bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compound- and context-dependent effects of antibiotics on greenhouse gas emissions from livestock
Authors: Danielsson Rebecca , Lucas Jane , Dahlberg Josef , Ramin Mohammad , Agenäs Sigrid , Bayat Ali-Reza , Tapio Ilma , Hammer Tobin , Roslin Tomas
Published: October 2019

The use of antibiotics in livestock production may trigger ecosystem disservices, including increased emissions of greenhouse gases. To evaluate this, we conducted two separate animal experiments, administering two widely used antibiotic compounds (benzylpenicillin and tetracycline) to dairy cows over a 4- or 5-day period locally and/or systemically. We then recorded enteric methane production, total gas production from dung decomposing under aerobic versus anaerobic conditions, prokaryotic community composition in rumen and dung, and accompanying changes in nutrient intake, rumen fermentation, and digestibility resulting from antibiotic administration. The focal antibiotics had no detectable effect on gas emissions from enteric fermentation or dung in aerobic conditions, while they decreased total gas production from anaerobic dung. Microbiome-level effects of benzylpenicillin proved markedly different from those previously recorded for tetracycline in dung, and did not differ by the mode of administration (local or systemic). Antibiotic effects on gas production differed substantially between dung maintained under aerobic versus anaerobic conditions and between compounds. These findings demonstrate compound- and context-dependent impacts of antibiotics on methane emissions and underlying processes, and highlight the need for a global synthesis of data on agricultural antibiotic use before understanding their climatic impacts.
Investigating the visual number form area: a replication study
Authors: Merkley Rebecca , Conrad Benjamin , Price Gavin , Ansari Daniel
Published: October 2019

The influential triple-code model of number representation proposed that there are three distinct brain regions for three different numerical representations: verbal words, visual digits and abstract magnitudes. It was hypothesized that the region for visual digits, known as the number form area, would be in ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC), near other visual category-specific regions, such as the visual word form area. However, neuroimaging investigations searching for a region that responds in a category-specific manner to the visual presentation of number symbols have yielded inconsistent results. Price & Ansari (Price, Ansari 2011
Neuroimage
57
, 1205–1211) investigated whether any regions activated more in response to passively viewing digits in contrast with letters and visually similar nonsense symbols and identified a region in the left angular gyrus. By contrast, Grotheer
et al
. (Grotheer, Herrmann, Kovács 2016
J. Neurosci
.
36
, 88–97) found bilateral regions in vOTC which were more activated in response to digits than other stimuli categories while performing a one-back task. In the current study, we aimed to replicate the findings reported in Grotheer
et al
. with Price & Ansari's passive viewing task as this is the most stringent test of bottom-up, sensory-driven, category-specific perception. Moreover, we used the contrasts reported in both papers in order to test whether the discrepancy in findings could be attributed to the difference in analysis.
Search as a simple take-the-best heuristic
Authors: Yahosseini Kyanoush Seyed , Moussaïd Mehdi
Published: October 2019

Humans commonly engage in a variety of search behaviours, for example when looking for an object, a partner, information or a solution to a complex problem. The success or failure of a search strategy crucially depends on the structure of the environment and the constraints it imposes on the individuals. Here, we focus on environments in which individuals have to explore the solution space gradually and where their reward is determined by one unique solution they choose to exploit. This type of environment has been relatively overlooked in the past despite being relevant to numerous real-life situations, such as spatial search and various problem-solving tasks. By means of a dedicated experimental design, we show that the search behaviour of experimental participants can be well described by a simple heuristic model. Both in rich and poor solution spaces, a take-the-best procedure that ignores all but one cue at a time is capable of reproducing a diversity of observed behavioural patterns. Our approach, therefore, sheds lights on the possible cognitive mechanisms involved in human search.
Parameter inference in dynamical systems with co-dimension 1 bifurcations
Authors: Roesch Elisabeth , Stumpf Michael P. H.
Published: October 2019

Dynamical systems with intricate behaviour are all-pervasive in biology. Many of the most interesting biological processes indicate the presence of bifurcations, i.e. phenomena where a small change in a system parameter causes qualitatively different behaviour. Bifurcation theory has become a rich field of research in its own right and evaluating the bifurcation behaviour of a given dynamical system can be challenging. An even greater challenge, however, is to learn the bifurcation structure of dynamical systems from data, where the precise model structure is not known. Here, we study one aspects of this problem: the practical implications that the presence of bifurcations has on our ability to infer model parameters and initial conditions from empirical data; we focus on the canonical co-dimension 1 bifurcations and provide a comprehensive analysis of how dynamics, and our ability to infer kinetic parameters are linked. The picture thus emerging is surprisingly nuanced and suggests that identification of the qualitative dynamics—the bifurcation diagram—should precede any attempt at inferring kinetic parameters.
Transient to stationary radon (
220
Rn) emissions from a phonolitic rock exposed to subvolcanic temperatures
Authors: Mollo Silvio , Tuccimei Paola , Soligo Michele , Galli Gianfranco , Iezzi Gianluca , Scarlato Piergiorgio
Published: October 2019

