bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Value creation through intellectual capital in developed European markets
Authors: Shakina Elena , Barajas Angel
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the production function of firms based on the use of intellectual capital. The authors come up with this problem since believe that the new economy conditions require an adjustment and a development of classical firm theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research question addressed in this study is mainly related to the empirical validation of the function based on companies' intangibles in the Cobb-Douglas framework. This model enables the authors to advocate the idea of the complementarity of intellectual resources as well as simplifies the analysis of intellectual capital features. To accomplish the purpose of the research, the authors design a log-linear model and estimate it on a sample of more than 400 European and American companies.

Findings

– Application of Cobb-Douglas framework allowed designing a production function based on intellectual capital. The complementarity of intellectual capital components is justified on the empirical results obtained in this research. The increasing return to scale for intellectual capital was established for the sample examined in this study.

Research limitations/implications

– The main shortcoming of the approach implemented in this study is related to the proxy indicators of intellectual capital. Nevertheless, the authors statistically validate the chosen indicators applying hedonic approach.

Practical implications

– Practical accomplishment of this research is mainly associated with the conclusion about an increasing return to scale of intellectual capital. This phenomenon appears to be of a particular importance for investment decisions.

Originality/value

– The findings of this paper provide a new insight into intellectual resources interrelation that enhances companies' value creation. The authors also hope to assist future research attempts in application of the theory of company's growth driven by its intangible capital.
Mean reversion in per capita GDP of Asian countries
Authors: Kumar Tiwari Aviral , Suresh K.G.
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the stationarity characteristics of per capita GDP of 17 Asian countries and subpanels for South Asia, East Asia, and high income Asian countries in nonlinear framework.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors employed a recently developed nonlinear panel unit root test suggested by Ucar and Omaga in PESTAR framework for full panel and the subpanels.

Findings

– The results indicate that per capita GDP for the full panel of Asian countries and panel of South Asian countries are linear nonstationary, whereas for the panel of East Asia and high income developed countries have a nonlinear data generating process and are stationary.

Originality/value

– The use of newly developed nonlinear panel unit root test for Asian countries is the main contribution of the study. In that aspect, this is the first study to employ such a test in this area.
The effects of promotion framing on consumers' price perceptions
Authors: Choi Choongbeom , S. Mattila Anna
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– The use of price-based promotions is common in the service industry due to their positive impact on sales in the short run. To gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of various types of promotions, the current research aims to examine the contrasting effect of two popular framing methods (i.e. percentage-off versus dollars-off) on consumers' perceived savings and willingness to buy. More importantly, this research examines the moderating effect of personal sense of power on such relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used 2×2 between subjects quasi-experimental design to test the hypotheses. Respondents were asked to read a scenario regarding booking a hotel room and then complete scales that measured their perceptions of savings and willingness to book.

Findings

– Results indicate that personal sense of power moderates the effects of the promotion frame on perceived savings and willingness to book. Individuals with a low sense of power perceive significantly more savings and exhibit significantly higher booking intentions when the promotion is framed in dollars-off rather than in percentage-off format. The framing manipulation, however, had minimal effects among high power individuals. In addition, the authors find that confidence in estimating the promoted price is the psychological mechanism that potentially explains the casual link from power to perceived savings and willingness to book.

Originality/value

– Drawing on the social psychology theory, the current study discovered some boundary conditions for the framing effect in the context of pricing of services. In addition, the current research advances the theoretical understanding of power's psychological and behavioural effects in the context of price promotions.
The impact of relational bonds on brand loyalty: the mediating effect of brand relationship quality
Authors: Huang Chao-Chin , Fang Shih-Chieh , Huang Shyh-Ming , Chang Shao-Chi , Fang Shyh-Rong
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– While the literature attends to how customer retention strategies develop relationship quality (e.g. trust), it does not account for the potential mediator (s) in this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of brand relationship quality (BRQ) in the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty in retail service contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 524 valid questionnaires from respondents aged between 15 and 24 are analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– First, BRQ significantly mediates the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty. Second, structural bonds are the only driver of attitudinal attachment; social and structural bonds lead to a sense of community. Third, attitudinal attachment is the main influence on both behavioral and attitudinal loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

– First, a focus on a single market segment, i.e. 15-24 year olds. Second the dimensions used to measure relational bonds and BRQ might not be applicable to other contexts. Third, does not consider potentially important moderator(s). Fourth, does not distinguish between store and product brands.

