bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The potential of a participatory approach in sustaining the fairs and festivals of small towns
Authors: Munjal Parul G
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the issues and potential in using the participatory approach to help sustain the fairs and festivals of small and medium towns and tap into their tourism potential.

Design/methodology/approach

– An annual fair held in Sohna, a small town of Haryana, part of the District Gurgaon that has shown an exponential decadal urban growth rate, has been taken as a case to reflect on the context of small towns in India.

Findings

– Due to out-migration and weakening of local indigenous population and change in occupation patterns, there is threat to continuity of the fairs and festivals. The processes revolving around the urban fairs and festivals are driven though participation of various local stakeholders and mechanisms; hence, any attempts at strengthening or sustaining these need to stem from understanding of the various participants and their roles.

Practical implications

– An understanding of the possibilities and issues in organising the fairs and festivals through stakeholder engagement can help develop solutions to sustain these, enabling cultural continuity and positive economic impact on the various stakeholders.

Originality/value

– This paper creates a discussion on sustaining the little known cultural wealth of small and medium towns in Haryana among all local and external stakeholders with focus on fairs and festivals.
Oachira Panthrandu Vilakku
Authors: Babu Vimal , Munjal Sandeep
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate how Oachira Panthrandu Vilakku (twelve-lamp) festival in Oachira helps in providing economic benefits to local residents of the town during the pilgrimage season.

Design/methodology/approach

– Stakeholder interviews and focus-group roundtable discussions with multiple stakeholders were conducted.

Findings

– Policy changes have been studied and recommended for enhancing the economic value of the culturally embedded Panthrandu Vilakku festival celebrated in Oachira, Kerala, India.

Practical implications

– There is huge untapped potential for India’s festivals in India. While efforts are made to leverage these for economic gains, the negative impacts also need to be recognized and mitigated.

Originality/value

– The study is significant in the context of arresting economic leakage and promoting an ecosystem of decision-making at community level by the local residents.
Fairs and festivals in India: the cultural and economic potential
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie , Munjal Sandeep
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to discuss the opportunities and challenges that India offers in terms of leveraging the cultural and economic potential of the fairs and festivals.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper sets the tone for the theme by evaluating “fairs and festivals” being organized all year round in different parts of the country, as drivers of economic growth and cultural continuity.

Findings

– The paper probes the key opportunities and challenges with respect to leveraging the cultural and economic potential of fairs and festivals in India.

Practical implications

– There are a number of practical implications for practitioners and policymakers that will allow India to optimally leverage the huge cultural and economic potential that the various fairs and festivals offer. This requires a holistic understanding that will ensure that aspirations and concerns of all key stakeholders are taken into account.

Originality/value

– The research through this theme issue will document the cultural and economic impact of a range of specific fairs and festivals in India. Can these cultural resources be sustained and deployed effectively to have a positive economic impact on the lives of communities connected?
Indian festivals: the contribution they make to cultural and economic wellbeing
Authors: Gaur Sanjaya S. , Chapnerkar Mandar
Published: July 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to highlight an Indian festival’s contribution to cultural and economic well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study utilizes a qualitative approach to analyze the impacts of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which is annually celebrated over a period of two weeks across the nation.

Findings

– The study shows that the Ganesh Chaturthi festival fosters national cohesiveness, promotes communal harmony, preserves family values, helps maintain national identity, revitalizes the economy and fosters cultural tourism.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper provides useful insights for policy makers, local government, businesses and community leaders for deriving optimal benefits from the annual Ganapati festival.

Originality/value

– The Indian economy is developing very rapidly, and yet there is limited published literature available on the contribution of festivals to these developments.
Unified multi‐depth‐level field decomposition
Authors: Grobbe Niels , van der Neut Joost , Slob Evert , Wapenaar Kees , Almagro Vidal Carlos , Drijkoningen Guy
Published: July 2015

Wavefield decomposition forms an important ingredient of various geophysical methods. An example of wavefield decomposition is the decomposition into upgoing and downgoing wavefields and simultaneous decomposition into different wave/field types. The multi‐component field decomposition scheme makes use of the recordings of different field quantities (such as particle velocity and pressure). In practice, different recordings can be obscured by different sensor characteristics, requiring calibration with an unknown calibration factor. Not all field quantities required for multi‐component field decomposition might be available, or they can suffer from different noise levels. The multi‐depth‐level decomposition approach makes use of field quantities recorded at multiple depth levels, e.g., two horizontal boreholes closely separated from each other, a combination of a single receiver array combined with free‐surface boundary conditions, or acquisition geometries with a high‐density of vertical boreholes. We theoretically describe the multi‐depth‐level decomposition approach in a unified form, showing that it can be applied to different kinds of fields in dissipative, inhomogeneous, anisotropic media, e.g., acoustic, electromagnetic, elastodynamic, poroelastic, and seismoelectric fields. We express the one‐way fields at one depth level in terms of the observed fields at multiple depth levels, using extrapolation operators that are dependent on the medium parameters between the two depth levels. Lateral invariance at the depth level of decomposition allows us to carry out the multi‐depth‐level decomposition in the horizontal wavenumber–frequency domain. We illustrate the multi‐depth‐level decomposition scheme using two synthetic elastodynamic examples. The first example uses particle velocity recordings at two depth levels, whereas the second example combines recordings at one depth level with the Dirichlet free‐surface boundary condition of zero traction. Comparison with multi‐component decomposed fields shows a perfect match in both amplitude and phase for both cases. The multi‐depth‐level decomposition scheme is fully customizable to the desired acquisition geometry. The decomposition problem is in principle an inverse problem. Notches may occur at certain frequencies, causing the multi‐depth‐level composition matrix to become uninvertible, requiring additional notch filters. We can add multi‐depth‐level free‐surface boundary conditions as extra equations to the multi‐component composition matrix, thereby overdetermining this inverse problem. The combined multi‐component–multi‐depth‐level decomposition on a land data set clearly shows improvements in the decomposition results, compared with the performance of the multi‐component decomposition scheme.
One Man's Meat … 2050? Ruminations on Future Meat Demand in the Context of Global Warming
Authors: Revell Brian J.
Published: July 2015

