bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Movement and mortality of Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) banded at inland and coastal breeding sites in South Australia
Authors: Johnston Gregory R. , Waterman Maxwell H. , Manning Clare E.
Published: October 2015

Globally, pelican populations have decreased, with three species being of conservation concern. Australian pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) are not regarded as endangered, but have declined across south-eastern Australia. Information on their movements and causes of mortality are required to interpret the importance of these regional declines to the species’ global population. We explored patterns of movement and causes of mortality by analysing recoveries from 14 615 Australian pelicans banded over 37 years between 1969 and 2006. Data from 243 leg band recoveries showed that Australian pelicans move distances of up to 3206 km, and travel across the species’ entire geographic range, within a year of fledging. We found little evidence for the popular notion that these birds move en masse from the coast to inland areas in response to flooding rains. Maximum recorded age of a banded Australian pelican was 15 years. The banding data suggest that the regional pelican declines could reflect long-distance movements rather than an overall population response. However, a concentration of band returns from south-eastern Australia where the declines have been recorded, and the high incidence of human-induced deaths (16.4%) suggest otherwise. Accurate assessment of population trends in long-lived, long-distance nomads such as Australian pelicans requires assessment at a continental scale. Our results emphasise the importance of knowledge about fundamental aspects of a species’ biology for accurate interpretation of regional population declines.
Improved grazing management practices in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: does climate variability influence their adoption by landholders?
Authors: Star Megan , Rolfe John , Long Peter , Whish Giselle , Donaghy Peter
Published: October 2015

The declining health of the Great Barrier Reef from diffuse source pollutants has resulted in substantial policy attention on increasing the adoption of improved management practices by agricultural producers. Although economic modelling indicates that many improved management practices are financially rewarding, landholders with dated management practices remain hesitant to change. This research involved bio-economic modelling to understand the variance in private returns for grazing enterprises across a climate cycle. Results show that financial returns to landholders can vary substantially across different 20-year periods of a climate cycle, demonstrating that the variability in expected returns may be an important reason why landholders are cautious about changing their management practices. Although previous research has separately identified financial returns and attitudes to risk and uncertainty of landholders as key influences on decisions concerning adoption of improved management practices, this research demonstrates that it is the interaction between these factors that is important to understand when designing policy settings.
Uncoupling binding of substrate CO from turnover by vanadium nitrogenase
Authors: Lee Chi Chung , Fay Aaron W. , Weng Tsu-Chien , Krest Courtney M. , Hedman Britt , Hodgson Keith O. , Hu Yilin , Ribbe Markus W.
Published: October 2015

Significance

V-nitrogenase catalyzes two important reactions for environment- and energy-related areas: reduction of nitrogen to ammonia, and conversion of CO to hydrocarbons. The CO-bound conformation reported herein represents the first well-defined, substrate-bound nitrogenase with turnover capacity. Binding of CO to the resting-state V-nitrogenase uncouples CO binding from the subsequent turnover, which could facilitate capture of successive snapshots of CO reduction through controlled delivery of electron(s)/proton(s). The catalytic competence of this conformation suggests the mechanistic relevance of displacement of a belt-sulfur of the nitrogenase cofactor by a CO moiety upon binding, an event accommodated by the interstitial carbide that maintains the integrity of the cofactor while permitting a significant restructuring of the belt region that is crucial for substrate turnover.
Evaluation of Knowledge and Confidence following Opioid Overdose Prevention Training: A Comparison of Types of Training Participants and Naloxone Administration Methods
Authors: Ashrafioun Lisham , Gamble Stephanie , Herrmann Michele , Baciewicz Gloria
Published: October 2015

Background

The purpose of the current study was to assess the effect of opioid overdose prevention training on participants’ knowledge about opioid overdose and confidence to recognize and respond to opioid overdose situations as a function of naloxone administration (i.e., injection vs. intranasal spray) and participant type (friend/family, provider, “other”).

Methods

Opioid overdose prevention trainings were offered throughout a mid-sized metropolitan area in the northeast. Participants ( n = 428) were trained to administer naloxone via intramuscular injection ( n = 154) or intranasal spray ( n = 274). All training participants were given pre-post assessments of knowledge about opioid overdose and confidence to recognize and respond to opioid overdose situations.

Results

Participants’ overall knowledge and confidence increased significantly from pre- to post-training ( ps < .001). There was no significant association between knowledge and route of administration or participant type. Knowledge significantly increased from pre- to post-training in all participant types ( ps < .001). Confidence improved significantly from pre- to post-training across both routes of administration ( ps < .001). However, confidence was higher among those who were trained using the intranasal naloxone compared to those who were trained using the intramuscular injection naloxone at pre- ( p = .011) and post-training ( p < .001). Confidence increased from pre- to post-training in each of the participant types ( ps < .001). Post-hoc tests revealed that confidence was higher among providers and friends/family members compared to “other” participants, such as first responders, only at post-training ( p < .05).

