bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How does open innovation affect firms’ innovative performance
Authors: Zhou Huiping , Yao Yanhong , Chen Huanhuan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the direct effects of open innovation (OI) on firms’ innovative performance, and to examine the moderating effects of knowledge attributes, including knowledge distance, knowledge embeddedness and partner opportunism on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data of 247 samples from China were used to test the proposed model through hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The findings indicate that the dimensions of OI are positively related to innovative performance. The results also reveal that knowledge distance positively moderates the relationship between inbound OI and innovative performance, whereas knowledge embeddedness negatively affects that relationship. Knowledge embeddedness negatively affects the relationship between inbound OI and innovative performance, whereas knowledge distance positively moderates that relationship. Thus, a new finding is proposed that knowledge attributes could align effectively with specific OI type to achieve superior innovation outcomes. In addition, the empirical results suggest that partner opportunism plays a negative moderating role on the relationship between outbound OI and innovative performance.

Originality/value

The proposed view that a firm’s innovation outputs will be superior when its knowledge attributes effectively align with OI enriches studies of the OI context and expands the literature of both the resource-based view and the knowledge-based view. Furthermore, this study provides insights into how OI benefits can be influenced by external contexts from the perspective of partners’ opportunistic behaviour.
Chinese reverse M&A: the Wu Wei paradigm of post-M&A integration process
Authors: Sun Zhe
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to unpack the black box of post-merger and acquisition (M&A) integration of reverse M&A by Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs).

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts multiple cases of Chinese reverse M&A. Data are collected using the approaches of in-depth interviews, storytelling and narratives.

Findings

This research identifies various antecedents underlying Chinese post-M&A integration, such as asymmetries in resources, capabilities, vision and status between Chinese MNEs and acquired firms. The post-M&A integration process of Chinese reverse M&A consists of a top-down effortless integration initiated by Chinese MNEs with both benefits and problems, and a bottom-up reverse integration conducted by acquired firms.

Originality/value

By linking the pre-M&A phase and the post-M&A phase, this research builds a new model of post-M&A integration of Chinese reverse M&A from an indigenous Wu Wei paradigm. The new model counterpoises extant literature, shifting from the task and efficiency-focussed view to the people and harmony-focussed view.
Alcopops: a global perspective on the new category of alcoholic beverage
Authors: Precieuse Kavota Mwendiwva , Kumar Vikas , Suri Sheenam , Gat Yogesh , Kumar Ashwani
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the history, classification, regulation, the current market and consumer trends and health effects of alcopops.

Design/methodology/approach

The articles reviewed were selected based on the following key descriptors such as alcopop, history, classification, types, production and consumption trend, health benefits and adverse effect.

Findings

“Alcopop” is a collective term used to refer to flavored alcoholic beverages (FAB), also known as malt alcoholic beverage; ready-to-drink beverage (RTD); pre-packaged spirit or premium packaged spirit; high-strength (HS) pre-mixed beverage; pre-mixed caffeinated alcoholic beverage or alcoholic energy drink, etc. Alcopops were introduced into the market in 1990s. Starting with the introduction of FAB in the form of wine coolers, a large number of alcoholic beverages have been introduced. FAB are sweet, containing relatively low alcohol content and especially designed for the young drinkers also called the “entry-level” drinkers. They are popular among young and underage drinkers, teenage girls particularly, and the industries use packaging materials and marketing strategies that appear to target the youth. These products are now marketed globally, and their production, classification and marketing vary by country based on national regulatory restrictions. In countries such as USA and Australia, the industry represents that the products were malt beverages for regulatory purpose which were found to be false as other products were derived from distilled spirits. The product has no health benefits so far, the government need to reform their regulations and include new definitions of alcopops with available restrictions that would be practice at both national and state levels until and unless there have been another scientifically approved method of production through which the beverage could be beneficial for human consumption.

Originality/value

This is a unique and comprehensive review that will provide a brief overview of alcopops, i.e., a global perspective on the new category of alcoholic beverage.
Digital skin of the construction site
Authors: Edirisinghe Ruwini
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The future construction site will be pervasive, context aware and embedded with intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to explore and define the concept of the digital skin of the future smart construction site.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a systematic and hierarchical classification of 114 articles from both industry and academia on the digital skin concept and evaluates them. The hierarchical classification is based on application areas relevant to construction, such as augmented reality, building information model-based visualisation, labour tracking, supply chain tracking, safety management, mobile equipment tracking and schedule and progress monitoring. Evaluations of the research papers were conducted based on three pillars: validation of technological feasibility, onsite application and user acceptance testing.

