bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adoption of renewable energy technologies (RETs) using a mixed-method approach
Authors: Geddes Nicholas Morgan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to propose that the socio-technical perspective is under-represented when appraising the adoption potential of renewable energy technologies (RETs) in late-industrialising countries and that this results in under-adoption. It also aims to identify a methodological approach that allows the socio-technical perspective to be integrated into management decision-making, alongside the more typical economic appraisal methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study and novel mixed-methodology approach is used, which applies the diffusion of innovations framework, innovation system (IS) framework and system dynamics modelling (SDM) alongside traditional economic modelling and appraisal techniques. This approach is used to assess the adoption potential of solar photovoltaic (PV) and diesel water pumping systems in the wildlife conservation sector and surrounding rural communities in Kenya. The case study approach tests the merits of the mixed-methodology approach.

Findings

The life-cycle costs of solar PV water pumping systems are lower in nearly all financing and utilisation scenarios; offer additional social, technical and environmental benefits; and the conditions exist for greater adoption. The use of an integrated diffusion of innovations and IS framework generates significant qualitative data that can support management decision-making. The use of SDM techniques aid conceptualisation of the community economic, water and institutional systems into which water pumps may be diffused and provide a starting point for formal SDM simulation. The results suggest that these techniques capture the socio-technical perspective well and, when used alongside traditional project appraisal approaches, produce more complete information with which to support management decision-making.

Originality/value

This mixed-methodology approach could be used by practitioners to increase the diffusion and adoption of RETs in more complex contexts in late-industrialising countries. The emergent theory built through the case-study approach should be tested further to assess the merits of applying these techniques to support RET management decision-making in other contexts and more broadly.
Decoding service brand image through user-generated images
Authors: Bakri Marlini , Krisjanous Jayne , Richard James E.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Despite the growing number of studies surrounding user-generated content (UGC), understanding of the implications, potential and pertinence of user-generated images (UGI), the visual form of UGC, on brand image in services is limited. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept and a comprehensive framework of image word of mouth (IWOM), which identifies UGI as visual articulations of service experiences that result in consumer judgment of service brand image. The framework takes a consumer-focussed approach and covers key branding issues relevant to services marketers such as identifying and linking valued services dimensions, made evident through IWOM, to ideas and thoughts inferred by consumers (viewers) of the brand image and consequent consumer intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews and synthesises current services, marketing and branding literature surrounding electronic word of mouth (WOM) and UGC, where it highlights the need to consider interpretations of UGI as persuasive forms of visual WOM or IWOM, as well as a critical stimuli of brand image.

Findings

The paper illuminates the importance of adopting a visual perspective that applies constructs developed in cognitive psychology, to decode how viewers (consumers) interact and form associations of brand image via IWOM.

Originality/value

The paper examines, integrates and adds to extant literature surrounding WOM, UGC, visual images and brand image within services.
Bulgarian authors’ open access awareness and preferences
Authors: Boock Michael , Todorova Tania Yordanova , Trencheva Tereza Stoyanova , Todorova Radostina
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings of a survey of Bulgarian faculty about the extent to which their research is openly available, awareness of the European Union Competitiveness Council open access goal, support for the goal and preferences for achieving it.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a survey of 584 faculty at six universities in Bulgaria using the Qualtrics online survey software. There were 222 effectively surveyed respondents.

Findings

Bulgarian researchers are aware of arguments in favor of open access and believe that it benefits researchers in their discipline. Only a little more than a third of Bulgarian faculty are familiar with the E.U. goal of open access to all publicly-funded research by 2020. Once the goal is explained, they support it. Authors may not understand the intricacies of green and gold open access, but they are willing to meet the E.U. goal by either publishing in open access journals (the gold method) or depositing articles in open access repositories (the green method).

Research limitations/implications

The results are useful to countries and funding agencies interested in achieving open access to state funded research.

Originality/value

To date, there has been no research that seeks to determine the degree to which researchers are aware of the E.U. Competitiveness Council’s goal or that seeks to determine faculty preferences for achieving that goal. This paper explores methods available for achieving open access to the results of publicly funded research in Bulgaria.
If we eat soy, do we keep the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet?
Authors: Aulisa Giovanni , Binda Claudio , Padua Elvira , Pratesi Antonio , Bellia Alfonso , Bellia Chiara , Lombardo Mauro
Published: February 2020

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate if soya consumption can compromise or positively influence the effects of the Mediterranean diet (MD).

Design/methodology/approach

A full literature review has been conducted as part of a proposal of a new point of view on the consumption of soya and its derivatives in areas where until a few decades ago this type of food did not exist at all.

Findings

There does not seem to be any contraindications for soy systematic use, therefore, excluding historical-geographical reasons, soya could be included in an MD without altering the benefits associated with it.

