bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen generation properties and the hydrolysis mechanism of Zr(BH4)4·8NH3
Authors: Wu Daifeng , Ouyang Liuzhang , Liu Jiangwen , Wang Hui , Shao Huaiyu , Zhu Min
Published: June 2017

The hydrolysis of Zr(BH4)4·8NH3 in water can generate about 1067 mL g−1 pure hydrogen in 240 min at 298 K without the release of diborane or ammonia impurity gases.
Search for new thermoelectric materials with low Lorenz number
Authors: McKinney Robert W. , Gorai Prashun , Stevanović Vladan , Toberer Eric S.
Published: June 2017

High-throughput search for thermoelectric materials with low Lorenz number based on DOS shape and thermoelectric quality factor.
A cellulose fibers-supported hierarchical forest-like cuprous oxide/copper array architecture as a flexible and free-standing electrode for symmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Wan Caichao , Jiao Yue , Li Jian
Published: June 2017

A cellulose fibers-supported hierarchical forest-like cuprous oxide/copper array architecture was designed to serve as a flexible and free-standing electrode for symmetric supercapacitors.
Prevalence of Cluttering in Two European Countries: A Pilot Study
Authors: Van Zaalen Yvonne , Reichel Isabella
Published: June 2017

Purpose

Until now, little has been known about the prevalence of “pure” cluttering in a general population. This study sheds light on the prevalence of cluttering in populations of normally developing pre-adolescents in the Netherlands and Germany who do not stutter or have other communication disorders.

Method

304 adolescents (Netherlands, n=219/393; Germany, n= 85) were screened with the Predictive Cluttering Inventory-Revised (PCI-r), and when cluttering characteristics were detected, tested for cluttering, using the Fluency Assessment Battery (FAB).

Results

In total, a group of 13 adolescents had a PCI-r score above 23, indicating the necessity for further fluency assessment. Four adolescents met all the diagnostic criteria for cluttering. The prevalence of pure cluttering in the Dutch study was computed to be 1.1%. The prevalence of pure cluttering in the German study was computed to be 1.2%.

Conclusion

The PCI-r can serve as an appropriate screening tool for further fluency assessment and should be administered by a speech-language pathologist (SLP). The prevalence of cluttering in a population of normally developing adolescents who do not stutter was found to be about 1.1%.
Is Pethidine Safe during Labor? Systematic Review
Authors: Nunes Rogevando Rodrigues , Colares Paulo Giordano Baima , Montenegro Juliana Pinto
Published: June 2017

Purpose To verify if pethidine is safe for the conceptus when used during labor.

Methods Systematic review in the Capes Periodicals/PubMed and MEDLINE/Virtual Health Library (BVS, in the Portuguese acronym) databases.

Results A total of 17 studies published from January 1st, 2000, to September 2nd, 2016, with a total of 1,688 participants involved were included in the present review. There was no record of conceptus vitality decrease associated with low doses of pethidine being administered to mothers during labor.

Conclusions Intramuscular (IM) or intravenous (IV) pethidine at low doses, of up to 50 mg, is safe to administer during labor.
You can laugh at everything, but not with everyone
Authors: Morisseau Tiffany , Mermillod Martial , Eymond Cécile , Van Der Henst Jean-Baptiste , Noveck Ira A.
Published: June 2017

This paper explores the impact of group affiliation with respect to the on-line processing and
appreciation of jokes, using facial electromyography (EMG) activity and offline evaluations as dependent measures. Two experiments
were conducted in which group affiliation varied between the participant and each of two independent (recorded confederate)
speakers whose described political profiles were distinguished through one word: “Right” versus “Left.” Experiment 1 showed that
jokes were more highly evaluated and that associated EMG activity was more intense when it was later determined that the speaker
was a member of the listener’s ingroup rather than outgroup. In an effort to determine whether these parochial
effects can be isolated to ingroup favoritism as opposed to outgroup derogation, Experiment 2 paired a joke-teller described as
politically active (either from the right or the left) with one who was described as politically neutral. These more subtle
comparisons suggest that the parochial effects observed in our joke understanding paradigm are mediated, at least in part, by the
presence of an outgroup member.
Right-wing populism and market-fundamentalism
Authors: Ötsch Walter O. , Pühringer Stephan
Published: June 2017

The article compares market fundamentalism and right-wing populism on the basis of its core patterns of thinking and reasoning. Based on an analysis of the work of important founders of market fundamental economic thinking and the arguments brought forward by leading right-wing populist we find many similarities of these two concepts in their "inner images". Thus, we develop a scheme of the similar dual social worlds of right-wing-populism and market fundamentalism and offer some recent examples of market fundamentalism and right-wing populism mutually reinforcing each other or serving as a gateway for each other. We then apply our scheme for the analysis of the recent political developments and its ideological roots in the US under Donald Trump. The main conclusion of this article is that market fundamentalism and right-wing populism together must be seen as two mutually reinforcing threats to democracy in the 21st century.
Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors are not a Feature of Neurofibromatosis Type 2 in the Unirradiated Patient
Authors: King Andrew T , Rutherford Scott A , Hammerbeck-Ward Charlotte , Lloyd Simon K , Freeman Simon R , Pathmanaban Omar N , Kellett Mark , Obholzer Rupert , Afridi Shazia , Axon Patrick , Halliday Dorothy , Parry Allyson , Thomas Owen M , Laitt Roger D , McCabe Martin G , Stivaros Stavros , Erridge Sara , Evans D Gareth ,   The English Specialist NF2 research group
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND

The published literature suggests that malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) occur at increased frequency in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). A recent review based on incidence data in North America showed that 1 per 1000 cerebellopontine angle nerve sheath tumors were malignant.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether MPNST occurred spontaneously in NF2 by reviewing our NF2 database.

METHODS

The prospective database consists of 1253 patients with NF2. One thousand and nine are known to be alive at last follow-up. The presence and laterality/pathology of vestibular schwannoma at diagnosis and last follow-up was sought.

RESULTS

There were no cases of spontaneous MPNST with 2114 proven (n = 1150) and presumed benign (n = 964) vestibular schwannomas found. Two patients had developed MPNST (1 presumed) after having previously undergone stereotactic radiosurgery for a vestibular schwannoma.

CONCLUSION

In this series, and from the literature, malignant transformation of a vestibular schwannoma was not a feature of NF2 in the unirradiated patient. NF2 patients should not be told that they have an increased risk of malignant change in a vestibular schwannoma unless they undergo radiation treatment. However, very much larger datasets are required before it can be determined whether there is any association between NF2 and MPNST in the unirradiated patient.
Phenotyping the Immune Response to Trauma: A Multiparametric Systems Immunology Approach*
Authors: Seshadri Anupamaa , Brat Gabriel A. , Yorkgitis Brian K. , Keegan Joshua , Dolan James , Salim Ali , Askari Reza , Lederer James A.
Published: June 2017

Objective:

Trauma induces a complex immune response that requires a systems biology research approach. Here, we used a novel technology, mass cytometry by time-of-flight, to comprehensively characterize the multicellular response to trauma.

Design:

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells samples were stained with a 38-marker immunophenotyping cytometry by time-of-flight panel. Separately, matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated in vitro with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae or CD3/CD28 antibodies and stained with a 38-marker cytokine panel. Monocytes were studied for phagocytosis and oxidative burst.

Setting:

Single-institution level 1 trauma center.

Patients or Subjects:

Trauma patients with injury severity scores greater than 20 (n = 10) at days 1, 3, and 5 after injury, and age- and gender-matched controls.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Trauma-induced expansion of Th17-type CD4+ T cells was seen with increased expression of interleukin-17 and interleukin-22 by day 5 after injury. Natural killer cells showed reduced T-bet expression at day 1 with an associated decrease in tumor necrosis factor-β, interferon-γ, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Monocytes showed robust expansion following trauma but displayed decreased stimulated proinflammatory cytokine production and significantly reduced human leukocyte antigen - antigen D related expression. Further analysis of trauma-induced monocytes indicated that phagocytosis was no different from controls. However, monocyte oxidative burst after stimulation increased significantly after injury.

Conclusions:

Using cytometry by time-of-flight, we were able to identify several major time-dependent phenotypic changes in blood immune cell subsets that occur following trauma, including induction of Th17-type CD4+ T cells, reduced T-bet expression by natural killer cells, and expansion of blood monocytes with less proinflammatory cytokine response to bacterial stimulation and less human leukocyte antigen - antigen D related. We hypothesized that monocyte function might be suppressed after injury. However, monocyte phagocytosis was normal and oxidative burst was augmented, suggesting that their innate antimicrobial functions were preserved. Future studies will better characterize the cell subsets identified as being significantly altered by trauma using cytometry by time-of-flight, RNAseq technology, and functional studies.
Effectiveness of Pharmacist Intervention to Reduce Medication Errors and Health-Care Resources Utilization After Transitions of Care: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: De Oliveira Gildasio S. , Castro-Alves Lucas J. , Kendall Mark C. , McCarthy Robert
Published: June 2017

Objectives

Medication errors are common during transitions of care. The main objective of the current investigation was to examine the effectiveness of pharmacist-based transition of care interventions on the reduction of medication errors after hospital discharge.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted to detect published reports of randomized trials using the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar inclusive to July 1, 2015. Search terms included pharmacist, medication, errors, readmission, transition, and discharge. A priori main outcomes included medication errors and health-care resources utilization (hospital readmission and/or emergency room visits). Quantitative analysis was performed using a random effect method.

