bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Change management in Indo-Japanese cross-cultural collaborative contexts
Authors: Ashta Ashok , Stokes Peter , Hughes Paul
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Within the globalized commercial context, Japanese business activity in India has increased significantly. The purpose of this paper is to highlight common attitudinal traits that would facilitate orientation of Indian executives towards Japanese management methods through, for instance “reverse adaptation”, using an approach other than cultural dimensions that have emerged in recent decades and consider how these play out in change management contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was undertaken which found significant parallels between traditional Indian philosophy and modern Japanese management methods,inter alialong-term orientation, equanimity andNemawashi(pre-arranged participative decision making) and shared spiritual dimensions. The paper employed a methodology of participant observation and semi-structured interview approaches contextualized through lived experience methodology (Van Manen, 2015). These events are described and analysed narratively using a blend of qualitative participant observation and reflexive critical incident review.

Findings

The findings, by examining the confluence of Indian and Japanese management, provide an innovative avenue of research and theory for change management.

Research limitations/implications

The research employs an inductive methodology which employs vignettes to examine Indo-Japanese contexts. The limits to generalization are recognized within the study. The paper offers important implications on Indo-Japanese collaboration and change management.

Practical implications

These findings have important practical implications for Indian and Japanese managers who will be able to engage better within the dynamics of the Japanese work environment in Japanese subsidiaries in India. These same insights could also potentially facilitate wider examples of working in Japanese environments, either in Japan or outside Japan. At a more general level, the findings are relevant to all foreign investors in India for enhanced employee engagement by providing insights into spiritual values of Indian managers and their impact on change management situations.

Social implications

There is emerging research on how traditional Indian philosophy tenets can be found in modern (western) management. This paper provides reasons, based in the extant literature, to believe that modern Japanese methods can trace their origin in Buddhist Indian philosophical thought and offer important implications for managing change.

Originality/value

The paper offers in-depth original insights into Indo-Japanese collaborative contexts.
Organizational, technological and extrinsic factors in the implementation of cloud ERP in SMEs
Authors: Gupta Shivam , Misra Subhas C. , Kock Ned , Roubaud David
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Use of cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) services equips an SME to forego the requirements of high financial budget, IT infrastructure, and trained IT personnel as it is required for on-premise ERP solution. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the organizational and technological factors as well as the factors that concern the performance of cloud service provider. These concerns are known as extrinsic factors and they are compliance, network, and information security. This study links the organizational and technological factors of SMEs and the extrinsic factors of cloud vendor for the successful implementation of cloud ERP.

Design/methodology/approach

Resource dependence theory (RDT) was used to understand the relationship of SMEs and cloud service provider. Structural equation modeling was employed in analyzing the data of 208 SMEs that were collected through a survey.

Findings

The empirical analysis supports the RDT as the critical success factors of the SMEs have a positive relationship with the extrinsic factors (compliance, network, and information security) during the cloud ERP implementation.

Research limitations/implications

The data collected in this study is from India and this acts as a limitation as the result might not hold true for other countries and regions. Also, the data collected are cross-sectional and only represent the perspective of the respondents at the time of filling the questionnaire.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to bring out a relationship between SMEs and cloud service provider for the successful implementation of cloud ERP.
Service operations: what’s next?
Authors: Field Joy M. , Victorino Liana , Buell Ryan W. , Dixon Michael J. , Meyer Goldstein Susan , Menor Larry J. , Pullman Madeleine E. , Roth Aleda V. , Secchi Enrico , Zhang Jie J.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present exciting and innovative research questions in service operations that are aligned with eight key themes and related topics determined by theJournal of Service Management(JOSM) Service Operations Expert Research Panel. By offering a good number of such research questions, this paper provides a broad range of ideas to spur conceptual and empirical research related to service operations and encourage the continued creation of deep knowledge within the field, as well as collaborative research across disciplines that develops and incorporates insights from service operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a Delphi study, described in the companion article, “Service Operations: What Have We Learned?,” the panel identified eight key research themes in service operations where leading-edge research is being done or has yet to be done (Victorinoet al., 2018). In this paper, three or four topics within each theme are selected and multiple questions for each topic are proposed to guide research efforts. The topics and questions, while wide-ranging, are only representative of the many ongoing research opportunities related to service operations.

Findings

The field of service operations has many interesting research topics and questions that are largely unexplored. Furthermore, these research areas are not only increasingly integrative across multiple themes within operations but often transcend functional disciplines. This creates opportunities for ever more impactful research with a greater reach throughout the service system and suggests that service researchers, regardless of functional affiliation, can contribute to the ongoing conversation on the role of service operations in value creation.

