which included a link to an online questionnaire were sent to community members via Twitter. The authors examine the proposed model using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The authors demonstrate that consumers can satisfy their need for affiliation in brand communities created in Twitter. However, consumers can only reach a balance between the need for affiliation and the need for distinctiveness in brand communities built around niche brands. In contrast, the two needs work in opposition to shape identification in brand communities of big brands.

Originality/value

Optimal distinctiveness theory is used as a theoretical background for proposing how the antecedents of identification with the brand community enhance brand loyalty, with reference to the conflict between the individual’s needs for both distinctiveness and affiliation. Consumers’ identification with the brand community is proposed as a mediator to achieve brand loyalty in brand communities. Consumers reach this balance in brand communities built around a niche brand, where individuals with high NFU feel a high identification with the brand community. For big brands, as consumers’ NFU increases, their identification with the brand community and brand loyalty decreases.
How much does valuation model choice matter? Target price accuracy of PE and DCF model in Asian emerging markets
Authors: Sayed Samie Ahmed
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on valuation practices applied by analysts to derive target price forecasts in Asian emerging markets. The key objective of this study is to understand valuation model preference of analysts and to compare the predictive utility of target price forecasts derived through heuristics-driven price-to-earnings (PE) model and theoretically sound discounted cash flow (DCF) model.

Design/methodology/approach

Each research report in the sample of 502 research reports has been studied in detail to understand the dominant valuation model (PE or DCF) applied by analyst to derive target price forecasts. These research reports have been issued on stocks trading in seven emerging markets including India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines, Korea and Thailand during a six-year period starting 2008. Standard OLS and logit regression analysis has been performed to derive empirical findings.

Findings

The study finds that lower regulatory and reporting standards prevailing in emerging markets have no significant bearing on analyst choice of valuation model (PE or DCF). Time-series analysis suggests that emerging market analysts did not rely upon the usage of DCF model and preferred PE model during and immediately after the financial crisis of 2008. Multivariate regression results show weak evidence that PE model produces better results than DCF model after adjusting for the complexities associated with analyzing emerging market equities. The results imply that PE model, to some degree, is better equipped to capture market moods and sentiment in dynamic emerging markets rather than theoretically sound DCF model.

Originality/value

Most past studies on valuation model practices have focused on developed markets and this study provides a fresh perspective on analyst valuation model practices and performance in a new institutional setting of Asian emerging markets. The marginally better predictive utility of PE model as compared to DCF model is possibly a feature limited to Asian emerging markets.
The evaluation of core competencies in networks: the network competence report
Authors: Francioli Francesca , Albanese Massimo
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to disclose, report, and manage intellectual capital (IC) in a network of companies. To this end, it provides a monetary evaluation of core competencies (CCs), which may be defined as a bundle of various types of intangibles, aggregating their value into a network statement, called a network competence report (NCR).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilises the interventionist approach. The intervention was conducted by the authors and studied through joint reflections on documentation from meetings and individual, semi-structured interviews.

Findings

The NCR makes IC more transparent, thereby allowing companies and network managers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of CCs with a consequent potential insight into their potential earnings.

Research limitations/implications

This method is labour-intensive, especially in its first application, and the data collection requires considerable company involvement. The interventionist approach may have influenced the empirical results, which may be affected by subjectivity. As the paper involves a single network, care should be taken in generalising its empirical evidence.

Practical implications

In making IC management more effective, the NCR is valuable for academics, management, political authorities and, more generally, for a network’s stakeholders. The NCR is a tool for internal and external communication purposes, creating the conditions to mobilise IC. The proposed model supports the diagnosis of networks by providing CC maps and assessments relevant to their governance and competitiveness. The NCR depicts company and network CCs, allowing intertemporal comparisons that facilitate understanding of the effectiveness of the network’s actions and the importance of belonging to it.

Originality/value

This paper represents a first attempt to evaluate, in monetary terms, CCs in a network. Its value lies in its practical implications. Moreover, the paper investigates IC in applied terms, contributing to reducing the gap between theory and practice.
Involuntary disclosure of intellectual capital: is it relevant?
Authors: Dumay John , Guthrie James
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory essay evaluating whether involuntary intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) is value relevant to stakeholders. The authors define involuntary disclosure as “what external stakeholders and stakeseekers disclose about a company”. This essay is timely because it lays the foundations for future ICD research that departs from traditional analyses of corporate reports, especially annual reports.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a critical reflection on current and future developments in ICD research. The normative arguments rely on the experience and expertise along with examples from the ICD literature and contemporary business media to critique existing ICD research and practice and to offer new ways forward for future research.