Originality/value

– This study makes the following contributions to the literature: First, demonstrates the importance of BRQ as a mediator in the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty. Second, elucidates the role of BRQ in establishing brand loyalty in three theoretical frameworks applied to retail service contexts. Third, suggests a more comprehensive view of brand loyalty involving both behavioral and attitudinal dimensions. Fourth, proposes the managerial implications of this work for the customer retention strategies of retail service firms.
A pilot study of grocery store sales: do low prices=high nutritional quality?
Authors: Exum Barbara , H. Thompson Sharon , Thompson Leslie
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– Low fruit and vegetable intake is associated with heart disease, some cancers, and other major causes of death. Product pricing influences food purchases and economic declines have affected food budgets; therefore, this study examined the nutritional quality of advertised meal deals and buy-one-get-one free (BOGO) offers at three major grocery store chains over ten weeks. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– USDA's SuperTracker and Diet Analysis Plus were used for nutritional analyses of advertised offers over a ten-week time period in Fall 2011.

Findings

– Meal deal – ten-week averages per person: prices ranged from $1.25 to $5.00. Evaluation of MyPlate categories revealed the following percentage breakdown: empty calories – 57 percent, grains – 21 percent, protein – 12 percent, dairy – 8 percent, vegetables – 2 percent, and fruit – 0 percent. BOGO – ten-week averages: when examining MyPlate categories, nutritional quality was similar to meal deals in that few products were from the vegetable (12 percent) fruit (4 percent), and dairy (3 percent) groups.

Originality/value

– Research is sparse regarding nutritional quality of advertised sales at grocery stories.
Probiotics in dairy foods: a review
Authors: Umer Khan Shahnawaz
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– There is need for exhaustive studies to be undertaken to identify various probiotic strains and to understand the actual mechanism of action by which these probiotics exert their health benefits in order to exploit its fullest health benefits expressed by various kinds of the probiotic strains. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The health effects of the probiotics can be accessed by in vivo as well as the in vitro studies of live microorganisms and their biological active compounds on various disease-causing organisms and their harmful metabolites.

Findings

– The paper is a brief review of recent findings about the health benefits of probiotic strains of microorganisms. The health effects of fermented food items were known since the time immemorial, but the actual cause of this was a mystery. Recent discoveries led to the author's knowledge about the mechanism through which they exert these curative effects which is either by competitive inhibition of harmful microbes in gut or by production of biological active compounds against disease-causing organisms and their harmful metabolites.

Originality/value

– Probiotics are commonly consumed as part of fermented foods which are produced with active live cultures, so various new types of these probiotic cultures can be introduced which can act as food as well as curative agents for treating and preventing various types of diseases at nominal costs.
In vitro effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus
GG on reduction of aflatoxin B1
Authors: Rahnama Vosough Parya , Mohamadi Sani Ali , Mehraban Masoumeh , Karazhyan Reza
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– Since a sound detoxification method is needed for controlling aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), as one of the most harmful mycotoxins in animal production and food industry, this study was performed. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study was conducted to examine the ability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG to remove AFB1 from liquid media. The binding of AFB1 to Lb. rhamnosus
GG was studied for viable, heat-killed and acid-killed bacteria. AFB1 at concentrations (5, 10 and 20 μg/l) was added to the bacterial culture (109 cfu/ml) in MRS broth medium and incubated at 25°C for 4, 12 and 24 h. The aflatoxin-binding capacity of the strain was quantified by the amount of unbound AFB1 using ELISA technique.

Findings

– Results showed the AFB1-binding capacity of viable, heat-killed and acid-killed bacteria was about 43, 49 and 50 percent, respectively. The percentage of AFB1 removed was the highest amount in low (5 μg/l) and high (20 μg/l) concentrations, and there was no significant difference between them (p=0.05). These findings suggest that lactic acid bacteria can be exploited as an approach to detoxification of aflatoxins from foods.

Practical implications

– This method is safe because non-viable bacteria have more ability to remove toxin than viable bacteria, and also it is an effective method with 50 percent approximately toxin removal.

Originality/value

– Since there has been no research on the ability of this strain on the removal of AFB1, the authors assessed the ability of the strain in high levels of AFB1.
Digital library technology in J-ISIS: concept, implementation and comparison with GSDL
Authors: de Smet Egbert
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– Although the new J-ISIS software from UNESCO, based on Berkeley DB and Lucene technology, complies with some of the technical requirements as seen necessary for digital library applications, an easy way of building collections so far was not available. The purpose of this paper is to give a report on some necessary DL technological requirements, such as the capability to deal with any metadata structure and alphabets and full-text indexing of documents of any length, and how J-ISIS can deal with these, as well as on the production of the DL interface for digital library applications based on Tika technology.

Design/methodology/approach

– A brief comparison is made with a well-established DL software, i.e. Greenstone Digital Library, regarding the concepts and performance.

