bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender-segregated labour spaces and social capital – does context matter?
Authors: Sheerin Corina , Hughes Caitriona
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This research aims to explore the role of social capital and specifically networks in role, and career development for women within two very distinct gender-segregated contexts of the labour market, namely, investment management and human resource management (HRM).

Design/methodology/approach

This research is qualitative in nature, underpinned by an interpretivist philosophical stance. Thematic analysis is used to analyse the findings from 32 in-depth interviews with HR and investment management managers.

Findings

The findings advance our understanding of social capital and its development as a social process, which differs according to labour market contexts. The results indicate divergence among participants regarding how they access networks as well as the perceived role and benefits of networking and social capital accumulation in their career and personal development.

Practical implications

For human resource development (HRD) practitioners, there are implications in relation to the need to tailor development and support structures cognisant of the occupational context. Specifically, the findings of this study indicate the acute need to support network access for those “outsider” women in male-dominated spaces. A need to enhance awareness of the benefits of networks to both organisations and employees across the labour market is warranted. For organisations, networks underlie social capital accumulation, which in turn increases efficiency and generates business solutions. For the employee, networks are an important self-development and career advancement tool. Such connections need to be supported and developed. Within patriarchal spaces particularly, HRD professionals need to provide support to women in extending their networks both within and outside the organisation.

Originality/value

This research makes an essential contribution to the literature by examining the influence of context in the development of social capital within two polarized labour market locations. The findings highlight the difficulties women face when developing social capital in investment management in contrast to the relative ease, which HRM professionals experience. Such findings also bring to light the essential role of HRD professionals as advocates for change in such contexts.
Perceptions of customer service orientation, training, and employee engagement in Jamaica’s hospitality sector
Authors: Johnson Karen R. , Park Sunyoung , Bartlett Kenneth R.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between service orientation, customer service training and employee engagement of firms in the hospitality sector of the tourism industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 231 responses from 13 large all-inclusive hotels in Jamaica are analyzed by using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Overall, service orientation positively affected customer service training and employee engagement. In addition, customer service training positively affected employee engagement. Furthermore, the results indicate that customer service training mediates the relationship between service orientation and employee engagement.

Research limitations/implications

This study builds on the conceptual literature of engagement and adds to the limited empirical studies to date to highlight the importance of service-oriented culture and training activities on employee engagement.

Practical implications

The findings of the study generate an increased understanding of the importance of an engaged workforce and of specific customer service training practices that can foster engagement. This study also highlights that managers should be supportive of training and development activities within a broader context that considers specific desired workplace performance from employees.

Originality/value

The knowledge gap related to many frequently used organizational practices reported as having an impact on engagement is addressed. Addressing this problem extends existing literature and provides an evidence base for human resource managers and professionals in service organizations, specifically in hospitality firms.
“I’m not in the truth business”: the politics of climate change with pre-service teachers
Authors: Damico James S. , Panos Alexandra , Baildon Mark
Published: May 2018

Purpose

This study was designed to be an agonistic encounter between two pre-service teachers from different academic disciplines and with opposing climate change beliefs. The purpose of this study was to create an opportunity for this pair of future educators to voice, acknowledge and engage their differences, rather than avoid or skirt them.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a paired interview approach, two pre-service teachers discussed online sources about climate change. The analysis focuses on critical literacy practices of textual critique and reader reflexivity, considering how students from different beliefs and perspectives engage in agonism and negotiated practices.

Findings

While there was evidence of the two students engaged in critical literacy practices of textual critique, most of this engagement with the sources remained more at a surface level with somewhat superficial criteria to evaluate the sources. The two students engaged reflexively during the interview discussion in terms of their academic disciplines and climate change beliefs. This reflexive work produced the most compelling exchanges during the interview discussion and pointed to two rich sites for agonistic engagement: their differing conceptions of reliability and their competing perspectives about the intersection of science and politics.

Originality/value

Agonism offers a lens that helps ensure we understand that all pursuits toward facts and truth are necessarily contested as we engage with respected adversaries, not enemies we need to vanquish. There is an urgent need for dialogue across difference, especially for people in the increasingly polarized USA with complex topics and challenges such as climate change.
Effects of asymmetric information on market timing in the mutual fund industry
Authors: Tchamyou Venessa S. , Asongu Simplice A. , C. Nwachukwu Jacinta
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of information asymmetry (between the realized return and the expected return) on market timing in the mutual fund industry.

Design/methodology/approach

For the purpose, the authors use a panel of 1,488 active open-end mutual funds for the period 2004-2013. The authors use fund-specific time-dynamic betas. The information asymmetry is measured as the standard deviation of idiosyncratic risk. The data set is decomposed into five market fundamentals in order to emphasis the policy implications of the findings with respect to: equity, fixed income, allocation, alternative, and tax-preferred mutual funds. The empirical evidence is based on endogeneity-robust difference and system generalized method of moments.

