bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How brand orientation impacts B2B service brand equity? An empirical study among Chinese firms
Authors: Zhang Jing , Jiang Yanxin , Shabbir Rizwan , Zhu Miao
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The paper aims to explore how brand orientation impacts brand equity via internal branding, presented brand, word-of-mouth and customer experience from stakeholder interaction perspective in industrial services context. Brand orientation has emerged as an attractive business philosophy for industrial service companies who believe that brand plays an influential role in delivering customer value and improving firm’s performance. However, the impact of brand orientation upon brand equity is not clear yet, and the active roles of multiple stakeholders in co-creating brand equity are largely neglected in business-to-business (B2B) branding literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire survey was conducted among 258 pairs of firms located in mainland China. A total of nine research hypotheses related to how brand orientation impacts B2B service brand equity were examined by structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

– The research findings indicate: a company with high level of brand orientation will both actively communicate its brand to customers and implement internal branding among employees; internal branding enhances willingness and skills of service employees so that they can provide customers with excellent service experience, which will lead to positive word-of-mouth; effective brand communication, pleasant customer experience and favorable word-of-mouth can result in positive brand association in the mind of customers and finally build up corporate brand equity.

Research limitations/implications

– The major limitation of this paper is that some other potential stakeholders and additional interactive processes among organization, employees and customers, which have potential to impact brand equity, are not included in the model.

Originality/value

– This study makes theoretical contribution by addressing the gaps in the branding literature with respect to industrial services context and stakeholder interaction perspective. It also provides practical implications for B2B service firms as to how to develop a strong brand by implementing brand orientation within the network of core stakeholders.
A framework of satisfaction for continually delivered business services
Authors: Briggs Elten , Landry Timothy D. , Daugherty Patricia J.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to present a new framework for the evaluation of satisfaction in continually delivered business services (CDBS) contexts based on applicable theoretical perspectives and extant empirical research.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper first describes and justifies the importance of the CDBS context. Then, a literature review of CDBS satisfaction research over the past ten years is presented and utilized in conjunction with theoretical insights from expectancy disconfirmation theory and social exchange theory to develop conceptual definitions, a general conceptual framework, and research propositions.

Findings

– The resulting conceptual framework focuses on global CDBS provider satisfaction as the outcome of three more specific satisfaction assessments: service satisfaction (driven by the actual performance of the service), economic satisfaction (driven by the customers’ economic outcomes from the exchange relationship) and social satisfaction (driven by the customers’ social outcomes and interactions in the exchange relationship).

Originality/value

– The study is the first to develop a framework of satisfaction for the CDBS context and presents propositions to guide future satisfaction research. The conceptual framework leverages insights from two existing models of satisfaction formation: expectancy disconfirmation (which provides deeper insight on service satisfaction) and social exchange theory (which provides deeper insights on social and economic satisfaction). The integration of these two models results in a more comprehensive view of satisfaction formation in the CDBS context than by using either model separately.
Factors influencing job performance of nursing staff
Authors: Sharma Jyoti , Dhar Rajib Lochan
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence the affective commitment of nursing staff and its subsequent impact on their job performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey-based study was performed among 349 nursing staff working in Uttarakhand, randomly selected from six public healthcare institutes, using a well-established questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was applied to study the mediating effect of affective commitment and its correlation with the constructs used in research.

Findings

– The findings of the study revealed that the level of burnout is significantly higher among the nursing staff and had an inverse relation with affective commitment. Further, perceived organizational support and procedural justice showed a positive relation with affective commitment in contrast to burnout. Moreover, affective commitment had a strong impact on job performance of the nursing staff, indicated by direct relation with a value of 0.70.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings contribute by recognizing the various factors affecting the performance of nursing staff specifically in developing country like India. Limited in geographical area, industry and a self-rated questionnaire are some of the limitations of the present study.

Practical implications

– To conclude, this study revealed the vital significance of factors affecting the job performance of nursing staff through affective commitment. Based on the findings, healthcare institutions need to reduce the level of burnout, create and enhance a supportive and fair working environment to enhance the level of affective commitment and consequently the job performance of the nursing staff.

Originality/value

– This study has extended the existing literature by identifying the mediating role of affective commitment on factors affecting job performance of nursing staff specifically in the Indian context.
Job satisfaction: how crucial is participative decision making?
Authors: Pacheco Gail , Webber Don
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the role of perceived ability to participate in decision making in the workplace, with respect to job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data from the fourth wave of the European Value Survey, is utilised, and a bivariate probit model is employed to account for unobserved heterogeneity.

