bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistent Super-Utilization of Acute Care Services Among Subgroups of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Szymkowiak Dorota , Montgomery Ann Elizabeth , Johnson Erin E. , Manning Todd , O’Toole Thomas P.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Acute health care utilization often occurs among persons experiencing homelessness. However, knowing which individuals will be persistent super-utilizers of acute care is less well understood.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to identify those more likely to be persistent super-utilizers of acute care services.

Research Design:

We conducted a latent class analysis of secondary data from the Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data Warehouse, and Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System. The study sample included 16,912 veterans who experienced homelessness and met super-utilizer criteria in any quarter between July 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. The latent class analysis included veterans’ diagnoses and acute care utilization.

Results:

Medical, mental health, and substance use morbidity rates were high. More than half of the sample utilized Veterans Health Administration Homeless Programs concurrently with their super-utilization of acute care. There were 7 subgroups of super-utilizers, which varied considerably on the degree to which their super-utilization persisted over time. Approximately a third of the sample met super-utilizer criteria for ≥3 quarters; this group was older and disproportionately male, non-Hispanic white, and unmarried, with lower rates of post-9/11 service and higher rates of rural residence and service-connected disability. They were much more likely to be currently homeless with more medical, mental health, and substance use morbidity.

Conclusion:

Only a subset of homeless veterans were persistent super-utilizers, suggesting the need for more targeted interventions.
The Impact of the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium International Training Program on the Clinical Practice of Eastern European Nurses Working in Specialized Palliative Care Services
Authors: Mitrea Nicoleta , Moşoiu Daniela , Ancuţa Camelia , Malloy Pam , Rogozea Liliana
Published: August 2017

Palliative care nurses in Romania have a long history of collaborating with the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) project, a national education initiative administered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in Washington, DC, and the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. Between January 2013 and October 2014, 1360 Romanian nurses participated in ELNEC palliative care training courses; 306 of these nurses attended both the introductory and advanced ELNEC courses. The aims of this study were to identify the changes implemented by the participant nurses in their clinical practice, after attending ELNEC palliative care introductory and advanced courses, and to compare the participant nurses' palliative care knowledge precourse versus postcourse. The data were collected from 6 focus groups at 3 to 6 months postcourse, in 6 different locations in Romania. Five themes were identified, with related subthemes including new perspectives of care, the importance of communication skills, the role of interprofessional teams in the healthcare system, addressing the needs of the patient and family, and informed decision-making by the patient and family. This study showed that the ELNEC introductory and advanced courses lead to changes in the participant nurses' clinical practice and aided nurses in identifying barriers in the Romanian public healthcare system that need to be addressed to improve palliative care.
Burnout in Palliative Care Settings Compared With Other Settings
Authors: Parola Vitor , Coelho Adriana , Cardoso Daniela , Sandgren Anna , Apóstolo João
Published: August 2017

A systematic review, using the guideline of the Joanna Briggs Institute, was conducted to explore the effect of working in palliative care settings, compared with other settings, on burnout among health care professionals. Multiple databases were searched—CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO—as well as gray literature for studies published since 1975 that compared health professionals caring for patients older than 18 years in specialized palliative care settings (palliative care units, home care, or hospices) with health professionals working in other settings. Of the 539 studies retrieved, 7 cross-sectional studies were included in this review. Of these, six were conducted with nurses, and six used the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Working in palliative care (palliative care unit or hospices) was associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, as well as higher levels of personal accomplishment, compared with working in other settings. Evidence indicates that burnout levels seem to be lower among professionals working in palliative care compared with professionals working in other settings. Further research is needed to explore the strategies used by nurses working in palliative care that help them deal with burnout and to apply these same strategies to professionals working in other settings.
Assessing Palliative and End-of-Life Educational Needs of Pediatric Health Care Professionals
Authors: O’Shea Eileen R. , Lavallee Matthew , Doyle Elizabeth A. , Moss Kerry
Published: August 2017

Children with serious, complex medical or life-threatening conditions and their families often fail to receive effective, consistent, timely, and competent care that meets their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Enhancing both basic education and advanced skills in pediatric palliative and end-of-life care education is recommended so that health care providers will enter practice with some form of formal preparation. In this quantitative descriptive study, we used the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey to assess unmet palliative and end-of-life educational needs of pediatric health care providers in the state of Connecticut. Participants who received palliative care education in the past 5 years had higher mean scores on all 3 factors of the End-of-Life Professional Caregiver Survey, which may reflect the evolvement and depth of current pediatric palliative care education. Future palliative educational programs for pediatric providers in Connecticut should include sharing pediatric palliative care principles and national guidelines, describing services provided by pediatric hospice and timing of referral, developing systems to ensure continuity of care crossing all settings, addressing request for assisted suicide, meeting needs of staff and providers caring for the dying child (self-care), and describing cultural and ethical values specific to diverse populations in Connecticut.
Addressing Occupational Fatigue in Nurses
Authors: Steege Linsey M. , Pinekenstein Barbara J. , Rainbow Jessica G. , Arsenault Knudsen Élise
Published: August 2017

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this article is to describe the current state of fatigue risk management systems (FRMSs) to address nurse fatigue in hospitals.

