bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resource allocation for code development in partitioned models
Authors: Atamturktur Sez , Farajpour Ismail
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Physical phenomena interact with each other in ways that one cannot be analyzed without considering the other. To account for such interactions between multiple phenomena, partitioning has become a widely implemented computational approach. Partitioned analysis involves the exchange of inputs and outputs from constituent models (partitions) via iterative coupling operations, through which the individually developed constituent models are allowed to affect each other’s inputs and outputs. Partitioning, whether multi-scale or multi-physics in nature, is a powerful technique that can yield coupled models that can predict the behavior of a system more complex than the individual constituents themselves. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Although partitioned analysis has been a key mechanism in developing more realistic predictive models over the last decade, its iterative coupling operations may lead to the propagation and accumulation of uncertainties and errors that, if unaccounted for, can severely degrade the coupled model predictions. This problem can be alleviated by reducing uncertainties and errors in individual constituent models through further code development. However, finite resources may limit code development efforts to just a portion of possible constituents, making it necessary to prioritize constituent model development for efficient use of resources. Thus, the authors propose here an approach along with its associated metric to rank constituents by tracing uncertainties and errors in coupled model predictions back to uncertainties and errors in constituent model predictions.

Findings

– The proposed approach evaluates the deficiency (relative degree of imprecision and inaccuracy), importance (relative sensitivity) and cost of further code development for each constituent model, and combines these three factors in a quantitative prioritization metric. The benefits of the proposed metric are demonstrated on a structural portal frame using an optimization-based uncertainty inference and coupling approach.

Originality/value

– This study proposes an approach and its corresponding metric to prioritize the improvement of constituents by quantifying the uncertainties, bias contributions, sensitivity analysis, and cost of the constituent models.
Reliability analysis of static liquefaction of loose sand using the random finite element method
Authors: Johari Ali , Rezvani Pour Jaber , Javadi Akbar
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Liquefaction of soils is defined as significant reduction in shear strength and stiffness due to increase in pore water pressure. This phenomenon can occur in static (monotonic) or dynamic loading patterns. However, in each pattern, the inherent variability of the soil parameters indicates that this problem is of a probabilistic nature rather than being deterministic. The purpose of this paper is to present a method, based on random finite element method, for reliability assessment of static liquefaction of saturated loose sand under monotonic loading.

Design/methodology/approach

– The random finite element analysis is used for reliability assessment of static liquefaction of saturated loose sand under monotonic loading. The soil behavior is modeled by an elasto-plastic effective stress constitutive model. Independent soil parameters including saturated unit weight, peak friction angle and initial plastic shear modulus are selected as stochastic parameters which are modeled using a truncated normal probability density function (pdf).

Findings

– The probability of liquefaction is assessed by pdf of modified pore pressure ratio at each depth. For this purpose pore pressure ratio is modified for monotonic loading of soil. It is shown that the saturated unit weight is the most effective parameter, within the selected stochastic parameters, influencing the static soil liquefaction.

Originality/value

– This research focuses on the reliability analysis of static liquefaction potential of sandy soils. Three independent soil parameters including saturated unit weight, peak friction angle and initial plastic shear modulus are considered as stochastic input parameters. A computer model, coded in MATLAB, is developed for the random finite element analysis. For modeling of the soil behavior, a specific elasto-plastic effective stress constitutive model (UBCSAND) was used.
Comparative study of SGS models for simulating the flow in a centrifugal-pump impeller using single passage
Authors: Huang Xianbei , Liu Zhuqing , Yang Wei
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to bring in and clarify the performance of the Vreman and dynamic Vreman models (VM and DVM) in simulating the internal flow of the centrifugal pump impeller.

Design/methodology/approach

– Four subgrid scale (SGS) models, including the Smagorinsky model, the dynamic Smagorinsky model, the VM and the DVM are chosen to study the performance in predicting the flow field in the centrifugal pump impeller at design load. The velocity and turbulent kinetic energy distributions are compared. Also, the temporal variation of the model coefficient of the DVM is studied.

Findings

– The results of all the four models show agreement with both the PIV and LDV data. It is clarified that the VM and the DVM are adaptive in simulating the turbulent flow in the centrifugal pump at design load, and the DVM shows even better performance in predicting the velocity distribution. Additionally, the temporal variation of the model coefficient of the DVM is about 0.01, which is the optimal value for VM in this study. It is verified that VM can perform as good as the dynamic models when an appropriate model coefficient is chosen.