Conclusions

Opioid overdose trainings are effective in increasing knowledge and confidence related to opioid overdose situations. Findings suggest that trainees are more confident administering naloxone via intranasal spray compared to injection. Future research should attempt to identify other factors that may increase the likelihood of trainees’ effectively intervening in opioid overdose situations.
Redressing racism, communicating citizenship: state legitimation techniques in the multicultural metropolis
Authors: Kyriakides Christopher
Published: October 2015

Apolitical social marketing communications, however intendedly neutral, acquire political capabilities when metropolitan states in search of legitimacy use them to market multiculturalism. European metropoles are under pressure to reconcile their colonial histories with the contemporary need to engage minority ethnic citizens. Yet, in the communication of cultural belonging, antiracist state redress must also enlist the consent of majority ethnic citizens. Official antiracism defines ‘racism’ according to this dual need. Our focus is One Scotland, Many Cultures – the devolved Scottish polity's ₤1-million antiracist social marketing campaign launched in 2002 under the Blair government's UK-wide race strategy. Interviews with key actors responsible for the initial campaign, and content analysis of campaign advertisements, reveal that official antiracism attempts to engage disaffected multiethnic constituencies. The proposed political sociology of ethnicity and communication which informs this analysis alerts us to a significant and salient feature of metropolitan state legitimation – affective multiethnic governance.
SylvX: a viewer for phylogenetic tree reconciliations
Authors: Chevenet François , Doyon Jean-Philippe , Scornavacca Celine , Jacox Edwin , Jousselin Emmanuelle , Berry Vincent
Published: October 2015

Motivation: Reconciliation methods aim at recovering the evolutionary processes that shaped the history of a given gene family including events such as duplications, transfers and losses by comparing the discrepancies between the topologies of the associated gene and species trees. These methods are also used in the framework of host/parasite studies to recover co-diversification scenarios including co-speciation events, host-switches and extinctions. These evolutionary processes can be graphically represented as nested trees. These interconnected graphs can be visually messy and hard to interpret, and despite the fact that reconciliations are increasingly used, there is a shortage of tools dedicated to their graphical management. Here we present SylvX, a reconciliation viewer which implements classical phylogenetic graphic operators (swapping, highlighting, etc.) and new methods to ease interpretation and comparison of reconciliations (multiple maps, moving, shrinking sub-reconciliations).

Availability and implementation: SylvX is an open source, cross-platform, standalone editor available for Windows and Unix-like systems including OSX. It is publicly available at www.sylvx.org.

Contact:  francois.chevenet@ird.fr
Medical Practice, Urban Politics and Patronage: The London ‘Commonalty’ of Physicians and Surgeons of the 1420s
Authors: Colson Justin , Ralley Robert
Published: October 2015

Medical practice in fifteenth-century England is often seen as suffering from the low status and unregulated practice of which Thomas Linacre later complained. Unlike in many European cities, the provision of physic was uncontrolled, and while urban guilds oversaw surgery as a manual art, no comprehensive system of medical organisation or regulation existed. However, in a remarkable episode of the 1420s, a group of university-trained physicians and elite surgeons associated with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, briefly established just such a system. While their efforts initially secured approval for a national scheme, it was only in the City of London that they succeeded in implementing their plans. The detailed ordinances of the collegiate ‘commonalty’ they founded provide a unique insight into their attitudes. Drawing on continental models, they attempted to control all medicine within the city by establishing a hierarchy of practitioners, preventing illicit and incompetent practice, and offering treatment to even the poorest Londoners. Yet they failed to appreciate the vested interests of civic politics: achieving these aims meant curtailing the rights of the powerful Grocers and the Barbers, a fact made clear by their adjudication of a case involving two members of the Barbers’ Company, and the Barbers’ subsequent riposte—a mayoral petition that heralded the commonalty’s end. Its founder surgeons went on to revitalise their Surgeons’ Fellowship, which continued independently of the Barbers until a merger in 1540; in contrast, the physicians withdrew from civic affairs, and physic remained entirely unregulated until episcopal licensing was instituted in 1511.
Boomerang Effects of Low Price Discounts: How Low Price Discounts Affect Purchase Propensity
Authors: Cai Fengyan , Bagchi Rajesh , Gauri Dinesh K.
Published: October 2015

We show that providing a low (vs. no) price discount can lower purchase propensity of low-priced products under certain conditions—when purchases are nonessential and purchase volume is small. Based on the theory of purchase value (Grewal, Monroe, and Krishnan 1998; Thaler 1983), we argue that offering a low price discount for nonessential purchases decreases perceived transaction value that in turn lowers consumers’ purchase propensity. However, this boomerang effect reverses when purchase volume is larger or when the purchase is essential. We demonstrate this effect with secondary scanner panel data sets (with six different product categories) and in five laboratory experiments (with real purchases). We also document the process and delineate boundary conditions.
Efficacy of Duloxetine in Chronic Low Back Pain with a Neuropathic Component
Authors: Schukro Regina P. , Oehmke Matthias J. , Geroldinger Angelika , Heinze Georg , Kress Hans-Georg , Pramhas Sibylle
Published: October 2015

AbstractAbstract

In this randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial, patients with radicular symptoms experienced an average 32% reduction in pain after 4 weeks of treatment with duloxetine. The overall adverse event rate was similar between placebo and duloxetine treatments.

