bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CEO communication: engagement, longevity and founder centrality
Authors: Conte Francesca , Siano Alfonso , Vollero Agostino
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the engagement of chief executive officers (CEOs) in corporate communication and focus on how their approach to communication develops in relation to the longevity of their tenure. The paper also explores how founder centrality is linked to the objectives of CEO communication and the CEOs’ use of personal social media.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper brings together the relevant literature from different disciplines, related to leadership communication, CEO longevity and founder centrality, and reveals a number of unexplored issues. Four research questions were defined and an exploratory survey was carried out, involving 93 CEOs from large companies located in Italy.

Findings

The results show that CEOs are strongly engaged in institutional communication. Short-tenured CEOs seem more engaged in building and consolidating relationship networks with specific stakeholders (customers and employees), while long-tenured CEOs tend to be more involved in institutional and financial communications.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the exploratory research design and the circumscribed sample from a single country (Italy), further cross-national evidence is needed to substantiate the suggested links between engagement in communication activities and longevity. The study highlights the managerial and communication skills that CEOs must be provided with during their corporate tenure, thus suggesting the need to further examine the “life cycle” of CEO communication activities.

Originality/value

The paper sheds light on CEO communication dynamics. It is the first of its kind in the Italian context, where some factors, such as longevity of tenure, seem to play an important role in shaping corporate communication objectives and activities.
Explicating the information vacuum: stages, intensifications, and implications
Authors: Woon Eugene , Pang Augustine
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Information vacuums (IVs) arise from organizational failure to satisfy the stakeholders’ informational demands during crises. The purpose of this paper is to expand Pang’s (2013) study of the phenomenon of IV by investigating its nature, stages, intensifying factors and resolution.

Design/methodology/approach

Print and social media data of five recent international crises with apparent IVs were analyzed.

Findings

Poor crisis communications are intensifying factors that induce media hijacks and hypes, distancing, and public confusion. A four-stage model maps the phenomenon into a flow chart describing its development. IV termination begins when organizations either respond with information or provide solutions, results, and/or compensation. Natural and strategic silence were observed and defined.

Research limitations/implications

The study lays the foundation for future examination of how media literacy, governments, and culture, both societal and organizational, induce or exacerbate the phenomenon.

Practical implications

Immediate, adequate, transparent, credible, and consistent crisis responses manage the IV and crisis, diminish the intensification of subsequent crises, and potentially reduce image and reputational damages.

Originality/value

The knowledge of the phenomenon is further developed and new theoretical models are conceptualized to provide researchers and practitioners a clearer understanding of how an IV can develop, persist, deepen, and resolve.
A cross-cultural perspective on relational exchange
Authors: Jukka Minna , Andreeva Tatiana , Blomqvist Kirsimarja , Puumalainen Kaisu
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study aims to examine relational norms in cross-cultural business settings. Cross-cultural business partners may differ in their normative orientations toward relational exchange. Owing to the high extent of international trade, there is a need for developing a more nuanced understanding of cross-cultural relational exchange.

Design/methodology/approach

The repertory grid method was used to elicit the personal constructs characterizing the perceptions of business-to-business (B2B) relational exchange for 22 Russian and Finnish managers. These items were further categorized into categories of relational elements drawn from relational exchange literature using a content analysis. Then, the category means of scored importance and scored evaluations of domestic and foreign business partners were tested statistically.

Findings

Relational norms of flexibility, information exchange, long-term orientation, mutuality and solidarity were equally important to both Russian and Finnish managers. The importance of a business partner’s ability seems to be culturally dependent. Sharing the same cultural background might have an adverse effect when evaluating poorly functioning business relations.

Research limitations/implications

The validity of these findings is limited to this context and material. Future research should repeat cross-cultural comparisons of the relational norms with more data and other nationalities.

Practical implications

Firms should focus on long-term orientation and mutual targets to form well-functioning cross-cultural business relationships.

Originality/value

This study provides new knowledge into B2B marketing literature by revealing the role of relational norms, business partner’s ability and shared cultural background on functionality of cross-cultural business relations. It also demonstrates the use of the repertory grid method in studying perceptions of relational norms.
Does an own-brand produce higher profitability? Evidence from Taiwan’s manufacturing firms
Authors: Yang Chih-Hai , Tsou Meng-Wen
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the determinants of own-branding strategy and whether branding contributes to higher profitability among industrial firms. Building a strong brand can be a source of competitive advantage. However, brands may not be equally important to all firms, especially in the business-to-business (B2B) context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops and empirically tests a conceptual model by considering the endogenous choice of branding strategy in the relationship between branding and financial performance. A large, nationally representative dataset from Taiwan, consisting of 13,098 manufacturing firms, is used.

