bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Team leadership across contexts: a qualitative study
Authors: Graça Ana Margarida , Passos Ana Margarida
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare leadership functions from different team contexts considering context characteristics that contribute to team effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative study was conducted. Seven leaders of multidisciplinary child protection teams (MDTs) and nine managers of an information technology (IT) company took part in semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using content analysis with ATLAS.ti.

Findings

– Results showed that the two types of teams used different performance criteria, with teams from non-profit contexts lacking defined performance criteria. The results also showed that transition leadership functions are more frequently mentioned by IT than by MDT leaders. Moreover, interpersonal leadership functions emerged as independent functions that may occur in both the transition and action phases.

Research limitations/implications

– Context is paramount for performance criteria definition and for the relevance of certain team leadership functions over others. It also presents some suggestions for improvement to the model of Morgesonet al.(2010a).

Practical implications

– The results support the idea that there are differences in the leadership functions that are most valued by leaders, depending on the specific team’s context. Results also showed that some non-profit and less task-structured teams lack the specific performance criteria that could help them make more successful interventions.

Originality/value

– This paper reviews context literature, it shows that the emphasis on team leadership functions can vary across contexts and to the knowledge it is the first that compares the model of Morgesonet al.(2010a) in different contexts.
Benevolent leadership in not-for-profit organizations
Authors: Ghosh Koustab
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships among the welfare constituents of benevolent leadership, ethical climate, and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) by examining the direct as well as the indirect impacts of benevolent leadership constructs on OCB mediated through the ethical work climate (EWC).

Design/methodology/approach

– The data analysis for managerial responses obtained from eight not-for-profit organizations established that ethical sensitivity, spiritual wisdom, positive engagement, and community responsiveness as the welfare elements of benevolent leadership significantly influenced OCB both as proximal and distal outcome through the mediating effect of EWC found in the organizations.

Findings

– This study substantiated the point that the welfare orientation exhibited by top and senior management as the core of benevolent leadership behaviour in not-for-profit organizations influenced the EWC and OCB among the organizational members that in turn would enable them to meaningfully engage themselves with the socially relevant projects and community development activities.

Originality/value

– The application of benevolent leadership scale in not-for-profit organizations established its predictive validity in relation to ethical climate and OCB.
Leadership in a time of financial crisis: what do we want from our leaders?
Authors: Haddon Arlene , Loughlin Catherine , McNally Corinne
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to gain a nuanced understanding of what employees want from leaders in an organizational crisis context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a mixed methods approach to explore employee leadership preferences during organizational crisis and non-crisis times using the Multi Factor Leadership Questionnaire (Avolio and Bass, 2004), and qualitative interviews. The authors also investigate sex roles using the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1981).

Findings

– The mixed method approach reveals some potential limitations in how leadership is typically measured. The qualitative findings highlight employees’ expectations of leaders to take action quickly while simultaneously engaging in continuous communication with employees during crisis. None of the components of transformational leadership encapsulate this notion.

Originality/value

– The mixed methods approach is novel in the crisis leadership literature. Had the authors relied solely on the quantitative measures, the importance of continuous communication during crisis would not have been apparent. As a result of this approach, the findings suggest that widely used and accepted measures of leadership may not adequately capture leadership in a crisis context. This is timely as it aligns with current literature which questions the way this construct is operationalized (Van Knippenberg and Sitkin, 2013).
Effect of nano ZnO containing sol-gel coating on galvanised iron sheet
Authors: Guin Akshya Kumar , Bhadu Manish , Sinhababu Mohua , Rout Tapan Kumar , Udayabhanu G.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the potential of sol-gel coating as replacement for hazardous hexavalent chrome passivation treatment for galvanised iron (GI) sheet. Generally, corrosion resistance properties of the GI sheet are increased by hexavalent chrome passivation treatment. But hexavalent chrome is hazardous and not environment friendly.

Design/methodology/approach

– The aim of this study was to understand the effect of nano zinc oxide (ZnO) on corrosion behaviour of sol-gel coating prepared by hydrolysis of the 3-(Glycidoxy propyl) methyl diethoxy silane (GPTMS) and tetra-ethyl-orthosilicate (TEOS). The morphology of the film was characterised by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The corrosion resistance of the coated samples was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarisation curve and salt spray test.

Findings

– From a different corrosion resistance study, it has been observed that sol-gel coating doped with 1 per cent nano ZnO rendered maximum corrosion protection. Beyond 1 per cent of nano ZnO, corrosion resistance property of coated galvanised steel sheet decreased drastically which may be due to agglomeration of nano ZnO and high water permeability of coated galvanised steel sheet.

Research limitations/implications

– The anti-corrosive property of the coating can be tested by means of atmospheric exposure which produces a real-time evaluation of the anti-corrosive nature of the coating under natural conditions rather than using an accelerated laboratory test.

Practical implications

– It may be useful for other metal industry like aluminium. The work can be used as a guiding chemistry for development of chrome-free passivation for aluminium.

Social implications

– It has the potential to replace hexavalent chrome passivation.

