bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fosters Bakery puts HR in the mix
Authors: Pollitt David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to relate how “good” human resources (HR) practice is characterized in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and what the drivers are for adopting this good practice. This paper explores methods for measuring the impact of HR practices that are helpful and realistic in the context of an SME.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper studies practices at a family-owned bakery. The study takes the form of an action-research project using semi-structured interviews, participant observation on the factory floor and analysis of company documentation in the diagnosis phase. It reflects action interventions that have informed the findings, together with post-project semi-structured interviews with key actors three years after the completion of the project.

Findings

– Discovers that the drivers of good HR practice are size, market position, external “coercive networks”, presenting issues, the ideology of the managing director and the energy of an HR champion.

Practical implications

– Demonstrates that the impact of “good” HR practice can be best evaluated in SMEs through one-shot cost-based metrics or more strategic qualitative measures.

Originality/value

– Develops an original model to show the relationship between the drivers, the HR practices adopted and measurable outcomes. Makes an important contribution to the debate about HRM in SMEs and has practical value for informing the development of good HR practice in SMEs.
Implementing the citizen focus agenda: a case study in police leadership
Authors: Fisher Andrew , Kirby Stuart
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Although the private sector has long understood that a customer-focused service is synonymous with success, the concept is less embedded in public agencies such as the Police. Cultural studies consistently argue that police practitioners perceive “citizen focused” or “quality of service” approaches as distant to “real policing”, making the concept difficult to implement. The purpose of this paper is to explore the complex infrastructure required for the implementation of this approach, specifically focusing on senior police leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using semi-structured interviews across a diversity of police officers and staff it provides a case study of a city Police Force in England, who attempted to introduce a citizen focused approach between 2006-2010.

Findings

– Senior police leaders were reported to exhibit distinct and consistent leadership styles with a “transformational” style more positively associated with the implementation of this agenda.

Practical implications

– The study argues specific leadership styles are critical to the delivery of “quality” approaches.

Originality/value

– No other case studies currently exist that have explored the role of police leadership in the field of quality service/citizen focused approaches.
Herding behaviour and volatility in the Athens Stock Exchange
Authors: Messis Petros , Zapranis Achilleas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate the existence of herding in the Athens Stock Exchange over the 1995-2010 period and examine its effects on market volatility.

Design/methodology/approach

– Herding is examined over portfolios formed on beta and size of the selected stocks. The detection of herding has been done using the state space model of Hwang and Salmon (2004). Four volatility measures are employed.

Findings

– The findings depict the presence of herding over two different periods of time. Large differences are observed among the portfolios regarding the herding periods. The results confirm a linear effect of herding on all volatility measures considered. Stocks exhibiting higher levels of herding or adverse herding will also present higher volatility, and from this point of view, herding can be regarded as an additional risk factor.

Originality/value

– The fact that herding is considered to be an additional risk factor, can lead market participants and investors to a better understanding of market risk, asset pricing and asset allocation.
The impact of personality on pay satisfaction among small business managers in the United States and China
Authors: C. Shrader Jonathan , Singer Luke
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect personality has on pay satisfaction among small business managers in China and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research is in attempt to further understanding and provide application of how companies can better incentive talent through compensation and benefit programs. The goal is to extend and deepen the comprehension of how to encourage talent pools to increase intrinsic performance through compensation programs.

Findings

– The measures that were used in this study were the Big Five Personality Test and the Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Originality/value

– Similar results were found across the two countries, and having primary empirical data such as these is original.
Intelligence and job satisfaction in the USA and China
Authors: Thompson Cassandra , Lane Samuel
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to evaluate both intelligence and job satisfaction of workers in the USA and China. Each topic will be studied individually, first, to determine the relationship between intelligence and job satisfaction. The statistics between China and the USA will then be compared and contrasted to assess how different cultures will affect emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of those in the workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of the empirical studies on intelligence and job satisfaction was performed and used to develop a model to guide future research.

Findings

– There is a negative relationship between intelligence and job satisfaction in the USA, but no studies have been done to compare both constructs cross-culturally.

Research limitations/implications

– The proposed study can be used to gain an understanding of the relationship between intelligence and job satisfaction across different cultures.

Practical implications

– The link between job satisfaction and intelligence can be used by employers to determine information about other aspects of their business, such as turnover rates of productive employees.

Originality/value

– Although there has been some research on the relation between intelligence and job satisfaction, notably by Ganzach (1998), very little has been done across cultures.
Increasing productivity in the Big 4: a research note
Authors: Pasha Chereen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to examine the idea of increasing employee productivity and retention within the Big 4 accounting firms through the inclusion of sleeping pods to allow napping.