Originality/value

– The applicability of the VM and the DVM in simulating the internal flow of the centrifugal pump has been proven at design load. The introducing of the two models into centrifugal pump’s simulation can provide some new ideas in constructing more adaptive SGS models for this kind of high-rotating flow.
A new bond slip model for reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Mang C , Jason L , Davenne L
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a new bond slip model for reinforced concrete structures. It consists in an interface element (3D) which represents the interface between concrete (modeled in 3D) and steel, modeled using 1D truss elements.

Design/methodology/approach

– The formulation of the interface element is presented and verified through a comparison with an analytical solution on an academic case. Finally, the model is compared with experimental results on a reinforced concrete tie.

Findings

– Contrary to the classical perfect or “no-slip” relation which supposes the same displacement between steel and concrete, the proposed model is able to reproduce both global (force-displacement curve) and local (crack openings) results.

Originality/value

– The proposed approach, applicable to large-scale computations, represents a valuable alternative to the no-slip relation hypothesis to correctly capture the crack properties of reinforced concrete structures.
The power shift: will it help? Micro privatization of power distribution business
Authors: D. Venkat Ramana
Published: September 2015

Subject area

The case deals with the financial and accounting aspects of the one of the important aspects of Power Sector Reforms in the developing countries. It captures the experiment of involving the private parties in improving the overall performance of the company.

Study level/applicability

The case can be used at postgraduate-level studies in Management, Accounting or Commerce.

Case overview

The organization in focus is a unique case where the regulator of the sector has become its manager. The shareholder with the majority stake has withdrawn from the business, but the ownership has not been transferred and the organization is now under the custody of the regulators. The organization has a very weak balance sheet, so finding a new owner is not easy, if not impossible. Purposeful inefficiency and a rent-seeking attitude at the field level forced the new chairperson of the State Regulatory Commission to take the bold step of involving the private parties to strengthen the operations of the organization with the sole purpose of improving the financials of the organization. The organization entered into a contract with more than three private companies using variations of a franchisee model. Will such shift improve the overall performance of the organization? The case will try to capture the shift and its ramifications.

Expected learning outcomes

The objective of the case is to introduce students to certain strategic decisions that organizations must take to make them financially strong and vibrant. The case requires students to critically examine the legal, financial and accounting implications of the decisions taken by the management. It provides an opportunity to undertake a detailed analysis of the financial position of the company. The case provides lessons about several complications of evaluating corporate and divisional performance. The case contains issues relating to finance, law and accounting which can all be discussed at the postgraduate level. Knowledge about the regulatory issues affecting the power sector will add further value to the analysis. In case students are not exposed to the regulatory accounting and finance, it is necessary for them to go through the suggested readings as a prelude to the case analysis. The following may be the guiding objectives for the class discussion: to critically examine the changes in the organizational ownership and management of regulated entity; to undertake analysis of the financial performance of a regulated entity; to evaluate the financial implication of micro-privatization of certain activities of a regulated entity.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Mental health nurses’ perceptions of attachment style as a construct in a medium secure hospital: a thematic analysis
Authors: Boniwell Nikki , Etheridge Leanne , Bagshaw Ruth , Sullivan Joanne , Watt Andrew
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Attachment Theory can be regarded as central to the concept of relational security. There is a paucity of research examining the coherence of this construct for ward-based staff. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Five female nurses from the acute admission and assessment ward of a UK medium secure unit acted as participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and inductive thematic analysis was applied.

Findings

– Six themes; “staff-service user relationships”, “staff diversities”, “service user backgrounds”, “variability in service users’ presentations”, “service users with personality disorder are problematic” and “nurses do not use attachment” emerged from the data. The nurses used heuristic models of attachment-related behaviour and they lacked knowledge of constructs associated with Attachment Theory.

Research limitations/implications

– Acute admissions may not be representative of all treatment contexts. Traditional models of attachment style may have only limited relevance in forensic services.

Practical implications

– Limited knowledge and confidence in the nurses regarding how Attachment Theory might apply to service users is interesting because it may limit the extent to which care, treatment and risk management might be informed by an understanding of service user representations of therapeutic relationships. Training and educational interventions for nurses that enhance understanding of personality development and attachment styles are warranted.

Originality/value

– The importance of nurses for achieving relational security is emphasised and the adequacy of their training is questioned.
Narratives of experts by experience: the impact of delivering training in partnership on the subject of personality disorder
Authors: Cooke Samantha , Daiches Anna , Hickey Emma
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– As part of an attitudinal shift surrounding personality disorder stigma, a training package termed the Knowledge and Understanding Framework (KUF) is delivered in collaboration between experts by experience (EBE) and professionals. The purpose of this paper is to explore the narratives of EBE delivering KUF; in particular the impact of this role and its varying contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

– Eight women took part in the study and a narrative analysis explored their stories.

