bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assurance reports included in the CSR reports of French firms: a longitudinal study
Authors: Gillet-Monjarret Claire
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the practice of sustainability assurance and in particular the content of the assurance reports disseminated in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. The objective of the research is to study the evolution of the content of the assurance reports of French companies. Have the reports evolved as a result of the standardization and regulation of the audit?

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal study has been carried out on French companies publishing CSR reports and their sustainability information has been checked for several years. The sample is composed of 19 listed French companies and 135 assurance reports over a period from 2001 to 2015.

Findings

The results highlight a change in the content of assurance reports according to standardization and regulatory of sustainability auditing. The content evolves from a generic discourse to a normative discourse notably because of the realization of a majority of assurance missions by accounting professionals and the increasing use of ISAE 3000 as well as by the introduction of the Grenelle II Law.

Practical implications

This paper shows how assurance reports have evolved over time in a particular regulatory context of the introduction of a law specific to assurance, Grenelle II Law, using a sample of French companies.

Originality/value

Although some studies have attempted to provide a historical analysis of this practice, no research has focused on longitudinal analysis in a particular context of introduction of a law specific to the assurance mission. The lack in previous literature resides in the lack of longitudinal analysis of assurance reports in the light of the evolution of the normative and regulatory frameworks.
The adoption of CSR practices in Egypt: internal efficiency or external legitimation?
Authors: El-Bassiouny Dina , Letmathe Peter
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This study aims to focus on the factors triggering the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in a developing country context. The authors examine whether the adoption of CSR practices is triggered more by internal efficiency forces or external legitimation forces. As early adoptions of new systems are more likely driven by efficiency motives, the authors argue that CSR practices in developing countries at nascent stages are more likely adopted for efficiency rather than legitimation reasons.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional sampling design was used to collect data on the CSR practices of top listed Egyptian firms and multinationals operating in Egypt. The sample size is selected based on a purposive criterion sampling method. The final sample size consists of 110 companies operating in Egypt, which includes 54 local and 56 multinational companies. To examine the relationship between the explanatory variables of the study and CSR, multiple regression analysis was used.

Findings

Using data from 110 top listed local companies and multinational firms operating in Egypt, the results show a significant influence of internal corporate governance on CSR. Yet, the effects of external factors, specifically legal regulations and stakeholder pressures, on CSR are perceived to be insignificant. This finding contrasts studies from industrialized countries in the Western world where firms are often motivated to invest in CSR by external forces.

Practical implications

The results indicate that the adoption of CSR practices in large firms in Egypt is driven more by internal efficiency gains rather than external legitimacy pressures. The study thus presses the need for the effective enforcement of governmental laws and regulations to strengthen external institutional pressures and demands for socially responsible behavior.

Social implications

The results of the study indicate a perceived absence of stakeholder pressure for CSR practices. As such, raising awareness for corporate accountability amongst Egyptian consumers, employees and the general public would increase corporate incentives to improve their social and environmental performance. In addition, the concept of CSR must be cultivated in the organizational culture where high value is placed on corporate ethics and managerial values.

Originality/value

This study provides insights about the predominant drivers of CSR in Egypt on two different levels; the organizational and the business environment. Salient links between CSR, internal corporate governance mechanisms and external drivers such as external stakeholder and legal pressures are explored. The results of the study also emphasize the importance of internal corporate governance mechanisms and how it is perceived to be the main driver of CSR in Egypt as opposed to external influences.
Creating an employee engagement strategy for millennials
Authors: Cattermole Gary
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to set out to discuss the best strategies to engage millennial employees in the workplace.

Design methodology/approach

The feature explores desktop data, theories of psychology, social data and industry research.

Findings

The feature explains that via a flat structure approach, and an “experience-led” culture, with team working and connectivity, millennials can be very successfully engaged in the workforce.

Originality/value

The feature offers a fascinating insight into how generations have evolved in the workplace and how social and economic conditions have effected an employee’s motivation over the years.
Corporate social responsibility behaviors and corporate reputation
Authors: Jeffrey Scott , Rosenberg Stuart , McCabe Brianna
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to study how corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviors can lead to corporate membership onFortuneMagazine’s Most Admired Companies list.

Design/methodology/approach

Regression analysis using environmental, social and governance (ESG) statistics published by MSCI-KLD as independent variables to predict the behaviors that lead to most admired status.

Findings

Not surprisingly, corporate financial performance (CFP) is the largest contributor to membership on the list. However, after controlling for CFP, the analysis finds that specific social responsibility behaviors contribute to membership on the Fortune list.

Practical implications

This paper finds that CSR behaviors are important to a firm’s reputation as measured byFortune’s Most Admired Companies list. Therefore, companies should continue with social responsibility activities to improve their reputation with investors.