Findings

Technologies learned about in the literature review enabled the envisaging of the pervasive construction site of the future. The paper presents scenarios for the future context-aware construction site, including the construction worker, construction procurement management and future real-time safety management systems.

Originality/value

Based on the gaps identified by the review in the body of knowledge and on a broader analysis of technology diffusion, the paper highlights the research challenges to be overcome in the advent of digital skin. The paper recommends that researchers follow a coherent process for smart technology design, development and implementation in order to achieve this vision for the construction industry.
Analytical and numerical approaches for Falkner–Skan flow of MHD Maxwell fluid using a non-Fourier heat flux model
Authors: Abbasbandy S. , Mustafa M.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the laminar flow of Maxwell fluid past a non-isothermal rigid plate with a stream wise pressure gradient. Heat transfer mechanism is analyzed in the context of non-Fourier heat conduction featuring thermal relaxation effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Flow field is permeated to uniform transverse magnetic field. The governing transport equations are changed to globally similar ordinary differential equations, which are tackled analytically by homotopy analysis technique. Homotopy analysis method-Padè approach is used to accelerate the convergence of homotopy solutions. Also, numerical approximations are made by means of shooting method coupled with fifth-order Runge-Kutta method.

Findings

The solutions predict that fluid relaxation time has a tendency to suppress the hydrodynamic boundary layer. Also, heat penetration depth reduces for increasing values of thermal relaxation time. The general trend of wall temperature gradient appears to be similar in Fourier and Cattaneo–Christov models.

Research limitations/implications

An important implication of current research is that the thermal relaxation time considerably alters the temperature and surface heat flux.

Originality/value

Current problem even in case of Newtonian fluid has not been attempted previously.
A reflection on survey research in hospitality
Authors: Dolnicar Sara
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Survey research has developed to become the default empirical approach to answering research questions in the field of hospitality (and many other fields of research within the social sciences). This paper aims to reflect on the use of survey research in hospitality and offers recommendations for improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

First, known dangers to validity associated with survey research are discussed. Next, a sample of studies recently published in leading hospitality journals is assessed in view of these known dangers. Finally, recommendations are offered for editors, reviewers, readers and authors to mitigate the risk of drawing invalid conclusions based on survey research.

Findings

Survey research is very common in hospitality research and is used to investigate a wide range of research questions and constructs under study. The nature of constructs studied, the answer scales used and the nature of the samples point to a substantial risk to the validity of conclusions drawn.

Practical implications

A number of risk mitigation measures are proposed that can help authors minimise the risks to validity arising from known dangers associated with survey research. These same risk mitigation measures can be used by editors and reviewers in the assessment of manuscripts and by readers to evaluate the validity of conclusions drawn in already published work.

Originality/value

The value of this study lies in reflecting from a distance on how the survey research is conducted in the social sciences in general and in hospitality research in specific. The paper reveals that some routine approaches particularly prone to undermining the validity of conclusions may have been adopted and offers a few suggestions how this risk can be mitigated.
Leisure-tourism connection behaviors by life stage and gender
Authors: Chang Seohee , Chung Gi Eun
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Individuals’ daily leisure activities undertaken close to home often appear in tourism contexts when individuals are away from home. Previous studies have suggested that such leisure-tourism connection behaviors are enhanced by leisure involvement and leisure habits. However, few studies have examined if such a connection may have variations by life stage and gender. Therefore, this study aims to examine the roles of life stage and gender in consistency between leisure and tourism, in consideration of involvement and habit. The study samples were university graduates (n = 681) who had graduated from a university in the United States and were currently working and university students (n = 706) who were enrolled and taking classes at a university in the United States.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, t-test, two-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis.

Findings

The findings revealed differences in the effects of leisure involvement and habit factors on the leisure-tourism connection behaviors by life stage and gender. More details are presented in this paper.

Originality/value

This study is the first study to examine the leisure-tourism connection behaviors in consideration of life stage and gender.
Chaos theory, uncertainty, and organizational learning
Authors: Keyes Laura M. , Benavides Abraham David
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to juxtapose chaos theory with organizational learning theory to examine whether public organizations co-evolve into a new order or rather institutionalize newly gained knowledge in times of a highly complex public health crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design utilizes the results from a survey administered to 200 emergency management and public health officials in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Findings

The findings of this paper suggest that public entities were more likely to represent organizational learning through the coordination of professionals, access to quality information, and participation in daily communication. Leadership was associated with the dissemination of knowledge through the system rather than the development of new standard operating procedures (as suggested by chaos theory and co-evolution).

Research limitations/implications

There are limitations to this study given the purposive sample of emergency management and public health officials employed in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Practical implications

The authors find that public organizations that learn how to respond to unprecedented events through reliance on structure, leadership, and culture connect decision makers to credible information resulting in organizational learning.