Findings

The present study suggests that larger, younger, more innovative and export-oriented firms have a higher propensity to develop their own brands. E-commerce usage is shown to be the strongest predictor of the decision to brand. The positive effect of branding on profitability is evident for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but not for large firms.

Originality/value

Research integrating the perspectives of the decision to brand and branding effectiveness is scant. The methodology used in this study makes a theoretical contribution to the link between branding and firm performance. The findings indicate that large firms have more advantages for building their own brands, yet SMEs stand to gain more financially from branding relative to their large counterparts. This provides the important implication that SMEs benefit from building a strong brand in the B2B context.
Information technology and performance in industrial business relationships: the mediating effect of business development
Authors: Lindh Cecilia , Rovira Nordman Emilia
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The study addresses a gap in research concerning the specific purpose of information technology (IT) in business relationships and how it impacts business development and relationship performance. To fill this gap, the purpose of this study is to investigate the prospective effects of IT on business development and relationship performance in the business relationships of industrial firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on previous research from the industrial business relationship field, 353 relationships between Swedish industrial firms and their customers are analyzed with linear structural relations in LISREL.

Findings

The findings show that the effect of IT on relationship performance is not direct but mediated by business development measured in terms of business creation and product development.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s results imply that IT that is integrated in inter-firm operations has to be assigned a specific purpose to effectively influence relationship-specific performance. The results also indicate that more research is needed to provide additional insights about the relation between IT and performance in business relationships.

Social implications

If the full potential of IT-based solutions could be reached, then this could lead to the generation of new products and technologies and more competitive companies, which in turn would create more jobs and greater wealth.

Originality/value

In conclusion, this study fills a gap in research by highlighting that IT studied with a business relationship approach is particularly important under certain conditions. As such, the study contributes to the research stream seeking to understand the role of IT in industrial marketing and how IT should be used for increasing relationship performance.
Can salesperson guilt lead to more satisfied customers? Findings from India
Authors: Gabler Colin B. , Agnihotri Raj , Itani Omar S.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate guilt proneness as a prosocial salesperson trait and its impact on outcomes important to the firm, the customer as well as the salesperson. Specifically, the authors look at how this variable relates to job effort and the indirect effects on customer satisfaction. The corollary purpose is to uncover how managers influence these constructs through positive outcome feedback.

Design/methodology/approach

Prosocial motivation theory grounds the conceptual model which the authors test through survey implementation. The final sample consisted of 129 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople working across multiple industries in India. Latent moderated structural equation modeling was utilized to test the proposed model.

Findings

The results suggest that guilt proneness positively influences the likelihood that a salesperson adopts a relational orientation, which has a direct effect on individual effort and an indirect effect on customer satisfaction. Supervisors have the ability to amplify this effort through positive outcome feedback, but only when relational orientation is low. Their support had no effect on salespeople with a high relational orientation.

Originality/value

The study is unique in that it combines an overlooked prosocial trait with a B2B Indian dataset. We provide value for firms because our results show that guilt-prone salespeople put more effort into their job – ”something universally desirable among sales managers” – through the development of a relational orientation. The authors also give practical implications on how to support salespeople given their level of relational orientation.
The impact of customer knowledge and marketing dynamic capability on innovation performance: an empirical analysis
Authors: Falasca Mauro , Zhang Jiemei , Conchar Margy , Li Like
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the intermediary role of marketing dynamic capability (MDC) in the relationship between customer knowledge management (CKM) and product innovation performance (PIP).

Design/methodology

A conceptual model is proposed and a survey instrument is developed. The model is tested empirically in an organizational buyer/seller setting using a survey among middle and top management of firms engaged in business-to-business relationships within high-tech industries in China.

Findings

Results show that MDC fully mediates the relationship between CKM and PIP. Empirical findings thus demonstrate that CKM is related to improved firm PIP through the deployment of firm-specific MDCs.

Research implications/limitations

The study provides clarification for a unique distinction between organizational learning and dynamic capabilities. Findings suggest that knowledge creation occurs within the scope of CKM, while the analytical and perceptual processes that lead to insights and redeployment of firm resources fall under the umbrella of MDCs.