Results

Thirteen randomized trials examining 3503 patients were included in the final analysis. The aggregate effect of the 10 studies evaluating the effect of pharmacists intervention on the incidence of medication errors during transitions of care favored pharmacist over control with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.44 (0.31–0.63). The overall effect of 4 studies evaluating the effect of a pharmacist intervention on the incidence of emergency room visits compared with control favored the pharmacist intervention, odds ratio (95% CI) of 0.42 (0.22–0.78), number needed to treat (95% CI) of 6.2 (3.4–31.4).

Conclusions

Pharmacist transition of care intervention is an effective strategy to reduce medication errors after hospital discharge. In addition, a pharmacist intervention also reduces subsequent emergency room visits. Hospitals should consider implementing this intervention to improve patient safety and quality during transitions of care.
Does One Size Fit All? Assessing the Need for Organizational Second Victim Support Programs
Authors: Edrees Hanan H. , Wu Albert W.
Published: June 2017

Objective

Second victims are health care providers who are emotionally traumatized after experiencing an unanticipated patient’s adverse event. To support second victims, organizations can provide a dedicated support program for their workers. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of the second victim problem in acute care hospitals in the state of Maryland, the availability of emotional support services, and the need for organizational support programs.

Methods

In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 patient safety representatives from 38 acute hospitals in Maryland. Data were analyzed using QSR NVivo10 software and a mixed-methods approach to generate codes and extract themes from the interviews. Descriptive statistics were generated for hospital and participant characteristics.

Results

The response rate was 83% of hospitals. All participants reported that they and their executives were aware of the second victim problem. Although participants varied in their perceptions of whether a dedicated second victim support program would be helpful for their hospital, all thought that hospitals should offer organizational support programs. Several organizations are attempting to promote a “just culture” in responding to events, and there continues to be stigma associated with speaking up during a root cause analysis, and with accessing support if it were offered.

Conclusions

The second victim problem is recognized in all hospitals in Maryland. However, even when support is available, health care providers face stigma and other barriers in accessing it. Future efforts should assess the need for second victim programs from the perspectives of second victims themselves to identify barriers and improve uptake of needed support.
A new genus of horse from Pleistocene North America
Authors: Heintzman Peter D. , Zazula Grant D. , MacPhee Ross D.E. , Scott Eric , Cahill James A. , McHorse Brianna K. , Kapp Joshua D. , Stiller Mathias , Wooller Matthew J. , Orlando Ludovic , Southon John R. , Froese Duane G. , Shapiro Beth
Published: June 2017

The extinct “New World stilt-legged”, or NWSL, equids constitute a perplexing group of Pleistocene horses endemic to North America. Their slender distal limb bones resemble those of Asiatic asses, such as the Persian onager. Previous palaeogenetic studies, however, have suggested a closer relationship to caballine horses than to Asiatic asses. Here, we report complete mitochondrial and partial nuclear genomes from NWSL equids from across their geographic range. Although multiple NWSL equid species have been named, our palaeogenomic and morphometric analyses support the idea that there was only a single species of middle to late Pleistocene NWSL equid, and demonstrate that it falls outside of crown groupEquus. We therefore propose a new genus,Haringtonhippus, for the sole speciesH. francisci. Our combined genomic and phenomic approach to resolving the systematics of extinct megafauna will allow for an improved understanding of the full extent of the terminal Pleistocene extinction event.
A dementia-associated risk variant nearTMEM106Balters chromatin architecture and gene expression
Authors: Gallagher Michael D. , Posavi Marijan , Huang Peng , Unger Travis L. , Berlyand Yosef , Gruenewald Analise L. , Chesi Alessandra , Manduchi Elisabetta , Wells Andrew D. , Grant Struan F.A. , Blobel Gerd A. , Brown Christopher D. , Chen-Plotkin Alice S.
Published: June 2017

Neurodegenerative diseases pose an extraordinary threat to the world’s aging population, yet no disease-modifying therapies are available. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of novel risk loci for neurodegeneration, the mechanisms by which these loci influence disease risk are largely unknown. Indeed, of the many thousands of SNP-trait associations identified by GWAS over the past ~10 years, very few are understood mechanistically. Here, we investigate the association of common genetic variants at the 7p21 locus with risk for the neurodegenerative disease frontotemporal lobar degeneration. We show that variants associated with disease risk correlate with increased brain expression of the 7p21 geneTMEM106B, and no other genes. Furthermore, incremental increases in TMEM106B levels result in incremental increases in lysosomal phenotypes and cell toxicity. We then combine fine-mapping, bioinformatics, and bench-based approaches to functionally characterize all candidate causal variants at this locus. This approach identified a noncoding variant, rs1990620, which differentially recruits CTCF, influencing CTCF-mediated long-range chromatin looping interactions between multiplecis-regulatory elements, including theTMEM106Bpromoter. Our findings thus provide an in-depth analysis of the 7p21 locus linked by GWAS to frontotemporal lobar degeneration, nominating a causal variant and a causal mechanism for allele-specific expression and disease association at this locus. Finally, we show that genetic variants associated with risk for neurodegenerative diseases beyond frontotemporal lobar degeneration are enriched in brain CTCF-binding sites genome-wide, implicating CTCF-mediated gene regulation in risk for neurodegeneration more generally.
Parallel evolution of two clades of a major Atlantic endemicVibrio parahaemolyticuspathogen lineage by independent acquisition of related pathogenicity islands
Authors: Xu Feng , Gonzalez-Escalona Narjol , Drees Kevin P. , Sebra Robert P. , Cooper Vaughn S. , Jones Stephen H. , Whistler Cheryl A.
Published: June 2017