Social implications

As a result, public administrators need to focus and rely on their organization’s capacity to receive and retain information in a crisis.

Originality/value

This research contributes to our understanding of organizational learning in public organizations under highly complex public health situations finding decisions makers rely on both organizational structure and culture to support the flow of credible information.
Digitalisation in the banking industry and workers subjective well-being
Authors: Umans Timurs , Kockum Martin , Nilsson Elin , Lindberg Sofie
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how bankers perceive digitalisation relating to their subjective well-being. The paper seeks to further explore how this relation is contingent on the aspect of structural organisation represented by the concept of individualist/collectivist organisational culture.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the survey distributed to employees of 18 bank offices in the south of Sweden, which 161 employees answered. The analysis of the data was performed by descriptive statistics, principle component analysis, Pearson correlations, multiple linear and moderating multiple linear regression analyses.

Findings

The study indicates that bankers’ experience digitalisation as a four-faceted construct: a tool for information management, and work optimisation, customer relation management and as a change agent. The study suggests that the use of digital tools for work optimisation has a positive relation to the work- related dimensions of subjective well-being as well as a spillover effect on the life balance and life satisfaction dimensions. It also indicates that the information management dimension has a positive relation to the life satisfaction aspect of subjective well-being. Finally, the study found that increasing the degree of collectivist organisation culture has a positive moderating effect on the relation between the use of digital tools for work optimisation and life balance and subjective well-being, respectively.

Originality/value

The study reveals a new way of operationalising digitalisation in banks and is the first study of its type to explore the relationship between digitalisation different facets and banker subjective well-being.
Taguchi approach to erosion wear optimization of WC-10Co-4Cr sprayed austenitic steel subjected to equisized slurry
Authors: Singh Gurmeet , Kumar Satish , Sehgal Satbir S.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to optimize the erosion wear analysis of slurry impeller material. Stainless steel (SS-410) was used as the pump impeller material. This erosion test was established to influence the rotational speed, solid concentration, time period and particle size. Fly ash was used as the erodent material.

Design/methodology/approach

The erosion wear experiments were performed at different particle size, rotational speed, time duration and solid concentration (by weight). These tests were performed at four different speeds of 750, 1,000, 1,250 and 1,500 rpm, and the time durations of these experiments are 75, 120,165 and 210 min. For protective coating, high-velocity oxygen-fuel spray process was used for depositing WC-10Co-4Cr coating on stainless steel. To investigate the influence of controlled process parameters on slurry erosion wear of pump impeller material, Taguchi method was used.

Findings

Results show that significant improvement in erosion wear resistance has been observed by using WC-10Co-4Cr coating. The process parameters affecting the erosion wear loss were in following order: time > rpm > concentration > particle size. The means of signal-to-noise ratio of stainless steel SS410 with and without coating vary from 93.56 to 54.02 and from 86.02 to 48.18, respectively.

Originality/value

For the erosion wear rate of both uncoated and coated stainless steel, the most powerful influencing factor was identified as time. The erosion test reveals that the coating exhibits ductile erosion mechanism and shows better erosion wear resistance (approximately two times) compared to uncoated stainless steel.
Influence of piezo-viscous behavior and load on the effectiveness of inlet zone bump in unidirectional pure sliding EHL line contacts
Authors: Kumar Punit
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of stationary inlet zone bump (IZB) for film thickness enhancement in unidirectional pure sliding elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) line contacts and to investigate the effects of maximum Hertzian pressure (load) and piezo-viscous response on the effectiveness of IZB.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical analysis involves the solution of Reynolds and elasticity equations. The well-established Doolittle–Tait equations are used herein to determine the lubricant viscosity and density as functions of local pressure, while the Carreau model is used to describe the lubricant rheology. The IZB is assumed to have a sinusoidal profile and it is present on the stationary surface. The governing equations are discretized using finite difference scheme and solved using the Newton–Raphson technique.

Findings

Two test oils, L7808 and SR600, with linear and exponential piezo-viscous responses in the inlet zone are considered here for comparison. The effectiveness of IZB in terms of film thickness enhancement is found to be more for SR600. Besides, IZB is found to be more effective at lower values of maximum Hertzian pressure. The bump needs to shift downstream at higher load to be as effective as at lower load.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to simulate EHL characteristics in the presence of a stationary IZB and to study the effect of various parameters on EHL effectiveness. The film thickness enhancement obtained here is remarkable and hence it is a novel and valuable contribution.
Asymmetry characteristic of tilting-pad thrust bearing during the start-up and shut-down process
Authors: Wang Zhanchao , Guo Fei , Liu Ying , Liu Xiangfeng , Wang Yuming
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This aim of this paper has been to investigate the squeeze effect of a water-lubricated tilting-pad thrust bearing during start-up and shut-down periods.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper a numerical model with a squeeze and slippage effect was adopted to analyse the asymmetry characteristic of a tilting-pad thrust bearing during start-up and shut-down periods. A test rig was built to verify numerical results, which were a combined measurement method in which acceleration sensor and torque sensor were used simultaneously to determine the angle change of the thrust pad.

