bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do male managers narrate their female spouse ' s role in their career?
Authors: Heikkinen Suvi Susanna
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to investigate how male managers make meaning the role of their female spouses along with their careers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The topic was investigated within a Finnish context by analyzing the narratives of 29 male managers. Common to the men were their managerial position and extensive work experience. All the men had or had had one or more spouses during their careers, and all of them were fathers.

Findings

– A typology distinguishing four types of female spouses was constructed: supporting, balance-seeking, care-providing, and success-expecting types. These types describe the various roles that are constructed in relation to the female partner during a male manager ' s career, pointing out the ambiguous nature of the phenomenon.

Originality/value

– The study highlights that to understand more about male managers ' experience in their careers, the author needs to acknowledge how a male manager ' s career unfolds in tandem with their family life, as well as the norms and gender roles related to the family. Research approaches that enable examination from that perspective should be developed.
Latin American female business executives: an interesting surprise
Authors: Cárdenas María Consuelo , Eagly Alice , Salgado Elvira , Goode Walkyria , Heller Lidia Inés , Jauregui Kety , Galarza Quirós Nathalia , Gormaz Naisa , Bunse Simone , Godoy María José , Rocha Sánchez Tania Esmeralda , Navarro Margoth , Sosa Fernanda , Aguilera Yenny , Schulmeyer Marion , Tanure Betania , Naranjo Mónica , Soto Beatriz Helena , Darre Silvana , Tunqui Rubén Carlos
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– Because women ' s status in Latin American countries appears comparable to their status in organizations of more economically advanced nations, this paper probes the mystery of how and why these women fare relatively well in their careers, given that socioeconomic and cultural factors could limit their possibilities of achieving higher management positions. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Exploratory study of 162 Latin American women who demonstrated exceptional success by attaining first and second level positions in private organizations. They responded to a semi-structured interview of 49 closed-ended questions about career challenges and barriers, leadership style, ambition, personal goals and work-life balance, plus two open-ended questions about men and women ' s leadership differences and how they understand their success.

Findings

– Interviewees disagreed on issues of discrimination, recognized few serious professional career barriers and regarded work-life balance as their main challenge. They understood their success in terms of individual factors such as personality characteristics, performance and results, and their own leadership traits. Most admitted that machismo limits women ' s access to upper level positions. They recognized their ambition to attain power positions mainly for personal satisfaction, and their main goal was personal development and fulfilment.

Research limitations/implications

– Given the sample size per country, future research could include a more representative and large sample or concentrate on one country per region to establish relationships between women ' s personal characteristics and organizations ' sector, or challenges faced and leadership style. Also family-owned companies as well as women entrepreneurs could contribute knowledge about women ' s leadership in these countries. Studying only national companies, a more neatly description of local culture and gender awareness in its organizational practices that hinder or promote women ' s leadership and participation in decision-making positions may be obtained. Transcultural studies that compare women ' s rise and upper management performance in countries where support from domestic help and extended family as well as cultural values are very different, could permit to understand more fully what it takes to reach top management positions and the weight that these particular cultural conditions have.

Originality/value

– This study is unique in shedding light on a multinational sample of Latin American female executives and their perceptions of their success, leadership style and barriers and challenges faced.
A phenomenology of university service quality experience
Authors: Sean Chong Yit , Ahmed Pervaiz
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the complex nature of perceived quality by employing a phenomenological study to understand the meaning of University Service Quality (USQ) as experienced by the business undergraduate students.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs a phenomenological study to understand the meaning of USQ from the undergraduate students’ perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 business undergraduates from public universities, local private universities and a foreign branch campus in Malaysia. Data gathered were analysed using the procedure suggested by Colaizzi (1978) for descriptive phenomenological analysis.

Findings

– From the qualitative data, the essential structure of the USQ experience was constructed based on five major themes which are “USQ as a luxury”, “USQ as citizenship rights”, “USQ as nurturing apprentices”, “USQ as administrative relief” and “USQ as utility consumption”. The findings suggest that students’ service quality experiences could be understood as a multi-faceted phenomenon with students expressing context-dependent service expectations and outcomes.

Practical implications

– The outcome of the paper highlights the nature of students’ expectations which may vary according to service contexts, and their perception of self. Therefore, an integrated effort in various service domains is necessary to enhance service quality experience in higher education.

Originality/value

– Although previously explored by Dabholkar et al. (1996) in the retail services, the phenomenological-based methodology is rather uncommon in the service quality inquiry, particularly in the higher education context. The insights gathered from the phenomenological study provided access to understanding some persistent issues in USQ such as standards of expectations and perceived role by students in the higher education.
Services branding: is it a matter of gender?
Authors: Maria Ugolini Marta , Cassia Fabio , Vigolo Vania
Published: December 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to verify whether gender traits of brand personality (masculinity vs femininity) are able to differentiate services brands belonging to the same service industry. Second, this paper intends to assess the validity of Grohmann's scale (that measures the masculine and the feminine dimensions of brand personality) among Italian consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical research was conducted on a sample of 200 consumers. Participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the masculinity vs femininity dimensions of four different service brands (two brands of food retailers and two brands of airlines).

