bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring enablers of innovative quality development in public administration
Authors: Palm Klas , Algehed Jessica
Published: May 2017

Purpose

Today’s public administration is facing a wide range of challenges. This situation requires an ability to change and innovate. However, difficulties in the implementation of innovations have been seen as the cause of many administrations’ inability to achieve the intended benefits of innovations. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to empirically determine which – out of a wide range of enabling factors for innovations – may be the most important for the specific process step of moving from ideas to implementation of innovations in a public administration context, and, furthermore, to identify possible additional enablers for this specific process step.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with city officials in four cities on four continents.

Findings

The study identifies five key enablers for transforming ideas into implemented innovations in public administration: a committed and hands-on leadership, internal as well as external networking, innovation processes over time alternately organized as a separate project and, as part of the standard operating procedures, a system understanding, including an understanding of how the parts contribute to a shared vision and communication of achieved, tangible, short-term results. Three of these enablers are previously identified as overall enablers for innovation and two complement previously identified enablers.

Originality/value

The article identifies enabling factors for the specific step of going from idea generation to implementation of innovations in a public sector context. The article also reviews enabling factors from real experiences. Much of the former literature is conceptual. The article analyses an area in which there is a general lack of empirical research.
Exploring innovation perceptions and practices among micro and small craft breweries
Authors: Duarte Alonso Abel , Bressan Alessandro , Sakellarios Nikolaos
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how micro and small craft brewery operators perceive and operationalise innovation. Moreover, in adopting the theory of innovation, the study addresses two under-researched areas, namely, innovation among micro and small firms and innovation in the context of the emerging craft brewing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The perspectives of 163 craft brewery operators located in Italy, Spain, and the UK were gathered through online questionnaires. In total, 24 face-to-face and telephone interviews with operators from the three nations complemented the data collection process. Thus, in total, 187 operators participated.

Findings

Development of new craft beer styles, new recipes, exploring with various ingredients, improving quality, or involvement in social media and culinary tourism were predominant forms participants perceived innovation. Various differences regarding innovation adoption were noticed, particularly based on participants’ country and on their role at the brewery. Furthermore, associations between the findings and the dimensions of the theory of innovation were confirmed.

Originality/value

This study is original, in that it represents a first effort in comparing perceptions of craft brewery operators across various countries. This comparison identifies ways in which craft brewery operators could maximise the potential of their firms. For example, the manifested interest in innovating through new craft beer recipes, or blending gastronomy and craft beer underlines alternative forms of adding value to craft brewing production. Importantly, some of these innovating practices differ based on participants’ country; such differences could also be considered by craft brewery operators.
Privacy in the library
Authors: Massis Bruce
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this column is to offer a snapshot of privacy in the library today.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Findings

It is significant that library users understand the disruptive nature of the online environment and its impact on privacy. Library users should welcome the controls and protections put in place while working in an open access environment, so that one does not fall victim to privacy breaches. After all, many years ago, the American Library Association codified that privacy is a “fundamental human right”.

Originality/value

The value in exploring this topic is to communicate that privacy in a library is of paramount concern, and constant vigilance is needed to ensure a library user’s right to privacy.
Familiarity and utilization of open access resources
Authors: Iqbal Jafar , P.M. Naushad Ali
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to assess the familiarity and utilization of open access resources among library users of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Kochi, and Pondicherry University (PU), Puducherry.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the study were collected via a well-structured questionnaire. For this study, 250 questionnaires were administered among library users of each CUSAT and PU through incidental sampling. From CUSAT and PU, 180 and 160 questionnaires, respectively, were considered for data analysis.

Findings

The study reveals that majority of the respondents, i.e. 77.78 and 80 per cent of CUSAT and PU, respectively, believe that they are familiar with the concept of open access (OA). 70.56 per cent respondents from CUSAT and 71.88 per cent users from PU are aware that their library has an OA repository. However, majority of the respondents, i.e. 65 and 70.63 per cent users from CUSAT and PU, respectively, use OA resources. Among OA resources, electronic theses and dissertations are the most preferred ones consulted by 56.67 and 62.50 per cent respondents, respectively, from CUSAT and PU. 60.56 per cent respondents from CUSAT followed by PU (52.50 per cent) cited “screen reading” as a main barrier in accessing OA resources.

Originality/value

Both the universities under study have created and maintained the OA institutional repository for disseminating their institutional intellectual output. This study explores awareness and use of OA resources among library users of CUSAT and PU. The study concludes with some suggestions for utmost utilization of OA resources among library users.
Adopting a photo-sharing site as a library tool: a web-based survey
Authors: De Sarkar Tanmay
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The study demonstrates how libraries are incorporating photo-sharing applications into the collection development and service provision to encourage improved user participation around digital inclusion. Investigating the steps to increase accessibility to photo-sharing sites and current photo-sharing practices, the paper seeks to highlight the extent of implementation across the world.

