bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SME brand identity: its components, and performance effects
Authors: Muhonen Timo , Hirvonen Saku , Laukkanen Tommi
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance effects of brand identity in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine whether brand identity mediates the relationship between brand orientation and brand performance, and further, whether brand performance leads to better financial performance. The authors also study whether these performance effects are moderated by customer type and industry type. Differing from earlier research, this study analyzes brand identity through its constituent components: brand values, brand vision and brand positioning. The data include altogether 721 effective responses from Finnish SMEs. Structural equation modeling is used for testing the research hypotheses.

Findings

Brand positioning and brand vision have a direct positive effect on brand performance, which in turn, positively affects financial performance. Brand orientation drives the components of brand identity. Importantly, there is variation in some of the relationships between brand orientation, brand values, brand vision and brand positioning across business-to-business firms and business-to-customer firms, and across firms in service industries and in production industries.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on a single-country sample. Including additional factors for the model with the potential to moderate the described relationships is also called for. Future research could also consider new potential brand identity components currently not addressed in the paper.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by increasing the knowledge of SME branding.
The evolution of brand management thinking over the last 25 years as recorded in the Journal of Product and Brand Management
Authors: Veloutsou Cleopatra , Guzman Francisco
Published: April 2017

Purpose

By outlining the evolution of brand management research over the past 25 years, as reported in the Journal of Product and Brand Management (JPBM), this paper aims to analyze the changes in the way branding has been approached in research, highlight the current challenges the discipline faces and suggest future research avenues that will hopefully further enrich brand management knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper includes internal historical literature review and commentary.

Findings

After a thorough analysis of the journal’s content, the contribution that the JPBM has made in the development of brand management knowledge over the past 25 years is highlighted. Eight major shifts in brand management research and thought, and three overarching difficulties and challenges, are identified.

Research limitations/implications

By solely focusing on the contributions published in the journal, by no means this review is exhaustive and includes all the contributions to the discipline. Its contribution is limited to the analysis of the work, and the evolution of brand management thinking, recorded in the JPBM.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the evolution of brand management thought and presents imperatives and challenges to guide future research in brand management.
The allure of the bottle as a package: an assessment of perceived effort in a packaging context
Authors: Söderlund Magnus , Colliander Jonas , Karsberg John , Liljedal Karina T. , Modig Erik , Rosengren Sara , Sagfossen Sofie , Szugalski Stefan , Åkestam Nina
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the impact of perceived effort related to packaging on overall product evaluations. Perceived effort, defined as the consumer’s perceptions of how much manufacturer effort that lies behind an offer, is assumed to contribute to evaluations by signaling unobservable characteristics of an offer.

Design/methodology/approach

Three between-subjects experiments were conducted with soft drink bottles, which were subject to variation in perceived effort.

Findings

The results show that perceived effort was positively associated with overall evaluations. The results also show that the impact of perceived effort was mediated by product quality perceptions, which indicates that effort signals quality.

Originality/value

Perceived effort has to date not been examined in the packaging literature. The present findings thus imply that models of packaging characteristics and their impact on consumers would benefit from including the effort aspect.
The influence of local government decision-making competition on enterprise innovation investment under information asymmetry and multiple risk appetite type
Authors: Wu Shaoyu , Wang Dong
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the impact of the degree of local government decision-making competition on the optimal investment amount, investment location and investment failure of innovative investment enterprise under multiple risk appetite type of innovative investment enterprise. This paper also points out three regulation paths that central government could use to avoid the influence of local government decision-making competition on the validity of enterprise innovation investment (EII).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on analysis frame of government competition about unitary government states, this paper builds duopoly decision model to analyze influence of local government decision-making competition on EII. Considering information asymmetry and multiple risk appetite type of decision-maker, this paper analyzes influence of local government decision-making competition on location selection, the optimal investment amount, identification of investment failure and exit mechanism of EII according to different relationship between reference points of local government decision-making competition and EII.

Finding

The optimal investment amount of EII has positive correlation with risk appetite type of decision-maker, local government decision-making competition. Identification of investment failure and exit are divided into three phases. The boundary conditions are directly related to risk appetite type and amount of local government subsidy. Regional factor endowment and degree of preferential policy are main factors attracting enterprise investment. Local governments should analyze the interests of EII. There are three paths to avoid vicious competition among local governments: unified planning, revising of audit index, increasing penalties for failure of policies.

Originality/value

With rapid development of China's new urbanization process, urban economy has become an important carrier of economic development. Attracting foreign direct investment is an important measure to promote urban economic growth, and EII is the most important one. However new urbanization would lead to local government decision-making competition and then influence EII. Through analyzing influence of local government decision-making competition on EII, theory guidance could be provided to decision makers of innovation investment.
A system evaluation theory analyzing value and results chain for institutional accreditation in Oman
Authors: Paquibut Rene Ymbong
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to apply the system evaluation theory (SET) to analyze the institutional quality standards of Oman Academic Accreditation Authority using the results chain and value chain tools.

