bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chariot-Racing in the Roman Republic
Authors: Rawson Elizabeth
Published: August 2013

CORSE DEI COCCHI NELLA REPUBBLICA ROMANA

Si sostiene che le corse dei cocchi a Roma fossero all'origine simili a quelle dell'Etruria, e la loro organizzazione e finanziamento seguissero modelli greci, con uomini importanti che correvano per proprio conto e vincevano ghirlande ed onori per se stessi. Dopo la pubblicazione delle XII Tavole, forse per motivi di povertà o per paura di individui potenti, Roma abbandonò questo sistema, e lo stato cominciò a pagare allevatori perchè fornissero cavalli per le corse; le famose 4 Fazioni o Colori possono essere sorti contemporaneamente all'avvento di questo nuovo sistema, o esserne stati una conseguenza. Probabilmente quando i premi divennero più consistenti furono gli allevatori a pagare lo stato per il diritto a competere. La gloria individuale a quel tempo era ottenuta presiedendo e finanziando i giuochi. Malgrado le testimonianze siano contraddittorie, sembra che i senatori potessero ottenere appalti per la fornitura di cavalli, almeno per alcune feste.
The Tomb of Alfanus in S. Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, and its Place in the Tradition of Roman Funerary Monuments
Authors: Osborne John
Published: August 2013

LA TOMBA DI ALFANUS NELLA CHIESA DI S. MARIA IN COSMEDIN

Il monumento funerario del camerorius papale Alfanus nel portico di ingresso della chiesa di S. Maria in Cosmedin a Roma, databile circa al 1123 d.C, si erge all'inizio di una fila di tombe tardo-medievali che impiegano la stessa formula strutturale: un sarcofago sormontato da un arco. La formula stessa deriva dal periodo tardo-antico, e specificamente dalle tombe ad arcosolio nelle catacombe, e ci si domanda se il monumento di Alfanus rappresenti la rinascita o la sopravvivenza della tradizione classica. Benchè le testimonianze di monumenti funerari nei secoli intermedi siano scarse, resta abbastanza da permettere la conclusione che le tombe importanti seguivano questo modello, e in tal modo la formula del disegno della tomba può essere considerata come il continuamento della tradizione nel Medio Evo. Il vocabolario scultoreo, però, non ha precedenti alto-medievali, e questo si colloca meglio nel contesto della renovatio del XII secolo.
Gravina-di-Puglia III: Houses and a Cemetery of the Iron age and Classical Periods
Authors: Macnamara E. , Prag A. J. N. W. , Small A. , du Plat Taylor J. , Berge Louise , Cotton M. Aylwin , Wilson Veronica
Published: August 2013

After the abandonment of the Iron Age settlement during the third quarter of the seventh century, the area of Parco San Stefano was used as a cemetery. As has been described above, in the course of the bulldozing undertaken prior to the extension of the quarry, burials were found and this led to the rescue excavation of 1970. Supervision began after the bulldozer had stripped some of the area and, later, burials were often seen only after they had been exposed by the bulldozer. No accurate plans of the tombs could be made but identified burials were plotted on the plan and the finds recorded, as far as was possible in tomb groups. Tombs IV, V, VII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIV–XVI, XVIII–XXI were recorded by Jonathan Boutelle, while Signor Losindaco rescued the finds from Tombs I, II, III, VI, VIII, XIII, XVII.

Many tombs, particularly those found after the end of the excavation, were too destroyed by the bulldozer to warrant detailed description; tombs seen by Mr. Boutelle are described below. In the following report, the tombs have been arranged under tomb types and, as far as is possible, in their chronological sequence.
Sculptors from Aphrodisias: Some New Inscriptions
Authors: Erim K. T. , Roueché C. M.
Published: August 2013

SCULTORI DA AFRODISIADE: ALCUNE NUOVE ISCRIZIONI

Tre nuove iscrizioni da Aphrodisias in Caria descrivono i cittadini locali — Flavius Zeno e Flavius Andronicus — come autori delle statue (ora perse) che stanno dedicando. Essi sono probabilmente il Flavius Zeno e il Flavius Andronicus di Aphrodisias le cui ‘firme’ — con l'asserzione che essi hanno ‘fatto’, ἐποίει, le statue — appaiono sui plinti di alcune statue trovate sull'Esquilino. II titolo da essi usato — sia ad Aphrodisias che a Roma — non può essere anteriore al IV secolo. Ciò solleva problemi circa la datazione delle statue provenienti dall'Esquilino — attualmente nella Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen — che fino ad ora sono state attribuite al secondo secolo. Sarà necessario ridatare queste opere, o presumere che le ‘firme’ vennero aggiunte su statue anteriori. Flavius Zeno e Flavius Andronicus godevano di una posizione insolitamente elevata per cittadini privati ad Aphrodisias in questo periodo. II titolo di Flavius Zeno di alto sacerdote, che usa in tutte le iscrizioni, è stato cancellato in uno dei testi ad Aphrodisias; può darsi che il suo sacerdozio non appartenesse al culto imperiale ma alla religione pagana, introdotta da Massimino.
The Social Structure of the Roman House
Authors: Wallace-Hadrill Andrew
Published: August 2013