Design/methodology/approach

Stratified sampling method was used to select libraries from four continents. Content analysis was used to collect data from 160 libraries along the lines of evaluation models prepared for the purpose.

Findings

With the comparative account of implementation of photo-sharing apps, the study showcases the relevance of different approaches adopted by libraries and also presents an overview of the implementation with supportive examples.

Research limitations/implications

The present investigation is limited to selected libraries of four continents and restricted to English websites only. The study may further be extended to include other types of libraries in different areas, including libraries using non-English websites, to get a fuller picture of implementation.

Originality/value

The paper makes an attempt to improve the understanding of the budding library professionals toward the usage pattern of photo-sharing sites. The guidelines, based on a brief synthesis of the functions/purposes of photo-sharing sites, will make a stronger case for the implications of this research to future photo-sharing practices.
Exploring professionals’ experiences when choosing graphic symbol sets
Authors: Pampoulou Eliada
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The ongoing development of new graphic symbol sets in conjunction with a lack of literature supporting professionals in choosing the optimum set(s) for their users was the driving force behind this research project. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that professionals take into consideration when they choose one graphic symbol set instead of another.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the phenomenology of pedagogy, semi-structured interviews were used with three speech and language therapists (SLTs), three special education teachers, one teacher for pupils with hearing loss, one foundation year teacher and one SENCo/deputy head teacher. Thematic analysis was used to process the data.

Findings

The results have shown that when professionals choose a graphic symbol set for their user(s), they focus on the iconicity, the software availability and its features. They are also influenced by any existing graphic symbol policies in the area they work. Training and follow-up support also influence professionals’ experiences when choosing graphic symbol sets for their users.

Practical implications

Given the limited literature pertaining to the topic of this paper, it is proposed that further research is conducted in order to build the theoretical and practical frameworks upon which professionals (such as SLTs and teachers), symbols developers and academics can base their future work.

Originality/value

This research aims to contribute to the scant literature regarding the factors that SLTs take into consideration when choosing a graphic symbol set for their user(s).
The global mobility decisions of professional sailors’ spouses
Authors: Mutter Joanne
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors informing spousal global mobility decisions within the context of sporting expatriation. Findings contribute to the non-corporate global mobility literature as well as providing an empirical enhancement to the family relatedness of work decisions framework.

Design/methodology/approach

In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews gave voice to 21 spouses of professional sailors who have experienced both trailing their spouse and staying behind.

Findings

Access to empathetic social support, the potential impact on children, and the spouse’s career were all found to influence the spouse’s dynamic global mobility decision making.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited by the cross-sectional nature of the research. Future longitudinal research into the impact of spousal preferences would identify the on-going effect of their decision(s) to relocate or to stay behind.

Practical implications

Providing organisations with an understanding of the familial issues their global talent may factor into their work mobility decisions will allow them to implement appropriate family-focussed support, irrespective of the choice to engage, or not engage, in global mobility.

Originality/value

By grounding the study in the under-researched sporting arena, the author contributes to the emerging non-corporate expatriate conversation. Furthermore, the family relatedness of work-related decisions framework was found to provide a useful conceptual foundation for understanding decision making in an international context.
“From Heroes to Zeroes” – self-initiated expatriation of talented young footballers
Authors: Egilsson Birnir , Dolles Harald
Published: May 2017

Purpose

The sports industry is a forerunner in the international quest for talent as the search by sport clubs and the corresponding self-initiated expatriation of athletes starts at a very early age. The purpose of this paper is to address this phenomenon by exploring the experiences of talented young Icelandic footballers (soccer players) in their transition from Iceland into senior-level professional football in European leagues across six dimensions – three individual and three cultural.

Design/methodology/approach

Biographical narrative interviews have been conducted with eight Icelandic players moving overseas at a young age with the purpose of advancing their career. To investigate the coping strategies applied, a purposeful sampling approach was chosen, given that half of the participants successfully dealt with transitions in their career, while the other half did not experience the same success.