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the current state of FRMS implementation and adoption of national recommendations in nursing work systems.

METHODS

This study used a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design including a survey of nurse leaders from across the United States.

RESULTS

Adoption of evidence-based policies to address fatigue is both limited and variable depending on the policy. Nurse leaders indicate that while nurse fatigue is an important issue and has negative consequences, the social norms of fatigue have not allowed the elevation of this topic to trigger sweeping organizational change.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a framework for implementation of FRMSs as an innovation, highlighting the critical role of nurse leaders in adoption and dissemination. Raising the visibility of fatigue across the organization is a critical 1st step.
Cervical Carcinoma With Divergent Neuroendocrine and Gastrointestinal Differentiation
Authors: Varma Kavita R. , Dabbs David J.
Published: August 2017

Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix are rare tumors with aggressive behavior. They comprise <4% of cervical carcinomas. They may coexist with both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of cervix. Signet ring carcinoma of cervix is a rarer entity and less than 20 cases have been described in the literature. We present a case of a 34-year-old female who presented with systemic thrombosis, splenic mass and a cervical mass which on biopsy showed divergent differentiation of primitive large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with signet ring cells. The cervical tumor was positive for human papilloma virus 16/18 by in situ hybridization, confirming cervical origin of the tumor. This unusual presentation and morphology needs to be recognized and appropriately evaluated when patients present with tumors of unknown origin in metastatic sites.
An Ovarian Adenocarcinoma With Combined Low-grade Serous and Mesonephric Morphologies Suggests a Müllerian Origin for Some Mesonephric Carcinomas
Authors: Chapel David B. , Joseph Nancy M. , Krausz Thomas , Lastra Ricardo R.
Published: August 2017

Mesonephric carcinomas are rare adenocarcinomas of the female genital tract that occur most commonly in the uterine cervix. They are classically thought to arise from benign mesonephric remnants, and are rarely reported at other sites in the gynecologic tract. Here we present an interesting biphenotypic ovarian adenocarcinoma with intimately associated but distinct components of both low-grade serous carcinoma and mesonephric-like carcinoma. A serous borderline tumor was present adjacent to the invasive carcinoma, and no benign mesonephric precursors were identified. Numerous invasive peritoneal metastases were present, including multiple metastases with both low-grade serous and mesonephric-like elements. Consistent with recent reports, foci of mesonephric-like carcinoma were morphologically and immunohistochemically identical to classic mesonephric carcinoma of the cervix. On molecular analysis, the serous borderline tumor, primary and metastatic low-grade serous carcinoma, and primary and metastatic mesonephric-like carcinoma each harbored a shared NRAS p.Q61R hotspot mutation, shared gains in chromosome 1q and 18p, and shared losses in chromosomes 1p, 18q, and 22. These shared molecular features indicate a clonal relationship between all morphologic elements of this ovarian adenocarcinoma, suggesting that at least some mesonephric carcinomas may arise from Müllerian precursors.
Evaluation of Intraoperative Assessments in the Management of Endometrial Carcinoma: A Retrospective Quality Assurance Review
Authors: Strickland Sarah V. , Rendi Mara H. , Garcia Rochelle L. , Norquist Barbara S. , Pennington Kathryn P. , Kilgore Mark R.
Published: August 2017

Intraoperative assessment (IA) of uteri is often used to help determine whether to perform lymphadenectomy in patients with endometrial carcinoma. We sought to perform a quality assurance review of the practice of IA at our institution. In a 1-yr period, 107 hysterectomies had an IA performed. Grade of neoplasm in preoperative endometrial biopsy, neoplasm size, depth of myometrial invasion at IA, operative management, and final histologic features were recorded. Operative reports were reviewed to assess the surgeon’s interpretation of the IA and the effect on surgical management. The sensitivity and specificity for IA of deep myometrial invasion (>50% myometrial thickness) compared with final histology was 76.9% and 91.1%. The positive predictive value was 71.4%, negative predictive value 93.2% and accuracy 88%. Neoplasm size was provided in 47% of cases. In 10% of patients lymphadenectomy was performed despite low-risk features. IA results were included in the operative report in 87% of cases. There were differences in 8.4% of cases between the IA diagnosis and the surgeon’s operative report. IA of deep myometrial invasion is reliable at our institution. Several metrics for quality improvement have been identified as a result of this retrospective review. These include but are not limited to more reliable reporting of neoplasm size, documentation, and communication with gynecologic oncologists.
Transcriptional Architecture of Synaptic Communication Delineates Cortical GABAergic Neuron Identity
Authors: Paul Anirban , Crow Megan , Raudales Ricardo , Gillis Jesse , Huang Z. Josh
Published: August 2017