Design/methodology/approach

– I have reviewed multiple sources of information and data including Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development data to conclude that allowing napping within Big 4 accounting firms could increase productivity.

Findings

– As a research note suggesting future research, I am hoping that future research shall find support for the idea that there may be a relationship between being well rested and increase in performance.

Practical implications

– Higher quality of workers will increase their productivity and the company’s profits. Conservative leaders in large audit firms may reject the idea of incorporating “energy pods”. New ideas always come with push back and criticism.

Originality/value

– Big 4 firms have developed a working system that could be improved to remove the negative stigma of overworking their employees. The value this research strives to reveal is a structure that reduces turnover and increases retention after two years. “Energizing pods” have been introduced into technology and airline companies. Taking naps in a fast-paced, stressful work environment is not common, but it is a concept that should further explored for the sake of business professionals.
Barriers to lean implementation in the construction industry in China
Authors: Shang Gao , Sui Pheng Low
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to build on previous research into lean practices and the associated barriers reported in various contexts to empirically address the question of what possible barriers exist to hinder the implementation of lean practices in the construction industry in China. Despite the potential that lean practices have to improve quality and productivity while reducing costs, successful stories of lean deployment are not frequently heard of.

Design/methodology/approach

– A large-scale survey of Chinese building professionals is used to identify these barriers.

Findings

– The results suggest that the most crucial barriers to implementation of lean practices, as perceived by Chinese building professionals, include “their lack of a long-term philosophy”, “the absence of a lean culture in their organizations”, “the use of multi-layer subcontracting” and others. This study also reports the findings using a factor analysis that shows the six underlying factors hindering the implementation of lean practices in the Chinese construction industry, namely, people and partner issues, managerial and organizational issues, lack of support issues, culture and philosophy issues, government issues and procurement issues.

Originality/value

– This study offers a thorough overview of the barriers to implementing lean practices in various contexts, with a focus on construction. This study also contributes to the knowledge by recommending the measures that can be taken to appropriately overcome the barriers identified.
Behavioral patterns in born-again global firms
Authors: Schueffel Patrick , Baldegger Rico , Amann Wolfgang
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that influence so-called born-again global firms’ internationalization behavior. Specifically, this article explores the following questions: why do mature, domestically focused firms suddenly turn into born-again global firms, how do they do so and what elements are needed for born-again global firms to be sustainable.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an established international entrepreneurship model as a starting point, we extract relevant factors for a conceptual framework on born-again global firms’ internationalization activities. Case study research among a cross-sectional sample of born-again global firms is being applied for that purpose.

Findings

– Driven by the insufficient size of their domestic market, born-again global firms typically embark on internationalization after a generational change at the chief executive officer level. Throughout their internationalization journey, they flexibly adapt toward new needs of their foreign environments. Due to their idiosyncratic characteristics, born-again global firms deserve consideration as a separate group of research objects in the field of international entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications

– The investigated sample of case study firms was drawn across a variety of industries. As such, industry-specific conditions could not be observed and the findings from case study research run the risks of being generalized too broadly. In addition, the accuracy of the case study results may suffer from a certain degree of hindsight bias as the internationalization event took place in the past.

Practical implications

– Openness to learning from other markets and the flexibility to modify products according to client needs strengthen born-again global firms’ competitiveness. To endure, born-again global firms have to be innovative in adapting to changes, which makes it easier for them to launch their products in new markets.

Originality/value

– To date, international entrepreneurship has focused on the activities of small and newly established firms, largely neglecting the behavior of somewhat larger and established firms in traditional sectors. This study shows that established companies can exhibit the same innovative, proactive and risk-seeking behavior across borders as new ventures do. Despite their strongly rooted structures, strategies and cultures, born-again globals can flexibly adapt to new environments.
Policy effectiveness and “misalignment” with firms’ strategies
Authors: Torres Miguel M. , Clegg L. Jeremy
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to seek to demonstrate that a non-scientific approach to policy design causes policymakers to persist in the development and use of conventional and inefficient “top-down” policies. This paper takes the case of the design of official pro-internationalization policy, intended to promote internationalization through outward investment, to reveal inadequacies and inefficiencies in policy design. Through an analysis of the merits of introducing a “bottom-up” approach, it also aims to show how policy redesign would better yield the desired specific and effective impacts sought by policymakers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A framework was developed, comprising a set of real policy measures, two indexes to quantify the alignment between government policies and firms’ strategies and a regression model to test the impact of the misalignment on firm performance. This framework uses primary empirical data.