Findings

– The findings show that Grohmann's scale reaches high levels of validity in the Italian context, as well and that femininity and masculinity measured by that scale are able to register differences in services brand positioning for brands belonging to the same service industry.

Research limitations/implications

– The services category includes very heterogeneous services with different degrees of interaction and consumer's involvement. Further studies are needed to isolate the impact of the perceived MBP and FBP associated either with the service industry/category or with the specific brand.

Practical implications

– Marketing managers can actively try to influence consumer's perceptions of FBP and MBP through the brand logo colors, brands slogans, masculine or feminine spokespeople, etc. to obtain their desired positioning.

Originality/value

– The paper is the first to specifically study brand personality's gender dimensions within services environments. The paper also supports the validity of Grohmann's scale outside the German context.
Legal Pluralism and the Shari'a: A Comparison of Greece and Turkey
Authors: Turner Bryan S. , Arslan Berna Zengin
Published: December 2013

The creation of a national and unified legal system was an important aspect of the rise of the modern state and national citizenship. However, this interpretation of legal rationalization has been challenged by sociologists of law such as Eugene Ehrlich (1862-1922) who claimed that this juridical theory of state-centred law masked the presence of customary laws outside this formal system. In critical theories of the law, legal pluralism is proposed against the idea of legal sovereignty or legal centralism. In this article we explore the implications of the growth of the Shari'a as an example of legal pluralism. We take Turkey and Greece as two interesting but different examples of legal pluralism and consider the implications of these case studies for debates about liberalism, multiculturalism and citizenship in multi-faith societies.
Matrix effects of milk, dairy factory wastewater and soil water on the determination of disinfection by‐products and para‐cresol using solid‐phase microextraction
Authors: Heaven Michael W , Verheyen T Vincent , Reynolds Alicia , Wild Karl , Watkins Mark , Nash David
Published: December 2013

Assessing pollutant concentrations can be hampered by the complex matrices found in the dairy supply/processing chain. Matrix effects were examined using solid‐phase microextraction (SPME) used to sample haloacetic acid methyl esters (HAAMe) and para‐cresol. In general, HAAMe were more difficult to detect with a polydimethylsiloxane fibre than with carboxen–polydimethylsiloxane fibre. Headspace sampling generally provided better detection of HAAMe than direct immersion with the reverse true for para‐cresol. For para‐cresol, equivalent ratios up to 18.8 were detected. Other compounds detected included sulphides, VOC's, phenols and indoles. For milk samples, most compounds collected by SPME were found using direct immersion.
Change agency in occupational context: lessons for HRM
Authors: Wylie Nick , Sturdy Andrew , Wright Christopher
Published: December 2013

Change agency is seen as a key route to reducing the occupational vulnerability of human resource management (HRM). However, few look outside of the HRM context to consider change agency more broadly in organisations. Drawing on a study of change agency units in British organisations, we argue that challenges to occupational credibility and competing jurisdictional claims have wider implications for the role of HR practitioners. In particular, change agency is better seen as replaying rather than resolving the ambiguity of HRM's role and identity in organisations.
Facies and Depositional Sequences of the Asmari Formation, Shajabil Anticline, North of the Izeh Zone, Zagros Basin, Iran
Authors: SALEH Zahra , SEYRAFIAN Ali
Published: December 2013

Outcrop and microscopic studies have been applied in this research paper in order to find out the Asmari Formation depositional sequences in the Shajabil Anticline section located at the north of the Izeh Zone, Zagros Basin, Iran. Five depositional sequences were identified based on 11 facies types (bioclast Nummulitidae Lepidocyclinidae packstone, bioclast perforate foraminifera Nephrolepidina Miogypsinoides wackestone‐packstone, bioclast perforate foraminifera Corallinacea wackestone‐packstone, bioclast echinoid Neorotalia Brachiopoda wackestone‐packstone, coral floatstone‐rudstone, bioclast Corallinacea imperforate foraminifera wackestone‐packstone, bioclast imperforate foraminifera Archaias wackestone‐packstone, bioclast imperforate foraminifera Dendritina wackestone‐packstone‐grainstone, bioclast imperforate foraminifera Borelis wackestone‐packstone and very fine sandy mudstone) corresponding to the tidal flat, restricted and semi‐restricted lagoon and open marine environments of an inner and middle shelf areas.