Findings

In highlighting the limitations of the traditional ICD literature, the authors provide a foundation from which researchers should contemplate a powerful new force in ICD brought about by the rapid transformation in technologies and forces of mass communication. The authors introduce the concept of “involuntary disclosure”, and highlight several key issues that intellectual capital (IC) researchers should consider if they want their academic endeavours to contribute not only to practice, but to a wider environmental and social good.

Practical implications

Involuntary disclosures produced by stakeholders and stakeseekers introduce opportunities and threats to organisations, bringing new risks that impact share value and reputations. How well organisation manage these risks, and the impact inside and outside organisational boundaries, to provide economic, environmental and social value, should provide ample fuel for future transformational IC research.

Originality/value

The most value relevant disclosures are not what an organisation discloses or reports about itself, but rather what stakeholders and stakeseekers communicate. However, how reliable are involuntary disclosures and how can stakeholders and organisations verify IC disclosures coming from outside the organisation? If involuntary IC disclosures are value relevant, how might organisations seek to influence and manage them to serve their ends?
Investigating the key determinants of Muslim ethical consumption behaviour amongst affluent Qataris
Authors: Sharif Khurram
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper was the study of an affluent Islamic market, going through a rapid economic and social transformation, from an ethical consumption perspective. More specifically, impact of environmentalism, consumption ethics, fair trade attitude and materialism was investigated on the ethical consumption behaviour of Muslim consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A research framework was put together after consulting relevant literature, Islamic scholars and Islamic marketers. The developed research framework was tested in the Islamic State of Qatar. As an outcome of an online questionnaire-based survey targeting Muslim (Qatari) consumers in a public university, 243 usable questionnaires were collected. After reliability and validity checks, AMOS SPSS 20 was used to conduct structural equation modelling analysis on the collected data.

Findings

The results showed consumption ethics, environmentalism and fair trade attitude as significant determinants of ethical consumption behaviour. There was an insignificant association between materialism and ethical consumption behaviour. The findings suggested that most Muslim consumers within this affluent market showed an interest in ethical consumption. However, an insignificant association between materialism and ethical consumption behaviour implied that even though Muslim consumers demonstrated ethical consumption behaviour, they were not anti-materialism. The outcome suggests that due to the high levels of affluence among Muslim consumers, it is possible that they may be practising ethical and materialistic consumption simultaneously.

Practical implications

This research should assist marketers in understanding the ethical consumption behaviour of Muslim consumers who are faced with ethical and materialistic consumption options within an affluent Islamic market.

Originality/value

The research should add to the body of consumer behaviour knowledge, as it provides an insight into the consumption behaviour of Muslims who are facing social and religious ideology conflicts which makes their ethical consumption behaviours more sophisticated.
Frances Perkins: gender, context and history in the neglect of a management theorist
Authors: Williams Kristin S. , Mills Albert J.
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to achieve four things: to build on recent discussion on the neglect of Frances Perkins’ contribution to the understandings of management and organization (MOS); to surface selected insights by Perkins to reveal her potential as an important MOS scholar and practitioner; to explain some of the reasons for the neglect of Perkins, particularly by MOS scholars; and to interrogate the role of management history in the neglect of Perkins and her management and organizational insights.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a feminist post-structural lens through which the authors focus on major discourses (dominant interrelated practices and ideas) that influence how people come to define themselves, others and the character of a particular phenomenon (e.g. management history). To that end, the authors have undertaken Foucauldian discourse analysis, where they examine various sources that collectively work to present a dominant idea of a given set of practices (in this case, management and organization studies and associated histories of the field). In Foucauldian terms, these interrelated practices constitute an archive that consists of various selected materials (e.g. the Roosevelt Library and the Columbia University Oral History Collection) and, in this case, works on and by Francis Perkins. Thus, the authors analyzed various materials for their discursive value (viz. the extent to which they produced and reinforced a particular notion that excluded, neglected or ignored women from any privileged role in MOS and management history).

Findings

The findings are discursive, which means that the purpose is to disrupt current knowledge of MOS and management history by revealing how its practices as a field of study serve to leave certain people (i.e. Frances Perkins), influences (i.e. the impact of the “settlement ethos” on the New Deal), and social phenomena (i.e. the New Deal) out of account.