Originality/value

Leveraging the collective knowledge of theJOSMService Operations Expert Research Panel to expand on the research themes generated from the Delphi study, novel questions for future study are put forward. Recognizing that the number of potential research questions is virtually unlimited, summary questions by theme and topic are also provided. These questions represent a synopsis of the individual questions and can serve as a quick reference guide for researchers interested in pursuing new directions in conceptual and empirical research in service operations. This summary also serves as a framework to facilitate the formulation of additional research topics and questions.
Corporate governance in Spanish savings banks and its relationship with financial and social performance
Authors: Bachiller Patricia , Garcia-Lacalle Javier
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present empirical evidence about relationships between the corporate governance (CG) mechanisms of the Spanish savings banks, their financial and social performance and their profitability prior to their collapse.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a structural equation model (SEM), taking the return on assets as the dependent variable, and CG, corporate social responsibility and efficiency as explanatory constructs. SEM methodology provides interesting features that allows a better definition of some organisational characteristics.

Findings

Results indicate that CG characteristics, including the politicisation of governance bodies, did not affect the financial performance. The size of the board of directors had a significant influence on social responsibility. In addition, results suggest that the whole board focused on social issues, whereas non-executive members were less concerned about economic issues. Greater money allocation to social welfare programmes resulted in higher profitability, which can be explained by competitive advantages, reputation and customer satisfaction.

Social implications

Nowadays, some political parties demand either for the creation of a public banking sector or banks with social goals. This paper provides interesting insights into the debate.

Originality/value

The influence of personal attributes of board members on performance needs to be analysed in greater depth in the non-profit sector. The SEM methodology allows us to include some board attributes and performance dimensions in a better way than with other methodologies.
Influence of WOM and content type on online engagement in consumption communities
Authors: Le Tri D.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of word-of-mouth (WOM) types, WOM valence, content types and discussion topics of user posts on online engagement in two channels of a consumption community. The posts are composed by users on the discussion forum and shared to the Facebook channel of the consumption community by the administrators.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study were obtained from a popular car consumption community in Vietnam. A total of 505 user posts on the discussion forum were manually coded and assigned to WOM types, valence and content characteristics. The online engagement metrics were measured by the number of views and replies on the discussion forum, and the number of likes, comments and shares on Facebook.

Findings

The results indicate that the WOM types and valence have a significant impact on online engagement and the popularity of posts on Facebook is associated with the number of views on a discussion forum. The content type and discussion topic partially influence some factors of the online engagement metrics.

Practical implications

The findings are helpful for consumption community administrators to understand and manage their users’ engagement. Moreover, it indirectly supports brands and companies, since the consumption communities also include sub-communities of particular brands and marketers cooperate with consumption communities for their social media marketing strategies.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature of online engagement in two aspects. First, this study examines the impact of WOM types and valence. Second, this is the first study investigating the effects of posts by users within an information flow from a discussion forum to Facebook.
‘Proportioning violence’: Ethnographic notes on the contingencies of police reform in Turkey
Authors: Akarsu Hayal
Published: February 2018

In spite of years of efforts in Turkey to reform the police, including an increase in budget allocations for ‘democratic policing training’, ‘capacity building programmes’ and ‘non‐lethal technologies and tools’, police violence persists. How might we conceptualize the relationship between the upsurge of police violence and such investments? In this article, the author suggests that instead of taking ‘reform’ or ‘transformation’ discourses at face value, we look at some of the ways in which police violence is reformatted through the very tools, discourses and idioms of police reform itself. The article draws on 18 months of fieldwork research on police and security in Turkey, where the author observed the on‐site implementation of police reforms in several venues: police academy classes, practical training programmes that also involved ‘international’ security experts, and local police stations and neighbourhoods. The article examines how the processes of reforming expand the contours of not only policing practice but also the boundaries of police violence – ostensibly what these reforms were supposed to restrain.
The Impact of Nonthermal Technologies on the Microbiological Quality of Juices: A Review
Authors: Roobab Ume , Aadil Rana Muhammad , Madni Ghulam Muhammad , Bekhit Alaa El‐Din
Published: February 2018

Fruit and vegetable juices are rich sources of nutrients that support microbiological growth and ultimately undergo rapid deterioration of safety and quality. The loss of nutritional quality of juices due to intensive thermal processing is a major problem encountered during the treatment of commercially preserved liquid foods. Conventional thermal processing technologies inactivate microorganisms and enzymes and extend the shelf life of foods but exert negative effects on nutritional and organoleptic properties of juices, for example, a loss of vitamins, of a desirable flavor, and of bioactive compounds and development of different sensory profiles as a result of heating. Nonthermal technologies including ultrasonication, a pulsed electric field, high‐pressure processing, irradiation, and their combinations are suitable alternatives for achieving the same preservation effect without the adverse effects of heat on the quality of juices and meet consumer demand for clean‐label, safe, and wholesome products without compromising their nutritional properties.
First molecular genetic evidence for automictic parthenogenesis in cockroaches
Authors: Tanaka Masashi , Daimon Takaaki
Published: February 2018