Design/methodology/approach

In systems thinking, the institutional standards are connected as input, process, output and feedback and leads to the achievement of the final result. This allows the analysis of the value-creating chain of activities and the chain of results. Quality assurance can be achieved by higher education institutions when these standards and criteria are viewed as a chain of achievable results and value creating activities.

Findings

The output of the analysis is a results chain and value chain map of institutional quality standards that will be useful in strategic management and quality standards compliance.

Research limitations/implications

The research used secondary data and focused on the higher education experience in the Sultanate of Oman.

Practical implications

A proposed framework for preparing for accreditation is presented; this is significant for higher education institutions undergoing or about to undergo institutional accreditation for the first time.

Social implications

Higher education institutions in Oman which are preparing for their first institutional accreditation should benefit from this article.

Originality/value

The Sultanate of Oman is implementing the institutional standards approved for all higher education institutions only in March 2016. This is the first research article written from the perspective of the first higher education institution in Oman to undergo institutional accreditation.
Paediatric lumbar punctures: How do paediatric and emergency doctors differ?
Authors: Yeong Chee Cheen , Craig Simon S , Cheek John A
Published: April 2017

Objective

The objective of the study was to identify any differences between emergency physicians and emergency trainees and paediatricians and paediatric trainees in performing paediatric lumbar punctures (LPs).

Methods

Anonymous cross‐sectional electronic survey was distributed to emergency physicians, emergency trainees, paediatricians and paediatric trainees within three hospitals of a single public health network. There were four standardised clinical scenarios (neonate, infant, young child and adolescent), with accompanying questions relating to neurological evaluation and imaging prior to LP, the use of written consent forms and parental presence during the procedure.

Results

Paediatricians and paediatric trainees have greater confidence performing LP on neonates and infants, while emergency physicians and emergency trainees are more confident in older children. The only differences in self‐reported neurological examination prior to LP was paediatricians and paediatric trainees being more likely to perform fundoscopy than were emergency physicians and emergency trainees in infants (21% vs 8%, P = 0.03) and young children (44% vs 16%, P < 0.001). Less than half of both groups of doctors would obtain written consent for paediatric LPs. Emergency physicians and emergency trainees were much more likely to encourage parents to remain in the room during the procedure than their paediatric counterparts (95% vs 37%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Paediatricians and paediatric trainees are more likely to be confident in performing LP in very young children than are emergency physicians and emergency trainees. They are more likely to perform fundoscopy prior to the procedure, but are much less likely to encourage parental presence during the LP.
Urban Streamflow Response to Imported Water and Water Conservation Policies in Los Angeles, California
Authors: Manago Kimberly F. , Hogue Terri S.
Published: April 2017

Los Angeles has a long history of importing water; however, drought, climate change, and environmental mitigation have forced the City to focus on developing more local water sources (target of 50% local supply by 2035). This study aims to improve understanding of water cycling in Los Angeles, including the impacts of imported water and water conservation policies. We evaluate the influence of local water restrictions on discharge records for 12 years in the Ballona Creek (urban) and Topanga Creek (natural) watersheds. Results show imported water has significantly altered the timing and volume of streamflow in the urban Ballona watershed, resulting in runoff ratios above one (more streamflow than precipitation). Further analysis comparing pre‐ vs. during‐mandatory water conservation periods shows there is a significant decrease in dry season streamflow during‐conservation in Ballona, indicating that prior to conservation efforts, heavy irrigation and other outdoor water use practices were contributing to streamflow. The difference between summer streamflow pre‐ vs. during‐conservation is enough to serve 160,000 customers in Los Angeles. If Los Angeles returns to more watering days, educating the public on proper irrigation rates is critical for ensuring efficient irrigation and conserving water; however, if water restrictions remain in place, the City must take the new flow volumes into account for complying with water quality standards in the region.
Ancient DNA analysis identifies marine mollusc shells as new metagenomic archives of the past
Authors: Der Sarkissian Clio , Pichereau Vianney , Dupont Catherine , Ilsøe Peter C. , Perrigault Mickael , Butler Paul , Chauvaud Laurent , Eiríksson Jón , Scourse James , Paillard Christine , Orlando Ludovic
Published: April 2017

