bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain Tumor Imaging: Imaging Brain Metastasis Using a Brain-Metastasizing Breast Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Madden Kelley S. , Zettel Martha L. , Majewska Ania K. , Brown Edward B.
Published: March 2013

Brain metastases from primary or secondary breast tumors are difficult to model in the mouse. When metastatic breast cancer cell lines are injected directly into the arterial circulation, only a small fraction of cells enter the brain to form metastatic foci. To study the molecular and cellular mechanisms of brain metastasis, we have transfected MB-231BR, a brain-homing derivative of a human breast adenocarcinoma line MDA-MB-231, with the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) variant Venus. MB-231BR selectively enters the brain after intracardiac injection into the arterial circulation, resulting in accumulation of fluorescent foci of cells in the brain that can be viewed by standard fluorescence imaging procedures. We describe how to perform the intracardiac injection and the parameters used to quantify brain metastasis in brain sections by standard one-photon fluorescence imaging. The disadvantage of this model is that the kinetics of growth over time cannot be determined in the same animal. In addition, the injection technique does not permit precise placement of tumor cells within the brain. This model is useful for determining the molecular determinants of brain tumor metastasis.
Tissue Shrinkage and Stereological Studies
Authors: West Mark J.
Published: March 2013

Shrinkage often takes place in biological tissues during the different phases of preparation for microscopy. This can have detrimental effects on the stereological estimates, even when unbiased procedures are used. There are different types of shrinkage, and an awareness of them is essential when designing stereological studies. Some forms of shrinkage can be taken into account to ensure the unbiasedness of an estimator, but some cannot and should be avoided. Dimensional changes that take place during fixation, embedding, sectioning, mounting, and staining can seriously compromise one's ability to make assumption-free estimates of length and surface, but there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of these changes on estimates of object number and size. This article describes types of shrinkage and the effects of shrinkage on estimators of object number. It gives an example of how to make a number-weighted correction of section thickness and also discusses the consequences of shrinkage for the validity of estimates of object size.
Lasers for Nonlinear Microscopy
Authors: Wise Frank
Published: March 2013

Various versions of nonlinear microscopy are revolutionizing the life sciences, almost all of which are made possible because of the development of ultrafast lasers. In this article, the main properties and technical features of short-pulse lasers used in nonlinear microscopy are summarized. Recent research results on fiber lasers that will impact future instruments are also discussed.
Autophagy Contributes to Nighttime Energy Availability for Growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Izumi Masanori , Hidema Jun , Makino Amane , Ishida Hiroyuki
Published: March 2013

Autophagy is an intracellular process leading to the vacuolar degradation of cytoplasmic components. Autophagic degradation of chloroplasts is particularly activated in leaves under conditions of low sugar availability. Here, we investigated the importance of autophagy in the energy availability and growth of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). autophagy-deficient (atg) mutants showed reduced growth under short-day conditions. This growth inhibition was largely relieved under continuous light or under short-day conditions combined with feeding of exogenous sucrose, suggesting that autophagy is involved in energy production at night for growth. Arabidopsis accumulates starch during the day and degrades it for respiration at night. Nighttime energy availability is perturbed in starchless mutants, in which a lack of starch accumulation causes a transient sugar deficit at night. We generated starchless and atg double mutants and grew them under different photoperiods. The double mutants showed more severe phenotypes than did atg or starchless single mutants: reduced growth and early cell death in leaves were observed when plants were grown under 10-h photoperiods. Transcript analysis of dark-inducible genes revealed that the sugar starvation symptoms observed in starchless mutants became more severe in starchless atg double mutants. The contents of free amino acids (AAs) increased, and transcript levels of several genes involved in AA catabolism were elevated in starchless mutant leaves. The increases in branched-chain AA and aromatic AA contents were partially compromised in starchless atg double mutants. We conclude that autophagy can contribute to energy availability at night by providing a supply of alternative energy sources such as AAs.
AGAMOUS-Like15 Promotes Somatic Embryogenesis in Arabidopsis and Soybean in Part by the Control of Ethylene Biosynthesis and Response
Authors: Zheng Qiaolin , Zheng Yumei , Perry Sharyn E.
Published: March 2013