Originality/value

Many articles test the effect of ESG on financial performance and the role of financial performance on stock price. This paper is unique in that it measures the impact of CSR on corporate reputation using an important financial market benchmark – theFortuneMost Admired Companies list.
The perceived cosmopolitan consumption of globally mobile, young consumers from China
Authors: Chen Wei-Fen
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This study aims to explore the consumption practices of globally-mobile, young consumers from China who experience both upward social mobility and geographically outbound mobility by studying abroad, echoing emerging scholarship of “moving consumption”.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 27 first-generation Chinese international students studying in the USA.

Findings

The informants interpret outbound geographical mobility and upward social mobility in an overlapping manner. For them, cosmopolitan consumption practices are a form of boundary work and identity construction, reflecting their international experience. At the same time, the informants seek affirmation of the meanings and references of their consumption in their remote, native cultural contexts. In this way, they ensure that their tastes align with the popular “West” with which Chinese consumers are already familiar.

Originality/value

This study examines international student mobility that is unique to the younger generation. It considers how such form of mobility shapes the consumption patterns of Chinese youth with substantial purchasing power. Young, affluent international students differ in fundamental ways from other cross-cultural, cross-border travelers such as migrants, globally-mobile professionals, global citizens, nomads, sojourners and tourists. Thus, this study not only sheds light on the under-researched subject of “moving consumption” but also addresses youth cultures in transitional economies by exploring how Chinese youth consume when they are away from home and exposed to global consumerism first-hand.
The birthplaces, languages, ancestries and religions of chief executive officers and managing directors in Australia
Authors: Parr Nick , De Alwis Sheruni
Published: October 2018

This paper provides detailed comparisons of the birthplace, language, ancestry and religious profiles of chief executive officers and managing directors (CEO&MDs) to those of the broader Australian workforce, using 2011 Australian census data, and assesses the extent to which these differences are attributable to the age profiles of these groups. The results show the percentages of migrants from English‐speaking and north‐west European countries, English, Dutch and German speakers, and people with British, Dutch or German ancestry among CEO&MDs are above the percentages of the wider national workforce these groups form. In contrast, migrants from most Asian countries are less prevalent among CEO&MDs than in the wider national workforce. Second and higher order generation southern Europeans are well represented among CEO&MDs, in contrast to the first generation. The patterns are linked to the historical sizes and selectivity of different migration flows, and may raise equal opportunity concerns.
Calculation and Conjuring: John Molesworth and the Lottery in Late Eighteenth‐Century Britain
Authors: Glaisyer Natasha
Published: October 2018

Throughout the 1770s John Molesworth repeatedly, spectacularly and notoriously offered for sale tickets in the British state lotteries that he claimed were more likely than others to win prizes. In this article I tell his story and explore how he defended his claim against attacks that it was ‘absurd’ and an ‘imposition’, and how he persuaded adventurers in the lottery to purchase his tickets. He drew on a wide range of knowledge‐making and trust‐promoting techniques from natural philosophical, corporate and legal contexts, but at the heart of the strategy was his own status as a gentleman.
DNA barcoding the ichthyofauna of the Yangtze River: Insights from the molecular inventory of a mega‐diverse temperate fauna
Authors: Shen Yanjun , Hubert Nicolas , Huang Yan , Wang Xuzheng , Gan Xiaoni , Peng Zuogang , He Shunping
Published: October 2018

Intensification of inland fisheries and aquatic landscape conversion led to a drastic decline of fish populations in the Yangtze River (YR) during the last decades. This situation urges for the development of a large‐scale molecular assessment of YR ichthyofauna to further develop standardized methods of molecular identification for conservation and fisheries management purposes. We present here the results of a large‐scale campaign to DNA barcode YR freshwater fishes that succeeded in producing 1,424 new DNA barcodes for 123 species. Together with 1,406 sequences mined from BOLD and GenBank, a reference library including 2,830 DNA barcodes for 238 species was compiled. By using four DNA‐based species delimitation methods, RESL, ABGD, mPTP and mGMYC, 230 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified and 195 species displayed OTUs that tightly match species boundaries. No barcoding gap was observed; however, and conflicting cases of species and OTU delimitation were identified. A total of 23 species with maximum intraspecific distances above 2% were detected and null genetic distances to the nearest phylogenetic relatives were detected in 11 species. Among those 23 species, 16 were represented by multiple OTUs amounting to 40 OTUs delineated. Several cases of multiple OTUs confined to species boundaries were detected suggesting the presence of overlooked species. A total of 18 OTUs, however, were shared by several species and particularly so for the Qinghai‐Tibet plateau endemic species. These results are discussed with reference to previous large‐scale DNA barcoding campaign and compared to previous phylogeographic studies in the YR.
Effects of thoracic epidural analgesia on exercise‐induced myocardial ischaemia in refractory angina pectoris
Authors: Gonon Adrian , Richter Arina , Cederholm Ingemar , Khan Jehangir , Novak Jacek , Milovanovic Micha , Janerot‐Sjoberg Birgitta
Published: October 2018

Background

Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEDA) was offered to patients with refractory angina pectoris. Our primary objectives were to evaluate TEDAs´ influence on quality of life (QoL, base for power analysis), and hypothesising that TEDA with bupivacaine during 1 month counteracts exercise‐induced myocardial hypoperfusion and increase physical performance.

