bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addressing the challenges of an ageing workforce: an intergenerational learning toolkit
Authors: Ropes Donald
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the challenges organizations face in regards to an ageing workforce and to present the results of an European Union project called SILVER (see www.intergenerationallearning.eu) that developed a toolkit to help management in knowledge-intensive organizations deal with older personnel in a positive and effective manner by organizing intergenerational learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study involved interviews with 32 international human resource managers and a local survey of more than 1,100 mid and upper-level managers. Testing and evaluation of the toolkit was done in 43 organizations.

Findings

– Older workers bring several challenges with them, namely, ensuring continuous learning, social issues and diversity. The toolkit helps to deal with these challenges in a flexible and constructive way.

Originality/value

– This article gives insights into how older workers can positively contribute to learning in organizations.
The cultural similarities of work as dignity: bringing sense of community in business organizations
Authors: Palliam Ralph , Ankli Robert
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The pursuit of the culture of work as dignity is rarely a focus of scholarly writings. One dominant, widely shared and accepted cultural value of work ethic is the belief that it is work that accords dignity to a human being. While seemingly neglected in traditional management research, the concepts of dignity and well-being have experienced renewed attention from the humanities and social sciences. The ability to utilize this sense of dignity becomes a critical role of human resources in advancing self-worth and self-respect. The relationships between worker and management are considered within the culture of work as dignity.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual paper. A theoretical foundation of work as dignity is developed. It is uses Hofstede’s analysis of work-related cultural values in different countries. Work is identified as dignity that is equated to a universal property like the doctrine of modern democracy that is enjoyed by other societies.

Findings

– If work accords dignity to humans, the ability to establish a sense of employee self-worth and self-respect and to enjoy the respect of others becomes critical objectives of management. This notion results in moving high-performance workplaces to high quality workplaces resulting in managerial conduct that is fair, equitable, reasonable and just. This paper is a call to rethink management theory from a humanistic perspective and highlights the role and protection of human dignity as a cornerstone in management theory. The concept of dignity elevates human responsibilities to the degree that they support the promotion of well-being.

Research limitations/implications

– This is a conceptual paper. A rigorous empirical study needs to be conducted to substantiate the theoretical foundation.

Practical implications

– Guidance is offered to managerial responsibility in promoting work as dignity, support for work as dignity, maintaining the dominant culture of work as dignity and identifying high-performance versus high-quality workplace.

Social implications

– Dignity is a virtue. Cultural differences play a less meaningful role and individuals become more alike than unalike. Together with the dictates of modernizing technology, there is a measure of uniformity to how everyone approaches the world.

Originality/value

– This study adds value in a somewhat different vein by presenting dignity as a central purpose of human life. This paper is a call to rethink management theory from a humanistic perspective and highlights the role and protection of human. The ability to establish a sense of employee self-worth and self-respect and to enjoy the respect of others becomes critical objectives of management. Moving high-performance workplaces to high-quality workplaces results in management conduct that is fair, equitable, reasonable and just. Human responsibilities need to be elevated to a degree that they support the promotion of well-being.
Numerical solutions of two-dimensional Burgers’ equations using modified Bi-cubic B-spline finite elements
Authors: Mittal R C , Tripathi Amit
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient numerical scheme for non-linear two-dimensional (2D) parabolic partial differential equations using modified bi-cubic B-spline functions. As a test case, method has been applied successfully to 2D Burgers equations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The scheme is based on collocation of modified bi-cubic B-Spline functions. The authors used these functions for space variable and for its derivatives. Collocation form of the partial differential equation results into system of first-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The obtained system of ODEs has been solved by strong stability preserving Runge-Kutta method. The computational complexity of the method is O(p log(p)), where p denotes total number of mesh points.

Findings

– Obtained numerical solutions are better than those available in literature. Ease of implementation and very small size of computational work are two major advantages of the present method. Moreover, this method provides approximate solutions not only at the grid points but also at any point in the solution domain.

Originality/value

– First time, modified bi-cubic B-spline functions have been applied to non-linear 2D parabolic partial differential equations. Efficiency of the proposed method has been confirmed with numerical experiments. The authors conclude that the method provides convergent approximations and handles the equations very well in different cases.
Recursive parameter estimation for load sensing proportional valve based on polynomial chaos expansion
Authors: Ma Zeyu , Wu Jinglai , Zhang Yunqing , Jiang Ming
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a new computational method based on the polynomial chaos (PC) expansion to identify the uncertain parameters of load sensing proportional valve (LSPV), which is commonly used to improve the efficiency of brake system in heavy truck.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this investigation, the mathematic model of LSPV is constructed in the form of state space equation. Then the estimation process is implemented relying on the experimental measurements. With the coefficients of the PC expansion obtained by the numerical implementation, the output observation function can be transformed into a linear and time-invariant form. The uncertain parameter recursively update functions based on Newton method can therefore be derived fit for computer calculation. To improve the estimation accuracy and stability, the Newton method is modified by employing the acceptance probability to escape from the local minima during the estimation process.

