bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Connecting strategy‐linked outsourcing approaches and expected performance
Authors: Brewer Barry , Ashenbaum Bryan , Ogden Jeffrey A.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This study aims to examine the connection between strategy‐linked outsourcing goals and measures of outsourcing performance. The strategies of growth, cost, and differentiation (core competence) are examined in terms of their relationship with goal achievement and cost performance measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Regression analysis and ANOVA were applied to survey data collected from 165 purchasing executives.

Findings

Findings support a positive relationship between goal intensity for a single strategy and achievement of goals related to that strategy. Findings also suggest that firms with high commitment to growth and cost strategies tend to achieve cost‐related performance at higher levels than firms with a lower commitment to same. Finally, the findings also suggest that firms pursuing a single or dominant strategy achieve lower levels of cost saving performance, as compared with firms pursuing a “balanced” approach that emphasizes two or three different strategies in roughly equal measure.

Research limitations/implications

This study relies on very limited performance variables, mainly cost reduction. Additional variables that addressed growth and core competence would provide additional insight on the link between outsourcing and performance.

Practical implications

Goal intensity is positively related to higher performance on desired outsourcing outcomes. Firms demonstrated greater success in their ability to pursue multiple outsourcing strategies over firms pursuing a single strategy.

Originality/value

The link between strategy and outsourcing performance had not been empirically established.
Creating sustainable fresh food supply chains through waste reduction
Authors: Kaipia Riikka , Dukovska‐Popovska Iskra , Loikkanen Lauri
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The aim of this empirical paper is to study information sharing in fresh food supply chains, with a specific goal of reducing waste and facilitating sustainable performance. The study focuses on material and information flow issues, specifically on sharing demand and shelf‐life data.

Design/methodology/approach

This work has been designed as an exploratory case study in three fresh food supply chains, milk, fresh fish, and fresh poultry, in the Nordic countries. The cases are based on interviews and data from the databases of the companies involved. Each case focuses on analyzing information flow, particularly the current order patterns and forecasting and planning process, and material flow, focusing on the supply chain structure. In two cases significant changes have been made to forecasting processes and material flow, while the third case intends to identify the most beneficial uses of shared information to create a sustainable fresh food supply chain.

Findings

The performance of the perishable food chain can be improved by more efficient information sharing. The key to improved operations is how and for which purposes the shared data should be used. In addition, changes in the supply chain structure were needed to speed up the deliveries and ensure shelf availability. The cross‐case analysis revealed that improved performance was obtained with parallel changes in information sharing and usage and in material flow.

Originality/value

Few studies approach the problem of waste and sustainability from an integrated supply chain perspective. This paper links data sharing with the sustainability performance of the supply chain as a whole.
Classifications and concepts: towards an elementary theory of knowledge interaction
Authors: Smiraglia Richard P. , van den Heuvel Charles
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to outline the central role of concepts in the knowledge universe, and the intertwining roles of works, instantiations, and documents. In particular the authors are interested in ontological and epistemological aspects of concepts and in the question to which extent there is a need for natural languages to link concepts to create meaningful patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors describe the quest for the smallest elements of knowledge from a historical perspective. They focus on the metaphor of the universe of knowledge and its impact on classification and retrieval of concepts. They outline the major components of an elementary theory of knowledge interaction.

Findings

The paper outlines the major components of an elementary theory of knowledge interaction that is based on the structure of knowledge rather than on the content of documents, in which semantics becomes not a matter of synonymous concepts, but rather of coordinating knowledge structures. The evidence is derived from existing empirical research.

Originality/value

The paper shifts the bases for knowledge organization from a search for a universal order to an understanding of a universal structure within which many context‐dependent orders are possible.
A bibliometric study of taxonomic botany
Authors: Walton Christopher , Morris Anne
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The aims of this paper are to: investigate the citation‐patterns of monograph books in taxonomic botany (looking mainly at publications and publishers, and the age of current literature); and make recommendations for collections management and reference services in libraries that hold botany materials.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 454 citations were collected at random from 47 botanical monographs published in 2009; a Bradford distribution of cited journals was produced; age‐distributions of citations were devised; and other bibliographical characteristics were tabulated.

Findings

A small Bradfordian core of highly‐cited journals and important publishers of monograph books were identified; monographs are cited more often than journal articles; older materials are more important than in other sciences; monographs are used by botanists for current awareness purposes; coverage of botanical journals by citation indexes is poor.

Research limitations/implications

The small size of the sample means that results were indicative. Further studies could: take larger samples; look at citations in journal articles, theses, conference proceeding; look at citations made over several years.

Practical implications

Librarians should: note the core botanical journals identified here; continue to acquire botanical monographs and to retain older materials; display new botanical monographs prominently and include them in current awareness services.