Parthenogenesis is an asexual mode of reproduction that plays an important role in the evolution of sex, sociality, and reproduction strategies in insects. Some species of cockroach exhibit thelytoky, a type of parthenogenesis in which female offspring are produced without fertilization. However, the cytological and genetic mechanisms of parthenogenesis in cockroaches are not well understood. Here we provide the first molecular genetic evidence that cockroaches can reproduce through automixis. Using the American cockroach Periplaneta americana, we performed microsatellite analysis to investigate the genetic relationship between parthenogenetically produced nymphs and the parent virgin females, and found that all parthenogenetic offspring were homozygous for autosomal microsatellite markers, whereas the female parents were heterozygous. In addition, flow cytometry analysis revealed that the parthenogenetic offspring were diploid. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P. americana exhibits automixis‐type thelytoky, in which diploidy is restored by gamete duplication or terminal fusion. These findings highlight the unique reproduction strategies of cockroaches, which are more varied than was previously recognized.
Tolvaptan in Chinese cirrhotic patients with ascites: A randomized, placebo‐controlled phase 2 trial
Authors: Wang Yong Feng , Tang Jie Ting , Han Tao , Ding Hui Guo , Ye Wei Jiang , Wang Mao Rong , Cheng Jun , Yang Yong Ping , Chen Cheng Wei , Xie Qing , Mao Qing , Niu Jun Qi , Wang Zheng Hua , Wei Zhong , Chen Ying Xuan , Zeng Min De , Mao Yi Min
Published: February 2018

Objective

To evaluate tolvaptan as a novel therapeutic option for Chinese patients with liver cirrhosis‐associated ascites in a phase 2 clinical trial.

Methods

This randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial was conducted in patients with insufficient responses to combination therapies of an oral loop diuretic and an aldosterone antagonist. Reduction in body weight and abdominal circumference, increase in 24‐h cumulative urine volume and improvement in serum sodium level from baseline to the end of treatment in the tolvaptan groups (15 mg/day or 30 mg/day orally) were compared with those in the placebo group. Drug safety was also assessed.

Results

Sixty‐two patients were allocated to the placebo group, 56 to the tolvaptan 15‐mg group and 63 to the tolvaptan 30‐mg group. Their mean changes in body weight were ‐0.5 ± 1.6 kg, ‐2.1 ± 2.0 kg and ‐1.9 ± 2.0 kg, respectively. Body weight reductions in both tolvaptan groups were significantly greater than that in the placebo group (difference ‐1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] ‐2.5 to ‐0.8, and difference ‐1.4, 95% CI, ‐2.2 to ‐0.7, both P < 0.0001). The administration of tolvaptan also significantly reduced the abdominal circumference, increased 24‐h cumulative urine volume and serum sodium level compared with placebo. The most common adverse events in the tolvaptan groups were constipation, diarrhea, dry mouth and thirst, with no severe adverse events observed.

Conclusion

Tolvaptan at 15 mg/day significantly reduced the body weight and abdominal circumference in patients with liver cirrhosis‐associated ascites, which needs to be confirmed in a phase 3 trial.
Genomic variation in Pekin duck populations developed in three different countries as revealed by whole‐genome data
Authors: Zhang Z. , Jia Y. , Chen Y. , wang L. , Lv X. , Yang F. , He Y. , Ning Z. , Qu L.
Published: February 2018

It is well known that both British and American Pekin ducks originated from China. However, the populations differ substantially in production performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. Herein, we sequenced 24 individual Pekin ducks (eight from each population) with an average sequencing depth of more than 45× for each population (mean coverage of 6.29 per individual). Among these populations from three different countries, we identified a large number of SNPs and indels as well as many unique population variants, which can be used as population‐specific molecular markers. Genomic comparisons among the three duck populations revealed many candidate genes as well as pathways and Gene Ontology categories that are putatively associated with meat yield in the British population, growth in the American population and brain development in all three populations. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Pekin ducks and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of this species.
Effect of sarcopenia on the outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy for distal cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Umetsu Satoko , Wakiya Taiichi , Ishido Keinosuke , Kudo Daisuke , Kimura Norihisa , Miura Takuya , Toyoki Yoshikazu , Hakamada Kenichi
Published: February 2018

Background

The relationship between sarcopenia and patient outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) remains unclear. We assessed the impact of sarcopenia on the outcomes after PD for DCC.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 65 patients who underwent PD for DCC. The quality of skeletal muscle indicated by the psoas muscle mass index (PMI) were measured on pre‐operative computed tomography images. The impact of pre‐operative sarcopenia on short‐ and long‐term outcomes was evaluated.