Findings

– The results are obtained through an item-by-item comparison between use and revealed, or perceived, importance of each type of public support and then, through the indexes, which rank the different types of incentives according to their importance and use. Analysis of these suggests that some measures could be more efficient, and that firms with higher levels of foreign market commitment tend to be more aligned with public policy, and benefit from it most, while those firms with a lower degree of internationalization are the least well served by policy support measures.

Originality/value

– These results identify systematic weaknesses in policy design and point to the reasons for these weaknesses. The findings suggest that governments tend to craft “top-down” policy, based on high-level presumptions about the nature of all firms’ strategies towards internationalization and international expansion. We propose that these presumptions result from flawed evaluations of policy effectiveness overly influenced by existing foreign investors, to the detriment of the true and intended strategies of the actual target group of the least internationalized firms. It is concluded that to improve both the efficiency and the effectiveness of policy actions, the traditional “top-down” intervention paradigm of policy-making should be complemented by policy designed from the “bottom-up”, making use of reliable information about all firms’ strategies, and taking care to better identify natural target groups of firms according to their existing or potential resources and capabilities.
Developing international leadership talent and stimulating significant culture change
Authors: Montague Fran , van der Lee Willem , Masson Lindsey
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

– This paper examines the growth in international sport marketing, considers factors such as globalisation which have fuelled the process, looks at practical implications and provides research avenues for future exploration.

Practical implications

– The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organisations.

Originality/value

– The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Ionizing irradiation inhibits keloid fibroblast cell proliferation and induces premature cellular senescence
Authors: Ji Jiang , Tian Ye , Zhu Ya‐qun , Zhang Li‐yuan , Ji Sheng‐jun , Huan Jian , Zhou Xiao‐zhong , Cao Jian‐ping
Published: November 2014

Keloids are one of the common refractory conditions in dermatology and aesthetic plastic surgery. The most effective treatment is superficial radiotherapy followed by surgical removal. The rate of recurrence is strongly associated with the total dose of ionizing irradiation, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used primary keloid fibroblasts (KFb) isolated from patient samples to investigate the effects of X‐ray radiation on cell proliferation, cell toxicity and cell cycle, as detected by CCK‐8 assay kit and flow cytometer. In addition, we examined senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity and the associated gene expression using real‐time polymerase chain reaction and western blot in KFb exposed to X‐ray radiation. X‐ray radiation inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell senescence in KFb in a dose‐dependent manner. Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of cellular senescence were mediated by interruption of the cell cycle with an extended G0/G1 phase. Furthermore, the expressions of senescence‐associated genes p21, p16 and p27 were upregulated both at mRNA and protein levels in KFb exposed to X‐ray radiation. Taken together, our data indicate that X‐ray radiation may prevent the recurrence of keloids by controlling fibroblast proliferation, arresting the cell cycle and inducing premature cellular senescence.
Tree colonization by the Asian longhorn beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): effect of habitat and tree suitability
Authors: Faccoli Massimo , Favaro Riccardo , Concheri Giuseppe , Squartini Andrea , Battisti Andrea
Published: November 2014

Tree colonization and feeding activity of the invasive wood‐borer Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis), an Asian pest introduced into North America and Europe, was studied in a newly invaded area in Italy. The hypothesis being tested was that the reproductive success of the insect depend on habitat type and tree suitability. Adult beetles were caged on branches of host and nonhost species, in both urban and forest habitats. Two months later, number and size of feeding patches on plant tissues, eggs laid, and surviving larvae were assessed. Bark concentration of C and N was also measured from the same trees. Results indicated that the mean area of plant tissues consumed by adult feeding was significantly larger on trees growing in forest than in urban habitat, although within the same habitat there were no differences between susceptible and nonsusceptible trees. ALB tree colonization, in terms of number of eggs laid and young larvae survival, was not affected by habitat while it was higher on susceptible trees. Although trees growing in forests had a lower nitrogen concentration, they allowed colonization rates similar to those of trees growing in the urban habitat. Hence, the amount of carbon and nitrogen did not fully explain tree suitability or habitat selection. We suggest compensatory feeding as a potential mechanism that might explain this peculiar situation, as supported by a more intensive feeding activity recorded on trees in the forest. Suitability of different trees may be due to other factors, such as secondary chemical compounds.
Use of fine‐needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of parotid neoplasms
Authors: Henrys Courtenay E. , Grigg Roger
Published: November 2014

Background

This study aimed to assess the accuracy of fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in diagnosing parotid lesions, differentiating non‐neoplastic lesions from neoplastic lesions and identifying benign and malignant lesions.

Method

Retrospective data were collected from a single‐surgeon practice in Toowoomba, a regional centre of Queensland. The FNAC results of 97 parotidectomy patients from 2006 to 2013 were compared with final histopathologic diagnosis, and statistical analysis of these results was carried out.