Originality/value

The bibliometrics of taxonomic botany have previously been little studied; likewise citations from monographs. This paper fills some of the gaps. Some of the bibliometric methods of J. M. Cullars were applied to botanical literature.
Social undermining and well‐being: the role of communal orientation
Authors: Gail Hepburn C. , Enns Janelle R.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test whether communal orientation is a moderator of the relationship between the experience of social undermining in project groups and both group member well‐being and group‐directed citizenship behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out of 184 student nurses from a Canadian university working in 41 groups in the local community on projects designed to deliver care to specific populations. Student nurses worked in project groups for ten weeks. They completed two surveys: one approximately two weeks into group membership; and the other approximately six weeks later.

Findings

As predicted, and controlling for survey one well‐being, student nurses who experienced social undermining early in the life of their group reported poorer well‐being at the end of their group membership than their counterparts. Furthermore, communal orientation moderated this relationship, in that this relationship only existed for those individuals high in communal orientation. Counter to this paper's prediction, there was no relationship between the experience of undermining early in the life of their group and student nurses' reports of group‐directed citizenship behaviours later in the life of the group.

Research limitations/implications

All study measures were self‐report. Future researchers should attempt to collect information from other sources.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the literature on workplace aggression by reinforcing how critical it is to consider not only the nature of the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, but also how individual differences affect the way an aggressive act is perceived.
Bullying and risk‐perception as health hazards on oil rigs
Authors: Birkeland Nielsen Morten , Glasø Lars , Berge Matthiesen Stig , Eid Jarle , Einarsen Ståle
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relative impact of workplace bullying and risk perception on the mental health among employees in safety critical organisations. The paper also aims to examine whether self‐esteem moderates the relationship between bullying and risk perception as stressors and mental health as an outcome variable.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a survey design, the variables were assessed in a cross‐sectional sample of 1,017 employees in the Norwegian offshore oil and gas industry.

Findings

The results show that workplace bullying is a stronger predictor of mental health problems than is risk perception. Self‐esteem had a buffering effect on the relationship between risk perception and mental health problems, whereas no protective effect of self‐esteem was found with regard to the association between bullying and mental health.

Originality/value

The findings have implications for how organisations may promote employee well‐being and health. It is suggested that organisations develop interventions that are aimed at reducing the occurrence of both.
Gender differences in personality predictors of counterproductive behavior
Authors: Gonzalez‐Mulé Erik , DeGeest David S. , Kiersch Christa E. , Mount Michael K.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in personality predictors of a specific form of workplace aggression: counterproductive work behaviors directed at individuals (CWB‐I).

Design/methodology/approach

Students (n=212) who were part‐time employees working at least 15 hours per week completed a measure of the five‐factor model (FFM) personality traits and two circumplex personality traits (Calmnesss and Pleasantness), as well as a measure of CWB‐I. Hierarchical regressions and tests of mean differences were used to examine hypotheses pertaining to gender differences in personality predictors of interpersonal aggression.

Findings

Results generally supported the hypotheses as shown by the significant interactions between gender and personality traits in predicting CWB‐I. Agreeableness and Pleasantness significantly (negatively) predicted CWB‐I among males, but not females. Emotional Stability significantly (negatively) predicted CWB‐I among females, but not males.

Research limitations/implications

The use of self‐report surveys may impact the results of this study. However, as this is the first study to explore the complex interactions between gender and personality in predicting workplace aggression, it is hoped that future research tests these relationships with alternate samples and methodologies.

Practical implications

The results show that personality traits predict interpersonal workplace aggression differentially for males and females. Results also show that circumplex intersection traits are a useful supplement to the FFM traits in explaining interpersonal aggression in the workplace.

Originality/value

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to show that personality traits differentially predict interpersonal aggression for males and females; and to demonstrate the incremental validity of circumplex traits over FFM traits in predicting interpersonal aggression.
Virtual harassment: media characteristics' role in psychological health
Authors: Ford Dianne P.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Using the stressor‐strain model and media richness theory, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between receiving a harassing message via computer‐mediated communication and psychological health.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 492 individuals completed an online questionnaire. Three media characteristics are examined as potential moderators: media richness, anonymity of the harasser, and location where the victim received the harassing message.

Findings

The results suggest that virtual harassment is associated with diminished psychological health (both directly and mediated by fear of future harassment), and each media characteristic plays a role in understanding the level of fear of future harassment. Anonymity and location moderate the mediator's (fear) role in the stressor‐strain model.

Research limitations/implications

This research addresses the need for explicit testing of the differentiating factors of various forms of workplace aggression as moderators. Specifically, media characteristics are relevant in the psychological experience of virtual harassment.