Findings

It was found that as the velocity gradient increased, the difference of the minimum dimensionless film Hmin could be ignored in the start-up process. But in the shut-down process, as the velocity gradient increased, the value of Hmin also increased, which showed that there was an asymmetry characteristic of the tilting bearing in two processes. This phenomenon was verified by measuring the friction torque curve in the test.

Originality/value

The results of the studies demonstrated that the velocity gradient could be designed to reduce the friction of the thrust bearing, which would be beneficial to the working life of the tilting-pad thrust bearing.
Experimental study on wet skid resistance at different water-film thicknesses
Authors: Jiao Yunlong , Liu Xiaojun , Liu Kun
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Driving safety on a wet road is closely related to the wet skid resistance of tires. The purpose of this paper is to reveal the evolution of wet skid resistance at different water film thicknesses and provide some guidance on the design of a tread pattern with improved traction on rainy roads.

Design/methodology/approach

Brake tests are performed in a laboratory with a viscoelastic tribotester at various water film thicknesses. The initial water film thickness is 3 mm, which decreases with an increase in the test number. Brake friction force is dynamically measured at water film thicknesses ranging from 0 mm to 3 mm.

Findings

The results show that water film thickness exerts a great influence on the forms of tire motion and slip ratio. The tire is much easier to slide on the road with thick water film and also with a considerably thin water film (about 0-1 mm) during a sharp braking process. The brake traction can be very low under this road condition despite the apparently safe quality of the road.

Originality/value

The authors design and establish a new viscoelastic tribotester which is used to simulate the real braking sliding process and study the tribological properties between tire rubber and road surface. The variation in the wet friction coefficient and slip ratio at different water film thicknesses have a great influence on the design of a tread pattern with improved traction on rainy roads.
The size effect of hexagonal texture on tribological properties under mixed lubrication
Authors: Zheng Long , Gao Yihang , Zhong Yinghui , Lu Guolong , Liu Zhenning , Ren Luquan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the size effect (groove width, unit length and area density) of the hexagonal texture on tribological properties under lubrication.

Design/methodology/approach

The tribological properties of nine hexagonal textures with different hexagon lengths and groove widths have been investigated under mixed lubrication to elucidate the size effect.

Findings

Overall, the friction coefficient decreases as the groove width increases within the examined range, whereas the hexagon length shows an optimal value around 3 mm. In particular, one hexagonal texture (3 × 3 mm) exhibits lower friction coefficients and less wear losses than the others. Interestingly, two hexagonal textures of similar area density (1 × 1 mm and 3 × 3 mm) yield the worst and best tribological performances, respectively, which can be explained by the simulated distribution of equivalent stress.

Originality/value

The tribological properties of nine hexagonal textures are examined under lubrication. The 3 × 3 texture exhibits lower friction coefficient and wear loss than the others. Two textures of similar area density yield the worst and best tribological performances. The results agree with the simulated distribution of equivalent stress.
The salesperson wellness lifestyle, coping with stress and the reduction of turnover
Authors: Kraft Frederic B. , Maity Devdeep , Porter Stephen
Published: September 2018

Purpose

It is well known that job stress is major cause of salesperson job dissatisfaction and turnover. Salespeople require the resources to cope adequately with a multitude of job stressors, and the purpose of this study is to demonstrate that salesperson wellness promotes the ability of salespeople to use effective coping strategies in the workplace and as a result decrease their intentions of leaving the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

Data including measures of coping strategies and a wellness lifestyle orientation were collected from a sample of 441 full-time professional salespeople in two metropolitan statistical areas of the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to demonstrate the relationship of a wellness lifestyle to coping strategies and in turn the relationship of coping strategies to job satisfaction and turnover intentions.

Findings

The study demonstrated the influence of the wellness lifestyle on salespeople’s ability to cope effectively with job stress. It extends previous research by demonstrating the direct influence of salesperson wellness on coping behaviors and demonstrates the nomological validity of the wellness lifestyle construct by modeling its relationship with job satisfaction and the intent to leave the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The study recommends new research on the synergies that might be produced by simultaneous consideration of the social, physical, and psychological elements of the multicomponent wellness lifestyle. This should be particularly valuable in the context of the Challenger Sale.