Practical implications

Soya is not advised as a typical food in the MD, but promoting its use could probably contribute to increase the variety of the diet and likely consolidates the positive health benefits characteristic of MD.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review is one of the first to evaluate soybean consumption within the MD.
Formal mentoring support, person–environment fit and newcomer's intention to leave
Authors: Cai Zhenyao , Wu Dandan , Xin Ying , Chen Yang , Wu Haining
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how and why formal mentoring support reduces newcomers' intention to leave from the perspective of uncertainty reduction theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Time-lagged data were collected from two sources, mentors and newcomers, and 193 paired data sets were included in the analysis.

Findings

The results showed that formal mentoring support was positively related to newcomers' person–organisation fit (P–O fit) and person–job fit (P–J fit). In addition, P–O fit and P–J fit mediated the relationship between formal mentoring support and newcomers' intention to leave. Moreover, newcomers' uncertainty avoidance orientation strengthened the relationship between formal mentoring support and perception of fit, and it strengthened the indirect effect between formal mentoring support and newcomer's intention to leave, via the perception of fit.

Originality/value

This study enhances our understanding of the underlying mechanism between formal mentoring support and newcomers' intention to leave. Moreover, it demonstrates that uncertainty avoidance orientation is an important boundary condition during the process of organisational socialisation. The findings also contribute to the organisational socialisation and the mentoring literature by providing evidence from a blue-collar sample.
Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty through mHealth service digitalization
Authors: Cobelli Nicola , Chiarini Andrea
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The main purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate the attitude of pharmacists, as small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners, toward new technologies, and more precisely, toward the adoption of mobile apps for mobile health (mHealth). Such apps are generally used to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study measures pharmacists’ subjective experiences of mobile apps for mHealth and aims to understand how these pharmacists make sense of these apps.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the narrative inquiry technique combined with critical event analysis. Participants' experiences were categorized based on how they viewed new technology tools. Interpretative inductive analysis identified precise aspects of the sense making illustrative of non-adoption or confused adoption of new technologies by pharmacists.

Findings

This study investigates to what extent new technology tools such as mobile apps affect retailers and more precisely the reasons why mobile apps are and are not adopted by retailers, as potential users, in the pharmaceutical industry. We identified four aspects of sense making that illustrated non-adoption or confused adoption of new technologies by pharmacists. These aspects are deeply discussed in the paper and are referred to the dimensions of confusion to confidence; suspicion to trust; frustration to education; mistrust to cooperation.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the present study is the limited number of territories investigated. This limitation arose because of the exploratory nature of the available research, which is generally based on case studies, and the lack of clear operationalization of the research available at the time of data collection. Another limitation is that the sample included only SMEs operating in the Italian pharmacy industry.

Originality/value

Many studies have highlighted the opportunities related to new mobile apps in the business-to-business market. Several have investigated customer interest in such new technology. If some contributions have indirectly investigated the acceptance of information technology tools, to the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to investigate directly and precisely the level of pharmacists' acceptance, use, and willingness to adopt information technology (e.g., mobile apps) for customer service in mHealth and mainly the reasons of non-adoption.
Carbon substrate re‐orders relative growth of a bacterium using Mo‐, V‐, or Fe‐nitrogenase for nitrogen fixation
Authors: Luxem Katja E. , Kraepiel Anne M. L. , Zhang Lichun , Waldbauer Jacob R. , Zhang Xinning
Published: February 2020

Biological nitrogen fixation is catalyzed by the molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V) and iron (Fe)‐only nitrogenase metalloenzymes. Studies with purified enzymes have found that the ‘alternative’ V‐ and Fe‐nitrogenases generally reduce N2 more slowly and produce more byproduct H2 than the Mo‐nitrogenase, leading to an assumption that their usage results in slower growth. Here we show that, in the metabolically versatile photoheterotroph Rhodopseudomonas palustris, the type of carbon substrate influences the relative rates of diazotrophic growth based on different nitrogenase isoforms. The V‐nitrogenase supports growth as fast as the Mo‐nitrogenase on acetate but not on the more oxidized substrate succinate. Our data suggest that this is due to insufficient electron flux to the V‐nitrogenase isoform on succinate compared with acetate. Despite slightly faster growth based on the V‐nitrogenase on acetate, the wild‐type strain uses exclusively the Mo‐nitrogenase on both carbon substrates. Notably, the differences in H2:N2 stoichiometry by alternative nitrogenases (~1.5 for V‐nitrogenase, ~4–7 for Fe‐nitrogenase) and Mo‐nitrogenase (~1) measured here are lower than prior in vitro estimates. These results indicate that the metabolic costs of V‐based nitrogen fixation could be less significant for growth than previously assumed, helping explain why alternative nitrogenase genes persist in diverse diazotroph lineages and are broadly distributed in the environment.
Phenotypic divergence of thermotolerance: Molecular basis and cold adaptive evolution related to intrinsic DNA flexibility of glacier‐inhabitingCryobacteriumstrains
Authors: Liu Qing , Song Wei‐Zhi , Zhou Yu‐Guang , Dong Xiu‐Zhu , Xin Yu‐Hua
Published: February 2020