Findings

– The analysis suggested five temporal chapters: first, life before becoming involved: “Like being in a milk bottle screaming”; second, a turning point: “It wasn’t actually me that was disordered it was the life that I’d had”; third, taking up the trainer role: “It all just […] took off”; fourth, the emergence of a professional identity: “I am no longer a service user”; and fifth, impact on self, impact on others.

Originality/value

– The use of qualitative literature is sparse within co-production research. The study therefore adds value in exploring in-depth experiences of the phenomena.
Comparing short- and long-term breastfeeding models
Authors: Diaz Meneses Gonzalo , Luri Rodríguez Ignacio
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is, as the health benefits of breastfeeding for mother and child have already been fully ascertained, to highlight the differences on why short- and long-term breastfeeding mothers adopt their respective behaviours. Based on these findings, a model for long-term breastfeeding is put forward here. The aim is to identify the specific variables and processes that create confidence during the early days in breastfeeding mothers so that social marketing campaigns can be deployed more effectively to sustain this behaviour over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– The validity and reliability of the scales used were tested using Cronbach’s alpha and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Differences in cognition, attitudes and behaviour with respect to breastfeeding between the short- and long-term breastfeeding mothers were analysed with ANOVA and multi-group structural equation modelling. An independent self-administered questionnaire was given to 311 breastfeeding mothers in 2008. The surveys were carried out at the Maternity Hospital together with five other medical centres on the island of Gran Canaria (5 per cent error and 95 per cent reliability). This can be considered to be a fair representation of trends in breastfeeding in Spain, as most births take place in similar state hospitals.

Findings

– As expected, short- and long-term breastfeeding mothers differed over the key variables. While attitudes toward, and knowledge of, breastfeeding produce the adoption of breastfeeding, long-term commitment seems to relate more to general knowledge on health and other intangibles.

Practical implications

– In light of these results, specific marketing efforts should be designed to achieve the continuation of breastfeeding. Interventions that focus on attitudes toward, and knowledge of, breastfeeding may prove ineffective.

Originality/value

– As many worldwide research projects suggest, the extremely large percentage of mothers who discontinue breastfeeding before the infant reaches six months of age represent a greater challenge than the relatively low percentage of mothers who choose not to breastfeed from the beginning. This paper focuses on long-term commitment and outlines a possible model to promote the same.
Causes and consequences of repeatability, flexibility and individual fine‐tuning of migratory timing in pike
Authors: Tibblin Petter , Forsman Anders , Borger Tobias , Larsson Per
Published: September 2015

Many organisms undertake migrations between foraging and breeding habitats and while it is assumed that reproductive timing affects fitness, little is known about the degree of individual consistency, and about the causes and consequences of individual variation in migratory timing in organisms other than birds.

Here, we report on a 6‐year mark–recapture study, including 2048 individuals, of breeding migration in anadromous pike (Esox lucius), an iteroparous top‐predatory fish that displays homing behaviour. By repeated sampling across years at a breeding site, we first quantify individual variation both within and between breeding events and then investigate phenotypic correlates and fitness consequences of arrival timing to the breeding site.

Our data demonstrate that males arrive before females, that large males arrive later than small males, that the timing of breeding migration varies among years and that individuals are consistent in their timing across years relative to other individuals in the population.

Furthermore, data on return rates indicate that arrival time is under stabilizing viability selection, and that individuals who are more flexible in their timing of arrival during the first reproductive years survive longer compared with less flexible individuals. Finally, longitudinal data demonstrate that individuals consistently fine‐tune their arrival timing across years, showing that the timing of arrival to breeding sites is influenced by experience.

These findings represent rare evidence of how between‐ and within‐individual variations in migratory timing across breeding events are correlated with phenotypic and fitness traits in an ecologically important keystone species. Our results emphasize the importance of considering variation in migratory timing both between and within individuals in studies investigating the fitness consequences of migratory behaviour and have implications for future management.
Three‐dimensional tracking of a wide‐ranging marine predator: flight heights and vulnerability to offshore wind farms
Authors: Cleasby Ian R. , Wakefield Ewan D. , Bearhop Stuart , Bodey Thomas W. , Votier Stephen C. , Hamer Keith C.
Published: September 2015

A large increase in offshore wind turbine capacity is anticipated within the next decade, raising concerns about possible adverse impacts on birds as a result of collision risk. Birds’ flight heights greatly influence this risk, yet height estimates are currently available only using methods such as radar‐ or ship‐based observations over limited areas.