Methods

Patients with refractory angina and exercise inducible hypoperfusion, as demonstrated by myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), were randomised to 1‐month treatment with TEDA with bupivacaine (B‐group, n = 9) or saline (P‐group, n = 10) in a double‐blind fashion. MPI and bicycle ergometry were performed before TEDA and after 1 month while subjective QoL on a visual analogue scale (VAS) reported by the patients was checked weekly.

Results

During this month VAS (mean [95%CI]) increased similarly in both groups (B‐group from 33 [18‐50] to 54 [30‐78] P < 0.05; P‐group from 40 [19‐61] to 48 [25‐70] P < 0.05). The B‐group reduced their exertional‐induced myocardial hypoperfusion (from 32% [12‐52] to 21% [3‐39]; n = 9; P < 0.05), while the P‐group showed no significant change (before 21% [6‐35]; at 1 month 23% [6‐40]; n = 10). MPI at rest did not change and no improvement in physical performance was detected in neither of the groups.

Conclusions

In refractory angina, TEDA with bupivacaine inhibits myocardial ischaemia in contrast to TEDA with saline. Regardless of whether bupivacaine or saline is applied intermittently every day, TEDA during 1 month improves the quality of life and reduces angina, even when physical performance remains low. A significant placebo effect has to be considered.
Remitted affective disorders and high familial risk of affective disorders associate with aberrant intestinal microbiota
Authors: Vinberg M. , Ottesen N. M. , Meluken I. , Sørensen N. , Pedersen O. , Kessing L. V. , Miskowiak K. W.
Published: October 2018

Objective

Affective disorders seem associated with aberrant intestinal microbiota but whether this pattern also occurs in individuals at increased heritable risk is unknown. We investigated associations between gut microbiota profiles and affective disorders by comparing monozygotic (MZ) twins concordant (affected twins with unipolar or bipolar disorder in remission) and discordant to affective disorders (high‐risk) with MZ twins without affective disorders (low‐risk).

Methods

Stool samples were collected from 128 MZ twins and the microbiome was profiled using 16S rDNA sequencing of the V3–V4 region.

Results

Affected twins had a lower diversity and an absence of a specific operational taxonomical unit (OTU) in comparison with low‐risk twins. The high‐risk twins exhibited the same pattern although the lower diversity was only at a trend level. The OTU belonged to the family Christensenellaceae. The findings were not explained by lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, or psychotropic medication).

Conclusion

Affected twins in remission and high‐risk twins presented aberrant gut microbiota with depletion of a specific OTU. If replicated, this reduced relative sequence absence may together with the globally altered microbiota composition act as a vulnerability marker by accentuating the effect of gene–environment interactions in individuals genetically disposed for an affective disorder.
Process evaluation of the midwifery initiated oral health‐dental service program: perceptions of pregnant women
Authors: George A , Villarosa AR , Patterson Norrie T , Hoolsema J , Dahlen HG , Ajwani S , Bhole S , Blinkhorn A , Srinivas R , Yaacoub A , Milat A , Skinner J , Johnson M
Published: October 2018

Background

Pregnant women in Australia seldom seek dental care and are unaware of its importance. To address these gaps the midwifery‐initiated oral health dental service (MIOH‐DS) program was comprehensive trialled and found effective. The aim of this study was to undertake a process evaluation of the MIOH‐DS using the perspectives of pregnant women who participated in the trial.

Methods

A qualitative research design was utilized, whereby content analysis was undertaken on data from 11 semi‐structured interviews with women who participated in the program.

Results

All participants were receptive of the MIOH‐DS intervention, and found it to be an acceptable intervention that met their needs, and encouraged future positive oral health practices and health‐seeking behaviours. They expressed that midwives were an appropriate professional to conduct oral health assessments, education and referrals to affordable dental services. Although some participants were initially apprehensive towards receiving treatment during pregnancy, dental staff members were able to appropriately educate and reassure them during treatment.

Conclusions

The MIOH‐DS represents a promising and acceptable intervention strategy for pregnant women to promote their oral health. Findings merit further investigation on whether positive outcomes achieved can be sustained when implemented in other national or international settings similar to the study setting.
Endometrial microbes and microbiome: Recent insights on the inflammatory and immune “players” of the human endometrium
Authors: D’Ippolito Silvia , Di Nicuolo Fiorella , Pontecorvi Alfredo , Gratta Matteo , Scambia Giovanni , Di Simone Nicoletta
Published: October 2018