Findings

– The accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed parameter estimation method are confirmed by model validation compared with other estimation methods. Meanwhile, the influence of measurement noise on the robustness of the estimation methods is taken into consideration, and it is shown that the estimation approach developed in this paper could achieve impressive stability without compromising the convergence speed and accuracy too much.

Originality/value

– The model of LSPV is originally developed in this paper, and then the authors propose a novel effective strategy for recursively estimating uncertain parameters of complicate pneumatic system based on the PC theory.
A locking-free coupled polynomial Timoshenko piezoelectric beam finite element
Authors: Sulbhewar Litesh N , Raveendranath P.
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– Piezoelectric extension mode smart beams are vital part of modern control technology and their numerical analysis is an important step in the design process. Finite elements based on First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT) are widely used for their structural analysis. The performance of the conventional FSDT-based two-noded piezoelectric beam formulations with assumed independent linear field interpolations is not impressive due to shear and material locking phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient locking-free FSDT piezoelectric beam element, while maintaining the same number of nodal degrees of freedom.

Design/methodology/approach

– The governing equations are derived using a variational formulation to establish coupled polynomial field representation for the field variables. Shape functions based on these coupled polynomials are employed here. The proposed formulation eliminates all locking effects by accommodating strain and material couplings into the field interpolation, in a variationally consistent manner.

Findings

– The present formulation shows improved convergence characteristics over the conventional formulations and proves to be the most efficient way to model extension mode piezoelectric smart beams, as demonstrated by the results obtained for numerical test problems.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such FSDT-based finite element with coupled polynomial shape function exists in the literature, which incorporates electromechanical coupling along with bending-extension and bending-shear couplings at the field interpolation level itself. The proposed formulation proves to be the fastest converging FSDT-based extension mode smart beam formulation.
Numerical simulation of EPS geofoam behaviour in triaxial tests
Authors: Ekanayake Sanka Dilshan , Liyanapathirana D.S. , Leo Chin Jian
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– EPS geofoam has been widely used in embankment construction, slope stabilisation, retaining walls, bridge approaches and abutments. Nevertheless, the potential of EPS geofoam as an engineering material in geotechnical applications has not been fully realised yet. The purpose of this paper is to present the finite element formulation of a constitutive model based on the hardening plasticity, which has the ability to simulate short-term behaviour of EPS geofoam, to predict the mechanical behaviour of EPS geofoam and it is implemented in the finite element programme ABAQUS.

Design/methodology/approach

– Finite element formulation is presented based on the explicit integration scheme.

Findings

– The finite element formulation is verified using triaxial test data found in the literature (Wong and Leo, 2006 and Chun et al., 2004) for two varieties of EPS geofoam. Performance of the constitute model is compared with four other models found in the literature and results confirm that the constitutive model used in this study has the ability to simulate the short-term EPS geofoam behaviour with sufficient accuracy.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is focused only on the short-term behaviour of EPS geofoam. Experimental studies will be carried out in future to incorporate effects of temperature and creep on the material behaviour.

Practical implications

– This formulation will be applicable to finite element analysis of boundary value problems involving EPS geofoam (e.g. application of EPS geofoam in ground vibration isolation, retaining structures as compressible inclusions and stabilisation of slopes).

Originality/value

– Finite element analysis of EPS geofoam applications are available in the literature using elastic perfectly plastic constitutive models. However, this is the first paper presenting a finite element application utilising a constitutive model specifically developed for EPS geofoam.
Optimizing parameters of support vector machines using team-search-based particle swarm optimization
Authors: Zhang Long , Wang Jianhua
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– It is greatly important to select the parameters for support vector machines (SVM), which is usually determined by cross-validation. However, the cross-validation is very time-consuming and complicated to create good parameters for SVM. The parameter tuning issue can be solved in the optimization framework. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, the authors propose a novel variant of particle swarm optimization (PSO) for the selection of parameters in SVM. The proposed algorithm is denoted as PSO-TS (PSO algorithm with team-search strategy), which is with team-based local search strategy and dynamic inertia factor. The ultimate design purpose of the strategy is to realize that the algorithm can be suitable for different problems with good balance between exploration and exploitation and efficiently control the inertia of the flight. In PSO-TS, the particles accomplish the assigned tasks according to different topology and detailedly search the achieved and potential regions. The authors also theoretically analyze the behavior of PSO-TS and demonstrate they can share the different information from their neighbors to maintain diversity for efficient search.