Findings

– While using a quite different architecture and approach, the test shows that J-ISIS can process the documents faster and with more economical storage efficiency, inviting UNESCO to invest more into it in order to allow incorporation of some more advanced features like Greenstone's capability to process intra-document segments and images, but also to allow for new exciting features for digital libraries such as interactivity.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is based on the J-ISIS prototype implementation of digital library technology and could only be tested on a limited set of documents.

Practical implications

– Librarians interested in building digital library collections, esp. when doing this integrated with their library systems and catalogs, have a viable new option now within the FOSS-market.

Originality/value

– This is the first description on J-ISIS for digital libraries.
Academic quality management in teacher education: a Singapore perspective
Authors: Chong Sylvia
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– Quality assurance and management is vital for the continuous improvement of the content, delivery and development of teacher education programmes. This paper seeks to explore theoretical issues and ideas in assessing the quality preparation of teachers in the Singapore context.

Design/methodology/approach

– An academic quality framework provides an architectural approach to optimizing quality processes, transitioning from a disjointed set of quality processes to an integrated workflow based upon established best practices.

Findings

– The architectural framework provided a systematic focus to develop and sustain the academic quality of the teacher development programmes. Quality change and developments occur through collaboration and learning. The emphasis is on quality management as a process-oriented strategy.

Originality/value

– There is a shift in paradigm from traditional models of programme evaluation to a systems approach that incorporate multi-dimensional models to impact administration, teaching and research in a teacher education institution. Thus Singapore's teacher education quality management should be considered beyond a set of measurement tools towards a systematic, scheduled and focused examination as a whole, as a process-oriented strategy.
Understanding validity issues in test-based models of school and teacher evaluation
Authors: L. Bridglall Beatrice , Caines Jade , Chatterji Madhabi
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This policy brief, the second AERI-NEPC eBrief in the series “Understanding validity issues around the world”, focuses on validity as it applies to test-based models of evaluation employed for schools, instructional programs, and teachers around the world. It discusses validity issues that could arise when data from student achievement test administrations and other sources are used for conducting personnel appraisals, program evaluations, or for external accountability purposes, suggesting solutions and recommendations for improving validity in such applications of test-based information.

Design/methodology/approach

– This policy brief is based on a synthesis of conference proceedings and review of selected pieces of extant literature. It begins by summarizing perspectives of an invited expert panel on the topic. To that synthesis, the authors add their own analysis of key issues. They conclude by offering recommendations for test developers and test users.

Findings

– The authors conclude that systematic improvement and transformation of schools depends on thoughtfully conceptualizing, implementing, and using data from testing and broad-based evaluation systems that incorporate multiple kinds of evidence. Evaluation systems that are valid and fair to students, teachers and education leaders need all three of the following: assessment resources and training for all participants and evaluation users; knowledgeable staff to continuously monitor processes and use assessment results appropriately to improve teaching and learning activities; and a strengths-based approach to make improvements to the education system based on relevant data and reports (as opposed to a deficits-based one in which blame or punishment is leveled at individuals or groups of workers when gaps in performance are observed).

Originality/value

– To improve validity in interpretations of results from test-based teacher and school evaluation models, the authors provide recommendations for measurement and evaluation specialists as well as for educators, policy makers, and public users of data. Standardized test use in formative and more “high stakes” educational accountability contexts is rapidly spreading to various regions of the world. This eBrief shows that understandings of validity are still uneven among key stakeholders. By translating complex information pertinent to current validity issues, this policy brief attempts to address this need, and also bridge knowledge and communications gaps among different constituencies.
Mediation effect of sustainability competencies on the relation between barriers and project sustainability (the case of Egyptian higher education enhancement projects)
Authors: H. Abou- Warda Sherein
Published: January 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to explore the relation between barriers and project sustainability by adding competencies in the mediating role.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a mediation model including project sustainability as the dependent variable, sustainability barriers as the independent variable and project managers' sustainability competencies as the mediator variable. Data were gathered from project managers, executive teams, and experts/advisors, working in Egyptian higher education enhancement projects (HEEPs) using self-administered questionnaires; the total number collected was 159, representing a response rate of 93.5 percent. Correlations and multiple regression analysis were employed to analyze the mediation impact of project manager's sustainability competencies.

Findings

– The results indicate that sustainability competencies mediate the relation between barriers to sustainability and project sustainability. Sustainability competencies facilitate project achievements, and the sustainability and future expansion of these achievements. The analysis suggests that “continuous competencies” are extremely important, more so than “self-competencies”.

Research limitations/implications

– This study was undertaken at the level of the projects management unit in the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, which manages the HEEPs.