Well‐exposed outcrop horizons of Thalassinoides at the study section are a favorable tool for the regional outcrop sequence stratigraphy. Thalassinoides is considered as an outcrop key‐bed for recognition of the Rupelian‐Chattian maximum flooding depositional sequence. Coral remnants (small colonies) in outcrop exposures also are associated with the HST depositional sequence (Chattian) for the Asmari Formation. The most important achievement of this research is use of associated maximum flooding surfaces (Pg30, Pg40, Pg50, Ng10 and Ng20) in the Arabian plate. These maximum flooding surfaces could be recorded as an isochrones surface.
Biostratigraphic Study of the Paleocene–Eocene Boundary in Northern Tunisia, North Africa
Authors: ZILI Lamia
Published: December 2013

A new section at Jebel Gorraa, in northern Tunisia, contains the Paleocene–Eocene transition interval. Sample analysis of the section delivers abundant and diverse microfauna of planktonic and benthic foraminifera. Biostratigraphically, the Acarinina sibaiyaensis index‐species is identified for the first time in this region, which allows us to specify the location of the Paleocene–Eocene boundary as well as the first E1 biozone of the lower Eocene. Samples from this biozone contain calcitic tests poorly preserved with an enrichment of iron oxide signifying a period of upheaval in local marine environments linked to the global warming of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), the marker for the P/E boundary.
Tectono–sedimentary Evolution of the Late Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Sichuan Basin
Authors: LUO Liang , JIA Dong , QI Jiafu , WEI Guoqi , DENG Fei
Published: December 2013

The early stage of Sichuan Basin formation was controlled by the convergence of three major Chinese continental blocks during the Indosinian orogeny that include South China, North China, and Qiangtang blocks. Although the Late Triassic Xujiahe Formation is assumed to represent the commencement of continental deposition in the Sichuan Basin, little research is available on the details of this particular stratum. Sequence stratigraphic analysis reveals that the Xujiahe Formation comprises four third‐order depositional sequences. Moreover, two tectono–sedimentary evolution stages, deposition and denudation, have been identified. Typical wedge‐shaped geometry revealed in a cross section of the southern Sichuan Basin normal to the Longmen Shan fold–thrust belt is displayed for the entire Xujiahe Formation. The depositional extent did not cover the Luzhou paleohigh during the LST1 to LST2 (LST, TST and HST mean lowstand, transgressive and highstand systems tracts, 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent depositional sequence 1, 2, 3 and 4), deltaic and fluvial systems fed sediments from the Longmen Shan belt, Luzhou paleohigh, Hannan dome, and Daba Shan paleohigh into a foreland basin with a centrally located lake. The forebulge of the western Sichuan foreland basin was located southeast of the Luzhou paleohigh after LST2. According to the principle of nonmarine sequence stratigraphy and the lithology of the Xujiahe Formation, four thrusting events in the Longmen Shan fold–thrust belt were distinguished, corresponding to the basal boundaries of sequences 1, 2, 3, and 4. The northern Sichuan Basin was tilted after the deposition of sequence 3, inducing intensive erosion of sequences 3 and 4, and formation of wedge‐shaped deposition geometry in sequence 4 from south to north. The tilting probably resulted from small‐scale subduction and exhumation of the western South China block during the South and North China block collision.
Metallogenic Model of Bauxite in Central Guizhou Province: an Example of Lindai Deposit
Authors: LING Kunyue , ZHU Xiaoqing , WANG Zhonggang , HAN Tao , TANG Haoshu , CHEN Wenyi
Published: December 2013

The bauxites in central Guizhou are hosted by the Lower Carboniferous Jiujialu Formation. Geochemistrial characteristics of the Lindai bauxite deposit indicate that the underlying Shilengshui Formation dolomite is the precursor rock of mineral resources. Weathering simulation experiments show that Si is most likely to migrate with groundwater, the migration rate of which is several magnitude higher than Al and Fe under nature conditions (pH=3–9). The neutral and acid non‐reducing condition is the most conducive to the Al rich and Si removal, while the acid reducing conditions is the most conducive to the Al rich and Fe removal. In the process of bauxite formation, coal beds overlying the Al‐bearing rock series or other rock formation rich in organic materials can produce acid reducing groundwater, which are important for the bauxite formation. Finally, propose the metallogenic model of the bauxite in central Guizhou Province and put forward three new words which are “original bauxite material”, “bauxite material” and “original bauxite”.
Characteristics of Late‐Quaternary Activity and Seismic Risk of the Northeastern Section of the Longmenshan Fault Zone
Authors: WANG Mingming , ZHOU Bengang , YANG Xiaoping , XIE Chao , GAO Xianglin
Published: December 2013