Originality/value

– The use of nano ZnO in sol-gel polymer matrix for the development of corrosion resistant chrome-free polymer coating for galvanised steel sheet and its corrosion resistance study (EIS curve fitting, capacitance value and water permeability) is a novel approach in this research.
Simple measures of climate, soil properties and plant traits predict national‐scale grassland soil carbon stocks
Authors: Manning Peter , de Vries Franciska T. , Tallowin Jerry R. B. , Smith Roger , Mortimer Simon R. , Pilgrim Emma S. , Harrison Kate A. , Wright Daniel G. , Quirk Helen , Benson Joseph , Shipley Bill , Cornelissen Johannes H. C. , Kattge Jens , Bönisch Gerhard , Wirth Christian , Bardgett Richard D.
Published: June 2015

Soil carbon (C) storage is a key ecosystem service. Soil C stocks play a vital role in soil fertility and climate regulation, but the factors that control these stocks at regional and national scales are unknown, particularly when their composition and stability are considered. As a result, their mapping relies on either unreliable proxy measures or laborious direct measurements.

Using data from an extensive national survey of English grasslands, we show that surface soil (0–7 cm) C stocks in size fractions of varying stability can be predicted at both regional and national scales from plant traits and simple measures of soil and climatic conditions.

Soil C stocks in the largest pool, of intermediate particle size (50–250 μm), were best explained by mean annual temperature (MAT), soil pH and soil moisture content. The second largest C pool, highly stable physically and biochemically protected particles (0·45–50 μm), was explained by soil pH and the community abundance‐weighted mean (CWM) leaf nitrogen (N) content, with the highest soil C stocks under N‐rich vegetation. The C stock in the small active fraction (250–4000 μm) was explained by a wide range of variables: MAT, mean annual precipitation, mean growing season length, soil pH and CWM specific leaf area; stocks were higher under vegetation with thick and/or dense leaves.

Testing the models describing these fractions against data from an independent English region indicated moderately strong correlation between predicted and actual values and no systematic bias, with the exception of the active fraction, for which predictions were inaccurate.

Synthesis and applications. Validation indicates that readily available climate, soils and plant survey data can be effective in making local‐ to landscape‐scale (1–100 000 km2) soil C stock predictions. Such predictions are a crucial component of effective management strategies to protect C stocks and enhance soil C sequestration.
The Great British Education ‘Fraud’ of the Twentieth and Twenty‐First Centuries
Authors: Ware Alan
Published: June 2015

The role played by educational credentials in British labour market recruitment changed radically during the mid‐twentieth century. Having higher or better credentials than others became a key determinant in selection for society's best‐paid jobs. The resulting race for them has had perverse effects. A large minority of graduates earn no more than non‐graduates or are in jobs for which they are ‘overeducated’. In various ways, the incentive to ‘stay ahead’ has prompted large expenditures by families to improve the qualifications a child obtains at school, while there is also now huge demand for postgraduate qualifications. Not only is there resulting social waste but also social injustice; while education was understood previously as a means of breaking down barriers to social mobility, it now has the opposite effect. This article explores the causes of these developments and outlines briefly how a new centre‐left agenda for education might be constructed.
The Anthropoceneans
Authors: HEAD LESLEY
Published: June 2015

What does it mean for us to be citizens of the Anthropocene, both individually and collectively? This essay tries to answer that question in order to stimulate a wider conversation about how we should respond to and shape the socioecological transformations ahead of us.
Timing of school meals as a predisposing factor for childhood overweight and obesity
Authors: Pandolfi Marcela Maria , Armond Jane de Eston , Novo Neil Ferreira , França Carolina Nunes , Colombo‐Souza Patrícia
Published: June 2015

Aims

Childhood obesity is emerging as a relevant public health concern because a significant proportion of obese children will become obese in adulthood. The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity has increased in developed and developing nations. This study aimed to verify the prevalence of overweight and obesity in schoolchildren from primary schools in an urban–rural peripheral region of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study with 2039 6‐ to 10‐year‐old children. The body mass index in z‐scores (BMI z‐score) were measured and tested for possible associations between variables such as gender, age, school grade and time of day.

Results

The average age of the children was 8.5 years. We found a higher frequency of overweight children (16.4%) than obese children. There were no differences observed between schools. In the overweight group, we found higher z‐scores in children from the first and third grades and no differences in the obese group. Moreover, the BMI z‐score was higher in the overweight children in the first time of day and for the obese children in the third time of day.