Findings

– Empirical analysis comparing univariate and bivariate probit models reveals that the results from the former are negatively biased; potentially indicating that prior research may have underestimated the impact of participative decision making (PDM) on job satisfaction. Additionally, it appears clear that the magnitude of the marginal effects for both socio-demographic and work characteristics do not differ when comparing workers with above and below average participation. More importantly, the authors find a substantial negative marginal effect of below average participation on job satisfaction (close to three times the magnitude of the next largest marginal effect estimated in the model), indicating how crucial it is for employers to actively pursue programmes that enhance PDM.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the growing literature aimed at understanding drivers of satisfaction in the workplace. Adding to the scant empirical investigation of the influence of PDM on job satisfaction, the authors find strong evidence of a direct and positive impact, which is further amplified after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity.
The effect of management and employee perspectives of high-performance work systems on employees’ discretionary behaviour
Authors: Elorza Unai , Harris Christopher , Aritzeta Aitor , Balluerka Nekane
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand how management and employee perspectives of high-performance work systems (HPWS) relate to employee discretionary behaviour. In addition, the paper examines to what extent the relationship between employees’ perception of the HPWS and discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two samples were used in the study. The first sample included data from 51 managers and 1,023 employees from 26 manufacturing companies. The second sample included 52 managers and 6,382 employees from 42 manufacturing companies.

Findings

– The study shows that employee rated HPWS mediates the relationship between management rated HPWS and individual-level discretionary behaviour. Moreover, results showed that the effect of employee rated HPWS on discretionary behaviour varies among different organizations/groups.

Practical implications

– Results show that employee perceptions of the HPWS more strongly predict employees’ discretionary behaviour than management rated HPWS. Moreover, it shows that employees’ perceptions of the same HPWS, but operating in different organizational contexts exhibit different levels of discretionary behaviour.

Originality/value

– The study differentiates between management and employee perspectives of the HPWS. It also examines the variability of the relationship between HPWS and discretionary behaviour. Multilevel structural equation modelling is used to test the hypotheses.
Dissemination of talent management in Germany: myth, facade or economic necessity?
Authors: Ewerlin Denise , Süß Stefan
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– Although talent management is increasingly being discussed by academics and practitioners, there are very few empirical studies to date concerning its dissemination and configuration in German companies. The purpose of this paper is to reduce this research deficit.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to analyze the (causes of) the dissemination, configuration and influence factors of talent management in Germany, the authors collected data in two survey waves via an online survey. The sample consists of 313 completed questionnaires. The average size of the companies is 25,619 employees (median: 2,000 employees; spread 1-609,000). The authors analyze the data in different steps using a factor analysis, a regression analysis and a cluster analysis.

Findings

– The paper provides evidence of the dissemination and configuration of talent management in Germany, as well as the reasons for its introduction in Germany. It also contributes to the (empirical) analysis of talent management and to the study of the dissemination of (human resource) management concepts. The authors find evidence that some companies in Germany have implemented talent management as a facade, while others have done so out of economic necessity.

Originality/value

– The analysis represents one of the first scientific studies in German-speaking countries that focusses on talent management configuration, the causes of its dissemination and the characteristics of companies using it. In combination with the current study of Festing et al. (2013) it draws an extensive picture of talent management in Germany.
Does higher education service quality effect student satisfaction, image and loyalty?
Authors: Ali Faizan , Zhou Yuan , Hussain Kashif , Nair Pradeep Kumar , Ragavan Neethiahnanthan Ari
Published: January 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Malaysian public universities’ service quality on international student satisfaction, institutional image and loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total number of 400 questionnaires were distributed to international students, selected using convenience sampling technique, at three public Malaysian university campuses in Kuala Lumpur. Of this, 241 were deemed fit for analysis (60 per cent response rate). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the collected data, assess the model and test hypotheses.

Findings

– The findings show that all the five dimensions of higher education service quality influence student satisfaction which in turn influences institutional image, and together, they influence student loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

– There are a number of limitations associated with this study. First, the findings of the study are based on data from international students at only three Malaysian public university campuses. Second, this study focuses on a relatively small sample of international students. Besides, this study uses HEdPERF to assess higher education service quality which might exclude some factors that may influence international student satisfaction. On the other hand, it highlights a number of implications for the management of Malaysian universities.

Originality/value

– This study validates the HEdPERF scale in the context of Malaysian public universities with regard to the perceptions of international students. Furthermore, this study extends the HEdPERF scale and examines its effects on student satisfaction, institutional image and loyalty.
Arsenite response in Coccomyxa sp. Carn explored by transcriptomic and non‐targeted metabolomic approaches
Authors: Koechler Sandrine , Bertin Philippe N. , Plewniak Frédéric , Baltenweck Raymonde , Casiot Corinne , Heipieper Hermann J. , Bouchez Olivier , Arsène‐Ploetze Florence , Hugueney Philippe , Halter David
Published: January 2016