This Address considers a range of issues relating to the contribution of meat consumption and livestock production to global warming, given the need highlighted by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to reduce global GHG emissions by over 50% by 2050. The IPCC Climate Change 2014 report recognised that demand oriented measures may also contribute to GHG mitigation. The paper reviews a number of studies which examine demand‐led mitigation potentials, and concludes that such estimates ignore the market effects of changes in meat consumption habits or demand oriented policies. A simple partial equilibrium model of beef, poultry, pig and ovine meats is developed for the major regions of the world to explore the impact of a range of scenarios which might reduce meat consumption and GHG emissions. These include emissions taxation, long‐term trends in reduction of red meat consumption in developed economy regions, and supply side improvements in livestock emissions intensities. The paper discusses problems associated with many published demand elasticities suitable for incorporation into a market model, problems of selection from widely varying published estimates and their appropriateness for longer‐run projections. The dearth of published supply elasticity estimates is also highlighted. The modelling concludes that economic and population growth to 2050 without any mitigation measures will lead to a 21% increase in per capita meat consumption and a 63% increase in total consumption and GHG emissions by 2050. However, the mitigation projections from the scenarios explored only generate a 14% reduction in cumulative emissions from the baseline 2050 projections, insufficient to meet the CCC target.
Functionally redundant but dissimilar microbial communities within biogas reactors treating maize silage in co‐fermentation with sugar beet silage
Authors: Langer Susanne G. , Ahmed Sharif , Einfalt Daniel , Bengelsdorf Frank R. , Kazda Marian
Published: July 2015

Numerous observations indicate a high flexibility of microbial communities in different biogas reactors during anaerobic digestion. Here, we describe the functional redundancy and structural changes of involved microbial communities in four lab‐scale continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs, 39°C, 12 L volume) supplied with different mixtures of maize silage (MS) and sugar beet silage (SBS) over 80 days. Continuously stirred tank reactors were fed with mixtures of MS and SBS in volatile solid ratios of 1:0 (Continuous Fermenter (CF) 1), 6:1 (CF2), 3:1 (CF3), 1:3 (CF4) with equal organic loading rates (OLR 1.25 kgVS m−3 d−1) and showed similar biogas production rates in all reactors. The compositions of bacterial and archaeal communities were analysed by 454 amplicon sequencing approach based on 16S rRNA genes. Both bacterial and archaeal communities shifted with increasing amounts of SBS. Especially pronounced were changes in the archaeal composition towards Methanosarcina with increasing proportion of SBS, while Methanosaeta declined simultaneously. Compositional shifts within the microbial communities did not influence the respective biogas production rates indicating that these communities adapted to environmental conditions induced by different feedstock mixtures. The diverse microbial communities optimized their metabolism in a way that ensured efficient biogas production.
Are daily physical activities risk factors for knee osteoarthritis?
Authors: Gholami Jaleh , Mansournia Mohammed‐Ali , Davatchi Fereydoun , Mohammad Kazem , Hosseini Hamed , Majdzadeh Reza
Published: July 2015

Aim

In spite of many epidemiologic studies, there is still insufficient evidence on the effects of daily physical activity on osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between squatting, climbing, kneeling, lifting and carrying weights and knee osteoarthritis.

Methods

This population‐based case control study was the second stage of the World Health Organization – Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases (WHO‐COPCORD), in which 263 cases and 263 controls aged 30–70 years were selected from 780 eligible cases and 4373 eligible controls identified in the first‐stage survey in Tehran. Demographic and lifestyle data were obtained from all the participants. The selection probability of each case and control and the stabilized weight was estimated using the restricted cubic spline models. Multivariable regression models by inverse probability weighting were used to minimize the effect of the bias resulting from the unequal selection probability.