Practical implications

Dynamic capabilities play an essential role in transforming the firm’s knowledge resources to create new configurations in response to market needs. Hence, this study reinforces the role of marketing decision-makers with appropriate decision-making power who, in an ongoing cooperation with other functional areas, are able to adapt and redeploy resources to reflect environmental changes and implement marketing strategy decisions.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by addressing simultaneously the relationship between CKM, MDC and PIP. Specifically, the study demonstrates the mediating influence of MDCs on the relationship between CKM and firm PIP. The study also clarifies a key distinction between organizational learning and dynamic capabilities, demonstrating that knowledge serves an antecedent role to the deployment of dynamic capabilities.
Culture as a moderator of cognitive age and travel motivation/perceived risk relations among seniors
Authors: Le Serre Delphine , Weber Karin , Legohérel Patrick , Errajaa Karim
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study contributes to greater understanding of the senior market and the cultural differences regarding aging in Western and Asian cultures. The review of the literature highlights the cultural differences toward the concept of aging in Asian and Western countries and describes a useful age concept for investigating senior consumers, namely, that of subjective age. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of subjective age dimensions on seniors’ behavior and to assess the role of culture as a moderator of this influence.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in France and Mainland China and consisted of answers to 300 questionnaires for the French seniors and 264 questionnaires for the Chinese seniors. Two dimensions of subjective age were measured: cognitive age and ideal age, along with travel motivations and travel perceived risk.

Findings

The study provides valuable information regarding the Western and Asian senior markets. Subjective age dimensions prove to be related with seniors’ behaviors (perceived travel risks). The present study also demonstrates that nationality has a moderating role on this relation. This theoretical contribution will have to be confirmed by other studies in Asian and Western countries; it opens the door to new research on Chinese/Asian seniors involving these age variables.

Originality/value

The study gives academics and managers insights on the influence of subjective age on seniors’ behaviors in European and Asian cultural contexts.
Attitudinal determinants of environmentally sustainable behavior
Authors: Paswan Audhesh , Guzmán Francisco , Lewin Jeffrey
Published: July 2017

Purpose

This study aims to focus on people’s pro-environmental behavior and investigates its dimensions and determinants. As environmental sustainability attracts increased scrutiny, understanding end consumers’ pro-environmental behavior becomes imperative for various stakeholders in our highly networked marketplace – e.g. policymakers, businesses, consumers, the public and society at large.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from the general public in the USA, the hypothesized relationships are tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The results indicate that if people find enjoyment in nature, believe in achieving a balance between “mankind” and nature, and believe that the benefits of conservation activities are going to accrue in the near term (present), they are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behavior at all levels – supportive, active and lifestyle.

Research limitations/implications

Although only one aspect of environmental sustainability – environmental conservation – is analyzed, these findings support assertions set forth in the theory of environmentally significant behavior (Stern, 1999), the norm-activation theory of altruism (Schwartz, 1973), the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein, 1979) and the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985).

Practical implications

Messages about sustainability, environmental conservation and pro-environmental behavior should be framed using people’s fondness for and enjoyment of nature; should focus on present benefits of conservation; and should be targeted and differentiated for men, women and older people to encourage conservation behaviors among these differing demographic groups.

Originality/value

This study identifies three different levels of intensity of pro-environmental behavior – supportive, active and lifestyle – and empirically examines the relationships between these behavior types and the attitudinal antecedents revolving around time when the benefits of environmental conservation accrue, nature and human–nature interaction.
Lessons learned
Authors: Michell Vaughan , McKenzie Jane
Published: July 2017

Purpose

To increase the spread and reuse of lessons learned (LLs), the purpose of this paper is to develop a standardised information structure to facilitate concise capture of the critical elements needed to engage secondary learners and help them apply lessons to their contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Three workshops with industry practitioners, an analysis of over 60 actual lessons from private and public sector organisations and seven practitioner interviews provided evidence of actual practice. Design science was used to develop a repeatable/consistent information model of LL content/structure. Workshop analysis and theory provided the coding template. Situation theory and normative analysis were used to define the knowledge and rule logic to standardise fields.

Findings

Comparing evidence from practice against theoretical prescriptions in the literature highlighted important enhancements to the standard LL model. These were a consistent/concise rule and context structure, appropriate emotional language, reuse and control criteria to ensure lessons were transferrable and reusable in new situations.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are based on a limited sample. Long-term benefits of standardisation and use need further research. A larger sample/longitudinal usage study is planned.

Practical implications

The implementation of the LL structure was well-received in one government user site and other industry user sites are pending. Practitioners validated the design logic for improving capture and reuse of lessons to render them easily translatable to a new learner’s context.