In recent years, extended scientific works shed light on the important role played by the endometrium in early pregnancy. This review examines our current knowledge about the delicate balance between microbial and cellular immune agents at endometrial level: All of them might affect endometrial receptivity. In contrast to the classical thinking of human endometrium as a sterile tissue, several recent studies have drawn attention to a resident population of microorganisms, which reaches only a 30% of concordance with those of the cervical‐vaginal flora. At present, the understanding of the microbiome in relation to human reproduction is in its infancy and further studies are needed to clarify the activity of endometrial microbiome and the possible effects of a “reproductive tract dysbiosis” on fertility. Moreover, in the human endometrium, there is a complex system works preventing the risk of infection as well as enabling, when pregnancy occurs, the acceptance of the blastocyst. In this way, the endometrium plays a central role in the uterine immune surveillance. A better understanding of the different agents that may affect endometrial receptivity would improve the diagnosis and treatment of obstetric complications related to defective implantation and placentation.
Letter: proton pump inhibitors and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ponzetto Antonio , Figura Natale
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Shao et al and Shao and Wu papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14835 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15014.
Editorial: predicting recurrence of Crohn's disease after surgical resection—close to a crystal ball
Authors: Singh Siddharth
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Auzolle et al and Allez and Auzolle papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14944 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14998.
Letter: effects of HCV eradication on cardiovascular diseases
Authors: He Zhiqing , Ding Ru , Xin Haiguang , Liang Chun
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Novo et al and Licata et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14934 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15017.
Letter: gluten sensitivity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Potter Michael D. , Walker Marjorie M. , Jones Michael P. , Koloski Natasha A. , Keely Simon , Talley Nicholas J.
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to McIlroy et al paper. To view these article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14384.
Letter: effect of HCV eradication on cardiovascular disease—Authors’ reply
Authors: Licata Anna , Soresi Maurizio , Novo Giuseppina
Published: October 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Novo et al and He et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14934 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15003.
Controlling the invaderUrochloa decumbens: Subsidies for ecological restoration in subtropical Campos grassland
Authors: Thomas Pedro Augusto , Schüler Jéssica , Boavista Lidiane da Rosa , Torchelsen Fábio Piccin , Overbeck Gerhard Ernst , Müller Sandra Cristina
Published: October 2018

Questions

Restoration of grassy biomes is currently of large importance, and controlling invasive grasses is often key to restoring these ecosystems in the tropics and subtropics. We combined different ecological restoration techniques to evaluate potential to control the invasive grassUrochloa decumbensand restore plant species composition. Specific questions were: (a) are herbicide application and topsoil removal efficient to controlU. decumbenscover and allow native species establishment; and (b) are hay transfer and sowing native grass species efficient to reintroduce native species and increase their cover?

Location

Campos grasslands, southern Brazil.

Methods

We combined the follow restoration techniques: (a) herbicide application or topsoil removal to control the invasive species, and (b) hay transfer or sowing of native grasses to reintroduce native species. We assessed and compared native plant species richness, vegetation cover, native species cover,U. decumbenscover and other exotic species cover in 2016 and 2017.

Results

Herbicide application reduced invasive species cover more than topsoil removal, even though both were effective. The decrease ofU. decumbenscover led to an increase in native species cover and native species richness. Hay transfer and sowing native grasses did not produce satisfactory results for native species reintroduction. Native species richness andU. decumbenscover increased from 2016 to 2017.

Conclusion

Herbicide application was a better option to controlU. decumbensand to allow recovery of native species. However, use of herbicides in restoration is controversial, and more detailed studies on impacts are necessary. Environmental filters appear to be a major cause for failure of hay transfer and seeding species. Recovery of the native plant community is a great challenge in invaded subtropical grasslands, and additional management actions and time are necessary to increase the establishment of native species.
‘Putting oneself in someone else's shoes during childhood: How to learn it’ Training for preschool age children
Authors: Mori Arianna , Cigala Ada
Published: October 2018

Background

Perspective taking, defined as the aptitude to understand the cognitive, affective, and visual point of view of others, represents a fundamental social ability for the development of socio‐cognitive and affective skills.

Aims

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of promoting perspective taking in typically developmental preschoolers using an evidence‐based training procedure.

Sample and Method

The research used a pre‐test/post‐test quasi‐experimental design in which 206 typically developmental preschoolers (104 males and 102 females) were categorized into the experimental or the control group. In order to try to improve perspective taking, we proposed an evidence‐based ecological intervention inside the kindergarten in which children, in small groups, were involved in activities such as storytelling, discussion, drawing, and dramatization. We measured the perspective taking ability through several tests and prosocial behaviour through repeated ecological non‐participant observations both before and after the training. The training, which lasted 15 days, was subdivided into nine different sessions, each lasting 45 min, and involved small groups of 6–7 children. Before and after the training, each child completed nine perspective taking tasks (three tasks for each perspective taking dimension) and was observed three times, each one for 45 min, on different days.