Findings

As an overall result, the expatriate journey for young footballers is complex, influenced by many events, expectations, conditions and pressures that affect their support web and ability to adjust. Reflecting on the experiences of successful transitions, problem-focused coping strategies have been more effective than emotion-focused coping.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights some necessary conditions and coping strategies for young self-initiated sports expatriates to cope with the expatriate transition successfully.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to research on expatriation, as this specific group of “young professionals” has not yet been addressed by the research within international human resource management. Our research framework responds to calls in the literature to consider additional stages of player development and an array of individual and cultural factors that may have a significant role in shaping players’ careers abroad.
Introduction of accounting practices in small family businesses
Authors: Huerta Esperanza , Petrides Yanira , O’Shaughnessy Denise
Published: May 2017

Purpose

This research investigates the introduction of accounting practices into small family businesses, based on socioemotional wealth theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple-case study was conducted gathering data through interviews and documents (proprietary and public). The sample included six businesses (five Mexican and one American) from different manufacturing and service industries.

Findings

It was found that, although owners control the implementation of accounting practices, others (including family employees, non-family employees and external experts) at times propose practices. The owner’s control can be relaxed, or even eliminated, as the result of proposals from some family employees. However, the degree of influence of family employees is not linked to the closeness of the family relationship, but rather to the owners’ perceived competence of the family employee, indicating an interaction between competence and experience on one side, and family ties on the other.

Research limitations/implications

First, the owners chose which documentary data to provide and who was accessible for interviews, potentially biasing findings. Second, the degree of influence family employees can exert might change over time. Third, the study included a limited number of interviews, which can increase the risk of bias. Finally, all firms studied were still managed by the founder. It is possible that small family businesses that have undergone a succession process might incorporate accounting practices differently.

Practical implications

Organizations promoting the implementation of managerial accounting practices should be aware that, in addition to the owner, some family employees and external experts could influence business practices. Accountants already providing accounting services to small family business are also a good source for proposing managerial accounting practices

Originality/value

This study contributes to theory in four ways. First, it expands socioemotional theory to include the perceived competence of the family employee as a potential moderator in the decision-making process. Second, it categorizes the actors who can influence managerial accounting practices in small family businesses. Third, it further refines the role of these actors, based on their degree of influence. Fourth, it proposes a model that describes the introduction of managerial accounting practices in small family business.
Architectures of domestication: on emplacing human‐animal relations in the North
Authors: Anderson David G. , Loovers Jan Peter Laurens , Schroer Sara Asu , Wishart Robert P.
Published: May 2017

This article explores human‐animal relationships in the North by calling for a fresh examination of the infrastructures and architectures which inscribe them. We draw attention to the self‐limiting quality of Arctic architectures which are designed to emphasize mutual autonomy. This approach challenges models that would create a crisp, clear separation between domestication as constituting a form of domination or a type of mutualism. By describing several key infrastructures of domestication – of tethers, enclosures, and traps – we hope to draw attention to the silencing of these domestic inventories. Revisiting the metaphor of the domus, we focus on the lands where these relationships are elaborated, re‐linking Arctic architectures to places of encounter. Drawing on in‐depth fieldwork mainly from Northern North America and various sites in Northern Eurasia, we present an ethnographically informed account that stresses the nuanced way in which strategies of control are blended with those of care and comfort, creating unbounded homes that are good to live in.
Stabilisation mechanism of various inulins and hydrocolloids: Milk–sour cherry juice mixture
Authors: Teimouri Shahla , Abbasi Soleiman , Scanlon Martin G
Published: May 2017

Milk–fruit juice mixtures, such as the mainly acidic nutraceutical soft drinks, usually suffer from phase separation due to aggregation of caseins at low pH. In this study, short‐chain inulin (SCI), native inulin (NI), long‐chain inulin (LCI) and a combination of long‐ and short‐chain inulins (LCI:SCI) (MIX) in different ratios (20:80, 50:50 and 80:20) were added (up to 10% w/v) to a milk–sour cherry juice mixture and their stabilisation mechanisms investigated using rheological, microstructural and zeta potential observations. In addition, gum tragacanth (GT) and Persian gum (PG) as adsorbing and guar gum (GG) as nonadsorbing hydrocolloids were combined with inulin to enhance their stabilising properties. Finally, sensory analyses were carried out on the stabilised samples. According to our findings, LCI fully stabilised the mixture (8% w/v), while LCI: SCI and NI only reduced phase separation at very high concentrations, and SCI had no significant effect on the stabilisation. Moreover, no inulin aggregates and rheological changes were observed with SCI. However, LCI, LCI: SCI and NI formed inulin aggregates and the mixtures became even more viscous and thixotropic (LCI > LCI: SCL > NI). Based on these observations, it can be concluded that chain length and concentration are two important factors that affect the functionality of inulin. On the other hand, the combination of inulin with GT and PG did not have any pertinent effect on the stabilisation. However, the mixture of inulin and GG could stabilise the mixtures at certain ratios and concentrations. Furthermore, in mixtures containing GG and SCI, GG played the main role in the stabilisation by increasing the viscosity and forming gel network.
Use of SWAT to Estimate Spatial Scaling of Phosphorus Export Coefficients and Load Reductions Due to Agricultural BMPS
Authors: Almendinger James E. , Ulrich Jason S.
Published: May 2017

