bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The alignment of the policy objectives of youth inclusion and population regulation in post Arab‐Spring Egypt
Authors: Barsoum Ghada
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to argue for the benefit of aligning the two policy objectives of youth inclusion and population regulation in Egypt. This alignment is mainly informed by the literature that identifies structural development issues as central to population regulation. These development issues relate to greater access to education, particularly to female youth, access to the labor market, access to family planning services and delayed age at marriage. These development issues are also at the heart of a youth‐focused policy agenda that would foster their successful transition to adulthood.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides stylized data on the situation of youth in Egypt along the youth‐ and population‐related parameters identified in the paper and surveys population policies in Egypt in view of recent changes related to the country's democratic transition.

Findings

There is great benefit in aligning the objectives of population regulation and youth integration policies in post‐January 25 Egypt. This alignment will revive the population‐focused policy agenda, which is ostensibly absent from the policy discourse, using an already vibrant discourse seeking to include youth as part of Egypt's democratic transition.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the debate on youth and population issues in Egypt amid a highly volatile political scene and draws on the experience of post‐revolution Iran in terms of population policies.
The influence of intra-national cultural heterogeneity on product standardisation and adaptation
Authors: Poulis Konstantinos , Poulis Efthimios
Published: June 2013

Purpose

– Challenging assumptions about the uni-nationality of markets, the paper aims to understand the role of intra-national cultural heterogeneity in product standardisation and adaptation strategies of multinational firms in a single-country, multicultural market.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is set against the dominant backdrop of deductive reasoning in the field and adopts a qualitative mode of inquiry that promotes empathy with the setting. Through a multiple case study approach among paradigmatic cases, it sheds light on the aforementioned objective.

Findings

– The paper conceptualises the term “layers of adaptation” and reveals that firms use multi-dimensional standardisation/adaptation configurations. It explicates sub-contextual variations that move beyond assumptions of intra-national sameness and identifies their influence on unnoticed, more agile forms of adaptation.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings are limited to the analysis of practices in a specific setting. More studies across diverse contexts are necessary in order to expand the boundaries of relevant investigations and enrich the process of theorising.

Practical implications

– The findings caution that lack of internal sameness in multicultural markets may necessitate a multi-layered standardisation/adaptation logic that considers varying “depths” and “breadths” of relevant marketing strategies.

Originality/value

– The paper challenges assumptions that have characterised the standardisation and adaptation discourse, conceptualises the term “layers of adaptation” to denote the need for more considerate market responses and highlights the usefulness of qualitative investigations towards theoretical grounding of the field.
What is cool? Operationalizing the construct in an apparel context
Authors: Runyan Rodney C. , Noh Mijeong , Mosier Jon
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to operationalize the ubiquitously used concept of “cool,” specifically considering its meaning to Generation Y consumers of apparel. Using Churchill's rigorous scale generating method, the authors generate items, pre‐test, and the test with a sample (n=265) of college students.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers specify the domain of the cool construct, conduct item generation, collect data through a pre‐test to purify the measures and then collect data from a large sample to assess reliability and validity of the measures and construct.

Findings

Results of exploratory factor analysis reveal a six‐factor solution; a confirmatory analysis shows that cool is a multi‐dimensional construct reflected in two second‐order factors that this paper labels hedonic and utilitarian cool. These factors are reflected in five first order factors: singular, personal, aesthetic, quality and functional cool.

Originality/value

The study provides a valuable insight into cool concept as being a multidimensional construct, operationalizing a scale to measure cool.
Compliance function in Italian banks: organizational issues
Authors: Birindelli Giuliana , Ferretti Paola
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The authors' paper aims to examine the organizational issues that come from the recent establishment of the compliance function in Italian banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' paper takes as a starting point the Bank of Italy's regulations and the existing literature on compliance, in order to create a theoretical model of an efficient internal control system.

Findings

For each organizational structure of compliance, the authors' paper describes strengths and weakness. It also outlines the scopes of compliance and internal audit in order to avoid overlaps. Having regard to the similarities between operational risk and compliance risk, the study identifies cooperation areas so as to achieve synergies, in terms of costs, and a better operational efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The authors' paper focuses mainly on the relationship between compliance, on one side, and internal audit and risk management on the other. It focuses also on the positioning of compliance within the internal control system, as it has been regulated by the Italian disposals. Further research could concern the relationship with other functions and the regulations of other countries.

Practical implications

The authors' paper identifies cooperation forms between the internal control system functions. This is the way to suggest organizational solutions able to improve banking efficiency.