Conclusions

The children studied in the third time of day (3–7 p.m.) had a high BMI z‐score. Being overweight was more prevalent than obesity in children. Moreover, the frequency of obesity in boys was higher than in girls. Anthropometric surveillance of obesity and lifestyle changes are necessary to control excessive weight gain in childhood.
Leverage adjustment after mergers and acquisitions
Authors: Khoo Joye , Durand Robert B. , Rath Subhrendu
Published: June 2015

Australian firms have leverage targets. Speeds of adjustment to a target capital structure are higher than previously published estimates when there are major disruptions to firms’ leverage ratios. Firms exploit company‐specific characteristics to achieve these targets. Profitability and cash levels are important drivers of the speeds of adjustment. Firms, which have lower profitability or higher cash levels, appear to adjust faster.
How to prioritize allocating conservation efforts: an alternative method tested with imperilled herpetofauna
Authors: Kacoliris F. P. , Velasco M. A. , Berkunsky I. , Celsi C. E. , Williams J. D. , Di‐Pietro D. , Rosset S.
Published: June 2015

Several methods were developed with the aim of prioritizing conservation efforts. However, most of these methods were focused on ranking areas for land protection, without offering alternatives for sites poorly ranked. We propose an alternative method that allows prioritizing conservation efforts independently of the status of a specific area. The conservation priorities method considers data related with biodiversity, availability of suitable habitat and human pressure, on area‐based units. This information is then standardized, obtaining a vector of three values, which reflects the situation of a specific area categorically (positive and negative) and quantitatively (how far from zero). Based on these values, specific conservation efforts can be settled at each area‐based unit. We tested this methodology on several political units located at the Pampean Coastal Dunes in Argentina, using herpetofauna as surrogate taxon. Our results confirm the needs of performing several conservation approaches to deal with Pampean Coastal Dunes' problems. The conservation priorities method showed to be a useful tool to characterize sites and to set conservation efforts based on its specific status, supplementing current methodologies.
Efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol for Crohn's disease in clinical practice
Authors: Moon W. , Pestana L. , Becker B. , Loftus E. V. , Hanson K. A. , Bruining D. H. , Tremaine W. J. , Kane S. V.
Published: June 2015

Background

Certolizumab pegol (CZP) is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved to treat Crohn's disease (CD). However, the efficacy and safety of CZP outside clinical trials are not well established.

Aim

To report the efficacy, safety and predictors of response to CZP in CD patients treated during a 6‐year period since FDA‐approval at a tertiary care centre.

Methods

All CD patients who received CZP at our institution between 2008 and 2013 were evaluated through retrospective medical record‐based review of steroid‐free complete response (SCR), loss of response and safety.

Results

A total of 358 patients were included. One hundred twelve patients (31.3%) and 189 (52.8%) received CZP as their second and third biological agent, respectively. The probability of SCR at 26 week was 19.9% (95% CI, 15.9–24.5). The probability of survival free of loss of response at 2 year was 45.7% (95% CI, 32.5–59.5). A predictor of SCR was age at CD diagnosis of >40 years old (hazard ratio, HR relative to those <17, 4.69; 95% CI, 1.75–12.61). Negative predictors included present perianal fistula (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16–0.98) and prior primary nonresponse to adalimumab (ADA; HR relative to secondary loss of response, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04–0.76). Twenty‐three patients (6.4%) experienced serious adverse events and 19 patients (5.3%) discontinued CZP due to adverse events.

Conclusions

Certolizumab pegol was both effective and well tolerated for the treatment of Crohn's disease in this large tertiary care centre enriched with biologics‐exposed patients. It may be more effective in patients without early‐aged Crohn's disease diagnosis, prior primary nonresponse to adalimumab and present perianal fistula.
International oligopoly, barriers to outsourcing and domestic employment
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Subhayu , Marjit Sugata , Yang Lei
Published: June 2015

In this paper we analyze the impact of barriers to outsourcing on domestic employment in an oligopolistic context. We show that although an outsourcing tax makes domestic labour cheaper, its employment effect is ambiguous due to strategic considerations. Analyzing international policy interdependence, we also show that, although a unilateral tax (subsidy) by a country must raise its domestic employment, this may be counterproductive in a Nash policy equilibrium. Finally, both a credit crisis and increased product differentiation tend to worsen the employment effects of an outsourcing tax. Our central findings are robust to both Bertrand and Cournot modes of competition.
Assessment of elasticity of colorectal cancer tissue, clinical utility, pathological and phenotypical relevance
Authors: Kawano Shingo , Kojima Motohiro , Higuchi Yoichi , Sugimoto Motokazu , Ikeda Koji , Sakuyama Naoki , Takahashi Shinichiro , Hayashi Ryuichi , Ochiai Atsushi , Saito Norio
Published: June 2015

Generally, cancer tissue is palpated as a hard mass. However, the elastic nature of cancer tissue is not well understood. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical utility of measuring the elastic modulus (EM) in colorectal cancer tissue. Using a tactile sensor, we measured the EM of 106 surgically resected colorectal cancer tissues. Data on the EM were compared with clinicopathological findings, including stromal features represented by Azan staining and the α‐SMA positive area ratio of the tumor area. Finally, a cDNA microarray profile of the tumors with high EM were compared with the findings of tumors with low EM. A higher EM in tumors was associated with pathological T, N, and M‐stage tumors (P < 0.001, P = 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). Patients with high EM tumors had shorter disease‐free survival than had patients with low EM. The EM showed strongly positive correlation with the Azan staining positive area ratio (r = 0.908) and the α‐SMA positive area ratio (r = 0.921). Finally, the cDNA microarray data of the tumors with high EM revealed a distinct gene expression profile compared with data from those tumors with low EM. The assessment of the elasticity of colorectal cancer tissue may allow a more accurate clinical stage and prognosis estimation. The distinct phenotypical features of the high EM tumors and their strong association with stromal features suggest the existence of a biological mechanism involved in this phenomenon that may contribute to future therapy.
Somatic alteration and depleted nuclear expression of BAP1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Mori Takahiro , Sumii Makiko , Fujishima Fumiyoshi , Ueno Kazuko , Emi Mitsuru , Nagasaki Masao , Ishioka Chikashi , Chiba Natsuko
Published: June 2015