LA STRUTTURA SOCIALE DELLA CASA ROMANA

L'aristocrazia romana della Tarda Republica e del Primo Impero costruiva e decorava le proprie case in modo così dispendioso non solo per esibire la propria ricchezza con un consumismo così cospicuo ma piuttosto per ottenere un ambiente idoneo a dei precisi modi di vita. Forme e decorazioni architettoniche possono essere interpretate come linguaggio di comunicazione sociale. Le strutture essenziali della casa romana, come attestano quelle che restano nell'area vesuviana, riflettono distinzioni di rango sociale piuttosto che di sesso ed età come invece accade in una abitazione familiare moderna. Come nella casa formale dell'Europa della prima era moderna la preoccupazione maggiore era quella di stabilire precedenze di privilegi e intimità. A questo scopo sia la forma che la decorazione architettonica, in particolare quella parietale dei IV Stili Pompeiani attingono al linguaggio dell'architettura pubblica per accentuare il senso dello spazio privato usando riferimenti idiomatici di quello pubblico. Vista in questa luce, l'architettura domestica romana diventa un prezioso documento di storia sociale per capire più profondamente il quale sarà necessario rivalutare questo materiale liberandoci di alcuni pregiudizi tradizionali.
Ancient and modern pastoralism in central Italy: an interdisciplinary study in the Cicolano mountains
Authors: Barker Graeme , Grant Annie , Beavitt Paul , Christie Neil , Giorgi John , Hoare Peter , Leggio Tersilio , Migliavacca Mara
Published: August 2013

PASTORIZIA ANTICA E MODERNA NELL'ITALIA CENTRALE: UNO STUDIO INTERDISCIPLINARE NEI MONTI DEL CICOLANO

Quest'articolo è un contributo al dibattito attuale, tra archeologi, di come sia possibile ricostruire la pastorizia antica attraverso i dati archeologici. I monti del Cicolano oggi vengono sfruttati ogni estate dalle gente dei villaggi circostanti per tre scopi diversi: agricoltura, pastorizia stanziale, pastorizia transumante. Il progetto comprende uno studio geomorfologico, una ricognizione archeologica, una ricerca documentaria, e studi etnoarcheologici. Il regolare insediamento stagionale cominciò nella tarda preistoria e nel periodo romano i monti furono usati da agricoltori e da pastori forse transumanti. L'agricoltura arativa e la pastorizia risultano ambedue nei documenti medioevali e postmedioevali e si possono riconoscere nel materiale archeologico raccolto. Maè assai difficile identificare differenti tipi di pastorizia nei dati archeologici forniti dalla ricognizione. L'archeologia dell'insediamento, la cultura materiale portatile, la fauna, i residui botanici creati dagli agricolturi e pastori di oggi nel Cicolano mostrano le difficoltà nel distinguere i diversi tipi di uso dei terreni alti. Ma, almeno, ci danno utili suggerimenti per sviluppare le future metodologie.
Was Agrippa's Pantheon the temple of Marsin Campo?
Authors: Ziolkowski Adam
Published: August 2013

ERA IL PANTHEON DI AGRIPPA IL TEMPIO DI MARSIN CAMPO?

Il Pantheon di Agrippa non era un realepantheion, essendo questo appellativo unicamente legato a motivi storici. Non si tratta di un santuario dinastico, perchè uno dei suoi dei tutelari, Marte, non fu mai considerate un antenato divino degliIulii. Un indizio per la sua interpretazione viene dalla sua collocazione topografica. Assieme alla basilica di Nettuno (un memoriale alle vittorie navali di Agrippa, in particolareActium) esso formava un complesso di due edifici simili che si aprivano su una piazza posta fra di loro. Le divinità diActiumerano Apollo, divinità personale di Augusto, e due esperti militari divini, Marte e Nettuno. Il pantheon di Agrippa avrebbe dovuto quindi essere dedicato a Marte e commemorare le vittorie terrestri del suo fondatore. Ciò è corroborato daiFasti Fratrum Arvaliumdel 23 settembre, che citano feste dedicate a:Marti, Neptuno in Campo, Apollini e theatrum Marcelli. I tempii di Marte e Nettunoin Campo, fondati sotto Augusto nella zona delle attività costruttive di Agrippa e dedicati ad Augusto nel giorno del suo compleanno insieme al tempio di Apollo, erano sicuramente memoriali perActium. Poichè la Basilica di Nettuno viene anche riferita come τὸ Ποσειδώνιον, il che rende inevitabile la sua identificazione con il tempio di Nettunoin Campo, il Pantheon di Agrippa avrebbe dovuto essere il tempio di Martein Campo. Questi tempii, costruiti su terreni privati ed assenti dal calendario ufficiale, costituivanosacra privata. Ciò facilitò la loro reinterpretazione, nel successivo periodo dei Giulio-Claudii, discendenti di Marco Antonio, rispettivamente di mal definitopantheion(non unaaedes publica, poichè le iscrizioni conservate da Adriano non citano alcuna divinità) e di basilica.
People, climate and alluviation: theory, research design and new sedimentological and stratigraphic data from Etruria
Authors: Brown A.G. , Ellis C.
Published: August 2013

