bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computed tomography
Authors: Teoh Eugene , Weston Michael
Published: November 2017

Over the last two decades, the exponential use of CT in the assessment of the urological patient has been fuelled by the advent of multidetector thin slice CT and supersession of intravenous urography by CT urography. The latter may be considered as a one-stop imaging investigation for haematuria, with increased detection of urinary tract cancers and urolithiasis alike. Multi-planar reformats are made possible with the use of thin slices, allowing clear delineation of other pathologies such as urinary tract injury, and can aid PCNL planning. Outside of this spectrum, unenhanced CT of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder has established its role in assessment of the patient with symptoms of renal colic, with the scope to detect pathology outside of the urinary tract. Renal CT has been developed for the characterization of renal masses, accompanied by the now well-established Bosniak renal cyst classification system.
Molecular Characterization and Functional Analysis of PR-1-Like Proteins Identified from the Wheat Head Blight FungusFusarium graminearum
Authors: Lu Shunwen , Edwards Michael C.
Published: November 2017

The group 1 pathogenesis-related (PR-1) proteins originally identified from plants and their homologs are also found in other eukaryotic kingdoms. Studies on nonplant PR-1-like (PR-1L) proteins have been pursued widely in humans and animals but rarely in filamentous ascomycetes. Here, we report the characterization of four PR-1L proteins identified from the ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum, the primary cause of Fusarium head blight of wheat and barley (designated FgPR-1L). Molecular cloning revealed that the four FgPR-1L proteins are all encoded by small open reading frames (612 to 909 bp) that are often interrupted by introns, in contrast to plant PR-1 genes that lack introns. Sequence analysis indicated that all FgPR-1L proteins contain the PR-1-specific three-dimensional structure, and one of them features a C-terminal transmembrane (TM) domain that has not been reported for any stand-alone PR-1 proteins. Transcriptional analysis revealed that the four FgPR-1L genes are expressed in axenic cultures and in planta with different spatial or temporal expression patterns. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that fungal PR-1L proteins fall into three major groups, one of which harbors FgPR-1L-2-related TM-containing proteins from both phytopathogenic and human-pathogenic ascomycetes. Low-temperature sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and proteolytic assays indicated that the recombinant FgPR-1L-4 protein exists as a monomer and is resistant to subtilisin of the serine protease family. Functional analysis confirmed that deletion of the FgPR-1L-4 gene from the fungal genome results in significantly reduced virulence on susceptible wheat. This study provides the first example that the F. graminearum–wheat interaction involves a pathogen-derived PR-1L protein that affects fungal virulence on the host.
A DFT investigation of the blue bottle experiment:E∘half-cellanalysis of autoxidation catalysed by redox indicators
Authors: Limpanuparb Taweetham , Roongruangsree Pakpong , Areekul Cherprang
Published: November 2017

The blue bottle experiment is a collective term for autoxidation reactions catalysed by redox indicators. The reactions are characterized by their repeatable cycle of colour changes when shaken/left to stand and intricate chemical pattern formation. The blue bottle experiment is studied based on calculated solution-phase half-cell reduction potential of related reactions. Our investigation confirms that the reaction in various versions of the blue bottle experiment published to date is mainly the oxidation of an acyloin to a 1,2-dicarbonyl structure. In the light of the calculations, we also propose new non-acyloin reducing agents for the experiment. These results can help guide future experimental studies on the blue bottle experiment.
ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Nyamiviridae
Authors: Dietzgen Ralf G. , Ghedin Elodie , Jiāng Dàohóng , Kuhn Jens H. , Song Timothy , Vasilakis Nikos , Wang David ,   ICTV Report Consortium
Published: November 2017

The Nyamiviridae is a family of viruses with unsegmented, negative-sense RNA genomes of 11.3–12.2 kb that produce enveloped, spherical virions. Viruses of the genus Nyavirus are tick-borne and some also infect birds. Other nyamiviruses infecting parasitoid wasps and plant parasitic nematodes have been classified into the genera Peropuvirus and Socyvirus, respectively. This is a summary of the current International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the taxonomy of Nyamiviridae, which is available at www.ictv.global/report/nyamiviridae.
Using experimental data as a voucher for study pre-registration
Authors: Mazor Matan , Mazor Noam , Mukamel Roy
Published: November 2017