Results

The study found that FNAC could reliably differentiate between neoplastic and non‐neoplastic lesions with a sensitivity and specificity of 95.4 and 100%. FNAC was less accurate in diagnosing malignancy, with sensitivity only 75% and specificity 97.5%. In the setting of squamous cell carcinoma, the most common malignancy identified, FNAC demonstrated even lower sensitivity of 58.8%.

Conclusion

FNAC is a useful tool in the evaluation of parotid masses but should be used with caution in identifying neoplastic subtypes.
DO POLICY MEASURES IMPACT THE POSITION AND PERFORMANCE OF FARMERS' COOPERATIVES IN THE EU?
Authors: BRUSSELAERS Jan , POPPE Krijn , AZCARATE Tomas Garcia
Published: November 2014

The European Commission wants to create a favourable policy environment for supporting the establishment and development of farmers’ cooperatives and other producer organizations. This paper – for the first time – presents the results of an effectiveness measurement of the existing support measures for farmers’ cooperatives throughout the EU (in eight agricultural sectors). More in particular, it is investigated whether the cooperatives market share is positively or negatively influenced by policy measures. The study identifies general trends, strengths, and weaknesses among the policy measures applied in the EU and the cooperatives’ performance.
POST‐SOCIALIST FARMERS’ COOPERATIVES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Authors: HAGEDORN Konrad
Published: November 2014

The emergence, transformation and sustainability of farmers’ cooperatives in post‐socialist societies of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) require complex and diverse processes of institutional change. In this paper we discuss the conditions under which cooperatives develop and sustain and also the role of local and central actors using a case study approach. Since cooperatives in the socialist system provided numerous social services and contributed to rural development, another research question concerns the survival of this tradition. Through twin case studies in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and East Germany we present the conditions and strategies for achieving sustainability of co‐operatives. The results reveal important requirements for cooperatives to be sustainable: overcoming the communist legacy of mistrust against cooperative organizations, convincing members by building trust, coping with fundamental collective action problems, constructive communication that takes the problems and ideas of members seriously, finding cooperative leaders able to cope with members’ opportunism and a facilitating state encouraging the development of cooperatives.
Motivations for Punishing Someone Who Violates HIV Nondisclosure Laws: Basic Research and Policy Implications
Authors: Woody Alex , Braitman Abby L. , Derlega Valerian J. , Winstead Barbara A. , Neilson Brittany
Published: November 2014

Many U.S. states have HIV nondisclosure laws that require HIV‐positive persons to disclose their HIV status to new sexual partners. Mandating HIV disclosure before sexual activity occurs is intended to deter unsafe sexual behavior and to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. HIV nondisclosure laws are also intended to punish HIV‐positive persons who violate these laws. Vignettes were used to examine if participants are motivated to punish someone who violates these HIV nondisclosure laws. In three studies, we found that retribution but not general deterrence was used to recommend punishment, especially when HIV nondisclosure was associated with harm being done to sexual partners. We also found that preventing the law violator from reoffending played a role in recommending punishment, especially if the law violation was associated with considerable harm. On the other hand, the expression of an apology to sexual partners was associated with less severe punishment, based on the assessment that there was a relatively low risk of the HIV law violator repeating this crime and, therefore, lower importance for removing him from society. The findings suggest that persuading the general public and legislators to end the criminalization of HIV nondisclosure will be an uphill battle.
Survey of the therapeutic approach and efficacy of pentosan polysulfate for the prevention and treatment of equine osteoarthritis in veterinary practice inAustralia
Authors: Kramer CM , Tsang AS , Koenig T , Jeffcott LB , Dart CM , Dart AJ
Published: November 2014

Objective

To survey veterinary practitioners inAustralia on how they administer pentosan polysulfate (PPS) to horses and their perceptions of the efficacy ofPPSfor: the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), the treatment ofOAwhenPPSis combined with other drugs, and the efficacy ofPPScompared with other disease‐modifying osteoarthritic drugs.

Design

Practitioners were contacted by email, which contained a link to an online survey.

Results

A total of 76 responses (34.5%) to the survey were received. Respondents most commonly usedPPSas prophylactic therapy prior to competition (80.3%). As a prophylactic agent,PPSwas considered by 48.2% of respondents to have high efficacy. The most common dose regimen for prevention and treatment ofOAwas 3 mg/kg, intramuscularly, once weekly for 4 weeks followed by monthly injections. Most respondents (78%) combinedPPSwith other drugs for treatment ofOA. Intra‐articular corticosteroids and hyaluronate (HA) was the most common drug combination used withPPS.PPSwas preferred as a prophylactic agent when compared withHA(88.7% vs 11.3%). For treatingOA, 83% of respondents considered a combination ofPPS,HAand glucosamine to be more efficacious thanPPSalone. However, the most common reason not to use this combination was cost (79.1%).