Marine mollusc shells enclose a wealth of information on coastal organisms and their environment. Their life history traits as well as (palaeo‐) environmental conditions, including temperature, food availability, salinity and pollution, can be traced through the analysis of their shell (micro‐) structure and biogeochemical composition. Adding to this list, the DNA entrapped in shell carbonate biominerals potentially offers a novel and complementary proxy both for reconstructing palaeoenvironments and tracking mollusc evolutionary trajectories. Here, we assess this potential by applying DNA extraction, high‐throughput shotgun DNA sequencing and metagenomic analyses to marine mollusc shells spanning the last ~7,000 years. We report successful DNA extraction from shells, including a variety of ancient specimens, and find that DNA recovery is highly dependent on their biomineral structure, carbonate layer preservation and disease state. We demonstrate positive taxonomic identification of mollusc species using a combination of mitochondrial DNA genomes, barcodes, genome‐scale data and metagenomic approaches. We also find shell biominerals to contain a diversity of microbial DNA from the marine environment. Finally, we reconstruct genomic sequences of organisms closely related to the Vibrio tapetis bacteria from Manila clam shells previously diagnosed with Brown Ring Disease. Our results reveal marine mollusc shells as novel genetic archives of the past, which opens new perspectives in ancient DNA research, with the potential to reconstruct the evolutionary history of molluscs, microbial communities and pathogens in the face of environmental changes. Other future applications include conservation of endangered mollusc species and aquaculture management.
Multi‐site generalised dissimilarity modelling: using zeta diversity to differentiate drivers of turnover in rare and widespread species
Authors: Latombe Guillaume , Hui Cang , McGeoch Melodie A.
Published: April 2017

Generalised dissimilarity modelling (GDM) applies pairwise beta diversity as a measure of species turnover with the purpose of explaining changes in species composition under changing environments or along environmental gradients. Beta diversity only captures turnover across pairs of sites and, therefore, disproportionately represents turnover in rare species across communities. By contrast, zeta diversity, the average number of shared species across multiple sites, captures the full spectrum of rare, intermediate and widespread species as they contribute differently to compositional turnover.

We show how integrating zeta diversity intoGDMs (which we term multi‐site generalised dissimilarity modelling,MS‐GDM), provides a more information rich approach to modelling how communities respond to environmental variation and change. We demonstrate the value of including zeta diversity in biodiversity assessment and modelling using BirdLife Australia Atlas data. Zeta diversity values for different numbers of sites (the order of zeta) are regressed against environmental differences and distance using two kinds of regressions: shape constrained additive models and a combination of I‐splines and generalised linear models.

ApplyingMS‐GDMto different orders of zeta revealed shifts in the importance of environmental variables in explaining species turnover, varying with the order of zeta and thus with the level of co‐occurrence of the species and, by extension, their commonness and rarity. In particular, precipitation gradients emerged as drivers in the turnover of rare species, whereas temperature gradients were more important drivers of turnover in widespread species.

Appreciation of the factors that drive compositional turnover across multiple sites is necessary for accommodating the full spectrum of compositional turnover across rare to common species. This extends beyond understanding drivers for pairwise beta diversity only.MS‐GDMprovides a valuable addition to the toolkit ofGDM, with further potential for survey gap analysis and prediction of species composition in unsampled sites.
Osteocalcin, a bone‐derived hormone with important andrological implications
Authors: De Toni L. , Di Nisio A. , Rocca M. S. , De Rocco Ponce M. , Ferlin A. , Foresta C.
Published: April 2017

Increasing evidence disclosed the existence of a novel multi‐organ endocrine pathway, involving bone, pancreas and testis, of high penetrance in energy metabolism and male fertility. The main mediator of this axis is undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a bone‐derived protein‐exerting systemic effects on tissues expressing the metabotropic receptor GPRC6A. The recognized effects of ucOC are the improvement of insulin secretion from the pancreas, the amelioration of systemic insulin sensitivity, in particular in skeletal muscle, and the stimulation of the global endocrine activity of the Leydig cell, including vitamin D 25‐hydroxylation and testosterone production. The supporting evidence of this circuit in both animal and human models is here reviewed, with particular emphasis on the role of ucOC on testis function. The possible pharmacological modulation of this hormonal circuit for therapeutic aims is also discussed.
Can Self‐Compassion Promote Healthcare Provider Well‐Being and Compassionate Care to Others? Results of a Systematic Review
Authors: Sinclair Shane , Kondejewski Jane , Raffin‐Bouchal Shelley , King‐Shier Kathryn M. , Singh Pavneet
Published: April 2017

Background

This meta‐narrative review, conducted according to the RAMESES (Realist And Meta‐narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards) standards, critically examines the construct of self‐compassion to determine if it is an accurate target variable to mitigate work‐related stress and promote compassionate caregiving in healthcare providers.

Methods

PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched. Studies were coded as referring to: (1) conceptualisation of self‐compassion; (2) measures of self‐compassion; (3) self‐compassion and affect; and (4) self‐compassion interventions. A narrative approach was used to evaluate self‐compassion as a paradigm.

Results

Sixty‐nine studies were included. The construct of self‐compassion in healthcare has significant limitations. Self‐compassion has been related to the definition of compassion, but includes limited facets of compassion and adds elements of uncompassionate behavior. Empirical studies use the Self‐Compassion Scale, which is criticised for its psychometric and theoretical validity. Therapeutic interventions purported to cultivate self‐compassion may have a broader effect on general affective states. An alleged outcome of self‐compassion is compassionate care; however, we found no studies that included patient reports on this primary outcome.