Findings

– The validation of PSO-TS is conducted over a widely used benchmark functions and applied to tuning the parameters of SVM. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can tune the parameters of SVM efficiently.

Originality/value

– The developed method is original.
Locavores: where you buy defines who you are
Authors: Spielmann Nathalie , Bernelin Margot
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand what motivates consumers, in particular consumers of local food products or locavores, to purchase in local retail channels vs traditional supermarkets. Using the Theory of Reasoned Action, and reviewing the literature on traceability, social relationships, involvement, values, motivation, and distribution channels, the authors propose a model explaining the antecedents and consequences of local food consumption for both locavores and traditional supermarket consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Face to face interviews were conducted in supermarket and farmers market contexts in a mid-sized city in France. A structural equation modelling was used to explain the relationship between the examined variables.

Findings

– The results suggest that consumers in traditional food distribution channels are not very involved with local food products. Alternatively, this research shows that for locavores, traceability and social links are positively related to involvement with local food products, which lowers price perceptions and positively influences utilitarian shopping value.

Originality/value

– The research provides a first empirical and academic perspective on local food consumption within different food retail channels in Europe. Much of the recent results on locavores and their behaviours have been conducted in North America and/or have remained rather conceptual.
Market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and business performance among small retailers
Authors: Kajalo Sami , Lindblom Arto
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on business performance among small retailers. In particular, the goal is to understand and determine to what extent MO and EO influence firm performance directly, and to what extent MO and EO are connected to performance via marketing capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The developed conceptual model is tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) using a sample of 202 small retailers.

Findings

– The result of the SEM model shows that both MO and EO act as a basis for improved business performance among small retailers. However, the performance impact of MO and EO is not that straightforward. Based on the research findings, it can be argued that both MO and EO require marketing capabilities to more fully unlock their value-creating potential among small retail firms.

Originality/value

– This study has provided new insights regarding the impact of MO and EO on business performance in the context of small retail firms. In particular, the study has contributed to the literature by demonstrating the routes through which MO and EO impact on performance.
The relationship between resources and market coverage in small local internet retailing
Authors: Cho Yun Kyung
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association of e-channel resources with market coverage of small local retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

– This survey-based study collects data from 147 North American florists who use web sites as e-channels. The data are analysed through a set of multi-nomial logistic regressions, and multiple analysis of covariance. Measurement validation is conducted before data analysis.

Findings

– Considering two resources, e-IT competence and e-service agility − both critical for providing e-services − this study finds that e-service agility is significantly associated with market coverage. This paper also verifies that small local retailers who have wider market coverage than their competitors achieve higher performance from an e-channel. However, the retailers with wider market coverage do not have higher total retail sales.

Practical implications

– Practitioners should carefully consider the imbalance between the cost of resource development to enable market extension and the eventual performance return. Market extension requires a high level of e-service agility, but the corresponding performance return may be inadequate. This finding advises the owners or managers of small local retailers to have a complete resource plan for the effective use of an e-channel.

Originality/value

– This is the first survey-based study on the relationship between resources and market coverage for small internet retailing. The study uses cross-disciplinary perspectives to examine the practices of internet retailing and the resources required, based on insights on marketing, operations management, and management information systems.
When does corporate governance matter? Evidence from across the corporate life-cycle
Authors: O'Connor Thomas , Byrne Julie
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between corporate governance and firm value at different stages of the corporate life-cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use two measures, commonly employed in the literature, to differentiate between “immature” and “mature” firms, and estimate separate governance-value regressions for each set of firms.

Findings

– The findings suggest that it is differences in the resource/strategic governance functions, which manifest in young firms which result in differences in value across firms, all else equal. The authors find no relationship between governance and firm value for older firms. Hence, differences in the monitoring aspect of governance between mature firms are not rewarded with a value premium.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings imply that the strategic and resource roles of governance are “must haves” for firms since firms that score highly on these fronts are valued more highly. In contrast, differences in the monitoring aspect of governance are not rewarded, suggesting that effective monitoring is not a necessity, but rather a “nice to have”. The analysis is limited to a small sample of emerging market firms, and it would be of interest to extend this analysis to a larger and broader sample of firms.