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid known to generate an important oxidative stress in cells. In the present study, we focused our attention on an alga related to the genus Coccomyxa, exhibiting an extraordinary capacity to resist high concentrations of arsenite and arsenate. The integrated analysis of high‐throughput transcriptomic data and non‐targeted metabolomic approaches highlighted multiple levels of protection against arsenite. Indeed, Coccomyxa sp. Carn induced a set of transporters potentially preventing the accumulation of this metalloid in the cells and presented a distinct arsenic metabolism in comparison to another species more sensitive to that compound, i.e. Euglena gracilis, especially in regard to arsenic methylation. Interestingly, Coccomyxa sp. Carn was characterized by a remarkable accumulation of the strong antioxidant glutathione (GSH). Such observation could explain the apparent low oxidative stress in the intracellular compartment, as suggested by the transcriptomic analysis. In particular, the high amount of GSH in the cell could play an important role for the tolerance to arsenate, as suggested by its partial oxidation into oxidized glutathione in presence of this metalloid. Our results therefore reveal that this alga has acquired multiple and original defence mechanisms allowing the colonization of extreme ecosystems such as acid mine drainages.
Frontostriatal circuits, resting state functional connectivity and cognitive control in internet gaming disorder
Authors: Yuan Kai , Yu Dahua , Cai Chenxi , Feng Dan , Li Yangding , Bi Yanzhi , Liu Jixin , Zhang Yi , Jin Chenwang , Li Linling , Qin Wei , Tian Jie
Published: January 2016

Converging evidence has identified cognitive control deficits in internet gaming disorder (IGD). Recently, mounting evidence had revealed that resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) and structural connectivity of frontostriatal circuits could modulate cognitive control in healthy individuals. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the thoroughly circuit‐level characterization of the frontostriatal pathways (both the dorsal and ventral striatum) during resting‐state and their association with cognitive control in IGD. In the current study, the differences of striatum volume and RSFC networks were investigated between 43 young IGD individuals and 44 healthy controls. Meanwhile, cognitive control deficits were assessed by Stroop task performances. The neuroimaging findings were then correlated with the Stroop task behaviors. In IGD subjects, we demonstrated an increased volume of right caudate and nucleus accumbens (NAc) as well as reduced RSFC strength of dorsal prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)–caudate and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)–NAc. NAc volumes were positively correlated with internet addiction test scores in IGD. The caudate volume and DLPFC–caudate RSFC was correlated with the impaired cognitive control (more incongruent errors in Stroop task) in IGD. Consistent with substance use disorder (SUD) findings, we detected striatum volume and frontostriatal circuits RSFC differences between IGD and healthy controls, which provided evidence of some degree of the similarity between IGD and SUD. More importantly, the cognitive control deficits in IGD were correlated with the reduced frontostrital RSFC strength. It is hoped that our results could shed insight on the neurobiological mechanisms of IGD and suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for treatment.
Cocaine craving during protracted withdrawal requires PKCε priming within vmPFC
Authors: Miller Bailey W. , Wroten Melissa G. , Sacramento Arianne D. , Silva Hannah E. , Shin Christina B. , Vieira Philip A. , Ben‐Shahar Osnat , Kippin Tod E. , Szumlinski Karen K.
Published: January 2016

In individuals with a history of drug taking, the capacity of drug‐associated cues to elicit indices of drug craving intensifies or incubates with the passage of time during drug abstinence. This incubation of cocaine craving, as well as difficulties with learning to suppress drug‐seeking behavior during protracted withdrawal, are associated with a time‐dependent deregulation of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) function. As the molecular bases for cocaine‐related vmPFC deregulation remain elusive, the present study assayed the consequences of extended access to intravenous cocaine (6 hours/day; 0.25 mg/infusion for 10 day) on the activational state of protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε), an enzyme highly implicated in drug‐induced neuroplasticity. The opportunity to engage in cocaine seeking during cocaine abstinence time‐dependently altered PKCε phosphorylation within vmPFC, with reduced and increased p‐PKCε expression observed in early (3 days) and protracted (30 days) withdrawal, respectively. This effect was more robust within the ventromedial versus dorsomedial PFC, was not observed in comparable cocaine‐experienced rats not tested for drug‐seeking behavior and was distinct from the rise in phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase observed in cocaine‐seeking rats. Further, the impact of inhibiting PKCε translocation within the vmPFC using TAT infusion proteins upon cue‐elicited responding was determined and inhibition coinciding with the period of testing attenuated cocaine‐seeking behavior, with an effect also apparent the next day. In contrast, inhibitor pretreatment prior to testing during early withdrawal was without effect. Thus, a history of excessive cocaine taking influences the cue reactivity of important intracellular signaling molecules within the vmPFC, with PKCε playing a critical role in the manifestation of cue‐elicited cocaine seeking during protracted drug withdrawal.
Genome‐wide association studies based on sequence‐derived genotypes reveal new QTL associated with conformation and performance traits in the Franches–Montagnes horse breed
Authors: Frischknecht M. , Signer‐Hasler H. , Leeb T. , Rieder S. , Neuditschko M.
Published: January 2016