Results

Results showed a significant increase in perspective taking scores after training in the experimental condition relative to the control condition, supporting the possibility of promoting perspective taking ability in preschoolers. An increase in prosocial behaviour after training was also observed in the experimental group as compared with the control group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these results suggest it is possible to improve perspective taking in preschoolers, also promoting prosocial abilities.
Development of a T‐cell receptor multimer with high avidity for detecting a naturally presented tumor‐associated antigen on osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Watanabe Kazue , Tsukahara Tomohide , Toji Shingo , Saitoh Shogo , Hirohashi Yoshihiko , Nakatsugawa Munehide , Kubo Terufumi , Kanaseki Takayuki , Kameshima Hidekazu , Terui Takeshi , Sato Noriyuki , Torigoe Toshihiko
Published: October 2018

For efficacy of peptide vaccination immunotherapy for patients with cancer, endogenous expression of the target peptide/human leukocyte antigen (HLA) on cancer cells is required. However, it is difficult to evaluate the expression status of a peptide/HLA complex because of the lack of a soluble T‐cell receptor (TCR) that reacts with tumor‐associated antigen (TAA) with high avidity. In the present study, we developed two soluble TCR‐multimers that were each directed to TAA, survivin‐2B (SVN‐2B) and PBF in the context of HLA‐A24 (SVN‐2B TCR‐multimer and PBF TCR‐multimer, respectively), from CTL clones that were established from peptide‐vaccinated patients. Both TCR multimers could recognize cognate peptide‐pulsed antigen‐presenting cells, C1R‐A24 cells, in a CD8‐independent method. Moreover, the PBF TCR‐multimer successfully recognized a PBF peptide naturally presented on HLA‐A24+PBF+ osteosarcoma cells. Taken together, the results indicated that a TCR‐multimer might be useful for detection of a TAA‐derived peptide presented by HLA in patients receiving immunotherapy.
Utility of prothrombin complex concentrate as first‐line treatment modality of coagulopathy in patients undergoing liver transplantation: A propensity score‐matched study
Authors: Srivastava Piyush , Agarwal Anil , Jha Amit , Rodricks Suvyl , Malik Tanuja , Makki Kausar , Singhal Ashish , Vij Vivek
Published: October 2018

Background

Transfusion management during liver transplantation (LT) is aimed at reducing blood loss and allogeneic transfusion requirements. Although prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) has been used satisfactorily in various bleeding disorders, studies on its safety, and efficacy during LT are limited.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of adult patients who underwent living donor LT at a single institute between October 2016 and January 2018 was carried out. The safety and efficacy of PCC in reducing transfusion requirements intraoperatively in patients who received PCC were compared with patients who did not receive PCC. A propensity score‐matching technique was used, at a 1:1 ratio, to remove selection bias.

Results

After completing the 1:1 propensity score‐matched analysis, 60 pairs of patients were identified. The use of PCC was associated with significantly decreased red blood cell transfusion requirements (6.2 ± 4.1 vs 8.23 ± 5.18, P < 0.001) and fresh frozen plasma transfusion requirements (2.6 ± 2 vs 6.18 ± 4.1, P < 0.001). The number of patients developing postoperative hemorrhagic complications was higher in the non‐PCC group.

Conclusions

During LT, the use of PCC led to decreased transfusion requirements. No thromboembolic complications related to PCC were noted in this series.
The Value of the Customer's Waiting Time for General Queues*
Authors: Singhal Kalyan , Singhal Jaya , Kumar Subodha
Published: October 2018

We have developed a measure of the value of the customer's waiting time that is applicable to all queuing systems. Since the birth of the modern queuing theory over 100 years ago, this measure is the first addition to the list of the measures of performance of general queues that includes the servers’ utilization factor, the expected queue length, the expected waiting time, and some variations of the last two. The curves for trade‐offs between the servers’ utilization factor and the value of the customer's time can be used to supplement or replace the curves for trade‐offs between the servers’ utilization factor and the customer's expected queue length (or expected waiting time) that have been a fundamental part of the modern queuing theory. The decisions made with the value of the customer's waiting time will mirror the decision maker's goals more closely than the decisions made with the customer's expected queue length or expected waiting time that are surrogates for the value of the customer's waiting time. Although our definition of the value of the customer's time is deceptively simple, its implications can be significant and far reaching. It could change the way we pursue research in the queuing theory, the way we teach the queuing theory, and the way we design queuing systems in practice.
Pax Ottomanica No More! The “Peace” Discourse in Turkish Foreign Policy in the Post‐Davutoğlu Era and the Prolonged Syrian Crisis
Authors: ATAÇ C. Akça
Published: October 2018

