bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knockdown of Hypocretin/Orexin Attenuates Extended-Access Cocaine Self-Administration in Rats
Authors: Schmeichel Brooke E. , Matzeu Alessandra , Koebel Pascale , Vendruscolo Leandro F. , Kieffer Brigitte L. , Koob George F. , Martin-Fardon Rémi , Contet Candice
Published: September 2017

The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) neuropeptide system regulates feeding, arousal state, stress responses, and reward, especially under conditions of enhanced motivational relevance. In particular, HCRT neurotransmission facilitates drug-seeking behavior in circumstances that demand increased effort and/or motivation to take the drug. The present study used a shRNA-encoding adeno-associated viral vector to knockdownHcrtexpression throughout the dorsal hypothalamus in adult rats and determine the role of HCRT in cocaine self-administration. LongtermHcrtsilencing did not impact cocaine self-administration under short-access conditions, but robustly attenuated cocaine intake during extended self-administration access, a model that mimics key features of compulsive cocaine-taking. In addition,Hcrtsilencing decreased motivation for both cocaine and palatable food (i.e., sweetened condensed milk; SCM) under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, but did not alter responding for SCM under a fixed ratio schedule. Importantly,Hcrtsilencing did not affect food or water consumption, and had no consequence to general measures of arousal-dependent behaviors.At the molecular level, longtermHcrtknockdown moderately reduced the downstream expression of dynorphin (DYN) and melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) in the dorsal hypothalamus.These original findings support the hypothesis that HCRT neurotransmission promotes operant responding for both drug and non-drug rewards, preferentially under conditions requiring a high degree of motivation. Furthermore, the current study provides compelling evidence for the involvement of the HCRT system in cocaine self-administration also under low-effort conditions in rats allowed extended access,possibly via functional interactions with DYN and MCH signaling.
The presentation of the self and professional identity: countering the accountant’s stereotype
Authors: Parker Lee D. , Warren Samantha
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the intersection of professional values and career roles in accountants’ presentations of their professional identity, in the face of enduring stereotyping of the accounting role.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a qualitative investigation of accountants’ construction of their professional identities and imagery using a Goffmanian dramaturgical perspective. Viewing professional identity construction as a presentational matter of impression management, the investigation employs a reflexive photo-interviewing methodology.

Findings

Accountants use a variety of workplace dramatisation, idealisation and mystification strategies inside and outside the workplace to counter the traditional accounting stereotype. They also attempt to develop a professional identity that is a subset of their overall life values.

Research limitations/implications

Their professional orientation is found to embrace role reconstruction and revised image mystification while not necessarily aiming for upward professional mobility. This has implications for understanding the career trajectories of contemporary accountants with associated implications for continuing professional development and education.

Originality/value

The paper focusses on professional role, identity, values and image at the individual accountant level, while most prior research has focussed upon these issues at the macro association-wide level. In offering the first use of reflexive photo-interviewing method in the accounting research literature, it brings the prospect of having elicited different and possibly more reflective observations, reflections and understandings from actors not otherwise possible from more conventional methods.
Robust launch vehicle’s generalized dynamic inversion attitude control
Authors: Ansari Uzair , Bajodah Abdulrahman H.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

To design a robust attitude control system for the ascent flight phase of satellite launch vehicles (SLVs).

Design/methodology/approach

The autopilot is based on generalized dynamic inversion (GDI). Dynamic constraints are prescribed in the form of differential equations that encapsulate the control objectives, and are generalized inverted using the Moore-Penrose Generalized Inverse (MPGI) based Greville formula to obtain the control law. The MPGI is modified via a dynamic scaling factor for assuring generalized inversion singularity-robust tracking control. An additional sliding mode control (SMC) loop is augmented to robustify the GDI closed-loop system against model uncertainties and external disturbances.

Findings

The robust GDI control law allows for two cooperating controllers that act on two orthogonally complement control spaces: one is the particular controller that realizes the dynamic constraints, and the other is the auxiliary controller that is affined in the null control vector, and is used to enforce global closed-loop stability.

Practical implications

Orthogonality of the particular and the auxiliary control subspaces ensures noninterference of the two control actions, and thus, it ensures that both actions work toward a unified goal. The robust control loop increases practicality of the GDI control design.

Originality/value

The first successful implementation of GDI to the SLV control problem.
On the maximal and minimal distances of flying-around satellite formation
Authors: Dang Zhaohui , Fan Li , Wang Zhaokui , Zhang Yulin
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the obtained analytic solutions of maximal and minimal inter-satellite distances for flying-around satellite formation.

