bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community marketing: serving the base of the economic pyramid sustainably
Authors: Thakur Rakhi
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to acknowledge the importance of community networks in distribution of services and to present a conceptual framework outlining the antecedents and consequences of community marketing. Developing countries represent large untapped markets at the bottom of economic pyramid which is not serviced by conventional products using traditional marketing channels. Organisations are increasing looking at involving local community and broad range of partners called “Community Marketing” in this paper as a viable channel to expand their market by reaching out to this segment.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology for this paper involves in-depth study of the relevant literature on role of community networks and highlighting the noteworthy findings of other researchers. Although role of community networks has been widely studied in consumer goods, little has been researched on services. The study draws from cases of mobile financial services in India to develop a framework.

Findings

– The findings include the conceptual framework and the pre-requisites for adoption of community marketing for achieving business sustainability.

Originality/value

– This paper presents the framework and the steps pertaining to community marketing that can be adopted by organisations to reach out to a large under-served market at the base of economic pyramid. This paper synthesises extant knowledge on the subject and provides a foundation for future research by building a discussion on construct’s domain and developing research propositions.
Applying an expectancy-value model to study motivators for work-task based information seeking
Authors: Sigaard Karen Tølbøl , Skov Mette
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to operationalise and verify a cognitive motivation model that has been adapted to information seeking. The original model was presented within the field of psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

– An operationalisation of the model is presented based on the theory of expectancy-value and on the operationalisation used when the model was first developed. Data for the analysis were collected from a sample of seven informants working as consultants in Danish municipalities. Each participant filled out a questionnaire, kept a log book for a week and participated in a subsequent interview to elicit data regarding their information source behaviour and task motivation.

Findings

– Motivation affected source use when the informants search for information as part of their professional life. This meant that the number of sources used and the preference for interpersonal and internal sources increased when the task had high-value motivation or low-expectancy motivation or both.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is based on a relatively small sample and considers only one motivation theory. This should be addressed in future research along with a broadening of the studied group to involve other professions than municipality consultants.

Originality/value

– Motivational theories from the field of psychology have been used sparsely in studies of information seeking. This study operationalises and verifies such a theory based on a theoretical adaptation of this model made by Savolainen (2012c).
The Informational World City London
Authors: Murugadas Duwaraka , Vieten Stefanie , Nikolic Janina , Mainka Agnes
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The Department of Information Science of the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf is currently conducting a research project on Informational World Cities – the prototypical cities of the knowledge society, which have been growing in the twenty-first century. In total, 31 potential Informational World Cities were identified and a set of criteria was developed to evaluate the degree of informativeness of a city through coherent criteria. The purpose of this paper is to investigate London.

Design/methodology/approach

– The investigation was based on the Grounded Theory, ethnographic field research, interviews, bibliometrics, patentometrics, official statistics and the analysis of web content. During the stay in London, eight semi-standardised interviews according to SERVQUAL were conducted.

Findings

– The characteristics of an Informational World City are well-marked in most cases, especially London’s knowledge infrastructure. Furthermore London places value on smart innovations and tries to adapt public transport to the growing population. This includes, next to an enhancement of the train capacities, information and communication technology, since the digital infrastructure keeps gaining importance. The ethnic/cultural diversity as well as the international connectivity and the creative infrastructure are also distinguishing marks of London. Nevertheless, especially the digital and smart infrastructure require enhancement. London’s government is ambitioned, though, to make progress and pursues plans which are of benefit to the city’s informativeness.

Social implications

– This paper gives insight into the characteristics of the prototypical city of the upcoming knowledge society.

Originality/value

– This paper follows an interdisciplinary approach and combines information science, urban studies and sociology to analyse cities of the knowledge society. Furthermore it is the first time that London is considered an Informational World City in an empirical study.
Adoption of Basel norms: a review of empirical evidences
Authors: Kaur Mandeep , Kapoor Samriti
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine diverse literature available worldwide on the Basel norms readiness and risk management by thoroughly analyzing the empirical studies of past 13 years, i.e. from 2001 to 2013.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative approach has been used to analyze and compare the main findings as well as applicability of the research papers. Hence, by using an interpretive and critical approach through content analysis of the studies reviewed, the important measures, i.e. objectives, research methodology, sample size, respondents’ profile and significant findings, have been reported.

Findings

– The study attempted to understand the trend of various research aspects prevailing in the field of banking industry related to the implementation of Basel norms. The content analysis of the reviewed studies demonstrated varied level of preparedness of banks in different countries, at different periods with regard to Basel norms. However, over time, awareness and compliance with Basel norms have increased in almost every part of the world. These studies also highlighted the benefits of Basel norm compliance by banks, such as more proactive portfolio management, forward-looking risk management, improved operational efficiency and better risk appetite. Further, data acquisition, data reporting, lack of prerequisite human resources, training and education, scarce resources and disclosure requirements were reported to be major challenges by most of the studies.