Originality/value

This subject has not been analyzed in depth to date. This article attempts to obtain an identification of the roles and responsibilities of the main functions involved in the internal controls system, in order to define organizational models characterized by complementarity of interventions and thus oriented towards the objectives of effectiveness and efficiency.
Information infrastructure for systemic regulation
Authors: Alampalli Sharada
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The near‐collapse of the world's financial system in 2008 brought into focus significant limitations in the data and analysis tools available to mitigate potential risks across the financial system. It has raised calls to provide comprehensive data and adequate tools to identify and relieve systemic risk. In this paper, an infrastructure is proposed to address the need for a new information system in systemic regulation.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed infrastructure is developed using the Fed's Bank Holding Company Supervision Manual as a guideline. The model uses a data fusion approach that allows integration of inspection data, external data, and other regulatory data of different granularity. A proprietary application known as Decision Making Toolbox (DMT) is being developed with three‐tier architecture.

Findings

The integrated all‐in‐one approach will enhance the efficiency, scope, and quality of studies applied to systemic regulation and will facilitate easy decision making for effective regulation.

Originality/value

This concept integrates data and measures that are needed for systemic regulation. It facilitates easy decision making, by regulators with an integrated all‐in‐one information infrastructure, for effective regulation.
Second hand smoke: ambient racial harassment at work
Authors: Chrobot‐Mason Donna , Rose Ragins Belle , Linnehan Frank
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Like “second hand smoke,” the harmful repercussions of racial harassment may extend well beyond the target to impact others at work. This study seeks to examine the “second hand smoke effect”, or ambient racial harassment, which involves exposure to racial harassment aimed at others. The paper examines race differences in awareness of racial harassment and explored work and health‐related outcomes associated with exposure to racial harassment. It also examines organizational tolerance for harassment as a moderator of these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A diverse sample of 245 employees from three data sources were surveyed. One data source involved White and Black employees in the same organization; the others worked in a variety of organizations across the USA.

Findings

Whites were less likely than Blacks to be aware of racial harassment, even when employed in the same workplace. However, awareness of racial harassment predicted negative job attitudes and psychological strain for both Whites and Blacks. These relationships were amplified by perceptions of organizational tolerance for racial harassment.

Research limitations/implications

The study documents ramifications of ambient racial harassment and illuminates a racial divide in awareness of harassment at work that may exacerbate racial conflict and prevent needed organizational change.

Originality/value

The paper extends the construct of ambient racial harassment by measuring a range of overt and subtle forms that vary in type and intensity, and by examining the role of organizational tolerance for racial harassment as a moderator of the relationship between ambient racial harassment and work and health‐related outcomes.
Performance and turnover intentions: a social exchange perspective
Authors: Biron Michal , Boon Corine
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Prior research has yielded mixed results regarding the relationship between performance and turnover intentions. Drawing from social exchange theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose that the performance‐turnover intentions association may be contingent upon individuals' exchange relationships with their supervisor and co‐workers.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were conducted in six branches of an elderly care organization. All 512 employees received a questionnaire, and responses were obtained from 225 employees.

Findings

Self‐rated performance and manager‐rated performance were both negatively related to turnover intentions. The relationship between manager‐rated performance and turnover intentions was stronger under conditions of high leader‐member exchange, whereas the relationship between self‐rated performance and turnover intentions was weaker under conditions of high task interdependence.

Research limitations/implications

High performers may be particularly sensitive to relationships with their supervisor, and low performers seem to be more sensitive to relationships with colleagues. Performance data obtained from different sources (self/manager ratings) may show different patterns of results. The value of these findings in extending notions from social exchange theory to the realm of talent engagement is discussed.

Practical implications

To retain high performers, firms should promote high‐quality relationships between leaders and subordinates.

Social implications

The study suggests that investing in social relationships in the health care sector may be worthwhile. In particular, women represent an increasingly important share in this sector, and social mechanisms may help retain high‐performing women.

Originality/value

The study addresses the inconsistent findings of prior research regarding the performance‐turnover relationship, and the lack of agreement on variables that may relate to the retention of valuable employees.
Music as a framework to better understand Lean leadership
Authors: Emiliani M.L. , Emiliani Michael
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why most senior managers have great difficulty comprehending and correctly practising the Lean management system, thereby handicapping their ability to lead enterprise‐wide Lean transformations; to describe the depth and richness of relationships between the Lean management system and music; to help improve practitioners’ understanding of Lean management and how to learn it; and to help senior managers recognize the need to personally apply Lean principles and practices daily to become capable Lean leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a qualitative examination of various characteristics of the Lean management system and music, based in part on the authors’ experience implementing Lean in manufacturing and service businesses, and also in learning to play music over a nine‐year period.