Conclusion

We critically examine and delineate self‐compassion in healthcare providers as a composite of common facets of self‐care, healthy self‐attitude, and self‐awareness rather than a construct in and of itself.
Demonic geographies
Authors: Simandan Dragos
Published: April 2017

Demonic geography is an approach to practising human geography that operates from the premise that there are no such immaterial entities as ‘souls’, ‘spirits’, ‘minds’, integrated stable ‘selves’ or conscious ‘free will’. This paper elaborates the theoretical framework of demonic geography by spelling out how it is different from non‐representational theory and by articulating it within recent developments in experimental psychology, neuroscience and the philosophy of mind. Counterintuitively, the paper shows that the deflationary, materialistic ontology of human nature espoused by demonic geography need not lead to meaninglessness, unhappiness or the collapse of moral behaviour. Instead, subscribing to demonic geography opens up new ways to find meaning, to pursue happiness and to live the good life.
Opioid system and human emotions
Authors: Nummenmaa Lauri , Tuominen Lauri
Published: April 2017

Emotions are states of vigilant readiness that guide human and animal behaviour during survival‐salient situations. Categorical models of emotions posit neurally and physiologically distinct basic human emotions (anger, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) that govern different survival functions. Opioid receptors are expressed abundantly in the mammalian emotion circuit, and the opioid system modulates a variety of functions related to arousal and motivation. Yet, its specific contribution to different basic emotions has remained poorly understood. Here, we review how the endogenous opioid system and particularly the μ receptor contribute to emotional processing in humans. Activation of the endogenous opioid system is consistently associated with both pleasant and unpleasant emotions. In general, exogenous opioid agonists facilitate approach‐oriented emotions (anger, pleasure) and inhibit avoidance‐oriented emotions (fear, sadness). Opioids also modulate social bonding and affiliative behaviour, and prolonged opioid abuse may render both social bonding and emotion recognition circuits dysfunctional. However, there is no clear evidence that the opioid system is able to affect the emotions associated with surprise and disgust. Taken together, the opioid systems contribute to a wide array of positive and negative emotions through their general ability to modulate the approach versus avoidance motivation associated with specific emotions. Because of the protective effects of opioid system‐mediated prosociality and positive mood, the opioid system may constitute an important factor contributing to psychological and psychosomatic resilience.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Emerging Areas of Opioid Pharmacology. To view the other articles in this section visithttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.14/issuetoc
Causes and consequences of variation in offspring body mass: meta‐analyses in birds and mammals
Authors: Ronget Victor , Gaillard Jean‐Michel , Coulson Tim , Garratt Michael , Gueyffier François , Lega Jean‐Christophe , Lemaître Jean‐François
Published: April 2017

ABSTRACT

Early survival is highly variable and strongly influences observed population growth rates in most vertebrate populations. One of the major potential drivers of survival variation among juveniles is body mass. Heavy juveniles are better fed and have greater body reserves, and are thus assumed to survive better than light individuals. In spite of this, some studies have failed to detect an influence of body mass on offspring survival, questioning whether offspring body mass does indeed consistently influence juvenile survival, or whether this occurs in particular species/environments. Furthermore, the causes for variation in offspring mass are poorly understood, although maternal mass has often been reported to play a crucial role. To understand why offspring differ in body mass, and how this influences juvenile survival, we performed phylogenetically corrected meta‐analyses of both the relationship between offspring body mass and offspring survival in birds and mammals and the relationship between maternal mass and offspring mass in mammals. We found strong support for an overall positive effect of offspring body mass on survival, with a more pronounced influence in mammals than in birds. An increase of one standard deviation of body mass increased the odds of offspring survival by 71% in mammals and by 44% in birds. A cost of being too fat in birds in terms of flight performance might explain why body mass is a less reliable predictor of offspring survival in birds. We then looked for moderators explaining the among‐study differences reported in the intensity of this relationship. Surprisingly, sex did not influence the intensity of the offspring mass–survival relationship and phylogeny only accounted for a small proportion of observed variation in the intensity of that relationship. Among the potential factors that might affect the relationship between mass and survival in juveniles, only environmental conditions was influential in mammals. Offspring survival was most strongly influenced by body mass in captive populations and wild populations in the absence of predation. We also found support for the expected positive effect of maternal mass on offspring mass in mammals (rpearson = 0.387). As body mass is a strong predictor of early survival, we expected heavier mothers to allocate more to their offspring, leading them to be heavier and so to have a higher survival. However, none of the potential factors we tested for variation in the maternal mass–offspring mass relationship had a detectable influence. Further studies should focus on linking these two relationships to determine whether a strong effect of offspring size on early survival is associated with a high correlation coefficient between maternal mass and offspring mass.
Neglected seed dispersers: endozoochory by Javan lutungs (Trachypithecus auratus) in Indonesia
Authors: Tsuji Yamato , Ningsih Jenni Indah Dwi Pajar , Kitamura Shumpei , Widayati Kanthi Arum , Suryobroto Bambang
Published: April 2017