Background

Among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), approximately 37% show signs of a neuropathic pain component (radicular pain). Treatment of this condition remains challenging. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of duloxetine in the treatment of CLBP patients with neuropathic leg pain.

Methods

The study was conducted as a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. CLBP with a visual analog scale (VAS) score greater than 5 and a neuropathic component that was assessed clinically and by the painDETECT questionnaire (score > 12) were required for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned to either duloxetine or placebo for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week washout period before they crossed over to the alternate phase that lasted another 4 weeks. Duloxetine was titrated up to 120 mg/day. The primary outcome parameter was mean VAS score during the last week of treatment in each phase (VASweek4).

Results

Of 41 patients, 21 patients completed both treatment phases. In the intention-to-treat analysis (n = 25), VASweek4 was significantly lower in the duloxetine phase compared with placebo (4.1 ± 2.9 vs. 6.0 ± 2.7; P = 0.001), corresponding to an average pain reduction of 32%. The painDETECT score at the end of each treatment phase was significantly lower in the duloxetine phase compared with placebo (17.7 ± 5.7 vs. 21.3 ± 3.6 points; P = 0.0023). Adverse events were distributed equally between the duloxetine (65%) and placebo phases (62%) (P = 0.5).

Conclusion

In this crossover study, duloxetine proved to be superior to placebo for the treatment of CLBP with a neuropathic leg pain.
Management of the Traumatized Airway
Authors: Jain Uday , McCunn Maureen , Smith Charles E. , Pittet Jean-Francois
Published: October 2015

Previous reviews have addressed airway management of trauma patients without a detailed description of management of the traumatized airway. This clinical commentary focuses on the approach to patients with upper airway trauma.
Notification that new names of prokaryotes, new combinations and new taxonomic opinions have appeared in volume 65, part 7, of the IJSEM
Authors: Oren Aharon , Garrity George M.
Published: October 2015

This listing of names of prokaryotes published in a previous issue of the IJSEM is provided as a service to bacteriology to assist in the recognition of new names and new combinations. This procedure was proposed by the Judicial Commission [Minute 11(ii), Int J Syst Bacteriol 41 (1991), p. 185]. The names given herein are listed according to the Rules of priority (i.e. page number and order of valid publication of names in the original articles).
Patching holes in theChlamydomonasgenome
Authors: Tulin Frej , Cross Frederick R.
Published: October 2015

TheChlamydomonasgenome has been sequenced, assembled and annotated to produce a rich resource for genetics and molecular biology in this well-studied model organism. However, the current reference genome contains ~1000 blocks of unknown sequence (‘N-islands’), which are frequently placed in introns of annotated gene models. We developed a strategy, using careful bioinformatics analysis of short-sequence cDNA and genomic DNA reads, to search for previously unknown exons hidden within such blocks, and determine the sequence and exon/intron boundaries of such exons. These methods are based on assembly and alignment completely independent of prior reference assembly or reference annotation. Our evidence indicates that ~one-quarter of the annotated intronic N-islands actually contain hidden exons. For most of these our algorithm recovers full exonic sequence with associated splice junctions and exon-adjacent intron sequence, that can be joined to the reference genome assembly and annotated transcript models. These new exons representde novosequence generally present nowhere in the assembled genome, and the added sequence can be shown in many cases to greatly improve evolutionary conservation of the predicted encoded peptides. At the same time, our results confirm the purely intronic status for a substantial majority of N-islands annotated as intronic in the reference annotated genome, increasing confidence in this valuable resource.
Recovery of dynamics and function in spiking neural networks by closed-loop control
Authors: Vlachos Ioannis , Deniz Taskin , Aertsen Ad , Kumar Arvind
Published: October 2015