Following the 2008 Wenchuan M8 earthquake, the seismic risk of the northeastern section of the Longmenshan fault zone and the adjacent Hanzhong basin has become an issue that receives much concern. It is facing, however, the problem of a lack of sufficient data because of little previous work in these regions. The northeastern section of the Longmenshan fault zone includes three major faults: the Qingchuan fault, Chaba‐Lin'ansi fault, and Liangshan south margin fault, with the Hanzhong basin at the northern end. This paper presents investigations of the geometry, motion nature, and activity ages of these three faults, and reveals that they are strike slip with normal faulting, with latest activity in the Late Pleistocene. It implies that this section of the Longmenshan fault zone has been in an extensional setting, probably associated with the influence of the Hanzhong basin. Through analysis of the tectonic relationship between the Longmenshan fault zone and the Hanzhong basin, this work verifies that the Qingchuan fault played an important role in the evolution of the Hanzhong basin, and further studies the evolution model of this basin. Finally, with consideration of the tectonic setting of the Longmenshan fault zone and the Hanzhong basin as well as seismicity of surrounding areas, this work suggests that this region has no tectonic conditions for great earthquakes and only potential strong events in the future.
Surgical treatment for pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma: A retrospective study of 60 patients
Authors: Ji Chunyu , Zhong Chenxi , Fang Wentao , Zhao Heng
Published: December 2013

Background

Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare epithelial malignant tumor. Because the clinical characteristics and behavior of the disease remain unclear, we investigated the clinicopathological findings and prognosis of 60 patients with pleomorphic carcinoma.

Methods

The clinicopathological characteristics of 60 cases of pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma identified between 1999 and 2011 were studied. Of these, 55 patients had peripheral disease and five had central disease. The tumor size in all patients was 1–9.5 cm (mean, 5.8 ± 4.5 cm), while 30 had lesions with a diameter larger than 5 cm. All patients underwent pulmonary resection.

Results

There were no in‐hospital deaths. The three and five year survival rates of all patients were 47.2% and 25.6%, respectively. The three and five year survival rates were 57.3% and 32.5% for N0 patients, and 25.4% and 17.1% for N1‐2 patients, respectively. Overall survival was significantly different between the radical resection and incomplete resection groups. Multivariate Cox regression analyses of overall survival for all 60 patients indicated that radical resection (P = 0.041), tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P = 0.044), and nodal status (P = 0.029) were significant independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Pleomorphic carcinoma is a rare type of lung cancer. In our study, pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung was often found as a peripherally located large mass and was associated with a poor prognosis. Radical resection, TNM stage and nodal status were significant independent prognostic factors.
Executive Summary: Global Health and Emergency Care—What Do We Need to Know to Address the Burden of Illness and Injury?
Authors: Hargarten Stephen , Martin Ian B.K. , Hauswald Mark , Hirshon Jon Mark
Published: December 2013

Emergency physicians are uniquely poised to address challenges in health services, health care systems development and management, and emerging global disease burdens (both communicable and noncommunicable). This special issue of Academic Emergency Medicine reports the results of the 2013 consensus conference, which included eight focus areas that are intended to advance emergency care research. Advancing our understanding of cardiac and injury resuscitation, ethics of research, health systems development, and the education of our future leaders in global health will ultimately affect the populations of all nations across the globe.
Global Health and Emergency Care: An Undergraduate Medical Education Consensus‐based Research Agenda
Authors: Martin Ian B. K. , Devos Elizabeth , Jordan Jaime , Malya Rohith , Tupesis Janis P. , Bentley Suzanne , Flemister Akeem , Kapur G. Bobby
Published: December 2013

Global emergency medicine (EM) is a rapidly growing field within EM, as evidenced by the increasing number of medical students desiring global health and emergency care experiences. Despite this growing popularity, little is known of the effect of undergraduate medical education in global health on learners and patients in the United States and abroad. During the 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, a group of leading medical school educators convened to generate a research agenda on priority questions to be answered in this arena. This consensus‐based research agenda is presented in this article.
Clinical and Translational Research in Global Health and Emergency Care: A Research Agenda
Authors: Runyon Michael S. , Sawe Hendry R. , Levine Adam C. , Pousson Amelia , House Darlene R. , Agrawal Pooja , Osei‐Ampofo Maxwell , Weiner Scott G. , Douglass Katherine
Published: December 2013

As policy‐makers increasingly recognize emergency care to be a global health priority, the need for high‐quality clinical and translational research in this area continues to grow. As part of the proceedings of the 2013 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, this article discusses the importance of: 1) including clinical and translational research in the initial emergency care development plan, 2) defining the burden of acute disease and the barriers to conducting research in resource‐limited settings, 3) assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of local and global acute care guidelines within the local context, 4) studying the local research infrastructure needs to understand the best methods to build a sustainable research infrastructure, and 5) studying the long‐term effects of clinical research programs on health care systems.
Do vouchers improve government fertilizer distribution? Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Liverpool‐Tasie Lenis Saweda O.
Published: December 2013