Practical implications

Virtual harassment appears to occur more frequently than face‐to‐face harassment, and often the two forms co‐occur. Implications for EAP counselors, computer usage and harassment policies are discussed.

Originality/value

This study is the first to examine how media richness, anonymity and location of harassing message impacts the individual outcomes of workplace non‐sexual virtual harassment. The results indicate that, while related to face‐to‐face harassment, virtual harassment appears to have more nuanced considerations for both practitioners and researchers.
‘All about Eve’: Mothers, Masculinities and the 2011 UK Riots
Authors: Ashe Fidelma
Published: May 2013

The riots that erupted in English cities in August 2011 were provoked by a complex mix of socio-economic factors. Sidelining structural explanations for the civil disorder, conservative commentators argued that dysfunctional families had caused the riots. Reinforcing traditional connections between criminality, the family and welfare, conservatives contended that the absence of fathers in lone mother-headed families explained both the dynamics of the civil disorder and the aggressive behaviour of some of the young men involved. Such claims located both the causes of the riots and solutions to expressions of violent masculinities in the familial sphere. Employing the framework of critical studies of men and masculinities this article interrogates these narratives and maps their depoliticising effects. Additionally, it exposes how the effects of a range of social problems were projected on to poor, lone mothers, reinforcing a range of regulatory narratives and practices that target this social group.
Cicero, Roman Republicanism and the Contested Meaning of Libertas
Authors: Kennedy Geoff
Published: May 2013

Despite growing interest in neo-Roman republicanism, few republicans examine the character of Roman republicanism, either in its constitutional practice, its social relations or in the works of its primary defenders. This article examines Cicero's two systematic dialogues of political philosophy – De Re Publica and De Legibus – in order to assess the status of liberty as ‘non-domination’ in these texts. It argues that, far from liberty as non-domination being the operative conceptual ideal in Cicero's republicanism, concordia along with equity as a form of proportionate equality that depends upon the recognition of substantive differences of status and power serves as the foundation of his republican political thought. This form of ordered liberty is offered as an alternative to the conception of liberty as a form of ‘non-domination’ that Cicero attributes to the democracies of ancient Greece and the populist project of popular reformers such as Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.
Situating Speech: A Rhetorical Approach to Political Strategy
Authors: Martin James
Published: May 2013

Ideas are increasingly acknowledged as factors in explaining political behaviour. But often they are treated as inert resources rather than dynamic instances of action in themselves. The latter, I propose, requires reflection on the character of speech — as the medium of ideas — in responding to and refiguring a prevailing situation. I undertake such reflection by setting out a rhetorical approach to political strategy. Building upon ‘interpretive’ advances in political science I shift the focus from stable cognitive frames to the dynamics of argumentation where ideas work expressively. I then explore the rhetorical aspect of strategising with attention to the way speech serves to orient audiences by creatively re-appropriating a situation. That approach is shown to be consistent with a ‘dialectical’ political sociology that emphasises the interaction of structure and agency. Finally, I sketch a method for undertaking rhetorical analysis and indicate how it might be applied to a concrete example.
Impact of Purchase Intentions on Full and Partial Bids in BDM Auctions: Willingness‐to‐pay for Organic and Local Blueberries
Authors: Shi Lijia , House Lisa A. , Gao Zhifeng
Published: May 2013

We conduct a series of Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) auctions to elicit consumers' willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) for organic and local blueberries. Participants' intentions to purchase the auction product were collected to determine how purchase intentions for the auction products affect their partial bids (WTP for an additional attribute) as well as full bids (WTP for the auction product). The results suggest, as expected, that full bids from participants with purchase intention for the auction product are significantly higher than those from participants without purchase intention. However, the partial bids, which are inferred from the full bids, for organic and local attributes are consistent across participants with different purchase intentions. Therefore, if the focus of a BDM auction is consumers' WTP for product attributes, purchase intentions may not be an important influence on the value.
Does the Aged Care Funding Instrument provide increased funding in residential care? Comparisons with the Residential Classification Scale
Authors: Chan Geoffrey ZP , Chin Collin KL , McKitrick Douglas J , Warne Roger W
Published: May 2013

Aim

To determine whether the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) provides more funding than the Residential Classification Scale (RCS) for residents in the Hellenic Residential Care Facility.

Methods

All residents within the care facility were assessed over a six 6‐month period using ACFI, RCS and Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly (CAPE) scores. Differences in funding levels were calculated using ACFI and RCS instruments against a standardised CAPE score.

Results

CAPE dependency RCS funding per resident per day varied from $32.20 for grade A to $116.20 for grade E4 residents. CAPE ACFI funding varied from $20.20 for grade A to $127.50 for grade E4. There was no significant difference in mean overall funding between the two scales (ACFI $92.50 vs RCS $90.35, P = 0.76).