Practical implications

Wellness programs may be introduced or improved following an assessment of coping resource weaknesses of the sales force. New employees could be screened by examining their wellness profiles.

Originality/value

Major firms have promoted wellness lifestyle programs for years, but no studies have examined the influence of such programs on coping with job stress by salespeople. The paper demonstrates the value of the salesperson wellness lifestyle by showing that it promotes the most adjustive form of coping strategy, problem-focused coping.
Impact of underwriting insurance risk on bank holding company behavior
Authors: Gupta Manu , Prakash Puneet
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study differences in risk behavior between holding companies that undertake both banking activity and insurance underwriting (labeled financial holding companies or FHCs) and stand-alone bank holding companies (BHCs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the discretionary accruals of FHCs to comparable BHCs and compares their bad loans-to-assets ratio in the future.

Findings

FHCs have lower discretionary accruals (loan loss provisions and realized capital gains) than BHCs. FHCs fare better than BHCs in terms of bad loans-to-assets ratio. Insurance underwriting has a dampening effect on discretionary accruals of FHCs.

Research limitations/implications

This study raises additional research questions. Do shared governance and insurance underwriting serve as substitutes or complements? Will regulatory environment affect this relation?

Practical implications

When reported earnings do not match true earnings, the market participants lose the ability to price correctly, and the regulators lose the ability to effectively regulate banks. From the regulatory perspective, these findings suggest insurance underwriting by banks mitigate potential market distortions.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to study the effect of underwriting insurance risk on earnings management behavior of BHCs and its link to risk governance.
Lean production system development through leadership practices
Authors: Toledo Jose Carlos , Gonzalez Rodrigo Valio Dominguez , Lizarelli Fabiane Letícia , Pelegrino Renato Arima
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Although lean methods are considered easy to be implemented during the initial phases of the lean transformation process, few companies are able to maintain them in long term. One of the key factors for this maintenance is the role played by the leaders in their teams. The purpose of this paper is to show the outcomes of an action research that analyzed and developed leadership practices, using the lean leadership model for developing people as reference and considering the factors: to promote employees’ self-development; to coach and develop employees; to support daily kaizen; to create vision and align goal.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of this study are based on the action research method applied in a large Brazilian industrial company. The study was structured considering the phases of problem diagnosis, action plan, implementation and evaluation of practical and theoretical results.

Findings

The leadership practices implemented from the model were shown to be adequate to the lean production system (LPS) and it was observed that reflecting on the processes and the organizational learning are two main concepts that these practices support in the organization.

Research limitations/implications

Since this study is based on action research in a single company, the generalization of results is limited. Suggestions for future research include the development of a quantitative research in different industrial contexts.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this research are to present activities that must be developed by the leadership of organizations to maintain LPS.

Originality/value

This paper raises the problems of organizational leadership that limit the implementation and maintenance of LPS, presenting the planning and implementation of changes in leadership practices to solve these problems.
Street food: factors influencing perception of product quality
Authors: Morano Rogerio Scabim , Barrichello Alcides , Jacomossi Rafael Ricardo , D’Acosta-Rivera Jorge Ramon
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the perceptions of cleanliness and organization of the point of sale, hygiene and training of those who serve the public (service) and healthiness of the products, constitute a base for the perception of the quality of food sold in the street. Studies about development of street food trade have gained relevance in academic debate because of its social and economic significance. Usually, aspects related to sanitary issues are presented, and the factors that influence consumer perception regarding quality of food consumed are less explored. This was the focus of this work. The relationships among possible predecessors – attendance, cleanliness, organization and healthiness – were tested, all acting together, influencing the variable perception of product quality. Competitive models were tested because of theoretical divergences regarding the relationship between quality and healthiness, not yet totally clear in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey was carried out in the city of Diadema (SP, Brazil), getting 603 respondents, with data and theoretical models analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results indicated that organization variable is not significant regarding perception of product quality, while attendance and healthiness directly affect this perception. On the other hand, cleanliness influences perceived healthiness and this, in turn, reinforces perception of product quality.

Practical implications

The focus of street food traders should be on clerk cleanliness and politeness (characteristics related to the service) that end up influencing the perception that the consumer develops regarding healthiness (characteristic related to product quality).