Undisclosed exploitation of flexibility in data acquisition and analysis blurs the important distinction between exploratory and hypothesis-driven findings and inflates false-positive rates1–4. Indeed, recent replication attempts have revealed low levels of replicability, pointing to high rates of false-positives in the literature5–10. A contemporary solution to this problem is pre-registration: commitment to aspects of methods and analysis before data acquisition11. This solution is valid only to the extent that the commitment stage is time-locked to precede data collection. To date, time-locking can only be guaranteed by introducing a third party such as peer reviewers at an early stage, making this solution less appealing for many12. Here we adapt a cryptographic method13 to encode information of study protocol within random aspects of the data acquisition process. This way, the structure of variability in the data time-locks the commitment stage with respect to data acquisition. Being independent of any third party, this method fully preserves scientific autonomy and confidentiality. We provide code for easy implementation and a detailed example from the field of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).
Reconciling the clk-1 and aging paradox and categorizing lifespan curves by taking individual specificity into account
Authors: Ren Yaguang , Zhang Congjie , Guo Wenxuan , Zhang Chao
Published: November 2017

The clk-1 gene encodes the demethoxyubiquinone (DMQ) hydroxylase that is required for biosynthesis of ubiquinone (coenzyme Q). Deletion of clk-1 was lethal in mice, and its mutation in C. elegans mildly extended lifespan, slowed physiological rate and led to sickness. We found that if growth retardation was taken into account the average lifespan of clk-1 mutants would not be prolonged or would be shortened. In addition, recent study showed that knocking down of clk-1 shortened lifespan. Although the extension of lifespan in clk-1 mutants was mild and was not observed sometimes, some progenies indeed had prolonged maximum lifespan even if retardation of growth was taking into account. These paradoxes implicate the existence of individual specificity in the aging process even in the same cohort, just like a drug is beneficial for some people while for others it is detrimental. We further categorized lifespan curves into five kinds of patterns according to the lifespan alternations observed in organisms: N (normal); L (long-lived); S (short-lived); F (flattened); ST (steepened), and found that the curve of clk-1 mutants fit into the F pattern. The reasons behind the individual specificity and its implications in aging process deserves further investigations.
Structural and computational analysis of intermolecular interactions in a new 2-thiouracil polymorph
Authors: Fabijanić Ivana , Matković-Čalogović Dubravka , Pilepić Viktor , Sanković Krešimir
Published: November 2017

The crystallization and characterization of a new polymorph of 2-thiouracil by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations are described. The previously published polymorph (A) crystallizes in the triclinic space groupP\overline{1}, while that described herein (B) crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP21/c. Periodic DFT calculations showed that the energies of polymorphsAandB, compared to the gas-phase geometry, were −108.8 and −29.4 kJ mol−1, respectively. The two polymorphs have different intermolecular contacts that were analyzed and are discussed in detail. Significant differences in the molecular structure were found only in the bond lengths and angles involving heteroatoms that are involved in hydrogen bonds. Decomposition of the Hirshfeld fingerprint plots revealed that O...H and S...H contacts cover over 50% of the noncovalent contacts in both of the polymorphs; however, they are quite different in strength. Hydrogen bonds of the N—H...O and N—H...S types were found in polymorphA, whereas in polymorphB, only those of the N—H...O type are present, resulting in a different packing in the unit cell. QTAIM (quantum theory of atoms in molecules) computational analysis showed that the interaction energies for these weak-to-medium strength hydrogen bonds with a noncovalent or mixed interaction character were estimated to fall within the ranges 5.4–10.2 and 4.9–9.2 kJ mol−1for polymorphsAandB, respectively. Also, the NCI (noncovalent interaction) plots revealed weak stacking interactions. The interaction energies for these interactions were in the ranges 3.5–4.1 and 3.1–5.5 kJ mol−1for polymorphsAandB, respectively, as shown by QTAIM analysis.
A localist’s critique of Hong Kong’s political development
Authors: Chi Loo Jeff Hai
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper intends to explore the localist perspectives concerning Hong Kong’s political development. The persistent growth of localists in the polity of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has not only challenged the current political order but also aroused Beijing’s national security considerations. The oath-taking controversies of 2016 demonstrated the strife that now exists between Beijing and the localists in Hong Kong. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the localists’ perceptions of the political decay, legitimacy crisis and reverse democratization in HKSAR to illuminate further their perceptions of Hong Kong’s political development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the theoretical discussion of the relations between political decay, legitimacy, the legitimacy crisis and reverse democratization as the key analytical framework to understand the localists’ perspective concerning Hong Kong’s political development. Based on an analysis of the localists’ discourse, the implication for the HKSAR regime’s legitimacy and for reverse democratization will be discussed.

Findings

The emergence of the new localists leads to the belief that Hong Kong’s political development is experiencing the reverse of democratization as the government cannot fully absorb the demands made by the general public. The reverse democratization is directly impacting the regime’s legitimacy, but in the HKSAR’s case, the new localists see the root of the problem as stemming from Beijing, that is that the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy problem is due to its underdevelopment in the legal, political and cultural spheres. This underdevelopment has weakened the legitimacy of the HKSAR’s administration, especially with regard to political reform, the legal interpretation of the Basic Law, and the influx of immigrants and tourists from the Mainland into the Hong Kong’s society. The China factor, from the Localists’ viewpoint, is at the root of the political decay and the legitimacy crisis in Hong Kong. More significantly, the localists regard the involvement of Beijing in Hong Kong’s affairs as its way to disrupt the autonomous status of the HKSAR. As a result, public discontent has further intensified and created the legitimacy crisis for the HKSAR Government.