Shellfish-transmittedVibrio parahaemolyticusinfections have recently increased from locations with historically low disease incidence, such as the Northeast United States (US). This change coincided with a bacterial population shift towards human pathogenic variants occurring in part through the introduction of several Pacific native lineages (ST36, ST43 and ST636) to near-shore areas off the Atlantic coast of the Northeast US. Concomitantly, ST631 emerged as a major endemic pathogen. Phylogenetic trees of clinical and environmental isolates indicated that two clades diverged from a common ST631 ancestor, and in each of these clades, a human pathogenic variant evolved independently through acquisition of distinctVibriopathogenicity islands (VPaI). These VPaI differ from each other and bear little resemblance to hemolysin-containing VPaI from isolates of the pandemic clonal complex. Clade I ST631 isolates either harbored no hemolysins, or contained a chromosome I-inserted island we call VPaIβ that encodes a type three secretion system (T3SS2β) typical of Trh hemolysin-producers. The more clinically prevalent and clonal ST631 clade II had an island we call VPaIγ that encodes bothtdhandtrhand that was inserted in chromosome II. VPaIγ was derived from VPaIβ but with some additional acquired elements in common with VPaI carried by pandemic isolates, exemplifying the mosaic nature of pathogenicity islands. Genomics comparisons and amplicon assays identified VPaIγ-type islands containingtdhinserted adjacent to theurecluster in the three introduced Pacific and most other emergent lineages. that collectively cause 67% of Northeast US infections as of 2016.

IMPORTANCE

The availability of three different hemolysin genotypes in the ST631 lineage provided a unique opportunity to employ genome comparisons to further our understanding of the processes underlying pathogen evolution. The fact that two different pathogenic clades arose in parallel from the same potentially benign lineage by independent VPaI acquisition is surprising considering the historically low prevalence of community members harboring VPaI in waters along the Northeast US Coast that could serve as the source of this material. This illustrates a possible predisposition of some lineages to not only acquire foreign DNA but also to become human pathogens. Whereas the underlying cause for the expansion ofV. parahaemolyticuslineages harboring VPaIγ along the US Atlantic coast and spread of this element to multiple lineages that underlies disease emergence is not known, this work underscores the need to define the environment factors that favor bacteria harboring VPaI in locations of emergent disease.
Rapid cadmium SAD phasing at the standard wavelength (1 Å)
Authors: Panneerselvam Saravanan , Kumpula Esa-Pekka , Kursula Inari , Burkhardt Anja , Meents Alke
Published: June 2017

Cadmium ions can be effectively used to promote crystal growth and for experimental phasing. Here, the use of cadmium ions as a suitable anomalous scatterer at the standard wavelength of 1 Å is demonstrated. The structures of three different proteins were determined using cadmium single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) phasing. Owing to the strong anomalous signal, the structure of lysozyme could be automatically phased and built using a very low anomalous multiplicity (1.1) and low-completeness (77%) data set. Additionally, it is shown that cadmium ions can easily substitute divalent ions in ATP–divalent cation complexes. This property could be generally applied for phasing experiments of a wide range of nucleotide-binding proteins. Improvements in crystal growth and quality, good anomalous signal at standard wavelengths (i.e.no need to change photon energy) and rapid phasing and refinement using a single data set are benefits that should allow cadmium ions to be widely used for experimental phasing.
Characterization of drill bit breakage in PCB drilling process based on high-speed video analysis
Authors: Shi Hongyan , Lin Xiaoke , Wang Yun
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purposes of this paper are to study the characterization of drill bit breakage in printed circuit board (PCB) drilling process based on high-speed video analysis and to provide an important reference for micro drill bit breakage prediction.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on PCB drilling experiment, the high-speed camera was used to observe the micro drill breakage process and the chip removal process. The variation of chip in the drilling process was studied and one of the key reasons for the drill bit breakage was analysed. Finally, the swing angles’ feature during the breakage process of the micro drill was analysed and researched with the image processing tools of MATLAB.

Findings

The micro drill was prone to breakage mainly because of the blocked chips. The breakage process of the micro drill can be divided into the stage of stable chips evacuation, the stage of blocked chips and the stage of drill bit breakage. The radians of swing angles were basically in the range of ±0.01 when the drilling possess is normal. But when the radians of swing angles considerably exceeded the range of ±0.01, the micro drill bit may be fractured.

