bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Institutional outlook of the entrepreneurial climate in Ghana
Authors: Adomako Samuel , Danso Albert , Ampadu Ernest
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Previous scholarly studies on institutions tend to create a sombre picture of institutions by ignoring to examine the antecedents of formal and informal institutions. The purpose of this paper is to overcome this limitation by proposing a conceptual framework of the antecedents of formal and informal institutions of entrepreneurial climate in a less developed market setting.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study builds on a comprehensive survey of the literature on institutions by using a synthesis thematic methodology to identified key scholarly studies which have been published in previous theoretical and empirical studies and proposes a conceptual framework of the role of formal and informal institutions in defining entrepreneurial climate in a developing economy’s context.

Findings

– The findings of the paper suggest that political factors and economic factors define formal institutions whilst socio-cultural factors define informal institutions. These factors rooted in political, economic and socio-cultural factors have a major influence on the rate and nature of entrepreneurial activity in a developing country setting.

Practical implications

– This paper contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship and intuitional theory by focusing on the antecedents of formal and informal institutional factors that shape entrepreneurial climate in Ghana.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review that explores the nature of entrepreneurial climate and proposes a conceptual framework of the role of formal and informal institutions in defining entrepreneurial climate in Ghana.
Farmer education and household agricultural income in rural India
Authors: Panda Sitakanta
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in the rural household agricultural income by farmers’ education while exploiting a nationally representative household survey data set, i.e. the India Human Development Survey-2005, in the rural Indian context. The author seeks to answer the question: how much variation in the household net agricultural income per acre of land cultivated can farmers’ education explain?

Design/methodology/approach

– The author has employed the ordinary least squares regression model with village fixed effects. The author also analysed the data using some exploratory statistics.

Findings

– The author finds that farmers’ education significantly increases the net household farm income per acre of land cultivated last year. The results are robust to the inclusion of the five educational degree categories (dummies) in lieu of the years of schooling variable. The results are also robust to its decomposition into that for men and for women separately. Women farmers’ education has an amplified impact on farm incomes. The author also confirms the inverse relationship between the household agricultural income and land area cultivated, which is consistent with the huge literature on the negative relationship between land size-class and farm productivity.

Practical implications

– In a developing country with a not-so-modernized agriculture sector and low adoption of newer farming technologies, this validated importance of education in explaining the differences in rural farm earnings has guiding policy implications in that a positive return to farmer schooling signals the need for increased investments in the farmers’ education and awareness so as to enhance farm incomes and productivity. The special policy thrust on education of women and women farmers is critical to ensuring higher farm incomes and outcomes.

Originality/value

– The literature on the impact of farmers’ education on rural household agricultural income is very sparse. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this issue has not been addressed before in the Indian context. The author explains the contribution of farmer education to farm income in rural Indian households. The author also revisits the negative relationship between farm income and land size holdings in the Indian agriculture.
Remarkable lives: Rachel Taylor in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Taylor Rachel , Carson Jerome
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Rachel Taylor.

Design/methodology/approach

– Rachel provides a short biographical account and is then interviewed by Jerome. In the biography the search for happiness and belonging is discussed.

Findings

– Rachel talks about focusing on what we are good at, what we love and how discovery can light that spark of hope that there can be better than what has gone before.

Research limitations/implications

– Rachel’s story shows the potential that lies not just within some of us, but all of us. It is but one story, but its message is sure to touch many.

Practical implications

– How do services promote hope and build resilience and wellbeing? While another service user said recovery was about “coping with your illness and having a meaningful life” (McManus et al., 2009), services have perhaps focused too much on symptom reduction and not enough on helping people find meaning and purpose.

Social implications

– Rachel asks the question is Positive Psychology a movement for all or is it just for the elite?

Originality/value

– Rachel is someone who has discovered for herself the benefits of Positive Psychology. Hopefully Rachel’s own discovery will lead to bringing this promising approach to people with mental health problems.
Recovery-focussed leadership in the NHS
Authors: McLean Jane
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the leadership qualities and behaviours required to support recovery-focussed practice in mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper contrasts the prevailing leadership style within the NHS with the leadership style required to support recovery-focussed practice in mental health. The underlying reasons for, and implications of, this disparity are explored.

Findings

– The leadership style required to support recovery-focussed practice in mental health services is one based on collaboration, empowerment, service-user led practice, autonomy, shared decision making, distribution of power, compassion, strengths, valuing, recognising and rewarding positive behaviours and using a collective approach. This is fundamentally at odds with that experienced by staff working within the NHS.

