bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Predictive Validity of a Text-Based Situational Judgment Test in Undergraduate Medical and Dental School Admissions
Authors: Patterson Fiona , Cousans Fran , Edwards Helena , Rosselli Anna , Nicholson Sandra , Wright Barry
Published: March 2017

Problem

Situational judgment tests (SJTs) can be used to assess the nonacademic attributes necessary for medical and dental trainees to become successful practitioners. Evidence for SJTs’ predictive validity, however, relates predominantly to selection in postgraduate settings or using video-based SJTs at the undergraduate level; it may not be directly transferable to text-based SJTs in undergraduate medical and dental school selection. This preliminary study aimed to address these gaps by assessing the validity of the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) text-based SJT.

Approach

Study participants were 218 first-year medical and dental students from four UK undergraduate schools who completed the first UKCAT text-based SJT in 2013. Outcome measures were educational supervisor ratings of in-role performance in problem-based learning tutorial sessions—mean rating across the three domains measured by the SJT (integrity, perspective taking, and team involvement) and an overall judgment of performance—collected in 2015.

Outcomes

There were significant correlations between SJT scores and both mean supervisor ratings (uncorrected r = 0.24, P < .001; corrected r = 0.34) and overall judgments (uncorrected r

s
= 0.16, P < .05; corrected r

s
= 0.20). SJT scores predicted 6% of variance in mean supervisor ratings across the three nonacademic domains.

Next Steps

The results provide evidence that a well-designed text-based SJT can be appropriately integrated, and add value to, the selection process for undergraduate medical and dental school. More evidence is needed regarding the longitudinal predictive validity of SJTs throughout medical and dental training pathways, with appropriate outcome criteria.
Dietary restriction increases variability in longevity
Authors: Senior A. M. , Nakagawa S. , Raubenheimer D. , Simpson S. J. , Noble D. W. A.
Published: March 2017

Nutritional environments, particularly those experienced during early life, are hypothesized to affect longevity. A recent cross-taxa meta-analysis found that, depending upon circumstance, average longevity may be increased or decreased by early-life dietary restriction. Unstudied are the effects of diet during development on among-individual variance in longevity. Here, we address this issue using emerging methods for meta-analysis of variance. We found that, in general, standard deviation (s.d.) in longevity is around 8% higher under early-life dietary restriction than a standard diet. The effects became especially profound when dietary insults were experienced prenatally (s.d. increased by 29%) and/or extended into adulthood (s.d. increased by 36.6%). Early-life dietary restriction may generate variance in longevity as a result of increased variance in resource acquisition or allocation, but the mechanisms underlying these largely overlooked patterns clearly warrant elucidation.
From transnational to regional magnetic fevers: The making of a law on hypnotism in late nineteenth-century Belgium
Authors: Wils Kaat
Published: March 2017

In May 1892, Belgium adopted a law on the exercise of hypnotism. The signing of the law constituted a temporary endpoint to six years of debate on the dangers and promises of hypnotism, a process of negotiation between medical doctors, members of parliament, legal professionals and lay practitioners. The terms of the debate were not very different from what happened elsewhere in Europe, where, since the mid 1880s, hypnotism had become an object of public concern. The Belgian law was nevertheless unique in its combined effort to regulate the use of hypnosis in public and private, for purposes of entertainment, research and therapy. My analysis shows how the making of the law was a process of negotiation in which local, national and transnational networks and allegiances each played a part. While the transnational atmosphere of moral panic had created a seedbed for the law, its eventual outlook owed much to the powerful lobby work of an essentially local network of lay magnetizers, and to the renown of Joseph Delbœuf, professor at the University of Liège, whose work in the field of hypnotism stimulated several liberal doctors and members of Parliament from the Liège region to defend a more lenient law.
Device-independent tests of quantum channels
Authors: Dall’Arno Michele , Brandsen Sarah , Buscemi Francesco
Published: March 2017

We develop a device-independent framework for testing quantum channels. That is, we falsify a hypothesis about a quantum channel based only on an observed set of input–output correlations. Formally, the problem consists of characterizing the set of input–output correlations compatible with any arbitrary given quantum channel. For binary (i.e. two input symbols, two output symbols) correlations, we show that extremal correlations are always achieved by orthogonal encodings and measurements, irrespective of whether or not the channel preserves commutativity. We further provide a full, closed-form characterization of the sets of binary correlations in the case of: (i) any dihedrally covariant qubit channel (such as any Pauli and amplitude-damping channels) and (ii) any universally-covariant commutativity-preserving channel in an arbitrary dimension (such as any erasure, depolarizing, universal cloning and universal transposition channels).
Stacks off tracks: A role for the golgin AtCASP in plant endoplasmic reticulum – Golgi apparatus tethering
Authors: Osterrieder Anne , Botchway Stan W , Ward Andy , Ketelaar Tijs , de Ruijter Norbert , Hawes Chris
Published: March 2017