POPOLI, CLIMA ED ALLUVIONI: TEORIA, PROGETTO DI RICERCA E NUOVI DATI SEDIMENTOLOGICI E STRATIGRAFICI DALL'ETRURIA

Questo lavoro presenta il progetto di ricerca, i dati stratigrafici e la datazione preliminare (ceramica e paleomagnetica) di un nuovo studio sull'alluvione regionale in Etruria. Le mutevoli relazioni tra popolazione, uso della terra ed erosione nel Mediterraneo vengono discusse allo scopo di mettere in discussione alcune tradizionali ipotesi eco-demografiche. I risultati preliminari indicano un cambiamento da fiumi lateralmente mobili che erodevano e depositavano sabbia e ghiaia durante il periodo Romano, ad una rapida alluvione formata da silt sabbioso tra il tardo medioevo ed il periodo rinascimentale. Il silt sabbioso superficiale tende ad ispessirsi andando da nord a sud e si pensa che ciò sia più probabilmente dovuto all'intensificazione dello sfruttamento del suolo piuttosto che a variazioni climatiche fra diverse aree dell'Etruria.
The rebirth of Adonis
Authors: Whitehouse Helen
Published: August 2013

LA RINASCITA DI ADONE

Questo lavoro presenta e discute un pannello di una pittura murale romana dell'‘Ashmolean Museum’ il quale raffigura la nascita di Adone. La pittura fa parte di un gruppo scoperto nel 1668 nei pressi del Colosseo, alla periferia della Domus Aurea. Tali dipinti appartennero per un periodo alla collezione Massimi e poi a quella Mead, e furono riprodotti in numerosi disegni del diciassettesimo e diciottesimo secolo, fra i quali notevole è una serie di P.S. Bartoli, che rappresentò anche altri dipinti del sito. Una discussione su questo gruppo di pitture e sull'identità dell'edificio in cui furono recuperate viene presentata, ed inoltre il lavoro di Bartoli come copista viene esaminato nel contesto del tipo di ricezione che le pitture romane ebbero durante il diciassettesimo secolo.
The reliability of Roman rebuilding inscriptions
Authors: Fagan Garrett G.
Published: August 2013

L'AFFIDABILITÀ DELLE ISCRIZIONI DA RIEDIFICAZIONI ROMANE

Edmund Thomas e Christian Witschel hanno presentato (Papers of the British School at Rome 60 (1992), 135–77) un'analisi dell'affermazioni epigrafiche delle iscrizioni da riedificazioni nel tentativo di mettere in luce il simbolismo e l'ideologia della ricostruzione e la sua importanza per i Romani. In tutto il loro lavoro i suddetti autori costantemente mettono in dubbio l'affidabilità delle iscrizioni da riedificazioni romane, poiché la finalità di tali testi viene vista non come un riflesso delle condizioni dell'antichità, ma piuttosto come un mezzo per trasmettere un'ideologia della ricostruzione. In questo lavoro viene invece affermato che la natura del linguaggio epigrafico, i limiti dell'evidenze antiche e le difficoltà nell'interpretazione del materiale archeologico ed epigrafico in connessione, e, infine la funzione sociale dei monumenti epigrafici stessi rendono difficile accettare il quadro di diffusa inaffidabilità che emerge, secondo Thomas e Witschel, da tali testi. Piuttosto, le iscrizioni da riedificazioni vanno associate all'antica realtà fisica, sebbene in un linguaggio sfumato, simbolico e di formule.
II. The Gates and Roads of Veii
Authors: Ward-Perkins J. B.
Published: August 2013

Any account of ancient Veii is almost bound to start with a reference to what is today the most conspicuous surviving feature of the ancient landscape, the network of roads which led from the town out into the surrounding countryside and, across country, towards the neighbouring cities of Etruria. The onward courses of these roads will be described and discussed in a later article. All that is attempted here is to trace their course in the immediate vicinity of Veii, where they were an important factor in the siting both of the streets within the town and of the cemeteries outside it.

Of these roads, some undoubtedly go right back to Villanovan times. To this group belong the ridgeway to Nepi and the Monti Sabatini; the track leading from the Valle la Fata Gate, almost certainly the earliest road between Veii and Rome; one or more of the tracks leading across country from the North-east Gate in the direction of Capena; and (presumably) the earlier of the two roads leading to Caere. Others, at any rate in their present form, belong to a later phase of the city's development, when there were the means and organisation to undertake the considerable feats of engineering that their construction represents.
The Volume of Water delivered by the Four Great Aqueducts of Rome
Authors: Blackman Deane R.
Published: August 2013