Originality/value

The new LL structure is uniquely grounded in user needs, developed from existing best practice and is an original application of normative and situation theory to provide consistent rule logic for context/content structure.
Are ranger patrols effective in reducing poaching‐related threats within protected areas?
Authors: Moore Jennifer F. , Mulindahabi Felix , Masozera Michel K. , Nichols James D. , Hines James E. , Turikunkiko Ezechiel , Oli Madan K.
Published: July 2017

Poaching is one of the greatest threats to wildlife conservation world‐wide. However, the spatial and temporal patterns of poaching activities within protected areas, and the effectiveness of ranger patrols and ranger posts in mitigating these threats, are relatively unknown.

We used 10 years (2006–2015) of ranger‐based monitoring data and dynamic multi‐season occupancy models to quantify poaching‐related threats, to examine factors influencing the spatio‐temporal dynamics of these threats and to test the efficiency of management actions to combat poaching in Nyungwe National Park (NNP), Rwanda.

The probability of occurrence of poaching‐related threats was highest at lower elevations (1,801–2,200 m), especially in areas that were close to roads and tourist trails; conversely, occurrence probability was lowest at high elevation sites (2,601–3,000 m), and near the park boundary and ranger posts. The number of ranger patrols substantially increased the probability that poaching‐related threats disappear at a site if threats were originally present (i.e. probability of extinction of threats). Without ranger visits, the annual probability of extinction of poaching‐related threats was an estimated 7%; this probability would increase to 20% and 57% with 20 and 50 ranger visits per year, respectively.

Our results suggest that poaching‐related threats can be effectively reduced in NNP by adding ranger posts in areas where they do not currently exist, and by increasing the number of patrols to sites where the probability of poaching activities is high.

Synthesis and applications. Our application of dynamic occupancy models to predict the probability of presence of poaching‐related threats is novel, and explicitly considers imperfect detection of illegal activities. Based on the modelled relationships, we identify areas that are most vulnerable to poaching, and offer insights regarding how ranger patrols can be optimally deployed to reduce poaching‐related threats and other illegal activites, while taking into account potential sampling biases. We show that poaching can be effectively reduced by increasing ranger patrols to areas under high risk of poaching activities, and by adding ranger patrols near these sites. These findings are broadly applicable to national parks and protected areas experiencing a high degree of poaching and other illegal activities.
Validation of the Malnutrition Screening Tool for use in a Community Rehabilitation Program
Authors: Leipold Claire E. , Bertino Shaylyn B. , L'Huillier Heather M. , Howell Paula M. , Rosenkotter Michelina
Published: July 2017

Aim

The aim of the present study was to determine if the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) is valid for use within the Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) setting. Secondary outcome measures were to assess malnutrition prevalence in the CRP population and to determine trends between malnutrition and age, body mass index (BMI) and falls history.

Methods

This study used a cross‐sectional design. All clients admitted to a Melbourne metropolitan CRP during the study period had the MST completed at intake. A total of 160 participants were then selected at random and a Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) was completed by an experienced dietitian. Participants were classified as well nourished or malnourished, and this result was compared to their MST score. Data analysis was completed to determine the predictive value of the MST compared to SGA, which was expressed using sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values.

Results

Out of the 160 participants, 34.0% were identified as malnourished. The MST achieved a sensitivity of 72.2% and a specificity of 83.8% with positive predictive value of 69.6% and negative predictive value of 85.4% compared to the SGA. Participants in the malnourished group were older and had a lower BMI (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Considering the demographics and needs of the CRP population group and the predictive value of the MST compared to SGA, it can be concluded that the MST is a valid screening tool for use in this population and has relatively low burden to complete. Consequently, the MST could be included in the client initial needs identification to be completed when admitted to the program.
When My Object Becomes Me: The Mere Ownership of an Object Elevates Domain‐Specific Self‐Efficacy
Authors: Yeung Victoria Wai‐lan , Loughnan Steve , Kashima Yoshihisa , Lun Vivian Miu‐Chi , Yeung Susanna Siu‐sze
Published: July 2017

Past research on the mere ownership effect has shown that when people own an object, they perceive the owned objects more favorably than the comparable non‐owned objects. The present research extends this idea, showing that when people own an object functional to the self, they perceive an increase in their self‐efficacy. Three studies were conducted to demonstrate this new form of the mere ownership effect. In Study 1, participants reported an increase in their knowledge level by the mere ownership of reading materials (a reading package in Study 1a, and lecture notes in Study 1b). In Study 2, participants reported an increase in their resilience to sleepiness by merely owning a piece of chocolate that purportedly had a sleepiness‐combating function. In Study 3, participants who merely owned a flower essence that is claimed to boost creativity reported having higher creativity efficacy. The findings provided insights on how associations with objects alter one's self‐perception.
Disruptive physiology: olfaction and the microbiome–gut–brain axis
Authors: Bienenstock John , Kunze Wolfgang A. , Forsythe Paul
Published: July 2017