Originality/value

– The findings suggest that corporate governance is not valued at all stages of the corporate life-cycle.
Regulation of p53 during senescence in normal human keratinocytes
Authors: Kim Reuben H. , Kang Mo K. , Kim Terresa , Yang Paul , Bae Susan , Williams Drake W. , Phung Samantha , Shin Ki‐Hyuk , Hong Christine , Park No‐Hee
Published: July 2015

p53, the guardian of the genome, is a tumor suppressor protein and critical for the genomic integrity of the cells. Many studies have shown that intracellular level of p53 is enhanced during replicative senescence in normal fibroblasts, and the enhanced level of p53 is viewed as the cause of senescence. Here, we report that, unlike in normal fibroblasts, the level of intracellular p53 reduces during replicative senescence and oncogene‐induced senescence (OIS) in normal human keratinocytes (NHKs). We found that the intracellular p53 level was also decreased in age‐dependent manner in normal human epithelial tissues. Senescent NHKs exhibited an enhanced level of p16INK4A, induced G2 cell cycle arrest, and lowered the p53 expression and transactivation activity. We found that low level of p53 in senescent NHKs was due to reduced transcription of p53. The methylation status at the p53 promoter was not altered during senescence, but senescent NHKs exhibited notably lower level of acetylated histone 3 (H3) at the p53 promoter in comparison with rapidly proliferating cells. Moreover, p53 knockdown in rapidly proliferating NHKs resulted in the disruption of fidelity in repaired DNA. Taken together, our study demonstrates that p53 level is diminished during replicative senescence and OIS and that such diminution is associated with H3 deacetylation at the p53 promoter. The reduced intracellular p53 level in keratinocytes of the elderly could be a contributing factor for more frequent development of epithelial cancer in the elderly because of the loss of genomic integrity of cells.
The Social Protection System in Ageing China
Authors: Cai Fang , Du Yang
Published: July 2015

China has made great progress in weaving its social safety net in the new century. By constructing the three pillars of its social protection system – the pension system, the medical care system, and social assistance – China is trying to cover all its people under the system. Regardless of these great achievements in coverage, China has been facing challenges in the era of population ageing. In addition, the system per se needs to be integrated among various groups of people. Sustaining and strengthening the three pillars will rely on labor productivity improvement, adequate choices of welfare, and efficiency improvements.
Public Pension Fund Management: Best Practice and International Experience
Authors: Rozanov Andrew
Published: July 2015

As Japan's policymakers strive to reform the Government Pension Investment Fund, this paper reviews the core principles and best practices of public pension fund management, with a particular focus on governance and investment philosophy, as distilled from the experience of some of the largest and most advanced institutional investors. It proceeds to compare and contrast three distinct models of institutional fund management: the Norway model, the Yale/Australia Future Fund model, and the Canada model. The paper concludes by making some preliminary recommendations for the Government Pension Investment Fund reform.
Associations between family characteristics and parental empowerment in the family, family service situations and the family service system
Authors: Vuorenmaa M. , Perälä M.‐L. , Halme N. , Kaunonen M. , Åstedt‐Kurki P.
Published: July 2015

Background

Parental empowerment signifies parents' sense of confidence in managing their children, interacting with services that their children use and improving child care services. High empowerment is associated with parents' resilience to demands and their confidence to make decisions and take actions that positively affect their families. Most families with children access various healthcare and education services. Professionals working in these services are therefore ideally placed to reinforce parental empowerment. However, little is known about the characteristics associated with parental empowerment within a generic sample of parents or in the context of basic child care services.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess how family characteristics are associated with maternal and paternal empowerment in the family, in service situations and in the service system.

Method

Parental empowerment was measured among 955 parents (mothers = 571; fathers = 384) of children aged 0–9 years using the Generic Family Empowerment Scale. Family characteristics were assessed through questions on children, parents and the life situation. Associations between empowerment and family characteristics were evaluated using one‐way analysis of variance and t‐test. Parental empowerment was predicted by multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

Parents' concerns related to their parenting, such as whether they possessed sufficient skills as a parent or losing their temper with children, as well as experiences of stress in everyday life, were negatively associated with all dimensions of maternal and paternal empowerment. Both determinants were more common and more significant in empowerment than child‐related problems.