Rock substrates beneath active volcanoes are frequently subjected to temperature changes caused by the input of new magma from the depth and/or the intrusion of magma bodies of variable thickness within the subvolcanic rocks. The primary effect of the influx of hot magma is the heating of surrounding host rocks with the consequent modification of their physical and chemical properties. To assess mobilization in subvolcanic thermal regimes, we have performed radon (
220
Rn) thermal experiments on a phonolitic lava exposed to temperatures in the range of 100–900°C. Results from these experiments indicate that transient Rn signals are not unequivocally related to substrate deformation caused by tectonic stresses, but rather to the temperature-dependent diffusion of radionuclides through the structural discontinuities of rocks which serve as preferential pathways for gas release. Intense heating/cooling cycles are accompanied by rapid expansion and contraction of minerals. Rapid thermal cycling produced both inter- and intra-crystal microfracturing, as well as the formation of macroscopic faults. The increased number of diffusion paths dramatically intensified Rn migration, leading to much higher emissions than temperature-dependent transient changes. This geochemical behaviour is analogous to positive anomalies recorded on active volcanoes where dyke injections produce thermal stress and deformation in the host rocks. An increased Rn signal far away from the location of a magmatic intrusion is also consistent with microfracturing of subsurface rocks over long distances via thermal stress propagation and the opening of new pathways.
The relationship between the moon cycle and the orientation of glass eels (
Anguilla anguilla
) at sea
Authors: Cresci Alessandro , Durif Caroline M. , Paris Claire B. , Thompson Cameron R. S. , Shema Steven , Skiftesvik Anne Berit , Browman Howard I.
Published: October 2019

Links between the lunar cycle and the life cycle (migration patterns, locomotor activity, pulses in recruitment) of the European eel (
Anguilla anguilla
) are well documented. In this study, we hypothesized that the orientation of glass eels at sea is related to the lunar cycle. The European eel hatches in the Sargasso Sea and migrates across the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. Upon reaching the continental shelf, the larvae metamorphose into glass eels and migrate up the estuaries, where some individuals colonize freshwater habitats. How glass eels navigate pelagic waters is still an open question. We tested the orientation of 203 glass eels in a transparent circular arena that was drifting
in situ
during the daytime, in the coastal Norwegian North Sea, during different lunar phases. The glass eels swimming at sea oriented towards the azimuth of the moon at new moon, when the moon rose above the horizon and was invisible but not during the other moon phases. These results suggest that glass eels could use the moon position for orientation at sea and that the detection mechanism involved is not visual. We hypothesize a possible detection mechanism based on global-scale lunar disturbances in electrical fields and discuss the implications of lunar-related orientation for the recruitment of glass eels to estuaries. This behaviour could help glass eels to reach the European coasts during their marine migration.
Controlling for baseline telomere length biases estimates of the rate of telomere attrition
Authors: Bateson Melissa , Eisenberg Dan T. A. , Nettle Daniel
Published: October 2019

Longitudinal studies have sought to establish whether environmental exposures such as smoking accelerate the attrition of individuals' telomeres over time. These studies typically control for baseline telomere length (TL) by including it as a covariate in statistical models. However, baseline TL also differs between smokers and non-smokers, and telomere attrition is spuriously linked to baseline TL via measurement error and regression to the mean. Using simulated datasets, we show that controlling for baseline TL overestimates the true effect of smoking on telomere attrition. This bias increases with increasing telomere measurement error and increasing difference in baseline TL between smokers and non-smokers. Using a meta-analysis of longitudinal datasets, we show that as predicted, the estimated difference in telomere attrition between smokers and non-smokers is greater when statistical models control for baseline TL than when they do not, and the size of the discrepancy is positively correlated with measurement error. The bias we describe is not specific to smoking and also applies to other exposures. We conclude that to avoid invalid inference, models of telomere attrition should not control for baseline TL by including it as a covariate. Many claims of accelerated telomere attrition in individuals exposed to adversity need to be re-assessed.
A new specimen of Ziphiidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the late Miocene of Denmark with morphological evidence for suction feeding behaviour
Authors: Ramassamy Benjamin , Lauridsen Henrik
Published: October 2019