Phosphorus export coefficients (kg/ha/yr) from selected land covers, also called phosphorus yields, tend to get smaller as contributing areas get larger because some of the phosphorus mobilized on local fields gets trapped during transport to regional watershed outlets. Phosphorus traps include floodplains, wetlands, and lakes, which can then become impaired by eutrophication. The Sunrise River watershed in east central Minnesota, United States, has numerous lakes impaired by excess phosphorus. The Sunrise is tributary to the St. Croix River, whose much larger watershed is terminated by Lake St. Croix, also impaired by excess phosphorus. To support management of these impairments at both local and regional scales, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model of the Sunrise watershed was constructed to estimate load reductions due to selected best management practices (BMPs) and to determine how phosphorus export coefficients scaled with contributing area. In this study, agricultural BMPs, including vegetated filter strips, grassed waterways, and reduction of soil‐phosphorus concentrations reduced phosphorus loads by 4‐20%, with similar percentage reductions at field and watershed spatial scales. Phosphorus export coefficients from cropland in rotation with corn, soybeans, and alfalfa decreased as a negative power function of contributing area, from an average of 2.12 kg/ha/yr at the upland field scale (~0.6 km2) to 0.63 kg/ha/yr at the major river basin scale (20,000 km2). Editor's note: This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.
Severe Acute Valproic Acid Intoxication Successfully Treated with Liver Support Therapy
Authors: Ge Yongchun , Xu Bin , Zhu Shuhua , Li Chuan , He Qunpeng , Zhu Tingting , Fan Rong , Gong Dehua
Published: May 2017

Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used for the treatment of epilepsy. However, its overdose can cause intoxication and could be life‐threatening. Due to the lack of specific antidote and poorness of endogenous clearance, extracorporeal treatment for severe intoxication cases is indicated. Here, we report a case of severe intoxication of VPA which was successfully treated with liver support therapy. A previously healthy woman was admitted due to coma and hypotension after intentional ingestion of 20 g of sodium valproate. Her serum concentration of VPA measured on admission was 420.84 mg/L. In addition to standard therapy, she received two sessions of extracorporeal blood purification using a system based on fractionated plasma separation and adsorption mode integrated with continuous veno‐venous haemofiltration (FPSA‐CVVH), which is usually used for liver support therapy at our hospital. Her serum concentration of VPA decreased dramatically to 40.18 mg/L and her consciousness recovered completely within 24 hr after admission. Therefore, although haemodialysis has been reported to be effective in the treatment for VPA poisoning, FPSA‐CVVH may provide an option for patients who require bedside therapy but have an unstable haemodynamic status or other conditions that result in inability to endure haemodialysis.
Finding the breech: Influence of breech presentation on mode of delivery based on timing of diagnosis, attempt at external cephalic version, and provider success with version
Authors: Andrews Suzanne , Leeman Lawrence , Yonke Nicole
Published: May 2017

Background

Breech presentation affects 3‐4% of pregnancies at term and malpresentation is the primary indication for 10‐15% of cesarean deliveries. External cephalic version is an effective intervention that can decrease the need for cesarean delivery; however, timely identification of breech presentation is required. We hypothesized that women with a fetus in a breech presentation that is diagnosed after 38 weeks’ estimated gestational age have a decreased likelihood of external cephalic version attempted and an increased likelihood of cesarean delivery.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. A chart review was performed for 251 women with breech presentation at term presenting to our tertiary referral university hospital for external cephalic version, cesarean for breech presentation, or vaginal breech delivery.

Results

Vaginal delivery was significantly more likely (31.1% vs 12.5%; P<.01) in women with breech presentation diagnosed before 38 weeks’ estimated gestational age as external cephalic version was offered, and subsequently attempted in a greater proportion of women diagnosed before 38 weeks. External cephalic version was more successful when performed by physicians with greater procedural volume during the 3.5 year period of the study (59.1% for providers performing at least 10 procedures vs 31.3% if performing fewer than 10 procedures, P<.01).

Conclusions

Results support the need for interventions to increase timely diagnosis of breech presentation as well as improved patient counseling and use of experienced providers for external cephalic version.
Maternal care mediates the effects of nutrition and responsive stimulation interventions on young children's growth
Authors: Brown N. , Finch J. E. , Obradović J. , Yousafzai A. K.
Published: May 2017

Background

Undernutrition contributes to at least half the estimated six million annual childhood deaths worldwide. Furthermore, one in three children fails to meet their developmental potential because of risks including stunting, illness, under‐stimulation, poor responsive interactions and maternal depressive symptoms. Our study investigates the role of caregiving processes on children's height‐for‐age at 2 and 4 years.