Originality/value

– As there are relatively few studies providing a comprehensive review of literature in this area, this study builds up a strong conceptual framework for the researchers by examining the vast literature on Basel norms and risk management in banks.
Re-examination of the banking window dressing theory
Authors: Vasileiou Evangelos
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to re-examine in detail the banking window dressing (WD) theory. Using data from the Greek banking industry during the euro period (2001-2013), the results suggest that there are signs of upward assets and deposits WD. Moreover, it tries to explain, using new-alternative approaches, the incentives for the WD and how the deposits WD occur.

Design/methodology/approach

– To examine why bank managers upwardly WD the deposits and which strategy increases the regular payments cost, the author uses a Granger causality procedure and confirms the theory that the aim of increased assets report causes the deposits WD. Moreover, using a GARCH(1,1) and a methodological approach that is usually used in calendar anomalies, but is more flexible than the one usually applied, enables us not only to confirm that there is a WD but also under which mechanisms it occurs.

Findings

– Bank managers prefer to pay increased regular payments due to the upward deposits WD to upwardly WD the bank assets, for the following reasons: they receive compensation depending on the assets’ volume, they gain prestige and most managers try to present increased bank assets and deposits to include them in the “too big to fail ” (TBTF) regime. The author also finds that managers increase the new offered bank premiums in the quarters’ end to attract more deposits, and in this way, the deposits WD occurs.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this study are limited to the Greek case, but the methodological approach may be applied to other cases to examine the WD theory and it could present a new-flexible way for WD research.

Practical implications

– Examining the institutional framework, the theoretical background and the results, the author may suggest that reforms, at least in the way that the regular payment to the Greek deposits insurer are paid, should be applied. In Greece, 80 per cent of the regular DIS payments are deposited in the same financial institution. This reduction of the ratio significantly increase the deposits WD cost.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper is to re-examine the WD theory and to suggest new and more flexible methodological approaches. Moreover, this is the first study that examines the WD for the Greek case.
Sovereign wealth fund investments and policy implications: a survey
Authors: Meng Chen
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address a research gap by providing a comprehensive survey of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) as international institutional investors and clarifying the definition of SWFs. By doing so, this paper aims to provide a balanced set of policy prescriptions towards SWFs.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper conducted a comprehensive survey of world major 24 SWFs with assets under management of 500 million USD between 2008 and 2012. Key dimensions include objectives, funding and governance, asset allocation and investment activities.

Findings

– SWFs are planning institutions with management direction. They present great variety in terms of funding mechanism, governance, asset allocation and investment strategies, but they in essence pursue financial returns. It is not evident that SWFs are primarily motivated by political objectives and distinctively different from other international institutional investors. Difficulty in interpreting SWFs should not lead to the imposition of constraints on SWFs.

Research limitations/implications

– More in-depth and dynamic analysis of SWFs requires better data access. For such a purpose, case studies and longitudinal studies should be adopted, with particular emphasis on comparing SWFs with different types of financial institutional investors as well as typical state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and multinational enterprises.

Practical implications

– This study is trying to demystify SWFs based on a comprehensive survey. As a result, this paper may assist investors, policy-makers and regulators to gain a better understanding of SWFs, their investment behaviours and rationales behind.

Social implications

– SWFs like other long-term capital is important for economic and job growth. To attract long-term investments, creating an open, unbiased and welcoming investment environment is the key.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper is that we provide a deeper understanding of the strategy and empirics of SWF operations. First, after a clearer definition of the phenomenon of SWFs, we can explain their investment strategies and behaviour as firms. Second, we can derive rational policy prescriptions, and third, we can propose a research agenda that will further deepen our understanding of SWFs and the appropriate policy prescriptions.
To Basel or not to Basel? Banking crises and contagion
Authors: Samitas Aristeidis , Polyzos Stathis
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose an object-oriented model of financial simulations which aims to test the applicability and suitability of the proposed measures of Basel III with respect to the prevention of banking crises.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors introduce an object-oriented model of financial simulations in the banking sector, namely, virtual banking (VBanking). The system is based on behavioural simulation of economic agents and allows for transactions between them, using various forms of financial assets. VBanking has been implemented as an automated stand-alone model, allowing for repetitive simulations under the same parameter sets, producing an efficient series of statistical data.

Findings

– Interpretation of the resulting data suggests that some of the criticism against the proposed measures is justified, as neither economic crises nor contagion are diminished under Basel III. At the same time, the authors’ findings support that the stability goal is met, at least in part.