Originality/value

This paper presented the method to study the characterization of drill bit breakage in the PCB drilling process by using high-speed video analysis technology. Meanwhile, an effective suggestion about monitoring the radians of swing angles to predict the breakage of micro drill bit was also provided.
Factors determining hotel activity outsourcing. An approach based on competitive advantage
Authors: Espino-Rodríguez Tomás F. , Ramírez-Fierro Juan Carlos
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the levels of the main hotel outsourcing activities to identify the factors that determine the use of external suppliers for these activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A model was developed that analyzes the relationship between competitive advantage and outsourcing and how the relationship between competitive advantage and activity performance is affected by whether an activity is outsourced or not. Moreover, the study builds a matrix called “outsourcing and competitive advantage” where each of the activities can be placed. The study was carried out with a representative sample of hotels in a tourist destination, analyzing 12 activities from different departments in the hotels.

Findings

The study results indicate that there is a positive relationship between the competitive advantage of an activity and its outcome. In addition, the findings show that the relationship between competitive advantage and activity performance is stronger when the activity is developed internally than when it is outsourced. The study supports a negative relationship between the degree of outsourcing an activity and its competitive advantage. In addition, the findings showed that a change in the way of managing the outsourcing is determined by its performance.

Practical implications

This study aims to help managers make decisions about outsourcing by considering the perspective of the competitive advantage. Each hotel can situate the activities in the matrix created and compare itself to the sector mean for a strategic positioning of the outsourcing.

Originality/value

Most studies analyze asset specificity as a key variable; however, the competitive advantage has not been used in previous studies, in spite of being a better defined variable in the literature. This study classifies the activities into core and non-core and establishes their relationship with outsourcing. It also studies how the way of managing an activity (outsourcing or in-house) moderates the relationship between competitive advantage and performance. These aspects have not been analyzed in the literature..
Information technology and front office employees’ performance
Authors: Melián-González Santiago , Bulchand-Gidumal Jacques
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of information technology (IT) in the performance of front office employees in hotels. This is done by testing and analyzing up to what level the task performance content of receptionists depends on IT and by testing and analyzing up to what level the contents of the service encounters in which they participate depend on IT.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper includes in-depth interviews with 30 receptionists, using the job task performance model and the critical incident technique in the service encounter model.

Findings

IT takes part heavily in the task performance of front office workers, who rely on IT to get their job done. On the other hand, in service encounters, the value of the human presence is still high, and in most critical incidents, IT do not participate.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was located in the same destination with only two types of hotels.

Practical implications

The dependence of front office employees with IT is so high that some of the receptionists could be substituted by IT in the near future. However, human participation in satisfactory critical incidents is very high.

Social implications

Receptionists should get ready and trained taking into account that the value they provide is higher in tasks that are both not routine and in which face-to-face interactions take place.

Originality/value

Usually, front office employees are managed with human resources view, without taking into consideration specifically how IT has spread into the hospitality industry.
The current state and influential factors in the development of digital literacy in Thailand’s higher education
Authors: Tuamsuk Kulthida , Subramaniam Mega
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the current state and influential factors in the development of digital literacy of the students in Thailand’s higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative research method was applied with a survey conducted to collect information from the target group that consisted of administrators, lecturers and students of 116 Thai universities. Respondents included 81 administrators, 500 lecturers and 1,000 students.

Findings

The findings revealed that 61.73 per cent of the universities set digital literacy as an undergraduate program policy, 30.86 per cent set it as a student development policy, while 12.35 per cent do not have any policy in this regard. In total, 40.74 per cent of the universities establish digital literacy as the required graduates’ trait, and 22.22 per cent establish it as a graduate’s identity. The study of factors related to digital literacy development showed that the respondents see that all of the factors affect students’ digital literacy development at a high level, including infrastructures, human resources, students’ awareness, external environments, development process, university’s policy and academic management.

Originality/value

In Thailand, universities have seen the importance of information literacy development for students at a certain level. However, the concepts of information literacy and digital literacy differ. While information literacy mainly comprises technical skill and information management skill, digital literacy is composed of technical skill, cognitive skill and emotional-social skills. This paper presents the first research on digital literacy development in Thai higher education.
Regulatory capital and stability of Islamic and conventional banks
Authors: Korbi Fakhri , Bougatef Khemaies
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it attempts to determine the factors that influence the stability of Islamic and conventional banks. Second, it focuses on the relationship between the regulatory capital and bank soundness.

Design/methodology/approach

Thus, the authors use the Z-score to assess the stability of Islamic and conventional banks operating in the Middle East and North Africa region over the period 1999 to 2014.

Findings

The comparative analysis reveals that Islamic banks seem to be less stable than their conventional peers. With regard to the determinants of bank stability, the findings suggest that the regulatory capital represents the primordial factor that reinforces the soundness of banking systems. The authors also find that bank stability depends on both bank-specific variables as well as macroeconomic and institutional variables. Interestingly, the corruption level turns out to have a significant negative effect on financial strength in the both types of banks.