Methods

The Pakistan Early Child Development Scale‐up study assessed the longitudinal effectiveness of early nutrition and responsive stimulation interventions on growth and development at 4 years of age. In total, 1302 children were followed up from birth to 4 years. We leveraged path analyses to explore potential mediators of early intervention effects on children's height‐for‐age at 4 years, including maternal depressive symptoms, mother–child interaction quality, diarrhoeal illness and height‐for‐age at 2 years.

Results

Our final model had excellent model fit (comparative fix index = 0.999, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.998, root mean square error of approximation = 0.008) and showed that mother–child interaction quality mediated the effects of both enhanced nutrition and responsive stimulation interventions on height‐for‐age at 4 years via its longitudinal stability from 2 years of age (β = 0.016, p = 0.005; β = 0.048, p < 0.001, respectively). Further, diarrhoeal illness mediated the effects of maternal depressive symptoms at 1 year post partum on children's height‐for‐age at 4 years via the longitudinal stability of height‐for‐age z‐score from 2 years of age onwards (β = −0.007, p = 0.019).

Conclusions

The quality of early caregiving experience mediated the association between both interventions and height‐for‐age. The effect of maternal depressive symptoms on growth was mediated by diarrhoeal illness. Programmatic approaches to child nutrition and growth must address all these potentially modifiable factors.
Evaluating the role of morphological characters in the phylogeny of some trypanosomatid genera (Excavata, Kinetoplastea, Trypanosomatida)
Authors: da Silva‐Júnior Renato , Paiva Thiago da Silva
Published: May 2017

Over the last three decades, it has been progressively assumed that morphology has become obsolete for trypanosomatid systematics. Traditional taxonomy, based on the occurrence of specific kinds of cell morphotypes during life cycles and the morphometry of such cells, is often rejected by molecular phylogenies inferred mostly from 18S rDNA alone or combined with GAPDH. In such context, we hypothesized the affinities of 35 representatives of seven trypanosomatid genera from separated and combined cladistics analyses of morphological and 18S matrices. Morphology is shown to be more consistent and to have stronger synapomorphy retention than the 18S data. The strict consensus of cladograms from separated analyses was mostly unresolved, while combined analysis produced a meaningful and robust phylogenetic pattern, as evidenced by partition congruence index, Bremer support and frequencies of groups present/contradicted. The results (1) corroborate the separation of Angomonas and Strigomonas from Crithidia, which is now shown to be monophyletic, (2) support the revalidation of the genus Wallaceina, and (3) place the genera Herpetomonas, Leptomonas and Phytomonas within a single clade. Overall, we demonstrate the belief that morphological characters are inferior to molecular ones for trypanosomatid systematics is a consequence of neglecting their inclusion in phylogenetic analyses.
The Impact of the Small Business Lending Fund on Community Bank Lending to Small Businesses
Authors: Amel Dean , Mach Traci
Published: May 2017

Following the financial crisis, total outstanding loans to businesses by commercial banks dropped off substantially. Large loans outstanding began to rebound by the third quarter of 2010 and essentially returned to their previous growth trajectory while small loans outstanding continued to decline. Furthermore, much of the drop in small business loans outstanding was evident at community banks. To address this perceived lack of supply of credit to small businesses, the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) was created as part of the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act. The fund was intended to provide community banks with low‐cost funding that they could then lend to their small business customers. As of 31 December, 2013, the US Department of the Treasury reports that SBLF participants had increased their small business lending by $12.5 billion over their baseline numbers. The current paper uses Call Report data from community banks and thrift institutions to look at the impact of receiving funds from SBLF on their small business lending. The analysis controls for economic and demographic conditions, market structure and competition. Simple regression estimates indicate that participants in the SBLF program increased their small business lending by about 10 percent more than their non‐participating counterparts, in line with numbers reported by Treasury. However, estimates that control for the ongoing growth path in small business lending indicate no statistically significant impact of SBLF participation on small business lending.
Evidence for the transfer of a soil‐borne contaminant from plants to ants via an aphid mediator
Authors: DE LA RIVA DEBORAH G. , JONES MICHAEL B. , TRUMBLE JOHN T.
Published: May 2017

1. Uptake of environmental contaminants by lower trophic groups can have negative effects on higher trophic groups. This study tested the ability of selenium, an environmental contaminant found in high concentrations throughout the tissues of certain accumulating plants, to be transferred to ants via aphid tissue and honeydew.