Research limitations/implications

– The model encompasses a relatively small part of the banking sector, while the authors choose not to deal with the production part of the economy. However, these limitations do not hinder the validity and importance of the authors’ findings.

Originality/value

– The originality of this article lies in the use of an object-oriented behavioural model and in the resulting model application that is based on it. This enables the authors to run a series of simulations with different parameters, the results of which the authors can then compare. The authors’ findings can contribute to the authorities’ efforts to ameliorate the policies of Basel III.
Changing the lifestyles of young adults
Authors: Giles Emma Louise , Brennan Mary
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the costs and benefits that young adults perceive to be associated with adopting healthier food, alcohol and physical activity behaviours. Social marketing is used to identify and change behaviours within a segmented audience. The approach uses theoretical insights, and an appreciation of an individual’s environment, and a suite of methods to understand and suggest approaches to change behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

– Focus groups were conducted between April and August 2007 with a sample of 54 young adults aged 19-24 years, from the North East of England. Qualitative thematic analysis was undertaken using Nvivo software.

Findings

– Young adults recognise future health benefits that they could gain from following healthier lifestyle behaviours; however, at their present age, their focus is on benefits such as weight regulation and improving one’s appearance. External competitive forces act against these benefits and result in time and effort costs associated with accepting the proposition of healthier lifestyle behaviours.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to limited research which has been conducted at the time of “emerging adulthood”, the period of 18-25 years of age. This is despite this being an opportunistic moment in young adult’s lives to encourage them to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviours. Given these results, health messages may need to be reframed to better account for the benefits and costs that young adults associate with healthier lifestyles.
Luxury fashion brands
Authors: Wu Meng-Shan Sharon , Chaney Isabella , Chen Cheng-Hao Steve , Nguyen Bang , Melewar T.C.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper offers insights into the consumption motives and purchasing behaviour of that market segment in Taiwan against the background of increasing consumption of luxury fashion brands by young female consumers in Asian countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– Analysis of data collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 23 fashion-conscious females aged 18-32 years was completed and new empirical insights are offered.

Findings

– The study found a high level of involvement in the world of luxury fashion retailing. Asian consumers devoured media commentary, drew inspiration from female celebrities and treated information-seeking and discussion of luxury fashion brands with friends as a serious and enjoyable pursuit. The social status conferred by expensive fashion wear motivated them to spend on luxury brands even if their discretionary income was limited. Potential guilt in so doing was assuaged by rationalising that the quality was good and the purchase would be long lasting. Marketers targeting this valuable segment should communicate appeals to an aspirational lifestyle in traditional and social media, effective at reaching young women.

Originality/value

– The study reported in this paper contributes to the limited published research into the luxury-marketing sector in Asia by examining the buying behaviour of female Strawberry Generation consumers in Taiwan. It is the first to research and investigate the meanings attached to luxury by these individuals in the collectivist culture of Taiwan, as well as their motivations, and the factors influencing their purchase of luxury fashions. The study thus contributes with new knowledge to the buying of luxury fashion products by young female Taiwanese consumers, which may be extended to other collectivist cultures in Asia.
Sheet metal forming using FDM rapid prototype tool
Authors: Durgun Ismail
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate usage of fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based sheet metal tooling for small lot productions as a real case. FDM-based sheet metal tooling was used for stamping prototype parts for two different materials to evaluate dimensional conformance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The experimental process of data capture used the following steps: sheet metal parts were stamped and optically scanned at every 10th interval for both DC04 and S355MC material. FDM-based upper and lower dies were optically scanned at 1st, 51st and 101st intervals. Dimensional conformance analyses were carried out by using scanned data to evaluate the behavior of FDM dies against DC04 and S355MC materials in terms of geometric deviation.

Findings

– Satisfactory results were obtained for DC04 material by using FDM-based tooling, and overall deviation was at an acceptable level in terms of production tolerance. S355MC material is harder than DC04 and results were not convenient in terms of tolerance range. Geometric deviation of FDM dies was slightly increased and after the 50th part, increased drastically due to squeezing of FDM layers. Experiments showed that this method can be used for DC04 material and up to 100 parts can be stamped within the tolerance range. Using FDM-based sheet metal tooling, product development phase can be shortened in terms of leading time.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a study to create an alternative tooling method to shorten product cycle and product development phase by integrating rapid tooling methods to low-volume production.
Selective laser sintering manufacturing of polycaprolactone bone scaffolds for applications in bone tissue engineering
Authors: Mazzoli Alida , Ferretti C , Gigante A , Salvolini E , Mattioli-Belmonte M
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to show how selective laser sintering (SLS) manufacturing of bioresorbable scaffolds is used for applications in bone tissue engineering.