Design/methodology/approach

The relative motion equation is used to express the inter-satellite distance as the function of the orbital elements of two participating satellites for the flying-around satellite formation. Then by taking the derivative of the distance function with respect to the true anomaly, some possible extreme value points are obtained. According to the detailed analysis, the maximal and minimal distance solutions are found. By a reverse process, the expected initial differential orbital elements that generate the required extreme inter-satellite distances are also obtained.

Findings

The maximal and minimal distances of the flying-around formation can be analytically written as the functions of three initial orbital elements differences, i.e. the differential orbital inclination, the differential eccentricity and the differential right ascension. For the given maximal and minimal distances, there are lots of solutions of the initial differential orbital elements, which can produce the expected relative motions.

Research limitations/implications

The solutions of the maximal and minimal inter-satellite distances are only accurate for the circular or near circular reference orbit. For the elliptic reference orbit, there is a need to develop new methods to find the analytic solutions.

Practical implications

The results here can be applied to design the factual flying-around formation with dimension requirements in mission analysis stage.

Originality/value

By using the solutions presented in this paper, the engineers can design the expected flying-around formation with required maximal and minimal inter-satellite distances in a very easy way.
The cognitive underpinnings of effective teamwork: a continuation
Authors: Mesmer-Magnus Jessica , Niler Ashley A. , Plummer Gabriel , Larson Lindsay E. , DeChurch Leslie A.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Team cognition is known to be an important predictor of team process and performance. DeChurch and Mesmer-Magnus (2010) reported the results of an extensive meta-analytic examination into the role of team cognition in team process and performance, and documented the unique contribution of team cognition to these outcomes while controlling for the motivational dynamics of the team. Research on team cognition has exploded since the publication of DeChurch and Mesmer-Magnus’ meta-analysis, which raises the question: to what extent do the effect sizes reported in their 2010 meta-analysis still hold with the inclusion of newly published research? The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors updated DeChurch and Mesmer-Magnus’ meta-analytic database with newly published studies, nearly doubling its size, and reran their original analyses examining the role of team cognition in team process and performance.

Findings

Overall, results show consistent effects for team cognition in team process and performance. However, whereas originally compilational cognition was more strongly related to both team process and team performance than was compositional cognition, in the updated database, compilational cognition is more strongly related to team process and compositional cognition is more strongly related to team performance.

Originality/value

Meta-analyses are only as generalizable as the databases they are comprised of. Periodic updates are necessary to incorporate newly published studies and confirm that prior findings still hold. This study confirms that the findings of DeChurch and Mesmer-Magnus’ (2010) team cognition meta-analysis continue to generalize to today’s teams.
Parameter identification of wireless power transfer with a movable receiver
Authors: Wang Quandi , Wang Yingcong , Kang Jianwei , Li Wanlu
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a monitoring method for a three-coil wireless power transfer (WPT) system, which consists of a transmitting coil (Tx), a relay coil and a movable receiving coil (Rx). Both an ideal resistance and a rectifier bridge load are taken into account.

Design/methodology/approach

From the perspective of fundamental component, the equivalent impedance of a rectifier bridge load is well analyzed. On the basis of the circuit model of a three-coil WPT, estimation equations of the variable mutual inductances and load condition are deduced. Multi-frequency input impedance obtained by frequency scans combined with the Newton-Raphson method are used to obtain solutions.

Findings

Experimental results indicate that the estimated parameter values are close to each other when different sets of source frequencies are applied. When compared with simulation results, these estimated parameters including both mutual inductances and load resistances are found to be accurate.

Originality/value

Using only the information of input side, the proposed algorithm can estimate the mutual inductances and load resistance regardless of the Rx positions. Estimation is feasible for the system with a rectifier bridge load. The estimated analysis will serve as a key step in load power stabilization for WPT systems.
An investigation on frequency characteristics of wireless power transfer systems with relay resonators
Authors: Zhou Jiali , Zhang Bo , Qiu Dongyuan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the frequency characteristics of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems with relay resonators in terms of the power delivered to the load and system efficiency. Based on the analytical results, system parameters can be optimized to achieve maximum power transfer and higher system efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Kirchhoff’s voltage law equations, WPT systems with relay resonators are described by the coupled linear second-order differential equations. Splitting frequencies are estimated by using the matrix theory. In addition, critical coupling conditions are demonstrated based on discriminant analysis.

Findings

It was found that multi-maximum values exist for the power delivered to the load and total system efficiency owing to multiple eigenfrequencies of the system. Also, frequency conditions of maximum power transfer and system efficiency, as well as their critical coupling conditions, were quantitatively estimated.