Originality/value

– If NHS services are genuinely to promote the recovery of those whom they serve then the leadership and culture of organisations is critical.
Management of competition among sellers and its performance implications for business-to-business electronic platforms
Authors: Li Xiaoling , Ren Xingyao , Zheng Xu
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aimed to analyze the short- and long-term effects of the breadth and depth of seller competition on the performance of platform companies, and investigated the underlying mechanisms of customers’ two-sided marketing tactics on the structure of the competition between sellers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A longitudinal research design was adopted by gathering daily market objective data on e-commerce platforms for 250 days, and the dynamic evolution effects was analyzed by using a vector autoregression model which compared the differences between the short- and long-term effectiveness of different customer relationship management (CRM) strategies.

Findings

– The breadth of competition amongst sellers improves the performance of platforms, whilst the depth of competition among sellers has a positive effect on the short-term performance. However, it has a negative effect on the long-term performance of their platforms. In both the short and long terms, advertising tactics that attract new buyers contribute more to increases in the breadth of seller competition than those that attract existing buyers do. Subsidies for new sellers decrease the depth of seller competition more than those for old sellers.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research could be undertaken to investigate the validity of marketing tactics other than advertising tactics, and thus expand the time windows of the available data.

Practical implications

– It is imperative for platform companies to implement effective control over seller competition to balance the interests of the sellers and of themselves.

Originality/value

– The dyadic paradigm of CRM research has been extended by considering the perspective of the electronic platform company, how the tactics of exploitation and exploration of two-sided customers impact upon seller competitive structures have been delved into and why new customers have a unique value to platform companies has been identified.
Influencing factors of knowledge dissemination in rural areas in China
Authors: Li Yongjian , Shi Dan , Li Xiang , Wang Wen
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyze the situation of knowledge dissemination in Chinese rural areas and explore factors that affect the efficiency of knowledge dissemination, to provide some suggestions for further improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was conducted to collect data in 17 provinces of China, with 267 questionnaires returned out of 300. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis with LISEREL 8.8.

Findings

– The results show that factors of knowledge such as government participation, dissemination capability, learning motivation and trust have a positive effect on knowledge transfer. By contrast, factors of knowledge such as complexity and richness of knowledge carriers do not have a significant correlation with the knowledge sharing level.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper conducts a cross-sectional analysis while ignoring the longitudinal effects of some factors on knowledge dissemination, such as the reform and opening policy in China. An analysis on a more concrete problem could be conducted for future study.

Practical implications

– This paper proposes some suggestions to enhance the efficiency of knowledge dissemination in rural areas from the knowledge dissemination mode, knowledge products and the role of government playing.

Originality/value

– This paper is among the first attempts to conduct comprehensive and systematic research on the influential factors of knowledge dissemination. It contributes to literature by offering a systematical empirical study with the consideration of the role of government in knowledge dissemination.
Epigallocatechin gallate attenuates fibroblast proliferation and excessive collagen production by effectively intervening TGF‐β1 signalling
Authors: Sriram Narayanan , Kalayarasan Srinivasan , Manikandan Ramar , Arumugam Munusamy , Sudhandiran Ganapasam
Published: May 2015

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) poses a huge burden to the patients and society due to lack of an effective treatment drug. Activation of fibrocyte, fibroblast and myofibroblasts are important steps in the development of PF. Targeting this common pathway with natural chemicals may lead to the development of new drug regimens for PF treatment. In this study, PF was induced in male Wistar rats by intratracheal administration of Bleomycin (BLM). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was administered to one of the groups of rats to test its efficacy against the development of PF. Bleomycin‐induction resulted in significant elevation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and ‐9 expression, increased RNA and protein expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1, Smads and alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA). EGCG treatment normalized the BLM induced aberrations in these rats. The protective role of EGCG was also validated in vitro using the WI‐38 fibroblast cell line. TGF‐β1 incubated cells exhibited increased fibroblast proliferation and hydroxyproline levels with a concomitant decrease in the expression of MMPs 2 and 9. An increase in protein expression levels of p‐Smad, α‐SMA and type I collagen (COL1A) was also exhibited by fibroblasts upon TGF‐β1 incubation. Simultaneous treatment of EGCG to WI‐38 cells significantly decreased these protein expressions alongside normalizing the MMPs expression. The study revealed that EGCG inhibited fibroblast activation and collagen accumulation by inhibiting TGF‐β1 signalling and thus can be considered as an effective drug against PF.
The Burden of Love: Moravian Conversions and Emotions in Eighteenth‐Century Labrador
Authors: Van Gent Jacqueline
Published: May 2015

The Moravian Church was a highly successful Protestant mission society which developed very specific emotional registers to create an imagined community across very diverse cultures. This article discusses the social regulation of emotions and the indigenous responses to a Moravian emotional style as part of the conversion process on Moravian missions in the eighteenth century. One of the core elements of Moravian spiritual conversion and identity was the love of Christ and his spiritual sufferings which was expected to be displayed in specific ways by converts. Moravian understandings of Christ's love and conversion included a strong somatic component, spiritual states were expressed in attributes and states of the heart, such as a “warm” or a “cold” heart. Tears, which were believed to flow from the heart, are another indicator of spiritual condition and linked to conversion. The historical meaning of this Moravian love was, however, far from being non‐ambiguous. A closer reading of the expressions of indigenous converts suggest that emotions associated with conversions, such as love, constituted a complex set of social meanings which reflected the colonial hierarchies, violence, and social power differences in which Moravian conversions took place.
Female manager career success: the importance of individual and organizational factors in South Korea
Authors: Rowley Chris , Kang Hye‐Ryun , Lim Hee‐Jeong
Published: May 2015