Turkey's eight years between 2008 and 2016 has been dominated by Ahmet Davutoğlu's vision of foreign policy, which was derived from his multi‐edition book Strategic Depth (2000). In order to be able to present itself in its larger periphery as a pro‐active, trustworthy actor, Davutoğlu argued, Turkey needed to change the foreign‐policy paradigms with which it was stranded. As the Strategic Depth vision unfolded, it drew explicit parallels between modern Turkey and the Ottoman neighborhood policy. Turkey‐Syria relations since 2008 had been providing the seekers of neo‐Ottomanist tendencies in the contemporary Turkish foreign policy with abundant examples, because Syria, once an Ottoman territory and always a challenge to modern Turkey, came to be the first poster country in the shift towards Turkey's imperial awakening. In the post‐Davutoğlu era, however, the rhetoric and practices of the past eight years seemed suddenly to disappear from the use of the Turkish agents of foreign policy; the new code of terms and actions to replace the Strategic Depth version is yet to be decided. This study seeks to pin down the neo‐imperialist character of Turkey's foreign‐policy discourse of the aforementioned eight years and contribute to discussions of the Turkish aspiration of neo‐Ottomanism with focus on the Syrian crisis through the Justice and Development Party's re‐invented peace discourse. In doing so, it aims to find out and elaborate on the current tendencies of Turkish foreign policy, which are no longer as explicit and articulated as they were during Davutoğlu's ministry and prime ministry. As Turkey's cross‐border operation to Syria — the Euphrates Shield — ends and another one in Idlib begins, a discursive analysis stretching from Davutoglu's diplomatic “zero problems” with Damascus to the military use of ground troops and air force is timely. Such an endeavor would be essential in understanding the spectacular swing from one edge to the other in Turkey's inclination over a phantasmagorical empire.
A basic tool to assess tax administration strength in emerging Europe
Authors: Crivelli Ernesto
Published: October 2018

Large tax compliance gaps, together with the need to generate additional tax revenue have put a premium on tax administration reform in emerging Europe. The key features of an efficient tax administration are well established, but an objective assessment of the relative strengths and weaknesses of tax administrations have been lacking. This paper proposes a simple index of tax administration strength, based on objective indicators reflecting key organizational and operational aspects of revenue administrations relative to international best practice. A diagnostic test is then conducted to assess the performance of the proposed index in its ability to predict variations in tax collection efficiency in emerging Europe.
Kant on the bounds of promise making: A Mendelssohnian account
Authors: Kemp Ryan S.
Published: October 2018

In this essay, I argue that Kant holds one of the following two theses: A promise to do something that violates the moral law (a) is impossible or (b) can be conscientiously broken. On this issue, I put Kant in dialogue with Moses Mendelssohn in order to show, against recent suggestions, that Kant's account is distinctly Mendelssohnian.
Cow hock: A normal tarsal conformation in donkeys (Equus asinus)
Authors: Abdelgalil A. I. , Hassan E. A. , Torad F. A.
Published: October 2018

Cow hock is a conformational deformity of the tarsal joint in which the points of hocks are close to median plane. It is a normal feature in cattle and camels while it is a definite abnormality in horses. In donkeys, cow hock has been reported in both clinically normal and lame animals. The aim of this study was to develop a new objective method to diagnose and grade cow‐hocked donkeys and to test the hypothesis that cow hock is prevalent in donkeys and can be considered normal conformation. A prospective study was conducted on 50 adult Egyptian baladi donkeys free from musculoskeletal disease. Subjective and objective evaluation was performed including goniometric and radiographic assessment of tarsal joint angle in extended full‐weight bearing and maximum flexion from which the range of motion was calculated. A new linear measurement was designed to compare the distance between tuber ischii, points of hock and distance between the points situated at mid‐distance between medial and lateral heels. Forty‐four donkeys (88%) were subjectively cow‐hocked, 46 donkeys (92%) were cow‐hocked based on rear view linear measurements. Thirteen donkeys (28.3%) were diagnosed with mild cow‐hock, 18 (39.1%) moderate cow‐hock and 15 (32.6%) severe cow‐hock. Thirty‐three (71.74%) of cow‐hocked donkeys expressed base wide, 11 (23.91%) base narrow and two (4.35%) normal distal limb conformation. No statistically significant differences were reported between right and left joint angles in both goniometric and radiographic measurements. Strong positive correlation was recorded between goniometric and radiographic angular measurements in extended, flexed as well as range of motion. Poor correlation was reported between the degree of cow hock and the extended tarsal joint angle in both right (r = 0.1) and left (r = 0.2) tarsal joint angles. The study concluded that cow hock may be a prevalent non‐pathological conformation in Egyptian baladi donkeys.
Tree resilience to drought increases in the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Fang Ouya , Zhang Qi‐Bin
Published: October 2018