Many of the regulatory processes occurring during plant embryogenesis are still unknown. Relatively few cells are involved, and they are embedded within maternal tissues, making this developmental phase difficult to study. Somatic embryogenesis is a more accessible system, and many important regulatory genes appear to function similar to zygotic development, making somatic embryogenesis a valuable model for the study of zygotic processes. To better understand the role of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) MADS factor AGAMOUS-Like15 (AGL15) in the promotion of somatic embryogenesis, direct target genes were identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation-tiling arrays and expression arrays. One potential directly up-regulated target was At5g61590, which encodes a member of the ethylene response factor subfamily B-3 of APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR transcription factors and is related to Medicago truncatula SOMATIC EMBRYO-RELATED FACTOR1 (MtSERF1), which has been shown to be required for somatic embryogenesis in M. truncatula. Here, we report confirmation that At5g61590 is a directly expressed target of AGL15 and that At5g61590 is essential for AGL15’s promotion of somatic embryogenesis. Because At5g61590 is a member of the ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR family, effects of ethylene on somatic embryogenesis were investigated. Precursors to ethylene stimulate somatic embryogenesis, whereas inhibitors of ethylene synthesis or perception reduce somatic embryogenesis. To extend findings to a crop plant, we investigated the effects of ethylene on somatic embryogenesis in soybean (Glycine max). Furthermore, we found that a potential ortholog of AGL15 in soybean (GmAGL15) up-regulates ethylene biosynthesis and response, including direct regulation of soybean orthologs of At5g61590/MtSERF1 named here GmSERF1 and GmSERF2, in concordance with the M. truncatula nomenclature.
International responsiveness of entrepreneurial new ventures from three leading emerging economies
Authors: Khavul Susanna , Prater Edmund , Swafford Patricia M.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, “How do international new ventures (INVs) from emerging economies become responsive to the demands of their international customers?”

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a model of international responsiveness that incorporates founding team experience, international firm experience, international strategic orientation, and investment in international supply chain and test the model using data from 293 INVs from three leading emerging economies: China, India, and South Africa.

Findings

Results show that for INVs from emerging economies international strategic orientation mediates the relationship between international firm experience, investment in international supply chain, and international responsiveness. In addition, the authors identify a significant difference in the effects of international strategic orientation on international responsiveness among subgroups of INVs.

Practical implications

Given the specific context of the sample, this study provides unique managerial insights for entrepreneurs planning to internationalize their new ventures from emerging economies.

Originality/value

The paper adds originality and value by extending research on international responsiveness, bridging two disciplines, and using a unique international, multi‐country sample.
Influence of total quality management on human resource management practices
Authors: Wickramasinghe Vathsala
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore changes occurring in the human resource (HR) function and human resource management (HRM) practices due to the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in Sri Lanka.

Design/methodology/approach

Quality managers and HR managers from 77 export‐based firms with ISO 9001 certification that have implemented a formal TQM programme, running for at least three years, participated in the survey. Factor analysis, correlation and regression were used for the data analysis.

Findings

It was found that firms introduce process improvement initiatives within the HR department by upgrading the role of the HR function, and by redesigning HRM practices of performance management, competence development and career planning, rewards and recognition, recruitment and selection, HR planning, and satisfaction and well‐being to bring those in line with TQM requirements.

Originality/value

Although QM literature is extensive, it is difficult to find studies that investigated to what extent TQM practices have been adopted by export‐driven organisations in developing economies and what are the changes occurring in the HR function and HRM practices due to TQM initiatives. Understanding these is important to the development of QM theory in the international context. It is expected that the paper's findings will be able to establish baseline data to stimulate further research in this area.
Selection of single sampling attribute plan for given AQL and LQL involving minimum risks using weighted Poisson distribution
Authors: Subramani Kandasamy , Haridoss Venugopal
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the single sampling attribute plan for given acceptance quality level (AQL) and limiting quality level (LQL) involving minimum sum of risks using weighted Poisson distribution.

Design/methodology/approach

For the given AQL and LQL, sum of producer's and consumer's risks have been attained. Based on weighted Poisson distribution, the sum of these risks has been arrived at, along with the acceptance number and the rejection number. Also, the operating characteristic function for the single sampling attribute sampling plan, using weighted Poisson distribution, has been derived.

Findings

In the final inspection, the producer and the consumer represent the same party. So, the sum these two risks should be minimized. In this paper, the sum of risks has been tabulated using weighted Poisson distribution for different operating ratios. These tabulated values are comparatively less than the sum of risks derived using Poisson distribution.

Originality/value

The sampling plan presented in this paper is particularly useful for testing the quality of finished products in shop floor situations.
Inter-firm opportunism: a meta-analytic review and assessment of its antecedents and effect on performance
Authors: Wang Xuehua , Yang Zhilin
Published: March 2013

Purpose

– This meta-analysis aims to aggregate empirical findings from extant inter-firm opportunism literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, a quantitative summary on the bivariate relationships between the antecedents and the consequences of opportunism is offered. Second, a multivariate analysis is employed to identify significant antecedents of opportunism and the process variables that mediate the relationship between inter-firm opportunism and organizational performance.