Findings

The Lean management system and music share numerous similarities, including the difficulty most people encounter learning each discipline. The paper highlights the importance of daily practice by senior managers to learn and understand Lean management in order to capably lead enterprise‐wide Lean transformations, and to recognize and correct problems in Lean thinking and practice among themselves and others.

Research limitations/implications

Elucidation of the deep similarities between Lean and music does not answer the fundamental question of how to increase the number of senior managers who are interested in becoming capable Lean leaders.

Practical implications

The paper provides an answer to the question of why it is so difficult for senior managers, and others, to correctly understand and practise the Lean management system. It clarifies the deep level of personal understanding, leadership involvement, and daily routines required to have greater success with Lean management.

Social implications

Management practitioners who improve their understanding of Lean leadership will avoid common errors that undermine leadership credibility and morale among followers, and which impair the achievement of successful Lean transformations.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel approach to understanding the Lean management system by using music as the framework. It shows how effective Lean leadership is more the result of daily practice than it is of the personal attributes normally associated with capable leadership. The deep similarities between Lean management and music have not been previously described in the literature.
Implementation of the continuous auditing system in the ERP‐based environment
Authors: Shin Il‐hang , Lee Myung‐gun , Park Woojin
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the continuous auditing system based on continuous monitoring and its implementation methodology; also to present a systematic case study of actual continuous auditing systems implemented in the financial industry and the manufacturing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the method of implementing the continuous auditing system in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) environment, and suggests how the continuous auditing system can take firm root by looking at the successful introduction of the continuous auditing system in the financial industry and the manufacturing industry.

Findings

The proposed method of implementing the continuous auditing system has the 2stage approaches which can be applied to various kinds of companies in the ERP‐based environment. In addition, the proposed cases have the important practical implications acquired in the process of implementing the continuous auditing system in the financial industry and the manufacturing industry.

Practical implications

This study will help many corporations facing various types of corruption or circumvention of internal control, with their internal auditing, by showing them how to use the continuous auditing system to reinforce internal control. Also, it will make the independent auditor understand audited company's continuous monitoring system and lead to use the infrastructure for efficient and effective external auditing.

Originality/value

The proposed method and cases of implementing the continuous auditing system offer an innovative approach to auditing in the ERP‐based environment because it facilitates both internal auditor and external auditor to achieve the audit objectives efficiently and effectively.
Optimization of the reflow soldering process with multiple quality characteristics in ball grid array packaging by using the grey‐based Taguchi method
Authors: Lau Chun‐Sean , Abdullah M.Z. , Khor C.Y.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Reflow soldering is one of the most significant factors in determining solder joint defect rate. This study aims to introduce an innovative approach for optimizing the multiple performances of the reflow soldering process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study aims to minimize the solder joint defect rate of a ball grid array (BGA) package by using the grey‐based Taguchi method. The entropy measurement method was employed together with the grey‐based Taguchi method to compute for the weights of each quality characteristic. The Taguchi L18 orthogonal array was performed, and the optimal parameter settings were determined. Various factors, such as slope, temperature, and reflow profile time, as well as two extreme noise factors, were considered. The thermal stress, peak temperature, reflow time, board‐ and package‐level temperature uniformity were selected as the quality characteristics. These quality characteristics were determined using the numerical method. The numerical method comprises the internal computational flow that models the reflow oven coupled with the structural heating and cooling models of the BGA assembly. The Multi‐physics Code Coupling Interface was used as the coupling software.

Findings

The analysis of variance results reveals that the cooling slope was the most influential factor among the multiple quality characteristics, followed by the soaking temperature and the peak temperature. Experimental confirmation test results show that the performance characteristics improved significantly during the reflow soldering process.

Practical implications

The proposed approach greatly reduces solder joint defects and enhances solutions to lead‐free reliability issues in the electronics manufacturing industry.

Originality/value

The findings provide new guidelines to the optimization method which are very useful for the accurate control of the solder joint defect rate within components and printed circuit board (PCB) which is one of the major requirements to achieve high reliability of electronic assemblies.
Leaf form and photosynthetic physiology of Dryopteris species distributed along light gradients in eastern North America
Authors: Sessa Emily B. , Givnish Thomas J.
Published: June 2013

Despite the ubiquity of ferns and at least tacit recognition by botanists that their physiology is unique among land plants, most studies on fern physiology have focused on only a few, locally distributed, usually distantly related species. No previous study has attempted to examine physiological adaptations in a group of widespread taxa that are closely related and whose relationships are well understood. Here we report leaf form and physiological measures for such a group, the 11 eastern North American species of Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae), and examine differences in these parameters for evidence of adaptation to light availability.