Our paper focuses on Asian female managers and the influence of individual and organizational factors on objective and subjective career success. We use a survey and interviews of female managers in South Korea post‐1997 Asian financial crisis and pre‐2008 global financial crisis. Importantly, we find male‐dominated business and societal cultures stemming from the context to be crucial. The implications of our findings include the greater need to take into account the restraints on individual actions and the need for state and management support. We conclude that the role of context is too often underplayed and needs to be more fully addressed in analysis of female careers in not only Asia, but also more widely.
Analysis of Radiation Dose to Pediatric Patients During Computed Tomography Examinations
Authors: Kharbanda Anupam B. , Krause Ernest , Lu Yi , Blumberg Karen
Published: May 2015

Background

Computed tomography (CT) utilization has increased rapidly over the past 15 years. CT is the most common source for radiation exposure.

Objectives

The objective was to measure the effective dose of radiation delivered during routine head and abdominal CT examinations at a children's hospital.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of emergency department (ED) patients < 20 years of age who underwent head or abdominal CT scans in 2012 at a single children's hospital. The authors abstracted the dose‐length product from the CT scanners and calculated the effective radiation dose delivered. Patient demographics were abstracted from the medical record. The relationship between effective dose and age, patient weight, and reason for examination were evaluated.

Results

A total of 478 subjects were included: 255 underwent head CT, and 223 underwent abdominal CT. The median age was 8.1 years (interquartile range = 2.71 to 14.40 years) and 56.9% were male. The median effective dose for head CT was 2.68 mSv (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.54 to 2.84 mSv) and decreased as age increased. For abdominal CT, the median effective dose was 5.06 mSv (95% CI = 4.58 to 6.03 mSv) and increased as age increased (3.67 to 11.12 mSv, p < 0.001). For abdominal CT, 8% of 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds, 28% of those 10 to 15 years, and 60% of patients over age 15 years received effective doses over 10 mSv.

Conclusions

The amount of radiation delivered to pediatric patients during routine CT examinations of the head and abdomen was low. Regardless, a large proportion of older patients were exposed to elevated effective doses of radiation during abdominal CT.
Effect of GABA Extract of Black Sticky Rice with Giant Embryo on Alcohol‐Related Indices After Acute Alcohol Intake in Social Drinkers
Authors: Jung Woo‐Young , Kim Sung‐Gon , Kim Hyeon‐Kyeong , Lee Jin‐Seong , Han Sang‐Ik , Choe Sangmin , Son Beung‐Gu
Published: May 2015

Background

This study was performed to evaluate the effect and safety of a high‐gamma‐aminobutyric acid‐containing extract (GABA extract) of black sticky rice with giant embryo (BSRGE) on alcohol‐related indices after acute alcohol intake in social drinkers.

Methods

Subjects were randomized to the GABA extract (G) group, GABA extract and alcohol drinking (GA) group, or placebo intake and alcohol drinking (PA) group in a double‐blind design. All subjects were administered GABA extract (200 mg GABA) or placebo at 9 am on study days 2 and 3, respectively. Subjects in the GA and PA groups were administered an equivalent dose of alcohol that was diluted in a drinking beverage for a total amount of 240 ml at 11 am on day 3. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale were measured just before alcohol drinking, and 6 times after alcohol drinking.

Results

The peak and area under the curve (AUC) of the total stimulation scale score after alcohol intake in females were significantly higher in the GA than in the PA group, whereas no significant difference was found between the 2 groups in males. The peak and AUC of the total score on the sedation scale after alcohol intake in males were significantly lower in the GA than in the PA group, whereas both were significantly higher in the GA than in the PA group of females. The AUC for BAC in males was significantly lower in the GA than in the PA group, whereas no significant difference was found in females. No adverse events were reported in any of the groups including the G group.

Conclusions

Coadministration of a GABA extract to social drinkers while drinking alcohol is supposed to affect alcohol‐related indices in terms of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics and did not induce any adverse events.
Long‐term results of the cutting seton for high anal fistula
Authors: Patton Vicki , Chen Chung Ming , Lubowski David
Published: May 2015

Background

No single procedure for high anal fistula delivers a high cure rate while also completely protecting sphincter function. This paper reports our long‐term results with the cutting seton for high fistulae and draws comparisons with advancement flap and ligation of intersphincteric fistula track (LIFT) procedures.