Findings

– Results reveal that goal congruence has the largest influence on inter-firm opportunism, followed by cultural sensitivity, communication, and environmental volatility, norms, governance emphasis, and relative dependence. These important antecedents represent significant research directions for inter-firm opportunism. In addition, inter-firm opportunism affects organizational performance through a mediating process including commitment, functional conflict, overall satisfaction, and trust. Commitment is found to act as a major moderating construct between inter-firm opportunism and its other significant consequences in the revised model.

Originality/value

– This study widens the horizon on inter-firm opportunism research by examining a much greater number of effect sizes and by employing a more complex framework of the mechanism mediating the inter-firm opportunism-organizational performance relationship and does so more effectively than any individual research work.
Market power and relational conflicts in Russian retailing
Authors: Radaev Vadim
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine new rules of exchange in retailer‐supplier relationships imposed by the retail chains, to analyse factors facilitating this institutional change and to reveal the links between channel power and relational conflicts.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 500 managers of retail chains and their suppliers in five Russian cities. The sample includes firms of different sizes that sell food and home electronic appliances. After the diffusion of new contract arrangements is examined, logistic regression models are constructed to evaluate major sources of relational conflicts.

Findings

The findings indicate that power‐advantaged firms disseminate new rules of exchange effectively. However, relational conflicts largely originate not from these new demands but from the frequent contract infringements by both exchange parties.

Research limitations/implications

The study is confined to two sectors of retail trade in one country. Further research is required to determine the effects on channel relationships of the financial crisis and of the adoption of restrictive federal legislation.

Practical implications

Practitioners should recognise the need to provide socio‐political legitimacy for the new rules of exchange. Otherwise, they may face relational conflicts and provoke restrictive state regulations. Public officials should know that relational conflicts may originate largely from opportunistic behaviour by exchange parties rather than from abuse of market power.

Originality/value

This paper presents the first systematic quantitative study of retailer‐supplier relationships in Russia. It investigates institutional change and relational conflicts as perceived by both exchange parties.
Customer flow: evaluating the long‐term impact of marketing on value creation
Authors: Tretyak Olga A. , Sloev Igor
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to construct a system of indicators that will allow firms to evaluate the long‐term results of their marketing activities along the value chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper integrates the concepts of network relationships, value chain management, and customer lifetime value (CLV). The authors use participative inquiry and case studies to validate and clarify the model.

Findings

The authors develop the customer flow conceptual model and propose a sequence of actions to translate it into measures and indicators that will allow firms to understand their role in the creation of sustainable value. Using this model, the authors conduct comparative analyses of the acquisition and retention strategies of a multinational firm in the European and Russian markets. The results provide a crucial justification for new directions in future long‐term marketing activities.

Research limitations/implications

The model is validated in two cases in different industries. Further research is required to examine the implementation of suggested tools in different industries.

Practical implications

The model was simplified for a practical application and indicators for future monitoring process and customer flow management were developed.

Originality/value

The authors developed the concept of customer flow to assess the long‐term results of marketing activities and to emphasize the difference between managing new and existing customers. New performance metrics are proposed based on customer flow and its structural characteristics. This allowed comparing of acquisition and retention strategies of the same company in different markets and reveals the crucial differences between the marketing strategies prevailing in Russia and those in Europe. The authors have demonstrated how the concept may help firms to develop and implement successful strategies.
Knowledge city and urban economic resilience
Authors: Huston Simon , Warren Clive
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the limitations and potential usefulness of a “knowledge city” concept as diversification vehicle for property investors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first dissects the “knowledge city” concept and then investigates whether it inoculates against economic turbulence as measured by growth and jobs recovery. The paper also looks at the protection offered by middle class population growth.

Findings

The idea of the “knowledge city” comes from earlier economic constructs but concentrated at the urban scale. There are two versions – a technical and one enriched with institutional and social dimensions. The limited analysis of selective secondary data suggests that “knowledge city” and strong middle class population growth provide some protection from economic and, presumably, property market instability.

Research limitations/implications

Statistical limitations include arbitrary sample frames; lack of data and unclear spatial resolution, short time frames for aggregate analysis. Further research requires, first, a structured grading of knowledge precincts and, second, randomised sampling of individual properties to investigate any links between total risk‐adjusted performance is measured over a decade.

Practical implications

To mitigate risk, investors should consider re‐weighting their portfolios to increase exposure to knowledge cities and second‐tier but fast growing cities in emerging countries.

Social implications

A knowledge‐city cannot be imposed by infrastructure, technology or place configuration alone. It involves multiple precinct configurations and subsidiarity. Institutions and people matter. A broader knowledge‐city conceptualisation helps inform planning, management and oversight for regional second‐tier cities.