Originality/value

This paper is the first academic paper to provide a critical analysis of Hong Kong’s localists’ views regarding Hong Kong’s political development since becoming the HKSAR. In contrast with the existing literature about Hong Kong’s democratization and political development, this paper introduces localists’ views and advocates the idea of “reverse democratization” to explain their perceptions concerning Hong Kong’s political development.
Predictors of safety training transfer support as in-role behavior of occupational health and safety professionals
Authors: Freitas Ana Cristina , Silva Sílvia Agostinho , Santos Catarina Marques
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify individual and contextual influences on in-house safety trainers’ role orientation toward the transfer of training (TT).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested a model where felt-responsibility for TT mediates the influence of job resources (i.e. autonomy, access to resources, access to information and organizational support) on trainers’ definition of their role and where training safety climate exerts a moderator effect. Data were collected from 201 Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) professionals, all in-house safety trainers, of large public and private companies. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The model highlighted the mediating influence of felt-responsibility in the interplay between job resources and role orientation, the moderating influence of safety climate on the relationship of autonomy and organizational support on role definition, but not access to resources and access to information on role definition in the TT. Results suggest that how much safety trainers consider supporting the TT as a part of their overall role is affected by autonomy and organizational support through a sense of responsibility regarding training results, and these effects are influenced by the perceived importance of safety training to the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The study is cross-sectional and used self-reported data, meaning that causal inferences should be carefully drawn. Further studies should explore other sources of influence over felt-responsibility, for example, supervisors’ support for transfer, the relationship between how in-house safety trainers define their role in the transfer process and trainees’ effective application of their new knowledge and skills.

Practical implications

Companies should overtly signal the importance of safety training to in-house safety trainers because it will elicit, by reciprocity, a greater sense of personal responsibility and increased efforts concerning training success.

Originality/value

No previous research looked at how in-house trainers define their role in the TT, as well as the individual and contextual factors that influence their efforts toward the efficacy of training.
Determinants of on-the-job training in enterprises: the Russian case
Authors: Roshchin Sergey , Travkin Pavel
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the influence of various enterprise characteristics on on-the-job training. The paper focuses mainly on identifying the influence of a firm’s innovative activity, technological capacity for manufacturing and product market competition on its likelihood of having a training program and on training intensity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors administered a firm-level survey to a sample of 2,000 Russian enterprises. This survey includes questions about on-the-job training and key information about the companies’ activities. Probit and ordered probit estimates are used in the statistical analyses.

Findings

The results indicate that an enterprise’s provision of training is determined largely by firm-specific factors, such as its innovative activity, technical and technological state of manufacturing and product market competition. The authors adopt two widely used measures of training: incidence and intensity. Innovative activity and the technical and technological state of manufacturing are decisive factors in explaining a firm’s provision of training, as they have a strictly positive effect on both the incidence and the intensity of training. Product market competition has a positive effect on the incidence of training and a negative effect on the intensity of training.

Originality/value

This paper is original because it assumes that the process of deciding whether to implement a training program at an enterprise and the corresponding proportion of employees involved in training is built on the presupposition that the training intensity decision is made in two stages. This paper is the first to present estimates of on-the-job training intensity based on data from Russian enterprises.
Understanding sustainability for socially responsible investing and reporting
Authors: Bradford Marianne , Earp Julia B. , Williams Paul F.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine what types of sustainability activities companies are reporting and whether persons external to the companies understand how those reported activities correspond to the companies’ narratives about sustainability. That is to ascertain how people interpret the meaning of the activities included in the sustainability reports.

Design/methodology/approach

From a sample of sustainability reports prepared by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines, the authors identified the distinct activities reported. The authors prepared a survey comprised of these activities and asked a sample of people knowledgeable about business and investing to evaluate each activity on the extent to which they are relevant to sustainability performance. The responses were then factor analyzed to identify the most important dimensions of sustainability these persons employed to relate the activities to sustainability.

Findings

The dimensions employed by the subjects differed in some significant ways from those dimensions used to construct the GRI format. Subjects evaluated sustainability efforts as primarily efforts of being a good citizen with sustainability an end in itself rather than as constraint to be respected in achieving profitability goals.