A new fossil of Ziphiidae from the upper Miocene Gram Formation (ca9.9–7.2 Ma) is described herein. Computed tomographic scanning of the specimen was performed to visualize the mandibles and to obtain a three-dimensional digital reconstruction. It possesses several characters of the derived ziphiids, such as the dorsoventral thickening of the anterior process of the periotic, the dorsoventral compression of the pars cochlearis and the short unfused symphysis. The specimen cannot be identified beyond the family level, because of the unusual nature of the preserved parts consisting of the mandibles, earbones and postcranial remains. It differs from other ziphiid species from the Gram Formation,Dagonodum mojnum, in its larger size and the more derived morphology of its mandibles and earbones. Its long and thickened stylohyal, combined with its reduced teeth, suggests that this new specimen relied primarily on suction feeding. By contrast, the other ziphiid species from the Gram Formation,D. mojnum, shows adaptations for a more raptorial feeding strategy. Assuming the two species were coeval, their co-occurrence at the same locality with two different feeding strategies, may represent a case of niche separation. They may have hunted different types of prey, thus avoiding direct competition for the same food resource.
Determinants of tree cover in tropical floodplains
Authors: Daskin Joshua H. , Aires Filipe , Staver A. Carla
Published: October 2019

Tree cover differentiates forests from savannas and grasslands. In tropical floodplains, factors differentiating these systems are poorly known, even though floodplains cover 10% of the tropical landmass. Seasonal inundation potentially presents trees with both challenges (soil anoxia) and benefits (moisture and nutrient deposition), the relative importance of which may depend on ecological context, e.g. if floods alleviate water stress more in more arid ecosystems. Here, we use remotely sensed data across 13 large tropical and sub-tropical floodplain ecosystems on five continents to show that climatic water balance (i.e. precipitation—potential evapotranspiration) strongly increases floodplain tree cover in interaction with flooding, fire and topography. As predicted, flooding increases tree cover in more arid floodplains, but decreases tree cover in climatically wetter ones. As in uplands, frequent fire reduced tree cover, particularly in wet regions, but—in contrast with uplands—lower elevation and sandier soils decreased tree cover. Our results suggest that predicting the impacts of changing climate, land use and hydrology on floodplain ecosystems depends on considering climate-disturbance interactions. While outright wetland conversion proceeds globally, additional anthropogenic activities, including alteration of fire frequencies and dam construction, will also shift floodplain tree cover, especially in wet climates.
Everything is not everywhere: can marine compartments shape phytoplankton assemblages?
Authors: Spatharis Sofie , Lamprinou Vasiliki , Meziti Alexandra , Kormas Konstantinos A. , Danielidis Daniel D. , Smeti Evangelia , Roelke Daniel L. , Mancy Rebecca , Tsirtsis George
Published: October 2019

The idea that ‘everything is everywhere, but the environment selects' has been seminal in microbial biogeography, and marine phytoplankton is one of the prototypical groups used to illustrate this. The typical argument has been that phytoplankton is ubiquitous, but that distinct assemblages form under environmental selection. It is well established that phytoplankton assemblages vary considerably between coastal ecosystems. However, the relative roles of compartmentalization of regional seas and site-specific environmental conditions in shaping assemblage structures have not been specifically examined. We collected data from coastal embayments that fall within two different water compartments within the same regional sea and are characterized by highly localized environmental pressures. We used principal coordinates of neighbour matrices (PCNM) and asymmetric eigenvector maps (AEM) models to partition the effects that spatial structures, environmental conditions and their overlap had on the variation in assemblage composition. Our models explained a high percentage of variation in assemblage composition (59–65%) and showed that spatial structure consistent with marine compartmentalization played a more important role than local environmental conditions. At least during the study period, surface currents connecting sites within the two compartments failed to generate sufficient dispersal to offset the impact of differences due to compartmentalization. In other words, our findings suggest that, even for a prototypical cosmopolitan group, everything is not everywhere.
Using critical realism in critical accounting research – a commentary by two ANTs
Authors: Baxter Jane , Chua Wai Fong
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to respond to Modell’s arguments regarding the relative usefulness of critical realist philosophy in relation to actor-network theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors outline the challenges in applying critical realism to critical accounting. The authors then consider Modell’s criticisms of actor-network theory, providing a counterargument highlighting the methodological choices distinguishing actor-network theory from critical realism.

Findings

The authors argue that critical realism, whilst providing an interesting addition to the critical accounting research project, confronts challenges disentangling intransitive and transitive forms of knowledge. Actor-network theory is presented as a way of examining accounting practices as local associations, providing practical opportunities to study (the assembly of) “the social”.

Research limitations/implications

Methodological diversity is to be explored, acknowledging the ontological politics of our choices.

Originality/value

This paper is an original commentary contributing to critical accounting research.
Implementation and user acceptance of research information systems
Authors: Schöpfel Joachim , Azeroual Otmane , Saake Gunter
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present empirical evidence on the implementation, acceptance and quality-related aspects of research information systems (RIS) in academic institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a 2018 survey with 160 German universities and research institutions.