Findings

The following findings are established. First, the information asymmetry broadly follows the same trend as volatility, with a higher sensitivity to market risk exposure. Second, fund managers tend to raise (cutback) their risk exposure in time of high (low) market liquidity. Third, there is evidence of convergence in equity funds. The authors may, therefore, infer that equity funds with lower market risk exposure are catching-up with their counterparts with higher exposure to fluctuation in market conditions.

Originality/value

The paper complements the sparse literature on market timing in the mutual fund industry with time-dynamic betas, information asymmetry and an endogeneity-robust empirical approach.
Surfing or flowing? How to retain e-customers on the internet
Authors: Herrando Carolina , Jimenez-Martinez Julio , Martin de Hoyos M. Jose
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Social commerce websites entail a completely new scenario for retaining e-customers due to the richness of their social interactions. Nowadays, users can interact with companies and with other users; hence, it is considered important to study how social stimuli affect users. Drawing on the Stimulus Organism Response framework and Flow Theory, this paper aims to propose that the social stimulus (sPassion) has a positive effect on the organism (state of flow) causing positive responses from users (flow consciousness, trust and eLoyalty).

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through an online survey. The sample consists of 771 users of social commerce websites, of which 51 per cent are male and 49 per cent female, aged between 16 and 80 years. The structural equation model statistical software EQS 6 was used to test the model.

Findings

The empirical results confirm that passionate users are prone to experience state of flow, and, as a consequence, they are conscious of this optimal experience, resulting in an increase in trust.

Originality/value

The originality of this research stems from analysing how users’ passion on social commerce creates an optimal experience that boost customers’ retention.
Betting exclusively by private labels: could it have negative consequences for retailers?
Authors: Ruiz-Real José Luis , Gázquez-Abad Juan Carlos , Esteban-Millat Irene , Martínez-López Francisco J.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The authors analyze the relationship between different consumer attitudinal variables and a number of variables related to consumer perception of the store and purchasing behavior, in assortments composed exclusively of private labels (PLs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed an experiment based on an online survey to test the hypotheses formulated. The model’s causal relationships are established using structural equations.

Findings

The image of stores that only offer their own brand is mainly configured by price consciousness and the attitude toward the private label. The private label purchase intention is strongly influenced by the store image and a favorable attitude toward the brand, and loyalty strategies should be aimed at securing a clear perception of providing real value.

Practical implications

For retailers who only offer their own brands, an assortment with price-competitive PLs is key to the strategy of differentiating them from other retailers. It is reasonable to assume that, if retailers have a favorable image, customers transfer this brand value to their PLs and trust them. Customer loyalty strategies of these retailers should be aimed at ensuring that consumers clearly perceive that their assortment provides real value and that, although it is limited in terms of number of brands, it can meet all their needs.

Originality/value

This research represents a significant contribution to brand management literature because, includes, together with loyalty to the store, its image and the PL purchase intention as consumer response variables. Another differentiating feature is the methodology used. Estimation of the structural equation model permits the simultaneous estimation of the relationships between the variables.
Effect of different drying methods on quality attributes of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) slices
Authors: Hamid Manhal Gobara , Mohamed Nour Abdel Azim Ahmed
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of different drying methods on quality attributes of beetroot slices.

Design/methodology/approach

Three drying methods (sun, oven and freeze-drying) were applied to dry fresh slices of beetroot cultivar (Beta vulgaris). The chemical composition, minerals, nitrate, betalains, total phenolic, total flavonoid and color were measured for fresh and dried slices.

Findings

The chemical composition, minerals, nitrate, bioactive compounds and color were measured for fresh and dried slices. Regardless of the drying method, the results showed that the chemical composition, total energy, minerals and nitrate of the dried slices were significantly (p=0.05) increased compared to that of fresh slices. Sun and oven drying of the slices significantly (p=0.05) reduced total betalain and betacynin. However, betaxanthin was significantly (p=0.05) increased. Total phenolics content of fresh beetroot was significantly (p=0.05) increased after sun and oven drying but total flavonoids were decreased. The 2,2,-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) of fresh beetroot was increased significantly (p=0.05) after sun and oven drying. The measurement of the color of the powder showed that there is a decrease in lightness (L) depending on the drying method applied. A maximum reduction in lightness was observed in powder of sun-dried slices. The color of the powder obtained from freeze-dried slices was stable compared to other drying methods.

Practical implications

Beetroot is a rich source of nutrients but with short shelf life. Dried beetroot has more keeping quality than the fresh one.