Research limitations/implications

During our analytical process, we assume that quality factors of resonators in the system are high and the crossing coupling between resonators is negligible.

Originality/value

In previous works, the exact analysis of frequency characteristics is limited to WPT systems with two resonators. The appealing feature of this work lies in its ability to present a simplified analytical method with negligible approximation errors for WPT systems with relay resonators.
A numerical method for solving the physics-based model of IGBT with all free-carrier injection conditions in the base region
Authors: Chen Jiajia , Ma Yuhan , Yang Shiyou
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an accurate model and method to simulate the transient performances of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in an arbitrary free-carrier injection condition.

Design/methodology/approach

A numerical model and method for solving the physics-based model, an ambipolar diffusion equation-based model, of an IGBT is proposed.

Findings

The results of the proposed model are very close to the tested ones.

Originality/value

A mathematical model for an IGBT considering all free-carrier injection conditions is introduced, and a numerical solution methodology is proposed.
Socialization or genre appreciation: the motives of music festival participants
Authors: Vinnicombe Thea , Sou Pek U. Joey
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Academic studies have sought to understand the motivations of festival and event attendees usually through single-event case studies. This approach has failed to generate a generalizable set of motivation items. In addition, there is increasing criticism in the literature of the common methodological framework used in festival motivation studies, due to a perceived over-reliance on motivations derived from the broader tourism and travel research, with too little attention to event-specific factors. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues by analyzing a sub-category of motivation studies, music festivals, in order to see if this approach can elicit a consistent set of motivation dimensions for the sub-category, which can in turn be compared and contrasted with the broader literature. A new case study of motivations to attend the 28th Macau International Music Festival (MIMF) is included to complement the existing music festival sub-category by adding a classical music and music festivals in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

Motivation dimensions important to music festivals are compared to dimensions across the broader festival motivation literature to find similarities and differences. Factor analysis is used to identify the motivation dimensions of attendees at the MIMF and the results are compared to those of existing music festival studies.

Findings

Music festival goers are shown to be primarily motivated by the core festival offering, the music, in contrast to festival attendees in general, where socialization has emerged as the primary motivating element. The results of the additional case study support these findings.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous research, this study examines the possibility of identifying common motivations among festival attendees through studying festivals by sub-categories.
Event quality and loyalty among runners with different running involvement levels
Authors: Alexandris Kostantinos , Theodorakis Nicholas , Kaplanidou Kiki , Papadimitriou Dimitra
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to investigate if the three service quality dimensions (service environment, interaction and outcome quality), proposed by Brady and Cronin (2001), influence the development of event loyalty, among runners of the “‘Alexander the Great’ International Marathon”, and to test if running loyalty moderates the relationship between event quality and event loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 368 runners participated in the study and filled the Sport Event Quality Questionnaire (Theodorakis et al., 2015) and an adjusted version of the Leisure Involvement Questionnaire (Kyle et al., 2010).

Findings

The results indicated that only the service environment and outcome dimensions contributed significantly to the prediction of event loyalty, while, and in contrast to other sport services, interaction quality was not shown to be an important determinant for the development of event loyalty. Furthermore, running involvement was shown to play a moderating role in the relationship between event quality and event loyalty. Service quality is more important for the development of event loyalty among low- than high-involved runners. The theoretical and applied implications of these results are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The study provided results on how high- and low-involved runners perceive event quality, and for which of these groups the event quality is an important antecedent for the development of event loyalty.

Practical implications

Investigating the moderating role of involvement on the relationship between service quality and loyalty has also applied value. While committed runners have been traditionally seen as a key target group for event marketing professionals, the majority of runners in city marathons today are more leisure oriented. The increase in the number of leisure runners is actually the reason for the rapid growth of city marathons in the last few years. Meeting the needs of these leisure runners and increasing their loyalty levels is therefore a key task for marathon marketers today.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature, as for the first time it explores the moderating role of involvement on the relationship between service quality and loyalty in the context of a sport event.
Integrating artificial neural network and imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA), to predict the energy consumption for land leveling
Authors: Alzoubi Isham , Delavar Mahmoud , Mirzaei Farhad , Nadjar Arrabi Babak
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This work aims to determine the best linear model using an artificial neural network (ANN) with the imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA-ANN) and ANN to predict the energy consumption for land leveling.