Leaf monkeys are known to be leaf eaters, and thus, their potential role as seed dispersers has been neglected. However, they do also feed on fruits. To examine the role of leaf monkeys as endozoochorous seed dispersers, we studied the Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) in Indonesia. We compared multiple aspects of seed dispersal processes (amount and diversity of seeds ingested, dispersal distance, and germination rate) of lutungs with that of the sympatric long‐tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Over the study period, 54 percent of the lutung feces contained intact seeds, which was equivalent to the macaque feces contained seeds (62%). Seeds of at least six plant species were detected in the lutung feces, which was less than those found in the macaque feces (>19 plant species). The main species of seeds defecated by both lutungs and macaques was Ficus spp. (seed size: 0.7 mm). Seed shadow, estimated from travel distance (range: 1–299 m) and gut passage rate (24–96 h), had a unimodal‐distribution with a peak at 51–100 m, and was shorter than that reported in published accounts of macaques and other similar and smaller sized frugivores. Finally, germination rates of Ficus spp. seeds ingested by both lutungs and macaques were lower than that of the control seeds. These results imply that the dispersal effectiveness of lutungs would be lower than that of the sympatric primate frugivores. However, at a population level, lutungs could play a significant role as seed dispersers for the small‐seeded species, and therefore, more research into their frugivorous habits is warranted.
Beyond the Ethnic Enclave: Interethnicity and Trans‐spatiality in an Australian Suburb
Authors: GAO‐MILES LINLING
Published: April 2017

This ethnographic study investigates a suburban place in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. It aims to reconsider the spatial formation of ethnic Chinese in a Western immigrant society beyond conventional notions about a Chinatown, an enclave, or an ethnoburb. In public enunciations, this local district, Box Hill, is depicted as an emerging Chinese enclave. In contrast, this study sheds light on multicultural engagements, interethnic interactions, and translocal and transnational mobility among the subjects who are integral to the production of the Box Hill space, through their narratives and experiences that are all in some way linked to Box Hill. This study explores everyday accommodations of multiculturalism, and yet expands this notion by underlining intersecting concepts beyond culture which together produce narratives about a suburban Chinatown. The conceptual framework of interconnectivity suggests relations and links as well as interstices and discontinuities that undermine enclave theories and to which place‐making practices across ethnicity and space are integral. [Chinatown, ethnic enclave, ethnoburb, interconnectivity, Chinese immigrants]
White Evangelical Congregations in Cities and Suburbs: Social Engagement, Geography, Diffusion, and Disembeddedness
Authors: MULDER MARK T. , JONASON AMY
Published: April 2017

In the United States, white evangelicalism has long been associated with both suburbanization and proselytization. However, the way that religious groups understand and engage broader culture may change based on time and context. Drawing on 158 interviews from attenders of 46 evangelical congregations in Grand Rapids, MI, we analyze how these congregations differentially engage their urban and suburban neighborhoods. The vast majority of white evangelical congregations offer some mode of local social engagement. We develop a typology of three white evangelical mission orientations—Benefactor, Recruiter, and Therapist—based on the primary resources that these congregations offer to attenders and their communities. Beyond that, we argue that evangelical social engagement is somewhat determined by geography (Embedded versus Disembedded presence), that there has been a routinized convergence of service types provided by churches from different strains of evangelicalism that is explained by isomorphism, and that many evangelical congregations now embrace an intentional urbanism. As religious and demographic trends have shifted in the U.S., white evangelicals have adapted in ways that both accommodate these larger social changes while also maintaining a type of engagement that resonates with their cultural tool kit. [Evangelicalism, cities, suburbs, religious presence, congregations, race, United States]
Graphic Identity in the Scriptorial Landscape of Lebanon
Authors: RISKEDAHL DIANE
Published: April 2017

The relationship between space, language, and the active construction of political identity in Lebanon is explored through a diachronic look at the outdoor display of political rhetoric of the Lebanese political leader, General Michel Aoun, and his evolving party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), in the public landscape of Beirut. Specifically, I will focus on graffiti of the FPM in 2005 and discuss its resonances with the earlier political rhetoric of Aoun during the civil war and his Paris exile, at a time when he was in a conflicted relationship with the state. I will then look at his later political advertising campaigns from 2008–2009 to see how some semiotic elements from Aoun's time in exile and his return in 2005 have been extended into the more recently professionally polished party image. Through the examination of linguistic strategies, such as the use of reported speech and graffiti font, I argue that these textual artifacts contain the residue of contested ideologies of populism, nationhood, and belonging, which gain particular meaning when placed in specific geo‐semiotic zones within the political landscape of the city. These ideologies formed the basis for constructing a graphic identity for Aoun in subsequent advertising campaigns. The publicly placed written word, then, provides a medium through which political identity is formed, negotiated, and revised. [political discourse, Lebanon, arabic, advertising, graffiti]
Introduction to Special Section: The Un‐Exceptional Middle Eastern City
Authors: EL‐KAZAZ SARAH , MAZUR KEVIN
Published: April 2017