This review covers the field of olfaction and chemosensation of odorants and puts this information into the context of interactions between microbes and behaviour; the microbiome–gut–brain axis (MGBA). Recent emphasis has also been placed on the concept of the holobiome which states that no single aspect of an organism should be viewed separately and thus must include examination of their associated microbial populations and their influence. While it is known that the microbiome may be involved in the modulation of animal behaviour, there has been little systematized effort to incorporate into such studies the rapidly developing knowledge of the wide range of olfactory systems.

The classical olfactory system is evolutionarily conserved in multiple taxa from insects through to fish, reptiles and mammals, and is represented by the largest gene families in vertebrates. Mice have over 1000 different olfactory receptors and humans about 400. They are distributed throughout the body and are even found in spermatozoa where they function in chemotaxis. Each olfactory receptor has the unique functional capability of high‐affinity binding to several different molecular ligands. These and other properties render the cataloguing of odorants (odorome) with specific actions a difficult task. Some ectopic olfactory receptors have been shown to have functional effects in the gut and kidney, highlighting the complexity of the systems engaged by odorants. However, there are, in addition to classical olfactory receptors, at least two other families of receptors involved in olfaction that are also widely found expressed on tissues in many different organs in addition to the nervous system and brain: the trace‐amine associated and formyl peptide receptors.

Bacteria can make many if not most odorants and are responsible for recognition of species and relative relatedness, as well as predator presence, among many other examples. Activation of different combinations of olfactory receptors by bacterial products such as β‐phenylethylamine have been shown even to control expression of emotions such as fear and aggression. The number of examples of bacterial products and volatile odorants influencing brain function and behaviour is expanding rapidly. Since it is recognized that many different bacterial products and metabolites also function as social cues, and may themselves be directly or indirectly causative of behavioural change, it becomes ever more important to include olfaction into studies of the MGBA. Clearly there are broader implications for the involvement of olfaction in this rapidly evolving field. These include improvement in our understanding of the pathways engaged in various behaviours, and the identification of novel approaches and new targets in efforts to modulate behavioural changes.
Experimental assemblage of novel plant–herbivore interactions: ecological host shifts after 40 million years of isolation
Authors: Garcia‐Robledo Carlos , Horvitz Carol C. , Kress W. John , Carvajal‐Acosta A. Nalleli , Erwin Terry L. , Staines Charles L.
Published: July 2017

Geographic isolation is the first step in insect herbivore diet specialization. Such specialization is postulated to increase insect fitness, but may simultaneously reduce insect ability to colonize novel hosts. During the Paleocene‐Eocene, plants from the order Zingiberales became isolated either in the Paleotropics or in the Neotropics. During the Cretaceous, rolled‐leaf beetles diversified in the Neotropics concurrently with Neotropical Zingiberales. Using a community of Costa Rican rolled‐leaf beetles and their Zingiberales host plants as study system, we explored if previous geographic isolation precludes insects to expand their diets to exotic hosts. We recorded interactions between rolled‐leaf beetles and native Zingiberales by combining DNA barcodes and field records for 7450 beetles feeding on 3202 host plants. To determine phylogenetic patterns of diet expansions, we established 20 experimental plots in the field, in which we planted plots five exotic Zingiberales, recording beetles feeding on these exotic hosts. In the laboratory, using both native and exotic host plants, we reared a subset of insect species that had expanded their diets to the exotic plants. The original plant–herbivore community comprised 24 beetle species feeding on 35 native hosts, representing 103 plant–herbivore interactions. After exotic host plant introduction, 20 percent of the beetle species expanded their diets to exotic Zingiberales. Insects only established on exotic hosts that belong to the same plant family as their native hosts. Laboratory experiments show that beetles are able to complete development on these novel hosts. In conclusion, rolled‐leaf beetles are preadapted to expand their diets to novel host plants even after millions of years of geographic isolation.
Hydraulics link leaf shape and environmental niche in terrestrial bromeliads
Authors: Males Jamie
Published: July 2017