Conclusions

The ACFI does provide a small but not significant increase in funding to residents in residential care. It redirects funding to higher dependency residents.
What do older Australians want?
Authors: Dow Briony , Sparrow Patricia , Moore Kirsten , Gaffy Ellen , Yates Ian
Published: May 2013

Objective

The objective of this study was to report older Australians' views about what they want from aged care reforms expressed in submissions to the Productivity Commission's ‘Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians’ and the ‘Conversations on Ageing’ (Conversations).

Method

Consumer responses to the ‘Inquiry into Caring for Older Australians’ (n = 59) and findings from the Conversations (n = 31) conducted by the Honourable MarkButler with the Council on the Ageing were summarised.

Results

Older people wanted to be included as full citizens in community life with their contributions acknowledged, including as carers. They wanted high quality, accessible and respectful services that supported their independence and over which they had control. They wanted fair and transparent funding arrangements and care that caters for diversity in Australia's older people. They wanted reform to be soon and to have bipartisan support.

Conclusion

This paper provides consumer perspectives to inform aged care policy, practice and research in Australia.
Bilateral focal ablation of prostate tissue using low‐energy direct current (LEDC): a preclinical canine study
Authors: Tsivian Matvey , Polascik Thomas J.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To evaluate side‐effects, erectile function and capability to preserve adjacent tissues of bilateral focal prostate ablation using low‐energy direct current (LEDC) in a canine model.

Materials and Methods

In all, 12 male Beagle dogs underwent bilateral focal prostate ablation using the NanoKnife™ LEDC system.

Three 19 G monopolar electrodes were transperineally placed on each side of the prostate under transrectal ultrasonographic (TRUS) guidance using a triangular probe array.

Intra‐ and postoperative side‐effects were recorded. Erectile function was evaluated at baseline and 4–5 and 26–27 days after ablation.

The dogs were killed humanely at 7 (six) and 30 days (six) for gross and microscopic evaluation of the prostate and adjacent organs.

Results

The median (range) prostate volume on TRUS was 12.1 (8.9–17.2) mL. The electrodes were placed at a median distance of 0.55–0.66 cm from the capsule, urethra and rectum.

All procedures were completed successfully and recovery was uneventful. There were no episodes of urinary retention.

All the dogs were able to achieve erections after ablation.

Pathological analyses revealed inflammatory changes in the ablation zone at 7 days and replacement by fibrosis at 30 days. On microscopic examination no histological injury to the capsule, urethra, rectal wall or nervous structures was identified.

Conclusions

In this study, bilateral focal prostate ablation using LEDC was safe and had a favourable side‐effects profile limited to transient minor events.

LEDC ablation effectively spared adjacent structures as well as physiological functions in all the dogs.
Common prescription medication use and erectile dysfunction: results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) survey
Authors: Kupelian Varant , Hall Susan A. , McKinlay John B.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To investigate the association of erectile dysfunction (ED) with commonly used medications including antihypertensive treatment (AHT), psychoactive medication and pain and anti‐inflammatory medication.

Subjects and Methods

The Boston Area Community Health (BACH) survey used a multistage stratified design to recruit a random sample of 2301 men aged 30–79 years. ED was assessed using the five‐item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF‐5).

Prescription medications, captured using a combination of drug inventory and self‐report with a prompt by indication, included in this analysis comprised AHT, psychoactive medication, and pain and anti‐inflammatory medication.

Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of the association of medication use with ED and to adjust for potential confounders including age, comorbid conditions and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Results

Multivariable analyses showed benzodiazepines (adjusted OR = 2.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 5.31) and tricyclic antidepressants (adjusted OR = 3.35, 95% CI: 1.09, 10.27) were associated with ED, while no association was observed for serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and atypical antipsychotics.

The use of AHT, whether in monotherapy or in conjunction with other AHTs, and pain or anti‐inflammatory medications were not associated with ED after accounting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

Results of the BACH survey suggest adverse effects of some psychoactive medications (benzodiazepines and tricyclic antidepressants).

No evidence of an association of AHT or pain and anti‐inflammatory medication with ED was observed.
Invented fairy tales in groups with onco‐haematological children
Authors: Margherita G. , Martino M. L. , Recano F. , Camera F.
Published: May 2013

Background

The impact of an onco‐haematological illness for children is a traumatic event that opens to pain, hospitalizations and interrupts the continuity of daily life. It is difficult for the child to make meaning, to share the pain or ask a question related to the illness because, often, the parents or doctors cannot find a way to communicate in a suitable way for the child who remains in a situation of ‘unspoken’, where, fear, anxiety and pain cannot find a space to express.