Originality/value

The study uses beetroot as a rich source of nutrients as well as natural antioxidant source. Betalain compounds are preserved in beetroot and a high source of phenolics and flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of phenolic products of plant metabolism with high antioxidant properties to protect against diseases without side effects.
The role of rural libraries in preserving the indigenous knowledge of rural residents
Authors: Forutnani Solmaz , Nowkarizi Mohsen , Kiani Mohammad Reza , Mokhtari Aski Hamid Reza
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential or actual role of rural libraries in preserving indigenous knowledge (IK) of the rural residents in South Khorasan province.

Design/methodology/approach

The study, based on a qualitative research, was carried out by employing the grounded theory method. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews from the research sample population which included 20 rural males, 10 rural females, 8 librarians and 3 well-informed regional IK specialists. The validity of the research was confirmed by peer evaluation, compounded by detailed thorough explanations and external reviewers’ reaffirmations.

Findings

The rural residents of the South Khorasan villages across the province, after having realized the vitality of carrying out this project, were fully motivated and cooperative to provide indigenous knowledge. On the basis of the results from the rural libraries, due to being the solitary knowledge center in the area, these libraries could actively participate in preserving the knowledge and contribute toward the documentation of the indigenous knowledge. This required motivating librarians and increasing their professional, technical, research and verbal skills. The results of the study indicated that, even if the rural libraries of the South Khorasan province did not participate in documentation, preservation, and promotion of the IK and opt for the present form of non-participation, due to their inherent nature, they could become a focal point and play an indispensable role in achieving the objectives by aiding and leading the process at country level and become a focal point for the new generations of rural inhabitants to enlighten themselves and become fully aware of the value of the ancestral knowledge.

Originality/value

Hitherto, none of the researchers in Iran has covered the role of the libraries in general and rural libraries in particular in preserving the indigenous knowledge.
Anticipating fire‐mediated impacts of climate change using a demographic framework
Authors: Davis Kimberley T. , Higuera Philip E. , Sala Anna
Published: May 2018

Climate change indirectly affects forest ecosystems through changes in the frequency, size, and/or severity of wildfires. In addition to its direct effects prior to fire, climate also influences immediate postfire recruitment, with consequences for future vegetation structure and fire activity. A major uncertainty, therefore, is if, when and where vegetation shifts will occur.

With an emphasis on species traits, we use a demographic framework to examine how the interaction of changing climate and fire will affect postfire woody vegetation recruitment and the likelihood of vegetation shifts. Each demographic stage – adult mortality, propagule availability, seed germination, seedling establishment, and seedling survival – serves as a filter through which a species must pass for establishment and recovery to occur.

We apply this framework to case studies in western North American forests, including boreal and southwestern U.S. Pinus ponderosa forests, to help understand the mechanisms behind recent postfire vegetation changes. The case studies highlight how changes in climate and fire properties will make it increasingly difficult for some species to pass through each demographic filter in the future.

As climate warming continues, we expect increased dominance of species that resprout following fire, maintain canopy or soil seed banks, have long distance seed dispersal, produce drought‐tolerant seedlings, and/or reach reproductive maturity quickly. The persistence of postfire vegetation shifts will depend the on ratio of recovery time to disturbance interval(s).

An advantage of the demographic‐filter framework is that it places emphasis on mechanisms, thus improving our ability to anticipate future vegetation shifts. As such, it highlights the clear need for more mechanistic studies of postfire recruitment to disentangle the relative effects of multiple drivers in postfire environments.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Higher rates of prebreeding condition gain positively impacts clutch size: A mechanistic test of the condition‐dependent individual optimization model
Authors: Hennin Holly L. , Dey Cody J. , Bêty Joël , Gilchrist H. Grant , Legagneux Pierre , Williams Tony D. , Love Oliver P.
Published: May 2018

A combination of timing of and body condition (i.e., mass) at arrival on the breeding grounds interact to influence the optimal combination of the timing of reproduction and clutch size in migratory species. This relationship has been formalized by Rowe et al. in a condition‐dependent individual optimization model (American Naturalist, 1994, 143, 689‐722), which has been empirically tested and validated in avian species with a capital‐based breeding strategy.

This model makes a key, but currently untested prediction; that variation in the rate of body condition gain will shift the optimal combination of laying date and clutch size. This prediction is essential because it implies that individuals can compensate for the challenges associated with late timing of arrival or poor body condition at arrival on the breeding grounds through adjustment of their life history investment decisions, in an attempt to maximize fitness.

Using an 11‐year data set in arctic‐nesting common eiders (Somateria mollissima), quantification of fattening rates using plasma triglycerides (an energetic metabolite), and a path analysis approach, we test this prediction of this optimization model; controlling for arrival date and body condition, females that fatten more quickly will adjust the optimal combination of lay date and clutch size, in favour of a larger clutch size.