Conclusion

All respondents usedPPSfor prophylaxis and/or treatment ofOAdespite limited published scientific evidence proving its efficacy in horses. Further research is necessary to provide evidence of the clinical efficacy ofPPSfor the prevention and treatment ofOAin horses.
Effect of an immunomodulatory feed additive on markers of immunity in pasture‐fed dairy cows
Authors: Playford MC , Dawson K , Playford SE , Smith AN , Page SW , Collins K , Forsberg N
Published: November 2014

Background

Infectious diseases in dairy cows often follow a time of nutritional or physiological stress and the subsequent altered immune system function. This study aimed to determine if the immunomodulatory effects of a feed additive previously observed in experimental animals and housed cattle fed total mixed rations could be reproduced in pasture‐fed dairy cattle under Australian conditions.

Methods

The study included 34 pasture‐fed dairy cattle given the treatment (n = 17) or placebo (bentonite, n = 17) for an acclimation period of 15 days followed by 60 days of supplementation. Blood tests were taken pre‐trial and then 30, 60 and 90 days after acclimation. Blood samples were extracted and preserved in Trizol and analysed for immune markers.

Results

Pasture‐fed dairy cows in the treatment group had significantly higher levels of the immune markers interleukin‐8R and L‐selectin in comparison with placebo‐fed cows at 60 days after the start of supplementation.

Conclusion

The immunomodulatory effects of the additive observed in the current study and the associated enhanced neutrophil function demonstrated by other studies suggest a role in decreasing the rates of mastitis and other infectious diseases of dairy cattle, particularly during times of nutritional or physiological stress.
The association between waiting for psychological therapy and therapy outcomes as measured by the CORE‐OM
Authors: Beck Alison , Burdett Mark , Lewis Helen
Published: November 2014

Objectives

To investigate the impact of waiting for psychological therapy on client well‐being as measured by the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation‐Outcome Measure (CORE‐OM) global distress (GD) score.

Method

Global distress scores were retrieved for all clients referred for psychological therapy in a secondary care mental health service between November 2006 and May 2013 and who had completed a CORE‐OM at assessment and first session. GD scores for a subgroup of 103 clients who had completed a CORE‐OM during the last therapy session were also reviewed.

Results

The study sample experienced a median wait of 41.14 weeks between assessment and first session. The relationship between wait time from referral acceptance to assessment, and assessment GD score was not significant. During the period between assessment and first session no significant difference in GD score was observed. Nevertheless 29.1% of the sample experienced reliable change; 16.0% of clients reliably improved and 13.1% reliably deteriorated whilst waiting for therapy. Demographic factors were not found to have a significant effect on the change in GD score between assessment and first session. Waiting time was associated with post‐therapy outcomes but not to a degree which was meaningful. The majority of individuals (54.4%), regardless of whether they improved or deteriorated whilst waiting for therapy, showed reliable improvement at end of therapy as measured by the CORE‐OM.

Conclusion

The majority of GD scores remained stable while waiting for therapy; however, 29.1% of secondary care clients experienced either reliable improvement or deterioration. Irrespective of whether they improved, deteriorated or remained unchanged whilst waiting for therapy, most individuals who had a complete end of therapy assessment showed reliable improvements following therapy.

Practitioner points

There was no significant difference in GD score between assessment and first session recordings.

A proportion of clients (29.1%) showed reliable change, either improvement or deterioration, as measured by the GD score while waiting for therapy.

Of the individuals with last session CORE‐OMs (54.4%) showed significant improvement following therapy regardless of whether or not they experienced change while waiting for therapy.

Limitations include

Problems of data quality, the data were from a routine data set and data were lost at each stage of the analysis.

A focus on the CORE‐OM limits exploration of the subjective experience of waiting for psychotherapy and the impact this has on psychological well‐being.
Developmental co‐ordination disorder in socially disadvantaged Brazilian children
Authors: Valentini N. C. , Clark J. E. , Whitall J.
Published: November 2014

Background

The consequences of developmental co‐ordination disorder (DCD) indicate a need for identification in order to provide adequate intervention. The goals of the study were to investigate DCD prevalence across age bands, gender, race and school performance; the motor difficulties of children with DCD, at‐risk and typically developing children in the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) sub‐tests across age bands and gender; and the relationship between motor outcomes, age, gender and socio‐economic status (SES) in socially disadvantaged Brazilian children.

Methods

The MABC was administered to 1056 Brazilian children from 4 to 10 years old.