Design/methodology/approach

Using ANN, integrating artificial neural network and imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA-ANN) and sensitivity analysis (SA) can lead to a noticeable improvement in the environment. In this research, effects of various soil properties such as embankment volume, soil compressibility factor, specific gravity, moisture content, slope, sand per cent and soil swelling index on energy consumption were investigated.

Findings

According to the results, 10-8-3-1, 10-8-2-5-1, 10-5-8-10-1 and 10-6-4-1 multilayer perceptron network structures were chosen as the best arrangements and were trained using the Levenberg–Marquardt method as the network training function. Sensitivity analysis revealed that only three variables, namely, density, soil compressibility factor and cut-fill volume (V), had the highest sensitivity on the output parameters, including labor energy, fuel energy, total machinery cost and total machinery energy. Based on the results, ICA-ANN had a better performance in the prediction of output parameters in comparison with conventional methods such as ANN or particle swarm optimization (PSO)-ANN. Statistical factors of root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2) illustrate the superiority of ICA-ANN over other methods by values of about 0.02 and 0.99, respectively.

Originality/value

A limited number of research studies related to energy consumption in land leveling have been done on energy as a function of volume of excavation and embankment. However, in this research, energy and cost of land leveling are shown to be functions of all the properties of the land, including the slope, coefficient of swelling, density of the soil, soil moisture and special weight dirt. Therefore, the authors believe that this paper contains new and significant information adequate for justifying publication in an international journal.
Management, management everywhere: whatever happened to governance?
Authors: Peters B. Guy
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationships between governance and a variety of approaches to public administration, especially New Public Management.

Design/methodology/approach

The study provides a conceptual review of the various approaches to public management and governance.

Findings

Many approaches to public administration, especially New Public Management, place excessive emphasis on quotidian management issues and insufficient attention to broader issues of governance.

Originality/value

I liked it.
Is there still a need for teaching and research in public administration and management? A personal view from the UK
Authors: Liddle Joyce
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the global, historic context of public administration and the specific British context of teaching and research for public administration. Also, it asks the question, “is twenty-first century public administration still ‘fit for purpose?’”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a personal reflection on the changes to public administration and management during the twentieth and early part of the twenty-first century, in particular how the UK Learned Society has responded to a number of global, policy and cultural changes.

Findings

The findings demonstrate how the UK Joint University Council (JUC), representing public administration, has responded to changes, in particular to recent forces impacting on HE and training providers. It includes the outcomes of a series of recent UK debates as JUC approaches its 100-year centenary in 2018. It concludes by showing that public administration research, teaching and scholarship are as necessary, if not more so, in 2018. In particular, issues such as accountability, legality, integrity and responsiveness, the overall ethical guidelines are vital for both public and private educational curricula. For either theory building or empirical descriptions, public administration research can still positively contribute to the wider economy

Research limitations/implications

As a personal reflection, the findings are offered to add to a debate on the future of public administration scholarship in the UK, and much wider afield.

Practical implications

The contents should be of benefit to academics, policy and practitioners in the field of public administration and management.

Social implications

This study has wider societal implications, as all states are facing growing social problems and a need to seek novel ways of delivering public services.

Originality/value

Though the paper is a personal reflection, and may therefore be challenged, it is based on wider literature to support the claims being made.
Getting to Norway – 30 years of public management research
Authors: Lægreid Per
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine three substantial trends in public administration research from a Norwegian perspective with a special focus on administrative reform that addresses organizational arrangements rather than changes of policy by focusing on government capacity and good government.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is synthesizing trends in Norwegian public administration research over the past 30 years by using existing publications and also by contrasting it to development in other countries.

Findings

The paper describes, first, the theoretical development toward meso-level theories and an institutional turn in public administration research. Second, it focuses on the methodological development toward more time series analysis and comparative and objective data. Third, it addresses the trend from processes and administrative behavior to performance and effects.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the increasing internalization of public administration research, the strengthened focus on empirical studies of “living” organizations, the need to address the big issues and large forces in public administration and also the transformative periods and unsettled situations going beyond settled stable situations.
Public management: 30 years on
Authors: Hughes Owen
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a conceptual survey of transformation in the management of the public sector over the past 30 years.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a comparison of the bureaucratic form of public administration with more flexible forms of public management.

Findings

The major change from an administrative model is that public managers are personally responsible for the delivery of results; from that starting point different countries have implemented reforms in their own way. The 30-year timeframe points to the need to reconceptualize ideas of New Public Management (NPM) argued here to have been unhelpful for understanding public management.