Economic theory predicts that species from sunnier habitats should have narrower, more steeply inclined leaves, lower specific leaf area, higher stomatal density, higher rates of maximum photosynthesis, respiration and stomatal conductance, and require more light to saturate photosynthesis. Species should show adaptive crossover in net carbon uptake per unit leaf mass, with a relative advantage by sun‐associated species at high photon flux densities (PFDs) and by shade‐associated species at low PFDs.

Field studies allow us to begin characterizing the range of native light environments occupied by members of this group, and to examine interspecific variation in several aspects of leaf form and photosynthetic light response for evidence of adaption to light availability. We also present a novel means for incorporating phylogeny in tests of correlated evolution in a reticulate lineage.

Synthesis. Observed trends in physiology and morphology generally agree with qualitative predictions but are often not statistically significant. We found no support for adaptive crossover in mass‐based carbon uptake, and thus for light availability being the most important variable driving morphological and physiological adaptation in these ferns. We propose that hydraulic factors related to water balance may have played a larger role in determining their morphological and physiological variation. Allopolyploid hybrids did not show transgression in any physiological parameter that may have allowed them to coexist regionally with their parents. The results of our phylogenetically structured analyses highlight the importance of incorporating phylogeny into comparative studies, particularly when hybrid or polyploid taxa are present.
A genetics‐based Universal Community Transfer Function for predicting the impacts of climate change on future communities
Authors: Ikeda Dana H. , Bothwell Helen M. , Lau Matthew K. , O'Neill Gregory A. , Grady Kevin C. , Whitham Thomas G.
Published: June 2013

Although the genetics of foundation plant species is known to be important drivers of biodiversity and community structure, and climate change is known to have ecological and evolutionary consequences for plants, no studies have integrated these concepts. Here we examine how their combined effects are likely to affect the diversity of future communities.

We draw on several complimentary fields (community ecology, landscape genetics and biogeography) to model how climate change will alter productivity of foundation plant species and their associated communities. We focus on three issues: (i) genetic variation of foundation species influences community diversity; (ii) gene‐by‐environment interactions define associated communities; and (iii) relationships between productivity and species diversity follow predictable patterns.

For many foundation species, responses to climate are population specific because populations are often genetically differentiated and locally adapted. Thus, biological models that examine the effects of climate change on species distribution, forest productivity, community structure or function, should incorporate population effects. Our genetics‐based Universal Community Transfer Function (UCTF) provides a method to integrate climate‐based population differences into community diversity models.

Several major findings emerged: (i) using the UCTF, we found that genetics‐based differences between populations play an important role in defining future communities. (ii) The shape of the productivity/diversity relationship (e.g. humpbacked versus linear) dramatically affects future communities making it essential to quantify this relationship. (iii) Climate change will impact the community differently at leading, continuous and rear edges of a species' distribution, but diversity at the rear edge will suffer most.

Genetics‐based approaches are important to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of climate change on future communities and ecosystems. Such modelling can assist in identifying populations of foundation species of special value based on their sensitivity to climate change, future biodiversity and potential to support high biodiversity with assisted migration.
REVIEW: Charcoal function and management in boreal ecosystems
Authors: Hart Stephen , Luckai Nancy
Published: June 2013

Charcoal plays an important role in soil function and carbon storage in fire‐prone ecosystems. Charcoal is present in most boreal forest soils as a result of naturally recurring wildfires, which convert 0·7–2% of biomass to charcoal. In boreal forests, charcoal represents 8–10% of soil carbon and 1 pg of carbon globally.

Charcoal is resistant to decay, representing a form of super‐passive carbon, with half‐lives one to two orders of magnitude greater than those of other soil organic matter. High concentrations of negative surface charges increase nutrient retention, impacting boreal soil function, productivity and species composition.

Due to a lack of soil mixing processes, charcoal in boreal soils is vulnerable to recombustion in recurring fires, inhibiting the accumulation of charcoal over time, unlike in other fire‐prone ecosystems.

Boreal charcoal stocks are highly variable. Increased fire intensity results in greater charcoal formation, with stand‐replacing crown fires resulting in much larger charcoal stocks than non‐stand‐replacing ground fires. Current estimates of carbon storage based on Scandinavian studies of non‐stand‐replacing fires may underestimate charcoal stocks by factors of 2–3.