Conclusion

Promoting parental self‐confidence and providing appropriate emotional and concrete support for everyday functioning may reinforce parental empowerment, thereby enhancing families' well‐being and coping, as well as improving their access to required services and timely support. Finally, it may facilitate the provision of better services to all families.
Learning to Read Chinese: Universal and Unique Cognitive Cores
Authors: McBride Catherine , Wang Ying
Published: July 2015

How do children learn to read Chinese? Three abilities identified as cognitive cores for reading in alphabetic orthographies are letter knowledge, phonemic awareness, and rapid automatized naming (RAN; Hulme & Snowling, 2013). What are the cognitive cores for Chinese? Identifying such cores is important for two reasons. First, if they can be identified, cores can be tested early to distinguish those children who might be at risk for reading difficulties, helping prevent and remediate dyslexia. Second, training of such core abilities might facilitate more optimal word recognition and word writing over time. In other words, identifying such core abilities can suggest more effective ways to teach early Chinese literacy skills. In this article, we argue that phonological sensitivity, RAN, and morphological awareness are cores for Chinese learning. In addition, visual‐orthographic abilities may be associated causally with Chinese literacy skills over time.
Census and effective population sizes of white‐spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) in a fragmented landscape
Authors: Yamamoto Shoichiro , Kubota Hitoshi , Hasegawa Koh , Nakamura Tomoyuki
Published: July 2015

Several habitat models have been proposed to predict population size for stream fishes and to guide habitat assessment and monitoring techniques. However, most models do not incorporate the potential advantage of molecular genetic markers. We conducted a field survey and microsatelliteDNAanalyses to quantify the relationships among genetic diversity, census/effective population size and habitat variables in fragmented populations of white‐spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis). The census population size significantly increased with the stream length, the number of pools and a pool‐riffle sequence index, a proxy for channel‐unit habitat type complexity within reaches. Population density was correlated with the pool‐riffle sequence index only. Genetic diversity and effective population size were not correlated with the habitat variables or census population size. There was a lack of isolation‐by‐distance population structure in the studied populations. Our results suggest that stream length and the number of pools within reaches associated with habitat complexity are the habitat variables that explain the majority of variation in population size of white‐spotted charr. Our findings provide further evidence that census population sizeper seis a poor indicator of the inclusive genetic diversity within populations in a fragmented landscape.
Is the Setal Patch on the Chelae of Hemigrapsus takanoi and Hemigrapsus sinensis (Crustacea, Brachyura, Varunidae) Advantageous in Fighting and Mating?
Authors: Miyajima Aya , Wada Keiji
Published: July 2015

Many animals have unique morphological characters that function in social behavior. Sexual selection can affect the expression of such traits in males and females, leading to sexual dimorphism. We investigated the social function of setal patches on the chelae of two species of varunid crabs, one in which males, but not females, have setal patches (Hemigrapsus takanoi), and one in which both sexes have setal patches (Hemigrapsus sinensis). We experimentally removed setal patches and compared fighting and mating behavior of individuals with and without setal patches. In H. sinensis, males with setal patches removed were inferior fighters compared to intact males. In male H. takanoi and female H. sinensis, setal removal did not influence the outcome of fights. In mating, males lacking setal patches had a similar ability to copulate with females as intact males in both species. However, male H. takanoi with their setae removed tended to take more time to initiate copulation than did intact males. When females were given the opportunity to choose intact males or males without setal patches, females of H. takanoi did not discriminate between the two. Female H. sinensis, however, copulated with intact males more frequently compared to males lacking setal patches. Male H. sinensis showed no preferences for the presence of setal patches or the body size of females. Thus, our results indicate that setal patches have a social function in male H. takanoi and male H. sinensis, but not in female H. sinensis, suggesting that the setal patches of male crabs are a sexually selected trait in both species. However, the social function of male setal patches was more prominent in the species in which both sexes possess setal patches than in the species in which only males bear setal patches.
Exercise testing in the equine athlete
Authors: Allen K. J. , van Erck‐Westergren E. , Franklin S. H.
Published: July 2015

In the last decade there have been significant technological advances and increases in the availability of portable diagnostic equipment for use in the assessment of athletic performance. The design and application of appropriate exercise tests are critical factors for the diagnosis of conditions affecting equine performance and it is therefore necessary for veterinary surgeons using such equipment to develop an understanding of appropriate exercise testing methods. This is the first in a series of three papers covering exercise testing in the equine athlete, interpretation of heart rate and rhythm during exercise and interpretation of dynamic upper respiratory tract function. In this first paper, both performance and clinical exercise testing in the equine athlete are reviewed.
An Auto‐Ethnographic Study of “Open Dialogue”: The Illumination of Snow
Authors: Olson Mary
Published: July 2015