Results

Eighteen per cent of the children were screened as probable DCD (≤5th percentile) and a further 15% as at risk for DCD (>5th and ≤15th percentile). Significantly more children were screened with probable DCD at age 9–10 years (AB3: P = 0.00), whereas at risk classification was equally distributed across age bands (P = 0.12). Boys showed lower prevalence than girls of probable DCD and at risk for DCD (P = 0.04). Children (9–10 years) showed higher motor impairment in the manual dexterity test results. Children with probable DCD and at risk of DCD showed, in general, poor performance in balance and manual dexterity tasks. SES was the strongest predictor of motor outcomes, accounting for 21% of the variance in the MABC percentile scores.

Conclusions

The prevalence of probable and at‐risk DCD cases as well as the percentage of female were higher than those found in the previous studies, and low SES enhances the risk of poor motor development.
Accurate Computation of Single Scattering in Participating Media with Refractive Boundaries
Authors: Holzschuch N.
Published: November 2014

Volume caustics are high‐frequency effects appearing in participating media with low opacity, when refractive interfaces are focusing the light rays. Refractions make them hard to compute, since screen locality does not correlate with spatial locality in the medium. In this paper, we give a new method for accurate computation of single scattering effects in a participating media enclosed by refractive interfaces. Our algorithm is based on the observation that although radiance along each camera ray is irregular, contributions from individual triangles are smooth. Our method gives more accurate results than existing methods, faster. It uses minimal information and requires no pre‐computation or additional data structures.
zTrust: Adaptive Decentralized Trust Model for Quality of Service Selection in Electronic Marketplaces
Authors: Noorian Zeinab , Marsh Stephen , Fleming Michael
Published: November 2014

We present an adaptive decentralized trust formalization well suited for electronic commerce. Our model, called zTrust, constitutes two essential elements. The first is the adviser modeling mechanism that enables consumer agents to merge the cognitive and the probabilistic views of trust and adaptively calculate the trustworthiness of advisers according to environmental conditions, information availability, and participants' behavioral dispositions. Using this mechanism, consumers are able to form their social network consisting of the most reliable advisers. The second element is a trust‐oriented service selection framework that models the qualification and trustworthiness of providers in delivering the multiattribute products and adopts a procurement auction model to choose the most pertinent provider that meets a consumer's quality of service requirements.

We give a formal description of our approach and validate it with simulations demonstrating that our solution yields high‐quality results under various realistic conditions. Experimental results indicate that the zTrust model can be effectively employed in dynamic agent‐oriented e‐commerce applications.
Second‐look endoscopy after endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric neoplasms
Authors: Nishizawa Toshihiro , Suzuki Hidekazu , Kinoshita Satoshi , Goto Osamu , Kanai Takanori , Yahagi Naohisa
Published: November 2014

Routine second‐look endoscopy after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy of second‐look endoscopy for gastric ESD. PubMed, the Cochrane library, and the Igaku‐chuo‐zasshi database were searched in order to identify randomized trials eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. Data were combined to calculate a pooled odds ratio (OR) for developing post‐ESD bleeding. The database search yielded three randomized trials (854 patients). Compared with second‐look endoscopy, the pooled OR for post‐ESD bleeding without second‐look endoscopy was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38–1.26, P = 0.228), without significant heterogeneity. There were no significant differences between second‐look endoscopy and no second‐look endoscopy with regard to large tumor size (>20 mm). This systematic review and meta‐analysis showed that second‐look endoscopy had no advantage for the prevention of post‐ESD bleeding in patients without a high risk of bleeding.
Initial combination therapy with metformin, pioglitazone and exenatide is more effective than sequential add‐on therapy in subjects with new‐onset diabetes. Results from the Efficacy and Durability of Initial Combination Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes (EDICT): a randomized trial
Authors: Abdul‐Ghani M. A. , Puckett C. , Triplitt C. , Maggs D. , Adams J. , Cersosimo E. , DeFronzo R. A
Published: November 2014

Aim

To test our hypothesis that initiating therapy with a combination of agents known to improve insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity in subjects with new‐onset diabetes would produce greater, more durable reduction in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, while avoiding hypoglycaemia and weight gain, compared with sequential addition of agents that lower plasma glucose but do not correct established pathophysiological abnormalities.

Methods

Drug‐naïve, recently diagnosed subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were randomized in an open‐fashion design in a single‐centre study to metformin/pioglitazone/exenatide (triple therapy; n = 106) or an escalating dose of metformin followed by sequential addition of sulfonylurea and glargine insulin (conventional therapy; n = 115) to maintain HbA1c levels at <6.5% for 2 years.