There is a growing interest in developing novel brain stimulation methods to control disease-related aberrant neural activity and to address basic neuroscience questions. Conventional methods for manipulating brain activity rely on open-loop approaches that usually lead to excessive stimulation and, crucially, do not restore the original computations performed by the network. Thus, they are often accompanied by undesired side-effects. Here, we introduce delayed feedback control (DFC), a conceptually simple but effective method, to control pathological oscillations in spiking neural networks. Using mathematical analysis and numerical simulations we show that DFC can restore a wide range of aberrant network dynamics either by suppressing or enhancing synchronous irregular activity. Importantly, DFC besides steering the system back to a healthy state, it also recovers the computations performed by the underlying network. Finally, using our theory we isolate the role of single neuron and synapse properties in determining the stability of the closed-loop system.
Mutation of the TERT promoter, switch to active chromatin, and monoallelic TERT expression in multiple cancers
Authors: Stern Josh Lewis , Theodorescu Dan , Vogelstein Bert , Papadopoulos Nickolas , Cech Thomas R.
Published: October 2015

Somatic mutations in the promoter of the gene for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) are the most common noncoding mutations in cancer. They are thought to activate telomerase, contributing to proliferative immortality, but the molecular events driving TERT activation are largely unknown. We observed in multiple cancer cell lines that mutant TERT promoters exhibit the H3K4me2/3 mark of active chromatin and recruit the GABPA/B1 transcription factor, while the wild-type allele retains the H3K27me3 mark of epigenetic silencing; only the mutant promoters are transcriptionally active. These results suggest how a single-base-pair mutation can cause a dramatic epigenetic switch and monoallelic expression.
Superoxide reductase fromGiardia intestinalis: structural characterization of the first SOR from a eukaryotic organism shows an iron centre that is highly sensitive to photoreduction
Authors: Sousa Cristiana M. , Carpentier Philippe , Matias Pedro M. , Testa Fabrizio , Pinho Filipa , Sarti Paolo , Giuffrè Alessandro , Bandeiras Tiago M. , Romão Célia V.
Published: October 2015

Superoxide reductase (SOR), which is commonly found in prokaryotic organisms, affords protection from oxidative stress by reducing the superoxide anion to hydrogen peroxide. The reaction is catalyzed at the iron centre, which is highly conserved among the prokaryotic SORs structurally characterized to date. Reported here is the first structure of an SOR from a eukaryotic organism, the protozoan parasiteGiardia intestinalis(GiSOR), which was solved at 2.0 Å resolution. By collecting several diffraction data sets at 100 K from the same flash-cooled protein crystal using synchrotron X-ray radiation, photoreduction of the iron centre was observed. Reduction was monitored using an online UV–visible microspectrophotometer, following the decay of the 647 nm absorption band characteristic of the iron site in the glutamate-bound, oxidized state. Similarly to other 1Fe-SORs structurally characterized to date, the enzyme displays a tetrameric quaternary-structure arrangement. As a distinctive feature, the N-terminal loop of the protein, containing the characteristic EKHxP motif, revealed an unusually high flexibility regardless of the iron redox state. At variance with previous evidence collected by X-ray crystallography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of prokaryotic SORs, iron reduction did not lead to dissociation of glutamate from the catalytic metal or other structural changes; however, the glutamate ligand underwent X-ray-induced chemical changes, revealing high sensitivity of theGiSOR active site to X-ray radiation damage.
The putative role of some conserved water molecules in the structure and function of human transthyretin
Authors: Banerjee Avik , Dasgupta Subrata , Mukhopadhyay Bishnu P. , Sekar Kanagaraj
Published: October 2015

Human transthyretin (hTTR) is a multifunctional protein that is involved in several neurodegenerative diseases. Besides the transportation of thyroxin and vitamin A, it is also involved in the proteolysis of apolipoprotein A1 and Aβ peptide. Extensive analyses of 32 high-resolution X-ray and neutron diffraction structures of hTTR followed by molecular-dynamics simulation studies using a set of 15 selected structures affirmed the presence of 44 conserved water molecules in its dimeric structure. They are found to play several important roles in the structure and function of the protein. Eight water molecules stabilize the dimeric structure through an extensive hydrogen-bonding network. The absence of some of these water molecules in highly acidic conditions (pH ≤ 4.0) severely affects the interfacial hydrogen-bond network, which may destabilize the native tetrameric structure, leading to its dissociation. Three pairs of conserved water molecules contribute to maintaining the geometry of the ligand-binding cavities. Some other water molecules control the orientation and dynamics of different structural elements of hTTR. This systematic study of the location, absence, networking and interactions of the conserved water molecules may shed some light on various structural and functional aspects of the protein. The present study may also provide some rational clues about the conserved water-mediated architecture and stability of hTTR.
Structure and inhibition of subunit I of the anthranilate synthase complex of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and expression of the active complex
Authors: Bashiri Ghader , Johnston Jodie M. , Evans Genevieve L. , Bulloch Esther M. M. , Goldstone David C. , Jirgis Ehab N. M. , Kleinboelting Silke , Castell Alina , Ramsay Rochelle J. , Manos-Turvey Alexandra , Payne Richard J. , Lott J. Shaun , Baker Edward N.
Published: October 2015