Methods

A retrospective study of prospectively collected data in consecutive patients undergoing treatment with cutting seton for high cryptoglandular fistulae was carried out. A strict protocol dictated tightening intervals of at least 4 weeks and no muscle division. In 59 patients (male : female = 39:20) followed‐up at mean 9.4 years (range 1.7–15.6 years) healing rates, continence (St Mark's score 0–24), patient‐perceived overall change in bowel control (−5 to +5), faecal incontinence quality of life (FIQL) and overall patient satisfaction (visual analogue score 0–10) were assessed.

Results

Primary and secondary healing rates were 93% and 98%. Mean continence score was 4.1, significantly worse in women than men (median 6, range 0–22 versus median 1, range 0–17; P = 0.006). Seventy‐eight per cent of patients had normal continence or minor incontinence (score 0–6), 13.5% moderate incontinence (score 7–12) and 8.5% severe incontinence (score >12). Sixty‐three per cent of patients had no change or improved patient‐perceived overall bowel control. Mean FIQL scores were high and significantly correlated with continence. Median satisfaction score was 9.

Conclusion

Cutting seton for high anal fistula achieved healing in 98% with good continence in the majority, particularly in males, and a high level of patient satisfaction. Multicentre prospective studies are needed to adequately compare cutting seton, flap and LIFT procedures.
7 Sun, Sand, and… Sacred Pyramids: The Mayanization of Cancun's Tourist Imaginary
Authors: Muñoz‐Fernández Carmen
Published: May 2015

From its construction in the early 1970s, Cancun has gone through a rapid demographic change accompanied by a transformation in the tourism industry, from having 117 inhabitants in 1969 to over 734,000 in 2014, being visited by more than 3.3 million tourists per year. As a result, Cancun has had to offer up something other than its original Caribbean advertising of “sun, sand, and sex,” now it is offering its Maya heritage. This paper analyzes the origin, development, and evolution of the “Mayanization” of Cancun—the use of Maya imagery and iconography in advertisements, architecture and souvenirs—and the promotion of a “Maya imaginary” through the laborers who fuel the tourism industry, turning cultural, archaeological, and historical patrimony into a commodity.
10 Three Generations of Cooperation: Voices from Tula, Hidalgo
Authors: Anderson J. Heath
Published: May 2015

Tula is well known in the archaeological community and in popular consciousness as the capital of the Toltecs. Less well known are the three generations of local residents who have devoted their labor to archaeological projects in the Tula region over the past 70+ years. Since Acosta's foundational work in the 1940s to the present day, archaeologists working at Tula have enjoyed the local population's solid support. This chapter uses interviews with the inhabitants of Tula de Allende to illustrate the seldom‐acknowledged backbone of local support that makes all archaeology at Tula possible and suggests directions for future ethnographic research.
Results of patient‐reported outcome in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis: Evaluation of the severity and progression of gait disability
Authors: Nakashima Ichiro , Harada Naozumi , Nakaya Fuyuki
Published: May 2015

Objective

To evaluate the degree of severity and disability progression in Japanese patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) using descriptive study methods.

Methods

Postal questionnaires were sent to patients through three Japanese MS patients' associations. Survey participants were asked to evaluate their disability and MS severity based on two scales: the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) and the Short Form‐8 Health Survey.

Results

A total of 789 MS patients were surveyed. Approximately 45% of patients had gait disability (PDDS score of 3) or higher. Patients with a higher age of MS onset had rapid progression of disease. The mean duration from first symptom of MS to treatment initiation was 4.5 years. The time to treatment initiation was longer for the younger onset group, ≤29 years‐of‐age, than that of the older onset group, ≥40 years‐of‐age (6.2 years vs 2.2 years, respectively). The PDDS showed two‐stage disability progression: while progression time to a PDDS score of 2 varied, progression time from a PDDS score of 2 to a score of 4 was similar across the participants.

Conclusions

Based on the patient‐reported disability progression of MS, we showed that the possibility of severity and MS disease progression between Japanese and Western countries might be similar. The PDDS could be a useful alternative to assess MS disability.
Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia developing within a port wine stain
Authors: Manton Robert N. , Itinteang Tinte , de Jong Sophie , Brasch Helen D. , Tan Swee T.
Published: May 2015

A 19‐year‐old male with a port wine stain on the base of his neck presented with a 5‐month history of gradual thickening of the involved skin which interfered with clothing and caused repeated bleeding. The lesion was excised and histopathologic examination revealed angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE) arising from the pre‐existing port wine stain – a rare finding with only one previously reported case. Additionally the lesion was associated with elevated serum renin levels which virtually normalized following excision of the lesion. We further demonstrated the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin II receptors 1 and 2 by the lesion and discuss the possible role of the renin–angiotensin system in this condition.
S1 guideline on occupational skin products: protective creams, skin cleansers, skin care products (ICD 10: L23, L24) – short version
Authors: Fartasch Manigé , Diepgen Thomas L. , Drexler Hans , Elsner Peter , John Swen Malte , Schliemann Sibylle
Published: May 2015