Understanding the organizational logic of neural circuits requires deciphering the biological basis of neuron type diversity and identity, but there is no consensus on defining a neuron type. We analyzed single cell transcriptomes of anatomically and physiologically characterized cortical ground truth populations and conducted a computational genomic screen for transcription profiles that distinguish them. We discovered that cardinal GABAergic neuron types are delineated by a transcriptional architecture that encodes their synaptic communication patterns. This architecture comprises 6 categories of ~40 gene families including cell adhesion molecules, transmitter-modulator receptors, ion channels, signaling proteins, neuropeptides and vesicular release components, and transcription factors. Combinatorial expression of select members across families shapes a multi-layered molecular scaffold along cell membrane that may customize synaptic connectivity patterns and input-output signaling properties. This molecular genetic framework of neuronal identity integrates cell phenotypes along multiple axes and provides a foundation for discovering and classifying neuron types.
Novel Computed Tomography-based tools reliably quantify plant reproductive investment
Authors: Staedler Yannick M. , Kreisberger Thomas , Manafzadeh Sara , Chartier Marion , Handschuh Stephan , Pamperl Susanne , Sontag Susanne , Paun Ovidiu , Schöenenberger Jüerg
Published: August 2017

The flower is a bisexual reproductive unit where both genders compete for resources. Counting pollen and ovules in flowers is essential to understand how much is invested in each gender. Classical methods to count very numerous pollen grains and ovules are inefficient when pollen grains are tightly aggregated, and when fertilization rates of ovules are unknown. We thus established novel, Computed-Tomography-based counting techniques. In order to display the potential of our methods in very difficult cases, we counted pollen and ovules across inflorescences of deceptive and rewarding species of European orchids, which possess both very large numbers of pollen grains (tightly aggregated) and ovules. Pollen counts did not significantly vary across inflorescences and pollination strategies, whereas deceptive flowers had significantly more ovules than rewarding flowers. The within inflorescence variance of pollen to ovule ratios in rewarding flowers was four times higher than in deceptive flowers, possibly demonstrating differences in the constraints acting on both pollination strategies. We demonstrate the inaccuracies and limitations of previously established methods, and the broad applicability of our new techniques: they allow measurement of reproductive investment without restriction on object number or aggregation, and without specimen destruction.
Inevitability of the emergence and persistence of genetic parasites caused by thermodynamic instability of parasite-free states
Authors: Koonin Eugene V. , Wolf Yuri I. , Katsnelson Mikhail I.
Published: August 2017

Genetic parasites, including viruses and mobile genetic elements, are ubiquitous among cellular life forms, and moreover, are the most abundant biological entities on earth that harbor the bulk of the genetic diversity. Here we examine simple thought experiments to demonstrate that both the emergence of parasites in simple replicator systems and their persistence in evolving life forms are inevitable because the putative parasite-free states are thermodynamically unstable.
The modulation of neural gain facilitates a transition between functional segregation and integration in the brain
Authors: Shine James M. , Aburn Matthew J. , Breakspear Michael , Poldrack Russell A.
Published: August 2017

Cognitive function relies on a dynamic, context-sensitive balance between functional integration and segregation in the brain. Previous work has proposed that this balance is mediated by global fluctuations in neural gain by projections from ascending neuromodulatory nuclei. To test this hypothesisin silico, we studied the effects of neural gain on network dynamics in a model of large-scale neuronal dynamics. We found that increases in neural gain pushed the network through an abrupt dynamical transition, leading to an integrated network topology that was maximal in frontoparietal ‘rich club’ regions. This gain-mediated transition was also associated with increased topological complexity, as well as increased variability in time-resolved topological structure, further highlighting the potential computational benefits of the gain-mediated network transition. These results support the hypothesis that neural gain modulation has the computational capacity to mediate the balance between integration and segregation in the brain.
SuperDCA for genome-wide epistasis analysis
Authors: Puranen Santeri , Pesonen Maiju , Pensar Johan , Xu Ying Ying , Lees John A. , Bentley Stephen D. , Croucher Nicholas J. , Corander Jukka , Aurell Erik
Published: August 2017