The tryptophan-biosynthesis pathway is essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to cause disease, but not all of the enzymes that catalyse this pathway in this organism have been identified. The structure and function of the enzyme complex that catalyses the first committed step in the pathway, the anthranilate synthase (AS) complex, have been analysed. It is shown that the open reading frames Rv1609 (trpE) and Rv0013 (trpG) encode the chorismate-utilizing (AS-I) and glutamine amidotransferase (AS-II) subunits of the AS complex, respectively. Biochemical assays show that when these subunits are co-expressed a bifunctional AS complex is obtained. Crystallization trials on Mtb-AS unexpectedly gave crystals containing only AS-I, presumably owing to its selective crystallization from solutions containing a mixture of the AS complex and free AS-I. The three-dimensional structure reveals that Mtb-AS-I dimerizes via an interface that has not previously been seen in AS complexes. As is the case in other bacteria, it is demonstrated that Mtb-AS shows cooperative allosteric inhibition by tryptophan, which can be rationalized based on interactions at this interface. Comparative inhibition studies on Mtb-AS-I and related enzymes highlight the potential for single inhibitory compounds to target multiple chorismate-utilizing enzymes for TB drug discovery.
Crystal structure of bis{1-[(E)-(2-methoxyphenyl)diazenyl]naphthalen-2-olato-κ3O,N2,O′}copper(II) containing an unknown solvate
Authors: Chetioui Souheyla , Hamdouni Noudjoud , Rouag Djamil-Azzeddine , Bouaoud Salah Eddine , Merazig Hocine
Published: October 2015

The title complex, [Cu(C17H13N2O2)2], crystallizes with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. Each CuIIatom has a distorted ocahedral coordination environment defined by two N atoms and four O atoms from two tridentate 1-[(E)-(2-methoxyphenyl)diazenyl]naphthalen-2-olate ligands. In the crystal, the two molecules are linkedviaweak C—H...O hydrogen bonds which in turn stack parallel to [010]. A region of disordered electron density, most probably disordered methanol solvent molecules, was corrected for using the SQUEEZE routine inPLATON[Spek (2015).Acta Cryst.C71, 9–18]. Their formula mass and unit-cell characteristics were not taken into account during refinement.
Crystal structure and absolute configuration of (3S,4aS,8aS)-N-tert-butyl-2-[(S)-3-(2-chloro-4-nitrobenzamido)-2-hydroxypropyl]decahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxamide and (3S,4aS,8aS)-N-tert-butyl-2-{(S)-2-[(S)-1-(2-chloro-4-nitrobenzoyl)pyrrolidin-2-yl]-2-hydroxyethyl}decahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxamide
Authors: Maxson Tucker , Bertke Jeffery A. , Gray Danielle L. , Mitchell Douglas A.
Published: October 2015

The crystal structure and absolute configuration of the two new title nelfinavir analogs, C24H35ClN4O5, (I), and C27H39ClN4O5, (II), have been determined. Each of these molecules exhibits a number of disordered moieties. There are intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds in both (I) and (II). In (I) it involves the two carboxamide groups, while in (II) it involves theN-tert-butyl carboxamide group and the 2-hydroxyl O atom. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding in (I) (O—H...O and N—H...O) leads to two-dimensional sheets that extend parallel to theacplane. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding in (II) (O—H...O) leads to chains that extend parallel to theaaxis.
Crystal structure of 4-({(1E,2E)-3-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-isopropyl-1H-indol-2-yl]allylidene}amino)-5-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione
Authors: Kulkarni Ajaykumar D. , Rahman Md. Lutfor , Mohd. Yusoff Mashitah , Kwong Huey Chong , Quah Ching Kheng
Published: October 2015

The title compound, C23H22FN5S, exists in atransconformation with respect to the methene C=C and the acyclic N=C bonds. The 1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione ring makes dihedral angles of 88.66 (9) and 84.51 (10)°, respectively, with the indole and benzene rings. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of N—H...S hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with anR22(8) ring motif. The dimers are linkedviaC—H...π interactions, forming chains along [1-10]. The chains are linkedviaπ—π interactions involving inversion-related triazole rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.4340 (13) Å], forming layers parallel to theabplane.
Crystal structure of 3-(2-nitrophenyl)-1-(1-phenylsulfonyl-1H-indol-3-yl)propan-1-one
Authors: Umadevi M. , Raju Potharaju , Yamuna R. , Mohanakrishnan Arasambattu K. , Chakkaravarthi G.
Published: October 2015

In the title compound, C23H18N2O5S, the phenyl and benzene rings subtend dihedral angles of 78.18 (10) and 30.18 (9)°, respectively, with the indole ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.022 Å). The crystal structure features weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions, which link the molecules into a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure ofrac-3-[2,3-bis(phenylsulfanyl)-3H-indol-3-yl]propanoic acid
Authors: Noland Wayland E. , Brown Christopher D. , Bisel Amanda M. , Schneerer Andrew K. , Tritch Kenneth J.
Published: October 2015