Job‐related hand dermatitis heads up the list of reported occupational diseases. So‐called skin products – understood to mean protective creams, skin cleansers and skin care products – are used for the primary and secondary prevention of job‐ related hand dermatitis. In the interests of evidence‐based medicine, the only preventive measures and/or occupational skin products that should be used are those whose potential uses and efficacy are underpinned by scientific research. To this end, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Berufs‐ und Umweltdermatologie e.V. (Working Group for Occupational and Environmental Dermatology, ABD) of the DDG (German Dermatological Society) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Arbeits‐ und Umweltmedizin (German Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, DGAUM) have summed up the latest scientific findings and recommendations in the updated guideline. The benefit of the combined application of protective creams and skin care products in the primary and secondary prevention of work‐related contact dermatitis has been widely confirmed by recent clinical‐epidemiological studies. The guideline clearly explains the necessity of demonstrating the efficacy of protective creams and cleansing products by means of in vivo methods in the sense of repetitive applications. Transferable standardised testing systems designed to examine the irritation potential and thus the compatibility of occupational skin cleansers and the reduction of irritation by protective skin creams have now been developed and validated by multicentre studies for skin protection creams and cleansers. The status of the current assessment of the safety of occupational skin products is also summarised.
Febuxostat improves endothelial function in hemodialysis patients with hyperuricemia: A randomized controlled study
Authors: Tsuruta Yuki , Kikuchi Kan , Tsuruta Yukio , Sasaki Yuko , Moriyama Takahito , Itabashi Mitsuyo , Takei Takashi , Uchida Keiko , Akiba Takashi , Tsuchiya Ken , Nitta Kosaku
Published: May 2015

Endothelial dysfunction is often found in both hyperuricemia and hemodialysis patients. Recent studies have shown that treating hyperuricemia with allopurinol improves endothelial dysfunction. This study is performed to assess the effect of febuxostat on endothelial dysfunction in hemodialysis patients with hyperuricemia. We randomly assigned 53 hemodialysis patients with hyperuricemia to a febuxostat (10 mg daily) group and a control group and measured flow‐mediated dilation, serum uric acid (UA) levels, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, malondialdehyde‐modified low‐density lipoprotein (MDA‐LDL), and highly sensitive C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) at baseline and at the end of a 4‐week study period. Flow‐mediated dilation increased from 5.3% ± 2.4% to 8.9% ± 3.6% in the febuxostat group but did not change significantly in the control group. Treatment with febuxostat resulted in a significant decrease in serum UA level and a significant decrease in MDA‐LDL compared with baseline, but no significant difference was observed in hsCRP level or blood pressure. No significant differences were observed in the control group. Febuxostat improved endothelial dysfunction and reduced serum UA levels and oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients with hyperuricemia.
Phosphorylation‐dependent and Phosphorylation‐independent Regulation of Helicobacter pylori Acid Acclimation by the ArsRS Two‐component System
Authors: Marcus Elizabeth A. , Sachs George , Wen Yi , Scott David R.
Published: May 2015

Background

The pH‐sensitive Helicobacter pylori ArsRS two‐component system (TCS) aids survival of this neutralophile in the gastric environment by directly sensing and responding to environmental acidity. ArsS is required for acid‐induced trafficking of urease and its accessory proteins to the inner membrane, allowing rapid, urea‐dependent cytoplasmic and periplasmic buffering. Expression of ArsR, but not its phosphorylation, is essential for bacterial viability. The aim of this study was to characterize the roles of ArsS and ArsR in the response of H. pylori to acid.

Materials and Methods

Wild‐type H. pylori and an arsR(D52N) phosphorylation‐deficient strain were incubated at acidic or neutral pH. Gene and protein expression, survival, membrane trafficking of urease proteins, urease activity, and internal pH were studied.

Results

Phosphorylation of ArsR is not required for acid survival. ArsS‐driven trafficking of urease proteins to the membrane in acid, required for recovery of internal pH, is independent of ArsR phosphorylation. ArsR phosphorylation increases expression of the urease gene cluster, and the loss of negative feedback in a phosphorylation‐deficient mutant leads to an increase in total urease activity.

Conclusions

ArsRS has a dual function in acid acclimation: regulation of urease trafficking to UreI at the cytoplasmic membrane, driven by ArsS, and regulation of urease gene cluster expression, driven by phosphorylation of ArsR. ArsS and ArsR work through phosphorylation‐dependent and phosphorylation‐independent regulatory mechanisms to impact acid acclimation and allow gastric colonization. Furthering understanding of the intricacies of acid acclimation will impact the future development of targeted, nonantibiotic treatment regimens.
The cultivable microbiota of primary and secondary infected root canals, their susceptibility to antibiotics and association with the signs and symptoms of infection
Authors: Łysakowska M. E. , Ciebiada‐Adamiec A. , Sienkiewicz M. , Sokołowski J. , Banaszek K.
Published: May 2015

Aim

To examine the presence of microbial species in primary and secondary infections and identify the signs and symptoms associated with them.