Methods

The present research‐intervention uses the methodology of invented fairy tales in groups with onco‐haematological children, in the hospital, in order to explore the organization of the meanings at the base of the tales co‐constructed by the participants underlying weaknesses and strengths of the invented fairy tales in groups intervention. The invented fairy tales in groups is used as a tool, such as a play, to express, share and support the experience of the illness of children. Forty‐nine children participated to the invented fairy tales in groups in an onco‐haematological hospital. Within a quali‐quantitative framework we performed a thematic analysis of elementary context, cluster analysis, on the fairy tales considered as a unique narrative corpus of the thought of the group.

Results

The analysis shows four thematic clusters: fantasy as search for a meaning, 29.71%, the group as a space for illusions, 27.90%, the illness as a family problem, 25.72%, anchoring reality, 16.67%. The results highlighted three main carriers of sense: the representation of illness/the relational world/the representation of the institution.

Conclusions

The use of invented‐fairy‐tales groups allowed the onco‐haematological children to tell and share the experience of illness through a different way, which let them express symbolically their pain. The invented fairy tale in groups becomes a mediator of psychic processes which offer new solutions while improving interpersonal relationships/communication between the participants in group.
Object Orientation Affects Spatial Language Comprehension
Authors: Burigo Michele , Sacchi Simona
Published: May 2013

Typical spatial descriptions, such as “The car is in front of the house,” describe the position of a located object (LO; e.g., the car) in space relative to a reference object (RO) whose location is known (e.g., the house). The orientation of theROaffects spatial language comprehension via the reference frame selection process. However, the effects of theLO's orientation on spatial language have not received great attention. This study explores whether the pure geometric information of theLO(e.g., its orientation) affects spatial language comprehension using placing and production tasks. Our results suggest that the orientation of theLOinfluences spatial language comprehension even in the absence of functional relationships.
Two Routes to Expertise in Mental Rotation
Authors: Provost Alexander , Johnson Blake , Karayanidis Frini , Brown Scott D. , Heathcote Andrew
Published: May 2013

The ability to imagine objects undergoing rotation (mental rotation) improves markedly with practice, but an explanation of this plasticity remains controversial. Some researchers propose that practice speeds up the rate of a general‐purpose rotation algorithm. Others maintain that performance improvements arise through the adoption of a new cognitive strategy—repeated exposure leads to rapid retrieval from memory of the required response to familiar mental rotation stimuli. In two experiments we provide support for an integrated explanation of practice effects in mental rotation by combining behavioral and EEG measures in a way that provides more rigorous inference than is available from either measure alone. Before practice, participants displayed two well‐established signatures of mental rotation: Both response time and EEG negativity increased linearly with rotation angle. After extensive practice with a small set of stimuli, both signatures of mental rotation had all but disappeared. In contrast, after the same amount of practice with a much larger set both signatures remained, even though performance improved markedly. Taken together, these results constitute a reversed association, which cannot arise from variation in a single cause, and so they provide compelling evidence for the existence of two routes to expertise in mental rotation. We also found novel evidence that practice with the large but not the small stimulus set increased the magnitude of an early visual evoked potential, suggesting increased rotation speed is enabled by improved efficiency in extracting three‐dimensional information from two‐dimensional stimuli.
State Building in a Rentier State: How Development Policies Fail to Promote Democracy in Afghanistan
Authors: Verkoren Willemijn , Kamphuis Bertine
Published: May 2013

State building is considered to be the solution to Afghanistan's ills. State‐building efforts largely aim to mirror Afghanistan to a market democracy. However, a market democracy is the outcome of specific historical and geo‐graphical circumstances, and cannot be replicated easily. This article explores four models of state formation: the Western, developmental, rentier and predatory state. Afghanistan can be characterized as a weak rentier state, subsisting on aid. Generally, the structural consequences of such aid rentierism are underestimated. ‘State building’ in this context cannot be successful. More aid ‘ownership’ and a strengthening of the Afghan bureaucracy will simply consolidate aid rentierism rather than reverse‐engineer a market democracy. A greater focus on economic policy is required to direct Afghanistan's rulers towards a more viable path of state formation. In this regard, the ‘developmental state’ offers some insights.
Transforming Activisms 2010+: Exploring Ways and Waves
Authors: Biekart Kees , Fowler Alan
Published: May 2013