2. Plants of the selenium accumulator, Raphanus sativus (wild radish), were watered with three different selenium treatments (0, 0.25 or 0.5 µg Se ml−1). Aphids, Myzus persicae, and Argentine ant colonies, Linepithema humile, were added to each caged plant and allowed to interact freely. Ant colonies were supplemented with one of three different food options to encourage the consumption of aphids, aphid honeydew, or aphids and honeydew.

3. The accumulation of selenium by each trophic group and a trophic transfer factor (TTF) was calculated. The TTF for plants to aphids was > 1, indicating biomagnification, whereas the TTF for aphids to worker ants was < 1, indicating only biotransfer. Accumulated levels by worker ants did not statistically differ as a result of diet.

4. The amounts of selenium acquired by ants as a factor of diet and caste were compared. Plants, aphids and worker ants accumulated selenium in a dose‐dependent manner. Ant queens did not contain detectable amounts of selenium. Honeydew contained comparable amounts of selenium to plant selenium levels.

5. Access to toxic compounds via honeydew and insect protein may have negative effects on the range expansion of invasive species, such as the Argentine ant.
Vomiting and migraine‐related clinical parameters in pediatric migraine
Authors: Eidlitz‐Markus Tal , Haimi‐Cohen Yishai , Zeharia Avraham
Published: May 2017

Objective/Background

To investigate the characteristics of vomiting in pediatric migraineurs and the relationship of vomiting with other migraine‐related parameters.

Methods

The cohort included children and adolescents with migraine attending a headache clinic of a tertiary pediatric medical center from 2010 to 2016. Patients were identified by a retrospective database search. Data were collected from medical files. The presence of vomiting was associated with background and headache‐related parameters.

Results

The study group included 453 patients, 210 boys (46.4%) and 243 girls (53.6%), of mean age 11.3 ± 3.7 years. Vomiting was reported by 161 patients (35.5%). On comparison of patients with and without vomiting, vomiting was found to be significantly associated with male gender (54% vs 42.1%, P < .018), younger age at migraine onset (8.0 ± 3. years vs 9.6 ± 3.7 years, P < .001), younger age at clinic admission (10.5 ± 3. years vs 11.6 ± 3.6 years, P = .002), higher rate of awakening headache (64.1% vs 38.7%, P < .001), lower headache frequency (10.5 ± 10.3 headaches/month vs 15.0 ± 11.7 headaches/month, P < .001), higher rate of episodic vs chronic migraine (67% vs 58.7%, P < .001), and higher rates of paternal migraine (24.1% vs 10.1%, P < .001), migraine in both parents (9.3% vs 3.1%, P = .007), and migraine in either parent (57.5% vs 45.5%, P = .02).

Conclusions

The higher rate of vomiting in the younger patients and the patients with awakening pain may be explained by a common underlying pathogenetic mechanism of vomiting and migraine involving autonomic nerve dysfunction/immaturity. The association of vomiting with parental migraine points to a genetic component of vomiting and migraine. It should be noted that some of the findings may simply reflect referral patterns in the tertiary clinic.
Web‐based corporate, social and video recruitment media: Effects of media richness and source credibility on organizational attraction
Authors: Frasca Keely J. , Edwards Martin R.
Published: May 2017

Despite the high use of social media in graduate recruitment campaigns, research has yet to examine how it compares with websites and videos in influencing job seekers’ reactions. Drawing from recruitment, media richness, and source credibility theories, we proposed that the media used to present recruitment material would influence organizational attraction via perceptions of media richness and source credibility. Results of a between‐subjects study, with 342 participants holding or working toward a degree, show that when a standardized recruitment message is delivered via Facebook, video, or text‐based webpage media, there are significant between‐media richness and source credibility differences. Furthermore, particular media richness features were positively related to perceptions of source credibility, and source credibility perceptions were positively related to organizational attraction. Implications for organizations’ online recruitment campaigns are discussed.
Declarations of significance: Exploring the pragmatic nature of information models
Authors: Beynon‐Davies Paul
Published: May 2017

This paper considers the juncture experienced between information modelling in theory and information modelling in practice. It identifies the basis of this juncture in an unsatisfactory ontological basis for information modelling. Using both the early and more recent work of Searle, it establishes the need for information models to be framed in terms of communicative patterns significant within some delimited institutional domain. Such communicative patterns are visualised in terms of an innovative artefact known as a pattern comic. The propositional content of communicative acts within such patterns is then expressed as a set of binary relations, which can be transformed into various visualisations of an information model. Patterns of communicative action evident in the domain of medical emergency response are used throughout to illustrate this pragmatic approach to constructing information models.
Assessing Models of Arsenic Occurrence in Drinking Water from Bedrock Aquifers in New Hampshire
Authors: Andy Caroline M. , Fahnestock Maria Florencia , Lombard Melissa A. , Hayes Laura , Bryce Julia G. , Ayotte Joseph D.
Published: May 2017