Design/methodology/approach

– Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds were computationally designed and then fabricated via SLS for applications in bone and cartilage repair.

Findings

– Preliminary biocompatibility data were acquired using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) assuring a satisfactory scaffold colonization by hMSCs.

Originality/value

– A promising procedure for producing porous scaffolds for the repair of skeletal defects, in tissue engineering applications, was developed.
Curved Layer Adaptive Slicing (CLAS) for fused deposition modelling
Authors: Huang Bin , Singamneni Sarat B
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop a new slicing method for fused deposition modelling (FDM), the curved layer adaptive slicing (CLAS), combining adaptive flat layer and curved layer slicing together.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research begins with a review of current curved layer and adaptive slicing algorithms employed in the FDM and further improvement of the same, where possible. The two approaches are then integrated to develop the adaptive curved layer slicing based on the three-plane intersection method for curved layer offsetting and consideration of facet angles together with the residual heights for adaptive slicing. A practical implementation showed that curved layer adaptive layers respond in similar lines to the flat layer counterparts in terms of the mechanical behaviour of FDM parts.

Findings

– CLAS is effective in capturing sharply varying surface profiles and other finer part details, apart from imparting fibre continuity. Three-point bending tests on light curved parts made of curved layers of varying thicknesses prove thicker curved layers to result in better mechanical properties.

Research limitations/implications

– The algorithms developed in this research can handle relatively simple shapes to develop adaptive curved slices, but further developments are necessary for more complex shapes. The test facilities also need further improvements, to be able to programmatically implement adaptive curved layer slicing over a wide range of thicknesses.

Practical implications

– When fully developed and implemented, CLAS will allow for better FDM part construction with lesser build times.

Originality/value

– This research fills a gap in terms of integrating both curved layer and adaptive slicing techniques to better slice and build a part of given geometry using FDM.
Developing a methodology for analysis and manufacturing of proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint using rapid prototyping technique
Authors: Abouel Nasr Emad , Al-Ahmari Abdurahman Mushabab , Alkhawashki Hazem , Altamimi Abdulsalam , Alkhuraisi Mohammed
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to design and analyze four proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) prosthesis thorough finite element analysis (FEA) and fabricate them using rapid prototyping (RP) technique. Arthritis of the finger joints is an important pathology of the hand. Major complaints in arthritis are stiffness, deformity and severe pain. The pain is due to the inflammatory process that occurs due to pathology, which involves joint degeneration, synovial swelling and ligament and muscle stiffness. Among the surgical treatment of arthritis is Arthroplasty which involves replacing the diseased joint with an artificial joint.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, four proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) prostheses are designed, analyzed using FEA and fabricated using rapid prototyping technique. Four different prostheses “BM”, “IMP”, “IMP2” and “FINS” are designed using CATIA software and tested by normal daily functions such as grasp, key pinch and tip pinch tests using FEA to analyze the results based on their stress and deformation. Finally, the prostheses are fabricated using electron beam melting technology.

Findings

– This paper examined and analyzed the relative motion of PIP designs using FEA by applying varying loads to check the stability and range of motion of the PIP implant. The ANSYS summary results were analyzed depending on the minimal results of equivalent stress and deformation from the taken tests that have happened on the designed prosthesis. The results conclude that, in the grasp test, the minimal equivalent stress and deformation have happened on the “BM” and “IMP2” implants. Furthermore, in the key pinch test, minimal equivalent stress and deformation occurred on the “FINS” implant, and finally, in the tip pinch, minimal equivalent stress occurred on the “FINS” and minimal deformation has happened on the “IMP2” implant.

Research limitations/implications

– These results conclude that both “IMP2” and “FINS” share the minimum results in the taken tests, and this shows that these implants may be further studied brainstormed upon to aid innovation of a better implant design that shares both of these implants’ features and shape. Nevertheless, testing in an in vivo or in vitro model to prove more of the effectiveness of these implants should be taken into consideration, and to test how the prostheses will function in an actual environment, a simulated hand can be designed and made to discover the true forces and mechanics of the fingers and the hands with the prosthesis that is implanted, as well as to know if the hand works properly.