IL VOLUME D'ACQUA DISTRIBUITA DAI QUATTRO GRANDI ACQUEDOTTI DI ROMA

Questo studio si propone, attraverso calcoli idraulici, di stabilire il volume d'acqua distribuita dai quattro grandi acquedotti della Roma antica. L'essenza dell'argomento è la profondità dell'acqua in un canale aperto che cambia la sua larghezza e la cui pendenza varia in maniera complessa ma prevedibile. Dal momenta che l'ampiezza e la pendenza di alcuni punti degli acquedotti romani sembrano essere sufficientemente ben definite per permettre calcoli di questo tipo, ed inoltre in alcuni di questi casi anche l'altezza del canale è accessibile, un limite superiore può essere posto sullo scarico. Il risultato numerico più importante è che la distribuzione di questi quattro acquedotti era probabilmente di 7 m3 al secondo (600 000 m cubi al giorno).
Two Churches at Latrun in Cyrenaica
Authors: Widrig Walter
Published: August 2013

DUE CHIESE A LATRUN IN CIRENAICA

Questo articolo tratta di uno scavo di due chiese basilicali del paese di Latrun sulla costa della Cirenaica, Libia. Latrun è identificato come 1′ ‘Erythron’ del 2° secolo d.C. menzionato dal geografo Tolomeo e come la sede di un vescovo da almeno l'inizio del 5° secolo. Le due chiese quasi identiche nella forma, sono insolite in Cirenaica per l'elevazione delle loro gallerie e per materiali d'importazione quali le basi di marmo delle colonne, fusti, capitelli e blocchi di imposte. La forma è derivata da un prototipo di Costantinopoli del 5° secolo ed è solo leggermente modificata per rispondere alle esigenze locali fino alla trasformazione della chiesa più grande, la cattedrale propriamente detta, in un castrum. Le chiese più piccole contenevano tombe disturbate e senza dubbio la tomba di un martire. La data proposta per le chiese è il 500 sulla base di una datazione accettata per il tipo di pianta, lo sviluppo generale delle strutture delle chiese in Cirenaica, il carattere stilistico dei rivestimenti di marmo, e la storia politica e religiosa della regione. Inoltre l'autore specula sulla possibilità di mecenatismo imperiale, partecipazione nella controversia tra Ortodossi e Monofisiti e l'esistenza del culto di un martire di grande importanza a Latrun.
Some Early South Italian Vase-Painters: With a Brief Indication of the Later history of Italiote Vase-Painting
Authors: Moon Noël
Published: August 2013

The question of the classification of the red-figured vases of Magna Graecia is still highly controversial. So is the question of the foremost seat of the industry, and of the development of the fabric or fabrics. A good deal is being done at the moment in various quarters towards straightening out the problem, but divergence of opinion on essential points is still wide. This article does not attempt to give another complete classification, nor is it intended primarily to resuscitate admiration for works of art wilfully neglected, to cry shame on those who hurry through museum rooms of South Italian exhibits to reach the Attic. It suggests, however, that there might be a pause in these rooms if examples of the best South Italian work were always there. But not infrequently the best have been put among the Attic. Many too are in comparatively inaccessible places and are unpublished. There are several good ones in England that are little known, being in private collections or unexpected museums. Some of these I am publishing, as well as one or two of those that in their museums are thought to be Attic. I am also describing briefly the different groups to which these vases belong, in an attempt to lay down new lines on which the subject may be approached.
Physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary habits among Kuwaiti adolescents: gender differences
Authors: Allafi Ahmad , Al-Haifi Ahmad R , Al-Fayez Mohammad A , Al-Athari Buthaina I , Al-Ajmi Fahhad A , Al-Hazzaa Hazzaa M , Musaiger Abdulrahman O , Ahmed Faruk
Published: August 2013

Objective

The present study was designed to assess physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary habits among adolescents in Kuwait and to compare the differences between genders.

Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted among secondary-school children who participated in the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS), a multi-centre collaborative project.

Setting

Secondary schools in Kuwait.

Subjects

Adolescents (463 boys and 443 girls), aged 14–19 years.

Results

Nearly half (44·6 %) of the boys and three-quarters (76·0 %) of the girls did not meet the recommended daily physical activity levels (≥2520 MET-min/week, moderate to vigorous intensity). Nearly all (96·3 % of boys and 96·7 % of girls) adolescents reported spending >2 h/d on screen time, with girls found to spend more time per day watching television (P= 0·02) and using a computer (P< 0·001). The large majority of the adolescents reported skipping breakfast and not having milk and milk products, vegetables and fruit daily, while nearly two-thirds of the boys and girls had sugar-sweetened drinks on more than 3 d/week. Compared with girls, boys reported consuming more fruit (3·4v.2·8 times/week,P= 0·001), dairy products (4·5v.3·6 times/week,P= 0·001) and energy drinks (1·3v.1·1 times/week,P= 0·003).