Originality/value

The authors believe that investigating the relationship between regulatory capital and the failure risk in a comparative study between Islamic and conventional banks deserves a particular attention and looks very interesting because it will allow them to identify the difference between the factors explaining the failure risk of each type of banks. The authors also believe that the analysis of the relationship between corruption and bank stability is very interesting because corruption can be seen as an example of moral hazard which forces Islamic banks to use non-PLS instruments.
Remarkable lives: Suzanne Rogerson in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Rogerson Suzanne , Carson Jerome
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Suzanne Rogerson.

Design/methodology/approach

Suzanne provides a short summary of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Suzanne tells us about the suicide of her father and how for years she was unable to discuss this, before discovering she was probably suffering from complicated grief.

Research limitations/implications

Single case studies are just that. One person’s story. However they offer us insights into suffering that cannot be glimpsed from large research studies.

Practical implications

The stigma attached to suicide means that people often avoid talking about it. The surviving relative is thus left to carry this enormous burden on their own.

Social implications

Suzanne draws attention to the documentary made by Professor Green, about his attempts to understand what made his own father take his life. Programmes like this can help demystify the issues surrounding suicide.

Originality/value

People sometimes dismissively talk about psychology students choosing the subject as they want to understand themselves and their own pathology. For Suzanne this was a liberating process.
Unlocking the value of HR to drive a change-ready culture
Authors: Macpherson Campbell
Published: June 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case study focused on developing a change-ready culture within a large organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on personal experiences gleaned while driving an organization-wide culture change program throughout a major financial advisory firm.

Findings

This paper details over a dozen key lessons learned while transforming the HR department from a fragmented, ineffective, reclusive and disrespected department into one that was competent, knowledgeable, enabling and a leader of change.

Originality/value

Drawing on the real-world culture change intervention detailed here, including results and lessons learned, other organizations can apply similar approaches in their own organizations – hopefully to similar effect.
Newly developed fungal diet for artificial rearing of the endangered long‐horned beetle Callipogon relictus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: Yi Dae‐Am , Kuprin Alexander V. , Lee Yong Hoon , Bae Yeon Jae
Published: June 2017

In this study, we attempted to develop an artificial diet to effectively rear the endangered long‐horned beetle Callipogon relictus Semenov to facilitate restoration efforts for this species. Fungal mycelia of the white‐rot fungus Pleurotus florida (Eager) were, for the first time, provided as an artificial diet for the larvae of C. relictus. The experiment started on August 11, 2015 with 53 larvae being provisioned with the fungal diet under laboratory conditions (25°C, 60 % RH, L:D 0:24) without diapause. During the first year, 11 adults (4 males and 7 females, 20.8 % of the 53 larvae) emerged between September 10 and October 1, 2016. The body length of the largest male was 106.8 mm, and three of the four males exceeded 100 mm in length. These results show that a fungal diet for rearing C. relictus is useful not only for reducing the larval period to approximately 1/6 of the normal larval period in nature, but also for producing large adults. These results support the notion that fungus may provide nutritional benefits during the larval development of C. relictus, and also indicate that this species is fungivorous.
First record of Tanaostigmatidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) in South Korea
Authors: Kim Chang‐Jun , Lim Jongok , Shin Hyun‐Tak , Kim Il‐Kwon
Published: June 2017

Protanaostigma kyushuanaMasi 1940 (Chalcidoidea: Tanaostigmatidae) is newly recognized from South Korea, and its finding represents the first record of the phytophagous chalcid family in the country. A detailed redescription and photographs of the species are given. Images of the holotype specimen are also provided for comparison. In addition, the relationship and taxonomic status betweenProtanaostigmaandTanaostigmodesare briefly discussed.
Pitavastatin up‐regulates eNOS production by suppressing miR‐155 expression in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: Jing Changqin , Guo Menglong , Bao Xiaodan , Li Tianhan , Lin Juntang , Lu Xinjie , Wang Wenfeng
Published: June 2017

Aim

Pitavastatin (Pit) has been proved to efficiently inhibit the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism by which Pit exerts nonlipid‐related effects, such as antiinflammatory actions, is not quite clear. Our study aimed at investigating the effect of Pit on the expression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and miR‐155 in LPS‐stimulated HUVECs to reveal the antiinflammatory mechanism of pitavastatin.

Methods

HUVECs were isolated from newborn umbilical cords and used in the experiments at passages 2‐5. Cells were treated with LPS (0.05, 0.1, 1 μg/L) or LPS (0.1 μg/L)+Pit (0.01, 0.1, 1 μmol/L), untreated cells were used as control. For LPS+Pit induction, cells were firstly incubated with Pit for 1 hour before coincubation with LPS for 24 hours. eNOS mRNA and miR‐155 were detected by RT‐PCR, and Western blotting was used to detect protein expression of eNOS.