Results

The female sex, age, obesity and history of previous severe knee injury maintained their strong and significant associations with knee osteoarthritis before and after the adjustment. Although walking and squatting were significantly different in the case and control groups in the bivariate analysis, after adjustment and weighting no such association was found between the disease and squatting, kneeling, standing, walking, climbing, carrying and lifting.

Conclusion

This study did not show any significant association between knee osteoarthritis and daily occupational and non‐occupational activities; nevertheless it does add another piece of information to the literature on the complex role of physical activities in knee osteoarthritis.
Serious infection during etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: A literature review
Authors: Downey Colum
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this review is to establish whether there is a significantly increased incidence of serious infections during treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with etanercept, infliximab or adalimumab, to determine the background risk of serious infection in RA patients without treatment with any biological therapy and to ascertain which organisms are involved in serious infections in RA patients while being treated with etanercept, infliximab or adalimumab. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), meta‐analyses of RCTs, Cochrane reviews, national registry articles and case reports were identified using PubMed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. The medical subject heading “rheumatoid arthritis” was combined with “serious infection” or “infection” or “adverse drug events” with each of the three reference biological therapies separately: etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab. These electronic searches were limited to human studies, adult studies, those published in the last 10 years (2004–14) and in the English language. Studies which involved the tumor necrosis factor‐α inhibitors certolizumab pegol or golimumab were excluded. The background risk of serious infection appears to be approximately two‐fold more than non‐RA patients before any treatment with biological therapy. The national registries, which may represent the typical RA patient more accurately than clinical trials, suggest a small but significantly increased incidence of serious infection ranging 1.2–2.78 times that of control (treatment with methotrexate). Mycobacteria spp., Staphyloccus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Varicella zoster virus and Leishmania species (spp.) repeatedly appear in the case report literature and should be in the mind of the clinician faced with a serious infection in a RA patient with an unknown pathogen who is being treated with either etanercept, infliximab or adalimumab.
Stress index for positive end‐expiratory pressure titration in prone position: a piglet study
Authors: Pan C. , Tang R. , Xie J. , Xu J. , Liu S. , Yu T. , Huang Y. , Guo F. , Yang Y. , Qiu H.
Published: July 2015

Background

Prone position ventilation is an important treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but chest wall elastance increases in prone position ventilation, and stress index may not reflect the changes in lung mechanics. We therefore investigated the effects of stress index guided PEEP titration on pulmonary mechanics and hemodynamics in the prone position in a piglet acute lung injury model.

Methods

Ten piglets with severe lavage‐induced lung injury were mechanically ventilated in a decremental PEEP trial after full lung recruitment in the prone position. Stress‐index PEEP was the level at which the airway pressure stress index was 1, and open‐lung PEEP was the level at which it was required to keep the lung open according to computed tomography (CT) scans. Respiratory mechanics, blood gases, hemodynamics, and whole‐lung CT were recorded at the two PEEP levels.

Results

Respiratory system elastance and lung elastance were improved in the prone position but the ratio of chest wall elastance and respiratory system elastance was higher in the prone position. There was no significant difference between open‐lung and stress‐index guided PEEPs in the prone position (P = 0.46). There was no significant difference between collapsed lung volume (P = 0.07) and hyperinflation lung volume (P = 0.76) in the two groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference between open‐lung and stress‐index guided PEEPs in terms of oxygenation index (P = 0.95) and PaCO2 (P = 0.42).

Conclusions

Stress index can be used to titrate PEEP in the prone position in a surfactant‐depleted lung injury model.
Do HOXB13 and P63 have a role in differentiating poorly differentiated prostatic carcinoma from urothelial high‐grade carcinoma?
Authors: Alshenawy Hanan AlSaeid , Saied Eman
Published: July 2015

Poorly differentiated prostatic carcinoma may overlap with high‐grade urothelial carcinoma; a distinction is a must as treatments differ. This study aims to evaluate traditional (PSA and HMWCK) and relatively novel (P63 and HOXB13) markers in distinguishing them; and to evaluate their role in the diagnosis of challenging cases. Sections from: diagnosed group includes 65 prostatic and urothelial carcinoma cases were stained with PSA, HMWCK, P63, and HOXB13. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were evaluated. The second group includes 25 challenging cases which were stained first by PSA and HMWCK, then solved the problematic cases with P63 and HOXB13. PSA and HMWCK were sensitive and specific for prostatic and urothelial carcinomas, respectively, but the sensitivity and accuracy were higher for P63 and HOXB13. By using the traditional markers, 17 cases were diagnosed in the second group while the remaining eight cases need the novel markers to be diagnosed. A confident diagnosis can be established in the majority of cases of poorly differentiated carcinoma in either prostatic or urothelial by using a panel of PSA and HMWCK. In some problematic cases, an extended panel including P63 and HOXB13 is helpful in resolving the diagnosis.
Lipoarabinomannan‐specific TNF‐α and IFN‐γ as markers of protective immunity against tuberculosis: a cohort study in an endemic setting
Authors: Belay Mulugeta , Legesse Mengistu , Mihret Adane , Bekele Yonas , Bjune Gunnar , Abebe Fekadu
Published: July 2015

Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a virulent factor used for entry and survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in macrophages. Although the role of LAM for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) has been extensively investigated, its cytokine response during natural Mtb infection in humans is largely unknown. In this study, LAM‐specific IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, and IL‐10 levels following whole blood assay were measured in untreated pulmonary TB patients, their contacts and community controls at baseline. In treated patients and contacts, cytokines were also measured at 6 and 12 months. At entry, 52.8% and 74.8% of controls and contacts were QFT‐GIT positive, respectively. At baseline, untreated TB patients and contacts had significantly lower IFN‐γ and TNF‐α response compared to community controls (p < 0.0001). Besides, untreated patients had significantly higher TNF‐α and IL‐10 response compared to their contacts (p < 0.0001). At 6 months, contacts and treated TB patients had significantly increased INF‐γ and TNF‐α response (p < 0.0001). In TB patients, IFN‐γ increased 10‐fold following chemotherapy suggesting its potential role for treatment monitoring. The data suggests that LAM might have an anti‐inflammatory effect during clinical TB and early Mtb infection. The data also suggests that LAM‐induced IFN‐γ and TNF‐α could be used as biomarkers of protective immunity.
Effects of reflection type in the here and now mobile learning environment
Authors: Martin Florence , Ertzberger Jeffrey
Published: July 2015

Here and now mobile learning has the capability to engage learners anytime and anywhere and situate them in their learning context. Mobile devices provide opportunity for learners to participate in reflective activities with experts, peers or self while being situated in the learning context such as being in a museum or gallery and using mobile content to learn about exhibits. This study examined the effects of here and now mobile learning on student achievement and attitude based on different types of reflection (no reflection, self‐guided reflection and reflection with virtual expert). Students (n = 103) who were enrolled in teacher preparation courses at a public regional university in the United States participated in the here and now mobile learning intervention on art content in one of three reflection groups. The participants completed a posttest and attitude survey. One‐way ANOVAs were conducted on data obtained from the achievement pretest and posttest and on the attitude survey results for the Likert‐type items. Analysis of achievement data revealed positive significant differences on the reflection type whereas attitude data did not reveal any significant differences. The implications of the findings are discussed for those designing and implementing mobile‐based learning.
Aging, growth and the allocation of public expenditures on health and education
Authors: Dioikitopoulos Evangelos V.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, I develop an overlapping generations endogenous growth model in which both public education and health are sources of growth by affecting the accumulation rate of the human capital stock and the savings rate over life expectancy. I first find that dynamic complementarities of public expenditures lead to minimum threshold levels of public education and health expenditures that ensure sustainable growth. I then show how governments can use the allocation of public expenditures as an alternative policy instrument to maximize growth without increasing the tax rate or the retirement age, as usually happens in aging economies.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluations of 1,2‐Diaryl Pyrroles as Analogues of Combretastatin A‐4
Authors: Sun Jun , Chen Lei , Liu Chunjiang , Wang Zhan , Zuo Daiying , Pan Jiatong , Qi Huan , Bao Kai , Wu Yingliang , Zhang Weige
Published: July 2015

A series of novel 1,2‐diaryl pyrroles as analogues of combretastatin A‐4 (CA‐4, 1a) were synthesized and evaluated for their antitumour potential against three cancer cell lines. Most compounds exhibited growth inhibition against all of the cancer cell lines. Compound 7q not only exhibited prominent antitumour efficacy with IC50 values of 0.390 μm in SGC‐7901, 0.070 μm in HT‐1080 and 0.045 μm in KB cell lines but also showed low activity with IC50 values of 30.08 μm in normal L929 cell line. Moreover, compound 7q inhibited tubulin polymerization into microtubules and caused microtubule destabilization. A molecular docking study of 7q was performed to determine its binding mode at the colchicine site in the tubulin dimer.
Ligand Efficiency Outperforms pIC50 on Both 2D MLR and 3D CoMFA Models: A Case Study on AR Antagonists
Authors: Li Jiazhong , Bai Fang , Liu Huanxiang , Gramatica Paola
Published: July 2015

The concept of ligand efficiency is defined as biological activity in each molecular size and is widely accepted throughout the drug design community. Among different LE indices, surface efficiency index (SEI) was reported to be the best one in support vector machine modeling, much better than the generally and traditionally used end‐point pIC50. In this study, 2D multiple linear regression and 3D comparative molecular field analysis methods are employed to investigate the structure–activity relationships of a series of androgen receptor antagonists, using pIC50 and SEI as dependent variables to verify the influence of using different kinds of end‐points. The obtained results suggest that SEI outperforms pIC50 on both MLR and CoMFA models with higher stability and predictive ability. After analyzing the characteristics of the two dependent variables SEI and pIC50, we deduce that the superiority of SEI maybe lie in that SEI could reflect the relationship between molecular structures and corresponding bioactivities, in nature, better than pIC50. This study indicates that SEI could be a more rational parameter to be optimized in the drug discovery process than pIC50.
Proinsulin multi-peptide immunotherapy induces antigen-specific regulatory T cells and limits autoimmunity in a humanized model
Authors: Gibson V B , Nikolic T , Pearce V Q , Demengeot J , Roep B O , Peakman M
Published: July 2015