Originality/value

– This paper examined and analyzed the relative motion of PIP designs using FEA by applying varying loads to check the stability and range of motion of the PIP implant.
Diehard Conservatives and the Appeasement of Nazi Germany, 1935–1940
Authors: Fleming N. C.
Published: June 2015

Historians have tended to examine right‐wing British responses to Adolf Hitler on the basis of a supposed admiration or political affinity for Nazism. This article argues that the dilemma which actually split diehard Conservatives was between challenging Germany before it was too late, and a conviction that Britain lacked the means to do so. Both positions were predicated on a belief that Britain needed to accelerate rearmament, and that Nazi Germany posed a direct threat to British power. Ideology is not irrelevant, but the public statements and actions of diehard MPs reveal that their primary motivation was to resist internal and external threats to Britain's position as a world power. This resulted in an unprecedented division in diehard ranks over Neville Chamberlain's foreign policy, though diehard unity on colonial appeasement recalled an older tradition of working together in defence of the empire.
Pilgrims, Paupers or Progenitors: Religious Constructions of British Emigration from the 1840s to 1870s
Authors: Strong Rowan
Published: June 2015

This article examines the public attitudes of various religious commentators in Britain towards emigrants and emigration in the mid‐Victorian decades. These figures include bishops, Anglican clergy (but also those of some other denominations), those directly involved in ministry to emigrants, and lay proponents of emigration. It also contrasts their views with those of more secular commentators influenced by political economy. The article argues that while religious commentary proposed emigration to be a good thing, for emigrants and for the expansion of Christianity and the British empire, this contrasted with a more sceptical attitude towards steerage immigrants by Thomas Malthus. It also contrasted with a focus on amelioration of conditions for emigrants by those in emigration ministry, who saw emigrants as assisting the extension of the Church rather than the empire.
Arson, Treason and Plot: Britain, America and the Law, 1770‐1777
Authors: Morgan Gwenda , Rushton Peter
Published: June 2015

The problems of arson, treason and national security became entangled in the politics of Britain and its Atlantic empire between 1770 and 1777. Fears of French military terrorism were compounded by the increasingly violent resistance of the American colonies. Two dockyard fires in Portsmouth, in 1770 and 1777, and the attack on, and burning of, the royal navy ship Gaspee off Rhode Island in 1772, provoked both legal and political difficulties for the British government. New laws on arson and treason were passed yet proved almost impossible to implement in full outside England.
Influence of lecithin on the processing stability of model whey protein hydrolysate‐based infant formula emulsions
Authors: Drapala Kamil P , Auty Mark A E , Mulvihill Daniel M , O'Mahony James A
Published: June 2015

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH)‐based oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions containing lecithin (0–5%, w/w, oil) were produced and stored at 4 °C for 14 days. Surface tension and interfacial tension of these systems were measured for formulation development. Fat globule size distribution (FGSD) analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to assess the physical stability of emulsions during storage and identify mechanisms of instability. Lecithin decreased interfacial tension between oil and aqueous phases of model emulsions and allowed formation of smaller oil droplets on homogenisation. However, low‐intermediate levels (1–3%) of lecithin caused coalescence and shift to bimodal FGSD during storage of emulsions.
Population‐based trends in prenatal screening and diagnosis for aneuploidy: a retrospective analysis of 38 years of state‐wide data
Authors: Hui L , Muggli EE , Halliday JL
Published: June 2015

Objective

To analyse population‐based trends over the entire history of prenatal testing for aneuploidy.

Design

Retrospective analysis of state‐wide data sets.

Setting

Australian state of Victoria with ~70 000 annual births.

Population

All pregnant women undergoing invasive prenatal testing at <25 weeks' gestation from 1976 to 2013.

Methods

Analysis of three state‐wide data sets: (1) Prenatal diagnosis data set of 119 404 amniocenteses and chorionic villus samplings from 1976 to 2013; (2) central serum screening laboratory data set from 1996 to 2013; (3) government birth statistics from 1976 to 2013.

Main outcome measures

Annual numbers and uptake rates of invasive prenatal tests and serum screening, indications for invasive prenatal testing, prenatal diagnoses of aneuploidy, diagnostic yield of invasive tests.

Results

Annual numbers of invasive prenatal tests climbed steadily from 1976, then declined from 2000. In 2013, the number of invasive prenatal tests was the lowest in 25 years, while the number of trisomy 21 diagnoses was the highest ever recorded. Annual uptake of serum screening climbed from 1.6 to 83% over 1996–2013. Results from 2013 showed a high diagnostic yield (15.8%) for a low rate of invasive testing (3.4% of births). Over four decades, the number of invasive procedures performed for each diagnosis of major chromosome abnormality declined from 100 to six.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates historic reductions in the proportion of women undergoing invasive testing and dramatic improvements in diagnostic yield. Monitoring the impact of new prenatal technologies on this progress remains an important research priority.