Findings

The paper presents recent figures about the implementation of RIS in German academic institutions, including results on the satisfaction, perceived usefulness and ease of use. It contains also information about the perceived data quality and the preferred quality management. RIS acceptance can be achieved only if the highest possible quality of the data is to be ensured. For this reason, the impact of data quality on the technology acceptance model (TAM) is examined, and the relation between the level of data quality and user acceptance of the associated institutional RIS is addressed.

Research limitations/implications

The data provide empirical elements for a better understanding of the role of the data quality for the acceptance of RIS, in the framework of a TAM. The study puts the focus on commercial and open-source solutions while in-house developments have been excluded. Also, mainly because of the small sample size, the data analysis was limited to descriptive statistics.

Practical implications

The results are helpful for the management of RIS projects, to increase acceptance and satisfaction with the system, and for the further development of RIS functionalities.

Originality/value

The number of empirical studies on the implementation and acceptance of RIS is low, and very few address in this context the question of data quality. The study tries to fill the gap.
Exploring oppositional loyalty and satisfaction in firm-hosted communities in China
Authors: Liang Ruoyu , Guo Wei , Zhang Linghao
Published: October 2019

Purpose

An increasing number of companies have become aware of the considerable commercial potential of firm-hosted online communities (FOC) and initiated their own platform for different purposes. However, limited research has systematically explored oppositional loyalty and customer satisfaction in the context of FOC. By applying the expectation–confirmation model (ECM), the purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of oppositional loyalty and satisfaction from the perspective of social capital and e-quality.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was tested by applying partial least squares technique, and data were collected from a survey of members (n=512) of two popular smartphone communities in China.

Findings

Results revealed that satisfaction, trust and shared language are the significant antecedents of oppositional loyalty. Benefits confirmation, information quality, service quality, trust and social tie exert strong effects on the formation of satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study is an original empirical research guided by several theories. It contributes to the information system usage literature and provides opinions regarding how users’ oppositional loyalty and satisfaction can be developed in the FOCs. This work also widens the application of ECM and provides an alternative theoretical framework for future research on oppositional brand loyalty.
Attributions of victim responsibility in revenge pornography
Authors: Gavin Jeff , Scott Adrian J.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Revenge pornography is a growing risk among adolescents and young adults. Often stemming from sexting, some victims of revenge pornography report experiencing victim-blame similar to that accompanying the reporting of rape. The purpose of this paper is to explore the assumptions that underlie attributions of victim-blame, with a focus on perpetrator and victim responsibility, as well as gendered assumptions surrounding sexting.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 222 UK university students (111 male, 111 females) read one of two versions of a hypothetical revenge pornography scenario, one involving a male victim of a female perpetrator, the other a female victim of a male perpetrator. They then responded to an open-ended question regarding responsibility.

Findings

Qualitative content analysis of these responses identified three inter-related themes: the victim’s behaviour, mitigating victim responsibility and minimising the behaviour.

Social implications

The majority of participants in this study attributed at least some responsibility to the victims of revenge pornography depicted in the scenarios. Sex of the victim played a less important role than assumptions around sexting.

Originality/value

The study suggests that victim-blame is linked to the consent implied by sharing intimate images with a partner, but is also mitigated by the normative nature of this relationship practice. There was some evidence that the experience of male victims of revenge pornography is trivialised. These findings have implications for e-safety and victim support.
A systematic review of AACSB International accreditation quality and value research
Authors: MacKenzie Jr William I. , Scherer Robert F. , Wilkinson Timothy J. , Solomon Norman A.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of the research on the quality and value of AACSB International accreditation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were abstracted from published journal articles between 2003 and 2017 in which the words “AACSB” and “quality” or “value” (or both quality and value) were used in the title or the article text.

Findings

In total, 91 studies were identified that have been published on the value and/or quality of AACSB accreditation. These studies focused primarily on students and faculty and were conducted using survey research methods. Results indicate that accreditation does have some effects on stakeholder value and quality.

Research limitations/implications

While there is evidence to support the importance of accreditation to enhance the quality and value of business schools, additional research is needed to empirically support the quality and value propositions.

Practical implications

In order to effectively communicate to stakeholders how AACSB accreditation enhances the business school, the current study’s findings indicate that identification of indicators and factors that affect quality and value would be productive.