The potential for genome-wide modeling of epistasis has recently surfaced given the possibility of sequencing densely sampled populations and the emerging families of statistical interaction models. Direct coupling analysis (DCA) has earlier been shown to yield valuable predictions for single protein structures, and has recently been extended to genome-wide analysis of bacteria, identifying novel interactions in the co-evolution between resistance, virulence and core genome elements. However, earlier computational DCA methods have not been scalable to enable model fitting simultaneously to 104-105polymorphisms, representing the amount of core genomic variation observed in analyses of many bacterial species. Here we introduce a novel inference method (SuperDCA) which employs a new scoring principle, efficient parallelization, optimization and filtering on phylogenetic information to achieve scalability for up to 105polymorphisms. Using two large population samples ofStreptococcus pneumoniae, we demonstrate the ability of SuperDCA to make additional significant biological findings about this major human pathogen. We also show that our method can uncover signals of selection that are not detectable by genome-wide association analysis, even though our analysis does not require phenotypic measurements. SuperDCA thus holds considerable potential in building understanding about numerous organisms at a systems biological level.

Author Summary

Recent work has demonstrated the emerging potential in statistical genome-wide modeling to uncover co-selection and epistatic interactions between polymorphisms in bacterial chromosomes from densely sampled population data. Here we develop the Potts model based approach further into a fully mature computational method which can be applied to most existing bacterial population genomic data sets in a straightforward manner. Our advances are relying on more efficient parameter scoring, highly optimized and parallelized open source C++ code, which does not rely on the computation-intensive polymorphism subsampling approximations used earlier. By analyzing the two largest available population samples ofStreptococcus pneumoniae(the pneumococcus), we highlight several biological discoveries related to the survival of the pneumococcus and co-evolution of penicillin-binding loci, which were not uncovered by the earlier analyses. Our method holds considerable potential for building understanding about numerous organisms at a systems biological level.
Inhibition of granulocyte ROS production by opioids prevents regeneration
Authors: Labit Elodie , Rabiller Lise , Guissard Christophe , Andre Mireille , Rampon Christine , Barreau Corinne , Cousin Béatrice , Carriere Audrey , Raffin Margaux , Mithieux Gilles , Eddine Mohamad Ala , Pipy Bernard , Lorsignol Anne , Vriz Sophie , Dromard Cecile , Casteilla Louis
Published: August 2017

Inhibition of regeneration and induction of healing are classic outcomes of tissue repair in adult mammals. Here, by using gain and loss of function experiments, we demonstrate that both endogenous and exogenous opioids prevent tissue regeneration in adults, by inhibiting the early reactive oxygen species (ROS) production occurring after lesion and required for regeneration. These effects can be overcome and regeneration induced by the use of an opioid antagonist. These results, obtained in both gold-standard adult zebrafish and a newly-developed model of regeneration in adult mammals, demonstrate that this mechanism can be considered as a general paradigm in vertebrates. In addition, we show that opioids act via signaling through peripheral mu-receptors expressed on granulocytes. This work clearly demonstrates the deleterious role of opioids on tissue regeneration through the control of ROS production in vertebrates and thus questions about opioid-based analgesia in perioperative care.
Ancient symbiosis confers desiccation resistance to stored grain pest beetles
Authors: Engl Tobias , Eberl Nadia , Gorse Carla , Krüger Theresa , Schmidt Thorsten H. P. , Plarre Rudy , Adler Cornel , Kaltenpoth Martin
Published: August 2017

Microbial symbionts of insects provide a range of ecological traits to their hosts that are beneficial in the context of biotic interactions. However, little is known about insect symbiont-mediated adaptation to the abiotic environment, e.g. temperature and humidity. Here we report on an ancient (~400 Mya) clade of intracellular, bacteriome-located Bacteroidetes symbionts that are associated withgrain and wood pest beetles of the phylogenetically distant families Silvanidae and Bostrichidae. In the saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzaephilus surinamensis, we demonstrate that the symbionts affect cuticle thickness, melanization and hydrocarbon profile, enhancing desiccation resistance and thereby strongly improving fitness under dry conditions. Together with earlier observations on symbiont contributions to cuticle biosynthesis in weevils, our findings indicate that convergent acquisitions of bacterial mutualists represented key adaptations enabling diverse pest beetle groups to survive and proliferate under the low ambient humidities that characterize dry grain storage facilities.
Embryonic timing, axial stem cells, chromatin dynamics, and the Hox clock
Authors: Deschamps Jacqueline , Duboule Denis
Published: August 2017