Originality/value

The objective is to ask for a rethink of the field definition of MOS and management history, to include broader levels of social endeavour (e.g. labour, social welfare and politics) and a range of hitherto neglected theorists, in particular Frances Perkins. Achievements in labour, industry and management of organizations, credited to the New Deal, are overlooked in MOS and management and organizational history. As Secretary of Labour, Perkins researched, lobbied and ushered in critical New Deal measures which transformed working environments for men, women and children with social welfare and labour policies that contributed to the understanding of managing and organizing in the modern world.
Effects of authentic leadership, affective commitment and job resourcefulness on employees’ creativity and individual performance
Authors: Semedo Ana Suzete Dias , Coelho Arnaldo Fernandes Matos , Ribeiro Neuza Manuel Pereira
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study examining the relationship between authentic leadership (AL), attitudes and employees’ behaviours. More specifically, how AL influences affective commitment, job resourcefulness and creativity, which, in turn, influence individual performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical research has analysed the data from a questionnaire administered to a sample of 543 employees belonging to various public and private organisations in Cape Verde. The model was tested using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results reveal that AL influences employees’ attitudes (affective commitment and job resourcefulness) and their creativity, affective commitment and job resourcefulness predict the employees’ creativity, and job resourcefulness and creativity predict individual performance.

Practical implications

The results from this study can help managers to understand how to increase employees’ creativity and performance through AL, affective commitment and job resourcefulness. Indirectly, the study also suggests that organisations should focus on selecting leaders with authentic features and implement appropriate training activities, coaching and development that aim to increase AL since this may well result in a positive impact on employees’ attitudes and behaviours.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is that it focusses on the integration of the five concepts, AL, affective commitment, job resourcefulness, creativity and individual performance, in a single study, providing a model that depicts the chain of effects between AL, employees’ attitudes, employees’ creativity and individual performance.
Imperatives for research designs with Muslim women
Authors: Boulanouar Aisha Wood , Aitken Robert , Boulanouar Zakaria , Todd Sarah Jane
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the quality and efficacy of data collected from Muslim respondents, particularly women, through an examination of Islamic teachings and illustrated using a “conservative” paradigm of practice. The paper is designed to be helpful to researchers in designing both their projects and their data collection methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is conceptual, in that it provides an overview of some important, often overlooked or misunderstood areas on which studies have been based and gives frameworks and also ethical pointers to researchers.

Findings

Framed to explain approaches to “conservative” Muslim women in societies across the globe, what is presented herein allows insight into all varieties of Muslim practice. This is achieved by explaining the possible objections to different methodologies and techniques of research for Muslim women at the “conservative” end of the practicing spectrum – this allowing a highlighting of ideas and ideals applicable across the spectrum.

Practical implications

Useful for academic researchers and also commercial researchers, potentially saving both time and money by pointing out possible errors in research design while also ensuring good ethical practice. The paper is offered to assist researchers in eliciting full and frank responses from Muslim respondents based on informed and thoughtful research design and data collection and providing possibly contextualisation(s) of what is said to enhance data analysis and interpretation.

Originality/value

Believed to be the first paper of its kind in English, this conceptual paper provides insight for researchers aiming to get the most useful and ethically sound outcomes for those interviewed, as well as those interviewing.
Intrapopulation variability in the timing of ontogenetic habitat shifts in sea turtles revealed using δ15N values from bone growth rings
Authors: Turner Tomaszewicz Calandra N. , Seminoff Jeffrey A. , Peckham S. Hoyt , Avens Larisa , Kurle Carolyn M.
Published: January 2017

Determining location and timing of ontogenetic shifts in the habitat use of highly migratory species, along with possible intrapopulation variation in these shifts, is essential for understanding mechanisms driving alternate life histories and assessing overall population trends. Measuring variations in multi‐year habitat‐use patterns is especially difficult for remote oceanic species.

To investigate the potential for differential habitat use among migratory marine vertebrates, we measured the naturally occurring stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) patterns that differentiate distinct ocean regions to create a ‘regional isotope characterization’, analysed the δ15N values from annual bone growth layer rings from dead‐stranded animals, and then combined the bone and regional isotope data to track individual animal movement patterns over multiple years.

We used humeri from juvenile North Pacific loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), animals that undergo long migrations across the North Pacific Ocean (NPO), using multiple discrete regions as they develop to adulthood. Typical of many migratory marine species, ontogenetic changes in habitat use throughout their decades‐long juvenile stage is poorly understood, but each potential habitat has unique foraging opportunities and spatially explicit natural and anthropogenic threats that could affect key life‐history parameters.

We found a bimodal size/age distribution in the timing that juveniles underwent an ontogenetic habitat shift from the oceanic central North Pacific (CNP) to the neritic east Pacific region near the Baja California Peninsula (BCP) (42·7 ± 7·2 vs. 68·3 ± 3·4 cm carapace length, 7·5 ± 2·7 vs. 15·6 ± 1·7 years). Important to the survival of this population, these disparate habitats differ considerably in their food availability, energy requirements and threats, and these differences can influence life‐history parameters such as growth, survival and future fecundity. This is the first evidence of alternative ontogenetic shifts and habitat‐use patterns for juveniles foraging in the eastern NPO.