Conclusions

The majority of the Kuwaiti adolescents, especially girls, do not perform adequate physical activity, spend more time on sedentary activities and have unhealthy dietary practices. The findings emphasize an urgent need for implementing an appropriate intervention for promoting physical activity, healthy eating and reducing sedentary behaviours among these children.
Can all cause readmission policy improve quality or lower expenditures? A historical perspective on current initiatives
Authors: Burgess James F. , Hockenberry Jason M.
Published: August 2013

All-cause readmission to inpatient care is of wide policy interest in the United States and a number of other countries (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the United Kingdom by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development, and in Australia by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). Contemporary policy efforts, including high powered incentives embedded in the current US Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, and the organizationally complex interventions derived in anticipation of this policy, have been touted based on potential cost savings. Strong incentives and resulting interventions may not enjoy the support of a strong theoretical model or the empirical research base that are typical of strong incentive schemes. We examine the historical broad literature on the issue, lay out a ‘full’ conceptual organizational model of patient transitions as they relate to the hospital, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of previous and proposed policies. We use this to set out a research and policy agenda on this critical issue rather than attempt to conduct a comprehensive structured literature review. We assert that researchers and policy makers should consider more fundamental societal issues related to health, social support and health literacy if progress is going to be made in reducing readmissions.
Contribution of Degraded Perception and Insufficient Encoding to Decisions to Mass or Space Study
Authors: Ariel Robert , Dunlosky John , Toppino Thomas C.
Published: August 2013

How do learners decide whether to mass or space an item during study? Results from Son (2004) indicate that these decisions are influenced by the degree to which an item is judged to be encoded sufficiently during an initial study episode, whereas others ( Toppino, Cohen, Davis, & Moors, 2009 ) have proposed that degraded perceptual processing contributed to participants’ decisions to mass or space study. To reconcile these conflicting conclusions, the current experiments used eye tracking technology to evaluate the contribution of degraded perception and insufficient encoding on learners’ study decisions. Participants studied synonym pairs from the graduate record exam (GRE) that varied in item difficulty for 1 s (Experiment 1) or 5 s (Experiment 2) each while their eye movements were recorded. Participants then decided whether to mass, space, or drop each pair in future study. For pairs that were never fixated, and hence not perceived, participants overwhelmingly chose to mass their study, presumably so that they could read the target. For pairs that were processed sufficiently to be perceived, preference for massing and spacing pairs increased with item difficulty (i.e., both increased as pairs became less likely to be fully encoded). Taken together, these data demonstrate a contribution of degraded perception and insufficient encoding for learners’ decisions to mass (or space) their study.
Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models
Authors: Shaw Ruth E. , Meyer Wayne S. , McNeill Ann , Tyerman Stephen D.
Published: August 2013

This review summarises reported observations of the effects of waterlogging on agricultural production in Australia and briefly discusses potential remediation strategies. Inconsistencies are demonstrated in the current indicators used for assessment of waterlogging potential across agricultural landscapes as well as in parameters measured in waterlogging studies. It is suggested that predictions of waterlogging potential for landscapes should be based on a minimum dataset that includes pedological, topographical, and climate data for the defined area, as well as observations of plant morphological appearance and visible surface water. The review also summarises the effects of low oxygen concentration in soil on rhizosphere processes, and discusses evidence for direct effects on plant physiology of reductions in soil oxygen caused by waterlogging. Finally, the review describes current crop growth, water use, and yield simulation models used in Australia (SWAGMAN, DRAINMOD, and APSIM) that incorporate waterlogging stress. It is suggested that there is scope for modifications to these models based on recent improved understanding of plant physiological responses to waterlogging and on further research. The review concludes that improvements in modelling waterlogging outcomes to assist growth and yield predictions should ultimately enhance management capacity for growers.
Variations in mercury concentration within and across lichen Xanthoparmelia spp. individuals: implications for evaluating histories of contaminant loading and sampling design
Authors: Gremillion Paul T. , Hermosillo Edyth , Sweat Ken G. , Cizdziel James V.
Published: August 2013

Environmental context
Lichens have been widely used as biomonitors of atmospheric pollution in the absence of high-density ambient monitoring networks. This study examines the potential for the lichen Xanthoparmelia spp. as a recorder of temporal histories of mercury deposition to the landscape.

Abstract
Effects of thallus size and internal zonation on the Hg concentration in the foliose lichen Xanthoparmelia spp. were investigated. Size and zonation effects, if present, provide the potential for temporal records of atmospheric deposition to be recorded in lichens. Our results (n=49; 0.4–13.8cm in diameter) indicated no significant relationship between Hg and size, although thalli less than 2cm in diameter tended towards lower Hg concentrations; and no zonation of Hg within thalli. Distinct zonation of Hg in thalli has been reported in some studies, but not in others, indicating regulatory mechanisms result by which Hg is released or relocated within the thallus under certain conditions. A secondary objective was to evaluate the variability of Hg in lichen individuals to drive future sampling designs. Within a size range of 2–8cm in diameter, we observed Hg=154±30ppb (mean±s.d., n=38). Bootstrap analysis of this dataset indicated that for a sample size of n=3 thalli, we can expect a 94% probability that the variability in our sample set will be at least as low as that observed in other studies of Hg in lichen (s.d. ≈50ppb Hg).
Previously unknown role for the ubiquitin ligase Ubr1 in endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation
Authors: Stolz Alexandra , Besser Stefanie , Hottmann Heike , Wolf Dieter H.
Published: August 2013

Significance

The study describes a previously unknown role for the cytosolic ubiquitin ligase Ubr1 in endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation, thereby connecting the protein quality control processes of the endoplasmic reticulum and of the cytosol.
Identification of active transcription factor and miRNA regulatory pathways in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Jiang Wei , Zhang Yan , Meng Fanlin , Lian Baofeng , Chen Xiaowen , Yu Xuexin , Dai Enyu , Wang Shuyuan , Liu Xinyi , Li Xiang , Wang Lihong , Li Xia
Published: August 2013

Motivation: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that may be caused by perturbation of regulatory pathways rather than the dysfunction of a single gene. However, the pathology of AD has yet to be fully elucidated.