Tweetable abstract

Invasive prenatal testing has reached historic lows due to dramatic improvements in Down syndrome screening.
Microbial synthesis of chalcogenide semiconductor nanoparticles: a review
Authors: Jacob Jaya Mary , Lens Piet N. L. , Balakrishnan Raj Mohan
Published: June 2015

Chalcogenide semiconductor quantum dots are emerging as promising nanomaterials due to their size tunable optoelectronic properties. The commercial synthesis and their subsequent integration for practical uses have, however, been contorted largely due to the toxicity and cost issues associated with the present chemical synthesis protocols. Accordingly, there is an immediate need to develop alternative environment‐friendly synthesis procedures. Microbial factories hold immense potential to achieve this objective. Over the past few years, bacteria, fungi and yeasts have been experimented with as eco‐friendly and cost‐effective tools for the biosynthesis of semiconductor quantum dots. This review provides a detailed overview about the production of chalcogen‐based semiconductor quantum particles using the inherent microbial machinery.
Radiographer technique: Does it contribute to the question of clip migration?
Authors: Madeley Carolyn R , Kessell Meredith Anita , Madeley Chris JD , Taylor Donna Blanche , Wylie Elizabeth Jane
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Marker clips are commonly deployed at the site of a percutaneous breast biopsy. Studies have shown that displacement of the clip from the site of deployment is not uncommon. The objective of this study was to determine how much ‘migration’ could be seen with fixed structures within the breast tissue across three consecutive annual screening examinations, and therefore attempt to quantify how much of the reported clip migration could be due to radiographer technique.

Methods

Large, easily identified benign calcifications were measured by two investigators across three consecutive cycles of screening mammography. The position of the calcifications on the two standard mammographic views was measured in two planes. Other variables recorded included breast size and density, compression force used, and location of the benign calcifications within the breast.

Results

In 38% of cases, benign breast calcifications showed a mimicked movement of >15 mm in at least one plane. This was greatest in large breasts, those where fibroglandular tissue occupied less than 50% of the breast volume, and in the upper outer quadrant of the breast where mimicked movement >10 mm was noted in up to 90% of the larger breasts.

Conclusion

Fixed immobile objects in the breast can appear to move a distance of >15 mm in up to 30% of cases. Clinically, some of what has previously been called marker ‘migration’ may be spurious and accounted for by differences in radiographic positioning techniques.
Trajectories and Transformations of the Democratic Representative System
Authors: Castiglione Dario
Published: June 2015

This article suggests that there are many ways of characterizing the transformations of contemporary democracy, but that particularly Peter Mair's analysis of the ‘hollowing out’ of democracy suggests that we are witnessing a process of democratic disempowerment, with citizens becoming disaffected and political elites more insulated. A particular terrain of such a process is that of political representation. This article focuses on the conceptual and institutional transformations of the ‘standard version’ of political representation and whether the shift from a more formal and centralised system, based on authorization and control, to more informal, diffuse and trust‐based processes of representation may still meet the normative requirements of democratic politics.
Direct Democracy in Europe: Potentials and Pitfalls
Authors: Leininger Arndt
Published: June 2015

Diagnoses of a democratic recession or ‘hollowing out’ of democracy are numerous and varied but usually encompass the following symptoms: a decline in turnout and other forms of political participation; policy making that is increasingly detached from ordinary citizens and their preferences; and an erosion of trust in government and satisfaction with democracy among citizens – all of which ultimately challenge the legitimacy of democratic institutions. Direct democracy is one of the most prominent, far‐reaching and popular remedies proposed in response to such diagnoses. It, by allowing citizens to directly vote on questions usually decided by representatives, seems intuitively appealing as an obvious extension and deepening of democracy. In this article I survey the potentials but also pitfalls of an increased institutionalization of direct democracy and use thereof in the countries of the EU focusing on the three key aspects identified above: representation, turnout and citizens’ political support.
The Hollowing and Backsliding of Democracy in East Central Europe
Authors: Greskovits Béla
Published: June 2015

The essay identifies two main dangers to East Central Europe's young democracies: ‘hollowing,’ or declining popular involvement in democracy, and ‘backsliding,’ or destabilization and reverting to semi‐authoritarian practices. It traces the malaise of some but not all postsocialist democracies to varied combinations of hollowing and backsliding. The main finding is an intricate pattern: in some cases the two syndromes coincide, in others they do not. There is also significant cross‐country variation in the gravity of syndromes. The region's pure neoliberal capitalist regimes are likelier to undermine popular political participation than those, which try to balance marketization with relatively generous social protection for its losers. At the same time, the article finds that while the hollowing of democracy before the global financial crisis has not necessarily been a curse, the massive participation of citizenry prior to the crisis has not been a generalized blessing from the viewpoint of democracy's resilience. This is substantiated by a comparative case study of Hungary and Latvia with lessons for activists of democracy promotion and civil society development.
Regional Normalization and National Deviations: EU Integration and Transformations in Europe's Eastern Periphery
Authors: Bruszt László
Published: June 2015