Originality/value

Dissecting, noting the limits and drawing out the practical implications of the “knowledge city” concept.
Hedonic modelling of high street retail properties: a quality design perspective
Authors: Nase Ilir , Berry Jim , Adair Alastair
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between urban design quality and the real estate value of high street retail properties. Quantitative research on the added value of quality design has seen little advancement during the past two decades and hedonic analysis of the high street retail sector remains embryonic. This paper bridges this gap by providing empirical evidence on the added value of quality design.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a unique dataset of 301 Belfast City Centre retail transactions during the period 1994‐2009. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis is used to estimate a hedonic pricing model that utilises a composite range of variables. These variables were designed employing quantitative and qualitative approaches complementarily to strengthen the value of the empirical research.

Findings

The findings suggest that aspects of quality design such as connectivity, frontage continuity and variety, material quality and massing appropriateness add to real estate value. These findings supplement those on sector‐specific value determinants that emphasise the high impact of location, tenant characteristic and Zone‐A price calculations.

Practical implications

In analysing high street retail rent determinants this paper focuses on the impact of various aspects of quality design to inform investors and developers about those aspects that are highly valued by city centre retail tenants. Policy makers benefit from the findings through empirically justified built environment benchmarks for improving the quality of life in our cities.

Originality/value

This study provides a quantitative model for measuring urban design quality which uses data from a UK city but has a wider application range. It bridges a significant gap in the literature related to hedonic investigation of the added value of quality design by providing a holistic approach to quality.
Dynamic interactions among property types
Authors: Yunus Nafeesa
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of the study is to utilize cointegration techniques and analyze the degree of linkages among four key property types (retail, office, industrial, and residential) of eight major countries throughout North America and Europe. Additionally, the study evaluates whether investors can attain greater diversification benefits by investing across specific property sectors within their own nations in the long‐run. Finally, the study examines whether certain property sectors can be considered the “leader” that drives the remaining sectors over time.

Design/methodology/approach

Multivariate cointegration tests developed by Johansen and Johansen and Juselius are utilized to evaluate whether long‐run equilibrium relationship(s) exist among the four property sectors. If evidence of cointegration is found, hypothesis tests are implemented to separate out the markets that can be excluded from the cointegrating relationships and to identify the markets that are the sources of the common trends (weakly exogenous), respectively.

Findings

Long‐run cointegration results indicate that the four property sectors of the USA, Canada, Netherlands, and the UK have fully converged implying limited diversification possibilities. The property sectors of Finland, France, Germany and Sweden, however, have only partially converged. Further analysis reveals that for these four countries, the industrial sectors provide the greatest long‐run diversification benefits. Finally, weak exogeneity tests indicate that for an overwhelming majority of the countries under consideration, the residential sectors are the sources of the common stochastic trends, that “lead” the remaining property types towards the long‐run equilibrium relationships.

Practical implications

The conclusions from this study should be beneficial to investors, portfolio managers, pension fund managers and other institutional investors in the USA and abroad who are contemplating to invest across property sectors within their own countries in making more informed portfolio allocation decisions. The findings also highlight the importance of implementing time‐series econometric techniques to accurately and appropriately model interactions among property sectors over time.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies that utilize modern‐day timeseries techniques to analyze the dynamic interactions among the property sectors of eight major nations throughout North America and Europe. Prior studies, have been limited to modeling interrelationships between the property sectors of the USA and UK, with little attention given to other major real estate markets.
People, predators and perceptions: patterns of livestock depredation by snow leopards and wolves
Authors: Suryawanshi Kulbhushansingh R. , Bhatnagar Yash Veer , Redpath Stephen , Mishra Charudutt
Published: March 2013

Livestock depredation by large carnivores is an important conservation and economic concern and conservation management would benefit from a better understanding of spatial variation and underlying causes of depredation events. Focusing on the endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia and the wolf Canis lupus, we identify the ecological factors that predispose areas within a landscape to livestock depredation. We also examine the potential mismatch between reality and human perceptions of livestock depredation by these carnivores whose survival is threatened due to persecution by pastoralists.

We assessed the distribution of the snow leopard, wolf and wild ungulate prey through field surveys in the 4000 km2 Upper Spiti Landscape of trans‐Himalayan India. We interviewed local people in all 25 villages to assess the distribution of livestock and peoples' perceptions of the risk to livestock from these carnivores. We monitored village‐level livestock mortality over a 2‐year period to assess the actual level of livestock depredation. We quantified several possibly influential independent variables that together captured variation in topography, carnivore abundance and abundance and other attributes of livestock. We identified the key variables influencing livestock depredation using multiple logistic regressions and hierarchical partitioning.