This special section of City and Society is dedicated to de‐exceptionalizing the study of Middle Eastern cities. The introduction argues that the study of Middle Eastern cities has been constrained in its analytical and methodological focus by a genealogy shaped by a triad of regional exceptions–Islam, oil, and authoritarianism–and that the three pieces curated for this special section move beyond those constraints in important ways. Focusing on geographical places and time periods that have remained peripheral to the study of Middle Eastern cities, the three articles ethnographically historicize the planned and unplanned processes through which cities in the region transform to transcend a genealogy of exceptionalism and the constraints it has created. They highlight the global and local connections that shape these processes to offer new perspectives on the study of scale, verticality and sensoriums in the shaping of urban transformation around the globe. The section developed from a conference on Middle Eastern cities convened at Princeton University in May 2013.
Angli and Saxones in Æthelweard's Chronicle
Authors: Molyneaux George
Published: April 2017

The late tenth‐century Chronicle ascribed to Ealdorman Æthelweard frequently uses the word Angli in contexts where other writers employ Saxones. This has generally been attributed to a supposed project to cultivate English unity by privileging ‘Anglian’ terminology. The present article challenges this interpretation by highlighting Æthelweard's use of ‘Saxon’ vocabulary at key points in the text. Æthelweard's use of the words Angli and Saxones is best explained by the fact that he was writing for a continental Saxon reader, and his Chronicle strengthens the case for doubting that there was any coherent scheme to promote Anglian vocabulary.
Utilisation of spontaneous emulsification to fabricate lutein‐loaded nanoemulsion‐based delivery systems: factors influencing particle size and colour
Authors: Surh Jeonghee , Decker Eric Andrew , McClements David Julian
Published: April 2017

Factors influencing the formation and properties of lutein‐loaded nanoemulsions fabricated using spontaneous emulsification (SE) were investigated. Nanoemulsion formation depended on oil type: small droplets (diameter ≈ 200 nm) with a narrow monomodal particle size distribution (polydispersity index ≈ 0.23) could be formed using medium‐chain triglycerides (MCT), but not long‐chain triglycerides. Nanoemulsion formation also depended on surfactant type and concentration, with Tween 80 being the most effective surfactant. Optimisation of lutein‐loaded nanoemulsions formed by SE led to systems with a final composition of 10 wt% oil phase (0.12 wt% lutein + 9.88 wt% MCT), 10 wt% Tween 80, and 80 wt% aqueous phase. The nanoemulsions were stable to droplet aggregation when stored at ambient temperature for up to 1 month; however, some colour fading occurred due to lutein degradation. This study indicated the potential of nanoemulsion‐based delivery system fabricated using a low‐energy method for encapsulation and protection of lutein.
Drying kinetics, physico‐chemical properties, antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of foam‐mat dried germinated rice bean (Vigna umbellata) hydrolysate
Authors: Sritongtae Burachat , Morgan Michael R. A. , Duangmal Kiattisak
Published: April 2017

This research was aimed to study physico‐chemical properties and antioxidant activities of foam‐mat dried germinated rice bean (Vigna umbellata) hydrolysate. Germination led to an increase in released phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP) of rice bean hydrolysate. The hydrolysate obtained from germinated rice bean (GRB) and non‐germinated rice beans (NGRBs) was foam‐mat dried at 60 and 70 °C. Semi‐theoretical and empirical model could suitably describe the drying characteristic of foamed bean hydrolysate. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of foam‐mat dried samples decreased with increasing air‐drying temperature (P ≤ 0.05). Gallic acid, catechol and epicatechin were major phenolic compounds in foam‐mat dried samples prepared from both GRB and NGRB. The higher phenolic content and antioxidant activities were found in foam‐mat dried hydrolysate of GRB. Electron spin resonance spectrometry revealed that foam‐mat dried rice bean hydrolysate showed a strong ability to scavenge free radicals, especially carbon‐centred radicals.
Optimisation of rancidity stability in long‐chain PUFA concentrates obtained from a rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by‐product
Authors: Berríos Mª Macarena , Rodriguez Alicia , Rivera Matías , Pando Mª Elsa , Valenzuela Mª Antonieta , Aubourg Santiago P.
Published: April 2017