Bird‐borne data‐loggers have the potential to provide improved estimates of collision risk and here, we used data from Global Position System (GPS)‐loggers and barometric pressure loggers to track the three‐dimensional movements of northern gannets rearing chicks at a large colony in south‐east Scotland (Bass Rock), located <50 km from several major wind farm developments with recent planning consent. We estimated the foraging ranges and densities of birds at sea, their flight heights during different activities and the spatial variation in height during trips. We then used these data in collision‐risk models to explore how the use of different methods to determine flight height affects the predicted risk of birds colliding with turbines.

Gannets foraged in and around planned wind farm sites. The probability of flying at collision‐risk height was low during commuting between colonies and foraging areas (median height 12 m) but was greater during periods of active foraging (median height 27 m), and we estimated that ˜1500 breeding adults from Bass Rock could be killed by collision with wind turbines at two planned sites in the Firth of Forth region each year. This is up to 12 times greater than the potential mortality predicted using other available flight‐height estimates.

Synthesis and applications. The use of conventional flight‐height estimation techniques resulted in large underestimates of the numbers of birds at risk of colliding with wind turbines. Hence, we recommend using GPS and barometric tracking to derive activity‐specific and spatially explicit flight heights and collision risks. Our predictions of potential mortality approached levels at which long‐term population viability could be threatened, highlighting a need for further data to refine estimates of collision risks and sustainable mortality thresholds. We also advocate raising the minimum permitted clearance of turbine blades at sites with high potential collision risk from 22 to 30 m above sea level.
Aquatic pollution increases use of terrestrial prey subsidies by stream fish
Authors: Kraus Johanna M. , Pomeranz Justin F. , Todd Andrew S. , Walters David M. , Schmidt Travis S. , Wanty Richard B.
Published: September 2015

Stream food webs are connected with their riparian zones through cross‐ecosystem movements of energy and nutrients. The use and impact of terrestrial subsidies on aquatic consumers is determined in part by in situ biomass of aquatic prey. Thus, stressors such as aquatic pollutants that greatly reduce aquatic secondary production could increase the need for and reliance of stream consumers on terrestrial resource subsidies.

To test this hypothesis, we surveyed stream fish, their diets and resource availability in 16 subalpine streams over a regional gradient of trace metals known to strongly impact aquatic insect communities (i.e. fish prey) in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA.

Fish increased their reliance on terrestrial insect prey as stream metals increased. Relative biomass of terrestrial insects in stomach contents of Brook and Brown Trout increased with respect to aquatic insect biomass and total stomach contents. Drifting insect biomass showed a declining trend for aquatic, but not terrestrial insects, over the metal gradient. Trout densities were unrelated to metal concentrations in streams where we found fish.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that diets of aquatic consumers can become more terrestrial as aquatic stressors that limit in situ food production increase and that these subsidies may compensate for loss of aquatic resources. This work implies an important connection between preserving aquatic–terrestrial linkages and management of fish populations in stressed watersheds. Specifically, intact riparian zones and aquatic–terrestrial linkages are likely to be important for maintaining trout production in streams with moderate metal contamination.
Identification of B‐type procyanidins in Fallopia spp. involved in biological denitrification inhibition
Authors: Bardon Clément , Piola Florence , Haichar Feth Zahar , Meiffren Guillaume , Comte Gilles , Missery Boris , Balby Manon , Poly Franck
Published: September 2015

Nitrogen (N) is considered as a main limiting factor in plant growth, and nitrogen losses through denitrification can be responsible for severe decreases in plant productivity. Recently, it was demonstrated that Fallopia spp. is responsible for biological denitrification inhibition (BDI) through the release of unknown secondary metabolites. Here, we investigate the secondary metabolites involved in the BDI of Fallopia spp. The antioxidant, protein precipitation capability of Fallopia spp. extracts was measured in relation to the aerobic respiration and denitrification of two bacteria (Gram positive and Gram negative). Proanthocyanidin concentrations were estimated. Proanthocyanidins in extracts were characterized by chromatographic analysis, purified and tested on the bacterial denitrification and aerobic respiration of two bacterial strains. The effect of commercial procyanidins on denitrification was tested on two different soil types. Denitrification and aerobic respiration inhibition were correlated with protein precipitation capacity and concentration of proanthocyanidins but not to antioxidant capacity. These proanthocyanidins were B‐type procyanidins that inhibited denitrification more than the aerobic respiration of bacteria. In addition, procyanidins also inhibited soil microbial denitrification. We demonstrate that procyanidins are involved in the BDI of Fallopia spp. Our results pave the way to a better understanding of plant–microbe interactions and highlight future applications for a more sustainable agriculture.
Genetic dissection of chlorate respiration in Pseudomonas stutzeri PDA reveals syntrophic (per)chlorate reduction
Authors: Clark Iain C. , Youngblut Matt , Jacobsen Gillian , Wetmore Kelly M. , Deutschbauer Adam , Lucas Lauren , Coates John D.
Published: September 2015