The link between guanine–cytosine (GC) content and thermal adaptation is controversial. Here, we compared maximum growth temperature (TMGT) and genomics of 78Cryobacteriumstrains to avoid unreliable conclusions resulting from distantly phylogenetic groups. Phylogenomic analysis revealed this taxon had much higher diversification than we knew. Interestingly, these strains showed thermotolerance divergence with phylogenetic cohesion. A significant difference was found betweenTMGT≤ 20°C strains andTMGT> 20°C strains in genomic GC content which mainly caused by variation of GC3.TMGT≤ 20°C strains tended to use synonymous codons ended with A/U, butTMGT> 20°C strains tended to use G/C. Lower GC content at synonymous sites (≈GC3) ofTMGT≤ 20°C strains could provide lower intrinsic DNA flexibility which strongly associated with optimal molecular dynamics, and then guarantee DNA function at lower growth temperatures. This analysis of codon bias revealed close relationships for thermal adaptation, GC content at synonymous sites (≈GC3), intrinsic DNA flexibility and optimal DNA dynamics. Natural selection was main force driving this codon bias; strains with lowerTMGTendured stronger natural selection. Therefore, this study provided molecular basis for bacterial adaptive evolution from moderate temperature to low temperature.
The small secreted effector protein MiSSP7.6 of Laccaria bicolor is required for the establishment of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis
Authors: Kang Heng , Chen Xin , Kemppainen Minna , Pardo Alejandro G. , Veneault‐Fourrey Claire , Kohler Annegret , Martin Francis M.
Published: February 2020

To establish and maintain a symbiotic relationship, the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor releases mycorrhiza‐induced small secreted proteins (MiSSPs) into host roots. Here, we have functionally characterized the MYCORRHIZA‐iNDUCED SMALL SECRETED PROTEIN OF 7.6 kDa (MiSSP7.6) from L. bicolor by assessing its induced expression in ectomycorrhizae, silencing its expression by RNAi, and tracking in planta subcellular localization of its protein product. We also carried out yeast two‐hybrid assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis to identify possible protein targets of the MiSSP7.6 effector in Populus roots. We showed that MiSSP7.6 expression is upregulated in ectomycorrhizal rootlets and associated extramatrical mycelium during the late stage of symbiosis development. RNAi mutants with a decreased MiSSP7.6 expression have a lower mycorrhization rate, suggesting a key role in the establishment of the symbiosis with plants. MiSSP7.6 is secreted, and it localizes both to the nuclei and cytoplasm in plant cells. MiSSP7.6 protein was shown to interact with two Populus Trihelix transcription factors. Furthermore, when coexpressed with one of the Trihelix transcription factors, MiSSP7.6 is localized to plant nuclei only. Our data suggest that MiSSP7.6 is a novel secreted symbiotic effector and is a potential determinant for ectomycorrhiza formation.
Endogenous timing game in a mixed duopoly with partial foreign ownership and asymmetric increasing marginal costs
Authors: Kawasaki Akio , Ohkawa Takao , Okamura Makoto
Published: February 2020

This study examines a timing game in a mixed duopoly wherein public and private firms compete by taking account of the increasing marginal cost of both firms, as well as partial foreign ownership of the private firm. This study finds that if the private firm has a strong cost advantage over the public firm, public leadership is a risk dominant equilibrium irrespective of foreign ownership ratio. This result means that the cost difference between the public and private firms matters in selecting the risk‐dominant equilibrium of the timing game. Additionally, if the private firm has only a weak cost advantage over the public firm, then private leadership (public leadership) is the risk dominant equilibrium if the foreign ownership ratio is (not) small.
Copper resistance genes of Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 identified by transposon sequencing
Authors: Higgins Steven , Gualdi Stefano , Pinto‐Carbó Marta , Eberl Leo
Published: February 2020

Copper is an essential element but in excess is highly toxic and therefore cytoplasmic levels must be tightly controlled. Member of the genus Burkholderia are highly resistant to various heavy metals and are often isolated from acidic soils where copper bioavailability is high. In this study, we employed transposon sequencing (Tn‐Seq) to identify copper resistance genes in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111. We identified a copper efflux system that shares similarities with the plasmid‐based copper detoxification systems found in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas syringae. We also found that several of the identified resistance determinants are involved in maintaining the integrity of the cell envelope, suggesting that proteins located in the outer membrane and periplasmic space are particularly sensitive to copper stress. Given that several of the resistance genes are required for the repair and turnover of misfolded proteins, we suggest that copper toxicity is caused by protein damage rather than by oxidative stress.
Land‐use intensification promotes non‐native species in a tropical island bird assemblage
Authors: Soares F. C. , Panisi M. , Sampaio H. , Soares E. , Santana A. , Buchanan G. M. , Leal A. I. , Palmeirim J. M. , de Lima R. F.
Published: February 2020