Research limitations/implications

The study is a first attempt so results are preliminary, i.e. suggestive but not definitive. Though preliminary an intriguing implication is that closure on a sustainability reporting structure would be premature. More effort needs to be devoted to provide more clarity on the concept of corporate sustainability and what its implications are for corporate behavior.

Practical implications

Given the results that sustainability be regarded as a corporate end, what is the role of the corporation in society seems still to be disputatious. Sustainability may not be something achievable without changes in corporate law.

Originality/value

The study is an early attempt to assess the potential alternative narratives about corporate sustainability. Its value lies in providing insights into the age-old question of what should be the role of the corporation in a free society.
Putting a number on place: a systematic review of place branding influence
Authors: Cleave Evan , Arku Godwin
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and evaluate critically what is known about the attempts made to quantify the influence of place branding from a geographic perspective. In particular, this study reviews how scholars have conceptualized and measured place branding influence and provides directions for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a systematic review of seven databases using an a priori defined search string, 39 articles attempting to quantify place branding influence were identified. These studies were reviewed and the paper information was used to explore how place branding research has thus far quantified branding’s influence.

Findings

There is a clear compatibility between place branding and human geography research domains, with a potential for place branding influence to be conceptualized through the sense-of-place, which has implications for place equity and consumer decision-making. Much of the existing studies have conceptualized influence through place equity, revealing potential performance indicators for its quantification.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on research papers that attempt to quantify the effectiveness of place branding of urban areas. Limitations include the exclusion of qualitative studies which may provide alternative approaches to determine place branding outcomes.

Originality value

As a systematic review, the main contribution of this paper is a contemporary overview of how place branding influence has been quantified. It also provides valuable insights into the policy formulation and its implementation.
The World Towns Framework: a call to action
Authors: Davison Porter Ian , Lawlor Diarmaid , McInroy Neil , Parker Cathy , Prentice Phil , Sparks Leigh , Warnaby Gary
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the background to the development of the World Towns’ Framework, developed in June 2016 at the inaugural World Towns Leadership Summit in Scotland. The paper also provides an academic underpinning to the four pillars of the agreement; a unique sense of identity and place, economy, leadership and citizenship and environment. It ends with a call to action for practitioners, policymakers and organisations providing support to people in places who want to contribute to the development of the Framework and adopt it.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is divided into four sections. The first section gives the background to the development of the World Towns Framework. The second section publishes the World Towns Framework in its entirety. The third section builds an evidence-base for the components or pillars of the World Towns Framework, based upon work undertaken by the think tanks and academic partners involved in its development. The final section sets out a call for action – explaining how the Framework can be further developed and utilised.

Findings

The paper contains three main contributions. It articulates a new narrative for towns, neighbourhoods and city districts in responding to contemporary urban challenges; it shapes a new urban agenda for these urban places and it asserts the need for new alliances and approaches essential for a strong competitive economy, which is more inclusive of towns and smaller places, combined with a fairer, more equal society.

Research limitations/implications

The evidence base for the research is limited to the work that has been carried out by the academic institutions and think tanks that supported the development of the World Towns’ Framework.

Practical implications

The practical implication of the World Towns Framework are a shared understanding of how towns and smaller places can engage in management, development and marketing practices that will lead to a stronger economy and fairer society.

Social implications

The focus upon place uniqueness and identity, a more equitable economy, a greener and cleaner environment and stronger place leadership and citizenship can lead to better, fairer and more liveable places.

Originality value

This is the first attempt to develop a World Towns Framework to shape urban change outside of cities and metropoles.
Making places and making tradeoffs: mixed-income housing development in practice
Authors: Read Dustin C. , Sanderford Drew
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of the Brightwalk community in Charlotte, North Carolina, to explore some of the tradeoffs municipalities make when engaging in public–private partnerships designed to support the production of mixed-income housing in urban neighborhoods.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of a gray literature review and a series of in-depth interviews conducted with real estate practitioners familiar with the transaction are presented to evaluate the impact of market forces on key investment decisions and project outcomes.

Findings

Public–private partnerships formed to support mixed-income housing development can serve as an effective means of revitalizing economically stagnant urban areas and improving the quality of the affordable housing stock, but they do not always provide members of the development team with an equally strong incentive to satisfy the unique demands of low-income populations or ensure they have a seat at the table when development decisions are made.

Originality/value

The originality of the research lies in its focus on a public–private partnership led by a non-profit organization to facilitate the redevelopment of a dilapidated market-rate apartment complex into a revitalized mixed-income community, which may help municipalities evaluate the pros and cons of participating in similar development transactions.
Exploring team working and shared leadership in multi-disciplinary cancer care
Authors: Willcocks Stephen George
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of shared leadership to multi-disciplinary cancer care. It examines the policy background and applies concepts from shared leadership to this context. It includes discussion of the implications and recommendations.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper examining policy documents and secondary literature on the topic. While it focuses on the UK National Health Services, it is also relevant to other countries given they follow a broadly similar path with regard to multi-disciplinary working.