Collinear regulation of Hox genes in space and time has been an outstanding question ever since the initial work of Ed Lewis in 1978. Here we discuss recent advances in our understanding of this phenomenon in relation to novel concepts associated with large-scale regulation and chromatin structure during the development of both axial and limb patterns. We further discuss how this sequential transcriptional activation marks embryonic stem cell-like axial progenitors in mammals and, consequently, how a temporal genetic system is further translated into spatial coordinates via the fate of these progenitors. In this context, we argue the benefit and necessity of implementing this unique mechanism as well as the difficulty in evolving an alternative strategy to deliver this critical positional information.
HiCRep: assessing the reproducibility of Hi-C data using a stratum-adjusted correlation coefficient
Authors: Yang Tao , Zhang Feipeng , Yardımcı Galip Gürkan , Song Fan , Hardison Ross C. , Noble William Stafford , Yue Feng , Li Qunhua
Published: August 2017

Hi-C is a powerful technology for studying genome-wide chromatin interactions. However, current methods for assessing Hi-C data reproducibility can produce misleading results because they ignore spatial features in Hi-C data, such as domain structure and distance dependence. We present HiCRep, a framework for assessing the reproducibility of Hi-C data that systematically accounts for these features. In particular, we introduce a novel similarity measure, the stratum adjusted correlation coefficient (SCC), for quantifying the similarity between Hi-C interaction matrices. Not only does it provide a statistically sound and reliable evaluation of reproducibility, SCC can also be used to quantify differences between Hi-C contact matrices and to determine the optimal sequencing depth for a desired resolution. The measure consistently shows higher accuracy than existing approaches in distinguishing subtle differences in reproducibility and depicting interrelationships of cell lineages. The proposed measure is straightforward to interpret and easy to compute, making it well-suited for providing standardized, interpretable, automatable, and scalable quality control. The freely available R package HiCRep implements our approach.
The 7-azanorbornane nucleus of epibatidine: 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-ium chloride
Authors: Britvin Sergey N. , Rumyantsev Andrey M.
Published: August 2017

7-Azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane (7-azanorbornane) is a bridged heterocyclic nucleus found in epibatidine, the alkaloid isolated from the skin of the tropical poison frogEpipedobates tricolor. Since epibatidine is known as one of the most potent acetylcholine nicotinic receptor agonists, a plethora of literature has been devoted to this alkaloid. However, there are no structural data on the unsubstituted 7-azanorbornane, the parent bicyclic ring of epibatidine and its derivatives. We herein present the structural characterization of the 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane parent ring as its hydrochloride salt, namely 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-7-ium chloride, C6H12N+·Cl−. The compete cation is generated by a crystallographic mirror plane with the N atom lying on the mirror, as does the chloride anion. In the crystal, the cations are linked to the anions by N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, which generate [001] chains.
What role does employment play in dual recovery? A qualitative meta-synthesis of cross-cutting studies treating substance use treatment, psychiatry and unemployment services
Authors: Hansen Jeppe Oute , Bjerge Bagga
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The role of employment in dual recovery from mental illness and substance use is scarcely addressed in previous studies and a deeper understanding of this issue is needed. The purpose of this paper is to cast further light on the conditions that either facilitate or block the road to employment for dually diagnosed people (DDP) and how these conditions could either promote or hinder recovery.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the principles laid out by health researchers Sandelowski and Barroso (2007), the study is designed as a qualitative meta-synthesis comprising a systematic literature search, a critical assessment of the identified studies and an integrative synthesis of the articles’ findings.

Findings

The synthesis outlines that the findings from the seven identified studies show a recovery process in which unemployed, DDP are becoming employed people – or where there is an attempt to restore their status as working persons – and how this process is driven or hindered by personal, interpersonal and systemic facilitators or barriers.

Research limitations/implications

The synthesis adds nuances to the understanding of employment in dual recovery processes and suggests that unconnected means of, and goals for, intervention among these individuals and systems might reduce the chances of DDP obtaining and maintaining a job.

Originality/value

The paper calls for more advanced research and policy on the multiple – and often contradictory – aspects of gaining and maintaining employment as part of dually diagnosed persons’ recovery.
Drivers420.com: Organizing drivers recruitment for transporters
Authors: Singh Ghura Amarpreet
Published: August 2017

Subject area

Entrepreneurship, new venture management, new venture planning.

Study level/applicability

The case involves various issues within entrepreneurship and the new venture management field such as business model, SWOT analysis, Pros and Cons analysis and challenges faced during the idea commercialization phase. Thus, this case can be used for covering multiple perspectives related to entrepreneurship and new venture planning. This case is useful for discussion in a session on opportunity recognition at ideation stage. This case is also ideal to teach the “Business Model Canvas”, which is fast gaining centre-stage for modern enterprises. The case also covers issues within strategic management such as what actually constitutes a strategy.