Habitat loss and non‐native species are two key drivers of biodiversity decline. The importance of their interactions is widely recognized, but remains poorly understood. We used the endemic‐rich bird assemblage of São Tomé Island to study this type of interactions. We built species‐specific binomial generalized linear models for 33 terrestrial bird species, based on presence–absence data from 2398 sampling points. Meta‐analysis techniques revealed that land use was more important in explaining distribution than topographic variables, rainfall, or distance to coast for the studied bird species. Native species were more likely to occur in remote rainy forests at higher altitudes, whereas non‐native species were more likely to occur in non‐forested ecosystems, being associated with humanized lowland areas in the drier flat regions of São Tomé. The susceptibility of anthropogenic ecosystems to the establishment of non‐native birds suggests that disturbance favours these species. An analysis of species feeding guilds further suggests that these habitat associations might be linked to resource availability, as a large proportion of non‐native species rely on seeds, which are clearly more available outside the best‐preserved forests. Contrarily, very few native birds seem to be using this resource, and instead rely on more complex ecological interaction, such as carnivory and frugivory. This difference may reduce the chance of negative interactions between native and non‐native species (e.g. competition), but this should not be misunderstood for a lack of negative effects of the latter. Our results indicate that land‐use intensification is the key driver of biodiversity changes on São Tomé, potentially facilitating the expansion of non‐native species and demoting ecological complexity. Therefore, protecting the best‐preserved forests is the single most important measure to ensure the conservation of native species.
Five myths about unacceptable behaviour in surgical education
Authors: Liang Rhea , Anthony Adrian , Leditschke I. Anne
Published: February 2020

Recent evidence of the occurrence of discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in surgery and more generally within healthcare has led to widespread discussion about the effects of unacceptable behaviour in surgical education and practice. Despite accumulating evidence of the adverse effects of unacceptable behaviour in clinical practice, not only on health care professionals but on patient care and outcomes, many surgeons and other health care professionals continue to embrace false perceptions about appropriate professional behaviour, interactions and approaches to teaching within surgical departments and more generally within healthcare institutions. This article explores five misperceptions about unacceptable behaviour in surgical education and provides evidence that supports a change in practice.
Quality of clinical direct oral anticoagulant prescribing and identification of risk factors for inappropriate prescriptions
Authors: Zhang Zhu Xian , van de Garde Ewoudt M. W. , Söhne Maaike , Harmsze Ankie M. , van den Broek Marcel P. H.
Published: February 2020

Aims

Even though the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is safe based on clinical outcomes, drug safety also depends on appropriateness of drug prescription, which is challenging for DOACs since many patient factors need to be considered. The aim of this study was to assess the appropriateness of DOAC prescriptions and to identify risk factors of determinants for inappropriate DOAC prescriptions.

Methods

A retrospective study in a nonuniversity teaching hospital was performed of hospitalized patients (≥18 years) who received an initial DOAC prescription between February and August 2018. Appropriateness of prescribing was evaluated on 8 criteria by using a modified version of the medication appropriateness index.

Results

A total of 770 initial DOAC prescriptions of inpatients were evaluated: 267 patients (34.6%) had at least met 1 inappropriate criterion for a DOAC prescription. The most frequent inappropriate criterion was dosage (17.4%). Of the 4 DOACs, dabigatran (21.6%) and apixaban (21.2%) were mostly inappropriate dosed. In a multivariable analysis, reduced renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <50 mL/min; odds ratio [OR] = 2.35; P < .001), a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.87; P = .004), and ‘prescribed by surgeons' (OR = 1.9; P = .013) were independently associated with inappropriateness of prescribing.

Conclusion

This study has highlighted a high degree of inappropriate prescribing of DOACs. These results underline the need for targeted interventions to improve DOAC prescribing.
Cause‐specific mortality in individuals with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinaemia, 2000–2016
Authors: Dalal Nicole H. , Dores Graça M. , Curtis Rochelle E. , Linet Martha S. , Morton Lindsay M.
Published: February 2020