Our results revealed notable differences in livestock selectivity and ecological correlates of livestock depredation – both perceived and actual – by snow leopards and wolves. Stocking density of large‐bodied free‐ranging livestock (yaks and horses) best explained people's threat perception of livestock depredation by snow leopards, while actual livestock depredation was explained by the relative abundance of snow leopards and wild prey. In the case of wolves, peoples' perception was best explained by abundance of wolves, while actual depredation by wolves was explained by habitat structure.

Synthesis and applications. Our results show that (i) human perceptions can be at odds with actual patterns of livestock depredation, (ii) increases in wild prey populations will intensify livestock depredation by snow leopards, and prey recovery programmes must be accompanied by measures to protect livestock, (iii) compensation or insurance programmes should target large‐bodied livestock in snow leopard habitats and (iv) sustained awareness programmes are much needed, especially for the wolf.
Party politics, political economy, and economic development in early eighteenth‐centuryBritain
Authors: Dudley Christopher
Published: March 2013

Economic growth and change in eighteenth‐centuryBritain, both the expansion of pre‐industrial commercial society and the industrial revolution itself, have been explored using a variety of approaches. This article highlights a relatively ignored aspect of the problem, arguing that the state, politics, and political economic ideology played a central role. In particular, the early eighteenth‐century political victory of a version of political economy associated with the Whig party, which centred on manufacturing and consumption, was a prerequisite for the economic developments later in the century. The article begins by describing a political economy of manufacturing and its rival, a political economy of re‐exporting associated with theTory party. It then explains how and why a political economy of manufacturing became dominant, examining both political elites and ordinary voters and petitioners. The growth of manufacturing and consumption must be understood, therefore, as political as much as economic events.
The significance of virulence factors in Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Shiota Seiji , Suzuki Rumiko , Yamaoka Yoshio
Published: March 2013

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is linked to various gastroduodenal diseases; however, only a small fraction of these patients develop associated diseases. Despite the high prevalence of H. pylori infection in Africa and South Asia, the incidence of gastric cancer in these areas is much lower than those in other countries. The incidence of gastric cancer tends to decrease from north to south in East Asia. Such geographical differences in the pathology can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of different types of H. pylori virulence factors in addition to host and environmental factors. Virulence factors of H. pylori, such as CagA, VacA, DupA, IceA, OipA and BabA, have been demonstrated to be the predictors of severe clinical outcomes. Interestingly, a meta‐analysis showed that CagA seropositivity was associated with gastric cancer compared with gastritis, even in East Asian countries where almost the strains possess cagA. Another meta‐analysis also confirmed the significance of vacA, dupA and iceA. However, it is possible that additional important pathogenic genes may exist because H. pylori consists of approximately 1600 genes. Despite the advances in our understanding of the development of H. pylori infection‐related diseases, further work is required to clarify the roles of H. pylori virulence factors.
Programming of glucose–insulin homoeostasis: long‐term consequences of pre‐natal versus early post‐natal nutrition insults. Evidence from a sheep model
Authors: Kongsted A. H. , Tygesen M. P. , Husted S. V. , Oliver M. H. , Tolver A. , Christensen V. G. , Nielsen J. H. , Nielsen M. O.
Published: March 2013

Aim

Exposure to adverse intra‐uterine conditions can predispose for metabolic disorders later in life. By using a sheep model, we studied (i) how programming of glucose–insulin homoeostasis during late gestation is manifested later in life depending on the early post‐natal dietary exposure and (ii) whether dietary alteration in obese individuals can prevent adverse outcomes of early life programming.

Methods

During late gestation, twin‐pregnant sheep were fed 100% (NORM) or 50% (LOW) of energy and protein requirements. After birth, offspring were exposed to a moderate (CONV) or high‐carbohydrate–high‐fat (HCHF) diet until around puberty. Offspring remaining thereafter (exclusively females) were fed a moderate diet until young adulthood.

Results

LOW lambs had increased insulin secretory responses during intravenous glucose tolerance tests indicative of reduced insulin sensitivity. HCHF lambs were hypertriglyceridaemic, 75% had mild pancreatic collagen infiltration, and their acute insulin secretory response and insulin clearance during intravenous glucose and insulin tolerance tests, respectively, were reduced. However, NORM‐HCHF in contrast to LOW‐HCHF lambs had normal glucose tolerance, indicating that later health outcomes are highly influenced by pre‐natal nutrition. Dietary alteration normalized glucose–insulin homoeostasis in adult HCHF females, whereas late‐gestation undernutrition (LOW) permanently depressed insulin sensitivity.