Three existing multivariate logistic regression models were assessed using new data to evaluate the capacity of the models to correctly predict the probability of groundwater arsenic concentrations exceeding the threshold values of 1, 5, and 10 micrograms per liter (µg/L) in New Hampshire, USA. A recently released testing dataset includes arsenic concentrations from groundwater samples collected in 2004–2005 from a mix of 367 public‐supply and private domestic wells. The use of this dataset to test three existing logistic regression models demonstrated enhanced overall predictive accuracy for the 5 and 10 μg/L models. Overall accuracies of 54.8, 76.3, and 86.4 percent were reported for the 1, 5, and 10 μg/L models, respectively. The state was divided by counties into northwest and southeast regions. Regional differences in accuracy were identified; models had an average accuracy of 83.1 percent for the counties in the northwest and 63.7 percent in the southeast. This is most likely due to high model specificity in the northwest and regional differences in arsenic occurrence. Though these models have limitations, they allow for arsenic hazard assessment across the region. The introduction of well‐type (public or private), well depth, and casing length as explanatory variables may be appropriate measures to improve model performance. Our findings indicate that the original models generalize to the testing dataset, and should continue to serve as an important vehicle of preventative public health that may be applied to other groundwater contaminants in New Hampshire.
Reduced Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Diversity Associated with Increased Cyanobacteria in Lake Champlain, USA
Authors: Bockwoldt Katelyn A. , Nodine Emily R. , Mihuc Timothy B. , Shambaugh Angela D. , Stockwell Jason D.
Published: May 2017

Anthropogenic inputs of nutrients threaten water quality around the world, causing eutrophication and altering phytoplankton communities. In freshwater systems, certain physiochemical conditions, including high TP, low TN:TP, and warm temperatures, can lead to problematic cyanobacteria blooms. Cyanobacteria can decrease phytoplankton diversity and phytoplankton diversity has been positively linked to zooplankton diversity, suggesting that cyanobacteria may have indirect negative effects on zooplankton diversity. Using monitoring data from Lake Champlain, we tested three hypotheses: (1) cyanobacteria density and phytoplankton diversity are inversely related; (2) phytoplankton diversity and zooplankton diversity are positively related; and by extension (3) cyanobacteria density and zooplankton diversity are inversely related. Relationships were investigated separately at shallow (4–15 m) and deep (25–100 m) sites using several diversity metrics. At deep sites, cyanobacteria density was only related (positively) to zooplankton Shannon diversity. At shallow sites, all three hypotheses were supported by three of four diversity metrics; low phytoplankton richness appears to be the link between high cyanobacteria density and low zooplankton diversity. Our results suggest that cyanobacteria may indirectly reduce zooplankton diversity by decreasing resource heterogeneity, although our results based on observational data were also consistent with well‐known direct pathways. Because low biodiversity can alter ecosystem processes and impair functioning, our results suggest that shallow systems may be more responsive to global change than deeper systems.
Erodibility Parameters Derived from Jet and Flume Erosion Tests on Root‐Permeated Soils
Authors: McNichol Bailey , Kassa Kayla , Fox Garey , Miller Ron , Guertault Lucie
Published: May 2017

Flume tests and in situ jet erosion tests (JETs) allow for the process‐based quantification of erodibility parameters of cohesive soils. In the excess shear stress model used to predict soil detachment, the critical shear stress (τc) corresponds to the stress at which fluvial forces can detach soil particles or aggregates and the erodibility coefficient (kd) governs the rate at which detachment occurs when the imposed shear exceeds τc. The primary objective of this research was to derive and compare erodibility parameters from flume tests and JETs on various root‐permeated soil samples. Based on statistical analysis, erodibility coefficients from the flume tests were typically statistically similar to those derived with JETs. In order to further determine the capability of the JET to indicate differences in erodibility of root‐permeated soils, this research then performed JETs on side‐by‐side in situ soils. The JETs on root‐permeated soils estimated significantly higher τc but insignificant differences in kd compared to JETs on adjacent bare soil. A significant correlation was observed between exposed root surface area (TRSA) and τc, but no correlation between TRSA and kd or the equilibrium scour depth was observed. More flume and JET experiments are needed to clarify the relationship between root‐permeated soils and erodibility parameters, and address a wider range of average root diameters than was considered in this research.
Hydrochlorothiazide use is strongly associated with risk of lip cancer
Authors: Pottegård A. , Hallas J. , Olesen M. , Svendsen M. T. , Habel L. A. , Friedman G. D. , Friis S.
Published: May 2017

Background

The diuretic hydrochlorothiazide is amongst the most frequently prescribed drugs in the United States and Western Europe, but there is suggestive evidence that hydrochlorothiazide use increases the risk of lip cancer.