To identify novel quantitative trait loci (QTL) within horses, we performed genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) based on sequence‐level genotypes for conformation and performance traits in the Franches–Montagnes (FM) horse breed. Sequence‐level genotypes of FM horses were derived by re‐sequencing 30 key founders and imputing 50K data of genotyped horses. In total, we included 1077 FM horses genotyped for ~4 million SNPs and their respective de‐regressed breeding values of the traits in the analysis. Based on this dataset, we identified a total of 14 QTL associated with 18 conformation traits and one performance trait. Therefore, our results suggest that the application of sequence‐derived genotypes increases the power to identify novel QTL which were not identified previously based on 50K SNP chip data.
Genome‐wide association reveals the locus responsible for four‐horned ruminant
Authors: Kijas James W. , Hadfield Tracy , Naval Sanchez Marina , Cockett Noelle
Published: January 2016

Phenotypic variability in horn characteristics, such as their size, number and shape, offers the opportunity to elucidate the molecular basis of horn development. The objective of this study was to map the genetic determinant controlling the production of four horns in two breeds, Jacob sheep and Navajo‐Churro, and examine whether an eyelid abnormality occurring in the same populations is related. Genome‐wide association mapping was performed using 125 animals from the two breeds that contain two‐ and four‐horned individuals. A case–control design analysis of 570 712 SNPs genotyped with the ovine HD SNP Beadchip revealed a strong association signal on sheep chromosome 2. The 10 most strongly associated SNPs were all located in a region spanning Mb positions 131.9–132.6, indicating the genetic architecture underpinning the production of four horns is likely to involve a single gene. The closest genes to the most strongly associated marker (OAR2_132568092) were MTX2 and the HOXD cluster, located approximately 93 Kb and 251 Kb upstream respectively. The occurrence of an eyelid malformation across both breeds was restricted to polled animals and those carrying more than two horns. This suggests the eyelid abnormality may be associated with departures from the normal developmental production of two‐horned animals and that the two conditions are developmentally linked. This study demonstrated the presence of separate loci responsible for the polled and four‐horned phenotypes in sheep and advanced our understanding of the complexity that underpins horn morphology in ruminants.
Scalp melanoma: Distinctive high risk clinical and histological features
Authors: Xie Charles , Pan Yan , McLean Catriona , Mar Victoria , Wolfe Rory , Kelly John W
Published: January 2016

Background/Objectives

Scalp melanoma has a worse prognosis than melanoma elsewhere, though the reasons for this are poorly understood. Current literature describing the clinicopathological associations of scalp melanoma is sparse. This study aims to compare clinical and histological features of scalp melanoma with other cutaneous head and neck melanomas (CHNM).

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed of all primary CHNM cases seen by the Victorian Melanoma Service between 1994 and 2014, using prospectively recorded clinical data. Invasive and in situ melanomas were compared separately.

Results

Invasive scalp melanoma was associated with male sex (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.9–3.9), increasing age (OR, 1.02 per year increase in age; 95% CI, 1.01–1.03), being first noticed by a person other than self, spouse/relative or doctor (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5–5.7), amelanosis (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1–2.3), and increased growth rate (OR, 1.14 per 1 mm/month growth rate increase; 95% CI, 1.04–1.26). Compared with other CHNM, scalp melanoma had greater median Breslow thickness (2.8  vs 1.2 mm) and was independently associated with satellite metastases (OR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.9–11.5) and nodular subtype (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–3.1). In situ scalp melanoma was associated with male sex, increasing age and solar keratoses.

Conclusion

Scalp melanoma tends to occur in older men, is often rapidly growing and amelanotic, and is associated with high risk histological features. As it is likely to be overlooked, increased recognition of the atypical presentations of scalp melanoma is required.
Eosinophilic annular erythema: A late but complete response to hydroxychloroquine
Authors: Karataş Toğral Arzu , Seçkin Deniz
Published: January 2016

A 69‐year‐old woman with a 12‐month history of asymptomatic erythematous, non‐scaly, annular and arciform plaques on her face, trunk and extremities is presented. The skin lesions had been unresponsive to treatment with systemic corticosteroids and antihistamines. Skin biopsy demonstrated superficial and deep dermal inflammatory infiltration consisting mainly of eosinophils and a few neutrophils. Dermal interstitial mucin deposition was also detected in the absence of vasculitis, flame figures or granulomatous reaction. The patient was diagnosed as having eosinophilic annular erythema and treated with hydroxychloroquine (2 × 200 mg/day, p.o.). Response to treatment was observed after 7 weeks and full recovery was achieved after 10 weeks. Eosinophilic annular erythema is rarely reported in the literature. Although hydroxychloroquine is a good choice for treatment, response time can vary between patients.
A single 60‐min bout of peristaltic pulse external pneumatic compression transiently upregulates phosphorylated ribosomal protein s6
Authors: Martin J. S. , Kephart W. C. , Mobley C. B. , Wilson T. J. , Goodlett M. D. , Roberts M. D.
Published: January 2016