Synthesis and applications. Charcoal contributes to boreal soil function, ecosystem productivity, nutrient retention and carbon cycling. In the absence of fire, charcoal loses many active properties, contributing to declining productivity with increasing time since fire. Incorporation of charcoal into ecosystem management using prescribed burns may contribute to sustainable management of boreal forests and maintaining global carbon cycles.
Freshwater bacterial lifestyles inferred from comparative genomics
Authors: Livermore Joshua A. , Emrich Scott J. , Tan John , Jones Stuart E.
Published: June 2013

While micro‐organisms actively mediate and participate in freshwater ecosystem services, we know little about freshwater microbial genetic diversity. Genome sequences are available for many bacteria from the human microbiome and the ocean (over 800 and 200, respectively), but only two freshwater genomes are currently available: the streamlined genomes of Polynucleobacter necessarius ssp. asymbioticus and the Actinobacterium AcI‐B1. Here, we sequenced and analysed draft genomes of eight phylogentically diverse freshwater bacteria exhibiting a range of lifestyle characteristics. Comparative genomics of these bacteria reveals putative freshwater bacterial lifestyles based on differences in predicted growth rate, capability to respond to environmental stimuli and diversity of useable carbon substrates. Our conceptual model based on these genomic characteristics provides a foundation on which further ecophysiological and genomic studies can be built. In addition, these genomes greatly expand the diversity of existing genomic context for future studies on the ecology and genetics of freshwater bacteria.
Contrasting diversity of phycodnavirus signature genes in two large and deep western European lakes
Authors: Zhong Xu , Jacquet Stéphan
Published: June 2013

Little is known about Phycodnavirus (or double‐stranded DNA algal virus) diversity in aquatic ecosystems, and virtually, no information has been provided for European lakes. We therefore conducted a 1‐year survey of the surface waters of France's two largest lakes, Annecy and Bourget, which are characterized by different trophic states and phytoplanktonic communities. We found complementary and contrasting diversity of phycodnavirus in the lakes based on two genetic markers, the B family DNA polymerase‐encoding gene (polB) and the major capsid protein‐encoding gene (mcp). These two core genes have already been used, albeit separately, to infer phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity among members of the phycodnavirus family and to determine the occurrence and diversity of these genes in natural viral communities. While polB yielded prasinovirus‐like sequences, the mcp primers yielded sequences for prasinoviruses, chloroviruses, prymnesioviruses and other groups not known from available databases. There was no significant difference in phycodnavirus populations between the two lakes when the sequences were pooled over the full year of investigation. By comparing Lakes Annecy and Bourget with data for other aquatic environments around the world, we show that these alpine lakes are clearly distinct from both other freshwater ecosystems (lakes and rivers) and marine environments, suggesting the influence of unique biogeographic factors.
Shared and distinct functions of two Gti1/Pac2 family proteins in growth, morphogenesis and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Chen Yue , Zhai Su , Zhang Haifeng , Zuo Rongfang , Wang Jiamei , Guo Min , Zheng Xiaobo , Wang Ping , Zhang Zhengguang
Published: June 2013

Gti1/Pac2 are conserved family proteins that regulate morphogenic transition in yeasts such as Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Candida albicans, and they also control toxin production and pathogenicity in filamentous fungus Fusarium graminearum. To test the functions of Gti1/Pac2 paralogues MoGti1 and MoPac2 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, we generated respective ΔMogti1 and ΔMopac2 mutant strains. We found that MoGti1 and MoPac2 exhibit shared and distinct roles in hyphal growth, conidiation, sexual reproduction, stress responses, surface hydrophobility, invasive hyphal growth and pathogenicity. Consistent with the putative conserved function of MoGti1, we showed that MoGti1‐GFP is localized to the nucleus, whereas MoPac2‐GFP is mainly found in the cytoplasm. In addition, we provided evidence that the nuclear localization of MoGti1 could be subject to regulation by MoPmk1 mitogen‐activated protein kinase. Moreover, we found that the reduced pathogenicity in the ΔMopac2 mutant corresponds with an increased expression of plant defence genes, including PR1a, AOS2, LOX1, PAD4, and CHT1. Taken together, our studies provide a comprehensive analysis of two similar but distinct Gti1/Pac2 family proteins in M. oryzae, which underlines the important yet conserved functions of these family proteins in plant pathogenic fungi.
The Snowballing Penalty Effect: Multiple Disadvantage and Pay
Authors: Woodhams Carol , Lupton Ben , Cowling Marc
Published: June 2013

This paper makes the case that the current single‐axis approach to the diagnosis and remedy of pay discrimination is inadequate in the case of multiple disadvantage. While a good deal is known about pay gaps, particularly those affecting women, less is known about those affecting people in other disadvantaged groups and those in more than one such group. This analysis of multiple years of pay data, n = 513,000, from a large UK‐based company shows that people with more than one disadvantaged identity suffer a significantly greater pay penalty than those with a single disadvantage. The data also suggest that penalties associated with multiple disadvantage exponentially increase. In other words, disadvantages seem to interact to the detriment of people at ‘intersections’. The paper considers the implications for policies aimed at reducing pay inequalities. These currently take a single‐axis approach and may be misdirected.
Nursing Home Quality and Financial Performance: Does the Racial Composition of Residents Matter?
Authors: Chisholm Latarsha , Weech‐Maldonado Robert , Laberge Alex , Lin Feng‐Chang , Hyer Kathryn
Published: June 2013

Objective

To examine the effects of the racial composition of residents on nursing homes’ financial and quality performance. The study examined Medicare and Medicaid‐certified nursing homes across the United States that submitted Medicare cost reports between the years 1999 and 2004 (11,472 average per year).