Practical implications

– The analysis helps to understand the complex and nuanced nature of the projects; these are distinguished when the author considers the different practices.

Originality/value

– This study offers two principal contributions: first, a guideline for the development, measurement, and application of an uncommon concept of project sustainability; second, a concept of project managers' sustainability competencies and barriers to sustainability.
Broadacre farm productivity and profitability in south‐western Australia
Authors: Islam Nazrul , Xayavong Vilaphonh , Kingwell Ross
Published: January 2014

This paper examines broadacre farm performance in south‐western Australia. This region has experienced pronounced climate variability and volatile commodity prices since the late 1990s. Relationships between productivity and profitability are explored using panel data from 47 farms in the study region. The data are analysed using nonparametric methods. By applying the Fare‐Primont index method, components of farm productivity and profitability are measured over the period 1998–2008. Growth in productivity is found to be the main contributor of profitability. Gains in efficiency and technical change are identified as jointly and similarly important in their contribution to total factor productivity for the farm sample in the region from 1998 to 2008. However, across environments, efficiency gains play an increasingly important role in influencing productivity as growing season rainfall increases. We conclude that R,D&E that delivers further improvement in technical efficiency and technical change is needed to support the profitability of farms across the study region.
Can gains from early literacy interventions be sustained? The case of Reading Recovery
Authors: Jesson Rebecca , Limbrick Libby
Published: January 2014

Early literacy interventions have demonstrated that pedagogically sound programmes can boost reading achievement for students who do not succeed in early literacy learning. However, there is less evidence as to what extent gains are maintained in subsequent years or the factors which may contribute to sustained progress. The research reported in this article employed a cross‐sectional design to investigate the achievement of students who had previously participated in Reading Recovery. Two to four years after successfully completing the intervention, students were assessed in reading and writing by using standardised assessment tools. Although 60% of students had retained parity in reading in comparison with their age cohort, 40% were markedly below the mean of the cohort and the national norm. Data from case study schools provide some initial suggestions for school implementation factors which affect continued success. Conclusions regarding the need to plan for sustainability of gains following early intervention are made.
Health Literacy, Cognitive Ability, and Functional Health Status among Older Adults
Authors: Serper Marina , Patzer Rachel E. , Curtis Laura M. , Smith Samuel G. , O'Conor Rachel , Baker David W. , Wolf Michael S.
Published: January 2014

Objective

To investigate whether previously noted associations between health literacy and functional health status might be explained by cognitive function.

Data Sources/Study Setting

Health Literacy and Cognition in Older Adults (“LitCog,” prospective study funded by National Institute on Aging). Data presented are from interviews conducted among 784 adults, ages 55–74 years receiving care at an academic general medicine clinic or one of four federally qualified health centers in Chicago from 2008 to 2010.

Study Design

Study participants completed structured, in‐person interviews administered by trained research assistants.

Data Collection

Health literacy was measured using the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, and Newest Vital Sign. Cognitive function was assessed using measures of long‐term and working memory, processing speed, reasoning, and verbal ability. Functional health was assessed with SF‐36 physical health summary scale and Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form subscales for depression and anxiety.

Principal Findings

All health literacy measures were significantly correlated with all cognitive domains. In multivariable analyses, inadequate health literacy was associated with worse physical health and more depressive symptoms. After adjusting for cognitive abilities, associations between health literacy, physical health, and depressive symptoms were attenuated and no longer significant.

Conclusions

Cognitive function explains a significant proportion of the associations between health literacy, physical health, and depression among older adults. Interventions to reduce literacy disparities in health care should minimize the cognitive burden in behaviors patients must adopt to manage personal health.
Institutional Environment and Technical Efficiency: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis of Cotton Producers in West Africa
Authors: Theriault Veronique , Serra Renata
Published: January 2014

This paper examines the effects of the institutional environment on West African cotton farmers’ technical efficiency (TE). First, key aspects of the cotton sector institutional environment are discussed, including input and credit access, and producers’ organisations. Then, a stochastic frontier production function, which incorporates technical inefficiency effects, is applied to farm level data collected in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. The survey includes farmers’ evaluations of the cotton sector institutional environment. Results suggest that institutional level features influence producers’ TE, besides farm‐level characteristics. Cotton growers who report a negative experience with the joint liability programme, who identify the cotton price mechanism or access to credit as the main constraints to performance, and who cultivate more hectares of cereals are technically more inefficient in producing cotton. Findings suggest that cotton farmers in Mali are less technically efficient in producing cotton than in Burkina Faso and Benin. Agricultural development policies focusing on reducing farmers’ financial stress, particularly through the establishment of adequate price mechanisms (i.e. higher farm‐gate prices and timely payments to farmers) and improvement in the input–credit markets should be encouraged to improve TE in West Africa.
Country‐Specific Determinants of Horizontal and Vertical Intra‐industry Agri‐food Trade: The Case of the EU New Member States
Authors: Jambor Attila
Published: January 2014