Results

Participants receiving triple therapy experienced a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c level than those receiving conventional therapy (5.95 vs. 6.50%; p < 0.001). Despite lower HbA1c values, participants receiving triple therapy experienced a 7.5‐fold lower rate of hypoglycaemia compared with participants receiving conventional therapy. Participants receiving triple therapy experienced a mean weight loss of 1.2 kg versus a mean weight gain of 4.1 kg (p < 0.01) in those receiving conventional therapy.

Conclusion

The results of this exploratory study show that combination therapy with metformin/pioglitazone/exenatide in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM is more effective and results in fewer hypoglycaemic events than sequential add‐on therapy with metformin, sulfonylurea and then basal insulin.
Searching for the fundamental niche using individual‐based habitat selection modelling across populations
Authors: Panzacchi Manuela , Van Moorter Bram , Strand Olav , Loe Leif Egil , Reimers Egil
Published: November 2014

Strictly speaking, fundamental niches are inestimable. Nevertheless, ecologists attempt approximating them to understand species’ distribution and plasticity to environmental changes, with invaluable repercussions on both theoretical and applied ecology. So far, individual‐based habitat selection models only characterized realized niches of populations delimited by physical (e.g. fences), historical (colonization) and biotic (competition) barriers constraining access to a subset of resources available to the species. As populations with different realized niches share the same fundamental niche, we developed a novel framework to scale‐up response curves from population‐scale habitat selection models to approximate the species’ optimal habitat choices, unbiased by barriers constraining accessibility. We used GPS‐locations from 147 wild mountain reindeer Rangifer t. tarandus, belonging to 7 of the remaining populations scattered throughout the subspecies’ range. We linked individual choices to accessible habitat features using conditional‐logistic regression with log‐link function in a use‐available design. Focal variables were modeled using 2nd degree polynomials on log‐scale, which correspond to a Gaussian curve used to approximate the fundamental niche optimum (curve mean) and breadth (variance). Using both real and simulated data we demonstrate that robust approximations of a fundamental niche optimum and breadth can be estimated using a relatively small number of representative populations with relatively few individuals. While each classical realized niche model had strong predictive power for the focal population but poorly predicted across populations, the approximation of the fundamental niche allowed for robust inter‐population comparisons in habitat quality. The proposed approach brings individual‐based habitat selection models forward along the continuum from investigating the realized niche of a population towards investigating a species’ fundamental niche, and allows us to quantify empirically the relationship between realized and fundamental niches. This allows improving the understanding of differences in fitness among populations, the prediction of species’ distributions and plasticity to environmental changes, and suggestions for mitigation priorities.
Epidemiology and outcomes of dental trauma cases from an urban pediatric emergency department
Authors: Ritwik Priyanshi , Massey Christen , Hagan Joseph
Published: November 2014

Aim

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the outcomes of traumatized teeth treated in a pediatric emergency department.

Methods and materials

The records of pediatric patients presenting to the pediatric emergency department of a pediatric hospital over a 56‐month period were reviewed and pertinent data were extracted. Treatment outcomes and contributing factors were analyzed for cases with greater than 6 months of follow up.

Results

A total of 264 patient records (548 traumatized teeth) were investigated. The mean age of the children was 8.2 years and 62% were boys. The most common ages for dental trauma were between 2–4 years and 8–10 years. Permanent dentition comprised 53% of the traumatized teeth. Extrusive and lateral luxations (29.5%) were the most common injuries encountered. Two hundred and thirty seven teeth (43%) presented for follow‐up visits, and the mean duration of follow up was 55.6 days. The number of cases with more than 6 months of follow up decreased to 122 (22%). Of these, 31 (6%) teeth were extracted at the time of injury. Outcomes were ascertained for the remaining 91 (17%) teeth. Emergency dental treatment led to uncomplicated retention of teeth beyond 6 months in 58% of these cases. Luxation injuries had a higher success rate than avulsions (P = 0.046).

Conclusions

After receiving emergency dental care in the emergency department, 43% of the teeth presented for follow‐up dental care and only 22% were followed up for greater than 6 months. Emergency department treatment translated to successful retention of teeth in 58% of the cases with documented follow up. Severe periodontal injuries resulted in treatment complications.
Energy (in)security: world‐making in an age of scarcity
Authors: Bridge Gavin
Published: November 2014