The title compound, C23H19NO2S2, was obtained as an unexpected regioisomer from an attempted synthesis of an intermediate for a substituent-effect study on ergot alkaloids. This is the first report of a 1H-indole monothioating at the 2- and 3-positions to give a 3H-indole. In the crystal, the acid H atom is twisted roughly 180° from the typical carboxy conformation and forms centrosymmetric O—H...N hydrogen-bonded dimers with the indole N atom of an inversion-related molecule. Together with a weak C—H...O hydrogen bond involving the carbonyl O atom, chains are formed along [100].
A best practice model for the effective deployment of 360° feedback
Authors: Lawrence Paul
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this two-part study was to develop and test a best practice model for the deployment of 360 feedback in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the first study, 59 stakeholders were interviewed including Learning
&
Development (L
&
D) managers, 360 program participants and the coaches providing feedback on those programs. A grounded theory methodology was deployed from which emerged a preliminary best practice model. In the second study, the model was tested in the design and evaluation of a 360 feedback program in an Australian Government organization.

Findings

– A best practice model emerged that emphasizes the importance of establishing a clear purpose for such programs, a purpose that provides context for tool selection, stakeholder engagement and the framing of expected outcomes. The model highlights the importance of resourcing an adequate feedback process that provides short- and long- term support for participants, as they seek to make sense of the feedback and commit to specific actions.

Originality/value

– The best practice model draws on academic research and the experience of practitioners to derive a set of guidelines that should both enhance the return on investment afforded to 360 programs and lead to participants feeling more engaged with the organizations they work for.
Time pressure and improvisation: enhancing creativity, adaption and innovation at high speed
Authors: Hodge Josh , Ratten Vanessa
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– Organizations are becoming more focused on time pressures when introducing innovation and creativity into their organizations. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the opportunity for organizations to focus on improvisation training as a way to gain a competitive advantage and leapfrog their competitors.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper takes the approach of identifying a model of improvisation training for organizations that focuses on the convergence of planning and executive for promoting innovation training practices.

Findings

– This paper’s main findings are that the time pressures faced by organizations means that there is a funnel limiting the link between creativity, adaption and innovation. This means that improvisation training needs to be done quickly, and organizations need to act efficiently when introducing new practices.

Originality/value

– This paper’s key value is that organizations can use improvisers by using bricolage and ready-mades to take existing concepts and apply them to new situations.
The effects of price-matching guarantees on consumer response in an online retail context
Authors: Lin Hsin-Hui
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of three price-matching guarantee (PMG) variables, including refund depth, refund period and competitive scope, on consumer response; the moderating role of consumer search costs is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study uses a scenario simulation method with a 2×2×2 factorial design to test the research model and hypotheses.

Findings

– The results indicate that refund depth has a significant effect on price perception and purchase intention, while competitive scope has a significant effect on purchase intention. In addition, the effects of both refund depth and competitive scope on price perception are moderated by consumer search costs.

Originality/value

– This study is a pioneering effort to explore the effects of PMGs variables on consumer response in the context of online retailing. These findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications for the PMG strategy of online retailing.
Linking customer verbal aggression and service sabotage
Authors: Yeh Ching-Wen
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanisms that link customer verbal aggression with service sabotage. Additionally, this study also tests whether emotional dissonance mediates the relationships between customer verbal aggression and the revenge motive, and between customer verbal aggression and service sabotage.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study investigated flight attendants from six airlines in Taiwan. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed, resulting in the return of 504 valid questionnaires, yielding a valid response rate of 50.4 percent.

Findings

– The findings demonstrate that: emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between customer verbal aggression and revenge motive; emotional dissonance mediates the relationship between customer verbal aggression and service sabotage; customer verbal aggression is positively related to the revenge motive; revenge motive positively relates to service sabotage.

Originality/value

– This study has investigated the following: how customer verbal aggression causes revenge motive via the mediation of emotional dissonance, how customer verbal aggression results in service sabotage via the mediation of emotional dissonance. The results provide a basis for making suggestions regarding service management as a reference for airlines.
The relationship between non-audit fees and audit quality: dealing with the endogeneity issue
Authors: Carmona Pedro , Momparler Alexandre , Lassala Carlos
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the provision of non-audit services (NAS) by public accounting firms undermines audit quality. The study addresses this question by testing for an association between the provision of consulting services and auditor independence in listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors study if the magnitude of non-audit fees explains variations in earnings management by looking at the joint determination of non-audit fees, audit fees, and abnormal accruals using the SURE-regression estimation method.