Data on cause‐specific mortality after lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) and Waldenström macroglobulinaemia (WM) are lacking. We identified causes of death amongst 7289 adults diagnosed with incident first primary LPL (n = 3108) or WM (n = 4181) during 2000–2016 in 17 USA population‐based cancer registries. Based on 3132 deaths, 16‐year cumulative mortality was 23·2% for lymphomas, 8·4% for non‐lymphoma cancers and 14·7% for non‐cancer causes for patients aged <65 years at diagnosis of LPL/WM, versus 33·4%, 11·2% and 48·7%, respectively, for those aged ≥75 years. Compared with the general population, patients with LPL/WM had a 20% higher risk of death due to non‐cancer causes (n = 1341 deaths, standardised mortality ratio [SMR] 1·2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1·1–1·2), most commonly from infectious (n = 188; SMR 1·8, 95% CI 1·6–2·1), respiratory (n = 143; SMR 1·2, 95% CI 1·0–1·4), and digestive (n = 80; SMR 1·8, 95% CI 1·4–2·2) diseases, but no excess mortality from cardiovascular diseases (n = 477, SMR 1·1, 95% CI 1·0–1·1). Risks were highest for non‐cancer causes within 1 year of diagnosis (n = 239; SMR<1year 1·3, 95% CI 1·2–1·5), declining thereafter (n = 522; SMR≥5years 1·1, 95% CI 1·1–1·2). Myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukaemia deaths were notably increased (n = 46; SMR 4·4, 95% CI 3·2–5·9), whereas solid neoplasm deaths were only elevated among ≥5‐year survivors (n = 145; SMR≥5years 1·3, 95% CI 1·1–1·5). This work identifies new areas for optimising care and reducing mortality for patients with LPL/WM.
The Wish to Never End: Grappling with the Termination of an Infant observation And its Relevance to Clinical Work
Authors: Messer Jan C.
Published: February 2020

This paper uses a psychoanalytic infant observation to highlight the significance of grappling with endings. It describes the termination of a two‐year relationship with a child and his mother, who were observed weekly by the author. The content of the ending process is extrapolated to apply to infant observations in general, with implications for termination of psychoanalytic psychotherapy treatments with patients of any age as well as personal relationships. Transference and countertransference reactions and enactments evoked during the prelude to termination are considered. Vignettes from the infant observations illuminate important crossroads during the termination process. The paper also illustrates the resilient capacity that a child (and by extension the child part of an adult) can have to experience, process and bear the ending of a relationship, as well as to continue to hold that relationship internally. This glimpse into one child's, one mother's and one observer's experience of separating from each other demonstrates the ways primitive aspects of the psyche may be activated during a termination. Finally, Donald Meltzer's concept of three‐dimensional interior space and Bion's idea of open‐ended reality are applied, indicating how relationships that have ended may be contained within one's psyche, enduring beyond their ending.
The identification and psychological treatment of panic disorder in adolescents: a survey of CAMHS clinicians
Authors: Baker Holly J. , Waite Polly
Published: February 2020

Background

Panic disorder is experienced by around 1% of adolescents and has a significant impact on social and academic functioning. Preliminary evidence supports the effectiveness of panic disorder‐specific treatment in adolescents with panic disorder; however, panic disorder may be overlooked in adolescents due to overlapping symptoms with other anxiety disorders and other difficulties being more noticeable to others. The aim of this study was to establish what training National Health Service (NHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) clinicians have received in psychological therapies and panic disorder and how they identify and treat panic disorder in adolescents.

Method

CAMHS clinicians from a range of professions (n = 427), who were delivering psychological treatments to children and adolescents with anxiety disorders, participated. They completed a cross‐sectional, online survey, including a vignette describing an adolescent with panic disorder, and were asked to identify the main diagnosis or presenting problem.

Results

Less than half the clinicians (48.6%) identified panic disorder or panic symptoms as the main presenting problem from the vignette. The majority of clinicians suggested CBT would be their treatment approach. However, few identified an evidence‐based treatment protocol for working with young people with panic disorder. Almost half the sample had received no training in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), and around a fifth had received no training in delivering psychological treatments.

Conclusions

Only half of CAMHS clinicians identified panic disorder from a vignette and although CBT treatments are widely offered, only a minority of adolescents with panic disorder are receiving treatments developed for and evaluated with young people with panic disorder. There is a vital need for clinician training, the use of tools that aid identification and the implementation of evidence‐based treatments within CAMHS.

Key Practitioner Message

Panic disorder affects around 1% of adolescents, adversely impacting social, academic and long‐term life functioning.

There is preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a panic disorder‐specific treatment of panic disorder in adolescents.

Clinicians struggle to identify panic disorder or suitable treatment protocols for treating adolescents, although most would use CBT as the treatment approach.