We investigated whether a single 60‐min bout of whole leg, peristaltic pulse external pneumatic compression (EPC) altered select growth factor‐related mRNAs and/or various phospho(p)‐proteins related to cell growth, proliferation, inflammation and apoptosis signalling (e.g. Akt‐mTOR, Jak‐Stat). Ten participants (8 males, 2 females; aged 22·2 ± 0·4 years) reported to the laboratory 4 h post‐prandial, and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were obtained prior to (PRE), 1 h and 4 h post‐EPC treatment. mRNA expression was analysed using real‐time RT‐PCR and phosphophorylated and cleaved proteins were analysed using an antibody array. No changes in selected growth factor‐related mRNAs were observed following EPC. All p‐proteins significantly altered by EPC decreased, except for p‐rps6 (Ser235/236) which increased 31% 1 h post‐EPC compared to PRE levels (P = 0·016). Notable decreases also included p‐BAD (Ser112; −28%, P = 0·004) at 4 h post‐EPC compared to PRE levels. In summary, an acute bout of EPC transiently upregulates p‐rps6 as well as affecting other markers in the Akt‐mTOR signalling cascade. Future research should characterize whether chronic EPC application promotes alterations in lower‐limb musculature and/or enhances exercise‐induced training adaptations.
Hegel's Essentialism. Natural Kinds and the Metaphysics of Explanation in Hegel's Theory of ‘the Concept’
Authors: Knappik Franz
Published: January 2016

Several recent interpretations see Hegel's theory of the Concept as a form of conceptual realism, according to which finite reality is articulated by objectively existing concepts. More precisely, this theory has been interpreted as a version of natural kind essentialism, and it has been proposed that its function is to account for the possibility of genuine explanations. This suggests a promising way to reconstruct the argument that Hegel's theory of objective concepts is based on—an argument that shows that the possibility of explanation rests on metaphysical preconditions and that natural kind essentialism gives the only adequate account of those preconditions. But in order for such a reconstruction to be successful, one needs to spell out the metaphysical features in virtue of which Hegelian natural kinds can account for the possibility of explanation. The article takes up this challenge. It offers the first detailed analysis of the modal fine‐structure of Hegel's natural kind essentialism and shows how Hegel's position, thus understood, provides the details needed to complete the explanation‐based argument.
Originary Temporality and Existential Commitment: A Defense of Heidegger's A Potiori Claim
Authors: Zuckerman Nate
Published: January 2016

Being and Time's fundamental ontoogy and existentialism both rest on the A Potiori Claim, which states that originary temporality is, although non‐sequential, a genuine and basic concept of time from which we derive our more ordinary, sequential concept of time. In this paper, I develop a new reading and defense of this claim against the readings of William Blattner, which ties originary temporality too tightly to the particular roles and identities we live out and must therefore find Heidegger's project a failure, and Tony Fisher, who implies that our various roles and identities hang together in time in a merely accidental and non‐rational way. On my reading, originary temporality is the structure of Dasein's characteristic activity of existential commitment. Through this activity, we each work out, in our own case, what it takes to embody the capacity for sense‐making, at all. Here, the non‐sequentiality of originary temporality reflects the way in which commitments are revised and sustained through time, while the sequence of nows derives from our need to embody our commitment in a single life that negotiates among the practical demands that our various identities make of us.
Effect of ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification on the characteristics of AISI 310 stainless steel up to very high cycle fatigue
Authors: Khan M. K. , Liu Y. J. , Wang Q. Y. , Pyun Y. S. , Kayumov R.
Published: January 2016

Effects of ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) on the very high cycle fatigue response of AISI 310 stainless steel have been investigated. The higher impact force used in UNSM treatment showed a higher fatigue life improvement. The fatigue life improvement was higher in crack initiation from the surface of specimens. The subsurface crack initiation depth in the alloy increased with increase in the fatigue failure cycles. It was concluded that UNSM treatment can increase the life of the alloy significantly up to very high cycle fatigue.
An ecological and ecotoxicological perspective on fine particulate organic matter in streams
Authors: Bundschuh Mirco , McKie Brendan G.
Published: January 2016

Fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) provides a key longitudinal link within stream networks, and is the predominant food source for filter‐ and deposit‐feeding invertebrates, collectively classified as ‘collectors’.

Organisms involved in producing and using FPOM are sensitive to chemical and other anthropogenic stressors, but information on such impacts, and on FPOM dynamics in general, is limited.

Here, we review information on the ecological role of FPOM in streams, and discuss potential impacts on FPOM dynamics of organic and inorganic chemical stressors, including metals and pesticides. Emphasis is placed on faecal particles produced within the leaf‐litter processing chain.