Intra‐industry trade (IIT) has become a widespread phenomenon with a growing role in international trade, though agricultural trade is usually neglected in empirical works. This article identifies the determinants of horizontal and vertical intra‐industry agri‐food trade between New Member States (NMS) and the EU‐27 in 1999–2010, by applying static and dynamic models with different specifications to panel data. Results show that IIT is mainly of a vertical nature in the NMS, though the majority of NMS export low quality agri‐food products to EU‐27 markets. Factor endowments are negatively related to agri‐food horizontal intra‐industry trade (HIIT), but positively to vertical intra‐industry trade (VIIT). Economic size is positively and significantly related to both types of IIT, while distance and IIT are found to be negatively related in both cases. Results also suggest that HIIT and VIIT are greater if a New Member State exports agri‐food products to another NMS while EU accession has had positive and significant impacts on both HIIT and VIIT, suggesting that economic integration fosters IIT.
Evolutionary relationships of Pemphigus and allied genera (Hemiptera: Aphididae: Eriosomatinae) and their primary endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola
Authors: Liu Lin , Li Xing‐Yi , Huang Xiao‐Lei , Qiao Ge‐Xia
Published: January 2014

Aphids harbor primary endosymbionts, Buchnera aphidicola, in specialized cells within their body cavities. Aphids and Buchnera have strict mutualistic relationships in nutrition exchange. This ancient association has received much attention from researchers who are interested in endosymbiotic evolution. Previous studies have found parallel phylogenetic relationships between non‐galling aphids and Buchnera at lower taxonomic levels (genus, species). To understand whether relatively isolated habitats such as galls have effect on the parallel relationships between aphids and Buchnera, the present paper investigated the phylogenetic relationships of gall aphids from Pemphigus and allied genera, which induce pseudo‐galls or galls on Populus spp. (poplar) and Buchnera. The molecular phylogenies inferred from three aphid genes (COI, COII and EF‐1α) and two Buchnera genes (gnd, 16S rRNA gene) indicated significant congruence between aphids and Buchnera at generic as well as interspecific levels. Interestingly, both aphid and Buchnera phylogenies supported three main clades corresponding to the galling locations of aphids, namely leaf, the joint of leaf blade and petiole, and branch of the host plant. The results suggest phylogenetic conservatism of gall characters, which indicates gall characters are more strongly affected by aphid phylogeny, rather than host plants.
Effect of the Mild Temperature and Traditional Treatments on Residual Peroxidase Activity, Color, and Chlorophyll Content on Storage of Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) Tea
Authors: Nabechima Gilson Hideki , Provesi João Gustavo , Henriquez Mantelli Márcia Barbosa , Vieira Manoela Alano , De Mello Castanho Amboni Renata Dias , Amante Edna Regina
Published: January 2014

The green coloring is the first characteristic in mate tea (chimarrão). Mate producers perform the sapeco process by rapidly passing the leaves through flames. It has been proven that this procedure leads to high energy consumption and also to excessive exposure of the raw material to heat. In this present work, the effect of sapeco on the inactivation of peroxidase, the color, and degradation of the chlorophyll in mate was evaluated by performing the sapeco procedure in a conveyor oven, without any direct contact with the flames. The mate processed in a conveyor oven was compared with mate processed in mate factories. Inactivation of peroxidase showed that sapeco performed in a conveyor oven at 255 ºC for 20 s can replace the traditional process of the industrial sapeco. This time/temperature binomial is significantly important for the green coloring and the minimization of chlorophyll degradation, besides representing a significant reduction in the temperature traditionally applied in the industrial sapeco of mate.
Divorce or end of cohabitation among Danish women evaluated for fertility problems
Authors: Kjaer Trille , Albieri Vanna , Jensen Allan , Kjaer Susanne K. , Johansen Christoffer , Dalton Susanne O.
Published: January 2014

Objective

Couples with fertility problems may experience marital or sexual distress which could potentially result in dissolved relationships. We investigated the likelihood of ending a relationship among women who did not have a child after a fertility evaluation.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study.

Setting

Danish women ever referred for primary or secondary fertility problems to a public Danish hospital or private fertility clinic between 1990 and 2006.

Population

A total of 47 515 women.

Methods

The data were linked to Danish administrative population‐based registries containing demographic and socioeconomic information. Discrete‐time survival models were used with person‐period data. Each woman was followed from the year of her initial fertility evaluation through to 2007.