Results: In this study, we systematically analyzed AD-related mRNA and miRNA expression profiles as well as curated transcription factor (TF) and miRNA regulation to identify active TF and miRNA regulatory pathways in AD. By mapping differentially expressed genes and miRNAs to the curated TF and miRNA regulatory network as active seed nodes, we obtained a potential active subnetwork in AD. Next, by using the breadth-first-search technique, potential active regulatory pathways, which are the regulatory cascade of TFs, miRNAs and their target genes, were identified. Finally, based on the known AD-related genes and miRNAs, the hypergeometric test was used to identify active pathways in AD. As a result, nine pathways were found to be significantly activated in AD. A comprehensive literature review revealed that eight out of nine genes and miRNAs in these active pathways were associated with AD. In addition, we inferred that the pathway hsa-miR-146a→STAT1→MYC, which is the source of all nine significantly active pathways, may play an important role in AD progression, which should be further validated by biological experiments. Thus, this study provides an effective approach to finding active TF and miRNA regulatory pathways in AD and can be easily applied to other complex diseases.

Contact:  lixia@hrbmu.edu.cn or lw2247@gmail.com.

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
H4K16 acetylation marks active genes and enhancers of embryonic stem cells, but does not alter chromatin compaction
Authors: Taylor Gillian C.A. , Eskeland Ragnhild , Hekimoglu-Balkan Betül , Pradeepa Madapura M. , Bickmore Wendy A.
Published: August 2013

Compared with histone H3, acetylation of H4 tails has not been well studied, especially in mammalian cells. Yet, H4K16 acetylation is of particular interest because of its ability to decompact nucleosomes in vitro and its involvement in dosage compensation in flies. Here we show that, surprisingly, loss of H4K16 acetylation does not alter higher-order chromatin compaction in vivo in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). As well as peaks of acetylated H4K16 and KAT8 histone acetyltransferase at the transcription start sites of expressed genes, we report that acetylation of H4K16 is a new marker of active enhancers in ESCs and that some enhancers are marked by H3K4me1, KAT8, and H4K16ac, but not by acetylated H3K27 or EP300, suggesting that they are novel EP300 independent regulatory elements. Our data suggest a broad role for different histone acetylation marks and for different histone acetyltransferases in long-range gene regulation.
Japanese accounting academics’ perceptions on the global convergence of accounting education in Japan
Authors: Sugahara Satoshi
Published: August 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a survey on the perception of the globalisation of accounting education among academics teaching at tertiary schools in Japan. With the acceleration of globalism in accounting education, the aim of this exploratory research is to investigate the perceptions of Japanese academics toward this global convergence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample was collected from accounting educators who were teaching at the undergraduate and postgraduate level of the tertiary institutes in Japan. The subjects chosen for the survey were 300 members of the Japanese Accounting Association (JAA) and were randomly selected from the 2010 JAA Members’ Directory. A total of 87 responses were received producing an effective response rate of 29 per cent.

Findings

– The analysis of this study found that the majority of Japanese accounting academics’ believed that the International Education Standards had no substantial effect on accounting education. Further it was found that most of the academics did not know how they could confront these obstacles to achieve global convergence, although they were aware of the impediments.

Research limitations

– This study failed to portray any possible suggestions or solutions on how to improve future accounting education. Also the sample size was not large enough to generalise the findings. Finally, this study simply used the samples collected from the one single nation of Japan.

Practical implications

– The findings will provide a positive direction for standard setters, policy makers and regulatory authorities on how they should proceed in both the design of their promotion strategies and on how to address obstacles that have arisen according to these perceptions.

Originality/value

– The primary strength of this study was the fact that it was the first study in the literature to shed light on the perceptions of accounting academics in Japan on the global convergence of accounting education.
Sustainable and socially responsible investing
Authors: BinMahfouz Saeed , Kabir Hassan M.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

There is a great deal of research that has been done to investigate the investment characteristics of conventional socially responsible investment portfolios compared to their broader conventional counterparts. However, the impact of incorporating sustainability criteria into the traditional Sharia screening process has not so far been investigated. Therefore, the study aims to give empirical evidence as to whether or not incorporating sustainability socially responsible criteria in the traditional Sharia screening process has a significant impact on the investment characteristics of the Islamic investment portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the investment characteristics of four groups of investment portfolios mainly, Dow Jones Global Index, Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, Dow Jones Islamic Market World Index and Dow Jones Islamic Market Sustainability Index. To improve the robustness of the study, the analysis was carried out at different levels. First, absolute mean return and t‐test were used to examine whether the difference between the different groups of investments is statistically significant or not. Second, risk adjusted equilibrium models, both single‐index and Fama and French multi‐index, were employed. This is to control for different risk exposure and investment style bias associated with different investment portfolios examined.