Peptide immunotherapy (PIT) is a targeted therapeutic approach, involving administration of disease-associated peptides, with the aim of restoring antigen-specific immunological tolerance without generalized immunosuppression. In type 1 diabetes, proinsulin is a primary antigen targeted by the autoimmune response, and is therefore a strong candidate for exploitation via PIT in this setting. To elucidate the optimal conditions for proinsulin-based PIT and explore mechanisms of action, we developed a preclinical model of proinsulin autoimmunity in a humanized HLA-DRB1*0401 transgenic HLA-DR4 Tg mouse. Once proinsulin-specific tolerance is broken, HLA-DR4 Tg mice develop autoinflammatory responses, including proinsulin-specific T cell proliferation, interferon (IFN)-γ and autoantibody production. These are preventable and quenchable by pre- and post-induction treatment, respectively, using intradermal proinsulin-PIT injections. Intradermal proinsulin-PIT enhances proliferation of regulatory [forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+)CD25high] CD4 T cells, including those capable of proinsulin-specific regulation, suggesting this as its main mode of action. In contrast, peptide delivered intradermally on the surface of vitamin D3-modulated (tolerogenic) dendritic cells, controls autoimmunity in association with proinsulin-specific IL-10 production, but no change in regulatory CD4 T cells. These studies define a humanized, translational model for in vivo optimization of PIT to control autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes and indicate that dominant mechanisms of action differ according to mode of peptide delivery.
Bone reactions around dental implants subjected to progressive static load: an experimental study in dogs
Authors: Podaropoulos Leonidas , Veis Alexander A. , Trisi Paolo , Papadimitriou Serafim , Alexandridis Constantinos , Kalyvas Demos
Published: July 2015

Objective

To evaluate histologically and histomorphometrically, the peri‐implant bone reaction around implants subjected to controlled progressive orthodontic loading.

Materials and methods

In three beagle dogs, bilateral edentulous flat alveolar ridges were created in the maxillary area posterior to the canines. After 8 weeks of healing, 24 implants (Biomet 3i) were inserted in the edentulous sites. Two experimental groups were created. Progressive loading group: Twelve implants were left to heal for 8 weeks uncovered, and abutments were adapted and connected by pairs with Ni‐Ti orthodontic springs. A gradual static force of 100, 200 and 300 g was applied for a 3‐week period each. Thus, a total progressive loading period of 9 weeks was exercised. Unloaded control group: Twelve implants were left to heal undisturbed. At the end of the experimental period, all implants of both groups were removed with the surrounding bone. Histologic and histomorphometric analyses were performed, and the following parameters were measured: bone‐to‐implant contact, bone density 1 and 2 mm distant to the implant threads and crestal bone resorption. Median regression models are used for statistical analysis.

Results

Implants of the progressive loading group exhibited significantly higher percentage of bone‐to‐implant contact compared to the unloaded control implants (P = 0.018). Bone density 1 and 2 mm distant to the threads was found to be the same between the two groups (P = 0.734 and P = 0.961, respectively). Crestal bone resorption did not differ between loaded and unloaded implants (P = 0.813).

Conclusion

The application of progressive loading by controlled orthodontic force on osseointegrated implants provoked significant increase in the percentage of bone‐to‐implant contact of the low‐density bone of the dog maxilla.
CEO Overpayment and Dismissal: The Role of Attribution and Attention
Authors: He Lerong , Fang Junxiong
Published: July 2015

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

This study investigates the moderating role of CEO overpayment on the relationship between firm performance and CEO dismissal. We also examine how contextual factors, including compensation disclosure regulation, firm index status, and firm age, influence board attention and attribution, and consequently affect the sensitivity of CEO dismissal to firm performance.

Research Findings/Insights

Using a sample of Chinese listed firms between 2002 and 2011, we find that overpaid CEOs are associated with a larger likelihood of dismissal in case of poor firm performance compared to their underpaid counterparts. In addition, CEO overpayment has a larger influence on the turnover‐performance relationship when executive compensation disclosure is mandatory, when a firm is index‐included, or younger.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

This study provides empirical support for attribution theory and the attention‐based view. Built on the concept of bounded rationality, it demonstrates that board sense‐making and causal attributions affect the CEO dismissal decision. Our study also sheds light on the influence of situational cues on shaping board attention and subsequent corporate governance decisions.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This study offers insights to policymakers interested in enhancing the design of corporate governance mechanisms by paying attention to cognitive processes in the boardroom.
Transforming Central Bank Liabilities into Government Debt: The Case of China
Authors: McCauley Robert , Ma Guonan
Published: July 2015