BRCA1‐associated protein 1 (BAP1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that is involved in the regulation of cell growth. Recently, many somatic and germline mutations of BAP1 have been reported in a broad spectrum of tumors. In this study, we identified a novel somatic non‐synonymous BAP1 mutation, a phenylalanine‐to‐isoleucine substitution at codon 170 (F170I), in 1 of 49 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) of BAP1 gene in this ESCC tumor disclosed monoallelic deletion (LOH), suggesting BAP1 alterations on both alleles in this tumor. The deubiquitinase activity and the auto‐deubiquitinase activity of F170I‐mutant BAP1 were markedly suppressed compared with wild‐type BAP1. In addition, wild‐type BAP1 mostly localizes to the nucleus, whereas the F170I mutant preferentially localized in the cytoplasm. Microarray analysis revealed that expression of the F170I mutant drastically altered gene expression profiles compared with expressed wild‐type BAP1. Gene‐ontology analyses indicated that the F170I mutation altered the expression of genes involved in oncogenic pathways. We found that one candidate, TCEAL7, previously reported as a putative tumor suppressor gene, was significantly induced by wild‐type BAP1 as compared to F170I mutant BAP1. Furthermore, we found that the level of BAP1 expression in the nucleus was reduced in 44% of ESCC examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Because the nuclear localization of BAP1 is important for its tumor suppressor function, BAP1 may be functionally inactivated in a substantial portion of ESCC. Taken together, BAP1 is likely to function as a tumor suppressor in at least a part of ESCC.
Complex systematic review ‐ Perioperative antibiotics in conjunction with dental implant placement
Authors: Lund Bodil , Hultin Margareta , Tranæus Sofia , Naimi‐Akbar Aron , Klinge Björn
Published: June 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study was to revisit the available scientific literature regarding perioperative antibiotics in conjunction with implant placement by combining the recommended methods for systematic reviews and complex systematic reviews.

Material and methods

A search of Medline (OVID), The Cochrane Library (Wiley),EMBASE, PubMed and Health technology assessment (HTA) organizations was performed, in addition to a complementary hand‐search. Selected systematic reviews and primary studies were assessed usingGRADEandAMSTAR, respectively. A meta‐analysis was performed.

Results

The literature search identified 846 papers of which 10 primary studies and seven systematic reviews were included. Quality assessment of the systematic reviews revealed two studies of moderate risk of bias and five with high risk of bias. The two systematic reviews of moderate risk of bias stated divergent numbers needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one patient from implant failure. Four of the primary studies comparing antibiotic prophylaxis with placebo were estimated to be of low, or moderate, risk of bias and subjected to meta‐analysis. TheNNTwas 50 (pooledRR0.39, 95%CI0.18, 0.84;P = 0.02). None of these four studies individually show a statistical significant benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis. Furthermore, narrative analysis of the studies eligible for meta‐analysis reveals clinical heterogeneity regarding intervention and smoking.

Conclusion

Antibiotic prophylaxis in conjunction with implant placement reduced the risk for implant loss by 2%. However, the sub‐analysis of the primary studies suggests that there is no benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis in uncomplicated implant surgery in healthy patient.
Successful thrombolytic therapy of post‐operative massive pulmonary embolism after ultralong cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Yu Yanxia , Zhai Zhenguo , Yang Yuanhua , Xie Wanmu , Wang Chen
Published: June 2015

Background and Aims

Cardiac arrest caused by massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is highly refractory to conventional resuscitation. Thrombolytic therapy has been considered to be an effective way to massive PE.

Methods

We reported a case of successful thrombolytic therapy of post‐operative massive PE after 90‐min cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and reviewed the relevant literature.

Results

We presented the case of a 48‐year‐old woman with surgery of varicosis of great saphenous vein who suffered from a massive PE with circulatory arrest refractory to 90 min of aggressive CPR. Thrombolysis was given only as a single dose of 50 mg of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Rapid haemodynamic and clinical improvement followed the bolus dose. The patient was discharged later without neurological or other sequelae. An extensive literature search of the PubMed database only identified 11 cases of massive PE with cardiac arrest during the perioperative period with a survival rate was 88.9%. The time period of CPR before thrombolysis or anti‐coagulation was 15–90 min.