Findings

The paper suggests that shared leadership is a possible way forward for multi-disciplinary cancer care, particularly as policy developments are supportive of this. It shows that a shared perspective is likely to be beneficial to the further development of multi-disciplinary working.

Research limitations/implications

Adopting shared leadership needs to be explored further using appropriate empirical research.

Practical implications

The paper offers comments on the implications of introducing shared leadership and makes recommendations including being aware of the barriers to its implementation.

Originality/value

The paper offers an alternative view on leadership in the health-care context.
Factors effecting career advancement of Indian women managers
Authors: Datta Sumita , Agarwal Upasna A.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Reasons that have an effect on the continuity and career progression of women in corporate India are complex. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that have an effect on the women leadership pipeline of Indian organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study adopted a qualitative research methodology within a dyadic framework by including women managers and their respective supervisors in the study.

Findings

Thematic analyses of the qualitative study conducted on Indian women managers as well as their supervisor revealed rich insights into the antecedent social-psychological factors of a women leadership pipeline that can be summarized under three broad categories, namely, intra-personal, interpersonal and organizational.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are the small sample size and the qualitative nature of this study. An important implication is that the results of this study can be used for cross-cultural comparisons because most studies that have focused on the effect of gender on career advancement have used western conceptualizations and measures.

Practical implications

The findings of this research suggest designing organizational interventions that can help women professionals in navigating the complex social environment in order to create their own leadership identities supported through a high-quality leader-member exchange.

Social implications

The study takes an important step toward developing a better understanding of the factors affecting the career advancement of women managers by contextualizing the way women professionals perceive their career identity and the meaning they imbue to career advancement. The findings of this study can aid policy makers toward arresting the leaking women leadership pipeline.

Originality/value

The study contributes by exploring several social-psychological dimensions of objective-subjective career success perceptions and their interplay among women managers drawn from three organizations in India.
Effects of disturbance frequency and severity on plant traits: An assessment across a temperate flora
Authors: Herben Tomáš , Klimešová Jitka , Chytrý Milan
Published: November 2017

Recent analyses of plant traits across large sets of species have revolutionized our understanding of plant functional differentiation. However, understanding of ecological relevance of this differentiation is contingent upon knowledge of environmental preferences of species, namely along gradients of disturbance and productivity for which no quantitative data were available until recently.

We examined the relationships of key functional traits (life‐history categories, leaf‐height‐seed (LHS) traits, clonal growth and bud bank traits) in the herb‐dominated flora of Central Europe to species niche positions along the gradients of disturbance frequency, disturbance severity and productivity.

Life‐history categories and bud bank size showed the strongest response to disturbance and productivity, whereas relationship of LHS traits was much weaker. A number of traits, including clonal growth form and bud bank size, showed a significantly unimodal response to disturbance frequency. Responses of many traits to disturbance frequency were different from their responses to disturbance severity.

Our findings support the notions that disturbance and productivity are key gradients of species functional differentiation and that disturbance severity and frequency select for different trait suites. Furthermore, the data indicate that in a predominantly herbaceous flora, the traits of life span, clonal growth and resprouting show stronger relationship with the environment than the LHS traits, which are more important in floras with high proportions of woody species. Since most previous trait analyses are based on woody‐plant‐dominated floras, patterns revealed in a herb‐dominated flora deepen our understanding of the full range of variation within the plant kingdom.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Functional traits in cover crop mixtures: Biological nitrogen fixation and multifunctionality
Authors: Blesh Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Cover crop mixtures with complementary plant functional traits including biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) may supply nitrogen (N) to farm fields while simultaneously providing other ecosystem functions such as N retention and weed suppression (i.e., multifunctionality). Understanding variation in these relationships across farms can help advance trait‐based research in agroecology and ecological approaches to nutrient management.

This on‐farm experiment explored the contributions of two‐ and three‐species cover crop mixtures, which combined legumes, brassicas and cool season grasses, to ecosystem functions across a gradient of soil fertility levels driven by farm management history.

I evaluated the predictions that functional trait diversity of the cover crops would explain variation in multifunctionality, and that legume biomass and BNF within mixtures would be inversely correlated with indicators of soil N availability from organic matter across the farm gradient.

Ecosystem functions varied widely across farms. As expected, functional diversity was a significant predictor of multifunctionality, although the relationship was weak. Cover crop mixtures had significantly greater multifunctionality than a cereal rye monoculture, though not at the highest observed levels of each function, indicating trade‐offs among functions. Linear regression models showed that legume biomass and BNF were negatively correlated with soil properties indicative of N availability from soil organic matter, whereas non‐legume and weed biomass were positively correlated with other measures of soil fertility.