Where policy has substantially increased central bank assets, the corresponding liabilities present an opportunity to increase the breadth, depth and liquidity of the government bond market. In China's case, transformed illiquid central bank liabilities could double or triple the stock of government bonds. Central bank liabilities can be transformed into government bonds either through the government's purchase of foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank or by the government overfunding its borrowing requirement and depositing the proceeds in the central bank. The overfunding approach is preferred if, for financial stability reasons, it is judged prudent to leave the central bank with sufficient resources to serve itself as lender of last resort in foreign currency to the banking system. In the case of China, public debt consolidation could also contribute to further liberalizing the Chinese banking system, wider international use of the renminbi and more balanced holdings of key currency government bonds.
How does Bank Capital Affect Bank Profitability and Risk? Evidence from China's WTO Accession
Authors: Lee Chien‐Chiang , Ning Shao‐Lin , Lee Chi‐Chuan
Published: July 2015

This paper examines how bank capital affects bank profitability and risk in China, and how its impact differed before and after the nation entered the WTO. Our study uses the dynamic generalized method of moments approach with a panel database containing 171 Chinese commercial banks. We find that bank capital has significant influence on bank profitability and risk, but its impact has declined since China joined the WTO in 2001. For different sized groups, the impact of capital on profitability exhibits a distinct trend. The effects of capital on bank risk are different for large and small banks depending on the risk variables used for the Chinese banking industry.
Value, Structure and Spatial Distribution of Interprovincial Trade in China
Authors: Xing Weibo , Whalley John , Li Shantong
Published: July 2015

This study uses two different datasets to explore the stylized facts of interprovincial trade in China during the recent two decades. One dataset provides the magnitude of bilateral interprovincial goods trade calculated using firms' value‐added tax invoices. The other supplies estimates of interprovincial trade using provincial input–output tables. We find that China has both a large value and a high growth rate of interprovincial trade, but there still exists a home bias in internal trade for most provinces. In addition, disaggregation by product shows that the manufacturing sector has the largest share of interprovincial trade and this share continues to grow. Finally, the spatial distribution of trade suggests that all provinces can be clustered into a smaller number of trade areas with large intra‐cluster trade. Therefore, China's central government should make more effort to reduce local protection, stimulate domestic demand and coordinate interregional trade among local jurisdictions.
Comparison of the heart failure risk stratification performance of the CKD–EPI equation and the MDRD equation for estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Wang Y. , Katzmarzyk P. T. , Horswell R. , Zhao W. , Johnson J. , Hu G.
Published: July 2015

Aims

To investigate the risk prediction and the risk stratification performances of the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD–EPI) equation and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRCKD–EPI vs. eGFRMDRD) on heart failure in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

The study cohort included 12 258 White and 16 886 African American low‐income patients with Type 2 diabetes who were 30–90 years old at baseline. Heart failure risk according to different eGFRCKD–EPI and eGFRMDRD categories was prospectively assessed.

Results

During a mean follow‐up of 6.5 years, 5043 incident heart failure cases were identified. Multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of heart failure associated with the eGFRCKD–EPI categories [≥ 90 (reference group), 75–89, 60–74, 30–59 and < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2] were 1.00, 1.11, 1.31, 1.75 and 2.93 (Ptrend < 0.001) for African American patients, and 1.00, 1.11, 1.08, 1.59 and 2.92 (Ptrend < 0.001) for White patients, respectively. The model with eGFRCKD–EPI and the other risk factors had significantly higher Harrell's C than the model with eGFRMDRD and other risk factors. Patients reclassified downward from eGFRMDRD 60–74 to eGFRCKD–EPI 30–59 and from eGFRMDRD 30–59 to eGFRCKD–EPI < 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 showed higher heart failure risk than those who were not reclassified.

Conclusions

Impaired kidney function (i.e. GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2), and even mildly decreased GFR (60–74 ml/min/1.73 m2) estimated by both equations is associated with an increased risk of heart failure. Compared with GFR estimated using the MDRD equation, GFR estimated using the CKD–EPI equation added more predictive power to the model with the other risk factors. Also, eGFRCKD–EPI provided more accurate heart failure risk stratification than eGFRMDRD .
Longitudinal relationship of diabetes‐related distress and depressive symptoms: analysing incidence and persistence
Authors: Ehrmann D. , Kulzer B. , Haak T. , Hermanns N.
Published: July 2015

Aim

To investigate the longitudinal bi‐directionality of diabetes‐related distress and depressive symptoms.

Methods

A total of 509 patients receiving intensified insulin therapy completed the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale questionnaire for the assessment of depressive symptoms as well as the Problem Areas in Diabetes questionnaire for the assessment of diabetes‐related distress at baseline and at 6‐month follow‐up. Separate logistic and linear regression analyses for incidence and persistence were performed with demographic (age, gender, BMI) and medical (diabetes type, HbA1c, diabetes duration, late complications) control variables.