Case overview

The case is based on a field study and primary data collected by interviewing the co-founder of the portal www.drivers420.com. This case describes a situation in which Malkit Singh Bal (Bal) Partner of Bal Road lines shares with Mr Amarpreet Singh (Singh), who was about to be hired as a consultant for Bal Roadlines, information regarding the rise in fraud and crime carried out by fleet drivers and asks him to help him find a solution to the problem.

Expected learning outcomes

Prepare a “Business Model Canvas” for the successful operation of business by identifying intended customer segment, value proposition, cost structures and revenue streams. Conduct “Pros and Cons” analysis for starting a business. Conduct “SWOT” analysis for starting a business. Understand what actually constitutes a strategy and understand the five elements constituting strategy.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Utility of Open Government Data for PhD students in India
Authors: Saxena Stuti
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the utility of Open Government Data (OGD) from the perspective of the PhD students in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews are conducted with 68 PhD students in India to solicit their perspectives regarding the utility of OGD for them. Convenience and snowball sampling was used for contacting the PhD students and the study was conducted among students of North India who are from public and private universities.

Findings

While some PhD students tap OGD for their research work, others use OGD as informational tools for broadening their general knowledge. There are also some PhD students who do not use OGD at all. There are challenges associated with OGD usage by the PhD students. For instance, the outdated and incomplete data available on the government websites prevent their optimum use. Likewise, information available on the government websites needs to be revised on a regular basis for proper utilization in research.

Research limitations/implications

The study approached PhD students for seeking their perspectives about OGD utility and further research is required with a large number of respondents. Nevertheless, the study leaves social and practical implications because while the study leaves insights for more involvement of PhD students in tapping OGD for their research, it also leaves recommendations for the policy-makers to take a pro-active stance by providing data sets regularly and accurately for improving government efficiency in public service delivery.

Originality/value

Hitherto, conceptual and theory-driven research on OGD has been undertaken and case study-based research works have been conducted to assess the challenges and prospects of OGD implementation in Western settings. Furthermore, prior research has solicited perspectives from stakeholders like public officials, politicians or citizens to investigate the difficulties in OGD use and policy-implementation. Identifying the research gaps in extant literature with respect to the aforesaid dimensions, this is the first study where the perspectives of Indian PhD students have been recorded in terms of the utility of OGD in research and other purposes.
“A child with autism only has one childhood”: main themes and questions for research from the “Digital Bubbles” seminar series
Authors: Parsons Sarah , Yuill Nicola , Brosnan Mark , Good Judith
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the main messages and key questions for further research arising from the seven-seminar series entitled, “Innovative technologies for autism: critical reflections on digital bubbles”, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

A synthesis of the main ideas is presented, drawing on the presentations, discussions, participant feedback, and short papers from across the seminar series, which took place between November 2014-2016.

Findings

There were many positive examples where technologies were positioned and used as facilitative “bridges” between ideas, communities, understanding, and experiences. Researchers and community stakeholders also emphasised the importance of taking different perspectives and working in stronger partnerships with each other. Four overarching research questions were developed from these themes to provide a roadmap for future research, relating to: responsible innovation, technology-enabled social interaction, learning and pedagogy, and engagement.

Originality/value

The findings and methodologies produced by the Digital Bubbles seminar series, available on the project website (http://digitalbubbles.org.uk/) and in a series of short papers, provide a rich repository of state-of-the-art thinking in the field of autism and technology that is being utilised nationally and internationally in teaching and learning. This paper suggests some valuable future research directions and highlights the importance of establishing and maintaining multi-disciplinary research teams, with autistic people and their families at their core.
Library data: what is it and what changes do libraries need to make? (the Data Deluge Column)
Authors: Frederick Donna Ellen
Published: August 2017

Purpose

In 2016, the “Data Deluge Column” explored the sometimes frustrating reality of cataloguing and metadata librarians as their discipline underwent change.

Design/methodology/approach

The column, called “Metadata specialists in transition: from MARC cataloguing to linked data and BIBFRAME”, alluded to the ongoing and significant changes in the practice of cataloguing and metadata creation, but did not delve into the nature of the changes and what they mean for libraries in general.

Findings

This instalment of the “Data Deluge Column” expands that discussion by exploring the emerging model for the data that libraries create and manage.