‘Energy security’ has quickly assumed a significant place in the lexicon of policy. Like other handy couplets for characterising socio‐natural relations (such as carrying capacity and resource scarcity), energy security is a powerful framing device: it constructs worlds, normalises certain practices of resource use, and establishes grounds for intervention. In this paper, I explore some of the different ways in which energy (in)security is now being used, and reflect on the political work it currently performs. I highlight the historical conditions under which energy and security have become combined, the close association of energy security with crude oil imports, and the imprint that oil has left on the concept. Although geography has tended to interpret practices of security through either a territorial or biopolitical perspective, in this paper I consider how energy's securitisation proceeds through a set of imaginative and calculative practices (referred to here as ‘geo‐metrics’). I use the language of ‘world‐making’ to draw attention to the techno‐political practices associated with securitising energy, and their capacity for constituting political ecological relations. I illustrate this with reference to a growing body of knowledge and expertise in the calculation and design of energy security indicators.
Area studies, geography and the study of Europe's East
Authors: Klinke Ian
Published: November 2014

Recent calls for regional expertise in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution have once again exposed the dependence of area studies on claims to geopolitical relevance. Whilst reinforced by the research impact agenda, this reflex is inherent in the very practice of naming and making areas. Attempts to transcend this conscription to geopolitics would contribute to the delegitimisation of the very areas on which an interdisciplinary area study depends, and herald the latter's gradual dissolution into the disciplines. Drawing on a discussion of current trends in Anglophone East European Studies, this commentary reflects on the broader relationship between human geography and area studies.
Investigations of the efficacy of diphenylcyclopropenone immunotherapy for the treatment of warts
Authors: Suh Dong‐Woo , Lew Bark‐Lynn , Sim Woo‐Young
Published: November 2014

Background

Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) immunotherapy has been used to treat warts, particularly in patients, such as children, who cannot endure treatment‐related pain and in patients with large numbers of warts. However, the efficacy of DPCP immunotherapy remains subject to much controversy. Specifically, cure rates and treatment durations have varied across reports, primarily because of the lack of large‐scale studies.

Methods

We performed an uncontrolled, open‐label study to investigate the efficacy of DPCP immunotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous warts. A total of 170 patients with warts were enrolled in this uncontrolled, open‐label study from 2006 to 2012. Each patient was sensitized with 0.1% DPCP. Two weeks after sensitization, DPCP was applied to warts once per week.

Results

We achieved high clearance rates in 141 of 170 patients (82.9%) and 434 of 511 lesions (84.9%). Immunotherapy with DPCP was much more effective when the lesions were located on the hands and when the patient was aged < 20 years. The mean ± standard deviation number of applications was 9.02 ± 2.59. At the end of treatment, the most common final concentration was 0.1%, and most (77.0%) patients used a final concentration of > 0.005%. Side effects occurred in 36 patients, but no serious adverse effects occurred, and blistering at the sensitized site was the most common adverse effect.

Conclusions

Immunotherapy with DPCP is an effective and well‐tolerated option for the treatment of recalcitrant warts.
A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF URINARY PROTEINS IN EARLY INFANCY
Authors: KARLSSON F. ANDERS , HARDELL LARS‐IVAR , HELLSING KRISTOFFER
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Karlsson, F. A., Hardell, L.‐I., and Hellsing, K. (Departments of Clinical Research, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden). A prospective study of urinary proteins in early infancy. Acta Paediatr Scand, 68: 663, 1979.—Urinary concentrations of protein, albumin, β2‐microglobulin, α‐amino nitrogen, and creatinine were determined in forty‐one full‐term infants on seven occasions up to six months of age. Except for β2‐microglobulin the concentrations were highest on the first day, followed by a rapid decrease to a constant level within two weeks. Protein diminished approximately seven‐fold, albumin twenty‐fold, α‐amino nitrogen three‐fold and creatinine five‐fold. By contrast, β2‐microglobulin, a low molecular weight protein, first increased three‐fold between day 1 and day 5, thereafter decreasing slowly 17‐fold during the first three months of age. The data indicate that different kidney functions mature asynchronously.
THE NUMBER OF POLYMORPHONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES IN RELATION TO GESTATIONAL AGE IN THE NEWBORN
Authors: COULOMBEL L. , DEHAN M. , TCHERNIA G. , HILL C. , VIAL M.
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Coulombel, L., Dehan, M., Tchernia, G., Hill, C. and Vial, M. (Laboratoire Central d'Hématologie and Service de réanimation néonatale, Hǒpital Antoine Beclère, Clamart, France). The number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in relation to gestational and post natal ages in non infected distressed newborns. Acta Paediatr Scand, 68: 709, 1979.—173 distressed newborn infants without evidence of bacterial infection were investigated at 12‐hour intervals for the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes during the first 5 days of life. The results showed a significant difference in the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in relation to both gestational and post natal ages. The study stresses the necessity of taking into account these differences in interpreting neutropenia as a sign of bacterial infection in neonates.