Forests in the Tibetan Plateau are thought to be vulnerable to climate extremes, yet they also tend to exhibit resilience contributing to the maintenance of ecosystem services in and beyond the plateau. So far the spatiotemporal pattern in tree resilience in the Tibetan Plateau remains largely unquantified and the influence of specific factors on the resilience is poorly understood. Here, we study ring‐width data from 849 trees at 28 sites in the Tibetan Plateau with the aim to quantify tree resilience and determine their diving forces. Three extreme drought events in years 1969, 1979, and 1995 are detected from metrological records. Regional tree resistance to the three extreme droughts shows a decreasing trend with the proportion of trees having high resistance ranging from 71.9%, 55.2%, to 39.7%. Regional tree recovery is increasing with the proportion of trees having high recovery ranging from 28.3%, 52.2%, to 64.2%. The area with high resistance is contracting and that of high recovery is expanding. The spatiotemporal resistance and recovery are associated with moisture availability and diurnal temperature range, respectively. In addition, they are both associated with forest internal factor represented by growth consistence among trees. We conclude that juniper trees in the Tibetan Plateau have increased resilience to extreme droughts in the study period. We highlight pervasive resilience in juniper trees. The results have implications for predicting tree resilience and identifying areas vulnerable to future climate extremes.
Retraction Statement: Comparison of nitrogen inputs and accumulation in 210Pb‐dated peat cores: Evidence for biological N2‐fixation in Central European peatlands despite decades of atmospheric N pollution
Authors: Novak Martin , Vile Melanie A. , Curik Jan , Cejkova Bohuslava , Barta Jiri , Stepanova Marketa , Jackova Ivana , Buzek Frantisek , Bohdalkova Leona , Prechova Eva , Veselovsky Frantisek , Adamova Marie , Valkova Ivana , Komarek Arnost
Published: October 2018

“Comparison of nitrogen inputs and accumulation in 210Pb‐dated peat cores: Evidence for biological N2‐fixation in Central European peatlands despite decades of atmospheric N pollution” https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14505, by Martin Novak, Melanie A. Vile, Jan Curik, Bohuslava Cejkova, Jiri Barta, Marketa Stepanova, Ivana Jackova, Frantisek Buzek, Leona Bohdalkova, Eva Prechova, Frantisek Veselovsky, Marie Adamova, Ivana Valkova and Arnost Komarek.

The above article, first published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) in Global Change Biology, has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, Stephen P. Long, and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Since publication of the above article, it was brought to the attention of the authors that the peat accretion rates violate reasonable ranges of peatland C/N/P stoichiometry, placing the quantitative conclusions of the article in serious error.

The authors apologize for any inconvenience the publication of this work may have caused our readers.

REFERENCE

Novak, M., Vile, M. A., Cejkova, B., Barta, J., Stepanova, M., Jackova, I., Buzek, F., Bohdalkova, L., Prechova, E., Veselovsky, F., Adamova, M., Valkova, I., & Komarek, A. (2018). Comparison of nitrogen inputs and accumulation in 210Pb‐dated peat cores: Evidence for biological N2‐fixation in Central European peatlands despite decades of atmospheric N pollution. Global Change Biology.. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14505
Spatial, temporal and taxonomic scaling of richness in an eastern African large mammal community
Authors: Du Andrew , Behrensmeyer Anna K.
Published: October 2018

Aim

Ecological patterns and process change across spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales. This confounds comparisons between modern and fossil communities, which are sampled across very different scales, especially temporal ones. We use a recent bone dataset (i.e., “death assemblages”) from a modern ecosystem to explore spatial, temporal and taxonomic scaling in biodiversity assessments. Our ultimate goal is to create a model based on these scaling relationships to facilitate meaningful comparisons between modern and fossil communities.

Location

Amboseli National Park, southern Kenya.

Time period

Mid‐1960 s to present day.

Major taxa studied

Large mammals (>1 kg).

Methods

We implemented a random placement null model and used model selection methods to investigate how species richness at Amboseli scales as a function of time and area [i.e., the species–time–area relationship (STAR) model]. We then analysed how the model coefficients change at different taxonomic scales (i.e., genus, family, order).

Results

In agreement with previous studies, we find species richness scales positively with time and area but with a negative interaction between the two. Rates of richness turnover decrease as taxonomic scale increases.

Main conclusions

We hypothesize that decreasing rates of turnover with increasing spatial and/or temporal scale are caused by taking progressively larger samples from a species pool that is changing at a slower rate relative to turnover at the scale of sampling. Because increasing area and time are simply alternative ways of uncovering the species pool, increased time‐averaging of communities results in a more spatially averaged ecological signal. Increasing taxonomic scale causes turnover rates to decrease because of how lower‐level taxa are aggregated into coarser, higher‐level ones. The STAR model presents a framework for extrapolating and comparing richness between small‐scale modern and large‐scale fossil communities, as well as a means to understand the general processes involved with changing scale.
Joyfully Living an Integral Ecology: Indigenous Narratives and Their Contribution to the Dialogue on Well‐Being
Authors: Thompson Joel
Published: October 2018