Originality/value

Usually research studies on this theme include only aspects related to sanitary and safety issues, and those which focus on consumer perception of food quality cover conventional outlets such as bars and restaurants. There are few ones performed as in this study that analyze street food consumer behavior regarding his/her perception of quality, cleanliness, care received, among others.
Ontogenetic shifts in plant ecological strategies
Authors: Dayrell Roberta L. C. , Arruda André J. , Pierce Simon , Negreiros Daniel , Meyer Pablo B. , Lambers Hans , Silveira Fernando A. O.
Published: September 2018

Ontogenetic shifts in plants are ubiquitous, but their ecological and evolutionary significance remain largely unknown. Juveniles have few opportunities to accumulate sufficient biomass to withstand damage, whereas adults allocate resources to reproduction. Thus, age‐specific environmental filters are expected to drive selection towards specific resource‐investment strategies for each developmental stage.

We tested whether species exhibited strategies that favour faster rates of biomass accumulation during early developmental stages to cope with vulnerability, shifting towards habitat‐dependent strategies to optimise resource acquisition and use later on. We also hypothesised that juveniles exhibit greater intraspecific variability of strategies than adults, as a result of continuous filtering of traits throughout the plant’s development towards adulthood.

We measured key leaf traits—leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and specific leaf area (SLA)—and calculated scores for competitor (C), stress‐tolerator (S), ruderal (R) strategies of the CSR system for juveniles of 54 species and conspecific adults of 27 species naturally occurring either in unproductive (grassland) or productive (forest) habitats.

Juveniles exhibited higher SLA and LA and lower LDMC, and thus a more R‐strategy in both habitats when compared with adults, but were not necessarily “R” in absolute terms. We also found smaller intraspecific variation for the R‐strategy in adults compared with juveniles in both habitats, whereas the variation of the other strategies was habitat dependent.

Ontogenetic shifts in ecological strategies appear to have been selected as a response to ontogeny‐dependent filters. Thus, strategies that favour less costly leaves and faster growth rates (relatively R‐selected) in juveniles shift towards C and/or S strategies in adulthood, depending on habitat productivity. Nevertheless, habitat‐dependent specialisation seems to be a major driver of ecological strategy selection in juveniles. Our study reveals ontogeny‐dependent strategies, offering a new approach to integrate plant development and functional specialisation.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Pseudomonas syringae evades phagocytosis by animal cells via type III effector‐mediated regulation of actin filament plasticity
Authors: Yoon Sung‐Jin , Park Young‐Jun , Kim Jun‐Seob , Lee Soohyun , Lee Sang‐Hyun , Choi Song , Min Jeong‐Ki , Choi Inpyo , Ryu Choong‐Min
Published: September 2018

Certain animal and plant pathogenic bacteria have developed virulence factors including effector proteins that enable them to overcome host immunity. A plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) secretes a large repertoire of effectors via a type III secretory apparatus, thereby suppressing plant immunity. Here, we show that Pto causes sepsis in mice. Surprisingly, the effector HopQ1 disrupted animal phagocytosis by inhibiting actin rearrangement via direct interaction with the LIM domain of the animal target protein LIM kinase, a key regulator of actin polymerization. The results provide novel insight into animal host–plant pathogen interactions. In addition, the current study firstly demonstrates that certain plant pathogenic bacteria such as Pto evade phagocytosis by animal cells due to cross‐kingdom suppression of host immunity.
Bacterial ornithine lipid, a surrogate membrane lipid under phosphate‐limiting conditions, plays important roles in bacterial persistence and interaction with host
Authors: Kim Soo‐Kyoung , Park Soo‐Jin , Li Xi‐Hui , Choi Yu‐Sang , Im Dong‐Soon , Lee Joon‐Hee
Published: September 2018

Ornithine lipids (OLs) are bacteria‐specific lipids that are found in the outer membrane of Gram (−) bacteria and increase as surrogates of phospholipids under phosphate‐limited environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of OL increase in bacterial membranes on pathogen virulence and the host immune response. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we increased OL levels in membranes by overexpressing the OL‐synthesizing operon (olsBA). These increases changed the bacterial surface charge and hydrophobicity, which reduced bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), interfered with the binding of macrophages to bacterial cells and enhanced bacterial biofilm formation. When grown under low phosphate conditions, P. aeruginosa became more persistent in the treatment of antibiotics and AMPs in an olsBA‐dependent manner. While OLs increased persistence, they attenuated P. aeruginosa virulence; in host cells, they reduced the production of inflammatory factors (iNOS, COX‐2, PGE2 and nitric oxide) and increased intracellular Ca2+ release. Exogenously added OL had similar effects on P. aeruginosa and host cells. Our results suggest that bacterial OL plays important roles in bacteria‐host interaction in a way that enhances bacterial persistence and develops chronic adaptation to infection.
Diatom populations in an upwelling environment decrease silica content to avoid growth limitation
Authors: McNair Heather M. , Brzezinski Mark A. , Krause Jeffrey W.
Published: September 2018