The waves of civic activism unfolding since late 2010 at a global level are striking. In major cities of the world, streets and squares have been filled with self‐organized citizens demanding attention for social and political rights. The protest images have been televised, downloaded and quickly distributed — seemingly diverse sites and types of activisms being rapidly connected and speaking to each other. Does this scale and momentum signal a tipping point in a ‘globalization of disaffection’? Are we witnessing the emergence of a new age‐cohort of activists, similar to the ‘1968 generation’? What were the common elements, and what energy was driving the activisms of the squares and the blog spots? This Introduction to the Forum Debate section will try to position the notion of ‘Activisms 2010+’ in terms of its nature and relevance to current debates about citizen‐led socio‐political change. We argue that contemporary activisms constitute a distinct shift in the character of civic engagement as they surf on waves created by the increased availability and use of social media, and by a common set of rights‐based demands.
Effects of regularity on the processing of sound omission in a tone sequence in musicians and non‐musicians
Authors: Ono Kentaro , Matsuhashi Masao , Mima Tatsuya , Fukuyama Hidenao , Altmann Christian F.
Published: May 2013

Numerous studies have reported that perceptual grouping affects the pre‐attentive processing of sound omission in a sequence of tones. However, it remains unclear whether or not the perceptual grouping and musical experience affect the attentive processing of sound omission. To this end, we created a sequence of loud (L) and soft (S) tones grouped as ‘LLSLLS…’ and a random sequence of the L and S tones. The omission of the L tones was inserted pseudo‐randomly in the random sequence, and there were two positions at which it was inserted. For within‐group omission, the omission was after the first L tone within the ‘LLS’ pattern. For between‐group omission, the omission was inserted between the patterns. The brain response to the omission in musicians and non‐musicians was measured using magnetoencephalography. During the magnetoencephalography measurement, the subjects' performance in a task to detect the omission was faster in the random sequence than in the group sequence. Source analysis showed that the omission in the random sequence caused greater activity than that in the group sequence. The increase was found in the right inferior parietal lobe in musicians, whereas it was found in the left superior temporal gyrus in non‐musicians. These results suggest that the attentive processing of perceptual grouping might implicate the left superior temporal gyrus or right inferior parietal lobe, depending on musical experience.
Are therapeutic effects of antiacne agents mediated by activation of FoxO1 and inhibition of mTORC1?
Authors: Melnik Bodo C. , Schmitz Gerd
Published: May 2013

Acne pathogenesis has recently been linked to decreased nuclear FoxO1 levels and increased mTORC1 activity. This hypothesis postulates that antiacne agents either enhance nuclear FoxO activity or inhibit mTORC1. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO), by activation of oxidative stress‐inducible kinases, increases nuclear FoxO levels promoting Sestrin3‐mediated AMPK activation. Furthermore, BPO‐derived ROS may activate AMPK via ataxia–telangiectasia mutated. Isotretinoin and all‐trans retinoic acid may stimulate FoxO gene expression. Doxycycline may enhance FoxOs nuclear retention by inhibiting the expression of exportin 1. Suppression of TNFα signalling by tetracyclines, erythromycin and other macrolides may attenuate IKKβ‐TSC1‐mediated mTORC1 activation. Erythromycin attenuates ERK1/2 activity and thereby increases TSC2. Azelaic acid may decrease mTORC1 by inhibiting mitochondrial respiration, increasing cellular ROS and nuclear FoxO levels. Antiandrogens may attenuate mTORC1 by suppressing mTORC2‐mediated Akt/TSC2 signalling. This hypothesis unmasks a common mode of action of antiacne agents as either FoxO enhancers or mTORC1 inhibitors and thus provides a rational approach for the development of new antiacne agents.
The balancing act of captive breeding programmes: salmon stocking and angler catch statistics
Authors: Young K. A.
Published: May 2013

The debate over Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stocking in Britain centres on the trade‐off between enhancing rod fisheries and harming wild populations. This article informs the debate by quantifying the relationship between stocking and angler catch statistics for 62 rivers over 15 years. After controlling for environmental factors affecting adult abundance, the 42 rivers with stocking had non‐significantly lower mean catch statistics than the 20 rivers without stocking. This difference increased with the age of stocked fish. Among stocked rivers, weak relationships between mean stocking effort and catch statistics also became more negative with the age of stocked fish. For stocked rivers, there was no evidence for a generally positive relationship between annual stocking efforts and catch statistics. Those rivers for which stocking appeared to improve annual rod catches tended to have lower than expected mean rod catches. The results suggest the damage inflicted on wild salmon populations by stocking is not balanced by detectable benefits to rod fisheries.
Land availability and potential biomass production with poplar and willow short rotation coppices in Germany
Authors: Aust Cisco , Schweier Janine , Brodbeck Frank , Sauter Udo Hans , Becker Gero , Schnitzler Jörg‐Peter
Published: May 2013