Government distribution of subsidized fertilizer in Sub‐Saharan Africa is often characterized by cumbersome administrative processes and diversion of the product from the proclaimed beneficiaries. This study uses propensity score matching techniques to analyze an input voucher program in Nigeria that was meant to demonstrate an alternative and more efficient distribution mechanism for subsidized fertilizer. We find that participants in the 2009 voucher program received more bags of subsidized fertilizer than nonparticipants and also paid significantly lower prices compared to those who purchased directly from the market. On average, however, participating in the voucher program did not improve the timeliness of fertilizer receipt or the quality of the product. Where statistically significant, participating in the program increased the likelihood that the product was received late and that some complaint about the product's quality was made. As many developing countries; particularly in Sub‐Saharan Africa adopt the use of input vouchers or scale up already existing programs, this study demonstrates when the distribution of subsidized fertilizer via vouchers improves farmers’ timely access to good and more affordable fertilizer. It highlights some key issues to be considered in order to expand the dimensions of success of well‐targeted input voucher programs
The long term effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of initiating treatment for ocular hypertension
Authors: van Gestel Aukje , Schouten Jan S. A. G. , Beckers Henny J. M. , Severens Johan L. , Hendrikse Fred , Webers Carroll A. B.
Published: December 2013

Purpose

To investigate the long‐term health and economic consequences of direct treatment initiation in ocular hypertension patients.

Methods

A cost‐effectiveness analysis with a societal perspective and a lifelong horizon was performed. The primary outcomes were the incremental quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) and costs of direct pressure‐lowering treatment for ocular hypertension, compared to a strategy where treatment is postponed until conversion to glaucoma has been observed. We used a decision analytic model based on individual patient simulation to forecast disease progression and treatment decisions in both strategies in a representative heterogeneous patient population and in 18 patient subgroups stratified by initial intraocular pressure and additional risk factors for conversion.

Results

The incremental discounted health gain of direct treatment was 0.27 QALYs, whereas the incremental discounted costs were −€ 649 during an average lifetime of 26 years. In the simulations of patient subgroups, the model outcomes moved towards higher health gains and lower incremental costs with increasing risk of conversion in the patient population. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of direct treatment ranged from € 15,425 per QALY gained in the lowest‐risk subgroup to dominance in the highest‐risk subgroup. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that uncertainty surrounding the model input parameters did not affect the conclusions.

Conclusion

Direct, early, pressure‐lowering treatment is a dominant cost‐effective treatment strategy over a strategy to start the same treatment approach later, after glaucoma has occurred for patients with ocular hypertension. Its implementation and consequences should be discussed with ophthalmologists and individual patients.
International guidelines on tackling community‐acquired pneumonia show major discrepancies between developed and developing countries
Authors: Berti Elettra , Galli Luisa , de Martino Maurizio , Chiappini Elena
Published: December 2013

Aim

The goal of this study was to compare the current guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of paediatric community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) in developing and developed countries.

Methods

A literature search was performed consulting the Medline, Embase, Current Contents, National Guideline Clearinghouse and Cochrane database, from January 2000 to March 2013.

Results

Twelve guidelines were selected: six from developed countries and six from developing countries. Major discrepancies between the diagnosis and treatment approaches recommended by guidelines covering developing and developed countries were revealed. The search also highlighted differences between recommendations issued in similar settings.

Conclusion

The guidelines show wide variations and weak recommendations and further research is needed to improve clinical outcomes and make better use of resources.
Ancient Egyptian Pottery from the Subsurface Floodplain of the Saqqara–Memphis Area: Its Mineralogical and Geochemical Implications*
Authors: Hamdan M. A. , Martinez S. M. , Garcia Vallès M. T. , Nogués J. M. , Hassan F. A. , Flower R. J. , Aly M. H. , Senussi A. , Ebrahim E. S.
Published: December 2013

Potsherds recovered from the Saqqara–Memphis floodplain in Egypt, dated according to their typology and radiocarbon dating of the included sediments, are analysed geochemically and mineralogically to identify source materials and fabrication characteristics. Pottery layers were identified and potsherds were recovered from several settlement levels. Sherd typology was used to identify sherds from four periods (the Old and New Kingdoms, and from the Late Period to the Ptolemaic). The Pharaonic pieces were found at depths of between 8 and 12 m and the later material was between 6 and 3 m. Chemical analyses of the potsherds revealed three main source materials: local Nile silt, marl clay and mixed Nile silt–marl. Two marl clay types were recognized: marl clay from Upper Cretaceous marine sediment and another one from Late Pliocene deltaic sediments. The mineralogical composition of the pottery samples shows that the estimated firing temperature was about 850–900°C. No consistent differences in sherd mineralogy and geochemistry were found according to pottery types, so that the ancient Egyptian potters used essentially the same materials throughout the Pharaonic period. However, this initial study has revealed the existence of extensive pottery‐rich occupation sites buried within the Nile floodplain deposits between Memphis and Saqqara.
The contribution of VEGF signalling to fostamatinib‐induced blood pressure elevation
Authors: Skinner M , Philp K , Lengel D , Coverley L , Lamm Bergström E , Glaves P , Musgrove H , Prior H , Braddock M , Huby R , Curwen J O , Duffy P , Harmer A R
Published: December 2013

Background and Purpose

Fostamatinib is an inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase (TK). In patients, fostamatinib treatment was associated with increased BP. Some TK inhibitors cause BP elevation, by inhibiting the VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Here, we have assessed the mechanistic link between fostamatinib‐induced BP elevation and inhibition of VEGF signalling.