New ways of relating to the earth and to each other are needed. This paper argues that dialogue with indigenous peoples provides a fruitful way of broadening our ecological imagination on what it means to ‘live well’ and offers a pathway for living an integral ecology. Their rich cosmovision encompasses and echoes many of the themes found within Catholic Social Teaching and within Latin America it is fostering a space for alternative narratives of well‐being and development to be heard. The paper draws on empirical research with the Macushi people in Guyana. Three theological themes which ground the concept of relational well‐being are discussed: gratitude, reciprocity and solidarity. The cosmovision explored offers the hope that living an integral ecology is a constitutive part of authentic human flourishing and well‐being.© 2018 Trustees for Roman Catholic Purposes Registered
Two sphingomyelin synthase homologues regulate body weight and sphingomyelin synthesis in female brown planthopper, N. lugens (Stål)
Authors: Shi X.‐X. , Zhang H. , Chen M. , Zhang Y.‐D. , Zhu M.‐F. , Zhang M.‐J. , Li F.‐Q. , Wratten S. , Zhou W.‐W. , Mao C. , Zhu Z.‐R.
Published: October 2018

Although sphingomyelins known to be are lipid constituents of the plasma membrane in vertebrates, much remains obscure about the metabolism of sphingomyelins in insects. With ultra performance liquid chromatography‐time‐of‐flight‐tandem mass spectrometry analysis, we revealed for the first time that sphingomyelins are abundant in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), the brown planthopper (BPH), and their biosynthesis is carried out by sphingomyelin synthase‐like protein 2 (SMSL2), which is homologous to sphingomyelin synthase‐related protein (SMSr). Unlike other insect species, high concentrations of sphingomyelins rather than ceramide phosphoethanolamines exist in the BPH. Two putative genes, which are homologous to SMSr, are named Nilaparvata lugens SMS‐like 1 (NlSMSL1) and 2 (NlSMSL2). Knockdowns of both NlSMSL2 and NlSMSL1 were conducted but only the first decreased concentrations of sphingomyelins in the BPH, indicating that NlSMSL2 plays a role in the biosynthesis of sphingomyelins. Real‐time quantitative PCR analysis revealed both NlSMSL1 and NlSMSL2 are highly expressed in BPH adults, with NlSMSL1 specifically highly expressed in reproductive organs (ovaries and testes) whereas NlSMSL2 was highly expressed in the malpighian tubules. The knockdown of NlSMSL1 or NlSMSL2 increased BPH female body weight but not that of males, suggesting sex‐specific roles for SMSLs in influencing BPH body weight. The results suggest that NlSMSL2 catalyses the synthesis of sphingomyelins and maintains female BPH body weight through alteration of sphingolipid content.
Harnessing technology to deliver care by physical therapists for people with persistent joint pain: Telephone and video‐conferencing service models
Authors: Hinman Rana S. , Lawford Belinda J. , Bennell Kim L.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The burden of musculoskeletal conditions, particularly osteoarthritis (OA), is expected to increase in coming decades as the world's population ages, and obesity rates continue to rise. Self‐management via lifestyle interventions, such as exercise and physical activity, is integral to minimizing pain and maintaining physical function, yet access to qualified health professionals for evidence‐based advice and support is difficult for many people. This article discusses how technology provides new opportunities for delivering physiotherapy services remotely to people with persistent joint pain, through telephone, and internet‐mediated video conferencing.

Methods

The evidence for effectiveness of such service models is reviewed. Key challenges to implementation are discussed, and future directions for research in the field are highlighted.

Results

There is emerging evidence that the provision of care via telephone and internet‐mediated video technologies is effective for, and acceptable to, people with OA. Advantages include its convenience and accessibility, as well as the “hands‐off” nature of consultations. Challenges include patient safety and privacy and workforce willingness and capacity to deliver care via non‐traditional methods.

Conclusions

Using technology to deliver physiotherapy services to people with OA is feasible and acceptable to users; however, further research is required to expand the evidence‐base for remotely‐delivered physiotherapy service models.
Extra pulmonary vein driver mapping and ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation by electrogram dispersion analysis
Authors: Qin Mu , Lin Rong‐Jie , Wu Shao‐Hui , Liu Xu
Published: October 2018

Background

The adjunctive approach is still unknown for atrial fibrillation (AF), which cannot be terminated after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). We hypothesized that the driver ablation plus PVI was superior to PVI alone.

Methods and Results

A total of 98 patients with paroxysmal AF were enrolled in this study and were divided into two groups, with one group undergoing PVI (n = 49) and the other group undergoing PVI + driver ablation (n = 49). The driver regions were defined as clusters of bipolar electrograms that displayed spatial dispersion spread over mean AF cycle length at a minimum of three adjacent bipolars of a PentaRay catheter. During the procedure, the most prominent driver regions before PVI were the roof (n = 27; 55.1%), PV antrum (n = 23; 46.9%), and the inferoposterior wall (n = 11; 22.4%). PVI can eliminate all drivers at PV antrum, but only terminate 30.4% of AF in the driver group. The AF termination rate in the driver ablation group was significantly higher than that in conventional ablation (93.9% vs 40.6%; P < 0.001). The rate of freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia episodes by a single procedure at 6 months was significantly higher in the driver group than in the conventional group (91.6% vs 72.4%; P = 0.02).

Conclusion

The present method is effective for AF driver identification. It guided ablation adjunctive to PVI increasing the rate of AF termination and improving the outcomes in patients with paroxysmal AF.