Main outcome measures

Effects of parity after a fertility evaluation on the likelihood of ending a marital or cohabitation relationship.

Results

After up to 12 years of follow up, nearly 27% of the women were no longer living with the person with whom they had lived at the time of the fertility evaluation. Women who did not have a child after the evaluation had significantly higher odds ratios for ending a relationship up to 12 years after the evaluation (with odds ratios up to 3.13, 95% CI 2.88–3.41) than women who had a child, regardless of their parity before the evaluation.

Conclusions

Parity after a fertility evaluation may be an important component in the longitudinal relationships of couples with fertility problems. Studies with detailed information on marital quality and relational well‐being of couples with fertility problems are needed.
Effects of walking combined with restricted leg blood flow on mTOR and MAPK signalling in young men
Authors: Ozaki H. , Kakigi R. , Kobayashi H. , Loenneke J. P. , Abe T. , Naito H.
Published: January 2014

Walking combined with blood flow reduction (BFR‐walk) elicits muscle hypertrophy. However, the skeletal muscle intracellular signalling behind this response is currently unknown.

Aim

To investigate the effects of BFR‐walk on mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways in young men.

Methods

Six young men performed 20 min of treadmill walking at 55% of their predetermined maximum oxygen uptake. A pressure cuff belt was applied to the most proximal thigh of only one leg (BFR‐Leg, external compression was 240 mmHg), whereas the other leg (CON‐Leg) was without BFR during walking. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis of the CON‐Leg before exercise and in both legs 3 h after exercise.

Results

Erk1/2 phosphorylation levels were significantly (P < 0.05) increased after exercise in both legs; however, only the BFR‐Leg saw an increased phosphorylation of p38. For mTOR signalling, there were no changes in Akt, mTOR or S6K1 phosphorylation levels before or after walking. However, eEF2 phosphorylation level was significantly (P < 0.05) lower for the BFR‐Leg 3 h after walking compared with CON‐Leg.

Conclusion

BFR‐walk exercise may activate some intracellular signalling cascades that are associated with muscle hypertrophy in young men.
Paediatric urachal benign teratoma: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Kingo Pernille Skjold , Høyer Søren , Marinovskij Edvard , Rawashdeh Yazan Faiz
Published: January 2014

Urachal anomalies are most often seen in children, seldom in adults, but are in general considered rare. The estimated incidence is one in 5000–7000 live births and appears twice as common in males. Despite their rarity, they need to be considered by clinicians, as diseases in the urachus can mimic many abdominal and pelvic conditions and constitute an important differential diagnosis to these. Diagnosis can be made by clinical examination and imaging modalities (computed tomography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, voiding cystourethrogram), but some are discovered incidentally. Management of symptomatic urachal anomalies is surgery. Histological examination of the specimen should always be performed to rule out malignancy. We report on the first adolescent described in the literature diagnosed with a urachal sinus harboring a benign teratoma. A combination of the two pathologies is by inference an extremely rare condition, which we here report on and we review the relevant literature on this topic.
Microbiology of hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inversa): a histological study of 27 patients
Authors: Jahns Anika C. , Killasli Hassan , Nosek Daniel , Lundskog Bertil , Lenngren Anna , Muratova Zhanna , Emtestam Lennart , Alexeyev Oleg A.
Published: January 2014

Hidradenitis suppurativa (acne inverse) (HS) is a chronic skin disease primarily affecting hair follicles. The aetiology of HS is unknown, but infection is believed to play some role. This retrospective study investigated the microbial colonization directly in skin appendices in HS skin samples. Archival samples from 27 patients with HS were screened by immunofluorescence labelling with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against Gram‐positive bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used for further species identification of Staphylococcus spp. Overall, 17 patients (63%) were found positive for bacterial colonization. Of these, 15 showed colonization in hair follicles and/or sinus tracts. The most commonly identified bacteria were DAPI labelled coccoids that were seen in 71% of the positive patients in the form of biofilms and microcolonies. P. acnes was found as biofilms in hair follicles of two patients. Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase‐negative staphylococci were not detected in any sample. The results of this study indicate a common bacterial presence in HS skin lesions. Bacterial biofilms are not uncommon and their pathogenic role needs further evaluation.
Framing and Women's Support for Government Spending on Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Programs
Authors: Cassese Erin C. , Hannagan Rebecca
Published: January 2014