Results

Regarding short‐term surgical outcomes, there were no marked differences between the high and low PMI groups. Regarding long‐term oncological outcomes, the rates of recurrence (23.5% versus 58.3%, P = 0.011) was significantly lower in the high PMI group than in the low PMI group. Furthermore, the recurrence‐free survival and disease‐specific survival were longer in the high PMI group (P = 0.023 and P = 0.043, respectively). On multivariate analyses, low PMI was an independent predictor of recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) 11.06; P = 0.022) and disease‐specific death (HR 11.88; P = 0.043).

Conclusions

Our findings suggested an association between pre‐operative sarcopenia and poor long‐term oncological outcomes after PD for DCC.
Connecting game design with problem posing skills in early childhood
Authors: Kalmpourtzis George
Published: February 2018

This paper presents a teaching experiment with preschoolers, considering games as means for presenting problem‐based situations and focusing on the development of game design in connection to problem posing skills. The study was conducted in a focus group of eighteen 5–6‐year‐old students who participated in game design sessions, compared to a control group of students of the same age, who did not participate in any game design interventions. An experimental design research methodology was applied, where their skills, both in game design and in problem posing, were examined by a pretest and posttest. The findings suggest that the development of game design skills with the support of appropriate organized teaching interventions can also have a positive impact on the development of problem posing skills.
Ileal vaginoplasty as vaginal reconstruction in transgender women and patients with disorders of sex development: an international, multicentre, retrospective study on surgical characteristics and outcomes
Authors: van der Sluis Wouter B. , Pavan Nicola , Liguori Giovanni , Bucci Stefano , Bizic Marta R. , Kojovic Vladimir , Hess Jochen , Meijerink Wilhelmus J.H.J. , Mullender Margriet G. , Özer Müjde , Smit Jan Maerten , Buncamper Marlon E. , Krege Susanne , Djordjevic Miroslav L. , Trombetta Carlo , Bouman Mark‐Bram
Published: February 2018

Objective

To describe the surgical outcomes of ileal vaginoplasty in transgender women and patients with disorders of sex development (DSD).

Patients and Methods

Transgender women and patients with DSD, who underwent ileal vaginoplasty at the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, University Hospital Trieste, University Hospital Essen, and Belgrade University Hospital, were retrospectively identified. A chart review was performed, recording surgical technique, intraoperative characteristics, complications, and re‐operations.

Results

We identified a total of 32 patients (27 transgender and five non‐transgender), with a median (range) age of 35 (6–63) years. Ileal vaginoplasty was performed as the primary procedure in three and as a revision procedure in the remaining 29. The mean (sd) operative time was 288 (103) min. The procedure was performed laparoscopically (seven patients) or open (25). An ileal ‘U‐pouch’ was created in five patients and a single lumen in 27. Intraoperative complications occurred in two patients (one iatrogenic bladder damage and one intraoperative blood loss necessitating transfusion). The median (range) hospitalisation was 12 (6–30) days. Successful neovaginal reconstruction was achieved in all. The mean (sd) achieved neovaginal depth was 13.2 (3.1) cm. The median (range) clinical follow‐up was 35 (3–159) months. In one patient a recto‐neovaginal fistula occurred, which lead to temporary ileostomy. Introital stenosis occurred in four patients (12.5%).

Conclusion

Ileal vaginoplasty can be performed with few intra‐ and postoperative complications. It appears to have similar complication rates when compared to sigmoid vaginoplasty. It now seems to be used predominantly for revision procedures.
The desmin network is a determinant of the cytoplasmic stiffness of myoblasts
Authors: Charrier Elisabeth E. , Montel Lorraine , Asnacios Atef , Delort Florence , Vicart Patrick , Gallet François , Batonnet‐Pichon Sabrina , Hénon Sylvie
Published: February 2018

Background Information

The mechanical properties of cells are essential to maintain their proper functions, and mainly rely on their cytoskeleton. A lot of attention has been paid to actin filaments, demonstrating their central role in the cells mechanical properties, but much less is known about the participation of intermediate filament (IF) networks. Indeed the contribution of IFs, such as vimentin, keratins and lamins, to cell mechanics has only been assessed recently. We study here the involvement of desmin, an IF specifically expressed in muscle cells, in the rheology of immature muscle cells. Desmin can carry mutations responsible for a class of muscle pathologies named desminopathies.