We combine two techniques, skeletochronology and stable isotope analysis, to reconstruct multi‐year habitat‐use patterns of a remote migratory species, linked to estimated ages and body sizes of individuals, to reveal variable ontogeny during the juvenile life stage that could drive alternate life histories and that has the potential to illuminate the migration patterns for other species with accretionary tissues.
Characterization of the Hog1 MAPK pathway in the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Liu Jing , Wang Zhi‐Kang , Sun Huan‐Huan , Ying Sheng‐Hua , Feng Ming‐Guang
Published: January 2017

High‐osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway required for yeast osmoregulation relies upon the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) Hog1 cascade that comprise the MAPKKKs Ssk2/Ssk22 and Ste11 converging on the MAPKK Pbs2. Here we show a Hog1 cascade with the unique MAPKKK Ssk2 acting in Beauveria bassiana. Hypersensitivity to high osmolarity and high resistance to fludioxonil fungicide appeared in Δssk2, Δpbs2 and Δhog1 mutants whereas the two hallmark phenotypes were reversed in Δste11. Increased sensitivity to heat shock and decreased sensitivity to cell wall perturbation also occurred in the three mutants but not in Δste11 although antioxidant phenotypes were different in all deletion mutants. Intriguingly, signals of Hog1 phosphorylation induced by osmotic, oxidative and thermal cues were present in Δste11 but absent in Δssk2 and Δpbs2. Moreover, vegetative growth on minimal media with different carbon/nitrogen sources was much more suppressed in Δste11 and Δssk2 than in Δpbs2 and Δhog1 although all mutants suffered similar, but severe, conidiation defects on a standard medium. Normal host infection was abolished in Δste11 while virulence was differentially attenuated in other mutants. Our findings exclude Ste11 from the Hog1 cascade that regulates multiple stress responses and environmental adaptation of B. bassiana and perhaps other filamentous fungi.
The Probability of Hospitalizations for Mild‐to‐Moderate Injuries by Trauma Center Ownership Type
Authors: Pracht Etienne E. , Langland‐Orban Barbara , Ryan Jessica L.
Published: January 2017

Objective

To corroborate anecdotal evidence with systematic evidence of a lower threshold for admission among for‐profit hospitals.

Data Sources

The study used Florida emergency department and hospital discharge datasets for 2012 to 2014. The treatment variable of interest was for‐profit‐designated trauma center status. The dependent variable indicated whether a patient with mild‐to‐moderate injuries was admitted after presenting as a trauma alert and then discharged to home. A separate analysis was conducted of discharges that had a 1‐day length of stay.

Study Design

Generalized estimation equations with logistic distribution models were used to control for the confounding influences and developed for four groups of patients: ICISS = 1 (no probability of mortality), ICISS ≥ 0.99, ICISS ≥ 0.95, and ICISS ≥ 0.85 (zero to 15 percent probability of mortality, which includes all mild and moderate injury patients).

Principal Findings

For the ICISS = 1 and ICISS ≥ 0.99 models, the centers' for‐profit status was the most important predictor. In the ICISS ≥ 0.95 and ICISS ≥ 0.85 models, injury type played a more important role, but for‐profit status remained important. For patients with a 1‐day stay, for‐profit status was associated with an even higher probability of hospitalization.

Conclusions

Considerable differences exist between for‐profit and not‐for‐profit trauma centers concerning hospitalization among the study population, which may be explained by supplier‐induced demand.
Multiple sclerosis animal models: a clinical and histopathological perspective
Authors: Kipp Markus , Nyamoya Stella , Hochstrasser Tanja , Amor Sandra
Published: January 2017

There is a broad consensus that multiple sclerosis (MS) represents more than an inflammatory disease: it harbors several characteristic aspects of a classical neurodegenerative disorder, that is, damage to axons, synapses and nerve cell bodies. While we are equipped with appropriate therapeutic options to prevent immune‐cell driven relapses, effective therapeutic options to prevent the progressing neurodegeneration are still missing. In this review article, we will discuss to what extent pathology of the progressive disease stage can be modeled in MS animal models. While acute and relapsing–remitting forms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which are T cell dependent, are aptly suited to model relapsing‐remitting phases of MS, other EAE models, especially the secondary progressive EAE stage in Biozzi ABH mice is better representing the secondary progressive phase of MS, which is refractory to many immune therapies. Besides EAE, the cuprizone model is rapidly gaining popularity to study the formation and progression of demyelinating CNS lesions without T cell involvement. Here, we discuss these two non‐popular MS models. It is our aim to point out the pathological hallmarks of MS, and discuss which pathological aspects of the disease can be best studied in the various animal models available.
Using DNA barcoding to track seafood mislabeling in Los Angeles restaurants
Authors: Willette Demian A. , Simmonds Sara E. , Cheng Samantha H. , Esteves Sofia , Kane Tonya L. , Nuetzel Hayley , Pilaud Nicholas , Rachmawati Rita , Barber Paul H.
Published: January 2017