Originality/value

This study contributes insight on what is currently known about the quality and value of AACSB accreditation to both internal and external stakeholders from research conducted over an extended period of time.
Estimating free parameters in 2D inversion: example of gravity inversion in a rifted basement
Authors: Silva João B.C. , Santos Darcicléa F. , Monteiro Daniele P.
Published: October 2019

We advance a principle directed to assigning numerical values to free parameters usually present in inversion methods. It may be formulated as: ‘Optimum estimates of free parameters in an inversion procedure must lead, in tests using synthetic data, to solutions whose geometrical expression reflects the main qualitative or semiquantitative geological characteristic of the study area.’ To this end, the interpreter should (i) specify a typical anomalous source geometry which incorporates the most relevant geological information for the study area, (ii) compute the corresponding gravity anomaly and (iii) invert the anomaly for the source geometry finding the numerical values of the free parameters that lead to a solution closest to the typical source. Application of the above methodology to synthetic and real data from the basement relief of a rift basin has asserted its efficacy.
Consent, Legitimation, and Dysphoria
Authors: West Robin
Published: October 2019

Ideals of consent and consensuality are rapidly displacing ideals of legality as the demarcation of lawful from unlawful, legitimate from illegitimate, and good from bad.  This is a particularly pronounced trend in the areas of sexual and reproductive rights and ethics.  Consensual sex has almost completely displaced marital sex as the demarcation of not only criminal from laudatory sex but also good from bad sex.  Likewise, the consensuality of a pregnancy is increasingly the demarcation of a celebrated rather than mourned pregnancy, rather than its marital province.  This development is justly celebrated as a breakthrough in women's rights and equality, but it carries costs.  This essay develops some of the limits and perils of an over‐reliance on consent and consensuality as the primary criterion of the morality of sex and reproduction.  Consent is not always a trustworthy guide to wellbeing, for both general reasons, and reasons specific to sexual and reproductive life.
A Missing Citizen? Issue Based Citizenship in City‐Regional Planning
Authors: Häkli Jouni , Kallio Kirsi Pauliina , Ruokolainen Olli
Published: October 2019

City regions are significant sites of economic development, policymaking, and everyday living. Yet in many countries they are weakly institutionalized and therefore lack established democratic practices. This article is based on a study exploring citizen participation in city‐regional planning in Finland, where traditional participatory means have largely failed to invite and involve citizens. The analysis approaches city regions relationally, as evolving processes with a changing spatial shape and scope. Through the notion of lived citizenship, including the dimensions of status, practices and acts, the article reveals how the dominant ideas of citizenship in city‐regional planning hide from view elements that are significant for citizen participation. Whereas people's rights to participation can largely be fulfilled on a territorial basis in municipalities and states through legal membership in political communities, in the context of weakly institutionalized city‐regional planning such status‐based forms of participation are typically not available. This vagueness has created an image of a missing city‐regional citizenry, which the article sets out to challenge and rework through the notion of issue‐based participation as lived citizenship.
The role of honey hunting in supporting subsistence livelihoods in Sumbawa, Indonesia
Authors: Schouten Cooper , Lloyd David , Ansharyani Ida , Salminah Mimi , Somerville Douglas , Stimpson Kerrie
Published: October 2019

Honey from the giant Asian honey bee (Apis dorsata) has been harvested by communities throughout Southeast Asia for centuries. In Indonesia, 80 per cent of the national supply of honey comes from Sumbawa; however, there is limited information regarding the sustainability and importance of honey hunting in supporting rural livelihoods. This study used semi‐structured interviews and questionnaires to examine honey hunting and forest honey production in Sumbawa. It evaluates the economic and cultural importance, opportunities, and constraints of honey hunting and prompts us to suggest that income generation from honey plays a critical role in supporting rural communities. Of respondents, 83 per cent reported that income from honey was essential and accounts for 68 per cent of cash income. Yet honey hunters were harvesting using destructive methods under dangerous conditions and are subject to unpredictable market prices and fluctuating yields. Unlike situations in other areas of Indonesia, no system of customary law was found to exist that defines ownership of honey trees and the right to harvest from them. Limited access to market information, high moisture content of honey, and limited training and extension services were identified as key constraints. Future research exploring the sustainability of harvesting practices and mechanisms for improving profitability of honey hunters would be valuable.
Antioxidant Activity of Selenium‐Enriched Peptides from the Protein Hydrolysate of Cardamine violifolia
Authors: Zhu Song , Du Chaodong , Yu Tian , Cong Xin , Liu Yuanfa , Chen Shangwei , Li Yue
Published: October 2019