Data Source

Data were obtained from the Minimum Data Set, the On‐Line Survey Certification and Reporting, Medicare Cost Reports, and the Area Resource File.

Study Design

Panel data regression with random intercepts and negative binomial regression were conducted with state and year fixed effects.

Principal Findings

Financial and quality performance differed between nursing homes with high proportions of black residents and nursing homes with no or medium proportions of black residents. Nursing homes with no black residents had higher revenues and higher operating margins and total profit margins and they exhibited better processes and outcomes than nursing homes with high proportions of black residents.

Conclusion

Nursing homes’ financial viability and quality of care are influenced by the racial composition of residents. Policy makers should consider initiatives to improve both the financial and quality performance of nursing homes serving predominantly black residents.
The Pseudomonas putida HskA hybrid sensor kinase responds to redox signals and contributes to the adaptation of the electron transport chain composition in response to oxygen availability
Authors: Sevilla Emma , Alvarez‐Ortega Carolina , Krell Tino , Rojo Fernando
Published: June 2013

Pseudomonas putida has a branched aerobic electron transport that includes five terminal oxidases, each of which has different properties. The relative expression of each oxidase is carefully regulated to assemble the most suitable electron transport chain for the prevailing conditions. The HskA hybrid sensor kinase participates in this control, but the signals to which HskA responds were unknown. Here, the influence of HskA on the mRNA abundance of genes coding for all terminal oxidases and for the bc1 complex was analysed in cells growing under controlled aerobic, semiaerobic or microaerobic conditions. The results indicate that the influence of HskA on the expression of each terminal oxidase and the bc1 complex varies depending on oxygen availability. This effect was more pronounced under aerobic or semiaerobic conditions, but decreased under microaerobic conditions. The expression of hskA was regulated by oxygen availability. We show that HskA autophosphorylation is inhibited by ubiquinone but not by ubiquinol, its reduced derivative. This suggests that HskA could sense the oxidation state of the respiratory ubiquinones, which may be a key factor in HskA activity. Inactivation of hskA reduced growth rate and oxygen consumption, stressing the importance of HskA for the assembly of an efficient electron transport chain.
In situ interactions between photosynthetic picoeukaryotes and bacterioplankton in the Atlantic Ocean: evidence for mixotrophy
Authors: Hartmann Manuela , Zubkov Mikhail V. , Scanlan Dave J. , Lepère Cécile
Published: June 2013

Heterotrophic bacterioplankton, cyanobacteria and phototrophic picoeukaryotes (< 5 μm in size) numerically dominate planktonic oceanic communities. While feeding on bacterioplankton is often attributed to aplastidic protists, recent evidence suggests that phototrophic picoeukaryotes could be important bacterivores. Here, we present direct visual evidence from the surface mixed layer of the Atlantic Ocean that bacterioplankton are internalized by phototrophic picoeukaryotes. In situ interactions of phototrophic picoeukaryotes and bacterioplankton (specifically Prochlorococcus cyanobacteria and the SAR11 clade) were investigated using a combination of flow cytometric cell sorting and dual tyramide signal amplification fluorescence in situ hybridization. Using this method, we observed plastidic Prymnesiophyceae and Chrysophyceae cells containing Prochlorococcus, and to a lesser extent SAR11 cells. These microscopic observations of in situ microbial trophic interactions demonstrate the frequency and likely selectivity of phototrophic picoeukaryote bacterivory in the surface mixed layer of both the North and South Atlantic subtropical gyres and adjacent equatorial region, broadening our views on the ecological role of the smallest oceanic plastidic protists.
A Dual‐Process Motivational Model of Social and Economic Policy Attitudes
Authors: Perry Ryan , Sibley Chris G.
Published: June 2013

The dual process model (DPM) of ideology and prejudice suggests that right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) should differentially predict support for social versus economic policies. We test a differential prediction hypothesis in which support for social policies should be predicted by RWA, and support for economic policies should be predicted by SDO. We further test a dual mediation hypothesis suggesting that RWA and SDO differentially mediate the indirect effects of distinct combinations of personality traits and social worldviews on these policy attitudes. The hypothesized model provided a reasonable fit in a large New Zealand sample (N = 6,886). Policy attitudes thus consist of at least two dimensions: social versus economic. Individual differences in these attitudes are differentially predicted by RWA and SDO—in much the same way as generalized intergroup attitudes and prejudice.
South Korea's Corporate Restructurings After the 1997 and 2008 Economic Crises: Different Patterns and Lessons for Policy
Authors: Heo Inhye
Published: June 2013