Results

Treatment of HUVECs with LPS enhanced the expression of miR‐155 and reduced the expression of eNOS in mRNA and protein level in a dose‐dependent manner as revealed by RT‐PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Pitavastatin ameliorated LPS‐induced endothelial dysfunction through upregulation of eNOS expression and downregulation of miR‐155 expression.

Conclusion

Pitavastatin increases eNOS expression and inhibits of LPS‐induced miR‐155 expression.
Does diversity matter? exploring workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises
Authors: Cho Sangmi , Kim Ahraemi , Mor Barak Michàlle E.
Published: June 2017

This study explores the dynamics of workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted with 14 individuals working in the social enterprise sector in Los Angeles, California, including both top management and regular employees. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis rooted in grounded theory. Overall, high levels of diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, education, and sexual orientation were identified in social enterprises, while low levels of age and value diversity were found. Workforce diversity and diversity management were reported to be crucial factors that positively influence organizational performance. Although interviewees considered diversity management to play an important role in promoting organizational performance, they were less likely to implement diversity management themselves. By providing important insights into workforce diversity, diversity management, and organizational performance in social enterprises, this study contributes to an understanding of the dynamics and provides suggestions for sustainability in social enterprises.
Randomized controlled trial comparing submucosal endoscopy with mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection in the esophagus and stomach: Animal study
Authors: Takizawa Kohei , Knipschield Mary A. , Gostout Christopher J.
Published: June 2017

Background and Aim

In Western countries, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has not prevailed as a result of training problems and a target patient population. We have previously reported a hybrid ESD technique, submucosal endoscopy with mucosal resection (SEMR), in which the submucosal dissection is carried out chiefly by blunt balloon dissection. We have also reported successful application in the porcine colon. In the present study, we compared the safety and efficacy of SEMR with ESD in the porcine esophagus and stomach.

Methods

SEMR and ESD were carried out in eight domestic pigs under general anesthesia. Resection sites were marked by circumferential coagulation. After circumferential ESD knife mucosal incision, submucosal fluid cushion (SFC) was created. In the SEMR group, the balloon catheter was inserted deep into the SFC. The balloon was then inflated and pulled back toward the endoscope tip repeatedly, altering the direction, to disrupt the submucosa. Residual strands were cut with an IT‐knife. En bloc resection rates, procedure times, complications and dissection difficulty scales (DDS) were recorded prospectively. DDS were rated using a visual analog scale.

Results

Thirty‐two resections (8 SEMR/8 ESD in the esophagus; 8 SEMR/8 ESD in the stomach) were done with no major adverse events. There was no statistical difference between the two techniques in either location in the above categories measured.

Conclusions

SEMR and traditional ESD are comparable techniques in safety and effectiveness when carried out in the esophagus and stomach. SEMR may serve as a more appealing technical option for endoscopists who are unable to sustain a traditional ESD practice volume.
Liver enzymes are not directly involved in atrial fibrillation: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Schutte Rudolph , Whincup Peter H. , Papacosta Olia , Lennon Lucy T. , Macfarlane Peter W. , Wannamethee Goya
Published: June 2017

Background

Epidemiological evidence proposes the direct involvement of the liver enzymes in atrial fibrillation. These relationships are controversial and mechanistically unclear. As part of the British Regional Heart Study, we investigated whether change in liver enzymes over time associates with atrial fibrillation in men initially free of this heart condition.

Materials and methods

We prospectively investigated change (delta) in liver enzymes and new‐onset atrial fibrillation in a representative sample of 1428 men aged 60–79 years.

Results

Mean follow‐up was 12·3 years, after which 108 new atrial fibrillation cases were identified. The liver enzymes did not differ at baseline or follow‐up, except for gamma‐glutamyl transferase which was higher at follow‐up in men who developed atrial fibrillation compared to those who did not (P < 0·0001). Change in GGT was greater in men who developed AF than those who did not (+6·12 vs. −2·60 U/L, P = 0·036). N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (baseline and follow‐up, P < 0·0001) and total bilirubin (follow‐up only, P < 0·0001) were also higher in men who developed atrial fibrillation while serum haemoglobin was similar at baseline and follow‐up (P ≥ 0·74). Atrial fibrillation was associated with change in gamma‐glutamyl transferase (OR, 1·18; 95% CI, 1·01–1·37) after multiple adjustments and exclusions. However, after adjusting for baseline (P = 0·088) or change (P = 0·40) in N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide, the association between atrial fibrillation and change in gamma‐glutamyl transferase was lost.