In debates about democratic backsliding in the new Eastern member states, the EU is pictured as an internally divided weak regional institution, momentarily unable or unwilling to impose elementary norms of democratic governance on deviating member states. In this article I argue that the EU, with its integration strategies, is at least as much part of the problem. It acts as a gigantic machinery of institutional monocropping, imposing uniform policies and institutions on dramatically different economies and societies. In the absence of regional mechanisms that could help European requirements and domestic demands to get in sync, domestic political entrepreneurs are rewarded for experimentation and deviation from European norms. The article highlights the governance problems linked to institutional monocropping by contrasting two major experiences of regional normalization and describes the EU strategies before and after accession. It ends with two alternative scenarios and some of the policy implications of the discussion.
Democracy in America, 2015
Authors: Kuo Didi , McCarty Nolan
Published: June 2015

The US faces a crisis of governance that lies in the deep, long‐term polarization of its party system. While exacerbated by the recent financial crisis and recession, polarizing trends can be detected as early as in the late 1970s. Over the course of four decades, a combination of ideological division and intense electoral competition has eroded the bipartisan glue that our fragmented policymaking institutions require to function. As a result, the US has generally been unable to address pressing long‐term policy problems within the ‘normal’ constitutional framework, if at all. First, the branch of government closest and most representative of the people, the Congress, has declined precipitously in terms of power and public standing. Second, our extremely divisive politics and unmet policy challenges have eroded citizens’ faith in the American government. Finally, polarization has created and reinforced widening economic disparities that have generated substantial political inequalities.
Political Culture, Political Satisfaction and the Rollback of Democracy
Authors: Weßels Bernhard
Published: June 2015

This article addresses the alleged rollback of democracy by looking at the development of political cultures and the quality of democracy at the institutional level in three groups of European countries: longstanding democracies of western Europe, the first third‐wave countries (Portugal, Spain and Greece) and the new democracies of the 1990s in central and eastern Europe. Political culture and political structures are examined by bringing in two aspects: the actual performance of democracy and the normative foundations of the democratic order. Pulling in a range of empirical evidence – comparative population surveys, macro‐level data on the quality of democracy and contextual factors – the findings show that the normative foundations of democracy have not been negatively affected over the last decade, either in terms of political culture or with regard to political structures. In contrast, performance‐related measures of democratic practice and subsequent support for democracy reveal significant negative developments. Thus, if there is a rollback of democracy it is in its practice, not in its normative foundations. However, the alarm is set: Europe cannot afford a continuing performance crisis if it wants to avoid a legitimacy deficit of democracy that goes beyond dissatisfaction with performance to eroding the support for the normative base of democracy.
Psychiatric Symptom Clusters as Risk Factors for Alcohol Use Disorders in Adolescence: A National Study
Authors: Harford Thomas C. , Yi Hsiao‐ye , Chen Chiung M. , Grant Bridget F.
Published: June 2015

Background

Few epidemiologic studies have examined a full range of adolescent psychiatric disorders in the general population. The association between psychiatric symptom clusters (PSCs) and DSM‐IV alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among adolescents is not well understood.

Methods

This study draws upon the public‐use data from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, including a study sample of 19,430 respondents aged 12 to 17. Logistic regression and exploratory structural equation modeling assess the associations between PSCs and DSM‐IV AUDs by gender. The PSCs are based on brief screening scales devised from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scales.

Results

Several PSCs were found to be significantly associated with DSM‐IV AUDs, including separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder among both genders, and panic disorder and obsessive/ compulsive disorder among females. Consistent with the literature, the analysis of PSCs yields 3 factors identical for both genders—2 internalizing factors (fear and anxiety–misery) and 1 externalizing factor. Adolescents who scored higher on the externalizing factor tended to have higher levels of the AUD factor. Female adolescents who scored higher on the internalizing misery factor and lower on the internalizing fear factor also tended to have higher levels of the AUD factor.

Conclusions

The associations that we found between PSCs and AUDs among adolescents in this study are consistent with those found among adults in other studies, although gender may moderate associations between internalizing PSCs and AUDs. Our findings lend support to previous findings on the developmentally stable associations between disruptive behaviors and AUDs among adolescents as well as adults in the general population.
Diagnostic use of recombinant Tha p 2 in the allergy to Thaumetopoea pityocampa
Authors: Rodríguez‐Mahillo A. I. , Carballeda‐Sangiao N. , Vega J. M. , García‐Ortiz J. C. , Roques A. , Moneo I. , González‐Muñoz M.
Published: June 2015