Several factors influence land availability for the growth of short rotation coppices (SRC) with fast‐growing tree species, including the nationwide availability of agricultural land, economic efficiency, ecological impacts, political boundaries and environmental protection regulations. In this study, we analysed the growing potential of poplar and willow SRC for bioenergy purposes in Germany without negative ecological impacts or land use conflicts. The potential biomass production using SRC on agricultural land in Germany was assessed taking into account ecological, ethical, political and technical restrictions. Using a geographic information system (GIS), digital site maps, climate data and a digital terrain model, the SRC biomass production potential on cropland and grassland was estimated using water supply and mean temperature during the growing season as parameters. From this analysis, a yield model for SRC was developed based on the analysed growth data and site information of 62 short rotation plantations in Germany and France. To assess the technical, ethical and ecological potential of SRC, restrictions in protected areas, technical constraints and competition with food and feed production were investigated. Our results revealed that approximately 18% (2.12 Mio. ha) of cropland and 54% (2.5 Mio. ha) of grassland in Germany were highly suitable for SRC plantations, providing favourable water supplies and mean temperatures during the growing season. These identified sites produced an average yield of more than 14 tons of dry matter per hectare per year. Due to local climate and soil conditions, the federal states in northern and eastern Germany had the highest theoretical SRC potential for agricultural land. After considering all ecological, ethical, political and technical restrictions, as well as future climate predictions, 5.7% (680 000 ha) of cropland and 33% (1.5 Mio. ha) of grassland in Germany were classified as suitable for biomass production with fast‐growing tree species in SRC.
DROMPA: easy‐to‐handle peak calling and visualization software for the computational analysis and validation of ChIP‐seq data
Authors: Nakato Ryuichiro , Itoh Tahehiko , Shirahige Katsuhiko
Published: May 2013

Chromatin immunoprecipitation with high‐throughput sequencing (ChIP‐seq) can identify genomic regions that bind proteins involved in various chromosomal functions. Although the development of next‐generation sequencers offers the technology needed to identify these protein‐binding sites, the analysis can be computationally challenging because sequencing data sometimes consist of >100 million reads/sample. Herein, we describe a cost‐effective and time‐efficient protocol that is generally applicable to ChIP‐seq analysis; this protocol uses a novel peak‐calling program termed DROMPA to identify peaks and an additional program, parse2wig, to preprocess read‐map files. This two‐step procedure drastically reduces computational time and memory requirements compared with other programs. DROMPA enables the identification of protein localization sites in repetitive sequences and efficiently identifies both broad and sharp protein localization peaks. Specifically, DROMPA outputs a protein‐binding profile map in pdf or png format, which can be easily manipulated by users who have a limited background in bioinformatics.
Differential Spaces in Korean Places? Feminist Geography and Female Managers in South Korea
Authors: Gress Douglas R. , Paek Jeeyon
Published: May 2013

Is there evidence of new, differential space challenging entrenched, status quo abstract space at firms in South Korea? Based on quantitative analyses of responses from 360 survey participants, this study deploys a feminist geographical perspective to examine the careers of female managers in South Korea. Results include extensive descriptive statistics of waged and non‐waged work environments, motivations for work and career breaks, income expenditures, and gender‐based impacts on opportunities, networks and promotions in the workplace. An overall discriminatory atmosphere leads to decreased equality in opportunities to participate in training and business trips, which in turn leads to fewer promotions for female managers. Likewise, female managers in positions specifically designated for females receive fewer promotions. Korean firms have a stronger preference for sending men on business trips and more overall discriminatory atmospheres than foreign firms, while informal networks figure more predominantly into hiring and promotion at Korean firms. Finally, regression results indicate that both country of origin and organizational discriminatory atmosphere, despite concrete departmental and organizational policies geared toward the reduction of gender discrimination, negatively impact the percentage of female managers at firms in Korea.
‘Now, We Have the SameRightsas Men to Keep Our Jobs’: Gendered Perceptions of Opportunity and Obstacles in a Mexican Workplace
Authors: Brumley Krista M.
Published: May 2013

Drawing on extensive qualitative data at a Mexican‐owned multinational corporation, this case study investigates professional employees’ perceptions of changes to a prohibitive work policy requiring women to quit working upon marriage and having children. Employees believed the policy change meant working women were valued employees, but how this translated into opportunity highlighted distinct views of the types of positions professional women could occupy at the company, reinforcing sex‐segregated job allocation. Whereas women's narratives pointed to cultural resistance, men's narratives attributed the dearth of women in higher level positions to their lack of professionalism and commitment to work. The work policy changeonlyguaranteed therightfor women to work as the company modernized to fit the neoliberal demands of the global marketplace. Now women faced the challenge of turning that right into career advancement in a traditionally masculine‐defined company. I argue that even with the policy change, gendered discourses on women in professional occupations constructed and maintained gender inequities in the workplace. This study contributes to the scholarly discussion on gendered discourses within the context of global restructuring by showinghowmechanisms at work maintain gender inequity in the workplace.
Estimating unknown parameters in haemophilia using expert judgement elicitation
Authors: Fischer K. , Lewandowski D. , Janssen M. P.
Published: May 2013