Results

In this study, using three types of cell rheometers, we assess the consequences of expressing wild‐type (WT) or mutated desmin on the rheological properties of single myoblasts. We find that the mechanical properties of the cell cortex are not correlated to the quantity, nor the quality of desmin expressed. On the contrary, the overall cell stiffness increases when the amount of WT or mutated desmin polymerised in cytoplasmic networks increases. However, myoblasts become softer when the desmin network is partially depleted by the formation of aggregates induced by the expression of a desmin mutant.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that desmin plays a negligible role in the mechanical properties of the cell cortex but is a determinant of the overall cell stiffness. More particularly, desmin participates to the cytoplasm viscoelasticity.

Significance

Desminopathies are associated with muscular weaknesses attributed to a disorganisation of the structure of striated muscle that impairs the active force generation. The present study evidences for the first time the key role of desmin in the rheological properties of myoblasts, raising the hypothesis that desmin mutations could also alter the passive mechanical properties of muscles, thus participating to the lack of force build up in muscle tissue.
Integrin diversity brings specificity in mechanotransduction
Authors: Seetharaman Shailaja , Etienne‐Manneville Sandrine
Published: February 2018

Cells sense and respond to the biochemical and physical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) through adhesive structures that bridge the cell cytoskeleton and the surrounding environment. Integrin‐mediated adhesions interact with specific ECM proteins and sense the rigidity of the substrate to trigger signalling pathways that, in turn, regulate cellular processes such as adhesion, motility, proliferation and differentiation. This process, called mechanotransduction, influenced by the involvement of different integrin subtypes and their high ECM–ligand binding specificity, contributes to the cell‐type‐specific mechanical responses. In this review, we describe how the expression of particular integrin subtypes affects cellular adaptation to substrate rigidity. We then explain the role of integrins and associated proteins in mechanotransduction, focusing on their specificity in mechanosensing and force transmission.
Variation in traction forces during cell cycle progression
Authors: Vianay Benoit , Senger Fabrice , Alamos Simon , Anjur‐Dietrich Maya , Bearce Elizabeth , Cheeseman Bevan , Lee Lisa , Théry Manuel
Published: February 2018

Background Information

Tissue morphogenesis results from the interplay between cell growth and mechanical forces. While the impact of geometrical confinement and mechanical forces on cell proliferation has been fairly well characterised, the inverse relationship is much less understood. Here, we investigated how traction forces vary during cell cycle progression.

Results

Cell shape was constrained on micropatterned substrates in order to distinguish variations in cell contractility from cell size increase. We performed traction force measurements of asynchronously dividing cells expressing a cell‐cycle reporter, to obtain measurements of contractile forces generated during cell division. We found that forces tend to increase as cells progress through G1, before reaching a plateau in S phase, and then decline during G2.

Conclusions

While cell size increases regularly during cell cycle progression, traction forces follow a biphasic behaviour based on specific and opposite regulation of cell contractility during early and late growth phases.

Significance

These results highlight the key role of cellular signalling in the regulation of cell contractility, independently of cell size and shape. Non‐monotonous variations of cell contractility during cell cycle progression are likely to impact the mechanical regulation of tissue homoeostasis in a complex and non‐linear manner.
Discovery of novel 5‐methyl‐1H‐pyrazole derivatives as potential antiprostate cancer agents: Design, synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation
Authors: Zhang Daoguang , Asnake Solomon , Zhang Jingya , Olsson Per‐Erik , Zhao Guisen
Published: February 2018

Androgen receptor (AR) signaling functions as a core driving force for the progression of prostate cancer (PCa), and AR has been proved to be an effective therapeutic target even for castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Herein, structural modification via a fragments splicing strategy was performed based on two lead compounds T3 and 10e, leading to the discovery of a series of 5‐methyl‐1H‐pyrazole derivatives. AR reporter gene assay revealed compounds A13 and A14 as potent AR antagonists. Some of the compounds in this series inhibited growth of PCa LNCaP cells more efficiently than enzalutamide. A13 and A14 also showed improved metabolic stability compared with 10e in human liver microsomes.
Managing the flow of private information on children and parents in poverty situations: Creating a panoptic eye in interorganizational networks?
Authors: Van Haute Dorien , Roets Griet , Alasuutari Maarit , Vandenbroeck Michel
Published: February 2018

In this article, we discuss how the flow of private information about children and families in poverty situations is managed in interorganizational networks that aim to combat child poverty. Although practices for sharing information and documentation between child and family social work services are highly encouraged and recommended to create supportive features for parents and children, this development often results in undesirable forms of governmentality. Interorganizational networking also creates controlling side effects because the exchange of information in networks of child and family services may wield a holistic power over families. We theorize this issue by using the Foucauldian concepts of the panopticon and pastoral power, which allows us to grapple with the major tension between support and control in the information‐ and documentation‐sharing practices of social workers. A critical analysis of our empirical data reveals four central fields of tension in which social workers and their organizations must position themselves: (a) craving control and handling uncertainty, (b) using and misusing private information and trust, (c) constructing families as subjects and objects of intervention, and (d) including and excluding families.
Dispersal ecology of deadwood organisms and connectivity conservation
Authors: Komonen Atte , Müller Jörg
Published: February 2018