As predicted, females fattening at higher rates initiated clutches earlier and produced larger clutch sizes, indicating that fattening rate is an important factor in addition to arrival date and body condition in predicting individual variation in reproductive investment. However, there was no direct effect of fattening rate on clutch size (i.e., birds laying on the same date had similar clutch sizes, independent of their fattening rate). Instead, fattening rate indirectly affected clutch size via earlier lay dates, thus not supporting the original predictions of the optimization model.

Our results demonstrate that variation in the rate of condition gain allows individuals to shift flexibly along the seasonal decline in clutch size to presumably optimize the combination of laying date and clutch size.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Subordinate females in the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler obtain direct benefits by joining unrelated groups
Authors: Groenewoud Frank , Kingma Sjouke A. , Hammers Martijn , Dugdale Hannah L. , Burke Terry , Richardson David S. , Komdeur Jan
Published: May 2018

In many cooperatively breeding animals, a combination of ecological constraints and benefits of philopatry favours offspring taking a subordinate position on the natal territory instead of dispersing to breed independently. However, in many species individuals disperse to a subordinate position in a non‐natal group (“subordinate between‐group” dispersal), despite losing the kin‐selected and nepotistic benefits of remaining in the natal group. It is unclear which social, genetic and ecological factors drive between‐group dispersal.

We aim to elucidate the adaptive significance of subordinate between‐group dispersal by examining which factors promote such dispersal, whether subordinates gain improved ecological and social conditions by joining a non‐natal group, and whether between‐group dispersal results in increased lifetime reproductive success and survival.

Using a long‐term dataset on the cooperatively breeding Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we investigated how a suite of proximate factors (food availability, group composition, age and sex of focal individuals, population density) promote subordinate between‐group dispersal by comparing such dispersers with subordinates that dispersed to a dominant position or became floaters. We then analysed whether subordinates that moved to a dominant or non‐natal subordinate position, or became floaters, gained improved conditions relative to the natal territory and compared fitness components between the three dispersal strategies.

We show that individuals that joined another group as non‐natal subordinates were mainly female and that, similar to floating, between‐group dispersal was associated with social and demographic factors that constrained dispersal to an independent breeding position. Between‐group dispersal was not driven by improved ecological or social conditions in the new territory and did not result in higher survival. Instead, between‐group dispersing females often became cobreeders, obtaining maternity in the new territory, and were likely to inherit the territory in the future, leading to higher lifetime reproductive success compared to females that floated. Males never reproduced as subordinates, which may be one explanation why subordinate between‐group dispersal by males is rare.

Our results suggest that subordinate between‐group dispersal is used by females to obtain reproductive benefits when options to disperse to an independent breeding position are limited. This provides important insight into the additional strategies that individuals can use to obtain reproductive benefits.
Technology‐enhanced writing therapy for people with aphasia: results of a quasi‐randomized waitlist controlled study
Authors: Marshall Jane , Caute Anna , Chadd Katie , Cruice Madeline , Monnelly Katie , Wilson Stephanie , Woolf Celia
Published: May 2018

Background

Acquired writing impairment, or dysgraphia, is common in aphasia. It affects both handwriting and typing, and may recover less well than other aphasic symptoms. Dysgraphia is an increasing priority for intervention, particularly for those wishing to participate in online written communication. Effective dysgraphia treatment studies have been reported, but many did not target, or did not achieve, improvements in functional writing. Functional outcomes might be promoted by therapies that exploit digital technologies, such as voice recognition and word prediction software.

Aims

This study evaluated the benefits of technology‐enhanced writing therapy for people with acquired dysgraphia. It aimed to explore the impact of therapy on a functional writing activity, and to examine whether treatment remediated or compensated for the writing impairment. The primary question was: Does therapy improve performance on a functional assessment of writing; and, if so, do gains occur only when writing is assisted by technology? Secondary measures examined whether therapy improved unassisted written naming, functional communication, mood and quality of life.

Methods & Procedures

The study employed a quasi‐randomized waitlist controlled design. A total of 21 people with dysgraphia received 12 h of writing therapy either immediately or after a 6‐week delay. The primary outcome measure was a functional assessment of writing, which was administered in handwriting and on a computer with assistive technology enabled. Secondary measures were: The Boston Naming Test (written version), Communication Activities of Daily Living—2, Visual Analogue Mood Scales (Sad question), and the Assessment of Living with Aphasia. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine change on the outcome measures over two time points, between which the immediate group had received therapy but the delayed group had not. Pre‐therapy, post‐therapy and follow‐up scores on the measures were also examined for all participants.

Outcomes & Results

Time × group interactions in the ANOVA analyses showed that therapy improved performance on the functional writing assessment. Further interactions with condition showed that gains occurred only when writing was assisted by technology. There were no significant interactions in the analyses of the secondary outcome measures. A treatment effect on these measures was therefore unconfirmed.