Seafood mislabeling is common in both domestic and international markets. Studies on seafood fraud often report high rates of mislabeling (e.g., >70%), but these studies have been limited to a single sampling year, which means it is difficult to assess the impact of stricter governmental truth‐in‐labeling regulations. We used DNA barcoding to assess seafood labeling in 26 sushi restaurants in Los Angeles over 4 years. Seafood from 3 high‐end grocery stores were also sampled (n = 16) in 2014. We ordered 9 common sushi fish from menus, preserved tissue samples in 95% ethanol, extracted the genomic DNA, amplified and sequenced a portion of the mtDNA COI gene, and identified the resulting sequence to known fish sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information nucleotide database. We compared DNA results with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list of acceptable market names and retail names. We considered sushi‐sample labels that were inconsistent with FDA names mislabeled. Sushi restaurants had a consistently high percentage of mislabeling (47%; 151 of 323) from 2012 to 2015, yet mislabeling was not homogenous across species. Halibut, red snapper, yellowfin tuna, and yellowtail had consistently high (<77%) occurrences of mislabeling on menus, whereas mislabeling of salmon and mackerel were typically low (>15%). All sampled sushi restaurants had at least one case of mislabeling. Mislabeling of sushi‐grade fish from high‐end grocery stores was also identified in red snapper, yellowfin tuna, and yellowtail, but at a slightly lower frequency (42%) than sushi restaurants. Despite increased regulatory measures and media attention, we found seafood mislabeling continues to be prevalent.
Abdominal lean muscle is associated with lower mortality among kidney waitlist candidates
Authors: Locke Jayme E. , Carr J. Jeffrey , Nair Sangeeta , Terry James G. , Reed Rhiannon D. , Smith Grant D. , Segev Dorry L. , Kumar Vineeta , Lewis Cora E.
Published: January 2017

Morphometric assessments, such as muscle density and body fat distribution, have emerged as strong predictors of cardiovascular risk and postoperative morbidity and mortality. To date, no study has examined morphometric mortality risk prediction among kidney transplant (KT) candidates. KT candidates, waitlisted 2008‐2009, were identified (n=96) and followed to the earliest of transplant, death, or administrative end of study. Morphometric measures, including abdominal adipose tissue, paraspinous and psoas muscle composition, and aortic calcification, were measured from CTs. Risk of waitlist mortality was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression. On adjusted analyses, radiologic measures remained independently and significantly associated with lower waitlist mortality; the addition of radiologic measures significantly improved model predictive ability over models containing traditional risk factors alone (net reclassification index: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.31‐0.75). Higher psoas muscle attenuation (indicative of leaner muscle) was associated with decreased risk of death (aHR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.91‐0.96, P<.001), and for each unit increase in lean paraspinous volume, there was an associated 2% decreased risk for death (aHR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96‐0.99, P=.03). Radiologic measures of lean muscle mass, such as psoas muscle attenuation and paraspinous lean volume, may improve waitlist mortality risk prediction and candidate selection.
Impression Techniques Used for Single‐Unit Crowns: Findings from the National Dental Practice‐Based Research Network
Authors: McCracken Michael S. , Louis David R. , Litaker Mark S. , Minyé Helena M. , Oates Thomas , Gordan Valeria V. , Marshall Don G. , Meyerowitz Cyril , Gilbert Gregg H. ,   National Dental PBRN Collaborative Group
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To: (1) determine which impression and gingival displacement techniques practitioners use for single‐unit crowns on natural teeth; and (2) test whether certain dentist and practice characteristics are significantly associated with the use of these techniques.

Materials and Methods

Dentists participating in the National Dental Practice‐Based Research Network were eligible for this survey study. The study used a questionnaire developed by clinicians, statisticians, laboratory technicians, and survey experts. The questionnaire was pretested via cognitive interviewing with a regionally diverse group of practitioners. The survey included questions regarding gingival displacement and impression techniques. Survey responses were compared by dentist and practice characteristics using ANOVA.