Key biological factors controlling the resource quality of FPOM for collectors include the identity of the invertebrates producing FPOM, and the nutritional quality of their food resources. FPOM nutrient content is also strongly influenced by microbial colonisation and activity, and FPOM processing rates are thus likely to be sensitive to the impacts of stressors affecting microbes, including nutrients and antimicrobial chemicals.

The potential for FPOM to bind and subsequently transport chemical stressors is high, particularly for hydrophobic compounds, but the extent of such effects and impacts on collectors consuming contaminated particles has attracted only limited attention.

Combining concepts and research approaches from ecotoxicology and basic stream ecology would facilitate development of a common integrated framework for understanding the role of FPOM, and assessing anthropogenic impacts on FPOM dynamics in stream networks.
‘But It's Your Job To Be Friendly’: Employees Coping With and Contesting Sexual Harassment from Customers in the Service Sector
Authors: Good Laura , Cooper Rae
Published: January 2016

This article analyses how employees in the service sector respond to sexual harassment from customers and attempts to explain why this is so. There are only a small number of previous studies examining the issue of customer‐perpetrated sexual harassment. Those that have been conducted have detailed the nature and prevalence of sexual harassment from customers, but this research lags behind employee experience and some emerging policy responses to this issue. The extant literature, whilst growing, remains largely limited to documenting the phenomenon. In this article, we attempt to create a deeper analysis of customer‐perpetrated harassment by conducting a new review of the literature to develop propositions about how employees respond to it and the factors that influence their responses. These propositions are analysed in relation to a qualitative pilot study with 15 interviewees who had experienced sexual harassment from customers to understand how they reacted and why. The article shows how the social norms and precarious working conditions of the service sector constrain employees from seeking formal redress, leading to the enactment of informal coping strategies and temporary contestations of the situation. This research is important for building our understanding of the influence of workplace context for framing employee responses to customer sexual harassment.
The determination of standard metabolic rate in fishes
Authors: Chabot D. , Steffensen J. F. , Farrell A. P.
Published: January 2016

This review and data analysis outline how fish biologists should most reliably estimate the minimal amount of oxygen needed by a fish to support its aerobic metabolic rate (termed standard metabolic rate; SMR). By reviewing key literature, it explains the theory, terminology and challenges underlying SMR measurements in fishes, which are almost always made using respirometry (which measures oxygen uptake, ṀO2). Then, the practical difficulties of measuring SMR when activity of the fish is not quantitatively evaluated are comprehensively explored using 85 examples of ṀO2 data from different fishes and one crustacean, an analysis that goes well beyond any previous attempt. The main objective was to compare eight methods to estimate SMR. The methods were: average of the lowest 10 values (low10) and average of the 10% lowest ṀO2 values, after removing the five lowest ones as outliers (low10%), mean of the lowest normal distribution (MLND) and quantiles that assign from 10 to 30% of the data below SMR (q0·1, q0·15, q0·2, q0·25 and q0·3). The eight methods yielded significantly different SMR estimates, as expected. While the differences were small when the variability was low amongst the ṀO2 values, they were important (>20%) for several cases. The degree of agreement between the methods was related to the c.v. of the observations that were classified into the lowest normal distribution, the c.v. MLND (C.V.MLND). When this indicator was low (≤5·4), it was advantageous to use the MLND, otherwise, one of the q0·2 or q0·25 should be used. The second objective was to assess if the data recorded during the initial recovery period in the respirometer should be included or excluded, and the recommendation is to exclude them. The final objective was to determine the minimal duration of experiments aiming to estimate SMR. The results show that 12 h is insufficient but 24 h is adequate. A list of basic recommendations for practitioners who use respirometry to measure SMR in fishes is provided.
Sources of variation in oxygen consumption of aquatic animals demonstrated by simulated constant oxygen consumption and respirometers of different sizes
Authors: Svendsen M. B. S. , Bushnell P. G. , Christensen E. A. F. , Steffensen J. F.
Published: January 2016

As intermittent‐flow respirometry has become a common method for the determination of resting metabolism or standard metabolic rate (SMR), this study investigated how much of the variability seen in the experiments was due to measurement error. Experiments simulated different constant oxygen consumption rates (O2) of a fish, by continuously injecting anoxic water into a respirometer, altering the injection rate to correct for the washout error. The effect of respirometer‐to‐fish volume ratio (RFR) on SMR measurement and variability was also investigated, using the simulated constant O2 and the O2 of seven roach Rutilus rutilus in respirometers of two different sizes. The results show that higher RFR increases measurement variability but does not change the mean SMR established using a double Gaussian fit. Further, the study demonstrates that the variation observed when determining oxygen consumption rates of fishes in systems with reasonable RFRs mainly comes from the animal, not from the measuring equipment.
Morphological modelling of three‐phase microstructures of anode layers using SEM images
Authors: ABDALLAH BASSAM , WILLOT FRANÇOIS , JEULIN DOMINIQUE
Published: January 2016