A mix of adaptive strategies enable diatoms to sustain rapid growth in dynamic ocean regions, making diatoms one of the most productive primary producers in the world. We illustrate one such strategy off coastal California that facilitates continued, high, cell division rates despite silicic acid stress. Using a fluorescent dye to measure single‐cell diatom silica production rates, silicification (silica per unit area) and growth rates we show diatoms decrease silicification and maintain growth rate when silicon concentration limits silica production rates. While this physiological response to silicon stress was similar across taxa, in situ silicic acid concentration limited silica production rates by varying degrees for taxa within the same community. Despite this variability among taxa, silicon stress did not alter the contribution of specific taxa to total community silica production or to community composition. Maintenance of division rate at the expense of frustule thickness decreases cell density which could affect regional biogeochemical cycles. The reduction in frustule silicification also creates an ecological tradeoff: thinner frustules increase susceptibility to predation but reducing Si quotas maximizes cell abundance for a given pulse of silicic acid, thereby favouring a larger eventual population size which facilitates diatom persistence in habitats with pulsed resource supplies.
State of emergency medicine in Indonesia
Authors: Yusvirazi Liga , Ramlan Andi Ade Wijaya , Hou Peter C
Published: September 2018

Objectives

As an emerging country with the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia's purchasing power has strengthened, leading to socioeconomic changes that affect its healthcare system. Additionally, there is a surge of healthcare utilisation after the implementation of a new national insurance scheme, particularly within emergency departments. Similar to other low‐ to middle‐income countries, Indonesia has not prioritised the progress of emergency medicine despite existing evidence that suggests that the early intervention of many acute conditions lowers the rates of morbidity and mortality. This article will review the past and current state of emergency medicine in Indonesia.

Methods

The information gathered through PubMed, Ovid, and private and government institution databases, using the search term ‘Indonesia’, ‘Emergency Medicine’, ‘Emergency Medical Services’, and ‘Disaster Medicine’. Additionally, we interviewed physicians who are involved in the development of emergency medicine in Indonesia.

Results

Indonesia's emergency medicine can be broken down into three sections: pre‐hospital, hospital and the development of emergency medicine as a specialty. At the pre‐hospital setting, disaster medicine and emergency medical service have not been established well enough to meet the demands of the population. For hospitals, there are two types of emergency departments – academic versus non‐academic. Currently, there is no accredited emergency medicine residency programme despite the recognition of the specialty.

Conclusion

The development of emergency medicine in Indonesia is in its infancy and will require rapid improvement to meet its country's demand. Academic, private and government sectors need to collaborate to promote and invest in emergency medicine.
The face of animal cognition
Authors: HEALY Susan D.
Published: September 2018

As an increasing number of researchers investigate the cognitive abilities of an ever‐wider range of animals, animal cognition is currently among the most exciting fields within animal behavior. Tinbergen would be proud: all four of his approaches are being pursued and we are learning much about how animals collect information and how they use that information to make decisions for their current and future states as well as what animals do not perceive or choose to ignore. Here I provide an overview of this productivity, alighting only briefly on any single example, to showcase the diversity of species, of approaches and the sheer mass of research effort currently under way. We are getting closer to understanding the minds of other animals and the evolution of cognition at an increasingly rapid rate.
Prognostic significance of AKR1B10 in patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hung Jung‐Jyh , Yeh Yi‐Chen , Hsu Wen‐Hu
Published: September 2018

Background

Aldo‐keto reductases (AKRs) modify carbonyl groups on aldehyde or ketones to form primary or secondary alcohols, which are then conjugated with sulfates or glucuronide for excretion. The AKR1B10 gene encodes a member of the AKR superfamily. Overexpression of AKR1B10 plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of lung cancer cells; however, the prognostic value of AKR1B10 expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma has not been well demonstrated.

Methods

A total of 96 patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma were included in the study. AKR1B10 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in tumor specimens. The prognostic value of AKR1B10 overexpression and its relationship with clinicopathological variables were investigated.