Conclusions

Thrombolytic therapy is useful to achieve the return of spontaneous circulation in the resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest secondary to massive PE during the perioperative period, even in the prolong resuscitation.
Insights from the Den: How Hibernating Bears May Help Us Understand and Treat Human Disease
Authors: Berg von Linde Maria , Arevström Lilith , Fröbert Ole
Published: June 2015

Hibernating brown bears (Ursus arctos) and black bears (Ursus americanus) spend half of the year in a physically inactive state inside their winter dens without food intake and defecating and no or little urination. Under similar extreme conditions, humans would suffer from loss of lean body mass, heart failure, thrombosis, azotemia, osteoporosis, and more. However, bears exit the den in the spring strong without organ injuries. Translational animal models are used in human medicine but traditional experimental animals have several shortcomings; thus, we believe that it is time to systematically explore new models. In this review paper, we describe physiological adaptations of hibernating bears and how similar adaptations in humans could theoretically alleviate medical conditions. The bear has solved most of the health challenges faced by humans, including heart and kidney disease, atherosclerosis and thrombosis, and muscle wasting and osteoporosis. Understanding and applying this library of information could lead to a number of major discoveries that could have implications for the understanding and treatment of human disease.
Flight directionality of Tribolium castaneum soon after take‐off under glasshouse and field conditions
Authors: Rafter M.A. , Ridley A.W. , Daglish G.J. , Burrill P.R. , Walter G.H.
Published: June 2015

Flight directionality of the rust‐red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), was investigated under glasshouse and field conditions using sticky traps placed around dense experimental infestations of T. castaneum derived from field‐collected samples. Although beetles of this species are known to fly quite readily, information on flight of beetles away from grain resources is limited. Under still glasshouse conditions, T. castaneum does not demonstrate strong horizontal or vertical trajectories in their initial flight behaviour. Flight was significantly directional in half of the replicates, but trapped beetles were only weakly concentrated around the mean direction of flight. In the field, by contrast, emigration of T. castaneum was strongly directional soon after flight initiation. The mean vector lengths were generally >0.5 which indicates that trapped beetles were strongly concentrated around the calculated mean flight direction. A circular‐circular regression of mean flight vs. mean downwind direction suggested that flight direction was generally correlated with downwind direction. The mean height at which T. castaneum individuals initially flew was 115.4 ± 7.0 cm, with 58.3% of beetles caught no more than 1 m above the ground. The height at which beetles were trapped did not correlate with wind speed at the time of sampling, but the data do indicate that wind speed significantly affected T. castaneum flight initiation, because no beetles (or very few; no more than three) were trapped in the field when the mean wind speed was above 3 m s−1. This study thus demonstrates that wind speed and direction are both important aspects of flight behaviour of T. castaneum, and therefore of the spatio‐temporal dynamics of this species.
Can Hymenoscyphus fraxineus infect hardy members of the Oleaceae other than ash species?
Authors: Madigan A. , Bełka M. , Taylor A. F. S. , Kirisits T. , Cleary M. , Nguyen D. , Elfstrand M. , Woodward S.
Published: June 2015

The interaction between the ash dieback fungus, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, and two commonly grown members of the Oleaceae (Forsythia × intermedia ‘Lynwood’ and Ligustrum vulgare) was investigated. Shoots were inoculated with three isolates of H. fraxineus and harvested after 2 and 10 weeks. DNA was extracted from tissue collected at the point of inoculation, as well as 15 mm below and above (distal), and analysed using fungal‐specific ITS primers and specific primers for H. fraxineus. The fungus was frequently detected in tissue at the point of inoculation, but rarely in distal samples. There was no evidence that H. fraxineus was pathogenic on either of the two oleaceous species over the duration of the experiment.
Effect of small defect orientation on fatigue limit of carbon steels
Authors: Lorenzino P. , Okazaki S. , Matsunaga H. , Murakami Y.
Published: June 2015

In order to clarify the effect of defect orientation on the fatigue limit of two types of steels, JIS‐S15C and JIS‐S45C, a small semi‐circular slit was introduced onto the surface of a round specimen. The slit was tilted at 0 °, 30 ° or 60 ° with respect to the plane normal to the loading axis, but all of them had the same defect size,
 = 188 µm, where the area denotes the area of the domain defined by projecting the defect on a plane normal to the loading axis. In all the combinations of the materials and tilt angles, a non‐propagating crack was found at or just below the fatigue limit, that is, the fatigue limit was determined by the non‐propagation condition of a crack initiated from the defect. In both steels, the fatigue limit was found to be nearly independent of the tilt angle for the same value of projected size
, which was in good agreement with the prediction by the
parameter model. In this paper, a mechanistic explanation for the insensitivity of the fatigue limit to the tilt angle is proposed.
Crustal fluid and ash alteration impacts on the biosphere of Shikoku Basin sediments, Nankai Trough, Japan
Authors: Torres M. E. , Cox T. , Hong W.‐L. , McManus J. , Sample J. C. , Destrigneville C. , Gan H. M. , Gan H. Y. , Moreau J. W.
Published: June 2015