There is a vital need for clinician training, tools that aid identification of young people with panic disorder and evidence‐based treatments that can be delivered in routine clinical settings.
Exploring nationality and social identity to explain attitudes toward conservation actions in the United States and Australia
Authors: van Eeden Lily M. , Slagle Kristina , Newsome Thomas M. , Crowther Mathew S. , Dickman Christopher R. , Bruskotter Jeremy T.
Published: February 2020

Understanding human attitudes toward wildlife management is critical to implementing effective conservation action and policy. Understanding the factors that shape public attitudes toward different wildlife management actions is limited, however, which can result in unpredictable public responses to interventions. We drew on comparisons between residents of 2 countries on separate continents to explore differences in attitudes toward wildlife management and determine factors important in shaping these attitudes. We surveyed representative publics via market research panels in Australia (n = 881 respondents) and the United States (n = 1287). We applied a social‐identity approach and demography to identify factors that explained variance between responses about wildlife management. We compared responses between countries overall and within subgroups of respondents who strongly identified as environmentalists, animal rights activists, wildlife conservation advocates, and farmers. We created aggregate scores for the management‐related response items per respondent and used regression analyses to identify the relative importance of country, identity, age, and gender in explaining variance between responses. These factors accounted for 15.3% of variance among responses. Australians overall were generally more accepting of lethal wildlife management actions than U.S. respondents. Differences in national attitudes reflected differences between United States and Australian wildlife management and policy, highlighting the importance of understanding social attitudes in shaping conservation policy. Identifying as a farmer followed by identifying as an animal rights activist most shaped attitudes toward wildlife management. Identity‐related conflicts could be initiated or exacerbated by conservation interventions that fail to consider identity‐related processes.
Influence of resting before sonographic examination on Doppler measurements of renal blood flow
Authors: Shibasaki Shohei , Kishino Tomonori , Fujiwara Yukako , Suzuki Yuka , Harashima Keiichiro , Nakajima Satoshi , Ohnishi Hiroaki , Watanabe Takashi
Published: February 2020

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension, via increases in plasma renin–angiotensin–aldosterone levels. Renal artery stenosis is diagnosed from blood examinations such as renin activity and from imaging examinations such as sonography. Patients are required to lie on the bed for 30 min before and during phlebotomy, since plasma renin activity is easily altered by posture. However, no such pre‐examination rest is required for sonography. The present study therefore investigated the possible influence of resting before examination on Doppler parameters used for the diagnosis of RAS. Subjects comprised 55 healthy young adults (24 males, 31 females; mean age, 22 ± 1 years). Sonographic measurements were made shortly after subjects entered the examination room and again after 30 min of rest lying on a bed. Median peak systolic velocity in the renal artery was significantly decreased after rest (106 cm/s, interquartile range (IQR) 96–121 cm/s) compared with before rest (120 cm/s, IQR 107–135 cm/s; p < .001). Median acceleration time in the intra‐renal segmental artery was also significantly shorter after rest (49 ms, IQR 38–54 ms) compared to before rest (50 ms, IQR 38–59 ms; p = .039). The present results suggest that serious consideration should be given regarding whether pre‐examination resting is needed to accurately interpret Doppler measurements of renal blood flow when diagnosing RAS from sonography.
Volumetrics and fit assessments for donor to recipient size matching in pediatric heart transplantation: Is it time for a new paradigm?
Authors: Ploutz Michelle S. , Plasencia Jonathan D. , Mirea Lucia , Pophal Stephen G. , Velez Daniel A. , Zangwill Steven D.
Published: February 2020

Pediatric heart transplant patients face the highest waitlist mortality in solid organ transplantation. Given the relatively fixed number of donor organs becoming available each year, improving donor organ utilization could potentially have significant impact on reducing waitlist mortality. Donor to recipient weight ratio has historically been used to identify suitable donors; however, this method does not take into account the potential for significant variance in heart size due to complex congenital heart disease or underlying cardiomyopathy. We believe, based on our experience to date, that donor matching based upon weight ratios should be augmented by improved methodologies that provide a more accurate assessment of heart volumes. Herein we describe the rationale for these methodologies and our single‐center experience using volumetrics as an alternative for donor fit assessments.
Multi‐actor Initiatives after Rana Plaza: Factory Managers’ Views
Authors: Rahman Shahidur , Rahman Kazi Mahmudur
Published: February 2020

The Rana Plaza factory disaster in April 2013, which resulted in the death of a large number of factory workers and injured many more in Bangladesh's ready‐made garment industry, highlighted the sustained failure of the government of Bangladesh to address safety in the workplace. In the wake of the tragedy two significant transnational governance initiatives emerged — the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (hereafter the Accord) and the Alliance for Bangladesh Workers’ Safety (hereafter the Alliance). For the first time, different key stakeholders worked together to address fire, electrical and structural safety of factory buildings. This study analyses the perceptions of factory managers in Bangladesh regarding the Accord and Alliance agreements. The article argues that although there have been significant breakthroughs in terms of developing a culture of safety adhered to by the government and entrepreneurs, the suppliers have encountered difficulties in implementing these initiatives. The limited support from buyers has posed a major challenge for the sustainability of these two multi‐stakeholder agreements.
Incidence of lower extremity amputations among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the United States from 2010 to 2014
Authors: Déruaz‐Luyet Anouk , Raabe Christina , Garry Elizabeth M. , Brodovicz Kimberly G. , Lavery Lawrence A.
Published: February 2020

Aim

To compare the incidence of lower extremity amputation (LEA) among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with those without diabetes using US commercial claims and to assess the presence of key co‐morbidities and precipitating factors at the time of the LEA.