Conclusion

Maintenance of glucose tolerance in sheep exposed to pre‐natal undernutrition relied on pancreatic hypersecretion of insulin to compensate for reduced insulin sensitivity. A mismatching high‐fat diet in early post‐natal life interfered with this pancreatic hypersecretion resulting in reduced glucose tolerance. Early post‐natal, but not late pre‐natal, impacts on glucose–insulin homoeostasis could be reversed by dietary correction later in life.
Corporate Governance in Asian Countries: Has Confucianism Anything to Offer?
Authors: Miles Lilian , Goo S. H.
Published: March 2013

Although Confucianism is a resilient cultural tradition in Asian societies, its role in their corporate governance systems is ambiguous. Confucian values have been pushed to the periphery because of a preoccupation in these countries to emulate corporate governance systems from the West. This article argues that Confucianism has much to offer in enhancing director conduct and corporate governance standards. As the attention of the global business community turns eastwards, it is opportune to revive interest in Confucianism and to explore ways in which it can be integrated formally into companies' governance systems.
Giving as Good as They Get? Organization and Employee Expectations of Ethical Business Practice
Authors: Mason Chris , Simmons John
Published: March 2013

Corporate malpractice and malfeasance on an unprecedented scale have brought ethical issues to the fore and accentuated demands from activists, governments, and the public for greater corporate social responsibility (CSR). The predominant response of researchers and policymakers has been to focus on the external impact of business operations and the merits of regulation or persuasion in achieving more responsible practice in these areas. In this article, we focus on a less well explored aspect of CSR, namely the evaluation of an organization's CSR activities by its internal stakeholders (i.e., employees). Salient CSR literature is reviewed to differentiate between CSR and ethical business practice (EBP), conceptualizing the latter as the internal manifestation of CSR as represented by an organization's values and vision, strategy and policy, systems and procedures, and people management practices. This article assesses organizational espousal of EBP in three ways: how successfully it is communicated to employees, how closely espousal aligns with employee expectation, and how this evaluation impacts on employee commitment. Our research approach aligns with and extends previous work in this area that identifies the likelihood of a “false consensus bias” by managers in assuming congruence between organization espousal of EBP and employee expectation. A conceptual model is offered to explain possible employee responses to an organization's EBP. This relates organization espousal of EBP to employee assessment of its salience to identify three positions on commitment that employees can adopt—abrogated, continuance, and affective commitment—together with their likely behavioral implications. The analysis generates a series of research questions and related areas of exploration to empirically test the conceptual model.
The Effects of the Recession on Attitudes toward Business Ethics: An Inter‐temporal Study of Business Students in 2001, 2009, and 2010
Authors: Segal Lydia , Haberfeld Maria , Gideon Lior
Published: March 2013

This inter‐temporal study compares the ethical attitudes of business students at three points: in 2001, when the economy was relatively healthy; in 2009, near the beginning of the current recession; and in 2010, when the economy was worse. Ethical attitudes were measured by replicating a popular survey consisting of 25 ethically charged vignettes. The survey measures willingness to engage in white‐collar crime behaviors, some clearly illegal; others marginally unethical. Findings show an increase in tolerance for clearly illegal behaviors from 2001 to 2009 and an increase in tolerance for an even broader array of unethical acts from 2009 to 2010. As compared with 2001 respondents, 2009 respondents were more tolerant of seriously illegal behaviors but less tolerant of marginally unethical ones. In 2010, respondents were more accepting of both kinds of unethical behaviors. The results also suggest that the change in ethical attitudes from 2009 to 2010 was larger than the average annual change in ethics from 2001 to 2009. These findings are discussed within the framework of classical strain theory, Agnew's General Strain Theory, and the legitimacy of social institutions.
Building Power Together: Union Support for Central Labour Bodies
Authors: Boris Monica Bielski , Grabelsky Jeff
Published: March 2013

One of the key factors in the success of labour federations is to have affiliate unions who actively participate and support their work. This article examines the catalysts behind union involvement with central labour bodies and presents an analysis of the organizational motivations for engagement. The article uses comparative case study analysis to examine affiliate union commitment in the United States to the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations' state federations, area labour federations and central labour councils. Union leadership, along with contextual, interpretative and organizational factors, was found to influence the level of affiliate union involvement in central labour bodies.
Implications of Financial Capitalism for Employment Relations Research: Evidence from Breach of Trust and Implicit Contracts in Private Equity Buyouts
Authors: Appelbaum Eileen , Batt Rose , Clark Ian
Published: March 2013