We present data from sediment cores collected from IODP Site C0012 in the Shikoku Basin. Our site lies at the Nankai Trough, just prior to subduction of the 19 Ma Philippine Sea plate. Our data indicate that the sedimentary package is undergoing multiple routes of electron transport and that these differing pathways for oxidant supply generate a complex array of metabolic routes and microbial communities involved in carbon cycling. Numerical simulations matched to pore water data document that Ca2+ and Cl1‐ are largely supplied via diffusion from a high‐salinity (44.5 psu) basement fluid, which supports the presence of halophile Archean communities within the deep sedimentary package that are not observed in shallow sediments. Sulfate supply from basement supports anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) at a rate of ~0.2 pmol cm−3 day−1 at ~400 mbsf. We also note the disappearance of δ‐Proteobacteria at 434 mbsf, coincident with the maximum in methane concentration, and their reappearance at 463 mbsf, coinciding with the observed deeper increase in sulfate concentration toward the basement. We did not, however, find ANME representatives in any of the samples analyzed (from 340 to 463 mbsf). The lack of ANME may be due to an overshadowing effect from the more dominant archaeal phylotypes or may indicate involvement of unknown groups of archaea in AOM (i.e., unclassified Euryarchaeota). In addition to the supply of sulfate from a basement aquifer, the deep biosphere at this site is also influenced by an elevated supply of reactive iron (up to 143 μmol g−1) and manganese (up to 20 μmol g−1). The effect of these metal oxides on the sulfur cycle is inferred from an accompanying sulfur isotope fractionation much smaller than expected from traditional sulfate‐reducing pathways. The detection of the manganese‐ and iron‐reducer γ‐Proteobacteria Alteromonas at 367 mbsf is consistent with these geochemical inferences.
Relationship between renal function and serum magnesium concentration in elderly outpatients treated with magnesium oxide
Authors: Horibata Ken , Tanoue Akiko , Ito Masaaki , Takemura Yousuke
Published: June 2015

Aims

We investigated the relationship between renal function and serum magnesium concentration in elderly patients treated with magnesium oxide (MgO) in an outpatient setting of an urban hospital in Japan.

Methods

In the present study, 44 elderly outpatients (23 patients with constipation treated with daily oral MgO and 21 untreated patients in the control group) who visited Kameyama municipal medical center were enrolled. Variables were age, sex, weight, height, serum magnesium concentration, serum blood urea nitrogen level, serum creatinine level, use of other magnesium‐containing supplements and symptoms associated with hypermagnesemia. We calculated the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and classified patients based on eGFR category.

Results

Compared with the control group, the MgO group showed a significantly higher concentration of serum magnesium (median 2.2 mg/dL [interquartile range 2.1–2.3] vs 2.4 mg/dL [2.2–2.6], P < 0.001). Hypermagnesemia (>2.6 mg/dL) was noted only in the MgO group. However, symptoms associated with hypermagnesemia occurred in patients from both groups, with no significant difference between groups. In the MgO group, significant difference was seen in the median serum magnesium concentration between eGFR categories (P < 0.05). The category G4 (eGFR 15–29 mL/min/1.73 m2) group had the highest serum magnesium concentration in the MgO group (3.0 mg/L [2.9–3.1]).

Conclusions

Elderly patients treated with MgO have higher serum magnesium levels compared with the control group. MgO should be prescribed with caution in patients with low renal function as shown by a GFR category G3b or less (eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2). Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 600–605.
Living arrangements, social networks and onset or progression of pain among older adults in Singapore
Authors: Leung Ying‐Ying , Teo Suat Lay , Chua Ming Boon , Raman Prassanna , Liu Chang , Chan Angelique
Published: June 2015

Aims

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between living arrangements, and strength of social network with onset and progression of chronic pain over 2 years in elderly Singaporeans.

Methods

We used data from the Social Isolation Health and Lifestyles Survey, a nationally representative survey of community‐dwelling older Singaporeans aged >60 years (n = 4990) in 2009 and follow up in 2011. We used binomial logistic regression models to examine factors associated with self‐reported onset and progression of chronic pain over time.

Results

A total of 3103 participants (53.8% women) completed both surveys (weighted response rate 63.7%). The mean age (SD) was 69.4 (0.5) years. The prevalence of mild and moderate‐extreme chronic pain at baseline were 27.7% and 12.8%. A total of 20.1% and 3.9% of the participants reported having chronic pain onset and progression over 2 years, respectively. In the binomial regression models, lower education level, living alone and poorer self‐rated health were predictors for onset of chronic pain in women. Weak social networks and disability were associated with progression of chronic pain in women.

Conclusions

Chronic pain is common in Singaporean older adults. Living alone and weak social network were sociopsychological factors associated with the onset or progression of chronic pain. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●–●●.
Prevention of cognitive and physical decline by enjoyable walking‐habituation program based on brain‐activating rehabilitation
Authors: Murai Tatsuhiko , Yamaguchi Tomoharu , Maki Yohko , Isahai Mikie , Kaiho Sato Ayumi , Yamagami Tetsuya , Ura Chiaki , Miyamae Fumiko , Takahashi Ryutaro , Yamaguchi Haruyasu
Published: June 2015

Aim

Evaluating effects of an enjoyable walking‐habituation program.