Results

Diabetes‐related distress at baseline increased the risk of the incidence of elevated depressive symptoms by 2.56‐fold (odds ratio 2.56; 95% CI 1.15–5.72; P = 0.02) when controlling for demographic and medical variables. In addition, diabetes‐related distress at baseline doubled the chance of the persistence of elevated depressive symptoms (odds ratio 2.04, 95% CI 1.04–3.99; P = 0.04) when controlling for demographic and medical variables. The chance of having persistent elevated diabetes‐related distress was increased 5.94‐fold (odds ratio 5.94, 95% CI 2.60–13.59; P < 0.0001) when elevated depressive symptoms were present at baseline. None of the medical variables had an influence on incidence or persistence.

Conclusions

Diabetes‐related distress was identified as a risk factor for the incidence and persistence of depressive symptoms. Reducing diabetes‐related distress could help to prevent the development of elevated depressive symptoms. Furthermore, depressive symptoms were identified as an amplifier for diabetes‐related distress. Diabetes‐related distress and depressive symptoms were independent risk factors for each other and should be monitored in routine care to disentangle their influence.
The SAD–MEN questionnaire: a new and reliable questionnaire for assessing sexual dysfunction in Asians with diabetes
Authors: Chung C. M. , Lu M. Z. H. , Wong C. Y. T. , Goh S. G. K. , Azhar M. I. M. , Lim Y. M. , Rusli B. N. , Khalid B. A. K.
Published: July 2015

Aim

The aim of this study is to construct a new tool for the assessment of sexual dysfunction among men with diabetes that is valid and reliable across different ethnicities, languages and socio‐economic backgrounds in South East Asia.

Methods

Focus group interviews were conducted to determine the construct of the questionnaire. Content and face validity were assessed by a panel of experts. A pilot study was conducted to validate the Sexual Dysfunction in Asian Men with Diabetes (SAD–MEN) questionnaire in English and Malay. The International Index of Erectile Function–5 (IIEF–5) was used for comparison. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis, reliability was determined using Cronbach's α (> 0.700), and test–retest reliability using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Results

The SAD–MEN questionnaire yielded moderate face and content validity, with high reliability as shown by Cronbach's α values of 0.949 for sexual performance and 0.775 for sexual desire for the English version. The Malay language questionnaire had a Cronbach's α value of 0.945 for sexual performance and 0.750 for sexual desire. Test–retest reliability using Spearman's test gave correlation coefficients of r = 0.853, P = 0.000 for the English language questionnaire and r = 0.908, P = 0.000 for the Malay language questionnaire.

Conclusion

The SAD–MEN questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool by which to assess sexual dysfunction in English‐ and Malay‐speaking Malaysian and South East Asian men with diabetes.
Oral Everolimus for Treatment of a Giant Left Ventricular Rhabdomyoma in a Neonate—Rapid Tumor Regression Documented by Real Time 3D Echocardiography
Authors: Wagner Robert , Riede Frank Thomas , Seki Hiroshi , Hornemann Frauke , Syrbe Steffen , Daehnert Ingo , Weidenbach Michael
Published: July 2015

The presented case reports on successful treatment with everolimus in a neonate with left ventricular giant rhabdomyoma. The authors used a different dosage regime compared to literature and documented rapid tumor regression by 3D echocardiography.
Giant Caseous Calcification on Tricuspid Annulus Mimicking Cardiac Metastasis in a Patient with Colon Cancer
Authors: Yesin Mahmut , Toprak Cüneyt , Kalçık Macit , Bayam Emrah , İnanır Mehmet , Özkan Mehmet
Published: July 2015

Mini‐Abstract

Caseous calcification is usually an incidental finding on the atrioventricular valvular annulus. The exact mechanism of pathogenicity for the caseous calcifications has not been defined yet. Differential diagnosis includes vegetation, thrombus, or metastatic tumors. We presented a case of a large tricuspid mass as an incidental finding by transthoracic echocardiography in a patient with metastatic colon cancer. The distinction between caseous calcification and metastatic tumor was made based on the typical location of calcification, possible extension to the whole mitral annulus, well‐defined borders, and the internal echolucent area.
Large‐scale migration synchrony between parasitoids and their host
Authors: PÉREZ‐RODRÍGUEZ JESICA , SHORTALL CHRIS R. , BELL JAMES R.
Published: July 2015

1. Parasitoids are a valuable group for conservation biological control. In their role as regulators of aphid pests, it is critical that their lifecycle is synchronised with their hosts in both space and time. This is because a synchronised parasitoid community is more likely to strengthen the overall conservation biological control effect, thus damping aphid numbers and preventing potential outbreaks. One component of this host–parasitoid system was examined, that of migration, and the hypothesis that peak summer parasitoid and host migrations are synchronised in time was tested.

2. Sitobion avenae Fabricius and six associated parasitoids were sampled from 1976 to 2013 using 12.2‐m suction‐traps from two sites in Southern England. The relationship between peak weekly S. avenae counts and their parasitoids was quantified.

3. Simple regression models showed that the response of the peak parasitoids to the host was positive: generally, more parasitoids migrated with increasing numbers of aphids. Further, when averaged over time, the parasitoid migration peak date corresponded with the aphid migration peak. The co‐occurrence of the peaks was between 51% and 64%. However, the summer peak in aphid migration is not steadily shifting forward with time unlike spring first flights of aphids. Cross‐correlation analysis showed that there were no between‐year lagged effects of aphids on parasitoids.