An increasing share of the economy is organized around financial capitalism, where capital market actors actively manage their claims on wealth creation and distribution to maximize shareholder value. Drawing on four case studies of private equity buyouts, we challenge agency theory interpretations that they are ‘welfare neutral’ and show that an alternative source of shareholder value is breach of trust and implicit contracts. We show why management and employment relations scholars need to investigate the mechanisms of financial capitalism to provide a more accurate analysis of the emergence of new forms of class relations and to help us move beyond the limits of the varieties of capitalism approach to comparative institutional analysis.
Impoverishment of recent floodplain forest mollusc fauna in the lower Ohře River (Czech Republic) as a result of prehistoric human impact
Authors: Juřičková Lucie , Horáčková Jitka , Ložek Vojen , Horsák Michal
Published: March 2013

Analyses of fossil mollusc successions have rarely been used to study the development of floodplain forests during the Holocene. The Ohře River, located in a prehistorically settled chernozem area in the Czech Republic, is partly situated in Cretaceous marlstones, yielding sediments suitable for fossilization directly in floodplain deposits. We analysed five fossil mollusc successions situated in the lower stretch of the Ohře River and compared the results with recent mollusc assemblages studied along the entire 256 km of the river. Fossil samples were composed mostly of open‐country species throughout the Holocene or the whole preserved succession. Only some samples also contained woodland assemblages, but these were always greatly impoverished, with a very low frequency of strictly woodland species. Although the natural‐looking appearance of the present‐day floodplain forests of the lower river stretch has resulted in its being declared a nature reserve, modern floodplain forest mollusc assemblages there are also impoverished. This reduction in the distribution of strictly woodland species compared with modern assemblages in the upper stretch of the river seems to be the result of an ancient human settlement and continuous disturbances of the floodplain forest development since the Neolithic. Thus, fully developed floodplain forest assemblages occur recently only in the upper non‐impacted stretch of the river. Based on the studied fossil successions we can conclude that the lower Ohře River floodplain was probably a mosaic of open and disturbed forest habitats throughout the Holocene. This area is part of a central European landscape island, where forests probably never fully developed and open patches from the early Holocene continually developed into an agricultural landscape.
Experiences of young people in a 16–18 Mental Health Service
Authors: Harper Ben , Dickson Joanne M. , Bramwell Ros
Published: March 2013

Background

16–18‐year‐old young people experience a relatively high incidence of mental health problems but there is a paucity of research on their experience of mental health services (MHS).

Method

To gain understanding of young people's experiences of 16–18 MHS, we used qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Ten young people in two 16–18 MHS were interviewed about experiences of using MHS.

Results

Five superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis, ‘Power Differentials’, ‘Parental Involvement’, ‘Developmentally Attuned Services’, ‘Developing Self‐Expression’, ‘Continuity and Loss of Relationships’.

Conclusions

Respondents valued developmentally appropriate MHS and emphasised the value of continuity in therapeutic relationships.
A single injection of kisspeptin‐54 temporarily increases luteinizing hormone pulsatility in healthy women
Authors: Jayasena C. N. , Comninos A. N. , Veldhuis J. D. , Misra S. , Abbara A. , Izzi‐Engbeaya C. , Donaldson M. , Ghatei M. A. , Bloom S. R. , Dhillo W. S.
Published: March 2013

Background

Kisspeptin is a novel hypothalamic peptide which stimulates endogenous gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. A single subcutaneous bolus injection of kisspeptin‐54 increases circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in women, but its acute effects on LH pulsatility are not known.

Aims

To investigate the effects of a single subcutaneous (sc) injection of kisspeptin‐54 administration on LH pulsatility in healthy female volunteers.

Methods

Six healthy female adult volunteers underwent 10‐minute blood sampling for serum LH measurement for 8 h during the follicular phase of menstrual cycle. Sc bolus injection of saline or kisspeptin‐54 (0·15, 0·30 or 0·60 nmol/kg) was administered 4 h after commencing the study. A previously described, blinded deconvolution method was used to detect LH pulses.

Results

Mean number of LH pulses was increased significantly following 0·30 and 0·60 nmol/kg kisspeptin‐54 when compared with saline (mean increase in number of LH pulses per 4 h, following injection: −0·17 ± 0·54, saline; +2·33 ± 0·56, 0·30 nmol/kg kisspeptin‐54, P < 0·05 vs saline; +2·33 ± 0·80, 0·60 nmol/kg kisspeptin‐54, P < 0·05 vs saline). LH pulse secretory mass increased following injection of 0·60 nmol/kg in five of six subjects, but the mean change in all subjects was non‐significant when compared with saline (mean increase in pulse secretory mass in IU/l following injection: +0·35 ± 0·40, saline; +2·61 ± 1·17, 0·60 nmol/kg kisspeptin‐54, P = 0·10 vs saline).