Limited knowledge of dispersal for most organisms hampers effective connectivity conservation in fragmented landscapes. In forest ecosystems, deadwood‐dependent organisms (i.e., saproxylics) are negatively affected by forest management and degradation globally. We reviewed empirically established dispersal ecology of saproxylic insects and fungi. We focused on direct studies (e.g., mark‐recapture, radiotelemetry), field experiments, and population genetic analyses. We found 2 somewhat opposite results. Based on direct methods and experiments, dispersal is limited to within a few kilometers, whereas genetic studies showed little genetic structure over tens of kilometers, which indicates long‐distance dispersal. The extent of direct dispersal studies and field experiments was small and thus these studies could not have detected long‐distance dispersal. Particularly for fungi, more studies at management‐relevant scales (1–10 km) are needed. Genetic researchers used outdated markers, investigated few loci, and faced the inherent difficulties of inferring dispersal from genetic population structure. Although there were systematic and species‐specific differences in dispersal ability (fungi are better dispersers than insects), it seems that for both groups colonization and establishment, not dispersal per se, are limiting their occurrence at management‐relevant scales. Because most studies were on forest landscapes in Europe, particularly the boreal region, more data are needed from nonforested landscapes in which fragmentation effects are likely to be more pronounced. Given the potential for long‐distance dispersal and the logical necessity of habitat area being a more fundamental landscape attribute than the spatial arrangement of habitat patches (i.e., connectivity sensu strict), retaining high‐quality deadwood habitat is more important for saproxylic insects and fungi than explicit connectivity conservation in many cases.
Lessons from Białowieża Forest on the history of protection and the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore
Authors: Samojlik Tomasz , Selva Nuria , Daszkiewicz Piotr , Fedotova Anastasia , Wajrak Adam , Kuijper Dries Pieter Jan
Published: February 2018

Understanding how the relationships between large carnivores and humans have evolved and have been managed through centuries can provide relevant insights for wildlife conservation. The management history of many large carnivores has followed a similar pattern, from game reserved for nobility, to persecuted pests, to conservation targets. We reconstructed the history of brown bear (Ursus arctos) management in Białowieża Forest (Poland and Belarus) based on a detailed survey of historical literature and Russian archives. From the end of the Middle Ages to the end of 18th century, the brown bear was considered “animalia superiora” (i.e., game exclusively reserved for nobility and protected by law). Bears, also a source of public entertainment, were not regarded as a threat. Effective measures to prevent damages to traditional forest beekeeping were already in practice. In the beginning of 19th century, new game‐management approaches allowed most forest officials to hunt bears, which became the primary target of hunters due to their valuable pelt. This, together with an effective anticarnivore policy enhanced by bounties, led to bear extirpation in 1879. Different approaches to scientific game management appeared (planned extermination of predators and hunting levels that would maintain stable populations), as did the first initiatives to protect bears from cruel treatment in captivity. Bear reintroduction in Białowieża Forest began in 1937 and represented the world's first reintroduction of a large carnivore motivated by conservation goals. The outbreak of World War II spoiled what might have been a successful project; reproduction in the wild was documented for 8 years and bear presence for 13. Soft release of cubs born in captivity inside the forest but freely roaming with minimal human contact proved successful. Release of captive human‐habituated bears, feeding of these bears, and a lack of involvement of local communities were weaknesses of the project. Large carnivores are key components of ecosystem‐function restoration, and site‐specific histories provide important lessons in how to preserve them for the future.
A Self‐Organizing Approach to Subject–Verb Number Agreement
Authors: Smith Garrett , Franck Julie , Tabor Whitney
Published: February 2018

We present a self‐organizing approach to sentence processing that sheds new light on notional plurality effects in agreement attraction, using pseudopartitive subject noun phrases (e.g., a bottle of pills). We first show that notional plurality ratings (numerosity judgments for subject noun phrases) predict verb agreement choices in pseudopartitives, in line with the “Marking” component of the Marking and Morphing theory of agreement processing. However, no account to date has derived notional plurality values from independently needed principles of language processing. We argue on the basis of new experimental evidence and a dynamical systems model that the theoretical black box of notional plurality can be unpacked into objectively measurable semantic features. With these semantic features driving structure formation (and hence agreement choice), our model reproduces the human verb production patterns as a byproduct of normal processing. Finally, we discuss how the self‐organizing approach might be extended to other agreement attraction phenomena.
Adenocarcinoma predominant pattern subtyping and nuclear grading in cytology: Is there a role in prognostication of advanced pulmonary adenocarcinomas?
Authors: Nambirajan A. , Kaur H. , Jangra K. , Kaur K. , Madan K. , Mathur S. R. , Iyer V. K. , Jain D.
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Primary lung adenocarcinomas (ADs) show varied architectural patterns, and pattern‐based subtyping of ADs is currently recommended due to prognostic implications. Predicting AD patterns on cytology is challenging; however, cytological nuclear features appear to correlate with histological grade and survival in early stage lung ADs. The feasibility and value of AD pattern prediction and nuclear grading on cytology in advanced lung ADs is not known. We aimed to predict patterns and analyse nuclear features on cytology and evaluate their role in prognostication.