This research was focused on the production of polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrates from a farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by‐product (i.e. belly muscle). The effect of different process variables (urea/fatty acids (FA) contents ratio, crystallisation time and temperature and stirring speed of the urea/FA mixture) on the lipid oxidation development during the urea complexation process was investigated. For this purpose, an experimental design (26 runs) following the response‐surface methodology was developed. As a result, peroxide value and TOTOX index showed to be dependent on the crystallisation time and temperature and the urea/FA ratio, while no influence of the crystallisation stirring speed was detected on both indices; additionally, polyene index was affected by the urea/FA ratio and its interaction with the crystallisation time. An optimised desirability score near 1.0 was attained provided values of 2.8 °C, 3.05 h and 3.57 were applied for crystallisation temperature, crystallisation time and urea/FA ratio, respectively.
Development and validation of a SYBR‐Green I Real‐Time PCR test to detect bivalves including Mytilus species in foods
Authors: Graziano Sara , Gullì Mariolina , Marmiroli Nelson
Published: April 2017

The incidence of allergy to seafood, and in particular to molluscs is second only to that of nuts. To protect consumers, the regulators of food products insisted on identifying molluscs as allergens. The aim was to develop quantitative assay for the presence Mytilus species in processed food products. The chosen platform was real‐time PCR (qPCR) targeting either the gene encoding mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I or the nuclear gene encoding β‐actin. Recombinant plasmids containing each of target regions were used as a reference for quantification purposes. Limit of detection (LOD) and of quantification (LOQ) were determined. Spiked food samples containing 50–500 μg g−1 of Mytilus chilensis were analysed both by qPCR and by ELISA. The former assay gave a positive outcome over this range, whereas the latter was sensitive down to a concentration of 125 μg g−1.
Protein hydrolysates of salted duck egg white improve the quality of Jinga Shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis)
Authors: Yang Juan , Cui Chun , Feng Wanzhen , Zhao Haifeng , Wang Wei , Dong Keming
Published: April 2017

The influence of protein hydrolysates of salt duck egg white (PHSDEW) hydrolysed by acid protease on the quality of Jinga Shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis) was analysed. Shrimp immersed in 5% PHSDEW with degree of hydrolysis (DH 3%) had the highest values of cooking yield, water retention, moisture and texture with the lowest cooking loss when compared to which immersed in 0.4% NaCl, 3.5% mixed phosphates and other PHSDEW with different DH (1%, 2% and 5%) (P < 0.05). This treatment made muscle fibres retain the most appropriate compact and regular microstructure and improved the thermal stability of shrimp protein as well (P < 0.05). SDS‐PAGE protein patterns revealed shrimp protein would dissolve out during immersion, while only could PHSDEW infiltrate into shrimp muscle. It suggested PHSDEW would be developed as a new type of water retention agent replaced phosphate used in shrimp or other seafoods, which will decrease the waste of salt duck egg white.
Local structure of the MgxNixCoxCuxZnxO(x=0.2) entropy‐stabilized oxide: An EXAFS study
Authors: Rost Christina M. , Rak Zsolt , Brenner Donald W. , Maria Jon‐Paul
Published: April 2017

Entropy‐stabilized oxides (ESOs) provide an alternative route to novel materials discovery and synthesis. It is, however, a challenge to demonstrate that the constituent elements in an entropy‐stabilized crystal are homogeneously and randomly dispersed among a particular sublattice, resulting in a true solid solution with no evidence of local order or clustering. In this work, we present the application and analysis of extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) on the prototype ESO composition MgxNixCoxCuxZnxO (x=0.2). In so doing, we can quantify the local atomic structure on an element‐by‐element basis. We conclude that local bond lengths between metal and oxygen vary around each absorbing cation, with notable distortion around the Cu–O polyhedra. By the second near neighbor (i.e., the cation‐cation pair), interatomic distances are uniform to the extent that the collected data can resolve. Crystal models that best fit the experimental scattering data include cations that are distributed randomly on an FCC sublattice with minimal positional disorder, with an interleaved FCC anion sublattice with oxygen ions displaced from the ideal locations to accommodate the distortions in the cation polyhedra. Density functional theory calculations of the ESO system yield a significant broadening in the positional distribution for the oxygen sublattice compared to that for the cation sublattice for all peaks, showing consistency with the conclusion from the experimental data that the distortion from an ideal rock salt structure occurs primarily through disorder in the oxygen sublattice.
The interaction between molten gallium and the hydrocarbon medium induced by ultrasonic energy—can gallium carbide be formed?
Authors: Kumar Vijay Bhooshan , Monte Manuel , Mathon Olivier , Pascarelli Sakura , Porat Ze'ev , Gedanken Aharon
Published: April 2017