Methodology

A total number of 37 root canals from 33 patients undergoing root canal treatment were selected. Samples were taken using a sterile paper point following chemomechanical canal instrumentation. Microbiological identification was performed by macromorphological, micromorphological and commercial biochemical tests (ATBsystem). The antibiotic susceptibility profile of isolatedEnterococcus,StreptococcusandPropionibacteriumspp. was evaluated.

Results

A total number of 54 species were isolated. The most common wasE. faecalisfollowed byPropionibacterium acnesandStreptococcus spp. Five multidrug‐resistant enterococcal strains were isolated. However, resistance to linezolid or glycopeptides was not found. Radiolucency was observed significantly more often in symptomatic infections (P = 0.0061) caused byActinomycesspp. than in asymptomatic ones.

Conclusions

Enterococci and streptococci were the most commonly isolated bacteria from root canals. The resistance of enterococci to many antimicrobials may pose a problem in their eradication.
Physical Punishment, Mental Health and Sense of Coherence Among Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability in Japan
Authors: Kimura Miyako , Yamazaki Yoshihiko
Published: May 2015

Background

Although sense of coherence (SOC) moderates parental stress, the relationship between SOC, parental mental health and physical punishment of children with intellectual disabilities remains uncertain. The present authors describe parental physical punishment towards children with intellectual disabilities and investigate its related demographic characteristics, SOC and parental mental health.

Materials and Methods

With the cooperation of Tokyo's 10 special needs schools, the present authors obtained 648 questionnaire responses from parents of children with intellectual disabilities.

Results

Of the parents, 69.7% reported having physically punished their children with intellectual disabilities. This was positively associated with parents’ younger age, poorer mental health, lower SOC, children's younger age, birth order (firstborns) and disability type (autism/pervasive developmental disorder).

Conclusions

This is the first study supporting the relationship between SOC, mental health and physical punishment use among parents of children with intellectual disabilities. It may assist the development of strategies to prevent physical abuse of children with disabilities.
Systematic review of exercise for Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease
Authors: Sman Amy D. , Hackett Daniel , Fiatarone Singh Maria , Fornusek Ché , Menezes Manoj P. , Burns Joshua
Published: May 2015

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is a slowly progressive hereditary degenerative disease and one of the most common neuromuscular disorders. Exercise may be beneficial to maintain strength and function for people with CMT, however, no comprehensive evaluation of the benefits and risks of exercise have been conducted. A systematic review was completed searching numerous electronic databases from earliest records to February 2015. Studies of any design including participants of any age with confirmed diagnosis of CMT that investigated the effects of exercise were eligible for inclusion. Of 13,301 articles identified following removal of duplicates, 11 articles including 9 unique studies met the criteria. Methodological quality of studies was moderate, sample sizes were small, and interventions and outcome measures used varied widely. Although the majority of the studies identified changes in one or more outcome measurements across exercise modalities, the majority were non‐significant, possibly due to Type II errors. Significant effects described included improvements in strength, functional activities, and physiological adaptations following exercise. Despite many studies showing changes in strength and function following exercise, findings of this review should be met with caution due to the few studies available and moderate quality of evidence. Well‐powered studies, harmonisation of outcome measures, and clearly described interventions across studies would improve the quality and comparability of the evidence base. The optimal exercise modality and intensity for people with CMT as well as the long‐term safety of exercise remain unclear.
Continuity and Caregiving: Comments on Someday All This Will Be
Yours
Authors: Cahn Naomi
Published: May 2015

These comments on Hendrik Hartog's Someday All This Will Be
Yours: A History of Inheritance and Old Age (2012) examine
the delivery of elder care in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
and the resonance with care practices today. The book's stories of how older
people arranged for their care transcend time and place, showing the age‐old
difficulties of providing care for the elderly.
Competition Law Fragmentation in a Globalizing World
Authors: Maher Imelda
Published: May 2015

This is a review essay of Caron Beaton‐Wells and Ariel Ezrachi (eds.),
Criminalising Cartels: Critical Studies of an International
Regulatory Movement (2011); David J. Gerber,
Global Competition: Law, Markets, and
Globalization (2010); and Ioannis Lianos and D. Daniel
Sokol (eds.), The Global Limits of Competition
Law (2012). It explores the fragmented nature of national
competition laws in the context of globalization and several harmonizing
trends: the defining role of economics, the strong influence of US antitrust
economics and law internationally, and the relative insularity of
competition law from other subdisciplines of law. The recent emergence of
competition regimes, especially in the BRICS countries, challenges these
harmonizing trends, reducing US hegemony. Economics will remain central but
cultural and institutional factors that reflect societal values will become
more significant. This leads to a contradiction of convergence as to the
benefits of competition law internationally and continuing fragmentation
along national lines.
Postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome after travelers' diarrhea – a cohort study
Authors: Schwille‐Kiuntke J. , Enck P. , Polster A. V. , Gaile M. , Kremsner P. G. , Zanger P.
Published: May 2015

Background

There is sound evidence for the role of gastrointestinal infections in the development of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI‐IBS), but understanding the interaction between mental factors and the infection remains incomplete. This study aims to (i) assess the occurrence of PI‐IBS in a cohort of patients with self‐reported travelers' diarrhea (TD), (ii) assess risk factors for PI‐IBS development, and (iii) investigate the prognosis of PI‐IBS after 1 year.