It is generally perceived that corporate restructuring carried out in a neoliberal context is likely to be implemented radically. However, Korea's massive corporate restructurings following the 1997 and 2008 economic crises differed from one another in terms of the speed and scope of the processes—even though neoliberal ideas were flourishing in Korea during both periods. What are the concrete differences between the two cases? Moreover, what are the underlying political‐economic factors that brought about such differences? This article aims to answer these questions by comparing and analyzing the different developmental patterns at work in the two processes from a political‐economic perspective. The research results show that the different patterns were greatly influenced by the government's relative policy autonomy during both periods, revealing the uniqueness of the Korean mode of corporate restructuring. Per the findings, significant policy lessons for corporate restructuring in Korea are suggested.
The 24‐month course of manic symptoms in children
Authors: Findling Robert L , Jo Booil , Frazier Thomas W , Youngstrom Eric A , Demeter Christine A , Fristad Mary A , Birmaher Boris , Kowatch Robert A , Arnold Eugene , Axelson David A , Ryan Neal , Hauser Jessica C , Brace Daniel J , Marsh Linda E , Gill Mary Kay , Depew Judith , Rowles Brieana M , Horwitz Sarah McCue
Published: June 2013

Objectives

The Longitudinal Assessment of Manic Symptoms (LAMS) study was designed to investigate phenomenology and establish predictors of functional outcomes in children with elevated manic symptoms. The purpose of this series of analyses was to determine whether the participants demonstrated different trajectories of parent‐reported manic and biphasic symptoms over the first 24 months of follow‐up and to describe the clinical characteristics of the trajectories.

Methods

The 707 participants were initially aged 6–12 years and ascertained from outpatient clinics associated with the four university‐affiliated LAMS sites. There were 621 children whose parents/guardians’ ratings scored ≥ 12 on the Parent General Behavior Inventory–10‐item Mania Form (PGBI‐10M) and a matched random sample of 86 children whose parents/guardians’ ratings scored ≤ 11 on the PGBI‐10M. Participants were seen every six months after the baseline and their parents completed the PGBI‐10M at each visit.

Results

For the whole sample, manic symptoms decreased over 24 months (linear effect B = −1.15, standard error = 0.32, t = −3.66, p < 0.001). Growth mixture modeling revealed four unique trajectories of manic symptoms. Approximately 85% of the cohort belonged to two classes in which manic symptoms decreased. The remaining ~15% formed two classes (high and rising and unstable) characterized by the highest rates of diagnostic conversion to a bipolar disorder (all p‐values < 0.001).

Conclusions

Outcomes are not uniform among children with symptoms of mania or at high risk for mania. A substantial minority of clinically referred children shows unstable or steadily increasing manic symptoms, and these patterns have distinct clinical correlates.
Developing and validating technological pedagogical content knowledge‐practical (TPACK‐practical) through the Delphi survey technique
Authors: Yeh Yi‐Fen , Hsu Ying‐Shao , Wu Hsin‐Kai , Hwang Fu‐Kwun , Lin Tzu‐Chiang
Published: June 2013

Technological pedagogical content knowledge TPACK refers to the knowledge set that teachers currently use to further improve the quality of their teaching and assist their students in learning. Several TPACK models have been proposed, either for discussing TPACK's possible composition or its practical applications. Considering that teachers' practical experiences should also be critical to the development of those teachers' knowledge, this study invited a research panel (six researchers) and an expert panel (54 science‐related educators) to propose and validate the framework of TPACK‐practical. After two rounds of anonymous communications that followed Delphi survey techniques, a total of eight dimensions of TPACK‐practical and corresponding indicators were identified and rated as having high levels of importance. Among these knowledge dimensions, the knowledge of direct information and communication technology uses for enhancing teachers' professionalism and students' conceptual comprehension was rated with a high level of importance. Also, disciplinary differences were found to exist between the different groups of experts. Biology teachers showed significantly higher ratings across all knowledge dimensions, whereas physics teachers' ratings were comparatively low. Such findings suggest that the structure and content of subject matter shapes not only the way they teach with technology but also the thinking logics they build longitudinally from their learning experiences.
No matrix effect in double‐blind, placebo‐controlled egg challenges in egg allergic children
Authors: Libbers L. , Flokstra – de Blok B. M. J. , Vlieg – Boerstra B. J. , van der Heide S. , van der Meulen G. N. , Kukler J. , Kerkhof M. , Dubois A. E. J.
Published: June 2013

Background

Diagnostic and accidental food allergic reactions may be modified by the matrix containing the allergenic food. Previous studies of double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs) with peanut found an effect of the fat content of the challenge matrix on the severity of the challenge reactions.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine whether the fat content of the food matrix is related to eliciting dose and reaction severity in DBPCFCs with heated hen's egg.