Results

The response rate was 1777 of 2132 eligible dentists (83%). Regarding gingival displacement, most clinicians reported using either a single cord (35%) or dual cord (35%) technique. About 16% of respondents preferred an injectable retraction technique. For making impressions, the most frequently used techniques and materials are: poly(vinyl siloxane), 77%; polyether, 12%; optical/digital, 9%. A dental auxiliary or assistant made the final impression 2% of the time. Regarding dual‐arch impression trays, 23% of practitioners report they typically use a metal frame tray, 60% use a plastic frame, and 16% do not use a dual‐arch tray. Clinicians using optical impression techniques were more likely to be private practice owners or associates.

Conclusions

This study documents current techniques for gingival displacement and making impressions for crowns. Certain dentist and practice characteristics are significantly associated with these techniques.
Corruption and State and Local Government Debt Expansion
Authors: Liu Cheol , Moldogaziev Tima T. , Mikesell John L.
Published: January 2017

Theories describing rent seeking in the public sector posit a number of negative fiscal outcomes that the choices of corrupt officials may generate. The evidence presented in this article shows that states with greater intensities of public corruption have higher aggregate levels of state and local debt. If corruption in the 10 most corrupt states were only at an average level, their public debt would be 9 percent lower, or about $249.35 per capita, all else being equal. Notably, institutional control measures may not have succeeded in restraining the expansion of state and local public debt in the presence of greater levels of corruption. State and local governments would achieve more efficient levels of fiscal discipline by curbing public sector corruption.
An Empirical Agent‐Based Model to Simulate the Adoption of Water Reuse Using the Social Amplification of Risk Framework
Authors: Kandiah Venu , Binder Andrew R. , Berglund Emily Z.
Published: January 2017

Water reuse can serve as a sustainable alternative water source for urban areas. However, the successful implementation of large‐scale water reuse projects depends on community acceptance. Because of the negative perceptions that are traditionally associated with reclaimed water, water reuse is often not considered in the development of urban water management plans. This study develops a simulation model for understanding community opinion dynamics surrounding the issue of water reuse, and how individual perceptions evolve within that context, which can help in the planning and decision‐making process. Based on the social amplification of risk framework, our agent‐based model simulates consumer perceptions, discussion patterns, and their adoption or rejection of water reuse. The model is based on the “risk publics” model, an empirical approach that uses the concept of belief clusters to explain the adoption of new technology. Each household is represented as an agent, and parameters that define their behavior and attributes are defined from survey data. Community‐level parameters—including social groups, relationships, and communication variables, also from survey data—are encoded to simulate the social processes that influence community opinion. The model demonstrates its capabilities to simulate opinion dynamics and consumer adoption of water reuse. In addition, based on empirical data, the model is applied to investigate water reuse behavior in different regions of the United States. Importantly, our results reveal that public opinion dynamics emerge differently based on membership in opinion clusters, frequency of discussion, and the structure of social networks.
Ultrasound biomicroscopy and tonometry in ophthalmologically normal pigeon eyes
Authors: Park Sangwan , Kang Seonmi , Lim Jaegook , Park Eunjin , Nam Taekjin , Jeong Seowoo , Seo Kangmoon
Published: January 2017

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and tonometry in pigeons and to provide biometric reference ranges for normal pigeon eyes.

Animals studied

Ten pigeons (Columba livia var. domestica) with ophthalmologically normal eyes.

Procedures

Ophthalmic examinations, including slit‐lamp biomicroscopy and tonometry, were performed to confirm that the eyes were normal. UBM was then performed on the left eye. On each obtained image, the ciliary cleft (CC) length, CC width, and CC area, and iridocorneal angle (ICA) were measured.

Results

Richly vascularized iris was observed in all pigeon eyes. Mean intraocular pressure was 11.7 ± 1.6 mmHg, without any statistical difference between the left and right eyes. The UBM scanning procedure was well tolerated in all pigeons. Mean values of CC length, CC width, CC area, and ICA were 1.55 ± 0.17 mm, 0.36 ± 0.05 mm, 0.39 ± 0.04 mm2, and 15.17 ± 1.06°, respectively.

Conclusions

Ultrasound biomicroscopy could be a useful diagnostic tool to evaluate anterior ocular segment of pigeons.
Direct Heme Uptake by Phytoplankton-Associated
Roseobacter
Bacteria
Authors: Hogle Shane L. , Brahamsha Bianca , Barbeau Katherine A.
Published: January 2017