Experimental Approach

We used conscious rats with automated blood sampling and radio telemetry and anaesthetized rats to measure cardiovascular changes. Rat isolated aorta and isolated hearts, and human resistance vessels in vitro were also used. NO production by human microvascular endothelial cells was measured with the NO‐dependent probe, DAF‐FM and VEGFR2 phosphorylation was determined in mouse lung, ex vivo.

Key Results

In conscious rats, fostamatinib dose‐dependently increased BP. The time course of the BP effect correlated closely with the plasma concentrations of R406 (the active metabolite of fostamatinib). In anaesthetized rats, infusion of R406 increased BP and decreased femoral arterial conductance. Endothelial function was unaffected, as infusion of R406 did not inhibit hyperaemia‐ or ACh‐induced vasodilatation in rats. R406 did not affect contraction of isolated blood vessels. R406 inhibited VEGF‐stimulated NO production from human endothelial cells in vitro, and treatment with R406 inhibited VEGFR2 phosphorylation in vivo. R406 inhibited VEGF‐induced hypotension in anaesthetized rats.

Conclusions and Implications

Increased vascular resistance, secondary to reduced VEGF‐induced NO release from endothelium, may contribute to BP increases observed with fostamatanib. This is consistent with the elevated BP induced by other drugs inhibiting VEGF signalling, although the contribution of other mechanisms cannot be excluded.
Incorporating model complexity and spatial sampling bias into ecological niche models of climate change risks faced by 90 California vertebrate species of concern
Authors: Warren Dan L. , Wright Amber N. , Seifert Stephanie N. , Shaffer H. Bradley
Published: December 2013

Aim

Ecological niche models are increasingly being used to aid in predicting the effects of future climate change on species distributions. Complex models that show high predictive performance on current distribution data may do a poor job of predicting new data due to overfitting. In addition, model performance is often evaluated using techniques that are sensitive to spatial sampling bias. Here, we explore the effects of model complexity and spatial sampling bias on niche models for 90 vertebrate taxa of conservation concern.

Location

California, USA.

Methods

We used Akaike information criterion (AICc) to select variables and tune Maxent's built‐in regularization parameter (β) to constrain model complexity. In addition, we incorporated several estimates of spatial sampling bias based on interpolations of target group data. Ensemble forecasts were developed for future conditions from two emission scenarios and three climate change models for the year 2050.

Results

Reducing the number of predictors and tuning β resulted in a reduction in the number of parameters in models built with sample sizes greater than approximately 10 occurrence points. Reducing the number of predictors had a substantially higher impact on the relative prioritization of different grid cells than did increasing regularization. There was little difference in prioritization of habitat when comparing models built using different spatial sampling bias estimates. Over half of the taxa were predicted to experience >80% reductions in environmental suitability in currently occupied cells, and this pattern was consistent across taxonomic groups.

Main Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that reducing the number of correlated predictor variables tends to decrease the breadth of models, while tuning regularization using AICc tends to increase it. These two strategies may provide a reasonable bracketing strategy for assessing climate change impacts.
Field margin vegetation enhances biological control and crop damage suppression from multiple pests in organic tomato fields
Authors: Balzan Mario V. , Moonen Anna‐Camilla
Published: December 2013

Ephemeral cropping systems are characterized by frequent disturbances of ecological processes, which may compromise the conservation of plant and arthropod diversity and the ecosystem services they may provide. Conservation biological control practices include habitat manipulations that provide non‐pest resources and selectively enhance natural enemies' effectiveness. This study, conducted in eight commercial fields of organically grown tomato, compared the effectiveness of sown flower strips with semi‐natural margins in regulating natural enemy abundance, biocontrol, and crop damage. During repeated visits, the abundance of different arthropod groups was recorded. Crop surveys included measurement of aphid abundance, parasitism, and leaf and fruit damage from sap‐sucking and lepidopteran pests. Semi‐natural habitats were associated with higher vegetation diversity, but natural enemies were more strongly associated with sown strips during flowering. Sap‐sucking pests were always recorded in higher abundance in flower strips, but crop damage in the plots adjacent to these strips was lower, suggesting that these strips may act as a trap‐crop. The inclusion of floral supplements enhanced the parasitism rate of aphids in the crop, and reduced the rate of increase of lepidopteran‐caused foliar damage with time. Early in the growing season, semi‐natural strips showed significantly lower levels of crop damage and aphid counts, suggesting that these habitats may be important during early crop colonization by natural enemies. These results indicate that the inclusion of flower strips enhances the conservation of arthropod functional diversity in ephemeral crops, and that diverse mechanisms are important for controlling different pests. However, the efficacy of habitat manipulation is likely to be greater when it is complemented with the conservation of diverse semi‐natural vegetation in the pre‐existing field margin.
Emigration and mortality of juvenile brown trout in aNewZealand headwater tributary
Authors: Holmes Robin , Hayes John W. , Jiang Weimin , Quarterman Aaron , Davey Lawson N.
Published: December 2013