Findings

The paper finds that neither the Sharia nor the sustainability screening process seems to have an adverse impact on the performance and systematic risk of the investment portfolios compared to their unrestricted conventional counterparts. Therefore, Muslim as well as socially responsible investors can choose investments that are consistent with their value systems and beliefs without being forced to sacrifice performance or expose to higher systematic risk.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing literature by giving new evidence on the impact of incorporating sustainability criteria into the traditional Sharia screening process that has not so far been investigated.
Quality of private universities in Pakistan
Authors: Halai Nelofer
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the development of education in private sector universities in Pakistan as compared to public universities. Additionally, the purpose is to understand the quality of education in private universities in light of the 2012 higher education commission (HEC), Pakistan ranking data.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes the data shared by HEC at its web site (http://hec.gov.pk) and compares the total scores and the scores for research of private universities in the top ten ranking within the given categories. This comparison is used to evaluate issues related to access and quality of private higher education in Pakistan.

Findings

The private higher education sector is agile and more responsive to market demands. Furthermore, it has allowed the “youth bulge” of Pakistan access to higher education. However, with few exceptions the quality of private higher education is inadequate.

Originality/value

The need for Pakistan to reform its education to counter the grave twin dangers of religious extremism and militancy has been well recognized. High‐quality education at all levels is seen as one of the ways to create a more liberal society. This paper is among the first to evaluate private higher education in Pakistan in light of the most recent HEC rankings published in 2012.
Immigrant perspectives on multicultural competencies of clinicians: a qualitative study with immigrants in Portugal
Authors: Moleiro Carla , Freire Jaclin , Tomsic Masa
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The recognition of the importance of addressing cultural issues in psychotherapy and counseling has been increasing. The present paper seeks to contribute to the specification of multicultural competencies in the fields of counseling and clinical psychology, based on clients’ perspectives. In particular, its objectives were to explore the experiences of individuals of ethnic minority groups regarding their access to the Portuguese healthcare system and to identify the multicultural competencies of the clinicians (as perceived by the clients) which would be required to improve culturally sensitive treatments.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample included 40 adults from different ethnic minority groups in Portugal – a total of 30 women and ten men – with a mean age of 34. Participants took part in one of eight focus groups, which were conducted using a semi‐structured interview plan.

Findings

Content analysis revealed that, generally, participants had experienced discrimination in the healthcare system, and that mental healthcare was perceived as mixed (both positive and negative). Furthermore, participants identified specific aspects of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills required of clinicians to provide culturally sensitive treatments, providing support for the tridimensional model of multicultural competencies.

Originality/value

Implications are discussed for ethical guidelines and clinical training of counselors, clinical psychologists, and other social and health professionals in Europe.
Role of resource integration in adoption of medical tourism service
Authors: Rajagopal Saisudha , Guo Lei , Edvardsson Bo
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to identify enabling and inhibiting factors that influence patients during their consideration of medical tourism for their healthcare requirement. The research provides marketing and practice implications that help in promoting medical tourism service. Furthermore, the paper provides evidence from medical tourism service to establish the relationship between resource integration and adoption of the service.

Design/methodology/approach

The article takes a two‐pronged exploratory study approach, with study one focusing on analysing prospective medical tourists' emotional impediments in their consideration of the service, while study two analyses the factors that helped medical tourists who have already availed the service, overcome the impediments.

Findings

In this article, it is identified that resource integration, particularly social resources, has a major impact on individual's decision to adopt a service. The exploratory study indicates that perceived knowledge disadvantage, lack of perceived control, and lack of social support in the destination country lead causes emotional discomfort to medical tourists. The study also indicates that the ability to integrate social resources available to them helped prospective medical tourists in their assessment of medical tourism service prior to adopting it. The article establishes that integration of social resources enables the patients to overcome the emotional discomfort and thus pursues to adopt medical tourism service.

Originality/value

While previous medical tourism service research has primarily focused on cognitive factors in patients' decision making such as quality and cost of healthcare services in destination countries, this article throws light on the enabling and inhibiting factors that influence adoption of medical tourism service.
Socio‐cultural retailing: what can retail marketing learn from this interdisciplinary field?
Authors: Fuentes Christian , Hagberg Johan
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the on‐going cultural turn in retail marketing by offering an overview of the interdisciplinary field of socio‐cultural retailing and discussing how this body of work can contribute conceptually, methodologically and substantively to the field of retail marketing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a literature review of socio‐cultural retail studies in marketing, cultural geography, sociology, and anthropology. The literature is analysed in relation to the substantive, conceptual and methodological domains of retail marketing.

Findings

Drawing on the literature review, the authors argue that socio‐cultural retail studies can contribute to the field of retail marketing substantively, conceptually and methodologically, thus broadening its current scope and domains.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of an interdisciplinary field and identifies how it can contribute to the field of retail marketing. It is valuable for retailing researchers interested in socio‐cultural approaches to the study of contemporary retailing.
The persistence of delegitimated structures
Authors: Ogata Ken , Spraakman Gary
Published: August 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain whether the deinstitutionalization of management accounting is better described using structuration theory (techniques are reproduced until replaced) or sedimentation (layering of a new technique upon an earlier technique).