The plant Golgi apparatus modifies and sorts incoming proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and synthesises cell wall matrix material. Plant cells possess numerous motile Golgi bodies, which are connected to the ER by yet to be identified tethering factors. Previous studies indicated a role of cis-Golgi plant golgins (long coiled-coil domains proteins anchored to Golgi membranes) in Golgi biogenesis. Here we show a tethering role for the golgin AtCASP at the ER-Golgi interface. Using live-cell imaging, Golgi body dynamics were compared in Arabidopsis thaliana leaf epidermal cells expressing fluorescently tagged AtCASP, a truncated AtCASP-ΔCC lacking the coiled-coil domains, and the Golgi marker STtmd. Golgi body speed and displacement were significantly reduced in AtCASP-ΔCC lines. Using a dual-colour optical trapping system and a TIRF-tweezer system, individual Golgi bodies were captured in planta. Golgi bodies in AtCASP-ΔCC lines were easier to trap, and the ER-Golgi connection was more easily disrupted. Occasionally, the ER tubule followed a trapped Golgi body with a gap, indicating the presence of other tethering factors. Our work confirms that the intimate ER-Golgi association can be disrupted or weakened by expression of truncated AtCASP-ΔCC, and suggests that this connection is most likely maintained by a golgin-mediated tethering complex.

Highlight

Here we show that the Golgi-associatedArabidopsis thalianaprotein AtCASP may form part of a golgin-mediated tethering complex involved in anchoring plant Golgi stacks to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
The temporal paradox of Hebbian learning and homeostatic plasticity
Authors: Zenke Friedemann , Gerstner Wulfram , Ganguli Surya
Published: March 2017

Hebbian plasticity, a synaptic mechanism which detects and amplifies co-activity between neurons, is considered a key ingredient underlying learning and memory in the brain. However, Hebbian plasticity alone is unstable, leading to runaway neuronal activity, and therefore requires stabilization by additional compensatory processes. Traditionally, a diversity of homeostatic plasticity phenomena found in neural circuits are thought to play this role. However, recent modelling work suggests that the slow evolution of homeostatic plasticity, as observed in experiments, is insufficient to prevent instabilities originating from Hebbian plasticity. To remedy this situation, we suggest that homeostatic plasticity is complemented by additional rapid compensatory processes, which rapidly stabilize neuronal activity on short timescales.
Genotype-phenotype association mining in bipolar disorder: market research meets complex genetics
Authors: Breuer René , Mattheisen Manuel , Frank Josef , Krumm Bertram , Treutlein Jens , Kassem Layla , Strohmaier Jana , Herms Stefan , Mühleisen Thomas W. , Degenhardt Franziska , Cichon Sven , Nöthen Markus M. , Karypis George ,   Bipolar Disorder Genetics (BiGS) Consortium, McMahon Francis J. , Rietschel Marcella , Schulze Thomas G.
Published: March 2017

Disentangling the etiology of common, complex diseases is a major challenge in genetic research. For bipolar disorder (BD), several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed. Similar to other complex disorders, major breakthroughs in explaining the high heritability of BD through GWAS have remained elusive. To overcome this dilemma, genetic research into BD, has embraced a variety of strategies such as the formation of large consortia to increase sample size and sequencing approaches. Here we advocate a complementary approach making use of already existing GWAS data: applying a data mining procedure to identify yet undetected genotype-phenotype relationships. We adapted association rule mining, a data mining technique traditionally used in retail market research, to identify frequent and characteristic genotype patterns showing strong associations to phenotype clusters. We applied this strategy to three independent GWAS datasets from 2,835 phenotypically characterized patients with BD. In a discovery step, 20,882 candidate association rules were extracted. Two of these - one associated with eating disorder and the other with anxiety - remained significant in an independent dataset after robust correction for multiple testing, showing considerable effect sizes (odds ratio ~ 3.4 and 3.0, respectively). Our approach may help detect novel specific genotype-phenotype relationships in BD typically not explored by analyses like GWAS. While we adapted the data mining tool within the context of BD gene discovery, it may facilitate identifying highly specific genotype-phenotype relationships in subsets of genome-wide data sets of other complex phenotype with similar epidemiological properties and challenges to gene discovery efforts.
The effect of directors’ and officers’ insurance on audit fees: the case of an emerging economy
Authors: Li Kuei-Fu , Liao Yi-Ping
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of D&O insurance in audit pricing in Taiwan, an emerging market in which auditors face negligible litigation risk and intense competition.