Conclusions & Implications

This study showed that 21 people with dysgraphia improved on a functional writing measure following therapy using assistive technology. The results suggest that treatment compensated for, rather than remediated, the impairment, given that unassisted writing did not change. Further studies of technology‐enhanced writing therapy are warranted.
Electron acceptor availability alters carbon and energy metabolism in a thermoacidophile
Authors: Amenabar Maximiliano J. , Colman Daniel R. , Poudel Saroj , Roden Eric E. , Boyd Eric S.
Published: May 2018

The thermoacidophilic Acidianus strain DS80 displays versatility in its energy metabolism and can grow autotrophically and heterotrophically with elemental sulfur (S°), ferric iron (Fe3+) or oxygen (O2) as electron acceptors. Here, we show that autotrophic and heterotrophic growth with S° as the electron acceptor is obligately dependent on hydrogen (H2) as electron donor; organic substrates such as acetate can only serve as a carbon source. In contrast, organic substrates such as acetate can serve as electron donor and carbon source for Fe3+ or O2 grown cells. During growth on S° or Fe3+ with H2 as an electron donor, the amount of CO2 assimilated into biomass decreased when cultures were provided with acetate. The addition of CO2 to cultures decreased the amount of acetate mineralized and assimilated and increased cell production in H2/Fe3+ grown cells but had no effect on H2/S° grown cells. In acetate/Fe3+ grown cells, the presence of H2 decreased the amount of acetate mineralized as CO2 in cultures compared to those without H2. These results indicate that electron acceptor availability constrains the variety of carbon sources used by this strain. Addition of H2 to cultures overcomes this limitation and alters heterotrophic metabolism.
Fecal Clostridiales distribution and short‐chain fatty acids reflect bowel habits in irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Gargari Giorgio , Taverniti Valentina , Gardana Claudio , Cremon Cesare , Canducci Filippo , Pagano Isabella , Barbaro Maria Raffaella , Bellacosa Lara , Castellazzi Anna Maria , Valsecchi Chiara , Tagliacarne Sara Carlotta , Bellini Massimo , Bertani Lorenzo , Gambaccini Dario , Marchi Santino , Cicala Michele , Germanà Bastianello , Dal Pont Elisabetta , Vecchi Maurizio , Ogliari Cristina , Fiore Walter , Stanghellini Vincenzo , Barbara Giovanni , Guglielmetti Simone
Published: May 2018

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, is classified according to bowel habits as IBS with constipation (IBS‐C), with diarrhea (IBS‐D), with alternating constipation and diarrhea (IBS‐M), and unsubtyped (IBS‐U). The mechanisms leading to the different IBS forms are mostly unknown. This study aims to evaluate whether specific fecal bacterial taxa and/or short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can be used to distinguish IBS subtypes and are relevant for explaining the clinical differences between IBS subcategories. We characterized five fecal samples collected at 4‐weeks intervals from 40 IBS patients by 16S rRNA gene profiling and SCFA quantification. Finally, we investigated the potential correlations in IBS subtypes between the fecal microbial signatures and host physiological and clinical parameters. We found significant differences in the distribution of Clostridiales OTUs among IBS subtypes and reduced levels of SCFAs in IBS‐C compared to IBS‐U and IBS‐D patients. Correlation analyses showed that the diverse representation of Clostridiales OTUs between IBS subtypes was associated with altered levels of SCFAs; furthermore, the same OTUs and SCFAs were associated with the fecal cytokine levels and stool consistency. Our results suggest that intestinal Clostridiales and SCFAs might serve as potential mechanistic biomarkers of IBS subtypes and represent therapeutic targets.
What methods of scoring young children's spelling best predict later spelling performance?
Authors: Treiman Rebecca , Kessler Brett , Caravolas Markéta
Published: May 2018

Background

Children's spellings are often scored as correct or incorrect, but other measures may be better predictors of later spelling performance.

Method

We examined seven measures of spelling in Reception Year and Year 1 (5–6 years old) as predictors of performance on a standardised spelling test in Year 2 (age 7).

Results

Correctness was the best predictor of later spelling by the middle of Year 1, and it significantly outperformed a binary measure of phonological plausibility at the end of Reception Year. Nonbinary measures based on Levenshtein distance were significant predictors of later spelling in the middle of Reception Year and in children who produced no correct spellings. Some widely used scales performed less well with children who did not yet produce any correct spellings.