Terrestrial species of the megadiverse bromeliad family display a wide variety of leaf shapes, many of which have evolved convergently in different lineages. Here, I examine the links between leaf shape, venation architecture, hydraulic function, and bioclimatic relations in two bromeliad groups displaying diverse leaf shapes, the genus Pitcairnia (Pitcairnioideae) and the terrestrial grade of the Bromelioideae subfamily. Leaf shapes with broader leaf blades, notably petiolate and lanceolate morphologies, tend to show wider vein spacing, which is associated with reduced hydraulic capacity and higher hydraulic vulnerability. In turn, these leaf shapes tend to occur in species restricted to moist, aseasonal environments, suggesting that hydraulic function is an important mediator of the relationship between leaf shape and bromeliad environmental niches. This network of trait–trait and trait–environment relationships may have been of profound important in the ecological and evolutionary diversification of the bromeliads. Similar structure–function principles are likely to apply in other tropical herbaceous monocots, which are of great ecological importance but generally neglected in plant hydraulic research.
Nested Tracking Graphs
Authors: Lukasczyk Jonas , Weber Gunther , Maciejewski Ross , Garth Christoph , Leitte Heike
Published: July 2017

Tracking graphs are a well established tool in topological analysis to visualize the evolution of components and their properties over time, i.e., when components appear, disappear, merge, and split. However, tracking graphs are limited to a single level threshold and the graphs may vary substantially even under small changes to the threshold. To examine the evolution of features for varying levels, users have to compare multiple tracking graphs without a direct visual link between them. We propose a novel, interactive, nested graph visualization based on the fact that the tracked superlevel set components for different levels are related to each other through their nesting hierarchy. This approach allows us to set multiple tracking graphs in context to each other and enables users to effectively follow the evolution of components for different levels simultaneously. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on datasets from finite pointset methods, computational fluid dynamics, and cosmology simulations.
Empirically Measuring Soft Knowledge in Visualization
Authors: Kijmongkolchai Natchaya , Abdul‐Rahman Alfie , Chen Min
Published: July 2017

In this paper, we present an empirical study designed to evaluate the hypothesis that humans’ soft knowledge can enhance the cost‐benefit ratio of a visualization process by reducing the potential distortion. In particular, we focused on the impact of three classes of soft knowledge: (i) knowledge about application contexts, (ii) knowledge about the patterns to be observed (i.e., in relation to visualization task), and (iii) knowledge about statistical measures. We mapped these classes into three control variables, and used real‐world time series data to construct stimuli. The results of the study confirmed the positive contribution of each class of knowledge towards the reduction of the potential distortion, while the knowledge about the patterns prevents distortion more effectively than the other two classes.
Visual Comparison of Eye Movement Patterns
Authors: Blascheck Tanja , Schweizer Markus , Beck Fabian , Ertl Thomas
Published: July 2017

In eye tracking research, finding eye movement patterns and similar strategies between participants’ eye movements is important to understand task solving strategies and obstacles. In this application paper, we present a graph comparison method using radial graphs that show Areas of Interest (AOIs) and their transitions. An analyst investigates a single graph based on dwell times, directed transitions, and temporal AOI sequences. Two graphs can be compared directly and temporal changes may be analyzed. A list and matrix approach facilitate the analyst to contrast more than two graphs guided by visually encoded graph similarities. We evaluated our approach in case studies with three eye tracking and visualization experts. They identified temporal transition patterns of eye movements across participants, groups of participants, and outliers.
Visualizing the Uncertainty of Graph‐based 2D Segmentation with Min‐path Stability
Authors: Summa B. , Tierny J. , Pascucci V.
Published: July 2017

This paper presents a novel approach to visualize the uncertainty in graph‐based segmentations of scalar data. Segmentation of 2D scalar data has wide application in a variety of scientific and medical domains. Typically, a segmentation is presented as a single unambiguous boundary although the solution is often uncertain due to noise or blur in the underlying data as well as imprecision in user input. Our approach provides insight into this uncertainty by computing the “min‐path stability”, a scalar measure analyzing the stability of the segmentation given a set of input constraints. Our approach is efficient, easy to compute, and can be generally applied to either graph cuts or live‐wire (even partial) segmentations. In addition to its general applicability, our new approach to graph cuts uncertainty visualization improves on the time complexity of the current state‐of‐the‐art with an additional fast approximate solution. We also introduce a novel query enabled by our approach which provides users with alternate segmentations by efficiently extracting local minima of the segmentation optimization. Finally, we evaluate our approach and demonstrate its utility on data from scientific and medical applications.
Adaptable Radial Axes Plots for Improved Multivariate Data Visualization
Authors: Rubio‐Sánchez M. , Sanchez A. , Lehmann D. J.
Published: July 2017