Methods

Sensitized egg allergic children (n = 59) undergoing DBPCFCs with egg as a routine diagnostic procedure in our tertiary care centre were evaluated retrospectively. Three different recipes were used for the food matrix: vanilla pudding, pancake and minced meat, containing 22.8%, 31.9% and 52.7% fat (weighted average), respectively. The eliciting dose (i.e. the highest cumulative dose to which the child reacted) was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier log‐rank statistic and by Cox regression. Reaction severity was quantified by using an index (range 1–12) and was analysed by multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

The overall influence of type of recipe on eliciting dose was not significant (P = 0.12). The rate of response to minced meat (with the highest fat content) was not significantly different from pudding [HR = 0.61 (0.26–1.45, P = 0.26) or pancake (HR = 1.41 (0.50–3.99), P = 0.52] after adjustment for confounders. The type of recipe did not influence the severity of the challenge reaction. The severity of the challenge reaction for minced meat compared to pudding and pancake was 1.06 (0.52–2.16), P = 0.87 and 0.81 (0.32–2.01), P = 0.64, respectively, after correction for confounders.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

In contrast to similar research with peanut, no significant influence of the fat content of the matrix was found on the eliciting dose or severity of the reaction in 59 DBPCFCs with hen's egg. Matrix fat content differences comparable to those reported here may not be an important co‐determinant of reaction severity for all allergenic foods.
Activation of TLR4 induces VEGF expression via Akt pathway in nasal polyps
Authors: Cho J.‐S. , Kang J.‐H. , Han I.‐H. , Um J.‐Y. , Lee H.‐M.
Published: June 2013

Background

Nasal polyposis is characterized by tissue remodelling and oedematous nasal mucosa. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a significant role in the regulation of remodelling in nasal polyps. TLR4 activation is associated with VEGF expression in murine macrophages and odontoblasts.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an inducer of TLR4, stimulates VEGF expression and to determine the mechanism underlying VEGF production in nasal polyps.

Methods

Nasal polyp‐derived fibroblasts (NPDFs) were isolated from 10 patients with nasal polyps and exposed to LPS. LPS from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (LRS) was used to inhibit the expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 and VEGF. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of TLRs, MyD88 and VEGF were determined by gene expression microarray and semiquantitative reverse transcription‐PCR. Protein expression levels of TLR4 and VEGF were analysed using western blot, immunofluorescence staining and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Activation of MAPKs (ERK, p38, and JNK) and Akt was examined using western blot analysis. The expression level of VEGF was measured by ELISA and western blot analysis in ex vivo nasal polyp organ culture.

Results

The protein expression level of VEGF was increased in nasal polyp tissues compared with inferior turbinate tissues. LRS inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of TLR4, MyD88 and VEGF in LPS‐stimulated NPDFs. LPS‐activated MAPKs and Akt signals, whereas MAPK inhibitors did not inhibit VEGF expression, and only Akt inhibitor blocked VEGF production. LRS reduced the production of VEGF in LPS‐stimulated ex vivo organ culture.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

These results suggest that LPS stimulates the production of VEGF through the TLR4‐Akt signalling pathway in nasal polyps. LPS may be involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyp remodelling.
Non‐radiological method for three‐dimensional implant position evaluation using an intraoral scan method
Authors: von See Constantin , Wagner Maximilian E. H. , Schumann Paul , Lindhorst Daniel , Gellrich Nils‐Claudius , Stoetzer Marcus
Published: June 2013

Introduction

This technical innovation presents a method that reproduces the position of a dental implant after insertion without the reuse of X‐ray radiation.

Material and Methods

An implant was inserted into the natural gap between the canines and premolars of three domestic pigs. A Straumann Scanbody was then screwed to the implant, and a digital impression of the jaw segment was made. The scanbody was scanned using a hand‐held scanner. This was followed by the radiological detection of implant position on a CBCT. On the computer, the position of the implant was calculated and compared with the radiologically detected position.

Results

The calculated and determined position of the dental implant by the scanner is in good agreement with the radiologically controlled position.

Discussion

Evaluating the position of implants using intraoral scans is an easy and radiation‐free method of three‐dimensional site assessment after superimposition over a three‐dimensional data set.