Design/methodology/approach

It examines the association between audit fees and D&O insurance coverage.

Findings

Results indicate that audit fees are higher for clients with higher D&O coverage after controlling for other determinants. Further analysis shows that auditors charge additional audit fees for clients whose insurer is foreign owned.

Originality/value

Overall, the study provides evidence that the induction of financial misstatement risks by D&O insurance is one of the contributing audit risk factors in an emerging economy context.
Abnormal returns using accounting information within a value portfolio
Authors: Banerjee Pradip , Deb Soumya G.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper investigates whether a simple accounting information-based fundamental analysis strategy could identify winners from losers within a portfolio of high book-to-market (value) stocks, over the last decade in the Indian equity market, where historically, information disclosure and transparency levels have been on the lower side.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of ‘value’ firms, the authors formulate an ‘F-score’ for each firm as the sum of binary signals (favourable and unfavourable), with respect to nine key variables. The authors then form ten equal size F-score portfolios within the value band for each year, and track the performance of robust high F-score firms vis-à-vis that of weaker low F-score firms.

Findings

The study highlights that the historical success of a value strategy, in general, relies on the strong performance of a few firms while ‘tolerating the poor performance of many deteriorating companies’ within the broad value group and shows that firms with strong fundamentals within the value group outperform their less robust counterparts, based on absolute as well as risk adjusted measures.

Practical implications

The results of the study show that strong performers can indeed be distinguished from underperformers within the broad category of value stocks. This can have significant implications for investors at large in the Indian equity market.

Originality/value

The study suggests an approach to identify potential winners within a broad ‘value’ portfolio using an array of accounting information, even in a relatively less transparent Indian equity market.
Managing continuous innovation through performance measurement
Authors: Saunila Minna
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define measures that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can use for evaluating continuous innovation and to analyze types of SMEs, according to the innovation measures they use and their characteristics in terms of size and operational and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were gathered with the help of a structured survey questionnaire from a cross-section of firms in both the manufacturing and service sectors in Finland. The data were analyzed in terms of factor and cluster analyses.

Findings

Three measures of continuous innovation and three types of SMEs were defined based on their continuous innovation measures. It was found that firms using all three types of innovation measures also register above-average financial and operational performance compared to those that do not.

Originality/value

This study attempts to improve the precision of performance measurement and the management of continuous innovation in firms by expanding and refining existing measurement guidelines and principles. In particular, this work approaches the subject of continuous innovation measurement from the standpoint of SMEs.
Role of human behaviour attributes in mobile crowd sensing: a systematic literature review
Authors: Agarwal Neetima , Chauhan Sumedha , Kar Arpan Kumar , Goyal Sandeep
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Mobile crowd sensing (MCS) is a new paradigm enabled by Internet of Things (IoT) in which sensor-rich ubiquitous devices collect and share the data over a large geography. Human behaviour attributes (perception, comprehension and projection) play a key role in the decision-making process for sharing and processing the data. This study aims to understand how situation awareness plays an important role in MCS in an IoT ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was conducted by following a rigorous search protocol that identified a total of 470 peer-reviewed research papers. These papers were further filtered and finally 31 relevant papers were selected.

Findings

The major issues and concerns arising due to human participation in the MCS system were identified. Further, probable strategies were explored to deal with the challenges resulting due to certain human behaviour attributes.

Practical implications

This study provides the recommendations to address the major challenges related to the MCS system, which in turn may enhance the adoption of emerging smart technology-driven services.

Originality/value

The study is original and is based on the existing literature and its interpretation.
Developing broadband in frontier markets: opportunities and challenges in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Authors: Haddad Marolla , Rossotto Carlo Maria
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) can leverage broadband, as a frontier emerging market, to diversify the economy and promote growth, job creation and productivity. The objective is to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the broadband market and propose policies to boost its development and achieve medium to long-term economic benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses qualitative and quantitative tools to study the legal and regulatory environment, market structure, competitive dynamics and available services and infrastructure in the KRI. The data and information analyzed were obtained through field research, primary data collection and consultation with government institutions, telecom operators and IT companies.

Findings

Obstacles to broadband development in the KRI are barriers to competition, the need for clearer and more transparent policies and regulations and a fragmented market. However, when the right conditions are in place, KRI has the potential to emerge as a regional hub for international broadband connectivity and significantly expand local broadband access.