Radial axes plots are multivariate visualization techniques that extend scatterplots in order to represent high‐dimensional data as points on an observable display. Well‐known methods include star coordinates or principal component biplots, which represent data attributes as vectors that define axes, and produce linear dimensionality reduction mappings. In this paper we propose a hybrid approach that bridges the gap between star coordinates and principal component biplots, which we denominate “adaptable radial axes plots”. It is based on solving convex optimization problems where users can: (a) update the axis vectors interactively, as in star coordinates, while producing mappings that enable to estimate attribute values optimally through labeled axes, similarly to principal component biplots; (b) use different norms in order to explore additional nonlinear mappings of the data; and (c) include weights and constraints in the optimization problems for sorting the data along one axis. The result is a flexible technique that complements, extends, and enhances current radial methods for data analysis.
Illustrative Visualization of Mesoscale Ocean Eddies
Authors: Liu L. , Silver D. , Bemis K. , Kang D. , Curchitser E.
Published: July 2017

Feature‐based time‐varying volume visualization is combined with illustrative visualization to tell the story of how mesoscale ocean eddies form in the Gulf Stream and transport heat and nutrients across the ocean basin. The internal structure of these three‐dimensional eddies and the kinematics with which they move are critical to a full understanding of ocean eddies. In this work, we apply a feature‐based method to track instances of ocean eddies through the time steps of a high‐resolution multi‐decadal regional ocean model and generate a series of eddy paths which reflect the life cycle of individual eddy instances. Based on the computed metadata, several important geometric and physical properties of eddy are computed. Illustrative visualization techniques, including visual effectiveness enhancement, focus+context, and smart visibility, are combined with the extracted volume features to explore eddy characteristics at different levels. An evaluation by domain experts indicates that combining our feature‐based techniques with illustrative visualization techniques provides an insight into the role eddies play in ocean circulation. The domain experts expressed a preference for our methods over existing tools.
Allergic contact dermatitis caused by a new temporary blue–black tattoo dye – sensitization to genipin from jagua (Genipa americanaL.) fruit extract
Authors: Bircher Andreas J. , Sigg Rita , Scherer Hofmeier Kathrin , Schlegel Urs , Hauri Urs
Published: July 2017

Background

Temporary tattoos made with an extract of the jagua fruit (Genipa americana L.) are becoming increasingly popular. It is claimed that it is ‘dermatologically tested’ and does not contain p‐phenylenediamine. Extracts of jagua and gardenia fruits have been used by indigenous people in South America, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine, for centuries. Genipin is currently used for its cross‐linking effect in the manufacture of polysaccharides, and is being investigated for its anti‐inflammatory and other properties.

Objectives

To report the presence of the allergenic substance genipin in a self‐administered temporary tattoo dye made from the fruit juice of jagua (Genipa americana L.).

Patients and methods

A 39‐year‐old female who repeatedly applied ‘completely natural and 100% safe’ Earth Jagua® tattoo, obtained via the internet, to her left hand developed allergic contact dermatitis within 6 weeks. Analysis of the dye showed the presence of geniposide and genipin.

Results

Patch tests with the dye and with its main components, including genipin, gave strong positive reactions to the latter. There was no sensitization to other ingredients or p‐amino compounds.

Conclusions

We report an extensively evaluated case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by a temporary Earth Jagua® tattoo. The allergen identified is genipin, a substance that is increasingly used for tattoos and as a therapeutic agent in medicine. This could result in an increase in the number of allergic reactions in the future.
High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Rich Pharmacokinetic Sampling Schemes in Translational Rat Toxicity Models With Vancomycin
Authors: Joshi MD , O'Donnell JN , Venkatesan N , Chang J , Nguyen H , Rhodes NJ , Pais G , Chapman RL , Griffin B , Scheetz MH
Published: July 2017

A translational need exists to understand and predict vancomycin‐induced kidney toxicity. We describe: (i) a vancomycin high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for rat plasma and kidney tissue homogenate; (ii) a rat pharmacokinetic (PK) study to demonstrate utility; and (iii) a catheter retention study to enable future preclinical studies. Rat plasma and pup kidney tissue homogenate were analyzed via HPLC for vancomycin concentrations ranging from 3–75 and 15.1–75.5 μg/mL, respectively, using a Kinetex Biphenyl column and gradient elution of water with 0.1% formic acid: acetonitrile (70:30 v/v). Sprague‐Dawley rats (n = 10) receiving 150 mg/kg of vancomycin intraperitoneally had plasma sampled for PK. Finally, a catheter retention study was performed on polyurethane catheters to assess adsorption. Precision was <6.1% for all intra‐assay and interassay HPLC measurements, with >96.3% analyte recovery. A two‐compartment model fit the data well, facilitating PK exposure estimates. Finally, vancomycin was heterogeneously retained by polyurethane catheters.
Accent detection and social cognition: evidence of protracted learning
Authors: Creel Sarah C.
Published: July 2017