Methods

We carried out a 12‐week intervention, consisting of an enjoyable walking‐habituation program based on five principles of brain‐activating rehabilitation: pleasant atmosphere, interactive communication, social roles, praising each other and errorless support. The program, once a week for 90 min, was carried out in small groups. Participants were 71 community‐dwelling people (72.2 ± 4.3) without dementia. Cognitive function was evaluated in five cognitive domains: memory, executive function, word fluency, visuospatial abilities and sustained attention. Additionally, quality of life, depressive state, functional capacity, range of activities, social network and subjective memory complaints were assessed using questionnaires. Motor function was also evaluated. Measurement was carried out before the observation period, after observation and after intervention.

Results

A total of 63 participants were included in the analysis. Daily steps, executive function, subjective memory complaints, functional capacity and 5‐m maximum walking time significantly improved during the intervention period (after observation to after intervention) compared with the observation period (before the observation period to after observation). No significant differences were seen in other evaluations. At 6 months after the intervention, 52 of 63 participants (82.5%) continued to walk once a week or more, and all of them were confident about continuing to walk in the future. Furthermore, all participants were satisfied with our walking‐habituation program and all replied that they felt delighted.

Conclusion

The intervention program, based on the five principles of brain‐activating rehabilitation, resulted in improvement of some cognitive and physical functions, as well as a high walking‐habituation rate at 6 months' follow up. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●–●●.
Townhouse residents’ use of interior products in the social zones of their homes as a demonstration of their need for uniqueness
Authors: Erasmus Alet C. , Christie Lorna , Kleyn Judy
Published: June 2015

Town houses or cluster homes refer to housing developments where the exterior façade of adjacent units are architecturally identical or very similar. A pertinent disadvantage of this type of tenure is that residents are not allowed to alter the exterior of their homes to reflect personal differences. This study focussed on the probability that residents in these type of townhouses would make intentional effort to demonstrate their uniqueness through counter‐conforming choice of interior objects for the social areas of their homes where guests are received and entertained. The study involved 182 respondents who lived in townhouses in a major urban area in South Africa who were recruited through convenient snowball sampling. Findings indicate that townhouse residents' interior product decisions are predominantly of a creative counter conformity nature which is the safer alternative than avoidance of similarity or unpopular choice counter‐conformity practices that might evoke criticism from peers or reference groups. Interior product choices are therefore predominantly cautious and aimed to evoke the admiration of others rather than critique. A positive outcome of this study in terms of future research is confirmation of the usefulness of the measuring instrument, which was originally developed for clothing research. Findings are insightful for property developers, interior designers, interior decorators and retailers in terms of consumer facilitation and the appropriate marketing of interior products.
Social media as a tool for social movements: the effect of social media use and social capital on intention to participate in social movements
Authors: Hwang Hyesun , Kim Kee‐Ok
Published: June 2015

Social media provide a participatory media environment based on the interactive Web 2.0 platform. This feature makes social media an effective tool for mobilizing people to participate in social movements. This study verified the role of social media in promoting the intention to participate in social movements. Participation intent was higher among those who were more involved in social media. The findings showed that social media improved the social capital which moderates the relationship between social media use and social movement participation. The result of the hierarchical regression shows that bridging social capital had a significant effect on the intention to participate in social movements. Further, a moderating effect from bridging social capital was verified; the intent to engage in social participation was higher among social media users possessing a well‐developed network.
Faces of sustainability in Italian ecovillages: food as ‘contact zone’
Authors: Brombin Alice
Published: June 2015

Ecovillages are intentional and experimental communities that embrace ecological values and green consumption practices which result in a sustainable lifestyle considered the best response to the global ecological crisis. The main ecovillages’ goal is to regenerate social and natural environments through communal living, refounding a dimension of proximity with the land and the natural environment. Environmental ecology is primarily pursued focusing on self‐sufficient food production and alternative farming methods, such as permaculture and organic farming practices. The use of these methods represents a way to criticize the economic logic of equivalent exchange, preferring instead a culture of gifting and the establishment of relations of reciprocity and solidarity on a small scale. In this way not just a particular and specific food style is put in practice, but an holistic view of living, characterized by a new political‐aesthetics in which pleasure, conviviality and restoring relationships of trust and sharing become essential in the pursuit of personal satisfaction and in the construction of taste, following a process of individual and environmental renaturalization. The article is based on ethnographic data related to my ongoing doctoral research on the topics of sustainability and food self‐sufficiency in Italian ecovillages. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, involving participant observation and a period of field work in the ecovillages located in Tuscany and in the South of Italy in Apulia region. These ecovillages are part of the Italian Ecovillage Network that interacts with the more broad international web called Global Ecovilaage Network.
Serological Detection of Beet Western Yellows Luteovirus in the Non‐vector, Brevicoryne brassicae (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Herrbach E.
Published: June 2015