Cardamine violifolia is a selenium (Se)‐enriched plant found in China. In this study, the Se‐enriched peptides of C. violifolia (CP) were isolated using a 1 kDa ultrafiltration membrane after enzymatic hydrolysis by alkaline and neutral proteases. The peptides were separated by DEAE‐Sepharose FF anion‐exchange chromatography and purified using preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography (prep‐HPLC). The component with the highest antioxidant activity, CPR13, was identified by comparing the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), hydroxyl (•OH), 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) (ABTS+•), and superoxide () radical scavenging ability of each fraction. At a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, the DPPH•, •OH, , and ABTS+• scavenging activities of CPR13 were 89.2%, 26.3%, 40.6%, and 42.9%, respectively. Amino acid sequences were obtained by liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry as follows: GRVGSSSC, GRAGGSYM, GHPNFKLNCSGG, GTKSCKA, ASSNARDMI, TAGGCYIPI, and KNCALQ. The seleno‐amino acids were identified as selenomethionine, methylselenocysteine, and selenocysteine. Correlation analysis among organic Se content, peptide content, and antioxidant activity revealed that organic Se plays a greater role in free radical scavenging than peptides, and that the organic Se content of the Se‐enriched peptides was positively correlated with their antioxidant ability (P < 0.05). It indicated that CP has a great potential as natural functional materials for dietary supplement.
Stock market volatility: friend or foe?
Authors: Dempsey Michael , Gunasekarage Abeyratna , Truong Thanh Tan
Published: October 2019

Although a good deal of research effort has been allocated to understanding the time‐series volatility of stock returns – as both market (or systematic) volatility and idiosyncratic (or non‐systematic) volatility – the relationship of such volatility with cross‐sectional volatility or dispersion of outcomes is sparse. Nevertheless, the quest to understand one must involve the quest to understand the other. In this paper, we investigate the dispersion of returns in relation to inter‐temporal volatility, as well as the dynamic of dispersion of returns in generating a portfolio’s return outcome. We find that the level of such dispersion is highly significant for portfolio performance and the notion of risk.
Heuristics for designing user‐centric drug products: Lessons learned from Human Factors and Ergonomics
Authors: Feufel Markus A. , Rauwolf Gudrun , Meier Felix C. , Karapinar‐Çarkit Fatma , Heibges Maren
Published: October 2019

Even the most effective drug product may be used improperly and thus ultimately prove ineffective if it does not meet the perceptual, motor and cognitive capacities of its target users. Currently, no comprehensive guideline for systematically designing user‐centric drug products that would help prevent such limitations exists. We have compiled a list of approximate but nonetheless useful strategies—heuristics—for implementing a user‐centric design of drug products and drug product portfolios. First, we present a general heuristic for user‐centric design based on the framework of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E). Then we demonstrate how to implement this general heuristic for older drug users (i.e., patients and caregivers aged 65 years and older) and with respect to three specific challenges (use‐cases) of medication management: (A) knowing what drug product to take/administer, (B) knowing how and when to take/administer it, and (C) actually taking/administering it. The presented heuristics can be applied prospectively to include existing knowledge about user‐centric design at every step during drug discovery, pharmaceutical drug development, and pre‐clinical and clinical trials. After a product has been released to the market, the heuristics may guide a retrospective analysis of medication errors and barriers to product usage as a basis for iteratively optimizing both the drug product and its portfolio over their life cycle.
Natural selection in mimicry
Authors: Anderson Bruce , de Jager Marinus L.
Published: October 2019

Biological mimicry has served as a salient example of natural selection for over a century, providing us with a dazzling array of very different examples across many unrelated taxa. We provide a conceptual framework that brings together apparently disparate examples of mimicry in a single model for the purpose of comparing how natural selection affects models, mimics and signal receivers across different interactions. We first analyse how model–mimic resemblance likely affects the fitness of models, mimics and receivers across diverse examples. These include classic Batesian and Müllerian butterfly systems, nectarless orchids that mimic Hymenoptera or nectar‐producing plants, caterpillars that mimic inert objects unlikely to be perceived as food, plants that mimic abiotic objects like carrion or dung and aggressive mimicry where predators mimic food items of their own prey. From this, we construct a conceptual framework of the selective forces that form the basis of all mimetic interactions. These interactions between models, mimics and receivers may follow four possible evolutionary pathways in terms of the direction of selection resulting from model–mimic resemblance. Two of these pathways correspond to the selective pressures associated with what is widely regarded as Batesian and Müllerian mimicry. The other two pathways suggest mimetic interactions underpinned by distinct selective pressures that have largely remained unrecognized. Each pathway is characterized by theoretical differences in how model–mimic resemblance influences the direction of selection acting on mimics, models and signal receivers, and the potential for consequent (co)evolutionary relationships between these three protagonists. The final part of this review describes how selective forces generated through model–mimic resemblance can be opposed by the basic ecology of interacting organisms and how those forces may affect the symmetry, strength and likelihood of (co)evolution between the three protagonists within the confines of the four broad evolutionary possibilities. We provide a clear and pragmatic visualization of selection pressures that portrays how different mimicry types may evolve. This conceptual framework provides clarity on how different selective forces acting on mimics, models and receivers are likely to interact and ultimately shape the evolutionary pathways taken by mimetic interactions, as well as the constraints inherent within these interactions.
Twelve‐Month‐Old Infants Respond to Speech About Absent Inaccessible Objects
Authors: Osina Maria A. , Needham Amy W. , Saylor Megan M.
Published: October 2019