Methods

One‐hundred patients of Stage III/IV lung AD with available matched cytology and histology samples were included. Cyto‐patterns based on cell arrangement patterns (flat sheets vs three‐dimensional clusters vs papillae) and cyto‐nuclear score based on nuclear features (size, shape, contour), nucleoli (macronucleoli vs prominent vs inconspicuous), and nuclear chromatin were determined, and correlated with predominant histological‐pattern observed on the matched small biopsy and outcome.

Results

Higher cyto‐nuclear scores were observed with high‐grade histo‐patterns (solid, micropapillary and cribriform), while the predicted cyto‐patterns did not correspond to the predominant pattern on histology in 77% cases. Highest cyto‐histo agreement was observed for solid pattern (72%). High grade histo‐patterns and cyto‐nuclear scores > 3 showed a trend towards inferior survival (not significant).

Conclusions

Nuclear grade scoring on cytology is simple to perform, and is predictive of high grade patterns. Its inclusion in routine reporting of cytology samples of lung ADs may be valuable.
A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification‐based method for detecting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from Monochamus alternatus
Authors: Meng F. , Wang X. , Wang L. , Gou D. , Liu H. , Wang Y. , Piao C.
Published: February 2018

The introduction of the pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, to new areas has impacted on the international economy. Therefore, accurate and reliable detection methods for PWN are essential for the control and management of this pest. A rapid and economic method for detecting PWN may be developed focusing on the PWN vector (Monochamus alternatus). This work standardized a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method using newly designed primer sequences based on the syg‐2 gene, which encodes the synaptogenesis protein syg‐2. Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification was conducted at 63°C for 60 min using six sets of primers. The result was confirmed by visual observation. A positive reaction was confirmed by SYBR Green I fluorescence dye under light thermal cycling. The lower limit of DNA detection was 51.4 pg/μl in both LAMP and 51.4 ng/μl in PCR. Therefore, the LAMP was 1,000 times more sensitive in DNA detection than PCR. The LAMP is a relatively new, highly accurate and rapid molecular technique that can rapidly detect infectious agents in the field without requiring sophisticated instruments, giving a visually readable result. The method greatly improves detection, without requiring professional knowledge and expensive, sophisticated equipment. Therefore, this system is suitable for quarantine and field detection.
Single‐trial log transformation is optimal in frequency analysis of restingEEGalpha
Authors: Smulders Fren T. Y. , ten Oever Sanne , Donkers Franc C. L. , Quaedflieg Conny W. E. M. , van de Ven Vincent
Published: February 2018

The appropriate definition and scaling of the magnitude of electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillations is an underdeveloped area. The aim of this study was to optimize the analysis of restingEEGalpha magnitude, focusing on alpha peak frequency and nonlinear transformation of alpha power. A family of nonlinear transforms, Box–Cox transforms, were applied to find the transform that (a) maximized a non‐disputed effect: the increase in alpha magnitude when the eyes are closed (Berger effect), and (b) made the distribution of alpha magnitude closest to normal across epochs within each participant, or across participants. The transformations were performed either at the single epoch level or at the epoch‐average level. Alpha peak frequency showed large individual differences, yet good correspondence between various ways to estimate it in 2 min of eyes‐closed and 2 min of eyes‐open restingEEGdata. Both alpha magnitude and the Berger effect were larger for individual alpha than for a generic (8–12 Hz) alpha band. The log‐transform on single epochs (a) maximized thet‐value of the contrast between the eyes‐open and eyes‐closed conditions when tested within each participant, and (b) rendered near‐normally distributed alpha power across epochs and participants, thereby making further transformation of epoch averages superfluous. The results suggest that the log‐normal distribution is a fundamental property of variations in alpha power across time in the order of seconds. Moreover, effects on alpha power appear to be multiplicative rather than additive. These findings support the use of the log‐transform on single epochs to achieve appropriate scaling of alpha magnitude.
Monopolizing Violence:Gewalt, Self‐Control, and the Law in Heinrich von Veldeke'sEneasroman
Authors: Martin Jonathan Seelye
Published: February 2018