Conclusions

Nonbinary measures of spelling performance can predict later spelling performance but for a more restricted period than anticipated based on many theories.
Aqua vitae, aqua permanens: dreaming, drowning, swimming and surfing in analysis
Authors: Mathew Marilyn
Published: May 2018

In response to the question ‘Who is My Jung?’, this paper describes the profound personal impact of Jung's creative / artistic approach to the unconscious, beginning with my discovery of The Red Book at the age of twelve. Echoing the flow of my own dream‐life, I trace the course of two analyses through the alchemical process of solutio, which began with numinous dreams of tidal waves and plunged us into inter‐ and intra‐psychic analytic relationships that evoked vestigial memories of our first aquatic world in utero.
Jung and Mr. Punch as mythologems
Authors: Mathers Dale
Published: May 2018

This paper explores how we can make our own mythological version of ‘Jung’ say whatever we want. Excessive veneration gets in the way of his theories being allowed to stand on their own. Understanding ‘Jung’ as a mythologem provides a way out of this intoxication with identification by letting us recollect and re‐connect to the Collective Unconscious.
Living in Two Worlds. How ‘Jungian’ am I?
Authors: Morgan Helen
Published: May 2018

As a so‐called ‘Developmental Jungian’ the author of this paper was raised bilingual ‐ speaking both psychoanalytic and Jungian languages. Early on in her training an analysand brought a dream which seemed to capture an inherent tension regarding the analyst's role in the analytic relationship. The paper is a personal exploration of the potentially creative nature of this tension through focussing on the dream and the work with the dreamer.
Who is my Jung? A personal and symbolic history
Authors: Fitzgerald Jim
Published: May 2018

Identifying the reality of Jung in my life requires first of all a historical examination. How Jung first came into my life through my reading a book by P.W.Martin, Experiment in Depth, stands as a metaphor for the conscious unravelling of psychological development. His further appearance in a sequence of dreams demonstrated the significance of both the instinctual and the numinous in Jung's life and in my personal individuation. Finally, through a consideration of light and shadow, particularly in two photographs of Jung, a conclusion is reached that individuation requires an integration of shadow in the personality, in order to achieve wholeness, not perfection.
Paradoxical affinities: otherness and ambivalence as creative pathways
Authors: Wiener Jan
Published: May 2018

Referring to her own background as the child of Jewish refugees forced to leave their countries of origin before the second World War, the author describes how her attitude towards Jung and his ideas has evolved. The role of paradoxical affinities that have affected the author's life and identity as a Jungian analyst are considered, alongside the impact of experiences of otherness whilst supervising and teaching abroad, particularly in Eastern Europe.
High turnover of faecal microbiome from algal feedstock experimental manipulations in the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)
Authors: Simons Ariel Levi , Churches Nathan , Nuzhdin Sergey
Published: May 2018

The composition of digestive microbiomes is known to be a significant factor in the health of a variety of hosts, including animal livestock. Therefore, it is important to ascertain how readily the microbiome can be significantly altered. To this end, the role of changing diet on the digestive microbiome of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) was assessed via weekly faecal sampling. Over the course of 12 weeks, isolated individual oysters were fed either a control diet of Tetraselmis algae (Tet) or a treatment diet which shifted in composition every 4 weeks. Weekly faecal samples from all oysters were taken to characterize their digestive bacterial microbiota. Concurrent weekly sampling of the algal feed cultures was performed to assess the effect of algal microbiomes, independent of the algal type, on the microbiomes observed in the oyster samples. Changing the algal feed was found to be significantly associated with changes in the faecal microbiome over a timescale of weeks between control and treatment groups. No significant differences between individual microbiomes were found within control and treatment groups. This suggests the digestive microbiome of the Pacific oyster can be quickly and reproducibly manipulated.
The impact of the use of new technologies on farmers’ wheat yield in Ethiopia: evidence from a randomized control trial
Authors: Abate Gashaw Tadesse , Bernard Tanguy , de Brauw Alan , Minot Nicholas
Published: May 2018

In 2013, Ethiopia's Agricultural Transformation Agency introduced the Wheat Initiative to increase smallholder productivity. In this article, we measure the impacts of the Wheat Initiative package of technologies, and its marketing assistance component alone, on yields among a promotional group of farmers. The package includes improved techniques, improved inputs, and a guaranteed market for the crop. Relying on crop‐cut measures and farmers’ own assessments, we find that full package led to an average 14% higher yields. Implementation of the Wheat Initiative was successful in making certified seed and fertilizer accessible to farmers and increasing their uptake, though only 61% of the intervention group adopted row planting and few farmers received marketing assistance. The measured yield difference may underestimate the true yield difference associated with the technology because of incomplete adoption of the recommended practices by intervention farmers and adoption of some practices by control farmers.
Does mixed crop‐livestock farming lead to less diversified diets among smallholders? Evidence from Laos
Authors: Parvathi Priyanka
Published: May 2018