Thaumetopoea pityocampa causes allergies and skin and ocular lesions. No commercial tools are currently available for the clinical diagnosis of this allergy. We aimed to develop an in vitro method for the diagnosis of this allergy to avoid patients undergoing in vivo tests with insect extracts. Recombinant Tha p 2 was produced and used in an ELISA validated with 15 allergic patients. Subsequently, 42 subjects recruited from a random sampling cross‐sectional study were analysed. The ELISA sensitivity and specificity were 93.3% and 100%, respectively, for the allergic patients and 71.4% and 95.3%, respectively, for the epidemiological study. The positive ELISA results correlated with the skin prick test areas with the whole body and the setae extracts. Professional exposure and short latency of symptoms onset were risk factors for a positive result in the ELISA. In conclusion, our ELISA is very useful for T. pityocampa allergy diagnosis and for epidemiologic testing.
Intrinsic properties of germinal center‐derived B cells promote their enhanced class switching to IgE
Authors: Ramadani F. , Upton N. , Hobson P. , Chan Y.‐C. , Mzinza D. , Bowen H. , Kerridge C. , Sutton B. J. , Fear D. J. , Gould H. J.
Published: June 2015

Background

Research on the origins and development of human IgE‐expressing (IgE+) cells is required for understanding the pathogenesis of allergy and asthma. These studies have been thwarted by the rarity of IgE+ cells in vivo and the low frequency of class switch recombination (CSR) to IgE ex vivo. To determine the main source of IgE+ cells, we investigated the relation between the phenotypic composition of tonsil B cells and the CSR to IgE ex vivo.

Methods

Human tonsil B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry (FACS) and cultured with IL‐4 and anti‐CD40 to induce CSR to IgE. Naïve, germinal center (GC), early GC (eGC), and memory tonsil B cells were isolated by FACS, and their capacities for IL‐4 and anti‐CD40 signaling, cell proliferation, and de novo class switching to IgE were analyzed by RT‐PCR and FACS.

Results

B cells from different tonsils exhibited varying capacities for CSR to IgE ex vivo. This was correlated with the percentage of eGC B cells in the tonsil at the outset of the culture. Despite relatively poor cell viability, eGC and GC B‐cell cultures produced the highest yields of IgE+ cells compared to naïve and memory B‐cell cultures. The main factors accounting for this result were the strength of IL‐4R and CD40 signaling and relative rates of cell proliferation.

Conclusions

This study shows that the maturation state of tonsil B cells determines their capacity to undergo class switching to IgE ex vivo, with the GC‐derived B cells yielding the highest percentage of IgE+ cells.
Adjusting for Undercoverage of Access-Points in Creel Surveys with Fewer Overflights
Authors: Béliveau Audrey , Lockhart Richard A. , Schwarz Carl J. , Arndt Steven K.
Published: June 2015

Creel surveys are used in recreational fisheries to estimate angling effort, catch, and harvest. Aerial-access creel surveys rely on two components: (1) a ground component in which fishing parties returning from their trips are interviewed at some access-points of the fishery; (2) an aerial component in which the number of fishing parties is counted. A common practice is to sample fewer aerial survey days than ground survey days. This is thought by practitioners to reduce the cost of the survey, but there is a lack of sound statistical methodology for this case. In this article, we propose various estimation methods to handle this situation and evaluate their asymptotic properties from a design-based perspective. We also propose formulas for the optimal allocation of the effort between the ground and the aerial portion of the survey, for given costs and budget. A simulation study investigates the performance of the estimators. Finally, we apply our methods to data from an annual Kootenay Lake survey (Canada).
Treatment Decisions Based on Scalar and Functional Baseline Covariates
Authors: Ciarleglio Adam , Petkova Eva , Ogden R. Todd , Tarpey Thaddeus
Published: June 2015

The amount and complexity of patient-level data being collected in randomized-controlled trials offer both opportunities and challenges for developing personalized rules for assigning treatment for a given disease or ailment. For example, trials examining treatments for major depressive disorder are not only collecting typical baseline data such as age, gender, or scores on various tests, but also data that measure the structure and function of the brain such as images from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), or electroencephalography (EEG). These latter types of data have an inherent structure and may be considered as functional data. We propose an approach that uses baseline covariates, both scalars and functions, to aid in the selection of an optimal treatment. In addition to providing information on which treatment should be selected for a new patient, the estimated regime has the potential to provide insight into the relationship between treatment response and the set of baseline covariates. Our approach can be viewed as an extension of “advantage learning” to include both scalar and functional covariates. We describe our method and how to implement it using existing software. Empirical performance of our method is evaluated with simulated data in a variety of settings and also applied to data arising from a study of patients with major depressive disorder from whom baseline scalar covariates as well as functional data from EEG are available.