This auto‐ethnographic study describes the changes in the author's thinking and clinical work connected to her first‐hand experience of Open Dialogue, which is an innovative, psychosocial approach to severe psychiatric crises developed in Tornio, Finland. In charting this trajectory, there is an emphasis on three interrelated themes: the micropolitics of U.S. managed mental health care; the practice of “dialogicality” in Open Dialogue; and the historical, cultural, and scientific shifts that are encouraging the adaptation of Open Dialogue in the United States. The work of Gregory Bateson provides a conceptual framework that makes sense of the author's experience and the larger trends. The study portrays and underscores how family and network practices are essential to responding to psychiatric crises and should not be abandoned in favor of a reductionist, biomedical model.
Coexistence of two Cyclotella diatom species in the plankton of Lake Baikal
Authors: Jewson David H. , Granin Nick G. , Gnatovsky Ruslan Yu. , Lowry Steve F. , Teubner Katrin
Published: July 2015

In a combined laboratory and field study over 10 years, we investigated how two centric diatom species, Cyclotella baicalensis and Cyclotella minuta, have coexisted in the plankton of Lake Baikal in Siberia for over 100,000 years.

The species differ substantially in cell size: C. baicalensis has some of the largest cells found in freshwater phytoplankton at up to 135 μm diameter, but C. minuta can be as small as 10 μm. They illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of small versus large size in a planktonic environment. Other differences included a faster division rate of C. minuta but a faster rate of biovolume increase in C. baicalensis.

Timing of their life cycles and peak cell abundances differed. C. baicalensis peaked in June or July after ice break‐up, but C. minuta usually peaked in autumn, because it was able to tolerate higher temperatures and survive higher in the water column during summer stratification, allowing growth to begin earlier than other species.

Satellite‐derived surface temperature data combined with temperature tolerances of each species revealed how variation in upwelling affected population development.

Speciation may have occurred after a change in environmental conditions allowed larger cells to remain in suspension throughout the year. Long‐term co‐existence became possible because ecological differences reduced interspecific competition.
Detection of the long noncoding RNAs nuclear‐enriched autosomal transcript 1 (NEAT1) and metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 in the peripheral blood of HIV‐1‐infected patients
Authors: Jin C , Peng X , Xie T , Lu X , Liu F , Wu H , Yang Z , Wang J , Cheng L , Wu N
Published: July 2015

Objectives

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HIV‐1 infection have not been extensively studied. Here we detected two lncRNAs, nuclear‐enriched autosomal transcript 1 (NEAT1) and metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma of HIV‐1‐infected patients.

Methods

Fifty‐nine HIV‐1‐infected patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited for the study, of whom 31 patients were highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)‐naïve and 28 patients had been receiving HAART for more than 1 year with undetectable viral loads. Total RNA was extracted from PBMCs and plasma, and levels of NEAT1 and MALAT1 were determined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

We found that the levels of NEAT1 and MALAT1 in PBMCs were up‐regulated in HAART‐naïve patients and were reduced in patients receiving HAART. NEAT1 was down‐regulated in the plasma of infected patients and expression was correlated with CD4 T‐cell count.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that NEAT1 and MALAT1 may interact with HIV‐1 in vivo and that the presence of NEAT1 in plasma is a potential biomarker of HIV‐1 infection.
Experience of morning reports in the emergency department
Authors: Sabbagh C. , Chaddad M. , El Rassy E.
Published: July 2015

Morning report in the emergency medicine departments is an emerging teaching modality in the medicine curriculum. Our institution, Hotel‐Dieu de France hospital, a multidisciplinary tertiary care university hospital affiliated to the Saint Joseph University of Medical Sciences, is the only hospital in Middle East to hold morning reports in the emergency department (ED). We evaluate the usefulness of the morning report as a pedagogic tool as it assesses the content, quality of the discussions, professionalism, leadership, participation and duration of the morning report. The particularity of this paper is that it takes into consideration the interns' input often under‐recognised in the studies. An anonymous questionnaire was diffused to the residents and interns that rotated in the ED during the previous year. It consisted of seven multiple‐choice questions to evaluate the quality of the presentations, targeted discussions, ethics and professionalism, evidence‐based medicine, clinical reasoning, relation of cases to discussions and implication of the ED physician. Overall, of the 63 patients who answered the survey, 65.1% were satisfied by the content. The majority considered the quality of the discussions acceptable and the leadership and participation satisfactory, professionalism was judged poor. Both residents and interns were satisfied of the teaching point of the morning reports. The only fail back observed was professionalism and pathophysiological discussions that require to be added to the sessions, whereas clinical management, teaching points, leadership and time management were completely satisfactory.
Oral chronic graft‐versus‐host disease in Australia: clinical features and challenges in management
Authors: Hull K. , Kerridge I. , Avery S. , McCullough M. , Ritchie D. , Szer J.
Published: July 2015