Originality/value

The importance of NPM has been exaggerated previously. The argument here is that public management includes an enduring set of reforms, NPM does not.
Exploring 30 years of UK public services management reform – the case of health care
Authors: Ferlie Ewan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer a personal interpretation of the nature and impact of alternative narratives of public management reform evident in the UK since the 1980s. These reforms are examined through the prism of alternative bodies of public management scholarship. They are applied to the specific case of the health care sector as a concrete focus.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a personal overview of various streams of policy reforms in the UK health care sector and associated public management scholarship. This is an interpretive essay.

Findings

The new of public management remains the dominant reform, narrative and highly embedded, even if dysfunctionally so. Network governance reforms have had some enduring influence. Digital era governance has so far had only weak influence. A reprofessionlisation counter narrative shows variable and oscillating influence.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a developing narrative-based stream in public management scholarship. It also provides a “big picture” assessment of reforming in the UK health care sector since the 1980s.
Entrepreneurial orientation of SMEs, total quality management and firm performance
Authors: Sahoo Saumyaranjan , Yadav Sudhir
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and total quality management (TQM) on the performance of small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Frameworks for describing EO and TQM derived from the literature were reviewed and used to develop a questionnaire. The hypothesized relationships of this model are tested with the data collected from 121 manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by using AMOS. The approach has been directed toward justification of EO and TQM strategy for its support to competitive manufacturing in the context of Indian manufacturing industries.

Findings

The results indicate that EO plays an influential role on the adoption of TQM strategy, and also has a direct effect on firm performance (FP). The results also indicate that the significance of the direct effect of EO on FP is reduced when the indirect effect of EO through TQM is included in the total effect model. Firms with higher level of EO will be more successful in adopting TQM strategy, which helps them in developing new capabilities that allow them to achieve better performance.

Research limitations/implications

The research is cross-sectional in nature and, therefore, it does not permit us to account for the lag between implementation and performance. Second, the performance measures are subjective and may be subject to response bias.

Practical implications

The study presented in this paper offers entrepreneurs, academics and practitioners a better understanding of the relationship and impact of the EO and TQM on the manufacturing performance. Thus, entrepreneurs and practitioners will be able to make better and more effective decisions about the implementation of TQM practices.

Originality/value

By linking EO strategy and TQM practices to world-class manufacturing practices and performance in Indian manufacturing SMEs, this research adds a new dimension to study of world-class manufacturing and more generally to the best practices and practice-performance debates. This knowledge is important and unique, because it emphasizes that in addition to quality management practices, which are focused on efficient process management aspects of the organization, EO should also be given equal emphasis, in order to improve manufacturing performance of SMEs.
Subjective well-being, knowledge sharing and individual innovation behavior
Authors: Wang Juanru , Yang Jin , Xue Yajiong
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of subjective well-being on individual innovation behavior. The authors propose that such effect is mediated by knowledge sharing, and individual absorptive capacity moderates the relationship between knowledge sharing and innovation behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was developed. Survey data were based on a sample of 220 employees from 20 enterprises in China. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses and bootstrap approach were applied to test the research model.

Findings

Subjective well-being has significantly positive influence on individual innovation behavior, and this effect is mediated by knowledge sharing. Furthermore, absorptive capacity moderates the mediated relationships between subject well-being and individual innovation behavior via knowledge sharing.

Practical implications

This research sheds light on an effective role to promote individual innovation behavior in management practices. It suggests that harmonious atmosphere, communication platform, and well-established learning plans can be cultivated to enhance individual innovation ability.

Originality/value

This research discusses the antecedent of innovation behavior from the viewpoint of individual psychology, and identifies the different roles of knowledge sharing and absorptive capacity on individual innovation behavior.
Transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Khalili Ashkan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the transformational leadership (TL) – employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and employees’ emotional intelligence (EI) – employees’ OCB associations. In addition, this study explored the moderating role of employees’ EI on the TL – employees’ OCB relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in 50 organizations in Iran, on a sample of 2,021 employees.

Findings

The findings of this research showed that TL and employees’ EI positively and significantly influence employees’ OCB. Additionally, the results revealed that employees’ EI moderates the TL – employees’ OCB association.

Practical implications

Iranian organizations should invest in TL and EI training and in the selection of mangers with TL style and employees with good level of EI in order to enrich the OCB of employees.