This article investigated the interplay of 12‐month‐old infants’ perception of affordances for locomotion and their ability to respond to the mention of hidden objects. In Experiment I, a toy was hidden in an ottoman that was placed on a cabinet out of infants’ reach. Infants were more likely to look at, point to or approach the ottoman when there were stairs leading to it than when there were none. The stairs did not help infants respond by highlighting the target corner of the room (Experiment II) or by boosting their engagement with the study events (Experiment III). This suggests that infants’ perception of the accessibility of the hiding location influences their ability to respond to speech about absent things.
Mediterranean Style Gated Communities around the World: Architecture, Globalization, and Transnational Elites
Authors: Fu Albert S.
Published: October 2019

Mediterranean style houses, mansions, and villas are found in elite enclaves around the world. There is a large literature on gated communities. However, the ubiquity of this Mediterranean style as a global and cross–cultural phenomenon has been underexamined. Enclaves in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East often look the same suggesting the global commodification of this aesthetic ideal. Examining the Toskana Vadisi, or Tuscan Valley gated community in Istanbul, Turkey, this article argues such spaces represent global cultural processes, as well the habitus of transnational elites in aspiring global cities. Also, by focusing on a non–Western city, I am able to analyze how aesthetic ideals are linked to city–building, in an increasingly competitive world, where cities seek world–class status by developing amenities for transnational elites.
Relationship Between Plasma Concentrations and Clinical Effects of Cariprazine in Patients With Schizophrenia or Bipolar Mania
Authors: Periclou Antonia , Willavize Susan , Jaworowicz David , Passarell Julie , Carrothers Timothy , Ghahramani Parviz , Durgam Suresh , Earley Willie , Kapás Margit , Khariton Tatiana
Published: October 2019

Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling (via NONMEM) was used to describe longitudinal exposure‐response relationships for total cariprazine (sum of cariprazine and its major active metabolites) in 2,558 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania. Drug exposure metrics were explored for potential relationships with efficacy and safety end points. Total cariprazine exposures were significantly related to reductions in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) or Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total scores in schizophrenia or bipolar mania, respectively, via a maximum effect (Emax)‐type relationship. Typical steady‐state plasma concentrations after 3 and 4.5 mg/day were associated with 50% of maximum typical reductions in PANSS and YMRS total scores, respectively. Time‐weighted cariprazine exposures had significant relationships with the probability of common adverse events (AEs). Dose increase was associated with increased efficacy but was also associated with an increase in AEs. Results of these pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses support that the recommended dose range (1.5–6 mg/day for schizophrenia and 3–6 mg/day for bipolar mania) provides an appropriate benefit‐risk balance between cariprazine efficacy and safety.
Voting, taxes, and heterogeneous preferences: Evidence from Swedish local elections
Authors: Mörk Eva , Nordin Mattias
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we investigate whether voters' reactions to tax changes depend on their preferences for public spending, in order to increase our understanding of the relationship between accountability and the formation of public policy. Utilizing high‐quality survey data, we find that voters who, ex ante, prefer a small public sector punish incumbents who raise taxes, while voters who prefer a large public sector reward tax hikes. Our results indicate that Swedish voters do not necessarily consider tax hikes to be an indication of misbehaving incumbents and that public policy is formed as a result of competing interests between voters with different policy preferences, rather than only as a conflict between rent‐seeking politicians and voters.
Succeeding from nature: The non‐human agency of Portuguese cork
Authors: Brooks Andrew , Francis Robert A.
Published: October 2019

Non‐human life has economic agency. It acts on the cultural values of products. Naturalness is an important, yet ambiguous, property in the market and imbues vibrant materials with organic, healthy, traditional, and other contingent properties. However, “natural” products can be succeeded in form and function by “synthetic” alternatives. Their value is further affected by non‐humans. Our signal case explores Portuguese cork bark, an agroforestry product grown in the montado, a biodiverse managed mosaic landscape of forestry and farming. The natural value of cork bottle stoppers is associated with their effect on wine flavour. Oxygen‐permeable cork enables beneficial ageing to enhance flavour, whereas cork contaminated with taint degrades wine. Synthetic stoppers recreate the form and function of corks without being a vector for contamination. A succession from natural cork stoppers to reliable artificial polyethylene corks led to a decline in demand for cork bark and negative impacts on montado biodiversity. Yet here we demonstrate that such successions can be reversed as the affective properties of cork bark products became revalued with improvements in manufacturing, increasing concern for environmental sustainability, and rising consumer demand for natural products. This leads us to explore further the dynamics between natural goods and synthetic replacements. We argue that rather than being two discrete domains of reality, natural and artificial products are both co‐produced through assemblages of human and non‐human action. Understanding succession between “natural” and “artificial” products enables new insights into the geographies of non‐human agency.
A mixed‐integer linear model for the multiple heterogeneous knapsack problem with realistic container loading constraints and bins' priority
Authors: Deplano Igor , Lersteau Charly , Nguyen Trung Thanh
Published: October 2019