Findings

– Evidence from tested models suggests that audit services quality is uncompromised by the provision of NAS. In other words, high non-audit fees do not necessarily result in poor quality financial reporting.

Research limitations/implications

– A different research methodology and a different sample (e.g. non-listed companies) may lead to differing results. As the paper analyses only one country, generalizability of the results might be a limitation. There is no need to increase legal restrictions on the provision of consulting services by public accounting firms in order to better safeguard audit quality.

Practical implications

– Consulting clients may be more confident to hire both audit and NAS with the same firm and can make a case before the general Shareholders’ meeting. By providing both audit and NAS, consulting firms obtain knowledge spillovers and synergies while appealing highly qualified professionals.

Originality/value

– The use of simultaneous equations (SURE-regression) to establish the auditor-client relation allows us to better model theoretical relations between audit fees, non-audit fees, and abnormal accruals. Likewise, joint modeling takes account of correlations between the error terms of the individual models, yielding more efficient estimates than ordinary least squares. Performing this analysis in a non-Anglo-American country with low litigation risk is also a valuable contribution to extant literature.
Political orientation and perceived quality of television channels
Authors: Bayo-Moriones Alberto , Etayo Cristina , Sánchez-Tabernero Alfonso
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between the political orientation of television viewers and their perception of television programming quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– Information from a sample of 2,843 viewers is used. Ordinary least square models are estimated to test the theoretical hypotheses.

Findings

– The results suggest that the ideological position of viewers has a significant bearing on their evaluation of the quality of television channels. They also point to the key role played by news programming in the audience’s general assessment of channels quality.

Research limitations/implications

– There are a number of limitations to this research, which are largely related to the data analyzed, since they are cross-sectional and measures based on a single item are used. Future research in this field ought to take the multidimensional nature of the concepts discussed here into greater consideration.

Practical implications

– If political orientation colors viewer perception of quality television, it seems worthwhile for television schedulers to have more information about the political-ideological profile of their audience, so as to design a more appealing programming range for their target viewers. Regarding the impact of the perceived quality of news programs on the perceived quality of the whole channel, it would make sense for television managers to invest in news programs not only on the basis of the size of the audience reached, but also as a way to build up a strong brand and to differentiate it from competitors.

Originality/value

– There is scarce empirical research on the perceptions of quality media and television by viewers. This paper develops and tests hypotheses that contribute to a better knowledge of the mechanisms that generate the perceptions of consumers about the quality of television channels.
Organizational justice and personal initiative, mediating role of affective commitment
Authors: López-Cabarcos M. Ángeles , Machado-Lopes-Sampaio-de Pinho Ana Isabel , Vázquez-Rodríguez Paula
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mediating role of affective commitment (AC) in the relationship between organizational justice (OJ) and personal initiative (PI).

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 321 employees from hotels in northern Portugal. The study required that all hotels be at least four-star establishments operating for over a year. The data and hypotheses were analyzed by using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– Employee perceptions of justice in relation to rewards, procedures, or interpersonal relationships can only lead to displays of initiative behaviors if employees have developed AC toward their organization. Accordingly, employee perception of justice does not directly bring about initiative behavior; a feeling of AC toward the organization must be created beforehand.

Practical implications

– Knowing how to increase employee PI could be one of the keys to obtaining successful results within the hotel industry. This study provides evidence of an indirect relationship between OJ and PI via AC. Such knowledge may help to establish a plan of action aimed at improving perceptions of justice within the hotel industry in order to obtain committed and proactive employees.

Originality/value

– Very few studies carried out within the context of the hotel industry have considered the relationship between the three variables proposed in this research paper. Additionally, this study examines the mediating role of employee AC, which has not been previously confirmed.
American Libraries and the US Federal Government: an overview of partnerships for enhanced resource access
Authors: Latham Bethany
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to explore the US Government Publishing Office’s (GPO) partnership program: what it is, how the GPO defines partnership, the types of institutions that are participating and the resources these institutions are making available through partnership.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reviews the available literature and information from the US GPO on its partnership program, examines the institutions contributing to the program and what those contributions entail, surveys the resources made available through these partnerships and examines how this affects access to government information.

Findings

– Partnership with the US GPO provides benefits to libraries, museums, government agencies and other entities, increasing discoverability and enhancing access to digital collections of government information and other resources.

Originality/value

– This paper examines the parameters of the US GPO’s partnership program, why libraries and other institutions might wish to partner with the GPO and the effect these partnerships have had on enhancing access to government information resources, an area that has not been extensively covered in library literature.
The social enterprise as a space of well-being: an exploratory case study
Authors: Munoz Sarah-Anne , Farmer Jane , Winterton Rachel , Barraket Jo
Published: October 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an Australian case study and to explore how social enterprises may be conceptualised as spaces of well-being, that is the ways in which social enterprises, not explicitly delivering health services, may be producing health and well-being benefits for those who come into contact with them.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study in Australia is used to explore in depth the mechanisms of well-being production. Data were collected using ethnographic observation, focus groups and walking interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, GIS and the lens of therapeutic assemblage.