Originality/value

This paper presents a first-of-its-kind baseline analysis of the telecom sector in the KRI. Very little information is available on the KRI market, which also has not been previously studied separately from the Iraqi market. Based on the fieldwork, the paper relies on region-specific data to analyze the particularity of the market and identify reforms within the prerogative of the regional government.
Do earnings really decline for older workers?
Authors: Charni Kadija , Bazen Stephen
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Cross-section data suggest that the relationship between age and hourly earnings is an inverted U shape. Evidence from panel data does not necessarily confirm this finding suggesting that older workers may not experience a reduction in earnings at the end of their working life. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the authors use panel data on males for Great Britain in order to examine why the two types of data provide conflicting conclusions. Concentrating on the over 50s, several hypotheses are examined: overlapping cohorts, job tenure, job-changing, labour supply behaviour, and selectivity bias.

Findings

Cohort and individual fixed effects partly explain the divergent conclusions. However, for fully, year-on-year employed individuals, there is no evidence of earnings decline at the end of working life. The authors find no role for selectivity due to retirement, although shorter working hours or partial retirement along with job-changing late in life does provide an explanation for why hourly earnings decline for certain older workers.

Originality/value

The authors find no evidence that the process of ageing itself leads to lower earnings as suggested by the cross-section profile.
Logistics solutions for reducing food waste
Authors: Liljestrand Kristina
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand understandings of how logistics can reduce food waste in food supply chains (FSCs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a research framework that associates causes of food waste with logistics solutions, a multiple-case study was conducted in three Swedish FSCs of meat, fruit and vegetables, and ambient products, respectively, and involving industrial producers, wholesalers, and retailers. Data were collected during 19 semistructured interviews and four site visits, and logistics solutions were analysed according to logistics activities, actors involved and their stages in the FSC, and coordination mechanisms.

Findings

A joint analysis of nine logistics solutions revealed that to efficiently reduce food waste in FSCs, solutions have been implemented at three stages of FSCs, as well as that those solutions differ in their integration of six logistics activities and four coordination mechanisms. The findings moreover indicate that the solutions are interlinked, thereby implying that coordination is necessary both within solutions as well as among them.

Research limitations/implications

The chief limitation is that the potential of the identified logistics solutions is not quantified.

Practical implications

The paper makes recommendations for reducing food waste in FSCs by developing new solutions and modifying existing ones.

Social implications

The paper suggests ways to reduce significant environmental impacts of food waste.

Originality/value

By building upon previous research explaining causes of food waste, this paper focusses on logistics solutions for reducing such waste.
Inconsistencies in the behavioural effects of consumer ethnocentrism
Authors: Balabanis George , Siamagka Nikoletta-Theofania
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Despite the well-established impact of consumer ethnocentrism (CET) on purchase intentions, extant literature offers limited evidence on actual purchase behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to address the gap by investigating the factors underlying variations in CET behaviour using reported brand purchases. Product category, product cost and visibility, brand and country of origin (COO) of purchased products are investigated for their impact on the differences in the behavioural effects of CET.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses survey data collected in the USA from a sample of 468 consumers. Self-reported brand purchases are used and involve ten product categories, 432 brands, and 22 countries of origin. Logistic regressions for repeated measures are used to test the hypotheses formulated.

Findings

The results confirm that product category is an important determinant of the behavioural effects of CET. CET also has a significant impact on purchases of the most expensive product categories rather than frequently purchased convenient items. Contrary to existing empirical evidence, cultural similarity does not mitigate the negative effects of CET and product visibility does not strengthen the behavioural effect of CET.

Practical implications

The study results should enhance managers’ understanding of the determinants of ethnocentric behaviour. The results caution managers about the value of self-reported measures and indicate that product features other than COO may be more effective in mitigating the negative effects of CET.

Originality/value

This study contributes to extant literature on CET and COO by investigating, for the first time, the problem of inconsistent predictions of purchase behaviour in the context of foreign vs domestic brands. For this purpose, the study adopted a novel methodological approach to investigate actual brand purchases.
The EU as superordinate brand origin: an entitativity perspective
Authors: Diamantopoulos Adamantios , Herz Marc , Koschate-Fischer Nicole
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Drawing from the entitativity theory, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the European Union (EU) as a superordinate entity and investigate the extent to which a “Made-in-EU” designation leads to superior/inferior brand evaluations and through them to higher/lower purchase intentions than different country-specific designations.

Design/methodology/approach

Prior literature and qualitative interviews with consumers are used to generate several propositions regarding the role of the EU as a brand origin. These are subsequently tested in a series of four experimental studies using a common design but different country-specific origins as stimuli.

Findings

While a “Made-in-EU” designation is interpreted as a quality signal, linking a brand to the EU fails to generate positive affective associations. Furthermore, the exact impact of a “Made-in-EU” brand designation very much depends on the standard of comparison, that is, the specific country against which the EU is evaluated.