Data from the Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry show a steady increase in the number of allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) performed annually in Australia and New Zealand. In 2012, 629 allogeneic HSCT were performed. Allogeneic HSCT is associated with numerous potential complications, including chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (cGVHD). The oral cavity is one of the most frequent sites affected by cGvHD, often leading to significant disability and reduced quality of life. Management strategies are often complex, of variable efficacy and influenced by the availability of various therapeutic agents, access to compounding pharmacies and associated costs. This paper summarises the current status of allogeneic HSCT in Australia and New Zealand with a focus on oral cGvHD and the associated challenges in its management.
Predicting Interest Rate Volatility Using Information on the Yield Curve
Authors: Takamizawa Hideyuki
Published: July 2015

This study examines whether information on the yield curve is useful for predicting volatility of the yield curve. The information is used within dynamic models by specifying the covariance matrix of changes in yield factors as nonlinear functions of the factors. Using such models, it is found that the information (i) is useful for predicting volatility of the slope factor, achieving the accuracy comparable with the GARCH model; (ii) has incremental value for predicting volatility of the curvature factor when combined with a volatility‐specific factor; and (iii) does not much improve prediction of volatility of the level factor once the volatility‐specific factor is introduced.
Application of SAFT‐VR Equation of State for Prediction of Thermophysical Properties of Sugar Solutions
Authors: Baghbanbashi Mojhdeh , Pazuki Gholamreza
Published: July 2015

The thermodynamic properties of sugar solutions, which are important solutions in food industries, have been calculated. Because of the large molecules and hydrogen bonding in the water/sugar solutions, the statistical association fluid theory of variable ranged (SAFT‐VR) equation of state was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties such as water activity, solubility, vapor pressure and boiling temperature of the aqueous sugar solutions, including glucose, sucrose and fructose. The SAFT‐VR parameters were calculated using vapor pressure and density data for water and water activity data for sugars. The total average absolute deviation percentage (AAD%) for all the calculated properties was 1.93%. The results showed that the model can accurately predict the properties of the sugar solution.

Practical Applications

Sugar solutions have important roles and uses in different industries such as food production, food preservation industries, chemical feed stock, pharmaceutical industries, metabolic reactions, industrial operations and chemical processes, such as crystallization, evaporation and selective separation. For example, water activity in a solution can be used to stop deteriorative reactions. The density of the solution is important in separation processes and mixing equipment. Solubility of sugar in water is another important property in food preservation and processes such as gasification and separation. The boiling temperature of the solution is an important thermodynamic property in different industrial processes such as purification and separation processes.
Triamcinolone spray: no‐rub application as effective as rub application
Authors: Draelos Zoe Diana
Published: July 2015

Background

Adherence to therapy is important to achieve successful treatment outcomes. Although effective, topical treatments in dermatology may result in sticky skin or may be too time‐consuming to apply, thereby creating adherence issues. Spray formulations have excellent products aesthetics, but may require a 2‐step application process.

Aims

This study was conducted to determine whether the spray formulation of triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) 0.2% works equally well in a no‐rub and rub application process.

Methods

Fifty patients 18 years of age and older with mild symmetrical arm or leg eczema or atopic dermatitis were enrolled in a 2‐week investigator‐blinded study. One limb was randomized to be treated with TAC spray and no rubbing, and the other was to be treated with TAC spray and rubbing. Patients applied the spray three times daily for 2 weeks. The use of moisturizers was not permitted.

Results

After 2 weeks, there was a highly clinical and statistical (P < 0.001) improvement in all investigator and patient parameters evaluated with both the no‐rub and rub techniques. There was no difference in final assessment scores between the no‐rub and rub applications (P > 0.7), and no study product tolerability issues were identified. Transepidermal water loss and corneometry measures revealed no issues in skin barrier impairment even though patients were not permitted to use moisturizers.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the application parity between a no‐rub and rub application of TAC spray in the absence of a moisturizer. Both techniques resulted in clinical and significant improvement in eczema and atopic dermatitis and neither resulted in skin barrier issues.
Dimensional Latent Structure of Relationship Quality: Results of Three Representative Population Samples
Authors: Kliem Sören , Foran Heather M. , Beller Johannes , Hahlweg Kurt , Stöbel‐Richter Yve , Brähler Elmar
Published: July 2015