We propose a mixed‐integer linear model that solves the multiple heterogeneous knapsack problem, minimising the wasted space of the bins, taking into account their priority and considering the following constraints: non‐overlapping, boundaries and positioning (both constrained and free), rotations (around the vertical axis), orthogonal displacement, weight limit, static stability, weight distribution in a pyramidal region and load bearing considering items' arbitrary centre of mass (CoM). In the experiments, the priority parameter is set to prioritise smaller bins, but the model is generic to cover other cases. We study the trade‐off of adding more constraints to make the problem more realistic and the complexity of finding a solution. We introduce new metrics that facilitate the comparison of datasets used in experiments. These metrics allow the export of theoretical results in the industry. We also propose a constructive heuristic named weight first best fit to handle large‐scale instances in a reasonable time.
Association between Health Insurance and Health among Adults with Diabetes: Evidence from Medicare
Authors: Lipton Brandy J.
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVES

Gaining Medicare eligibility at age 65 is associated with increased health insurance coverage and reduced medical expenditure risk, but few studies have examined changes in health outcomes among adults with a specific chronic condition. This study assessed the association between Medicare eligibility and health among adults with diabetes.

DESIGN

Regression discontinuity design to test for discontinuities in healthcare outcomes at age 65 when most US adults become eligible for Medicare.

SETTING

National Health Interview Survey, 2006‐2016.

PARTICIPANTS

Respondents ages 55 to 74 with diagnosed diabetes (n = 13 455).

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcome measures included self‐reported fair or poor general health status, any functional limitation, overweight, obese, and body mass index. Secondary outcomes included health insurance coverage, healthcare spending burden, and functional limitations by cause and type.

RESULTS

Medicare eligibility was associated with about an 8.0 percentage point reduction in the uninsured rate (95% confidence interval [CI], −9.9 to −6.0 percentage points; P < .001) and declines in high out‐of‐pocket healthcare expenditures and worry about medical bills. Eligibility was also associated with reductions of about 5.2 [95% CI, −6.9 to −3.6; P < .001] and 4.7 [95% CI, −7.1 to −2.3; P = .001] percentage points in fair or poor health and any functional limitation, respectively. Declines in functional limitations appeared to be driven by reductions in limitations due to diabetes, arthritis, heart problems, and emotional or behavioral problems. Some evidence indicated that Medicare eligibility was associated with a decline in obesity, but estimates were not consistently statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Expanded health insurance coverage and gains in coverage quality may improve health outcomes among older adults with diabetes. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:388–394, 2020
Factors associated with the evolution of attitudes towards mental illness in a cohort of nursing students
Authors: O’Ferrall‐González Cristina , Almenara‐Barrios José , García‐Carretero Miguel Ángel , Salazar‐Couso Alejandro , Almenara‐Abellán José Luis , Lagares‐Franco Carolina
Published: October 2019

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

People with mental health difficulties have poorer physical health than the general population. The stigmatizing attitude of health professionals impacts the quality of care for these people.

There is a broad background on the effectiveness of activities based on theoretical training, clinical practices or social contact to improve nursing students’ attitudes towards people with mental health difficulties.

There is an important need to assess whether the benefits identified in the short term are maintained in the longer term.

What does the paper add to existing knowledge?

The positive evolution of attitudes towards mental illness does not last over time.

Some students’ attitude towards people with a mental health difficulty worsened in the final stage of their training after completing clinical practices.

What are the implications for practice?

It is necessary for tutors incorporate an understanding of stigma throughout the degree training and to discuss with the students the emotional aspects experienced during the performance of clinical practices.

The design of any anti‐stigma intervention must include the factor of “time”.

Introduction

The stigma of health professionals is a contributing factor to morbi‐mortality among people with mental health difficulties. There is a lack of research on long‐term outcomes in nursing students.

Objective

To identify factors associated with the evolution of stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness in a cohort of students trained in mental health.

Method

A prospective observational study of the impact of training in mental health care. Age, gender, stigma, level of previous familiarity with mental illness, self‐education by Internet, academic performance and the place where practicums are conducted were evaluated on three occasions over 15 months.

Results

Academic performance, online consultation and the size or origin of the theoretical group were indicators of better attitudes. The positive evolution of attitudes does not last over time.

Discussion

Instability over time could be explained by students’ experience in the practicum, although the time itself has been identified as a determining factor.

Practical implications

Further studies should be promoted in academia to assess the content of mental health training and its influence on the evolution of the stigmatizing attitude. It is also necessary to address stigma in small groups, where students with better academic results lead anti‐stigma activities.