Originality/value

The present study is one of the first to examine the TL – employees’ OCB and employees’ EI – employees’ OCB relationships, and the moderating influence of employees’ EI on the TL – employees’ OCB association in a developing country, Iran.
Metamorphosis in Hans Kelsen's Legal Philosophy
Authors: Paulson Stanley L.
Published: September 2017

Two major questions stem from the fundamental shift in Hans Kelsen's legal philosophy that takes place in 1960 and the years thereafter: first, the scope of the shift and, second, its explanation. On the first question, I argue that the shift is not limited to Kelsen's rejection of the applicability of logic to legal norms. Rather, it reaches to his rejection of the entire Kantian edifice of his earlier work. On the second question, I argue that the explanation for the shift has a conceptual dimension as well as a historico‐biographical dimension. That is, I argue that Kelsen's rejection of the principle of non‐contradiction vis‐à‐vis legal norms reaches to the Kantian edifice in that the principle was presupposed in Kelsen's earlier work and appears, expressis verbis, in his ‘Kantian filter’. And I argue that certain historico‐biographical data are germane, including, quite possibly, the earlier revolution in Kelsen's thought, that of 1939–40.
Electoral infidelity: Why party members cast defecting votes
Authors: POLK JONATHAN , KÖLLN ANN‐KRISTIN
Published: September 2017

Party politics and electoral research generally assume that party members are loyal voters. This article first assesses the empirical basis for this assumption before providing individual‐level explanations for defection. It combines prominent theories from party politics and electoral behaviour research and argues that internal disagreement and external pressure can each bring about disloyal voting. The hypotheses are motivated with multi‐country European survey data and tested on two sets of party‐level national surveys. The results show, first, that, on average, 8 per cent of European party members cast a defecting vote in the last election, and second, that dissatisfaction with the leadership is the strongest predictor of defection. Additionally, internal ideological disagreement is associated with higher probabilities of defection, whereas the effects of pull factors in the form of contentious policies are rather limited. These findings emphasise the importance of testing scientific assumptions and the potential significance of party leadership contests.
Effects of Organic and Conventional Cropping Systems on Technological Properties and Phenolic Compounds of Freshly Harvested and Stored Rice
Authors: Alves Gabriela Hörnke , Paraginski Ricardo Tadeu , Lamas Nelisa de Souza , Hoffmann Jessica Fernanda , Vanier Nathan Levien , de Oliveira Maurício
Published: September 2017

This study compared the physicochemical and technological properties of the IRGA 410 rice cultivar, obtained from organic and conventional cropping systems, and showed its susceptibility to changes during storage at 0, 6, and 12 mo. The rice conventional cropping system exhibited greater protein, lipids, and ash levels, and a head rice yield. However, organic rice presented greater total carbohydrates, soluble protein, amylose content, 33% greater free phenolics, and phenolic acids, but exhibited a greater percentage of stained grains during the storage period. The free phenolic content of cooked rice was lower than the free phenolic content of the raw rice. By Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometer (LC‐MS) were identified p‐coumaric and ferulic acids in both fractions (free and bound). The content of p‐coumaric acid and ferulic acid in bound fraction was higher in organic brown rice than in conventional brown rice. At 6 and 12 mo of storage, the main fungi found were Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. Prior to storage, the Bipolaris sp. fungi was identified only in organic rice. For conventional rice, the infestation level by Aspergillus sp. increased from 3% to 70% at the 6th mo of storage. In addition to the advantage of organic rice being free of agrochemicals, this study revealed that natural plant defense compounds could be produced when the rice was subjected to more biotic and abiotic stresses. However, some disadvantages were observed, such as lower protein content and a greater percentage of soluble protein, which favored the breaking of rice in processing, and a greater percentage of grain stained before and during storage.

Practical Application

The organic and conventional cropping systems affect the physicochemical and technological properties of rice grains, which is one of the main cereals grown and consumed in the world. This study shows the advantages and disadvantages of the cropping system in grain properties that are in the interest of both consumers and processing industries.
Lactic Acid Bacteria Combinations for Wheat Sourdough Preparation and Their Influence on Wheat Bread Quality and Acrylamide Formation
Authors: Bartkiene Elena , Bartkevics Vadims , Krungleviciute Vita , Pugajeva Iveta , Zadeike Daiva , Juodeikiene Grazina
Published: September 2017