Methods

Cohorts were defined via IBM MarketScan research databases for beneficiaries with T1D and T2D during 2010‐2014. For each T1D and T2D patient, one patient without a prior diabetic claim matched on calendar time, sex and age, was randomly selected. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Among the matched cohorts of 120 129 T1D patients and 1.7 million T2D patients, the incidence of LEA was higher among patients with T1D than patients with T2D, with the most frequent cases being minor LEAs (4.85 and 1.53 per 1000 patient years [PY], respectively), largely toe amputations (4.49 and 1.43 per 1000 PY, respectively). Compared with non‐diabetic patients matched on age, sex and calendar time, T1D and T2D patients had more co‐morbidities and a higher incidence of LEA (6.02 vs. 0.14 per 1000 PY; aHR, 22.47 [16.42‐30.73] and 1.90 vs. 0.23 per 1000 PY; aHR, 4.64 [4.32‐4.98]).

Conclusions

Our data showed a higher incidence of LEA, especially minor LEA, in patients with T1D and T2D compared with those without diabetes, with a greater risk among patients with T1D than patients with T2D. Accounting for known and measurable risk factors for LEA reduced the relative hazard by nearly 50%; the majority of LEA cases were minor LEAs and toe amputations.
Distributional Effects of Corruption When Enforcement is Biased: Theory and Evidence from Bribery in Schools in Bangladesh
Authors: Emran M. Shahe , Islam Asadul , Shilpi Forhad
Published: February 2020

In many models of corruption where enforcement is unbiased, the rich are more likely to pay bribes for their children's education, implying that corruption reduces educational inequality. We develop models of bribery that reflect the fact that in developing countries, anticorruption enforcement is not unbiased, and higher income of a household is associated with higher bargaining power and better quality of institutions. In models of biased enforcement, the rich are less likely to pay bribes, making bribery regressive. The OLS estimates of the effects of household income are likely to find spurious progressivity in the incidence of bribery in schools. We exploit temporary rainfall shocks to provide suggestive evidence on the ability‐to‐pay effect, while long‐term rainfall differences capture the combined ‘poor people’ and ‘poor area’ effects. We find that the poor are more likely to pay bribes, and the amount paid does not depend on household income. The evidence rejects the ability‐to‐pay and related models based on unbiased enforcement, and is consistent with the ‘refusal‐to‐pay model’ of bargaining power where the rich decline to pay bribes. ‘Free schooling’ is free only for the rich, and corruption makes the playing field skewed against the poor.
Humic and fulvic acids against boxwood blight disease caused byCalonectria pseudonaviculata
Authors: Samavat Samaneh , Samavat Saeed , Wyka Stephen A.
Published: February 2020

The most recent outbreaks of boxwood blight caused byCalonectria pseudonaviculata, in Hyrcanian forests of Iran, have sparked the need for research to identify eco‐friendly fungicides for management purposes. Our study was conducted to test the efficacy of humic substances againstC. pseudonaviculataunder both in vitro and in vivo conditions. For this purpose, humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA) extracted from tea waste compost (HAT & FAT), sawdust compost (HAW & FAW) and manure compost (HAM & FAM) were tested against hyphal growth and conidial germination ofC. pseudonaviculata. In addition, EC50and MIC50were determined for all humic substances tested. While none of the substances caused complete inhibition of the fungus, they showed a range of antifungal activities. Based on the high inhibitory efficacy and low related EC50and MIC50, HAT and FAT provided the highest efficacy against the pathogen. In the greenhouse, curative and protective effects of the humic treatments at 2,000 mg/L were also investigated against disease severity. Of the substances tested, FAW and FAM showed the weakest antifungal effects and HAT had the greatest curative and protective effects. These results indicate that HAT application can be used as an eco‐friendly control method for boxwood blight epidemics in the disease hotspots of Hyrcanian forests.
Electrophysiological responses to regularity show specificity to global form: The case of Glass patterns
Authors: Rampone Giulia , Makin Alexis D. J.
Published: February 2020