Malnourishment continues to remain a challenge in developing countries. As the undernourished are largely smallholder farmers, it is widely assumed that farm diversification and mixed crop‐livestock agricultural systems can help alleviate this problem. However, empirical evidence in this context is limited. Hence, we use a two‐year panel's data from Laos to examine whether farm production diversity as well as a mixed crop‐livestock farming system improves household dietary diversity among smallholder farmer. The results from the fixed effects regression indicate that although farm production diversity does lead to a higher dietary diversity, the effect diminishes with continued farm diversification. The counterfactual analysis from the endogenous switching regression reveals that mixed crop‐livestock farming systems do not necessarily enhance dietary diversity. However, we further find that purchasing food from the markets plays an important role in enhancing the dietary diversity of rural smallholder farmers.
Gender disparities in preterm neonatal outcomes
Authors: O'Driscoll David N. , McGovern Matthew , Greene Catherine M. , Molloy Eleanor J.
Published: May 2018

Aim

From birth to old age, males generally have poorer disease outcomes compared to females. Preterm infants display a marked gender disparity in disease outcomes, and the underlying mechanisms are not well delineated. Our aim was to review the literature on clinical outcomes between preterm infants of different genders and discuss the potential mechanisms underlying the differences observed.

Methods

A literature review was undertaken for experimental and clinical research related to gender differences in preterm outcomes.

Results

Preterm male infants appear to have consistently worse outcomes compared to females, and the aetiology of these differences, while mostly undetermined, is likely multifactorial.

Conclusion

The male disadvantage in preterm outcomes is likely multifactorial with hormonal, genetic and immunological differences likely playing key roles. Gender is an important variable in preterm outcome and should be considered when designing clinical and experimental research.
Rapid systematic review shows that using a high‐flow nasal cannula is inferior to nasal continuous positive airway pressure as first‐line support in preterm neonates
Authors: Conte Francesca , Orfeo Luigi , Gizzi Camilla , Massenzi Luca , Fasola Salvatore
Published: May 2018

Aim

We reviewed using a high‐flow nasal cannula (HFNC) as first‐line support for preterm neonates with, or at risk of, respiratory distress.

Methods

This rapid systematic review covered biomedical databases up to June 2017. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. The reference lists of the studies and relevant reviews we included were also screened. We performed the study selection, data extraction, study quality assessment, meta‐analysis and quality of evidence assessment following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system.

Results

Pooled results from six RCTs covering 1227 neonates showed moderate‐quality evidence that HFNC was associated with a higher rate of failure than nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) in preterm neonates of at least 28 weeks of gestation, with a risk ratio of 1.57. Low‐quality evidence showed no significant differences between HFNC and NCPAP in the need for intubation and bronchopulmonary dysplasia rate. HFNC yielded a lower rate of nasal injury (risk ratio 0.50). When HFNC failed, intubation was avoided in some neonates by switching them to NCPAP.

Conclusion

HFNC had higher failure rates than NCPAP when used as first‐line support. Subsequently switching to NCPAP sometimes avoided intubation. Data on the most immature neonates were lacking.
Sparse Generalized Eigenvalue Problem with Application to Canonical Correlation Analysis for Integrative Analysis of Methylation and Gene Expression Data
Authors: Safo Sandra E. , Ahn Jeongyoun , Jeon Yongho , Jung Sungkyu
Published: May 2018

We present a method for individual and integrative analysis of high dimension, low sample size data that capitalizes on the recurring theme in multivariate analysis of projecting higher dimensional data onto a few meaningful directions that are solutions to a generalized eigenvalue problem. We propose a general framework, called SELP (Sparse Estimation with Linear Programming), with which one can obtain a sparse estimate for a solution vector of a generalized eigenvalue problem. We demonstrate the utility of SELP on canonical correlation analysis for an integrative analysis of methylation and gene expression profiles from a breast cancer study, and we identify some genes known to be associated with breast carcinogenesis, which indicates that the proposed method is capable of generating biologically meaningful insights. Simulation studies suggest that the proposed method performs competitive in comparison with some existing methods in identifying true signals in various underlying covariance structures.
Virtual reality: A new track in psychological research
Authors: de la Rosa Stephan , Breidt Martin
Published: May 2018

One major challenge of social interaction research is to achieve high experimental control over social interactions to allow for rigorous scientific reasoning. Virtual reality (VR) promises this level of control. Pan and Hamilton guide us with a detailed review on existing and future possibilities and challenges of using VR for social interaction research. Here, we extend the discussion to methodological and practical implications when using VR.
Body composition, fatigue and exercise in patients with prostate cancer undergoing androgen‐deprivation therapy
Authors: Newton Robert U. , Jeffery Emily , Galvão Daniel A. , Peddle‐McIntyre Carolyn J. , Spry Nigel , Joseph David , Denham James W. , Taaffe Dennis R.
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To investigate the association between lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM) with fatigue and vitality before and after exercise in patients with prostate cancer already undergoing androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT).

Subjects and Methods

Cross‐sectional associations between LM and FM with fatigue and/or vitality measures were examined in 229 patients (aged 43–90 years). Prospective analysis was undertaken in 129 patients who underwent a supervised 3–6 months exercise programme (predominantly resistance + aerobic). Whole body and appendicular LM, and total and trunk FM were assessed by dual X‐ray absorptiometry. Fatigue was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire‐Core 30 (EORTC QLQ‐30) and vitality using the Short Form‐36.