Conclusions

A single injection of kisspeptin‐54 temporarily stimulates the number of LH pulses in healthy women. Further studies are required to investigate the therapeutic potential of kisspeptin‐54 injection to restore LH pulsatility in patients with reproductive disorders caused by impaired GnRH secretion.
Familial colorectal cancer risk assessment needs improvement for more effective cancer prevention in relatives
Authors: Dekker N. , Hermens R. P. M. G. , Nagengast F. M. , van Zelst‐Stams W. A. G. , Hoogerbrugge N. ,   The RISCO study group
Published: March 2013

Aim

Twelve to thirty % of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and relatives with an increased familial risk of CRC are referred for preventive measures. New guidelines recommend genetic counselling for high‐risk families and surveillance colonoscopy for moderate‐risk families. Assessment of familial risk of CRC and referral rates for these preventive measures were determined 1 year after the introduction of new guidelines.

Method

Assessment of familial risk of CRC and referral for preventive measures were measured in clinical practice among 358 patients with CRC in 18 hospitals using medical records and questionnaires. Additionally, a knowledge survey was performed among 312 clinicians.

Results

Sixty‐seven % of patients with an increased familial risk (n = 65/97) were referred for preventive measures, as were 23% (61/261) of low‐risk patients. The uptake of genetic counselling in high‐risk families was 33% (12/36). The uptake of surveillance colonoscopy in moderate‐risk families was 34% (21/61). In the knowledge survey clinicians correctly determined familial risk in 55% and preventive measures in 65% of cases.

Conclusion

Currently 67% of individuals with an increased familial risk of CRC were referred for preventive measures. Only one‐third were referred in accordance with guidelines.
Does sacral nerve stimulation improve global pelvic function in women?
Authors: Jadav A. M. , Wadhawan H. , Jones G. L. , Wheldon L. W. , Radley S. C. , Brown S. R.
Published: March 2013

Aim

Many women undergoing sacral neuromodulation for faecal incontinence have coexisting pelvic floor dysfunction. We used a global pelvic‐floor assessment questionnaire to evaluate the effect of sacral neuromodulation on non‐bowel related symptomatology.

Method

The electronic Personnel Assessment Questionnaire – Pelvic Floor (ePAQ‐PF) is a validated Web‐based electronic pelvic floor questionnaire. Women with faecal incontinence underwent assessment using the ePAQ. Pre‐ and poststimulator data were analysed over a 4.5‐year period.

Results

Forty‐three women (mean age 56.5 years; median follow up 6.8 months) were included. All (100%) had urinary symptoms, 81.4% had vaginal symptoms and 85.7% described some sexual dysfunction. There was a significant improvement in faecal incontinence and in bowel‐related quality of life (P < 0.005) as well as in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)‐related symptoms (P < 0.01) and in bowel‐related sexual heath (P < 0.01). Symptoms of vaginal prolapse significantly improved (P = 0.05). There was also improvement in symptoms of overactive bladder (P = 0.005) and in urinary‐related quality of life (P < 0.05). A global health improvement was reported in 58.1%, mainly in bowel evacuation (P < 0.01) and in vaginal pain and sensation (P < 0.05). In sexually active female patients, significant improvements in vaginal and bowel‐related sexual health were seen (P < 0.005). Improvement in general sex life following stimulation was reported in 53.3%.

Conclusion

A Web‐based electronic pelvic‐floor assessment questionnaire has demonstrated global improvement in pelvic floor function in bowel, urinary, vaginal and sexual dimensions in women following sacral neuromodulation for faecal incontinence.
Rapid Invasive Species Detection by Combining Environmental DNA with Light Transmission Spectroscopy
Authors: Egan Scott P. , Barnes Matthew A. , Hwang Ching‐Ting , Mahon Andrew R. , Feder Jeffery L. , Ruggiero Steven T. , Tanner Carol E. , Lodge David M.
Published: March 2013

Invasive aquatic species introductions cause tremendous environmental and economic damage. Conservation and management efforts will benefit from rapid, inexpensive, and accurate on‐site methods to detect harmful aquatic species to prevent their introduction and spread. Here, two technologies, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and Light Transmission Spectroscopy (LTS), were combined to address this need. Specifically, eDNA filtering and extraction methods were used to isolate DNA from: (1) lake water samples that were seeded with a microscopic fragment of five high‐risk invasive species and (2) untreated samples from lakes infested with the invasive zebra mussel,Dreissena polymorpha, followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. LTS was then used to detect size shifts resulting from hybridization of PCR products with nanobeads covered with species‐specific oligonucleotide probes. The results demonstrate that coupling eDNA sampling with LTS species detection can provide a sensitive and real‐time solution for screening real‐world water samples for invasive species.