A general method is proposed to model 3D microstructures representative of three‐phases anode layers used in fuel cells. The models are based on SEM images of cells with varying morphologies. The materials are first characterized using three morphological measurements: (cross‐)covariances, granulometry and linear erosion. They are measured on segmented SEM images, for each of the three phases. Second, a generic model for three‐phases materials is proposed. The model is based on two independent underlying random sets which are otherwise arbitrary. The validity of this model is verified using the cross‐covariance functions of the various phases. In a third step, several types of Boolean random sets and plurigaussian models are considered for the unknown underlying random sets. Overall, good agreement is found between the SEM images and three‐phases models based on plurigaussian random sets, for all morphological measurements considered in the present work: covariances, granulometry and linear erosion. The spatial distribution and shapes of the phases produced by the plurigaussian model are visually very close to the real material. Furthermore, the proposed models require no numerical optimization and are straightforward to generate using the covariance functions measured on the SEM images.
Differences in Women's Use of Medical Help for Becoming Pregnant by the Level of Urbanization of County of Residence in Georgia
Authors: Chin Helen B. , Kramer Michael R. , Mertens Ann C. , Spencer Jessica B. , Howards Penelope P.
Published: January 2016

Purpose

Our goal was to determine if there are differences by place of residence in visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant in a population‐based study.

Methods

Using data from the Furthering Understanding of Cancer, Health, and Survivorship in Adult (FUCHSIA) Women's Study, a cohort study of fertility outcomes in reproductive‐aged women in Georgia, we fit models to estimate the association between geographic type of residence and seeking help for becoming pregnant.

Findings

The prevalence of visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant ranged from 13% to 17% across geographic groups. Women living in suburban counties were most likely to seek medical care for help getting pregnant compared with women living in urbanized counties (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.74‐1.75); among women who reported infertility this difference was more pronounced (aPR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.00‐2.53). Women living in rural counties were equally likely to seek fertility care compared with women in urbanized counties in the full sample and among women who experienced infertility.

Conclusions

Women living in urban and rural counties were least likely to seek infertility care, suggesting that factors including but not limited to physical proximity to providers are influencing utilization of this type of care. Increased communication about reproductive goals and infertility care available to meet these goals by providers who women see for regular care may help address these barriers.
Victim-blame as a symptom of rape myth acceptance? Another look at how young people in England understand sexual consent
Authors: Gurnham David
Published: January 2016

There is no doubt that being ‘critical’ about victim-blame requires ensuring first that it is the perpetrator and not the victim who is held responsible for sexual offending. At the same time, engagement with this topic requires critical acuity as to how victim-blame is identified, and to the boundary between raising legitimate questions about the presence or absence of consent in less than ideal circumstances, and falling back on to myths and stereotypes that are unfair to complainants and damaging to victims. This paper identifies and critiques three purported intersections of rape myths and victim-blame that have gained widespread acknowledgement within feminist legal studies: first, that a woman is blamed for voluntarily putting herself into circumstances in which ‘rape happens’; secondly, that a woman is blamed for ‘miscommunicating’ her refusal; and, thirdly, that consent is wrongly understood to have been given in circumstances where a woman in fact lacked the freedom to do so. This critique of methodological and analytical approaches to identifying victim-blame as a symptom of rape myth acceptance focuses on research published recently by the Office of the Children's Commissioner, ‘“Sex Without Consent, I Suppose That Is Rape”: How Young People in England Understand Sexual Consent’.
Persistent alterations in colonic afferent innervation in a rat model of postinfectious gut dysfunction: Role for changes in peripheral neurotrophic factors
Authors: Jardí F. , Fernández‐Blanco J. A. , Martínez V. , Vergara P.
Published: January 2016

Background

Visceral hypersensitivity in the inflamed gut is related partly to the effects of peripheral neurotrophic factors (NTFs) on local afferent neurons. However, alterations in sensory afferents of distant areas remain unexplored. Using the Trichinella spiralis infection model, which causes a jejunitis, we investigated the remodeling of colonic afferents and the potential role of NTFs.

Methods

Rats were infected with T. spiralis. Inflammatory‐like changes, mucosal mast cells (MMCs) dynamics, and expression of nerve growth factor and glial cell line–derived NTFs (glial cell–derived neurotrophic factor, artemin, and neurturin) were determined in the colon up to day 30 postinfection. Functional responses of colonic afferents were determined assessing changes in the expression of sensory‐related markers in thoracolumbar (TL)/lumbosacral (LS) dorsal root ganglias (DRGs) following intracolonic capsaicin.