The increasing attention to healthcare costs and treatment efficiency has led to an increasing demand for quantitative data concerning patient and treatment characteristics in haemophilia. However, most of these data are difficult to obtain. The aim of this study was to use expert judgement elicitation (EJE) to estimate currently unavailable key parameters for treatment models in severe haemophilia A. Using a formal expert elicitation procedure, 19 international experts provided information on (i) natural bleeding frequency according to age and onset of bleeding, (ii) treatment of bleeds, (iii) time needed to control bleeding after starting secondary prophylaxis, (iv) dose requirements for secondary prophylaxis according to onset of bleeding, and (v) life‐expectancy. For each parameter experts provided their quantitative estimates (median, P10, P90), which were combined using a graphical method. In addition, information was obtained concerning key decision parameters of haemophilia treatment. There was most agreement between experts regarding bleeding frequencies for patients treated on demand with an average onset of joint bleeding (1.7 years): median 12 joint bleeds per year (95% confidence interval 0.9–36) for patients ≤18, and 11 (0.8–61) for adult patients. Less agreement was observed concerning estimated effective dose for secondary prophylaxis in adults: median 2000 IU every other day The majority (63%) of experts expected that a single minor joint bleed could cause irreversible damage, and would accept up to three minor joint bleeds or one trauma related joint bleed annually on prophylaxis. Expert judgement elicitation allowed structured capturing of quantitative expert estimates. It generated novel data to be used in computer modelling, clinical care, and trial design.
Temporomandibular Disorders and Chronic Daily Headaches in the Community and in Specialty Care
Authors: da Silva Junior Ariovaldo Alberto , Krymchantowski Abouch Valenty , Gomes João Bosco Lima , Leite Frederico Mota Gonçalves , Alves Betânia Mara Franco , Lara Rodrigo Pinto , Gómez Rodrigo Santiago , Teixeira Antônio Lúcio
Published: May 2013

Background

Chronic daily headaches (CDHs) are often associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, large studies assessing the relationship were conducted in general, and not clinical, populations. Thus, clinical exams were not completed. Clinic‐based studies with expert diagnosis are, in turn, often small and may not be representative.

Objective

To contrast the demographic and clinical symptoms of CDH and TMD in participants within the general population relative to patients seen in a headache clinic.

Methods

All inhabitants 10 years and older of a small city in Brazil were interviewed. Those with more than 15 days of headache per month were examined by a team consisting of a neurologist, a dentist, and a physical therapist. Headaches were classified as per the Second Edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders and TMD as per the Research Diagnostic Criteria. The procedure was repeated (by the same team) with CDH sufferers consecutively seen in a headache center.

Results

Of 1605 inhabitants interviewed, 57 (3.6%) had CDH, and 43 completed all physical assessments. For specialty care group, of 289 patients, 92 had CDH, and 85 completed all assessments. No significant differences were seen for gender and age, but education level was significantly higher among those recruited at specialty care. Muscular TMD happened in 30.2% of CDH patients from the community vs 55.3% in the headache center (difference of −25.1%, 95% confidence interval of difference = −40.8% to −9.4%). No TMD happened in 41.9% of those recruited from the population relative to 20% of those in the headache center (21.9%, 95% confidence interval = 6.7‐37.1%).

Conclusion

Individuals with CDH recruited from the general population are significantly less likely to have CDH relative to those selected from the headache center. Issues of generalizability are of concern when conducting clinic‐based studies on the topic.
SALL4 is a marker of the embryonal subtype of hepatoblastoma
Authors: Gnemmi Viviane , Leteurtre Emmanuelle , Sudour‐Bonnange Hélène , Devisme Louise , Guettier Catherine , Buob David , Leroy Xavier
Published: May 2013

Aims

SALL4 is a marker of germ cell tumours. The aim of this study was to investigate SALL4 expression in blastemal tumours, particularly in hepatoblastoma.

Methods and results

The study included 12 hepatoblastomas. Eight hepatoblastomas were pure epithelial tumours, and four were mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumours. The patients were nine males and three females with a mean age of 14.6 months. Immunohistochemistry was performed with an antibody against SALL4, using an automated immunostainer. Seven of 12 hepatoblastomas showed nuclear staining only in the embryonal component. Fetal and mesenchymal components were negative.

Conclusions

SALL4 is expressed in blastemal tumours, particularly in the embryonal subtype of hepatoblastoma. Pathologists need to be aware of such expression so that misdiagnosis can be avoided.