Findings

– The case study social enterprise produces well-being as integration, capability, security and therapy. The social enterprise acts as a therapeutic assemblage with well-being “spoken”, “practiced” and “felt” within the social enterprise. The ways in which well-being is generated are often linked to the productive element of enterprise – and have the potential to contribute to tackling several contemporary health challenges and inequalities relating to, for example, a lack of physical activity and levels of social isolation.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper draws on a single Australian case study but points to the need for further in-depth work in the area of social enterprise and health.

Originality/value

– The paper advances our understanding of how social enterprises may be linked to health and well-being. It goes beyond quantification of, for example, number of clients helped, to consider the wider experience of well-being for those who come into contact with social enterprises.
Determinants of flammability in savanna grass species
Authors: Simpson Kimberley J. , Ripley Brad S. , Christin Pascal‐Antoine , Belcher Claire M. , Lehmann Caroline E. R. , Thomas Gavin H. , Osborne Colin P.
Published: October 2015

Tropical grasses fuel the majority of fires on Earth. In fire‐prone landscapes, enhanced flammability may be adaptive for grasses via the maintenance of an open canopy and an increase in spatiotemporal opportunities for recruitment and regeneration. In addition, by burning intensely but briefly, high flammability may protect resprouting buds from lethal temperatures. Despite these potential benefits of high flammability to fire‐prone grasses, variation in flammability among grass species, and how trait differences underpin this variation, remains unknown.

By burning leaves and plant parts, we experimentally determined how five plant traits (biomass quantity, biomass density, biomass moisture content, leaf surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio and leaf effective heat of combustion) combined to determine the three components of flammability (ignitability, sustainability and combustibility) at the leaf and plant scales in 25 grass species of fire‐prone South African grasslands at a time of peak fire occurrence. The influence of evolutionary history on flammability was assessed based on a phylogeny built here for the study species.

Grass species differed significantly in all components of flammability. Accounting for evolutionary history helped to explain patterns in leaf‐scale combustibility and sustainability. The five measured plant traits predicted components of flammability, particularly leaf ignitability and plant combustibility in which 70% and 58% of variation, respectively, could be explained by a combination of the traits. Total above‐ground biomass was a key driver of combustibility and sustainability with high biomass species burning more intensely and for longer, and producing the highest predicted fire spread rates. Moisture content was the main influence on ignitability, where species with higher moisture contents took longer to ignite and once alight burnt at a slower rate. Biomass density, leaf surface‐area‐to‐volume ratio and leaf effective heat of combustion were weaker predictors of flammability components.

Synthesis. We demonstrate that grass flammability is predicted from easily measurable plant functional traits and is influenced by evolutionary history with some components showing phylogenetic signal. Grasses are not homogenous fuels to fire. Rather, species differ in functional traits that in turn demonstrably influence flammability. This diversity is consistent with the idea that flammability may be an adaptive trait for grasses of fire‐prone ecosystems.
Prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in Costa Rica: Costa Rican National Cardiovascular Risk Factors Survey, 2010
Authors: Wong‐McClure Roy , Gregg Edward W. , Barcelo Alberto , Sanabria‐Lopez Laura , Lee Kahye , Abarca‐Gomez Leandra , Cervantes‐Loaiza Marvin , Luman Elizabeth T.
Published: October 2015

Background

The projected rising prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in developing countries warrants careful monitoring. The aim of this study was to present the results of the Costa Rican National Cardiovascular Risk Factors Surveillance System, which provides the first national estimates of diabetes and IFG prevalence among adults in Costa Rica.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey of 3653 non‐institutionalized adults aged ≥20 years (87.8% response rate) following the World Health Organization STEPwise approach was built on a probabilistic sample of the non‐institutionalized population during 2010. Known diabetes was defined as self‐reported diagnosis, the use of insulin, or hypoglycemic oral treatment as consequence of diabetes during at least the previous 2 weeks before the survey. Unknown diabetes was defined no self‐reported diabetes but with venous blood concentrations of fasting glucose >125 mg/dL determined by laboratory testing. Impaired fasting glucose was defined as fasting glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL among those without diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes and IFG prevalence was estimated according gender, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), educational level, and physical activity level.

Results

Overall diabetes prevalence was 10.8% (9.5% known and 1.3% unknown diabetes) and IFG prevalence was 16.5%. The prevalence of known diabetes was higher among women >65 years compared with men of the same age group. Both known and unknown diabetes were significantly associated with higher BMI, increased WC, and low education level (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

The prevalence of diabetes and IFG in Costa Rica is comparable to that in developed countries and indicates an urgent need for effective preventive interventions.