Different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from spontaneous wheat sourdough were isolated, identified, and characterized by their growth, acidification rate, and carbohydrate metabolism. The combinations of isolated LAB (Pediococcus pentosaceus LUHS183 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides LUHS242, P. pentosaceus LUHS183 and Lactobacillus brevis LUHS173, P. pentosaceus LUHS183 and Enterococcus pseudoavium LUHS 234, P. pentosaceus LUHS183 and Lactobacillus curvatus LUHS51, Lactobacillus plantarum LUHS135 and L. curvatus LUHS51, L. plantarum LUHS135 and P. pentosaceus LUHS183) were used for wheat sourdough production, and the effects of LAB fermentation in sourdoughs on wheat bread quality parameters and acrylamide formation were evaluated. All of the tested strains (except E. pseudoavium LUHS 234) were able to ferment l‐arabinose, d‐ribose, d‐galactose, d‐fructose, and d‐maltose and showed high tolerance to acidic conditions. The highest overall acceptability (135.8 ± 5.5 mm) was found in the bread produced with L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus sourdough. This group of bread also showed the highest shape coefficient (2.59 ± 0.02), the highest specific volume (3.40 ± 0.03 cm3/g), the highest porosity (76.6 ± 0.3%), and the highest moisture content (33.7%). Selected sourdoughs reduced acrylamide content in bread samples by 29.5% (sourdough prepared with P. pentosaceus and L. mesenteroides) to 67.2% (sourdough prepared with P. pentosaceus and L. curvatus). These cultures potentially can be used to reduce acrylamide in breads.

Practical Application

The data of this study have practical applications. L. plantarum and P. pentosaceus sourdoughs increases overall acceptability, specific volume, and porosity of wheat bread. Besides the fact that sourdoughs produced by using combinations of selected LAB strains improved the quality parameters of bread, fermentation with prepared sourdoughs also reduced the acrylamide content in wheat bread samples by 29.5% (sourdough prepared with P. pentosaceus and L. mesenteroides) to 67.2% (sourdough prepared with P. pentosaceus and L. curvatus).
Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives on butterfly spatial assembly in northern Amazonia
Authors: GRAÇA MÁRLON B. , PEQUENO PEDRO A. C. L. , FRANKLIN ELIZABETH , SOUZA JORGE L. P. , MORAIS JOSÉ W.
Published: September 2017

1. Understanding the causes of the spatial variation of biodiversity is an important goal in community ecology. This study investigated the response of fruit‐feeding butterfly assemblages to environmental gradients resulting from the transition from ombrophilous forests to white‐sand forests in northern Brazil by assessing taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic descriptors of community structure.

2. Butterflies were sampled with bait traps in the Brazilian Amazon, while their traits and phylogenetic relatedness were either measured directly or gathered from the literature. Then, the effects of plant species turnover, light intensity, and flood risk on butterfly community patterns were tested.

3. Butterfly abundance increased with light intensity in non‐forested white‐sand habitats, whereas ombrophilous forests harboured higher species richness. A trade‐off was observed between richness and abundance across the gradient. Plant turnover strongly drove shifts in butterfly species composition. In white‐sand habitats, butterflies had higher dispersal capacity, faster flights and generalist larvae, whereas in periodically flooded plots the functional diversity of flight‐related traits was higher. No phylogenetic response to environmental gradients was detected.

4. These results exposed the complexity of community structure across a mosaic landscape and how analysing more than one dimension of biodiversity may reveal underlying relationships not apparent under isolated approaches. Caution is required when using phylogeny as a proxy for functional similarity, as the responses were not congruent in this study. The ecological patterns revealed here, aligned with further regional‐scale studies, can provide complementary perspectives on butterfly spatial distribution and ensure that appropriate conservation policies are developed.
Prevalence of pruritus in patients with chronic liver disease: A multicenter study
Authors: Oeda Satoshi , Takahashi Hirokazu , Yoshida Hisako , Ogawa Yuji , Imajo Kento , Yoneda Masato , Koshiyama Yuichi , Ono Masafumi , Hyogo Hideyuki , Kawaguchi Takumi , Fujii Hideki , Nishino Ken , Sumida Yoshio , Tanaka Saiyu , Kawanaka Miwa , Torimura Takuji , Saibara Toshiji , Kawaguchi Atsushi , Nakajima Atsushi , Eguchi Yuichiro ,   Japan Study Group of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (JSG‐NAFLD)
Published: September 2017

Aim

Pruritus is a common comorbidity in chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to clarify the prevalence of pruritus and its characteristics in patients with chronic liver disease.

Methods

A total of 1631 patients with chronic liver disease who attended one of nine joint‐research facilities from January to June 2016 were enrolled. We investigated the prevalence of pruritus, itch location, itch duration, daily itch fluctuation, seasonal itch exacerbation, treatment drugs, and therapeutic effects using a medical interview questionnaire.