Synthesis and applications. Cover crop mixtures can increase functional diversity within crop rotations. Designing mixtures with complementary plant traits may be particularly effective for increasing multifunctionality and agroecosystem sustainability. On‐farm research to understand variation in biological nitrogen fixation, which is both a plant trait and a key ecosystem function, across heterogeneous soil conditions, can inform management of soil fertility based on ecological principles.
A 37‐year experimental study of the effects of structural alterations on a shrub community in the Mojave Desert, California
Authors: Mahall Bruce E. , Fonteyn Paul J. , Callaway Ragan M. , Schlesinger William H.
Published: November 2017

In 1977 an experiment was initiated in the Mojave Desert to investigate the relationship between shrub interactions and structure in a community dominated by Ambrosia dumosa and Larrea tridentata. Here, as in much of the Mojave, Larrea were regularly distributed, Ambrosia occurred in aggregations, and the two were randomly distributed relative to each other. Pre‐dawn xylem pressure potentials (PDXPPs) of single Ambrosia or Larrea in centres of 100 m2 circular plots were monitored to assess effects of intraspecific, interspecific and total removals of neighbouring shrubs. Contrary with theory, results over the next 2 years indicated that interspecific interference was more intense than intraspecific interference in both species.

These plots were maintained through 2014. Measurements of seedling recruitment from 1980 to 2014, and of PDXPP, above‐ground biomass, and canopy senescence from 2003 to 2014 were conducted.

Recruitment of both species was substantial immediately after the removals, but declined to very low levels after 1983. Ambrosia recruited into all Ambrosia and Total‐removal plots, but Larrea recruited only into plots that contained mature Ambrosia.

Pre‐dawn xylem pressure potentials of monitored shrubs continued to be enhanced in removal plots for at least 27 years, but this changed from most being due to interspecific removals in both species to intraspecific removals causing most enhancement in Ambrosia and inter‐ and intraspecific removals causing nearly equal enhancements in Larrea.

Above‐ground biomasses of monitored Ambrosia and Larrea were 2.1× and 2.8× larger in Total‐removal plots, 1.6× and 1.7× larger in intraspecific removal plots, respectively, and 1.1× larger in interspecific removal plots for both species than those in Control plots, indicating the absence of intraspecific interference had the dominant long‐term effect.

Canopy senescence differed between Ambrosia and Larrea in extent, timing and effect of specific removal treatments; it was greatest for both species in Controls, averaging 75% and 34%, respectively.

Synthesis. Shrub interactions and their relations to community structure are mechanistically and spatially complex. Differences between short‐term and long‐term responses to removals reveal multi‐tiered, temporally dynamic feedback loops between shrub interactions and community structure driven by demographics, species‐specific root growth, resource competition, communications and territoriality.
Oral and written picture description in individuals with aphasia
Authors: Vandenborre Dorien , Visch‐Brink Evy , van Dun Kim , Verhoeven Jo , Mariën Peter
Published: November 2017

Background

Aphasia is characterized by difficulties in connected speech/writing.

Aims

To explore the differences between the oral and written description of a picture in individuals with chronic aphasia (IWA) and healthy controls. Descriptions were controlled for productivity, efficiency, grammatical organization, substitution behaviour and discourse organization.

Methods & Procedures

Fifty IWA and 50 healthy controls matched for age, gender and education provided an oral and written description of a black‐and‐white situational drawing from the Dutch version of the Comprehensive Aphasia Test. Between‐ and within‐group analyses were carried out and the reliability of the test instrument was assessed.

Outcomes & Results

The language samples of the healthy controls were more elaborate, more efficient, syntactically richer, more coherent, and consisted of fewer spoken and written language errors than the samples of the IWA. Within‐group comparisons showed that connected writing is more sensitive than connected speech to capture aphasic symptoms.

Conclusions & Implications

The analysis of both modalities (speech and writing) at the discourse level allows one to assess simultaneously micro‐ and macro‐linguistic skills and their potential interrelations in a given IWA. Connected writing appears to be more sensitive in discriminating IWA from healthy controls than connected speech. This method for analyzing language samples should, however, be used in conjunction with other assessment tools.
The Employment and Earnings Gaps between Natives and Immigrants in the UK between 1981 and 2006
Authors: Lemos Sara
Published: November 2017