Results

AKR1B10 overexpression was identified in 22 (22.9%) of the 96 patients and tended to be significantly associated with N1 or N2 status (P = 0.055). AKR1B10 overexpression was not a significant prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.301) but was a significant prognostic factor for poor recurrence‐free survival (P = 0.015). T status (T3 or T4 vs. T1 or T2; P = 0.020), N1 or N2 (vs. N0; P = 0.019), predominant pattern group (lepidic/acinar/papillary vs. micropapillary/solid; P = 0.023), and AKR1B10 overexpression (P = 0.013) were significant prognostic factors for poor recurrence‐free survival in multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

AKR1B10 overexpression was a significant prognostic factor for poor recurrence‐free survival in patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma. This information is useful to stratify patients at high‐risk of recurrence after lung adenocarcinoma resection.
Pleural or pericardial metastasis: A significant factor affecting efficacy and adverse events in lung cancer patients treated with PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors
Authors: Kang Da Hyun , Chung Chaeuk , Kim Ju‐Ock , Jung Sung Soo , Park Hee Sun , Park Dong Il , Jung Sun Young , Park Myoungrin , Lee Jeong Eun
Published: September 2018

Background

Immunotherapy is a new paradigm for the treatment of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and targeting the PD‐1 or PD‐L1 pathway is a promising therapeutic option. Although PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors are more effective than standard chemotherapy in lung cancer, clinicians are afraid to actively use them because of hyperprogression and pseudoprogression. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with tumor response and serious outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively collected the medical records of 51 patients with advanced NSCLC who received PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors between January 2016 and February 2018.

Results

The mean patient age was 63.9 years, and 72.5% (37/51) were male. Most (92.2%, 47/51) had received previous systemic treatment. The overall response rate was 21.6% (11/51). The response rate was significantly lower in patients with pleural or pericardial metastasis than in patients without pleural or pericardial metastasis (4.3% vs. 35.7%; P = 0.007). Patients with pleural or pericardial metastasis had a significantly higher rate of adverse events of any grade (91.3% vs. 50.0%; P = 0.002) and grade 3–5 adverse events (52.2% vs. 25.0%; P = 0.046).

Conclusion

Pleural or pericardial metastasis is a significant factor affecting the efficacy and rate of adverse events in advanced NSCLC patients treated with PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors. Clinicians should pay attention to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in lung cancer patients with pleural or pericardial metastasis.
All Male Panels? Representation and Democratic Legitimacy
Authors: Clayton Amanda , O'Brien Diana Z. , Piscopo Jennifer M.
Published: September 2018

What does women's presence in political decision‐making bodies signal to citizens? Do these signals differ based on the body's policy decisions? And do women and men respond to women's presence similarly? Though scholars have demonstrated the substantive and symbolic benefits of women's representation, little work has examined how women's presence affects citizens' perceptions of democratic legitimacy. We test the relationship between representation and legitimacy beliefs through survey experiments on a nationally representative sample of U.S. citizens. First, we find that women's equal presence legitimizes decisions that go against women's interests. We show suggestive evidence that this effect is particularly pronounced among men, who tend to hold less certain views on women's rights. Second, across decision outcomes and issue areas, women's equal presence legitimizes decision‐making processes and confers institutional trust and acquiescence. These findings add new theoretical insights into how, when, and for whom inclusive representation increases perceptions of democratic legitimacy.
An update on semen quality among young Finnish men and comparison with Danish data
Authors: Rodprasert W. , Virtanen H. E. , Sadov S. , Perheentupa A. , Skakkebæk N. E. , Jørgensen N. , Toppari J.
Published: September 2018

Background

Finnish men used to have higher semen quality than Danish men. However, recent studies showed that semen quality in Finland has declined, but it has been relatively stable in Denmark.

Objective

This study aimed to compare new data on semen quality of the young Finnish men to that of Danish men.

Materials and methods

In this cross‐sectional study, 18‐ to 19‐year‐old men residing in Turku, Finland and Copenhagen, Denmark, were invited to participate in 2008–2011. Each man filled in a questionnaire, provided one semen sample and underwent andrological examination. Semen samples were analyzed according to WHO. Multiway ANOVA was used to adjust semen variables for duration of sexual abstinence and age (and time from ejaculation to the start of semen analysis for sperm motility).

Results

Altogether 287 Finnish men and 873 Danish men participated in the study. The adjusted median sperm concentrations were 49 and 47 million/mL for Finnish and Danish men, respectively (p = 0.48). The adjusted median total sperm counts were 148 million in Finland and 146 million in Denmark (p = 0.87). The adjusted median percentages of morphologically normal spermatozoa were 6.9% in Finland and 6.5% in Denmark, p = 0.27. Finnish men had higher adjusted median percentages of motile spermatozoa (A+B+C) than Danish men (80% vs. 69%, p < 0.001). The proportion of men who had low semen quality (sperm concentration, percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa or percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa below WHO reference limits) was lower in Finland (25.4%) than in Denmark (34.6%), p = 0.004.

Discussion

Considerable percentage of men in both countries had low semen quality. The deteriorating semen quality in Finland may result in decreasing fecundity, which is a cause of concern.

Conclusion

The formerly high semen quality in Finland has converged to the lower Danish levels. Our findings demonstrate the importance of continuing surveillance of semen quality.