The interaction between beet western yellows luteovirus (BWYV) and the aphid species Brevicoryne brassicae was investigated using virus transmission and serological detection experiments. This species failed to transmit a BWYV isolate from infected to healthy oilseed rape plants, although virus was readily detected by double‐antibody sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DAS‐ELISA) in single B. brassicae adults. When virus‐carrying adults were tested by ELISA after different inoculation access periods, the number of virus‐positive individuals decreased after 5 days, whereas with the efficient vector Myzus persicae, virus‐positive individuals were found even after 10 days. This confirms the inability of B. brassicae to transmit BWYV, even though it may acquire the virus. It is suggested that B. brassicae, as compared with the efficient vector M. persicae, may serve as an experimental model for studying the mechanisms of the luteovirus‐vector specificity
Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus‐induced Cytoplasmic Expansion and Membrane Proliferation
Authors: Gao Jian‐Guo , Nassuth A.
Published: June 2015

The cytoplasmic volume of wheat streak mosaic virus‐infected cells was significantly greater than that of cells in healthy control tissue. Ultrastructural examination revealed that mainly cellular membranes and ribosomes filled the expanded cytoplasm. Imperfectly spherical inclusions, containing continuous endoplasmic reticulum membranes at the periphery and a mixture of membranes and ribosomes in the centre, were observed near nuclei at early infection stages. The inclusions became larger as infection progressed. Membranes and ribosomes proliferated also throughout the cell, forming a matrix in which organelles and various cytopathic structures were enclosed. Numerous vesicles were observed in the cytoplasm of other WSMV‐infected cells. Multi‐layered membrane bodies were found at later infection stages. Virus particles were present in the central space of these myelin‐like structures. The presence of apparently intermediate stages in myelin‐like structure development in chloroplasts suggest that at least some of the myelin‐like structures originated from the chloroplasts.
Book Review
Authors: Ganssmann Martin
Published: June 2015

Schuster, W. H., Die Züchtung der Sonnenblume (Helianthus annus L.). Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin u. Hamburg. Advances in Plant Breeding—Fortschritte der Pflanzenzüchtung, 14, 1993. 188 S., 99 Abb., 18 Tab., kart., DM 78,—.
Inoculum Sources for the Spread of Leaf Scald Disease of Sugarcane Caused by Xanthomonas albilineans in Guadeloupe
Authors: Klett P. , Rott P.
Published: June 2015

Leaf scald of sugarcane, caused by Xanthomonas albilineans, is thought to be spread mainly in infected cuttings and transmitted on infested cutting implements. Several observations made in Guadeloupe indicated that other means of spreading also occur. The dispersal of the pathogen outside sugarcane was investigated with plants inoculated by an antibiotic‐resistant marked strain of X. albilineans and with plants naturally infested with wild strains of the pathogen. The bacteria were isolated in water droplets (rain or dew) on the surface of sugarcane leaves at dawn. It was also detected on the surface of dry leaves during the day by leaf imprinting onto a selective culture medium. The bacteria were much more frequently isolated from the surface of symptomatic leaves than from symptomless ones. Aerial dispersal of X. albilineans was investigated by placing Petri dishes containing selective culture medium between sugarcane plants but without direct contact with the leaves. The pathogen was isolated in four out of 270 dishes which were randomly set 3–14 h in a diseased field. These results indicated that the pathogen exuded from the leaves and then was spread by aerial means (rain, insects, …) or by leaf contact. The bacteria were also found in roots and rhizospheric soil of infested sugarcane stools suggesting that X. albilineans could be transmitted by root to root contact or by the soil. Finally, isolations of the pathogen in sugarcane inflorescences were positive. So, fuzz transmission may also occur.
Two Circular Single‐stranded DNAs Associated with Banana Bunchy Top Virus
Authors: Wu R. Y.
Published: June 2015

Nucleic acids extracted from partially purified banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) consisted of 20 Kb DNA, 0.9–1.1 Kb DNA and 0.3 Kb RNA. Partially purified BBTV preparations predigested with DNase and RNase before particle disruption and nucleic acid isolation yielded only the 0.9–1.1 Kb DNA, but no corresponding nucleic acid band was obtained in total nucleic acid isolated from healthy banana tissue. Analysis of two BBTV cDNA clones showed that clone 1 consisted of 287 nucleotides and clone 2 contained a 1.0 Kb DNA insert. Clone 1 is not part of clone 2. When two pairs of primers, each pair in opposite orientation were used to amplify BBTV DNA by PCR using the total DNA from diseased banana tissues or DNA encapsidated in BBTV particle as the template, a DNA product of 1.1 Kb was generated by both, results indicating that the BBTV DNAs are circular. Additional results suggested that BBTV contained at least two circular ssDNAs designated BBTV cssDNA I (containing clone 1 nucleotide sequence) and BBTV cssDNA II (containing clone 2 nucleotide sequence).
Liberalism in anxious times: Constructing a clear, positive liberal vision for society
Authors: Hall‐Matthews David
Published: June 2015

The enemies of liberalism are on the march. The challenge is not just to reinvigorate the Liberal Democrat party, says David Hall‐Matthews, but for liberals of all parties to rediscover the core values of pluralism and decentralisation. They must cooperate to fight the oncoming battles and to promote active citizenship and political engagement.