We exploit the sizeable and long Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB) to estimate the immigrant–native employment gap across gender, across continents of nationality and across lengths of stay in the UK between 1981 and 2006. These estimates are a novel contribution, as estimates for men and women are scarce in the literature and estimates across immigrants’ origins and lengths of stay are as yet unavailable. Furthermore, we estimate the employment gap as the differential in the number of employed weeks in the year between immigrants and natives, which has not been done before – this contrasts with the employment probability gap usually estimated in the literature. We also estimate the immigrant–native earnings gap across gender, across the entire earnings distribution, across continents of nationality and across lengths of stay. Estimates across the earnings distribution are also a novel contribution, as these are also as yet unavailable in the literature. Our main conclusion is that both the immigrant–native employment and earnings gaps vary across gender, continents of nationality and lengths of stay. Immigrant women earn more than native women throughout the distribution. The earnings gap is positive throughout for females: smaller at the bottom, larger at the top and relatively constant in the middle of the distribution. In contrast, it increases monotonically across the distribution for males: it is negative at the bottom and positive at the top. In the main, immigrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe suffer larger employment and earnings penalties, which are reduced as their length of stay increases. In contrast, immigrants from North America have a more favourable labour market experience.
How Common Are Intentional GAAP Violations? Estimates from a Dynamic Model
Authors: ZAKOLYUKINA ANASTASIA A.
Published: November 2017

This paper uses data on detected misstatements—earnings restatements—and a dynamic model to estimate the extent of undetected misstatements that violate GAAP. The model features a CEO who can manipulate his firm's stock price by misstating earnings. I find the CEO's expected cost of misleading investors is low. The probability of detection over a five‐year horizon is 13.91%, and the average misstatement, if detected, results in an 8.53% loss in the CEO's retirement wealth. The low expected cost implies a high fraction of CEOs who misstate earnings at least once at 60%, with 2%–22% of CEOs starting to misstate earnings in each year 2003–2010, inflation in stock prices across CEOs who misstate earnings at 2.02%, and inflation in stock prices across all CEOs at 0.77%. Wealthier CEOs manipulate less, and the average misstatement is larger in smaller firms.
Alcohol Drinking and Blood Alcohol Concentration Revisited
Authors: Dilley Julian E. , Nicholson Emily R. , Fischer Stephen M. , Zimmer Robin , Froehlich Janice C.
Published: November 2017

Background

It is widely assumed that the amount of alcohol in the blood reflects the amount of alcohol consumed. However, several factors in addition to amount of alcohol consumed can influence blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This study examines the effect of alcohol dose, concentration, and volume on BAC in rats with a high‐alcohol‐drinking (HAD) phenotype.

Methods

Study 1 examined the relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and BAC. Alcohol‐naïve, male, HAD rats (N = 7) were given access to alcohol for 2 h/d for 9 consecutive days with food and water ad libitum. Alcohol intake and BAC were measured at 30, 60, and 90 minutes after onset of access. Study 2 examined the effects of altering alcohol dose, concentration, and volume on BAC (as measured by area under the curve). Alcohol‐naïve, male, HAD rats (N = 39) were infused, via an intragastric cannulus, with 1.16, 2.44, or 3.38 g alcohol/kg body weight (BW), produced by varying alcohol volume while holding concentration constant or by holding volume constant while varying concentration. Other rats were infused with 10, 15, or 20% v/v alcohol solutions while holding dose constant.

Results

BAC was more strongly correlated with the ratio of alcohol intake (g/kg BW) to total fluid intake (mls) (R = 0.85 to 0.97, p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) than it was with the amount of alcohol consumed (g/kg BW) (R = 0.70 to 0.81, p < 0.05). No effect of alcohol dose was seen during the first hour following the onset of an alcohol infusion regardless of whether dose was achieved by altering alcohol volume or concentration. After 1 hour, higher alcohol doses were predictive of greater BACs.

Conclusions

The fact that a 3‐fold difference in alcohol dose did not result in significant differences in BACs during the first 30 minutes after ingestion of alcohol has potentially important implications for interpretation of studies that measure alcohol‐sensitive end points during this time.
Role of Gut‐Derived Endotoxin on Type I Collagen Production in the Rat Pancreas After Chronic Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Li Hongyan , Xiu Ming , Wang Shuhua , Brigstock David R. , Sun Li , Qu Limei , Gao Runping
Published: November 2017

Background

Pancreatic fibrosis is a key pathological feature of alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (ACP). Bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is considered as an important cofactor in the fibrogenesis of ACP. However, there are limitations in the use of exogenous LPS for evaluating the role of endotoxin in ACP pathogenesis. In this study, we determined the relationship between the concentration of LPS in the portal vein and pancreatic type I collagen (Col1) content in chronic alcohol‐fed rats.