Design/methodology/approach

An archival study of management accounting at the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) between 1670 and 2005.

Findings

With the delegitimation of management accounting at the HBC, both structuration and sedimentation processes occurred. However, delegitimation did not mean all of the techniques within a set were eliminated. Several management accounting techniques often continued from one set to another (e.g. indents, outfits, standards of trade) reflecting continued reproduction of existing practices. Sometimes new techniques were added to allegedly make the set more effective, but these overlays did not always replace the former.

Research limitations/implications

The usual limitations of single firm study generalizations.

Practical implications

The research provides practitioners with insights into how management accounting practices change. With change some aspects of management accounting will remain the same.

Originality/value

This case study is based upon a unique primary archival. The HBC has made its accounting and other corporate records available to the public for the period 1670‐1970. The archival data set is supplemented by access to some of the Company's private (and more recent) corporate records, plus interviews with retired and existing senior managers about these changes to their management accounting techniques, up to 2005. Therefore, this study is based upon an extensive, unique and robust longitudinal data set.
Survey on customer related studies in Islamic banking
Authors: Hafsa Orhan Åström Z.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to make a critical review of the selected customer related studies in Islamic banking.

Design/methodology/approach

– In accordance with the aim, the selection criteria is decided to include the studies which have at least one citation according to a publicly available citation count database as of January 2013 and the subjectively selected uncited studies from recent years. According to the selection criteria, in total, 50 journal articles for the period of 1989-2013 are reviewed.

Findings

– This work identifies the main research subjects, the distribution for these subjects, the general characteristics of research methodologies and methods, the strengths and weaknesses of the studies and the direction of the research area.

Practical implications

– The foremost contributions of this work are that a researcher or someone who is interested in Islamic banking based customer related studies can attain a detailed picture about the most common research subjects, methodologies, methods and the country in which the study is conducted. And, the general evaluation can be utilized as a directive element for future research.

Social implications

– The basic implication of this work is the call for more industry connections, i.e. to conduct customer related studies due to the needs, reservations and concerns of Islamic banks.

Originality/value

– There is not yet a literature review work regarding to the research area of Islamic banking based customer related studies. This work is an attempt to fill in this gap.
“Big 4 fee premium” and audit quality: latest evidence from UK listed companies
Authors: Campa Domenico
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Using the most recent observations (2005‐2011) from a sample of UK listed companies, This paper aims to investigate whether Big 4 audit firms exhibit a “fee premium” and, if this is the case, whether the premium is related to the delivery of a better audit service.

Design/methodology/approach

Univariate tests, multivariate regressions and two methodologies that control for self‐selection bias are used to answer the proposed research questions. Data are collected from DataStream.

Findings

Findings provide consistent evidence about the existence of an “audit fee premium” charged by Big 4 firms while they do not highlight any significant relationship between audit quality and type of auditor with respect to the audit quality proxies investigated.

Research limitations/implications

Evidence from this paper might signal the need for legislative intervention to improve the competitiveness of the audit market on the basis that its concentrated structure is leading to “excessive” fees for Big 4 clients. Findings might also enhance Big 4 client bargaining power. However, as the paper analyses only one country, generalizability of the results might be a limitation.

Originality/value

This study joins two streams of the extant literature that investigate the existence of a “Big 4 audit fee premium” and different levels of audit quality among Big 4 and non‐Big 4 clients. Evidence supports the concerns raised by the UK House of Lords in 2010 that the concentrated structure of the audit market could be the driver of “excessive” fees for Big 4 clients as it does not find differences in audit quality between Big 4 and non‐Big 4 clients.
Determinants of food choice among adults in an urban community
Authors: Abdul Rahman Suzanah , Muzaffar Ali Khan Khattak Muhammad , Rusyda Mansor Najibatul
Published: August 2013

Purpose

This study was conducted to explore the underlying reasons of food choice and the association with risk perception in an urban community. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a cross‐sectional design, adults between 20 and 60 years old, selected by convenience sampling from three different races; Malay, Chinese and Indian, in Sungai Petani, Kedah were surveyed. A self‐administered food choice questionnaire was used and data collected were analysed using SPSS Statistic 17.0.

Findings

Religion, risk perception and sensory appeal were the most prominent factors affecting food choice of respondents. Age showed significant correlation with mood and sensory appeal. Monthly income was significantly correlated with convenience, weight control and familiarity. Risk perception was found to be correlated with all motives except familiarity and religion.

Research limitations/implications

A larger sample with approximately equal number of respondents from the various races would provide a more substantial overview of the trend of food choice in a multicultural population.

Practical implications

This study provides an insight on factors determining the food‐buying power of the community which may directly impact the commercial success of food products including modifying provisions and actions of the food industry.

Originality/value

This research investigated the set priorities of an urban community in deciding the type of food for consumption which may be influenced by multicultural interactions and reported risks.