Research limitations/implications

Superordinate designations such as the EU can indeed represent distinct entities in consumers’ minds which strongly impact their perceptions and intended behavior.

Practical implications

Moving from a “home country” label to a “Made-in-EU” label is not advisable for owners of domestic brands. For foreign brands from EU countries with an unfavorable country image, adopting a “Made-in-EU” label is worth considering since it can strengthen quality perceptions. However, any quality advantage might be offset by weaker brand affect perceptions.

Originality/value

The concept of entitativity introduces a new conceptual lens in the context of origin research which – almost exclusively – has previously focused on the individual country as the unit of analysis.
Risk assessment in sentencing decisions: a remedy to mass incarceration?
Authors: Kopkin Megan R. , Brodsky Stanley L. , DeMatteo David
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The legal system’s use of risk assessment has grown exponentially over the past several decades. Empirically validated risk measures are commonly implemented in parole, bail, civil commitment, and presentence proceedings. Despite their growing popularity, both policy-makers and legal scholars question their moral and legal acceptability, particularly in presentence proceedings. The purpose of this paper is to assess the current role of risk assessment in sentencing through an examination of the instrument currently under construction in the state of Pennsylvania.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the current state of the literature, this paper evaluates the current use of risk assessment in criminal sentencing and discusses its consequences, both positive and negative.

Findings

Four areas for improvement in the use of risk assessment in sentencing were identified. Recommendations for change are proposed.

Practical implications

While the use of risk assessment within the legal system has significantly increased over the past several decades, the incorporation of risk assessment in presentence proceedings is a relatively new practice. This paper provides readers with insight on the appropriateness of using risk assessment in this context and provides suggestions for reducing ethical concerns. Recommendations for increasing the validity and clinical utility of these instruments are also discussed.

Originality/value

Although the literature on the use of risk assessment in legal proceedings is dense, relatively little is written about their use in criminal sentencing. This paper introduces readers to this concept by examining a risk measure proposed for use in the state of Pennsylvania’s presentence proceedings. The authors discuss concerns and propose recommendations for the future use of risk assessment in this setting.
Neopatrimonialism, good governance, corruption and accounting in Africa
Authors: Hopper Trevor
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how best to design, implement and assess accounting reforms in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-disciplinary literature review.

Findings

Whilst neopatrimonialism inhibits optimal development, some forms do not block it. Such governance often permeates African politics and reforms directed at its elimination may fail due to a lack of political will. Thus accounting reforms should recognize their political feasibility and be directed at areas congruent with strengthening attributes of a developmental state.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to evaluate accounting reforms with respect to the level of a country’s development, relate them to its political governance, and evaluate them with respect to incremental rather than absolute achievement of their aims.

Practical implications

Rather than relying on imported “best practice” accounting standards and systems, there is a need for greater indigenous involvement to create systems that meet local needs and circumstances to increase indigenous accounting capacity and will to reform.

Social implications

Whilst the push to good governance is a desirable ideal, reforms need to be pragmatic with respect to feasibility.

Originality/value

The paper relates recent work on development to accounting reform in Africa which has been neglected by accounting scholars and practitioners.
A qualitative study for developing a framework for implementing public–private partnerships in developing countries
Authors: Almarri Khalid , Abuhijleh Bassam
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a public–private partnership (PPP) framework for newcomers from developing countries with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, through the meta-analysis review of literature and applied qualitative content analysis to the international PPP best practices, the authors identified key relevant PPP processes, terminologies and vocabulary that can assist new entrants in establishing their PPP infrastructure.

Findings

The outcome was a generic best practice framework for PPP implementation that consisted of five phases which further consisted of groups of functions and sub-groups of functions. These phases are establish the PPP framework, PPP implementation, contract design, bid management and PPP contract management.

Practical implications

This framework is expected to benefit the upper management of local government departments and the federal ministries to understand the full process for local PPPs and to help them make informed decision for what to develop as PPPs and how to develop them.

Social implications

This systematic approach to the development of PPPs in the UAE is expected to increase the number of PPP tenders, as there will be more awareness on what PPPs stand for, how they balance risks, improve efficiency and effectiveness of projects, improve facilities and services, etc.

Originality/value

This framework is the first to lay the foundations for a standardised PPP practice in the UAE for practitioners.
Exploring critical road project delay factors in Ghana
Authors: Amoatey Charles Teye , Ankrah Alfred Nii Okanta
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the causes of road construction delays in Ghana and identify appropriate mitigation measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The initial approach involved an empirical analysis of 48 road projects to quantify the extent of time. This was followed by a survey of the perception of road agency and donor partner officials of the critical causes of road project delays.