Methods

Patients consulting the travel clinic at the University Hospital Tuebingen, Germany (in 2009 and 2010) were identified from records and questioned in follow‐ups in 2011 and 2012. We used the Rome III modular questionnaire to assess IBS, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess anxiety and depression, and the Patient Health Questionnaire to assess somatization.

Key Results

We identified 529 eligible subjects from the clinical records. Of 135 subjects (age: 36.6 ± 14.6 years, 58.5% female) included in the study sample 6.7% (95% CI 3.0–11.1) had PI‐IBS. We found more females (88.9% vs 56.3%, p = 0.08) and younger age subjects (mean 29.3 vs 37.1 years, p = 0.02) among the PI‐IBS subjects. A multivariable regression model revealed vomiting at baseline and high somatization scores as strong and independent PI‐IBS risk factors. One year later PI‐IBS occurrence decreased to 3.3% (three cases of 90).

Conclusions & Inferences

Our findings underline the close linkage of mental and somatic processes for the manifestation of PI‐IBS. Screening for psychiatric comorbidities in patients with severe gastrointestinal infections may allow identifying groups at high risk for PI‐IBS.
Quantitative assessment of the differential impacts of arbuscular and ectomycorrhiza on soil carbon cycling
Authors: Soudzilovskaia Nadejda A. , van der Heijden Marcel G. A. , Cornelissen Johannes H. C. , Makarov Mikhail I. , Onipchenko Vladimir G. , Maslov Mikhail N. , Akhmetzhanova Asem A. , van Bodegom Peter M.
Published: May 2015

A significant fraction of carbon stored in the Earth's soil moves through arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (EM). The impacts of AM and EM on the soil carbon budget are poorly understood.

We propose a method to quantify the mycorrhizal contribution to carbon cycling, explicitly accounting for the abundance of plant‐associated and extraradical mycorrhizal mycelium. We discuss the need to acquire additional data to use our method, and present our new global database holding information on plant species‐by‐site intensity of root colonization by mycorrhizas. We demonstrate that the degree of mycorrhizal fungal colonization has globally consistent patterns across plant species. This suggests that the level of plant species‐specific root colonization can be used as a plant trait.

To exemplify our method, we assessed the differential impacts of AM : EM ratio and EM shrub encroachment on carbon stocks in sub‐arctic tundra. AM and EM affect tundra carbon stocks at different magnitudes, and via partly distinct dominant pathways: via extraradical mycelium (both EM and AM) and via mycorrhizal impacts on above‐ and belowground biomass carbon (mostly AM).

Our method provides a powerful tool for the quantitative assessment of mycorrhizal impact on local and global carbon cycling processes, paving the way towards an improved understanding of the role of mycorrhizas in the Earth's carbon cycle.
Central role of FaGAMYB in the transition of the strawberry receptacle from development to ripening
Authors: Vallarino José G. , Osorio Sonia , Bombarely Aureliano , Casañal Ana , Cruz‐Rus Eduardo , Sánchez‐Sevilla José F. , Amaya Iraida , Giavalisco Patrick , Fernie Alisdair R. , Botella Miguel A. , Valpuesta Victoriano
Published: May 2015

The receptacle of the strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) fruit accounts for the main properties of the ripe fruit for human consumption. As it ripens, it undergoes changes similar to other fruits in sugar : acid ratio, volatile production and cell wall softening. However, the main regulators of this process have not yet been reported. The white stage marks the initiation of the ripening process, and we had previously reported a peak of expression for a FaGAMYB gene.

Transient silencing of FaGAMYB using RNAi and further determination of changes in global gene expression by RNAseq, and composition of primary and secondary metabolites have been used to investigate the role played by this gene during the development of the receptacle.

Down‐regulation of FaGAMYB caused an arrest in the ripening of the receptacle and inhibited colour formation. Consistent with this, several transcription factors associated with the regulation of flavonoid biosynthetic pathway showed altered expression. FaGAMYB silencing also caused a reduction of ABA biosynthesis and sucrose content. Interestingly, exogenous ABA application to the RNAI‐transformed receptacle reversed most defects caused by FaGAMYB down‐regulation.