How and when do children become aware that speakers have different accents? While adults readily make a variety of subtle social inferences based on speakers’ accents, findings from children are more mixed: while one line of research suggests that even infants may be acutely sensitive to accent unfamiliarity, other studies suggest that 5‐year‐olds have difficulty identifying accents as different from their own. In an attempt to resolve this paradox, the current study assesses American children's sensitivity to American vs. Dutch accents in two situations. First, in an eye‐tracked sentence processing paradigm where children have previously shown sensitivity to a salient social distinction (gender) from voice cues, 3–5‐year‐old children showed no sensitivity to accent differences. Second, in a social decision‐making task where accent sensitivity has been found in 5‐year‐olds, an age gradient appeared, suggesting that familiar accent preferences emerge slowly between 3 and 7 years. Counter to claims that accent is an early, salient signal of social group, results are more consistent with a protracted learning hypothesis that children need extended exposure to native‐language sound patterns in order to detect that an accent deviates from their own. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQAgy3IFYXA
THE RISE OF SERVICES, DEINDUSTRIALIZATION, AND THE LENGTH OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Authors: Olney Martha L. , Pacitti Aaron
Published: July 2017

Economic recovery is longer in service‐providing economies than in goods‐producing economies. Services cannot be produced and inventoried ahead of demand; goods can. We are the first to document this macroeconomic repercussion of the sectoral shift away from the secondary sector toward the tertiary sector, that is, of deindustrialization and the rise of services. We distinguish between nontradable services and all other sectors, using U.S. state‐level employment data for post‐1960 recessions. Concerns over the endogeneity of services are addressed in two ways: by using 3‐year pre‐recession averages of sector shares, and separately by invoking instrumental variables. Our results are robust to alternative specifications. The increase in service production and deindustrialization in the United States over the last half‐century lengthens the trough‐to‐peak employment recovery from recessions by about 40%. (JELE24, E32, L80, N12)
REPEATED LOBBYING BY COMMERCIAL LOBBYISTS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS
Authors: Groll Thomas , Ellis Christopher J.
Published: July 2017

Developing a lobbying model of repeated agency, we explain previously unexplained features of the real‐world lobbying industry. Lobbying is divided between direct representation by special interests to policymakers, and indirect representation where special interests employ professional intermediaries called commercial lobbyists to lobby policymakers on their behalf. Our analytical structure allows us to explain several trends in lobbying. For example, using the observation that in the United States over the last 20 years, policymakers have spent an increasing amount of their time fundraising as opposed to legislating, we are able to explain why the share of commercial lobbyist activity in total lobbying has risen dramatically and now constitutes over 60% of the total. The key scarce resource in our analysis is policymakers' time. Policymakers allocate this resource via implicit repeated agency contracts that are used to incent special interests and commercial lobbyists to provide a mix of financial contributions and information on policy proposals. These implicit agency contracts solve both an information problem in the presence of unverifiable policy information and a contracting problem in the absence of legal enforcement. These repeated relationships, that are often described using the pejorative term “cronyism” in the popular press, may in certain circumstances be welfare improving. (JELD72, D82, H1, P16)
Neuroinflammation imaging markers for epileptogenesis
Authors: Koepp Matthias J. , Årstad Eric , Bankstahl Jens P. , Dedeurwaerdere Stefanie , Friedman Alon , Potschka Heidrun , Ravizza Teresa , Theodore William H. , Baram Tallie Z.
Published: July 2017

Epilepsy can be a devastating disorder. In addition to debilitating seizures, epilepsy can cause cognitive and emotional problems with reduced quality of life. Therefore, the major aim is to prevent the disorder in the first place: identify, detect, and reverse the processes responsible for its onset, and monitor and treat its progression. Epilepsy often occurs following a latent period of months to years (epileptogenesis) as a consequence of a brain insult, such as head trauma, stroke, or status epilepticus. Although this latent period clearly represents a therapeutic window, we are not able to stratify patients at risk for long‐term epilepsy, which is prerequisite for preventative clinical trials. Moreover, because of the length of the latent period, an early biomarker for treatment response would be of high value. Finally, mechanistic biomarkers of epileptogenesis may provide more profound insight in the process of disease development.