Findings

About 70 per cent of road projects experience delays and 52 per cent experience cost overruns. The average time overrun and cost overruns of road projects in Ghana was 17 months and US$1.15m (or 22.5 per cent), respectively. The five most critical causes of road construction delays were delay in finance and payment of completed work by owner (client-related); inadequate contractor experience (contractor-related); changes in scope by the owner during construction (client-related); delay to furnish and deliver the site to the contractor (client-related); and inflexible funding allocation for project items (donor-related).

Research limitations/implications

The most critical constraint of this study is the fact that findings are based on only the views of industry professional experts. It may be assumed that despite using broadly used terminology to refer to the causes of project delays, the interpretations by respondents may have differed from those intended. Further research could look at the correlation between time overrun and cost overrun using principle component analysis.

Practical implications

The identified delay factors are not unique to the road sector. From both academic and practical perspectives, the results emphasizes on the need for a holistic and integrated risk management model for the entire construction industry in Ghana.

Originality/value

The paper examined the causes of road project delays in the Ghanaian context and recommended remedial measures.
Scheduling and route optimisation for labour cost reduction in facility custodial maintenance
Authors: Pradhan Ninad , Patlolla Dinesh , Sawhney Rupy
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an optimised scheduling system for facility mangers and custodians. Experience-driven systems currently in use can result in poor ratings for facility maintenance metrics such as overtime hours, utilisation difference and labour costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The cleaning schedule and custodian work assignments defined by the manager are simulated for the entire year. Clustering and routing algorithms assign work to custodians equally and find optimal cleaning routes. The manager may use the resulting feedback to iteratively find a suitable schedule which lowers costs.

Findings

Data were collected at a large university building in consultation with facility management and custodians. Results indicate a significant reduction in overtime hours, improvement in utilisation difference and a lowering of labour costs.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology was validated at a single building in the facility. Variable selection and optimisation model design will benefit from a comprehensive case study which spans the entire facility.

Practical implications

The methodology may easily be integrated with existing facility maintenance software, adding to it features such as a manager scheduling interface with feedback on critical cleaning metrics and a custodian user interface which highlights room visitation routes and task times.

Originality/value

This study acts on the need for facility cleaning labour cost management highlighted in literature. It achieves its goals using a novel combination of scheduling, simulation and optimisation. It is designed to empower key decision-makers, i.e. facility managers and custodians, with better information.
Understanding how mammalian scavengers use information from avian scavengers: cue from above
Authors: Kane Adam , Kendall Corinne J.
Published: March 2017

Interspecific social information transfer can play a key role in many aspects of animal ecology from foraging to habitat selection to predator avoidance.

Within scavenging communities, avian scavengers often act as producers and mammalian scavengers act as scroungers, but we predict that species‐specific cueing will allow for mammalian scavengers to utilize particular avian scavenger species using preferred food sources similar to their own preferences.

We use empirical and theoretic approaches to assess interactions between mammalian and avian scavengers in one of the most diverse scavenging guilds in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

Using a spatially explicit model and data from experimental carcasses, we found evidence that mammals benefit from local enhancement provided by vultures and that mammalian‐avian following patterns are consistent with the idea that species‐specific cueing is occurring.

Results suggest that ongoing population declines in avian scavengers may have significant impacts on mammalian scavengers and potentially create trophic cascades.
Determinants of Technical Efficiency in Kenyan Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Cheruiyot Kiplangat Josea
Published: March 2017

This paper uses World Bank's 2007 Regional Program for Enterprise Development survey data for Kenya to investigate the efficiency levels of Kenya's manufacturing sector and establish the sources of its variations across firms. Using a two‐stage nonparametric approach, we establish the average technical efficiency of Kenya's manufacturing sector to be 68.3 percent with the least being 53 percent. Also, we find that 63 percent of the firms operated under increasing returns to scale, 35 percent of firms operate under decreasing returns and 2 percent under constant returns. Second stage results from Tobit estimation show that age of the enterprise and size enter the efficiency function negatively and their coefficients are significant. Technical efficiency is established to be concave with respect to these variables as well. The results also show that firms located in Nairobi are more efficient than their counterparts in Mombasa are. The implications of these findings for the design of policies that influence firm performance and location decisions are briefly discussed.
Laying the Tracks for Successful Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education: What Can We Learn from Comparisons of Immigrant–Native Achievement in the USA?
Authors: Jia Ning
Published: March 2017