Ecosystem productivity in large regions of the surface ocean is fueled by iron that has been microbially regenerated from biomass. Currently, the specific microbes and molecules that mediate the transfer of recycled iron between microbial trophic levels remain largely unknown. We characterized a marine bacterial heme transporter and verified its role in acquiring heme, an abundant iron-containing enzyme cofactor. We present evidence that after host cell lysis, phytoplankton-associated bacteria directly extract heme and hemoproteins from algal cellular debris in order to fulfill their iron requirements and that the regulation of this process may be modulated by host cues. Direct heme transport, in contrast to multistep extracellular processing of hemoproteins, may allow certain phytoplankton-associated bacteria to rapidly extract iron from decaying phytoplankton, thus efficiently recycling cellular iron into the wider microbial loop.
Splenomegaly in the returning traveller: a diagnostic workup
Authors: Patel Priya Umesh , Sastry Padmini , Jawad Muhammad
Published: January 2017

Isolated splenomegaly is an unusual condition encompassing a broad range of diagnoses. We report a case of a 38-year-old Asian man who presented with insidious abdominal discomfort and night sweats following recent travel to India. Massive splenomegaly was the only prominent feature on clinical examination and on subsequent imaging. Extensive investigations were performed, ultimately resulting in transfer to a tertiary centre for definitive diagnosis via a splenic biopsy. A fine-needle aspiration was performed, and revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Consequently, he was successfully treated with a course of chemotherapy.
In patients presenting to the emergency department with skin and soft tissue infections what is the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasonography for the diagnosis of abscess compared to the current standard of care? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Barbic David , Chenkin Jordan , Cho Dennis D , Jelic Tomislav , Scheuermeyer Frank X
Published: January 2017

Objectives

The primary objective of this systematic review was to determine the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) in diagnosing abscess in emergency department (ED) patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). The secondary objective was the accuracy of POCUS in the paediatric population subgroup.

Setting

Prospective studies set in emergency departments.

Participants

Emergency department patients (adult and paediatric) presenting with SSTI and suspected abscess.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

This systematic review was conducted according to Cochrane Handbook guidelines, and the following databases were searched: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews (1946–2015). We included prospective cohort and case–control studies investigating ED patients with SSTI and abscess or cellulitis, a defined POCUS protocol, a clearly defined gold standard for abscess and a contingency table describing sensitivity and specificity. Two reviewers independently ascertained all potentially relevant citations for methodologic quality according to QUADAS-2 criteria. The primary outcome measure was the sensitivity and specificity of POCUS for abscess. A preplanned subgroup (secondary) analysis examined the effects in paediatric populations, and changes in management were explored post hoc.

Results

Of 3028 articles, 8 were identified meeting inclusion criteria; all were rated as good to excellent according to QUADAS-2 criteria. Combined test characteristics of POCUS on the ED diagnosis of abscess for patients with SSTI were as follows: sensitivity 96.2% (95% CI 91.1% to 98.4%), specificity 82.9% (95% CI 60.4% to 93.9%), positive likelihood ratio 5.63 (95% CI 2.2 to 14.6) and negative likelihood ratio 0.05 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.11).

Conclusions

A total of 8 studies of good-to-excellent quality were included in this review. The use of POCUS helps differentiate abscess from cellulitis in ED patients with SSTI.

Trial registration number

CRD42015017115.
Comparative efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents and adults: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Cortese Samuele , Adamo Nicoletta , Mohr-Jensen Christina , Hayes Adrian J , Bhatti Sahar , Carucci Sara , Del Giovane Cinzia , Atkinson Lauren Z , Banaschewski Tobias , Simonoff Emily , Zuddas Alessandro , Barbui Corrado , Purgato Marianna , Steinhausen Hans-Christoph , Shokraneh Farhad , Xia Jun , Cipriani Andrea , Coghill David
Published: January 2017

Introduction

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a major public health issue. Pharmacological treatments play an important role in the multimodal treatment of ADHD. Currently, there is a lack of up-to-date and comprehensive evidence on how available ADHD drugs compare and rank in terms of efficacy and tolerability, in children or adolescents as well as in adults. We will conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA), integrating direct and indirect comparisons from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), to rank pharmacological treatments for ADHD according to their efficacy and tolerability profiles.

Methods and analysis

We will search a broad range of electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC and Web of Science, with no date or language restrictions. We will also search for unpublished studies using international clinical trial registries and contacting relevant drug companies. We will identify and include available parallel-group, cross-over and cluster randomised trials that compare methylphenidate, dexmethylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives (including lisdexamfetamine), atomoxetine, clonidine, guanfacine, bupropion or modafinil (as oral therapy) either with each other or to placebo, in children, adolescents or adults with ADHD. Primary outcomes will be efficacy (indicated by reduction in severity of ADHD core symptoms measured on a standardised scale) and tolerability (the proportion of patients who left a study early due to side effects). Secondary outcomes will be global functioning, acceptability (proportion of patients who left the study early by any cause) and changes in blood pressure and body weight. NMA will be conducted in STATA within a frequentist framework. The quality of RCTs will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the quality of the evidence will be assessed using the GRADE approach. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be conducted to assess the robustness of the findings.