A fundamental question facing every latent construct (e.g., relationship quality) is whether the construct is categorical or dimensional in nature. The authors analyzed the latent status of relationship quality in 3 large general German population samples using the Partnership Questionnaire (PFB), the Quality of Relationship Inventory, and the short form of the PFB (PFB‐K; N1 = 1,330, N2 = 1,494, N3 = 1,390). They applied 3 widely used taxometric methods: (a) MAXEIG, (b) MAMBAC, and (c) L‐Mode. Simulation data were created to evaluate the comparison curve fit index values, which were below 0.5 across the 3 German population samples, supporting a dimensional solution. Hence, in the current study the latent structure of relationship quality encompassed differences in degree rather than kind. Implications of the dimensional latent status of relationship quality, as well as causes of the discrepant findings with previous taxometric studies, are discussed.
Professional knowledge among Swedish and Saudi healthcare practitioners regarding oro‐facial pain in children and adolescents
Authors: Al‐Khotani A. , Naimi‐Akbar A. , Björnsson O. , Christidis N. , Alstergren P.
Published: July 2015

Oro‐facial pain (OFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents are a growing problem. To meet patients’ healthcare needs, professionals must perform their work intuitively and with quality. Therefore, a high degree of professional knowledge is necessary. To investigate the professional knowledge regarding OFP/TMD in children and adolescents among Swedish and Saudi Arabian dental and medical specialists compared with Swedish OFP specialists. One questionnaire including the four domains Chronic pain and behaviour; Aetiology; Diagnosis and classification; Treatment and prognosis was distributed to 383 potential participants, that is physicians and dentists in Sweden and Saudi Arabia. The Swedish OFP/TMD specialists were used as a reference group. The response rates from Sweden and Saudi Arabia were 49% and 86%, respectively. The degree of agreement was highest in the domain Chronic pain and behaviour, especially for the Swedish groups. Regarding the other three domains, the agreement was modest to poor. In general, Swedish groups showed a higher agreement with Swedish OFP/TMD specialists than Saudi Arabian groups. This study shows that professional knowledge regarding OFP/TMD in children and adolescents is limited among Swedish and Saudi Arabian dental and medical professionals compared to Swedish OFP/TMD specialists. In Swedish groups, the professional knowledge is more accurate than in the corresponding Saudi Arabian. With these results in mind, and the frequent prevalence of OFP/TMD in children and adolescents, one can draw the conclusion that there is a need for modern medical education regarding OFP/TMD among both physicians and dentists, especially in Saudi Arabia.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns in Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs (2010–2013)
Authors: Wong C. , Epstein S.E. , Westropp J.L.
Published: July 2015

Background

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in dogs. The responsible bacterial populations have evolved with increasing resistance to many antimicrobials.

Objective

To characterize the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of canine urinary tract isolates over a 51‐month period.

Animals

One thousand six hundred and thirty‐six bacterial isolates from 1,028 dogs.

Methods

Aerobic bacterial isolate growth and susceptibility data from urine cultures of dogs were identified, retrospectively. Medical records were reviewed to obtain signalment, comorbidities, and antimicrobial use in the previous 30 days. The UTIs were further categorized as uncomplicated, complicated, or pyelonephritis.

Results

Common bacterial isolates identified were Escherichia coli (52.5%), Staphylococcus spp. (13.6%), and Enterococcus spp. (13.3%). In vitro susceptibility among all isolates varied for commonly prescribed antimicrobials (amoxicillin [59%], amoxicillin/clavulanic acid [76%], cephalexin [66%], enrofloxacin [74%] and trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole [86%]). For all antimicrobials tested (except aminoglycosides), in vitro susceptibility was higher in uncomplicated versus complicated infections (P < .05). Uncomplicated infection isolate susceptibility rates remained ≤90% for PO administered antimicrobials. Administration of amoxicillin, doxycycline, and enrofloxacin, but not amoxicillin/clavulanic acid in the previous 30 days was associated with resistance to that antimicrobial. Multidrug resistant isolates of E. coli and Staphylococcus spp. were more common in dogs with complicated than uncomplicated UTIs (36% versus 21%, P < .0001).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

In vitro susceptibility was highly variable and no PO administered antimicrobial had >90% efficacy among isolates tested. Multidrug resistance was frequent among isolates tested suggesting that routine culture and susceptibility testing is indicated. Previously prescribed antimicrobials may affect empirical choices made pending susceptibility testing.