Ultrasonic irradiation of molten gallium in organic liquids (decane, dodecane, etc.) results in dispersion of the gallium into nanometric spheres. These were examined by several analytical methods XRD, DSC, Raman and IR spectroscopy) as well as electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) and found to be composed of Ga and C. The DSC analysis indicates that the Ga has possibly reacted with carbon, while the Raman spectrum of the product demonstrates a strong additional peak that could not be identified. This work explores the possibility that the product is gallium carbide or another gallium‐carbon complex. To investigate the nature of the product, we performed detailed extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) analyses. On the basis of DSC, IR, and Raman it appear to be formation of GaC, whereas the analysis by EXAFS and XANES demonstrated that the gallium is found to be in a higher reduced state (almost metallic), supported by carbon. The question that remains open in addition to the one related to the formation of galium carbide is whether a complex structure, including oxygen contamination is involved in the layers surrounding the Ga as indicated by the EXAFS results.
Novel mechanism of miRNA‐365‐regulated trophoblast apoptosis in recurrent miscarriage
Authors: Zhao Wei , Shen Wei‐wei , Cao Xiao‐mei , Ding Wen‐yan , Yan Lin‐ping , Gao Ling‐juan , Li Xiu‐Ling , Zhong Tian‐ying
Published: April 2017

Clinical pregnancies increasingly end in recurrent miscarriage (RM) during the first trimester, with genetic factors shouldering the main responsibility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression in a wide array of important biological processes. We examined the potential role of dysregulated miRNAs in RM pathogenesis and trophoblast development as an approach to elucidate the molecular mechanism behind RM. miRNA profiles from clinical specimens of RM and induced abortion (IA) were compared, and several miRNAs were found to be aberrantly expressed in RM samples. Among the miRNAs, miR‐365 was significantly differentially expressed in RM decidual tissues. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that miR‐365 functions as an upstream regulator of MDM2/p53 expression, cell cycle progression and apoptosis in trophoblasts. Bioinformatic prediction and experimental validation assays identified SGK1 as a direct target of miR‐365; consistently, its protein levels were low in decidual tissues. Additionally, functional studies revealed that SGK1 silencing elicits cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in trophoblasts and that SGK1 overexpression attenuates the effects of miR‐365 on apoptosis and MDM2/p53 expression. Collectively, our data provide evidence that the up‐regulation of miR‐365 may contribute to RM by decreasing SGK1 expression, which suggests its potential utility as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for RM.
Manufacturer collusion: Strategic implications of the channel structure
Authors: Reisinger Markus , Thomes Tim Paul
Published: April 2017

We investigate how the structure of the distribution channel affects tacit collusion between manufacturers. When selling through a common retailer, we find—in contrast to the conventional understanding of tacit collusion that firms act to maximize industry profits—that colluding manufacturers strategically induce double marginalization so that retail prices are above the monopoly level. This lowers industry profits but increases the profit share that manufacturers appropriate from the retailer. Comparing common distribution with independent (exclusive) distribution, we show that the latter facilitates collusion. Despite this result, common retailing leads to lower welfare because a common retailer monopolizes the downstream market. For the case of independent retailing, we also demonstrate that contract offers that are observable to the rival retailer are not necessarily beneficial for collusive purposes.
Recent Trends in WRN Gene Mutation Patterns in Individuals with Werner Syndrome
Authors: Yamaga Masaya , Takemoto Minoru , Takada‐Watanabe Aki , Koizumi Naoko , Kitamoto Takumi , Sakamoto Kenichi , Ishikawa Takahiro , Koshizaka Masaya , Maezawa Yoshiro , Yokote Koutaro
Published: April 2017

Objectives

To determine recent trends in mutation patterns in the WRN gene, which cause Werner syndrome (WS), a rare, inheritable progeroid syndrome in Japan.

Design

Retrospective cohort.

Setting

Longitudinal survey of WS and literature search for case reports.

Participants

Individuals whose genetic testing their facilities had requested between 2009 and October 2016 (N = 67).

Measurements

A nationwide epidemiological study was conducted from 2009 to 2011 to improve understanding of the pathology of WS and develop therapeutic guidelines. Since 2009, Chiba University Hospital consecutively evaluated the WRN gene in 67 individuals throughout Japan who had requested genetic testing. A literature search was also conducted for case reports on Japanese WS reported since 1997.

Results

A definitive diagnosis of WS was confirmed genetically in 50 of 67 participants. Through the literature search, 16 individuals diagnosed genetically with WS were identified. Of these 66 individuals with WS, 42 were homozygous for a WRN mutation, and 21 were compound heterozygotes. One novel mutant allele was identified in an individual with the compound heterozygous genotype. The proportion of compound heterozygotes (31.8%) was significantly greater than reported previously (14.2%), indicating that the incidence of consanguineous marriage of parents has decreased.

Conclusion

The increased frequency of individuals with WS with the compound heterozygous genotype is a recent trend in Japan. A long‐term follow‐up study on WRN homozygotes and compound heterozygotes will allow the relationship between WRN genotype and clinical severity of WS to be evaluated in the future.