Objectives

To study the association between use of hydrochlorothiazide and squamous cell carcinoma of the lip.

Methods

We conducted a case–control study using Danish nationwide registry data. From the Cancer Registry (2004–2012), we identified 633 case patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lip and matched them to 63 067 population controls using a risk‐set sampling strategy. Hydrochlorothiazide use (1995–2012) was obtained from the Prescription Registry and defined according to cumulative use. Applying conditional logistic regression, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) for SCC lip cancer associated with hydrochlorothiazide use, adjusting for predefined potential confounders obtained from demographic, prescription and patient registries.

Results

Ever‐use of hydrochlorothiazide was associated with an adjusted OR for SCC lip cancer of 2.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7–2.6), increasing to 3.9 (95%CI: 3.0–4.9) for high use (≥25 000 mg). There was a clear dose–response effect (P < 0.001), with the highest cumulative dose category of hydrochlorothiazide (≥100 000 mg) presenting an OR of 7.7 (95%CI: 5.7–10.5). No association with lip cancer was seen with use of other diuretics or nondiuretic antihypertensives. Assuming causality, we estimated that 11% of the SCC lip cancer cases could be attributed to hydrochlorothiazide use.

Conclusions

Hydrochlorothiazide use is strongly associated with an increased risk of lip cancer.
Carnivore distributions in Botswana are shaped by resource availability and intraguild species
Authors: Rich L. N. , Miller D. A. W. , Robinson H. S. , McNutt J. W. , Kelly M. J.
Published: May 2017

The composition of ecological communities is shaped by the interplay between interspecific interactions and species’ habitat and food requirements. The influence of interspecific interactions is particularly widespread within carnivore guilds, where species must balance the trade‐off between resource acquisition and potentially costly encounters with intraguild competitors/predators. We tested whether intraguild species activity or resource availability had a stronger influence on the seasonal distributions of 10 carnivore species in northern Botswana. We deployed 132 camera stations across a 330 km2 area during the 2014 dry season and 2015 wet season. For each species and season, we developed occupancy models based on resource availability (i.e. prey, vegetation and water) and on intraguild species (i.e. photographic detection rates of intraguild competitors and predators). We then used k‐fold cross‐validation to assess the relative predictive ability of each model. Carnivore distributions were generally negatively associated with dense vegetation and contrary to expectations, positively associated with the detection rate of intraguild species. This suggests competitor/predator avoidance did not play a large role in influencing carnivore distributions in northern Botswana, a result that differs from other systems, and might be attributed to differences in habitat, carnivore densities, and prey availability. The predictive ability of our resource availability vs. intraguild species models differed between seasons and among species. Leopard distributions, for example, were best predicted by resource availability during the dry season and by the activity of intraguild species in the wet season. The majority of seasonal distributions were best predicted by intraguild species activity or a combination of both resource availability and intraguild species activity. As environments continually change, studies similar to ours are pertinent as they can be used to monitor distributions of wildlife communities and to better understand the relative importance of the diversity of ecological processes impacting wildlife communities.
Diet, food components and the intestinal barrier
Authors: Gleeson J. P.
Published: May 2017

The majority of dietary nutrient absorption occurs in the small intestine, with the intestinal epithelium acting as a barrier to the contents of the intestinal lumen. This barrier is maintained by intestinal epithelial cells, which support nutrient uptake but prevent translocation of bacteria, allergens and toxins. There is complex signalling and interaction between intestinal epithelia, macrophages, luminal contents and the microbiota which can modulate epithelial paracellular porosity. Intake of alcohol, fatty acids, pharmaceuticals and pathogenic bacteria has been reported to increase paracellular permeability, increase production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and temporarily reorganise tight junctional proteins. Conversely, numerous probiotics, nutraceuticals and food‐derived bioactive components are promising due to reported restoration of intestinal barrier integrity by increasing production of anti‐inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of tight junctional proteins. In vitro co‐culture models exist and recent advances in microfluidic in vitro models are promising tools for investigating the complex effect of dietary components on the intestinal barrier. Temporarily perturbing the intestinal barrier may increase the oral bioavailability of therapeutic molecules. However, people with impaired intestinal integrity (e.g. those with Crohn's, coeliac or ulcerative colitis disease) should avoid foods which further perturb barrier integrity, while increasing intake of specific foods and possibly probiotics to promote intestinal barrier restoration.