Results

The median age was 66 years and 890 (54.6%) patients were women. The prevalence of pruritus was 40.3% (658/1631), and it differed according to the underlying liver disease. The most frequent body location for pruritus was on the back (63.1%). Pruritus duration was more than 6 months in 252 (38.3%) patients. The severity of pruritus, assessed using a visual analog scale, was higher during the day than at night (median, 4 vs. 3, P < 0.001). Seasonal exacerbation was observed in 296 (45.0%) patients. Although 301 (45.7%) patients were treated with antipruritic agents, 57.8% (174/301) patients reported an insufficient effect. Active hepatitis B virus infection (odds ratio [OR], 2.51; P = 0.043), primary biliary cholangitis (OR, 3.69; P = 0.018), diabetes (OR, 1.57; P = 0.010), and aspartate aminotransferase ≥60 U/L (OR, 2.06; P = 0.011) were independent factors associated with pruritus.

Conclusion

The prevalence of pruritus varies according to the chronic liver disease etiology. Underlying liver disease, aspartate aminotransferase ≥60 U/L, and comorbid diabetes are factors associated with pruritus in patients with chronic liver disease.
Clot waveform analysis: Where do we stand in 2017?
Authors: Sevenet P. O. , Depasse F.
Published: September 2017

Analysis of the optical waveform generated during global coagulation assays, such as activated partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time, can provide much precious information on the global coagulation state of the plasma sample tested, in addition to a single clotting time. Many studies have been published concerning patient diagnosis and management in haemophilia A, and in the early diagnosis and prognosis of disseminated intravascular coagulation and sepsis. However, many other works have also been published on further potential clinical applications such as lupus anticoagulant diagnosis and anticoagulant monitoring. Altogether, these publications have demonstrated the ability for clot waveform analysis (CWA) to improve patient management, especially as this tool is inexpensive, rapid and readily available on coagulation analysers with optical detection systems. By an extensive review of the literature related to studies performed on CWA, this publication aims at providing a review of current knowledge in this specific field, ranging from research data to potential clinical applications and future trends.
Postpartum depressive symptoms and their association with social support among foreign mothers in Japan at 3 to 4 months postpartum
Authors: Imai Sawo , Kita Sachiko , Tobe Hiromi , Watanabe Masako , Nishizono‐Maher Aya , Kamibeppu Kiyoko
Published: September 2017

Backgrounds

With Japan's globalization, maternal‐child health care for foreign mothers is highly necessary. We examined postpartum depressive symptoms in foreign mothers in Japan and the factors associated with such symptoms, particularly social support.

Method

A cross‐sectional study was conducted for Japanese and foreign mothers at 3 to 4 months postpartum. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to evaluate postpartum depression symptom, and social support was evaluated by support type and provider. Multiple regression analyses was used.

Results

Data from 97 Japanese mothers and 68 foreign mothers were analyzed. The average score of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for foreign mothers was 7.5, significantly higher than that for Japanese mothers (4.2). Financial circumstances, spouse‐partners' emotional support, and families' informational support were significantly related to foreign mothers' postpartum depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

Postpartum depression symptoms were more common among foreign mothers than among Japanese mothers. Medical personnel should encourage such mothers to obtain more social support from their spouse‐partners and family.
Waiter, there is a drug in my soup – using Leximancer® to explore antecedents to pro-environmental behaviours in the hospital pharmacy workplace
Authors: Singleton Judith A , Lau Esther T L , Nissen Lisa M
Published: September 2017

Objective/s

The aim of this study was to explore Queensland hospital pharmacists’ and pharmacy technicians’ knowledge and understanding of the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment and the handling of pharmaceutical waste.

Methods

This study followed a mixed methods research design. Purposive sampling techniques were used to recruit 64 hospital pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in five public and private hospitals, in metropolitan and regional Queensland, Australia. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Qualitative data were analysed using both the text analytics using descriptive statistics.

Key findings

Lack of environmental knowledge regarding the impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment and lack of understanding of systems thinking concepts (that all living things are part of the one environment or system, and therefore any negative impacts on the environment will ultimately have negative impacts on human health) were the key findings of this research. Interviewees expressed concern, but most expressed minimal personal concern, about the impact of pharmaceuticals entering the environment. Most interviewees were unsure as to best practice methods for the disposal of pharmaceutical waste, and by complying with hospital policy assumed appropriate disposal occurred.

Conclusion

Before the pharmacy profession can take up a leadership role in the more sustainable use of pharmaceuticals, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians require environmental information regarding the negative impacts of pharmaceuticals on the environment, and education on systems thinking to enable them to understand that any negative impacts on the environment will ultimately have negative impacts on human health.