We investigated juvenile brown trout migration and mortality in a headwater tributary of theMotuekaRiver,NewZealand, by tracking 1000 young‐of‐the‐year passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagged fish over autumn to summer to (i) partition total loss into emigration and mortality and (ii) determine the influence of season and flow on emigration. Fish were tracked using mobile and fixedPITtag readers. Of the 1000 fish tagged, 173 remained within theRainyRiver; emigration contributed 60% and mortality 29% to loss. Only 11% of fish tagged in autumn were predicted to remain in the upper reaches of the stream by early summer, and this agreed with density data collected in a parallel study. We identified a two‐phase downstream migration pattern with early movement of large young‐of‐the‐year fish in autumn (mainly during floods). This was followed by another substantial period of movement in spring (during floods and lower flows) by fish that were initially smaller at the time ofPITtagging. The management implications for damming and fish screening in headwater tributaries are discussed.
Rapid and persistent impairments of the forelimb motor representations following cervical deafferentation in rats
Authors: Jiang Yu‐Qiu , Williams Preston T. J. A. , Martin John H.
Published: December 2013

Skilled motor control is regulated by the convergence of somatic sensory and motor signals in brain and spinal motor circuits. Cervical deafferentation is known to diminish forelimb somatic sensory representations rapidly and to impair forelimb movements. Our focus was to determine what effect deafferentation has on the motor representations in motor cortex, knowledge of which could provide new insights into the locus of impairment following somatic sensory loss, such as after spinal cord injury or stroke. We hypothesized that somatic sensory information is important for cortical motor map topography. To investigate this we unilaterally transected the dorsal rootlets in adult rats from C4 to C8 and mapped the forelimb motor representations using intracortical microstimulation, immediately after rhizotomy and following a 2‐week recovery period. Immediately after deafferentation we found that the size of the distal representation was reduced. However, despite this loss of input there were no changes in motor threshold. Two weeks after deafferentation, animals showed a further distal representation reduction, an expansion of the elbow representation, and a small elevation in distal movement threshold. These changes were specific to the forelimb map in the hemisphere contralateral to deafferentation; there were no changes in the hindlimb or intact‐side forelimb representations. Degradation of the contralateral distal forelimb representation probably contributes to the motor control deficits after deafferentation. We propose that somatic sensory inputs are essential for the maintenance of the forelimb motor map in motor cortex and should be considered when rehabilitating patients with peripheral or spinal cord injuries or after stroke.
Risk of non‐melanoma skin cancer in myasthenia patients treated with azathioprine
Authors: Pedersen E. G. , Pottegård A. , Hallas J. , Friis S. , Hansen K. , Jensen P. E. H. , Gaist D.
Published: December 2013

Background and purpose

The association between use of azathioprine and risk of non‐melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in patients with myasthenia was evaluated in a nationwide setting. Treatment of autoimmune myasthenia frequently involves long‐term exposure to immunosuppressants, including azathioprine. Use of azathioprine increases the risk of NMSC in organ recipients and probably also in patients with other autoimmune disorders. No previous study has specifically investigated the risk of NMSC in myasthenia patients treated with azathioprine.

Methods

This is a case–control study based on Danish population‐based registries. Cases were myasthenia patients with a first time diagnosis of NMSC during 2004–2009. Age‐ and sex‐matched controls were selected amongst myasthenia patients with no history of cancer using incidence density sampling. Prior use of azathioprine in cases and controls was assessed through prescription records (1995–2009). Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for skin cancer associated with a high cumulative dose (≥150 g) or long‐term use (≥5 years) of azathioprine, adjusted for confounders.

Results

Thirty NMSC cases and 360 matched controls were identified. Ever use of azathioprine was associated with a considerably increased risk of NMSC (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.5–7.3) that was even more apparent in patients with high cumulative dose (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.7–12.5) or long‐term (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.7–13.6) use of azathioprine.

Conclusion

Azathioprine use in patients with myasthenia is associated with an increased risk of NMSC.
Evidence for iron‐regulated cyanobacterial predominance in oligotrophic lakes
Authors: Sorichetti Ryan J. , Creed Irena F. , Trick Charles G.
Published: December 2013

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are most often associated with large eutrophic lakes. In the past decade, an increase in the incidence of cyanoHABs in small oligotrophic lakes within the Laurentian Great Lakes‐St. Lawrence River Basin has been documented. We explored macro‐ and micronutrient conditions during peak phytoplankton biomass that result in high cyanobacterial densities.