Conclusion

The direct relationship between atrial fibrillation and liver enzymes is absent and depends, at least in part, on the progression of heart failure as captured by N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide.
Performance and electrochemical analysis of solid oxide fuel cells based on LSCF‐YSZ nano‐electrode
Authors: Jia Chuan , Chen Ming , Han Minfang
Published: June 2017

NiO‐YSZ/YSZ/LSCF‐YSZ tri‐layer structure SOFC has been fabricated by tape casting and infiltration methods. Subsequently, polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectra measurement were carried out to evaluate cell performance at 850‐700°C with varied steam content in hydrogen supplied to the anode. At 800°C, open circuit voltage for 4% steam‐humidified hydrogen reached 1.069 V, along with a power density of 831 mW/cm2 at 0.7 V. Furthermore, 500 hours of long‐term durability test has been performed at 750°C in hydrogen atmosphere, as a consequence that a voltage degradation rate of 1.7%/kh has been measured.
Vaccine potential of HLA‐A2 epitopes from Leishmania Cysteine Protease Type III (CPC)
Authors: Dikhit M. R. , Amit A. , Singh A. K. , Kumar A. , Mansuri R. , Sinha S. , Topno R. K. , Mishra R. , Das V. N. R. , Pandey K. , Sahoo G. C. , Ali V. , Bimal S. , Das P.
Published: June 2017

Although the precise host‐defence mechanisms are not completely understood, T‐cell‐mediated immune responses are believed to play a pivotal role in controlling parasite infection. In this study, the potential HLA*A2 restricted peptides were predicted and the ability of peptides to bind HLA‐A*02 was confirmed by a MHC stabilization assay. Two of the peptides tested stabilized HLA‐A*02: (a) LLATTVSGL (P1) and (b) LMTNGPLEV (P3). The potential of the peptides to generate protective immune response was evaluated in patients with treated visceral leishmaniasis as well as in healthy control subjects. Our data suggest that CD8+ T‐cell proliferation against the selected peptide was significantly higher compared to unstimulated culture conditions. The stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with epitopes individually or as a cocktail upregulated IFN‐γ production, which indicates its pivotal role in protective immune response. The IFN‐γ production was mainly in a CD8+ T‐cells‐dependent manner, which suggested that these epitopes had an immunoprophylactic potential in a MHC class I‐dependent manner. Moreover, no role of the CD3+ T cell was observed in the IL‐10 production against the selected peptides, and no role was found in disease pathogenesis. Further studies on the role of these synthetic peptides may contribute significantly to developing a polytope vaccine idea towards leishmaniasis.
To cool, or too cool: Is reducing dialysate temperature the optimal approach to preventing intradialytic hypotension?
Authors: Larkin John W. , Reviriego‐Mendoza Marta M. , Usvyat Len A. , Kotanko Peter , Maddux Franklin W.
Published: June 2017

Abnormal decreases in blood pressure during hemodialysis are frequent in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients treated with hemodialysis, and thought to be largely due to an inadequate cardiovascular response to the rapid blood volume decline. Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) and cardiac instability during dialysis can increase risks for negative health consequences and is possibly preventable though several types of interventions. One intervention that holds promise for prevention of IDH in hemodialysis patients is to reduce the temperature of the dialysate to or below the patient's core temperature. A considerable number of randomized studies have demonstrated a short term benefit of using a cooler dialysate temperature for the prevention of IDH and improved cardiac stability. Despite this, a key observational study was not able to show long term improvements with lower dialysate temperatures utilized in routine clinical practice, albeit possibly confounded by indication. It appears that cooling the dialysate may be reasonable to consider on an individual basis for patients who suffer from persistent IDH if they can tolerate the adjustment and it is effective. However, careful assessment of the etiology of IDH should be performed when considering treatment options. In this review, we detail the current body of evidence on the effectiveness of using low dialysate temperatures for prevention of IDH in ESRD patients, and suggest areas where further research is needed.
The lynching of African Americans in the U.S. South: A review of sociological and historical perspectives
Authors: Smångs Mattias
Published: June 2017

Research in sociology and history on the lynching of African Americans by White mobs in the U.S. South around 1900 has in recent decades grown and matured into a substantive research area in its own right. This article has four purposes. The first purpose is to review dominant sociological and historical approaches in the lynching literature. One key feature of this literature is its bifurcation into one strand of social scientific sociological lynching research and one strand of culturalist historical lynching research. As a consequence of this bifurcation, the study of lynching long lacked sustained interdisciplinary dialogue between sociology and history. The second purpose of this article is to review recent sociological studies that attempt to bridge the disjuncture between sociological and historical approaches otherwise characterizing lynching scholarship. The third purpose of this article is to review other recent studies moving sociological lynching scholarship beyond dominant approaches and foci, including investigations of averted lynchings and investigations of the individual‐level characteristics that made African Americans more or less vulnerable to White lynch mobs. The last purpose is to suggest how the contributions of lynching research have implications for understanding present‐day racial injustices and inequalities.
Two orders of magnitude enhancement in oxygen evolution reactivity on amorphous Ba
0.5
Sr
0.5
Co
0.8
Fe
0.2
O
3−δ
nanofilms with tunable oxidation state
Authors: Chen Gao , Zhou Wei , Guan Daqin , Sunarso Jaka , Zhu Yanping , Hu Xuefeng , Zhang Wei , Shao Zongping
Published: June 2017

A novel strategy to tweak the oxygen evolution activity of nanofilms by exploiting the film-substrate redox interaction.