Heinrich von Veldeke'sEneasromanis one of the first courtly romances in the German language. Until now, the role of the law in the text has gone largely unexplored; this article argues that theEneasromanfunctions as an integral part of the twelfth‐century legal system in order to promulgate a reduction in violence and project an idealized monopoly of violence as its final goal. It further argues that this is part of the program of courtliness, understood in line with Norbert Elias and Stephen Jaeger as emphasizing self‐control in the courtly warrior and reducing violence. Courtliness is thus viewed as a largely fictional precursor to the modern state monopoly on violence with correspondences in real twelfth‐century legislation, primarily that of theLandfrieden. A study of these issues grants us a better understanding of the development of law in medieval society on its way to modernity.
Korean translation and validation of the Community Commitment Scale for preventing social isolation in older adults
Authors: Kim Jeung‐Im , Kono Ayumi , Yoshiyuki Noriko , Kang Jiyeon
Published: February 2018

Aim

The Community Commitment Scale was developed in Japan to measure communities' ability to prevent older adults' social isolation, including socializing and belonging in the community. We translated the scale into Korean (the Community Commitment Scale‐Korean version [CCS‐K]), and determined its internal consistency, concurrent validity and construct validity.

Methods

Self‐report questionnaires were administered to 326 local volunteers (82.8% women, 65.3% aged ≥60 years) in Korea. Internal consistency was analyzed with Cronbach's alpha. To evaluate the concurrent validity of the CCS‐K, we used the Brief Sense of Community Index, the revised Generative Concern Scale and ratings of two questions that addressed helping elderly neighbors.

Results

The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the CCS‐K was 0.68. The correlation coefficients between the CCS‐K and Brief Sense of Community Index or Generative Concern Scale, were 0.40 and 0.33 (P < 0.001), respectively. ANOVAs comparing the CCS‐K between confidence levels for the two questions that addressed helping elderly neighbors showed large or medium‐sized relationships (η2 = 0.14 and η2 = 0.08). A confirmatory factor analysis showed the CCS‐K had adequate fit to the data (goodness of fit index = 0.965, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.934, comparative fit index = 0.956 and root mean square error of approximation = 0.067).

Conclusions

The CCS‐K has acceptable internal consistency, concurrent validity and construct validity among Korean local volunteers. Thus, we can conclude that the CCS‐K can be effectively applied. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 806–812
The Ethics of Boycotting as Collective Anti‐Normalisation
Authors: Peled Yael
Published: February 2018

Boycotts of various types and forms have become in recent years an increasingly common feature of political life. And yet, despite both their ubiquity and clear ethical grounding, they remain to date under‐explored in academic philosophy. I examine in this article the question of the ethics of boycotting, using the academic and cultural boycott of Israel as a case study. I propose that the boycott exhibits an intriguing pattern of continuous tension between its own stated principles and its realised practices, and suggest that this tension is not a dysfunction of the boycott but rather a structural feature, which emanates from its primary commitment to the idea of anti‐normalisation as an ethical imperative. I explore the complex cross‐linguistic political pragmatics of the notion of (anti‐)normalisation, and argue that the commitment to it on the part of the boycott movement, as a group actor, effectively amounts to a capricious form of arbitrary treatment of the boycotted. I then propose that the effective validation of arbitrary treatment constitutes, first, a harm in itself; and, second, that it hinders the capacity of the campaign to draw on and contribute to a general theory of the ethics of boycotting.
Involvement of nurses in end‐of‐life discussions for severely disabled children
Authors: Zaal‐Schuller I. H. , Willems D. I. , Ewals F. , van Goudoever J. B. , de Vos M. A.
Published: February 2018

Background

In children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD), discussions about end‐of‐life decisions (EoLDs) are comparatively common. Nurses play a crucial role in the care for these children, yet their involvement in EoLD discussions is largely unknown. The objective of this research was to investigate the involvement in the hospital of nurses in discussions with parents and physicians about EoLDs for children with PIMD.

Method

In a retrospective, qualitative study, we conducted semi‐structured interviews with the nurses of 12 children with PIMD for whom an EoLD was made within the past 2 years.

Results

Parents primarily discuss EoLDs with nurses before and after the meeting with the physician. Nurses who were involved in EoL discussions with parents and physicians assisted them by giving factual information about the child and by providing emotional support. Some nurses, especially nurses from ID‐care services, were not involved in EoL discussions, even if they had cared for the child for a long period of time. Some of the nurses had moral or religious objections to carrying out the decisions.

Conclusion

Most nurses were not involved in EoL discussions with parents and physicians in the hospital. Excluding nurses from EoL discussions can cause them moral distress. The involvement of nurses in EoL discussions for children with PIMD should be improved, especially by involving nurses from ID‐care services. Because these nurses are usually familiar with the child, they can be valuable sources of information about the child's quality of life.