Originality/value

It seems that it has taken about 20 years to overcome the inertia required to begin to reinvent the practice of and environment for creating library data. Perhaps, some of this inertia is because of predictions of the current distress and pressure felt by cataloguing departments today.
Creative and innovative leadership: measurement development and validation
Authors: Khalili Ashkan
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a theory-based measure presenting the creative and innovative leadership behavior construct.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical dimensions of five leadership theories (transformational leadership, change-oriented leadership, innovation champion, leader – member exchange and authentic leadership) were synthesized. Using a quantitative approach, the population sample was composed of 514 respondents who held management and non-management positions. The validity and reliability of the instrument were evaluated.

Findings

The results indicated that the newly developed 24-item measure achieved an acceptable level of reliability and validity in measuring the creative and innovative leadership behavior construct. Eventually, the findings revealed positive and significant influence of creative and innovative leadership behavior on creativity and innovative behavior at the individual level in the workplace.

Practical implications

Organizations should invest in the creative and innovative leadership behavior construct in their training and in the selection of leaders with the newly developed 24-item measurement scale if their purpose is to nurture and enhance creativity and innovation.

Originality/value

This study makes important theoretical contributions in different ways. The newly developed instrument contributes to the relevant literature through the development and validation of a theory-based measure. Also, this study expands knowledge about resources in the workplace that nurture and enhance creativity and innovation at the individual level.
Environmental SMOs and resource mobilization in the post-communist vs the Northwest European context
Authors: Boström Magnus
Published: August 2017

Purpose

This paper focuses on differences in resource mobilization opportunities among environmental social movement organizations (ESMOs), with empirical focus on ESMOs from five European Union countries – two Northwest European countries (Sweden, Germany) and three post-communist countries (Poland, Croatia, and Slovenia). Whereas mass-membership mobilization is a reality in the Northwest European context, ESMOs from post-communist countries fundamentally rely on international support and project-based funding. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate and discuss what implications this difference has for domestic capacity building among ESMOs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws theoretically and empirically on literature on social movements, including environmental movements. It uses a qualitative methodology with figures, field observations, and interview data from ESMO representatives. The empirical material is based on field studies of ESMOs from the five focused countries.

Findings

The findings demonstrate strong pessimism regarding the possibilities for mass-membership mobilization in the post-communist context, and indicate a set of challenges related to the strong reliance on project funding and international sources. Issues such as short-termism, lack of independence, critical distance, and learning potential are discussed. The findings also indicate avenues for creativity and how various buffers can help to cope with challenges, and that ESMOs from the Northwest European context also face pressures relating to resource mobilization that can negatively affect their critical edge.

Originality/value

By the chosen focus and comparative approach, the paper contributes to our understanding if and how ESMOs can work as powerful and critical political actors in various contexts. The paper thus contributes theoretically and empirically to literature on social movements, and specifically environmental movements.
From bread-maker to bomb-builder
Authors: Moniz Tracy
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the construction of gender identity in the Canadian television series Bomb Girls (2012-2013), which depicted the lives of women working at a munitions factory during the Second World War.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is guided by a postmodern feminist and historiographic approach to organization studies. The study involved a qualitative content analysis of the series to explore the construction of gender identity among female factory workers, given traditional social constructions of gender prominent in wartime.

Findings

In its (re)construction and (re)negotiation of gender identity, Bomb Girls told a story about women’s working lives during the Second World War that reflected themes of independence, resilience and transformation.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contends that Bomb Girls is a revisionist work of postmodern feminist history that subverts gender norms and retrospectively offers a nuanced and progressive narrative about the lives of Canadian women who entered the workforce during the Second World War.

Originality/value

This research contributes to historiographical approaches to management and organization studies by bringing a postmodern feminist historical lens to the study of women’s work in a popular culture representation. In doing so, this research responds to long-standing and widespread calls for an “historic turn” in the field as well as for research that addresses gender as a central analytical category.
Foliar uptake of nitrogen from ant faecal droplets: An overlooked service to ant‐plants
Authors: Pinkalski Christian , Jensen Karl‐Martin V. , Damgaard Christian , Offenberg Joachim
Published: August 2017

Nutrient supplies to plants from ants are well known from specialised myrmecophytic symbioses and from plants growing in soil close to ant nests. However, above‐ground nutrient pathways may play a largely unrecognised role also in less specialised ant–plant interactions—the numerous facultative relationships, where ants forage on plants.