In this study, we use an experiment to evaluate how the framing of breast cancer threat shapes women's preferences for government spending on breast cancer research and treatment programs. The results indicate that framing breast cancer in terms of mortality elicits feelings of anxiety, which in turn heightens support for government spending on behalf of women. Despite the salience of breast cancer as a women's health issue, this relationship does not hold for the full sample of women. Instead, we observe a great deal of heterogeneity in reactions to the issue frames based on two individual‐level factors: (1) women's perceptions of their own personal risk for developing the disease and (2) the extent to which women have a general tendency to experience and express anxiety—what psychologists refer to as their level of trait anxiety. These two lines of inquiry—personality traits as moderators of framing effects and emotion as a consequence of framing—have previously been investigated somewhat independently. In this article, we integrate the two In order to gain insight into the complexity of the psychological processes that underlie public opinion toward women's health. The results highlight the need for political rhetoric to underscore personal risk in order to mobilize support for spending on breast cancer research and treatment among women.
Methods for observed‐cluster inference when cluster size is informative: A review and clarifications
Authors: Seaman Shaun R. , Pavlou Menelaos , Copas Andrew J.
Published: January 2014

Clustered data commonly arise in epidemiology. We assume each cluster member has an outcome Y and covariates . When there are missing data in Y, the distribution of Y given in all cluster members (“complete clusters”) may be different from the distribution just in members with observed Y (“observed clusters”). Often the former is of interest, but when data are missing because in a fundamental sense Y does not exist (e.g., quality of life for a person who has died), the latter may be more meaningful (quality of life conditional on being alive). Weighted and doubly weighted generalized estimating equations and shared random‐effects models have been proposed for observed‐cluster inference when cluster size is informative, that is, the distribution of Y given in observed clusters depends on observed cluster size. We show these methods can be seen as actually giving inference for complete clusters and may not also give observed‐cluster inference. This is true even if observed clusters are complete in themselves rather than being the observed part of larger complete clusters: here methods may describe imaginary complete clusters rather than the observed clusters. We show under which conditions shared random‐effects models proposed for observed‐cluster inference do actually describe members with observed Y. A psoriatic arthritis dataset is used to illustrate the danger of misinterpreting estimates from shared random‐effects models.
Clinical value of pre‐transplant minimal residual disease in childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia: the results of the French minimal residual disease‐guided protocol
Authors: Gandemer Virginie , Pochon Cécile , Oger Emmanuel , Dalle Jean‐Hugues H. , Michel Gérard , Schmitt Claudine , de Berranger Eva , Galambrun Claire , Cavé Hélène , Cayuela Jean‐Michel , Grardel Nathalie , Macintyre Elizabeth , Margueritte Geneviève , Méchinaud Françoise , Rorhlich Pierre , Lutz Patrick , Demeocq François , Schneider Pascale , Plantaz Dominique , Poirée Marilyne , Bordigoni Pierre
Published: January 2014

Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a major predictive factor of the cure rate of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Haematopoietic cell transplantation is a treatment option for patients at high risk of relapse. Between 2005 and 2008, we conducted a prospective study evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of the reduction of immunosuppressive medication shortly after a non‐ex vivo T depleted myeloablative transplantation. Immunoglobulin (Ig)H/T‐cell receptor MRD 30 d before transplant could be obtained in 122 of the 133 cases of high‐risk paediatric ALL enrolled. There were no significant demographic differences except remission status (first or second complete remission) between the 95 children with MRD <10−3 and the 27 with MRD ≥10−3. Multivariate analysis identified sex match and MRD as being significantly associated with 5‐year survival. MRD ≥10−3 compromised the 5‐year cumulative incidence of relapse (43·6 vs. 16·7%). Complete remission status and stem cell source did not modify the relationship between MRD and prognosis. Thus, pre‐transplant MRD is still a major predictor of outcome for ALL. The MRD‐guided strategy resulted in survival for 72·3% of patients with MRD<10−3 and 40·4% of those with MRD ≥10−3.
Ethnic and Racial Identity During Adolescence and Into Young Adulthood: An Integrated Conceptualization
Authors: Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. , Quintana Stephen M. , Lee Richard M. , Cross William E. , Rivas‐Drake Deborah , Schwartz Seth J. , Syed Moin , Yip Tiffany , Seaton Eleanor ,   Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group
Published: February 2014

Although ethnic and racial identity (ERI) are central to the normative development of youth of color, there have been few efforts to bring scholars together to discuss the theoretical complexities of these constructs and provide a synthesis of existing work. The Ethnic and Racial Identity in the 21st Century Study Group was assembled for this purpose. This article provides an overview of the interface of ERI with developmental and contextual issues across development, with an emphasis on adolescence and young adulthood. It proposes a metaconstruct to capture experiences that reflect both individuals’ ethnic background and their racialized experiences in a specific sociohistorical context. Finally, it presents milestones in the development of ERI across developmental periods.
Patterns of transport and introduction of exotic amphibians in Australia
Authors: García‐Díaz Pablo , Cassey Phillip
Published: February 2014

Aim

Research on amphibian invasions has largely focused on the likelihood of successful establishment, while analysis of the previous stages in the invasion pathway (transport and introduction) is scarce despite its critical importance. Here, we investigate the patterns of taxonomic and geographic non‐randomness as well as the factors affecting the transport and introduction of amphibians.