This paper examines the immigrant–native achievement gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in college in the USA. Using student survey data from the Beginning Postsecondary Longitudinal Studies 2004/09, I find that on average immigrant students have significantly higher rates entering and persisting in STEM fields compared to their native counterparts. There is, however, considerable variation across immigrant generations and race and ethnicity. The immigrant attainment advantage is particularly large among first‐generation Asian and white immigrant students who attended foreign K–12 schools. I explore the channels leading to the achievement gap, including socioeconomic status, individual preferences, and academic preparation in math and science. Results suggest that the immigrant STEM advantage is largely due to better academic preparation in math and science in high school. This indicates that improvements in students' college STEM attainment may depend crucially on policy efforts devoted to strengthening the quality of high school math and science education.
The reproductive strategy and the vibrational duet of the leafhopper Empoasca vitis
Authors: Nieri Rachele , Mazzoni Valerio
Published: March 2017

The recent description of a new vibrational mating disruption method to control the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball opened questions about its possible application to other leafhopper pests. Since the prerequisite for the method's successful application is a deep knowledge of the species mating behavior and the exact role of associated signals, we conducted behavioral assays on the green leafhopper Empoasca vitis Göthe, a pest of grapevine and other crops in Europe and Asia. Laser vibrometer recordings of single and paired individuals (male and female) during a 24‐h period enabled us to detect and describe 2 male and 1 female signal. The pair formation starts when the female replies to a male call and a duet is established, then it continues through 2 different behavioral stages: Location and Courtship. The proper courtship begins only when the male locates the female. The latter is characterized by a significant change in temporal parameters that regards both the signals and the duet structure. Although the male calling activity and the female replying rate were the same during the 24 h, a lower number of matings was recorded during the night. We discuss the possible role of vision and of the species ecology as factors of reproductive success and mating strategy. Our conclusion is that the mechanical mating disruption technique seems feasible for future application to this species.
Passive vectoring of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana among the wax moth Galleria mellonella larvae by the ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor females
Authors: Kryukov Vadim Yu. , Kryukova Natalia A. , Tyurin Maksim V. , Yaroslavtseva Olga N. , Glupov Viktor V.
Published: March 2017

Females of the ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor attack and envenomate numerous host individuals during oviposition. The vectoring of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana during the adhesion stage by ectoparasitoid females among the wax moth larvae Galleria mellonella was explored under laboratory conditions. Vectoring occurred both from infected parasitoids to wax moth larvae and from infected to healthy wax moth larvae by parasitoids. The efficacy of vectoring in both cases was dose dependent. Parasitoid females were unable to recognize infected larvae in a labyrinth test. In addition, the presence of H. hebetor females significantly (1.5–13 fold) increased the mycoses level in clusters of G. mellonella, with 40% of the larvae infected with fungal conidia. Envenomation by H. hebetor increased conidia germination on the cuticles of the wax moth larvae by 4.4 fold. An enhanced germination rate (2 fold) was registered in the n‐hexane epicuticular extract of envenomated larvae compared to that of healthy larvae. Both envenomation and mycoses enhanced the phenoloxidase (PO) activity in the integument of G. mellonella and, in contrast, decreased the encapsulation rate in hemolymphs. We hypothesize that changes in the integument property and inhibition of cellular immunity provide the highest infection efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi with H. hebetor.
Sustained response to standard dose osimertinib in a patient with plasma T790M‐positive leptomeningeal metastases from primary lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Chan Oscar Siu‐Hong , Leung Warren Kam‐Wing , Yeung Rebecca Mei‐Wan
Published: March 2017

A 44‐year‐old male, never smoker, suffers from stage IV adenocarcinoma of the right lung with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon‐21 L858R point mutation on initial presentation. After 23 months of treatment with gefitinib, intercalated with multiple courses of radiotherapy, leptomeningeal metastases (LMs) developed. Acquired T790M mutation was confirmed by the droplet digital polymerase chain reaction plasma EGFR test. After switching to osimertinib at the standard dose, his neurocognitive function improved clinically, coupled with sustained radiological improvement. As this clinical entity is underrepresented in clinical trials, the practicability of plasma EGFR testing and the optimal dose–response relationship of osimertinib in T790M‐positive lung cancer complicated with LM deserves further exploration.
Orthopaedic research in Australia: a bibliographic analysis of the publication rates in the top 15 journals
Authors: Hohmann Erik , Glatt Vaida , Tetsworth Kevin
Published: March 2017

Background

To investigate the publications rates and characteristics of the authors for manuscripts originating from Australia in the 15 highest ranked orthopaedic journals over a 5‐year period.

Methods

The 15 highest ranked journals in orthopaedics, based on their 2015 impact factor, were used to establish the total number of publications and cumulative impact factor points between January 2010 and December 2014. The affiliations of the primary author and co‐authors were used to determine the involvement of Australian trained orthopaedic surgeons. Study location, research topic and anatomic areas were recorded.