The holographic weight of evidence model (van der Helm & Leeuwenberg, J Math Psychol, 35, 1991, 151; van der Helm & Leeuwenberg, Psychol Rev, 103, 1996, 429) estimates that the perceptual goodness of moiré structures (Glass patterns), irrespective of their global form, is comparable to that of reflection symmetry. However, both behavioural and neuroscience evidences suggest that certain Glass forms (i.e. circular and radial structures) are perceptually more salient than others (i.e. translation structures) and may recruit different perceptual mechanisms. In this study, we tested whether brain responses for circular, radial and translation Glass patterns are comparable to the response for onefold bilateral reflection symmetry. We recorded an event‐related potential (ERP), called the sustained posterior negativity (SPN), which has been shown to index perceptual goodness of a range of regularities. We found that circular and radial Glass patterns generated a comparable SPN amplitude to onefold reflection symmetry (in line with the prediction of the holographic model), starting approx. 180 ms after stimulus onset. Conversely, the SPN response to translation Glass patterns had a longer latency (approx. 400 ms). These results show that Glass patterns are a special case of visual regularity, and perceptual goodness may not be fully explained by the holographic identities that constitute it. Specialised processing mechanisms might exist in the regularity‐sensitive extrastriate areas, which are tuned to global form configurations.
Recent advances in the understanding of the aetiology and therapeutic strategies in burning mouth syndrome: Focus on the actions of cannabinoids
Authors: Pereira Sónia R. , Tello Velasquez Johana , Duggan Sarah , Ivanisevic Bojana , McKenna Joseph P. , McCreary Christine , Downer Eric J.
Published: February 2020

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a neuropathic pain disorder associated with a burning sensation on oral mucosal surfaces with frequently reported xerostomia, dysgeusia and tingling or paraesthetic sensations. However, patients present no clinically evident causative lesions. The poor classification of the disorder has resulted in a diagnostic challenge, particularly for the clinician/dentist evaluating these individuals. Major research developments have been made in the BMS field in recent years to address this concern, principally in terms of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disorder, in addition to therapeutic advancements. For the purpose of this review, an update on the pathophysiological mechanisms will be discussed from a neuropathic, immunological, hormonal and psychological perspective. This review will also focus on the many therapeutic strategies that have been explored for BMS, including antidepressants/antipsychotics, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatories, hormone replacement therapies, phytotherapeutic compounds and non‐pharmacological interventions, overall highlighting the lack of controlled clinical studies to support the effectiveness of such therapeutic avenues. Particular focus is given to the cannabinoid system and the potential of cannabis‐based therapeutics in managing BMS patients.
European Academy of Neurology guideline on the diagnosis of coma and other disorders of consciousness
Authors: Kondziella D. , Bender A. , Diserens K. , van Erp W. , Estraneo A. , Formisano R. , Laureys S. , Naccache L. , Ozturk S. , Rohaut B. , Sitt J. D. , Stender J. , Tiainen M. , Rossetti A. O. , Gosseries O. , Chatelle C. ,   the EAN Panel on Coma, Disorders of Consciousness
Published: February 2020

Background and purpose

Patients with acquired brain injury and acute or prolonged disorders of consciousness (DoC) are challenging. Evidence to support diagnostic decisions on coma and other DoC is limited but accumulating. This guideline provides the state‐of‐the‐art evidence regarding the diagnosis of DoC, summarizing data from bedside examination techniques, functional neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG).

Methods

Sixteen members of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Scientific Panel on Coma and Chronic Disorders of Consciousness, representing 10 European countries, reviewed the scientific evidence for the evaluation of coma and other DoC using standard bibliographic measures. Recommendations followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The guideline was endorsed by the EAN.

Results

Besides a comprehensive neurological examination, the following suggestions are made: probe for voluntary eye movements using a mirror; repeat clinical assessments in the subacute and chronic setting, using the Coma Recovery Scale – Revised; use the Full Outline of Unresponsiveness score instead of the Glasgow Coma Scale in the acute setting; obtain clinical standard EEG; search for sleep patterns on EEG, particularly rapid eye movement sleep and slow‐wave sleep; and, whenever feasible, consider positron emission tomography, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), active fMRI or EEG paradigms and quantitative analysis of high‐density EEG to complement behavioral assessment in patients without command following at the bedside.

Conclusions

Standardized clinical evaluation, EEG‐based techniques and functional neuroimaging should be integrated for multimodal evaluation of patients with DoC. The state of consciousness should be classified according to the highest level revealed by any of these three approaches.
Decentralized central banks: Political ideology and the Federal Reserve System of regional banks
Authors: Ainsley Caitlin
Published: February 2020

This article examines the politics of the Federal Reserve System of regional banks. While regional banks have long lacked meaningful influence over monetary policy, their leadership stands to provide a base of elite support for the Federal Reserve. To serve this role effectively, however, regional bank leadership must reflect the ideological diversity of political elites. This article provides the first quantitative empirical analysis of the ideological composition of the regional banking system, introducing a novel data set of all regional bank directors serving from 1980 to 2015 and linking each individual to a measure of political ideology derived from campaign finance contributions. With these data, I examine the degree to which regional banks are ideologically aligned with the districts and industries they are assigned to represent. The results highlight a new function for the decentralized central banking system and opportunity to address declining levels of public confidence in the Fed.