Methods

Male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups and fed with Lieber–DeCarli isocaloric control (CON) liquid diet or ethanol (EtOH) (15 g/kg/d) liquid diet. Eleven CON or EtOH rats were euthanized at the end of week 8, 9, or 10. The plasma LPS from portal vein was determined. Pancreatic inflammatory injury and fibrosis were assessed. Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and macrophages were identified; pancreatic type I collagen alpha 1 (Col1A1) and Toll‐like receptor (TLR4) mRNA and protein were examined; pancreatic chemokines and transforming growth factor‐beta1 (TGF‐β1) were determined.

Results

Pancreatic inflammatory scores were increased in 10‐week EtOH rats compared with CON rats, but there was no significant difference in collagen deposition between 2 groups. The levels of portal vein LPS and pancreatic TLR4 and Col1A1 mRNA and protein were increased in a time‐dependent fashion in EtOH rats, with the highest levels occurring at 10 weeks. Additionally, by 8 weeks, pancreatic TLR4 and Col1A1 mRNA in EtOH rats were statistically increased as compared to CON rats, whereas portal vein LPS remained unchanged. The number of PSCs and macrophages and expression of chemokines (MCP‐1, MIP‐1α, and RANTES), TGF‐β1, or Col1A1 were significantly increased, each of which was positively correlated with the level of portal vein LPS in 10‐week EtOH rats.

Conclusions

These results suggest that LPS is associated with alcohol‐induced fibrosis in pancreatitis and targeting of bacterial endotoxin may be a promising therapeutic strategy for ACP.
Harmonization of food trade standards and regulations in ASEAN: the case of Malaysia's food imports
Authors: Devadason Evelyn S. , Chandran VGR , Kalirajan Kaliappa
Published: November 2017

Regulatory heterogeneity continues to be identified as a challenge for food trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the progress of harmonization of food standards among member states remains slow. Using a new and comprehensive database on nontariff measures (NTMs), this article examines the coverage, frequency, and diversity of NTMs for the food sector in Malaysia, and then estimates their impact on food imports from ASEAN. The food sector in Malaysia is found to be highly regulated, dominated by technical measures, namely, labeling for sanitary and phytosanitary and technical barriers to trade reasons, product quality, and restricted substances. The empirical results subsequently verify that, overall, technical measures are import restrictive. This article therefore contends that harmonization of food standards and regulations at the regional level is important for enhancing trade. However, building common ground for food safety regulations should be NTM‐ and sector‐specific, to realize progress in terms of regulatory convergence. This is particularly true for the food sector, since complete harmonization is not practical and not politically feasible.
PROPHYLACTIC USE OF 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α, BY INTRAMUSCULAR ROUTE — A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL
Authors: Anjaneyulu R , PK Devi , Jain S , CR Kanthamani , Vijaya R , KS Raghavan
Published: November 2017

In a multicentre study the safety and efficacy of 125 µg intramuscular injection of 15(S)15 methyl PGF2α, (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was compared with ergometrine and controls who did not receive any oxytocic for prophylactic control of postpartum bleeding. The study included 441 patients. The duration of third stage was shortened to 6.1 minutes following ergometrine and to 3.5 minutes following Prostin 15M compared to 7.6 minutes in the control subjects. Similarly the blood loss during third stage was less (95.2 ml) in Prostin 15M treated group compared to the untreated control group (233.2 ml). Prostin 15M, when used prophylactically, was also better than ergometrine (154.0 ml) in controlling the blood loss during third stage of labour in normal vaginal delivery.
The panorama of cerebral palsy in Sweden part XII shows that patterns changed in the birth years 2007–2010
Authors: Himmelmann K , Uvebrant P
Published: November 2017

Aim

This was the 12th population‐based study to explore the epidemiology of cerebral palsy (CP) in western Sweden.

Methods

From 2007 to 2010, there were 104 713 live births in the area. We analysed the birth characteristics, aetiology and neuroimaging findings, calculated the prevalence and compared the results with previous study cohorts.

Results

Cerebral palsy was found in 205 children, corresponding to a crude prevalence of 1.96 per 1000 live births. The gestational age‐specific prevalence for <28 gestational weeks was 59.0 per 1000 live births, 45.7 for 28–31 weeks, 6.0 for 32–36 weeks and 1.2 for >36 weeks. Hemiplegia accounted for 44%, diplegia for 34%, tetraplegia for 5%, dyskinetic CP for 12% and ataxia for 3%. Neuroimaging showed maldevelopment in 12%, white matter lesions in 49%, cortical/subcortical lesions in 15% and basal ganglia lesions in 11%. The aetiology was considered prenatal in 38%, peri/neonatal in 38% and remained unclassified in 24%. CP due to term or near‐term asphyxia had decreased.

Conclusion

A nonsignificant decrease in CP prevalence was seen in term‐born children. Hemiplegia was still the most prevalent CP type, while the prevalence of dyskinetic CP had decreased. One in two children had white matter lesions, indicating late second‐ or early third‐trimester timing.