4. These results demonstrate that the peak in migration phenology between host and parasitoid is broadly synchronised within a season. Because the threshold temperature for flight (> 12 °C) was almost always exceeded in summer, the synchronising agent is likely to be crop senescence, not temperature. Studies are needed to assess the effects of climate change on the mismatch potential between parasitoids and their hosts.
Academe by ‘selfie’
Authors: Letiche Hugo
Published: July 2015

A brief case of academe (dis‐)organized is presented here. From audit to selfie, university organization has changed and deconstructs.
Parents' Differential Treatment of Adolescent Siblings in African American Families
Authors: Solmeyer Anna R. , McHale Susan M.
Published: July 2015

Research on European and European American families suggests that parents' differential treatment of siblings has negative implications for youths' adjustment, but few studies have explored these dynamics in minority samples. This study examined parents' differential acceptance and conflict in a sample of mothers, fathers, and two adolescent siblings in 179 African American families who were interviewed on three annual occasions. In an effort to replicate findings from European and European American samples, we assessed the longitudinal associations between differential treatment and adolescent adjustment and tested three sibling characteristics (birth order, gender, and dyad gender composition) as potential moderators of these linkages. To illuminate the sociocultural context of differential treatment and its implications, we also explored parents' cultural socialization practices and experiences of financial stress as potential moderators of these links. Multilevel models revealed that, controlling for average parent–child relationship qualities, decreases in parental acceptance and increases in parent–youth conflict over time—relative to the sibling—were associated with increases in youths' risky behavior and depressive symptoms. Links between differential treatment and adjustment were not evident, however, when mothers engaged in high levels of cultural socialization and in families under high financial stress. The discussion highlights the significance of sociocultural factors in family dynamics.
Role of the nucleotide‐binding domain‐like receptor protein 3 inflammasome in acute kidney injury
Authors: Cao Yanhui , Fei Dongsheng , Chen Mingwei , Sun Miao , Xu Jun , Kang Kai , Jiang Lei , Zhao Mingyan
Published: July 2015

Acute kidney injury (AKI), which is associated with high mortality rates, involves renal inflammation related to the activation of innate immunity. The inflammatory response in AKI involves the inflammasome, which integrates danger signals into caspase‐1‐activating platforms, leading to the processing and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐18. The nucleotide‐binding domain‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a role in the development of many diseases, including AKI. However, the mechanisms by which the NLRP3 inflammasome translates different danger signals into the expression of proinflammatory cytokines remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in renal injury in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model of sepsis‐induced AKI. CLP decreased blood pressure and increased serum creatinine levels and neutrophil infiltration into the kidney in parallel with the upregulation of NLRP3, the adaptor protein apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein, and caspase‐1 expression and activity in kidney tissues, and increases in the serum and kidney levels of IL‐1β and IL‐18. Genetic deletion of NLRP3 reversed the CLP‐induced reduction in blood pressure and increases in serum creatinine level and neutrophil infiltration, and attenuated the CLP‐induced upregulation of apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein, caspase‐1 expression and activity, and the secretion of IL‐1β and IL‐18, similarly to the effects of caspase‐1 inhibition. Taken together, our results indicate that activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to the development of hypotension and the inflammatory response of AKI, suggesting its possible role as a therapeutic target for the treatment of kidney diseases.
Feeding preferences of an invasive Ponto‐Caspian goby for native and non‐native gammarid prey
Authors: Błońska Dagmara , Grabowska Joanna , Kobak Jarosław , Jermacz Łukasz , Bącela‐Spychalska Karolina
Published: July 2015

When an invasive predator encounters native and invasive prey, two scenarios are possible: the predator may benefit from the presence of naïve native prey or choose prey from its region of origin, reflecting their common evolutionary history.

To determine interactions between an invasive predator and native and invasive prey, we used the Ponto‐Caspian racer goby Babka gymnotrachelus as predator and gammarids as prey: native Gammarus fossarum and Ponto‐Caspian Dikerogammarus villosus and Pontogammarus robustoides. We hypothesised that prey origin would affect fish preferences and growth rate and conducted a series of laboratory experiments on fish predation and growth and estimated profitability of prey of different origin.

The goby preferred native prey to the Ponto‐Caspian gammarids, irrespective of prey motility, the presence of shelters or waterborne chemical cues. Moreover, fish grew better when fed native prey.

Thus, we suggest that fish selectivity was based on the assessment of prey quality during direct contact with gammarids. A diet consisting of Ponto‐Caspian gammarids did not facilitate an invader originating from the same region, which benefited more from the presence of a local prey species.

Ponto‐Caspian gammarids and gobies are successful invaders in inland waters, usually main rivers. The gobies, in contrast to the invasive gammarids, enter smaller tributaries that serve as refugia for native gammarids. We show that the gobies may benefit from the presence of native prey species in such locations.