The study assigns a key regulatory role to FaGAMYB in the initiation of strawberry receptacle ripening and acting upstream of the known regulator ABA.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis following dengue hemorrhagic fever in Hb H/Hb Constant Spring patient
Authors: Phuakpet Kamon , Sanpakit Kleebsabai , Vathana Nassawee , Takpradit Chayamon , Chokephaibulkit Kulkanya , Viprakasit Vip
Published: May 2015

Infection‐associated hemophagocytic syndrome (IAHS), a secondary form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), has been found following several types of infections and can be fatal. We report herein a case of IAHS following dengue infection in a 14‐year‐old patient with underlying α‐thalassemia syndrome (non‐deletional Hb H/Hb Constant Spring disease). He developed prolonged fever, thrombocytopenia, and progressive splenomegaly. Further investigations indicated hyperferritinemia, and increased reactive histiocytes with hemophagocytic activity in the bone marrow. He responded promptly to dexamethasone and i.v. immune globulin. Physicians should be aware of this condition, especially in countries where both dengue hemorrhagic fever and thalassemia are prevalent. The fatal outcome of IAHS can be prevented with prompt appropriate treatment.
The Synthesis and Photocatalytic Properties of TiO2 Nanotube Array by Starch‐Modified Anodic Oxidation
Authors: Zhang Fengjun , Liu Zijian , Lu Wei , Lyu Cong , Lyu Chuan , Wang Xiansheng
Published: May 2015

In this study, the characterization and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotube arrays prepared by anodization process with starch addition were investigated in detail. The results suggested that the optimum mass fraction of starch added in anodization process was 0.1%, with which TiO2 nanotube arrays owning good tubular structure were synthesized. The tube length and average inner diameter of nanotubes were approximately 4 μm and 30 nm, respectively. Through the characterization of TiO2 nanotube arrays by energy dispersive spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, it was found that the as‐prepared nanotubes possessed well uniformed and higher photodegradation responsive than the pure TiO2. Moreover, it was expected that the as‐prepared nanotubes exhibited good photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB under UV‐light irradiation, which could be ascribed to their good morphology, enhanced UV‐light absorption property and electron transmission ability during the photocatalytic reaction. In addition, the nanotubes were not significantly regenerated during the cycling runs experiment. Overall, this study could provide a principle method to synthesize TiO2 nanotube arrays with enhanced photocatalytic activity by anodization process with starch addition for environmental purification.
Genetic diversity and structure of Hemileia vastatrix populations on Coffea spp.
Authors: Cabral P. G. C. , Maciel‐Zambolim E. , Oliveira S. A. S. , Caixeta E. T. , Zambolim L.
Published: May 2015

Coffee leaf rust is the most limiting disease for coffee cultivation in Brazil. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the genetic diversity of Hemileia vastatrix, the rust causal agent. In this work, the DNA from 112 monopustule isolates from different geographic locations and coffee genotypes were analysed by amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP). The objectives were to assess the influence of the host and geographic origin on the diversity and population differentiation in H. vastatrix. The fungal population showed a low level of genotypic diversity. Gene diversity (h) was 0·027 and the hypothesis of random mating in the total population was rejected, but evidence for recombination was found for two subpopulations (São Paulo and Paraná). The analysis of molecular variance revealed that 90% of the genetic distribution of the pathogen occurs among isolates within the subpopulation (states or host of origin). There was no correlation between geographic and genetic distance (r = −0·024, P = 0·74), which together with the high number of migrants and the low degree of differentiation in populations of H. vastatrix, is consistent with the fact that the inoculum is probably easily dispersed by wind over long distances, allowing dispersal of the pathogen among coffee growing areas in Brazil. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the durability of resistant sources to coffee rust. The recommendation for the breeding programmes is thus to incorporate multigenic resistance as a control strategy.
How do slack resources affect the relationship between R&D expenditures and firm performance?
Authors: Lee Chia‐Ling , Wu Hsu‐Che
Published: May 2015

Research and development (R&D) investment affects future operating earnings. Behavioral theory claims that slack resources benefit innovation, whereas agency theory argues that they represent a form of inefficiency and inhibit innovation. This paper thus examines how slack resources affect the relationship between R&D investments and firm performance based on two dimensions of R&D: R&D capital and R&D expenses. R&D capital captures long‐term R&D investment, whereas R&D expenses represent R&D investment in the current year. This study is undertaken in Taiwan using a large 5‐year dataset within high‐tech industries. Slack resources are broadly classified into absorbed slack with low managerial discretion and unabsorbed slack with high managerial discretion. We find that absorbed slack negatively affects the relationship between R&D investments and performance, as proposed by agency theory. We further find that unabsorbed slack has a slightly curvilinear effect on the positive relationship between R&D capital and firm performance. The proposal of behavioral theory thus is more valid when focusing on unabsorbed slack resources. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to identify the types of slack and R&D investments that are being considered when discussing the impacts of R&D investment on performance.