Location

Australia.

Methods

We compiled and analysed a database on the identity of transported and introduced amphibians. First, we tested for taxonomic (family level) and geographic non‐randomness by comparing transported and introduced species with all extant caudates and anurans. Second, we constructed models to examine the influence of different factors upon the probability of transport and introduction of amphibians in Australia.

Results

Amphibians were transported via two main pathways: trade (71 species) and stowaway (38 species). In addition, several species were transported through both pathways. Transported species represented a taxonomic and geographic non‐random sample of all extant amphibian species. Conversely, introduced species constituted a random sample of the transported amphibians. Regardless of the transport pathway, the probability of transport of amphibians increased with increasing extent of their native geographical range. A large number of native Australian species have been transported outside their naturally occurring ranges, representing over 65% of the introduced species. Introduction is strongly correlated with the transport pathway, that is, species transported through two pathways were more likely to be released or escape from captivity.

Main conclusions

The probability of amphibians being transported and introduced to, or within, Australia is critically affected by their availability to be captured, bred and housed in captivity. Management strategies to prevent the future introduction and establishment of new amphibians need to include the people involved in species trade, as well as continued vigilance by biosecurity and custom agencies.
Measuring the Efficiency of Health Services in Lower‐income Countries: The Case of Papua New Guinea
Authors: Au Nicole , Hollingsworth Bruce , Spinks Jean
Published: February 2014

Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces enormous health challenges and information concerning how to allocate limited health resources efficiently is lacking. This article finds that geographical location is important in achieving higher efficiency scores. In addition, it compares efficiency scores against a range of quality indicators. The results demonstrate that different conclusions are reached when efficiency scores are assessed in the context of broader health system objectives. Analyses of this kind can provide valuable information to policy‐makers in lower‐income countries.
The increased efficiency of fish swimming in a school
Authors: Hemelrijk CK , Reid DAP , Hildenbrandt H , Padding JT
Published: January 2014

There is increasing evidence that fish gain energetic benefits from the hydrodynamic interactions when they swim in a school. The most recent indications of such benefits are a lower tail (or fin) beat at the back of a school and reduced oxygen consumption in schooling fish versus solitary ones. How such advantages may arise is poorly understood. Current hydrodynamic theories concern either fish swimming side by side or in a diamond configuration and they largely ignore effects of viscosity and interactions among wakes and individuals. In reality, however, hydrodynamic effects are complex and fish swim in many configurations. Since these hydrodynamic effects are difficult to study empirically, we investigate them in a computer model by incorporating viscosity and interactions among wakes and with individuals. We compare swimming efficiency of model fish (based on shapes of mullets of 126 mm) travelling solitarily and in schools at several interindividual distances in four different configurations (diamond, rectangular, phalanx and line). We show that these fish always swim more efficiently in a school than alone (except in a dense phalanx). We indicate how this efficiency may emerge from several kinds of interactions between wakes and individuals. As individuals in our simulations are not even intending to exploit the wake, gains in efficiency are obtained more easily than previously thought.
Gender and small‐scale fisheries: a case for counting women and beyond
Authors: Kleiber Danika , Harris Leila M , Vincent Amanda C J
Published: February 2014

Marine ecosystem–scale fisheries research and management must include the fishing effort of women and men. Even with growing recognition that women do fish, there remains an imperative to engage in more meaningful and relevant gender analysis to improve socio‐ecological approaches to fisheries research and management. The implications of a gender approach to fisheries have been explored in social approaches to fisheries, but the relevance of gender analysis for ecological understandings has yet to be fully elaborated. To examine the importance of gender to the understanding of marine ecology, we identified 106 case studies of small‐scale fisheries from the last 20 years that detail the participation of women in fishing (data on women fishers being the most common limiting factor to gender analysis). We found that beyond gender difference in fishing practices throughout the world, the literature reveals a quantitative data gap in the characterization of gender in small‐scale fisheries. The descriptive details of women's often distinct fishing practices nonetheless provide important ecological information with implications for understanding the human role in marine ecosystems. Finally, we examined why the data gap on women's fishing practices has persisted, detailing several ways in which commonly used research methods may perpetuate biased sampling that overlooks women's fishing. This review sheds light on a new aspect of the application of gender research to fisheries research, with an emphasis on ecological understanding within a broader context of interdisciplinary approaches.