Results

A total of 478 publications were identified; 110 of these manuscripts were principally authored by Australian trained orthopaedic surgeons or medical professionals affiliated with orthopaedics. In addition, 158 articles were published with orthopaedic surgery involvement where one of the co‐authors was an Australian trained surgeon. Australian orthopaedic surgeon (FRACS) involvement was most commonly observed in the knee (n = 90; 33.6%) followed by the hip (n = 69; 25.7%) and basic sciences (n = 27; 10.1%). Surgeons in Sydney had the highest number of publications (n = 95; 35.4%), followed by Adelaide (n = 55; 20.5%) and Melbourne (n = 54; 20.1%).

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate that the minority (23%) of the publications originating from Australia in the 15 highest‐ranking orthopaedic journals were principally authored by either an Australian trained surgeon or a trainee surgeon. A total of 59% of the publications focused on the hip and knee. Sydney was the leading region, followed by Adelaide and Melbourne. These three regions published 76% of all manuscripts identified during the 5‐year study period.
Learning styles: Considerations for technology enhanced item design
Authors: Adkins Deborah , Guerreiro Meg
Published: March 2017

Learning styles (LS) have been used for classifying students by their preferences relative to taking information in, processing it and demonstrating their ability in the context of education. This paper investigates the role of LS in K‐12 education by considering the manner in which student LS are assessed and the extent to which they have informed K‐12 instruction. The paper illustrates the impact of LS on teachers, pedagogy, student engagement and assessment. The theoretical framework of LS theory is discussed. Furthermore, this paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding LS and assessment; specifically the development of assessments based on LS. The authors suggest adapting student assessment utilizing technology‐enhanced items (TEIs) developed based on students' LS may provide a more reliable measure of student ability. Implications for practice and limitations are discussed.
IL‐21 promotes myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury through the modulation of neutrophil infiltration
Authors: Wang Kejing , Wen Shuang , Jiao Jiao , Tang Tingting , Zhao Xin , Zhang Min , Lv Bingjie , Lu Yuzhi , Zhou Xingdi , Li Jingyong , Nie Shaofang , Liao Yuhua , Wang Qing , Tu Xin , Mallat Ziad , Xia Ni , Cheng Xiang
Published: March 2017

Background and Purpose

The immune system plays an important role in driving the acute inflammatory response following myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). IL‐21 is a pleiotropic cytokine with multiple immunomodulatory effects, but its role in MIRI is not known.

Experimental Approach

Myocardial injury, neutrophil infiltration and the expression of neutrophil chemokines KC (CXCL1) and MIP‐2 (CXCL2) were studied in a mouse model of MIRI. Effects of IL‐21 on the expression of KC and MIP‐2 in neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were determined by real‐time PCR and ELISA. The signalling mechanisms underlying these effects were explored by western blot analysis.

Key Results

IL‐21 was elevated within the acute phase of murine MIRI. Neutralization of IL‐21 attenuated myocardial injury, as illustrated by reduced infarct size, decreased cardiac troponin T levels and improved cardiac function, whereas exogenous IL‐21 administration exerted opposite effects. IL‐21 increased the infiltration of neutrophils and increased the expression of KC and MIP‐2 in myocardial tissue following MIRI. Moreover, neutrophil depletion attenuated the IL‐21‐induced myocardial injury. Mechanistically, IL‐21 increased the production of KC and MIP‐2 in neonatal CMs and CFs, and enhanced neutrophil migration, as revealed by the migration assay. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this IL‐21‐mediated increase in chemokine expression involved the activation of Akt/NF‐κB signalling in CMs and p38 MAPK/NF‐κB signalling in CFs.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data provide novel evidence that IL‐21 plays a pathogenic role in MIRI, most likely by promoting cardiac neutrophil infiltration. Therefore, targeting IL‐21 may have therapeutic potential as a treatment for MIRI.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Spotlight on Small Molecules in Cardiovascular Diseases. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.8/issuetoc
From the Same Spirit: Receiving the Theological Gifts of Transgender Christians
Authors: Lowe Mary Elise
Published: March 2017

Transgender Christians bear four transformative gifts to the body of Christ. They celebrate that humans are God's created co‐creators, and that God creates with and through them. Second, gender non‐conforming Christians have learned to steadfastly love (hesed) themselves as they love God and the world. Next, transgender Christians witness that humans are a coherent unity of body‐mind, not a mind in a body. Finally, transgender followers of Jesus welcome the Holy Spirit's gifts of plurality, newness, unity, and freedom.