Results

Based on the EORTC QLQ‐30, 19% of patients had clinically relevant fatigue. There was no association between LM and fatigue; however, total (P = 0.013), trunk (P = 0.015) and percentage (P = 0.008) FM were higher in fatigued than not fatigued patients, with total and trunk FM 5.0 and 2.6 kg higher, respectively. For quartiles of vitality, a similar pattern emerged for FM with those in the lowest quartile of vitality having the highest FM values (P = 0.014–0.034). In contrast, following supervised exercise, change in fatigue and vitality were associated with change in total LM (r = −0.182, P = 0.042 and r = 0.309, P = 0.001, respectively) but not FM. Patients fatigued at baseline but not fatigued following the exercise programme gained a median (interquartile range) of 2.1 (0.7–3.2) kg LM.

Conclusion

In patients with prostate cancer treated with ADT, body composition is associated with fatigue, with higher total and trunk FM in those with clinically relevant fatigue. However, following exercise those no longer fatigued had an accompanying substantial increase in LM. Modifying body composition, both LM and FM, in patients with prostate cancer may favourably alter cancer‐related fatigue levels and should be a target of exercise medicine in this population.
Laparoscopic vs robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy for renal tumours of >4 cm: a propensity score‐based analysis
Authors: Gu Liangyou , Ma Xin , Wang Baojun , Xie Yongpeng , Li Xintao , Gao Yu , Lyu Xiangjun , Huang Qingbo , Fan Yang , Yao Yuanxin , Wang Yunpeng , Li Hongzhao , Zhang Xu
Published: May 2018

Objectives

To compare perioperative data, functional and oncological outcomes between laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and robot‐assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) for renal tumours of >4 cm.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent either LPN or RAPN between 2008 and 2015. To adjust for potential baseline confounders, propensity score matching (1:1) was performed. Perioperative data, functional and oncological outcomes were reviewed. Disease‐free survival, cancer‐specific survival and overall survival were analysed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves with log‐rank tests.

Results

In all, 197 patients underwent LPN and 96 underwent RAPN during the study period. After matching, there was no significant difference between the groups for baseline characteristics. Within the matched cohort, the LPN group was associated with significantly higher estimated blood loss (150 vs 100 mL; P < 0.001), longer renal artery clamp time (25 vs 20 min; P < 0.001), longer postoperative hospital stay (7 vs 5 days; P < 0.001), and lower rate of Margin, Ischaemia, and Complications (MIC) achievement (30.2% vs 46.9%; P = 0.018). The postoperative percentage of estimated glomerular filtration rate decline was higher in the LPN group (11.3% vs 5.5%; P = 0.018). Complication and surgical conversion outcomes were similar between LPN and RAPN. There was no significant difference in oncological outcomes between the groups.

Conclusions

For patients with renal tumours of >4 cm, RAPN is more favourable than LPN in terms of perioperative outcomes (i.e. estimated blood loss, renal artery clamp time and postoperative hospital stay) and early renal functional preservation.
Extensional models for the development of passive‐margin salt basins, with application to the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Curry Magdalena A. E. , Peel Frank J. , Hudec Michael R. , Norton Ian O.
Published: May 2018

Recent subsalt petroleum discoveries associated with rifted‐margin salt basins have piqued interest in the presalt geology of the Gulf of Mexico margin. Available subsurface data does not uniquely constrain the subsalt geometry, so creating an interpretation of the crustal architecture requires the application of geological models for crustal extension and breakup. However, published interpretations of the nature of the transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading range from magma‐rich to magma‐poor. To address this uncertainty, we present 2D forward kinematic models for crustal configurations generated by diverse models (symmetric extension, depth‐dependent extension, and volcanic extension). Through a series of conceptual balanced cross‐sections grounded in a ~600 km 2D seismic line from the NE Gulf of Mexico, we demonstrate the implications of each model for the limit of oceanic crust, basement morphology, crustal architecture, and hydrocarbon prospectivity. We discuss evidence for the dominant crustal processes, including geodynamic factors and structural and stratigraphic observations. Based on our observations and the geologic history, we favour an asymmetric, magma‐poor to ‐intermediate margin interpretation for the NE Gulf of Mexico, but suggest that the degree of volcanic input and width of the ocean‐continent transition zone may vary along strike. The along‐strike variability highlights the importance of understanding all potential presalt crustal configurations, their key features, and their implications. With increased data availability on the presalt geology in the Gulf of Mexico the relevance of these scenarios can be assessed, allowing development of comprehensive geodynamic and tectonic models of the margin and consideration of petroleum system elements in the presalt sequence.