We hypothesised that the availability of biologically available iron (Fe) both limits the assimilation of phosphorus by competing taxa and selects for the predominance of cyanobacteria.

We tested this hypothesis with a comparative study of 25 oligotrophic lakes in central Ontario, Canada. These lakes were sampled during peak phytoplankton biomass for 3 years (from 2009 to 2011) for concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium (), nitrate (), total dissolved Fe (TDFe) and pH for comparison with phytoplankton community biomass and composition.

Correlation analyses indicated that predominance of cyanobacteria was assured at all TP levels when the availability of Fe was low. Proportionally high cyanobacterial density occurred at relatively low TP in lakes with a molar ratio of dissolved inorganic N (DIN):TP of 8:1 and a modelled ferric Fe concentration <1.0 × 10−19 m at which cyanobacteria have been shown to be competitive for Fe in laboratory experiments. Regression tree analysis confirmed the minimal influence of P and N, implying that cyanobacteria thrive in low Fe environments.

Our findings suggest that an increased susceptibility of oligotrophic lakes to cyanobacterial bloom formation is based on the presence of cyanobacteria that have adapted sufficiently to low Fe environments and are able to multiply rapidly when pulses of P are made available to the ecosystem. Physiologically prepared transitionary cyanobacteria do not have to compete with the eukaryotic species but rather exploit the new P and replicate faster.
Controls of dissolved organic matter quality: evidence from a large‐scale boreal lake survey
Authors: Kothawala Dolly N. , Stedmon Colin A. , Müller Roger A. , Weyhenmeyer Gesa A. , Köhler Stephan J. , Tranvik Lars J.
Published: December 2013

Inland waters transport large amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from terrestrial environments to the oceans, but DOM also reacts en route, with substantial water column losses by mineralization and sedimentation. For DOM transformations along the aquatic continuum, lakes play an important role as they retain waters in the landscape allowing for more time to alter DOM. We know DOM losses are significant at the global scale, yet little is known about how the reactivity of DOM varies across landscapes and climates. DOM reactivity is inherently linked to its chemical composition. We used fluorescence spectroscopy to explore DOM quality from 560 lakes distributed across Sweden and encompassed a wide climatic gradient typical of the boreal ecozone. Six fluorescence components were identified using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The intensity and relative abundance of these components were analyzed in relation to lake chemistry, catchment, and climate characteristics. Land cover, particularly the percentage of water in the catchment, was a primary factor explaining variability in PARAFAC components. Likewise, lake water retention time influenced DOM quality. These results suggest that processes occurring in upstream water bodies, in addition to the lake itself, have a dominant influence on DOM quality. PARAFAC components with longer emission wavelengths, or red‐shifted components, were most reactive. In contrast, protein‐like components were most persistent within lakes. Generalized characteristics of PARAFAC components based on emission wavelength could ease future interpretation of fluorescence spectra. An important secondary influence on DOM quality was mean annual temperature, which ranged between −6.2 and +7.5 °C. These results suggest that DOM reactivity depends more heavily on the duration of time taken to pass through the landscape, rather than temperature. Projected increases in runoff in the boreal region may force lake DOM toward a higher overall amount and proportion of humic‐like substances.
Mechanistic insights into the effects of climate change on larval cod
Authors: Kristiansen Trond , Stock Charles , Drinkwater Kenneth F. , Curchitser Enrique N.
Published: December 2013

Understanding the biophysical mechanisms that shape variability in fisheries recruitment is critical for estimating the effects of climate change on fisheries. In this study, we used an Earth System Model (ESM) and a mechanistic individual‐based model (IBM) for larval fish to analyze how climate change may impact the growth and survival of larval cod in the North Atlantic. We focused our analysis on five regions that span the current geographical range of cod and are known to contain important spawning populations. Under the SRES A2 (high emissions) scenario, the ESM‐projected surface ocean temperatures are expected to increase by >1 °C for 3 of the 5 regions, and stratification is expected to increase at all sites between 1950–1999 and 2050–2099. This enhanced stratification is projected to decrease large (>5 μm ESD) phytoplankton productivity and mesozooplankton biomass at all 5 sites. Higher temperatures are projected to increase larval metabolic costs, which combined with decreased food resources will reduce larval weight, increase the probability of larvae dying from starvation and increase larval exposure to visual and invertebrate predators at most sites. If current concentrations of piscivore and invertebrate predators are maintained, larval survival is projected to decrease at all five sites by 2050–2099. In contrast to past observed responses to climate variability in which warm anomalies led to better recruitment in cold‐water stocks, our simulations indicated that reduced prey availability under climate change may cause a reduction in larval survival despite higher temperatures in these regions. In the lower prey environment projected under climate change, higher metabolic costs due to higher temperatures outweigh the advantages of higher growth potential, leading to negative effects on northern cod stocks. Our results provide an important first large‐scale assessment of the impacts of climate change on larval cod in the North Atlantic.