Key Results

Trichinella spiralis induced an inflammatory‐like response within the colon, partly resolved at day 30 postinfection, except for a persistent MMC infiltrate. While the jejunum of infected animals showed an up‐regulation in the expression of NTFs, a transitory down‐regulation was observed in the colon. Overall, T. spiralis effects on DRGs gene expression were restricted to a transient down‐regulation of TPRV1. Stimulation with intracolonic capsaicin induced a down‐regulation of TRPV1 levels in TL and LS DRGs, an effect enhanced in LS DRGs of infected animals, regardless the postinfection time considered.

Conclusions & Inferences

During intestinal inflammation, spread morphological and functional alterations, including remodeling of visceral afferents, are observed outside the primary region affected by the insult. Similar mechanisms might be operating in states of widespread alterations of visceral sensitivity.
Managing for Legitimacy: Agency Governance in Its “Deep” Constitutional Context
Authors: MacCarthaigh Muiris , Painter Martin , Yee Wai‐Hang
Published: January 2016

Recent literature on bureaucratic structure has gone further than studying discretions given to bureaucrats in policy making, and much attention is now paid to understanding how bureaucratic agencies are managed. This article proposes that the way in which executive governments manage their agencies varies according to their constitutional setting and that this relationship is driven by considerations of the executive's governing legitimacy. Inspired by Charles Tilly (1984), the authors compare patterns of agency governance in Hong Kong and Ireland, in particular, configurations of assigned decision‐making autonomies and control mechanisms. This comparison shows that in governing their agencies, the elected government of Ireland's parliamentary democracy pays more attention to input (i.e., democratic) legitimacy, while the executive government of Hong Kong's administrative state favors output (i.e., performance) legitimacy. These different forms of autonomy and control mechanism reflect different constitutional models of how political executives acquire and sustain their governing legitimacy.
On Multi‐component Ermakov Systems in a Two‐Layer Fluid: Integrable Hamiltonian Structures and Exact Vortex Solutions
Authors: An Hongli , Kwong Man Kam , Zhu Haixing
Published: January 2016

By introducing an elliptic vortex ansatz, the 2+1‐dimensional two‐layer fluid system is reduced to a finite‐dimensional nonlinear dynamical system. Time‐modulated variables are then introduced and multicomponent Ermakov systems are isolated. The latter is shown to be also Hamiltonian, thereby admitting general solutions in terms of an elliptic integral representation. In particular, a subclass of vortex solutions is obtained and their behaviors are simulated. Such solutions have recently found applications in oceanic and atmospheric dynamics. Moreover, it is proved that the Hamiltonian system is equivalent to the stationary nonlinear cubic Schrödinger equations coupled with a Steen‐Ermakov‐Pinney equation.
Going Upstream: Coordination to Improve CKD Care
Authors: Johnson Douglas S. , Kapoian Toros , Taylor Robert , Meyer Klemens B.
Published: January 2016

Care coordination for patients with chronic kidney disease has been shown to be effective in improving outcomes and reducing costs. However, few patients with CKD benefit from this systematic management of their kidney disease and other medical conditions. As a result, outcomes for patients with kidney disease are not optimal, and their cost of care is increased. For those patients who transition to kidney failure treatment in the United States, the transition does not go as well as it could. The effectiveness of treatments to delay progression of kidney disease in contemporary clinical practice does not match the efficacy of these treatments in clinical trials. Conservative care for kidney disease, which should be an option for patients who are very old and very sick, is not considered often enough or seriously enough. Opportunities for early and even pre‐emptive transplantation are missed, as are opportunities for home dialysis. The process of dialysis access creation is rarely optimal. The consequence is care which is not as good as it could be, and much more expensive than it should be. We describe our initial efforts to implement care coordination for chronic kidney disease in routine clinical care and attempt to project some of the benefits to patients and the cost savings.
Corporate Taxation of Heterogeneous Firms and the Welfare Effects of Labour Unions
Authors: Schneider Andrea
Published: January 2016

This paper examines the welfare effects of powerful labour unions when the government levies a uniform tax rate – as is currently the case in most OECD countries – and firms are heterogeneous with respect to productivity. I show that an increase in the bargaining power of labour unions can decrease the welfare loss generated by restriction of the tax policy and provide conditions under which powerful labour unions decrease the likelihood that firms will move abroad. I also reproduce the well‐known effect whereby powerful labour unions decrease corporate tax rates if firms are mobile.
Cross‐border Travellers and Parallel Trade: Implications for Asian Economies
Authors: Nguyen Xuan , Chao Chi‐Chur , Sgro Pasquale , Nabin Munirul
Published: January 2016

This paper explores the impact of parallel trade in an export market by cross‐border travellers on welfare of the home country in a model with heterogeneous consumers' perceptions. We show that such parallel trade when it is organised trading always hurts the home‐country welfare. However, when parallel trade is unorganised trading, it might benefit the home‐country welfare provided that the size of the export market is relatively small. Along these lines, we suggest optimal policy responses in the home country to parallel trade by cross‐border travellers. The results of the paper yield insightful policy implications for Asian economies.