Ethics and dissemination

No ethical issues are foreseen. Results from this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and possibly presented at relevant national and international conferences.

Trial registration number

CRD42014008976.
Utility of Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction in DetectingMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Lv Zhongquan , Zhang Mingxin , Zhang Hui , Lu Xinxin
Published: January 2017

This study aimed to assess the value of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for the detection ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB). Samples from 192 patients with suspected MTB were examined by RT-qPCR and an improved Löwenstein–Jensen (L-J) culture method. To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of RT-qPCR in detecting MTB, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for RT-qPCR was generated, and the area under the curve (AUC) as well as a cutoff value was calculated. Using the L-J culture method as the gold standard, accuracy of the RT-qPCR method for detecting MTB was 92.7%, with sensitivity and specificity of 62.5% and 97.02%, respectively. In comparison with the improved L-J culture method, the AUC of RT-qPCR ROC curve was 0.957, which was statistically significant (p<0.001). The Youden Index reached the maximum value (0.88) for gene copy number of 794.5 IU/mL, which was used as the cutoff value. RT-qPCR detection of MTB yielded results consistent with those of the improved L-J culture method, with high accuracy. RT-qPCR may be used as an auxiliary method for etiological diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Role of Nampt and Visceral Adiposity in Esophagogastric Junction Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Haijun , Bai E. , Zhang Yong , Jia Zhuoqi , He Shicai , Fu Junke
Published: January 2017

Nampt including eNampt and iNampt may contribute to mediating obesity-associated cancers. This study investigated the role of Nampt in esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EGA), a cancer strongly correlated with obesity. Visceral adiposity was defined by waist circumference or VFA. eNampt in sera were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. iNampt expression in EGA was determined by PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Sera eNampt were significantly elevated in these overweight and obese patients, especially for viscerally obese patients, and positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, VFA, and also primary tumor, regional lymph nodes, and TNM stage (P<0.05). iNampt expression in both the mRNA and protein levels was upregulated in EGAs (P<0.05). iNampt staining was found primarily in the cytoplasm and nuclei and significantly associated with tumor, lymph nodes, and TNM stage and also correlated positively with serum eNampt, BMI, total fat area, VFA, superficial fat area, and waist circumference (P<0.05). iNampt, eNampt, tumor, lymph nodes, and TNM stage correlated to the survival of EGAs, and iNampt expression and TNM stage affected the prognosis independently (P<0.05). This study highlighted the association of eNampt/iNampt with visceral obesity and a potential impact on the biology of EGA.
Semipurified Ethyl Acetate Partition of Methanolic Extract of Melastoma malabathricum Leaves Exerts Gastroprotective Activity Partly via Its Antioxidant‐Antisecretory‐Anti‐Inflammatory Action and Synergistic Action of Several Flavonoid‐Based Compounds
Authors: Ismail Suhaimy Noor Wahida , Noor Azmi Ahmad Khusairi , Mohtarrudin Norhafizah , Omar Maizatul Hasyima , Tohid Siti Farah Md. , Cheema Manraj Singh , Teh Lay Kek , Salleh Mohd. Zaki , Zakaria Zainul Amiruddin
Published: January 2017

Recent study has demonstrated the gastroprotective activity of crude methanolic extract of M. malabathricum leaves. The present study evaluated the gastroprotective potential of semipurified extracts (partitions): petroleum ether, ethyl acetate (EAMM), and aqueous obtained from the methanolic extract followed by the elucidation of the gastroprotective mechanisms of the most effective partition. Using the ethanol‐induced gastric ulcer assay, all partitions exerted significant gastroprotection, with EAMM being the most effective partition. EAMM significantly (i) reduced the volume and acidity (free and total) while increasing the pH of gastric juice and enhanced the gastric wall mucus secretion when assessed using the pylorus ligation assay, (ii) increased the enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant activity of the stomach tissue, (iii) lost its gastroprotective activity following pretreatment with N‐omega‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (L‐NAME; NO blocker) or carbenoxolone (CBXN; NP‐SH blocker), (iv) exerted antioxidant activity against various in vitro oxidation assays, and (v) showed moderate in vitro anti‐inflammatory activity via the LOX‐modulated pathway. In conclusion, EAMM exerts a remarkable NO/NP‐SH‐dependent gastroprotective effect that is attributed to its antisecretory and antioxidant activities, ability to stimulate the gastric mucus production and endogenous antioxidant system, and synergistic action of several gastroprotective‐induced flavonoids.