In a laboratory experiment, weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) were confined to the canopies of coffee (Coffea arabica) seedlings, excluding any ant‐to‐plant transfer of nutrients via the soil strata. When ants were fed 15N‐labelled glycine and subsequently deposited faecal droplets on the seedlings, coffee leaves showed increased levels of 15N and total nitrogen compared to control plants without ants. This was evident for both exposed leaves and leaves covered in plastic bags (i.e. not directly exposed to ants). Thus, nitrogen from ant excretions was absorbed through the coffee leaves, and subsequently, translocated within the plants and possibly leading to the observed higher shoot/root (wet weight) ratios observed on ant‐plants compared to controls.

Synthesis. These results reveal an undescribed foliar uptake of ant‐provided nutrients. If this is a general mechanism, a vast amount of ant–plant interactions involves fertilisation. Foliar fertilisation by ants may be an important steady benefit to plants, which has driven the evolution of ant–plant mutualisms in parallel with the well‐recognised but probably more fluctuating benefit from herbivore protection. Given the world‐wide abundance of plant canopies foraged by ants, this nutrient pathway may be of high ecological significance.
Linking resource availability and heterogeneity to understorey species diversity through succession in boreal forest of Canada
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Chen Han Y. H. , Thomas Sean C. , Shahi Chander
Published: August 2017

Understorey vegetation comprises the majority of species diversity and contributes greatly to ecosystem functioning in boreal forests. Although patterns of understorey abundance, species diversity and composition associated with forest stand development are well researched, mechanisms driving these patterns remain largely speculative.

We sampled fire‐origin stands of varying stand ages and overstorey compositions on mesic sites of the boreal forest of Canada and used structural equation modelling (SEM) to link time since fire (stand age), light availability and heterogeneity, substrate heterogeneity and soil nitrogen to understorey vegetation cover and species diversity.

The most parsimonious model for total understorey cover showed a positive direct effect of stand age (r = .43) and an indirect effect via mean light level (0.18) and shrub cover (−0.11), with a positive total effect (0.50); the per cent broadleaf canopy had a direct negative effect (−0.22) and an indirect effect via shrub cover (−0.11). The model for total understorey species richness showed an indirect effect of stand age via mean light (0.24), light heterogeneity (0.10) and substrate heterogeneity (0.07), with a positive total effect (0.52); per cent broadleaf canopy had an indirect effect via light heterogeneity (0.09), and substrate heterogeneity (−0.10). Soil nitrogen did not significantly influence either understorey cover or species richness. The models for vascular plants followed similar trends to those for total understorey cover and species richness; however, there was an opposite indirect effect of light heterogeneity for both cover and species richness of non‐vascular plants. Shrub cover had positive direct and negative direct and indirect effects on both vascular and non‐vascular cover and species richness.

Synthesis. Our findings indicate that understorey cover and species diversity are driven by time since disturbance, light availability as influenced by overstorey and shrub layers, but with important additional effects mediated by light and substrate heterogeneity. Non‐vascular understorey vegetation is more strongly determined by time since disturbance than vascular vegetation, and negatively affected by broadleaf tree abundance. The overall results highlight the importance of colonization, light availability and heterogeneity, substrate specialization and growth dynamics in determining successional patterns of boreal forest understorey vegetation.
Strain‐specific consumption and transformation of alga‐derived dissolved organic matter by members of the Limnohabitans‐C and Polynucleobacter‐B clusters of Betaproteobacteria
Authors: Horňák Karel , Kasalický Vojtěch , Šimek Karel , Grossart Hans‐Peter
Published: August 2017

We investigated changes in quality and quantity of extracellular and biomass‐derived organic matter (OM) from three axenic algae (genera Rhodomonas, Chlamydomonas, Coelastrum) during growth of Limnohabitans parvus, Limnohabitans planktonicus and Polynucleobacter acidiphobus representing important clusters of freshwater planktonic Betaproteobacteria. Total extracellular and biomass‐derived OM concentrations from each alga were approximately 20 mg l−1 and 1 mg l−1 respectively, from which up to 9% could be identified as free carbohydrates, polyamines, or free and combined amino acids. Carbohydrates represented 54%–61% of identified compounds of the extracellular OM from each alga. In biomass‐derived OM of Rhodomonas and Chlamydomonas 71%–77% were amino acids and polyamines, while in that of Coelastrum 85% were carbohydrates. All bacteria grew on alga‐derived OM of Coelastrum, whereas only Limnohabitans strains grew on OM from Rhodomonas and Chlamydomonas. Bacteria consumed 24%–76% and 38%–82% of all identified extracellular and biomass‐derived OM compounds respectively, and their consumption was proportional to the concentration of each OM compound in the different treatments. The bacterial biomass yield was higher than the total identifiable OM consumption indicating that bacteria also utilized other unidentified alga‐derived OM compounds. Bacteria, however, also produced specific OM compounds suggesting enzymatic polymer degradation or de novo exudation.