Genes important for growth of Pseudomonas stutzeri PDA on chlorate were identified using a randomly DNA bar‐coded transposon mutant library. During chlorate reduction, mutations in genes encoding the chlorate reductase clrABC, predicted molybdopterin cofactor chaperon clrD, molybdopterin biosynthesis and two genes of unknown function (clrE, clrF) had fitness defects in pooled mutant assays (Bar‐seq). Markerless in‐frame deletions confirmed that clrA, clrB and clrC were essential for chlorate reduction, while clrD, clrE and clrF had less severe growth defects. Interestingly, the key detoxification gene cld was essential for chlorate reduction in isogenic pure culture experiments, but showed only minor fitness defects in Bar‐seq experiments. We hypothesized this was enabled through chlorite dismutation by the community, as most strains in the Bar‐seq library contained an intact cld. In support of this, Δcld grew with wild‐type PDA or ΔclrA, and purified Cld also restored growth to the Δcld mutant. Expanding on this, wild‐type PDA and a Δcld mutant of the perchlorate reducer Azospira suillum PS grew on perchlorate in co‐culture, but not individually. These results demonstrate that co‐occurrence of cld and a chloroxyanion reductase within a single organism is not necessary and raises the possibility of syntrophic (per)chlorate respiration in the environment.
The Role of Socioeconomic, Demographic and Behavioural Factors in Explaining the High Rates of Obesity Among Indigenous Australians
Authors: Birch Elisa
Published: September 2015

Indigenous Australians have one of the highest rates of obesity in Australia. However, little is known about the factors that are linked to obesity for Indigenous Australians. The purpose of this paper is to enhance this understanding by examining the role of behavioural characteristics, demographics and socioeconomic status in explaining Indigenous Australians' obesity rates. This study finds that the key factors that impact on the probability of being obese relate to Indigenous Australians' wealth, engagement in physical activity and diet. The factors associated with obesity also vary for Indigenous men and women and for the Indigenous population living in remote and non‐remote communities. The results identify potential target groups for policy aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity for Indigenous Australians.
Win Some, Lose None? Support Parties at the Polls and in Political Agenda-Setting
Authors: Thesen Gunnar
Published: September 2015

Support parties play a crucial, but under-exposed, role under minority rule. They secure the government’s place in office and exercise policy influence through legislative coalitions. This article examines whether support parties are unfettered by the liabilities of policy responsibility. Incumbents struggle with the cost of ruling in elections and in day-to-day party and issue competition. Support parties, lacking the formal responsibility of office, could arguably escape the negative consequences of policy influence. Two studies illustrate this mechanism. First, I find that Scandinavian support parties that exercise policy influence through participation in budget coalitions avoid electoral losses. However, unlike opposition parties from the government bloc that do not participate in budget coalitions, support parties are unable to increase their vote share. Second, by looking more closely at one support party and analysing its agenda-setting behaviour in response to media attention, I find that support parties, unlike incumbents and like opposition parties, are able to politicise ‘winning issues’ from the news. Despite occasional trade-offs due to their proximity to power, support parties are favourably positioned in party competition.
Global Governance as State Transformation
Authors: Hameiri Shahar , Jones Lee
Published: September 2015

Many argue today that global governance is ‘in crisis’. This reflects an undue emphasis on the fate of multilateral institutions: if they are deadlocked, global governance does not appear to be progressing. This is misplaced. Today, global governance is increasingly being pursued not by erecting supranational institutions empowered to govern issue areas directly, but by transforming states’ internal governance to enact international disciplines domestically. In many policy domains, efforts are underway to reshape state institutions, laws and governance processes in accordance with global priorities, regulatory standards and action plans. However, because these moves privilege certain interests and ideologies over others, this is a heavily contested process. The politics of global governance thus occurs not just at the global level, but at the local level too. The argument in this article is illustrated using examples from maritime security and anti-money laundering governance.
The Relational Context of Radicalization: The Case of Jewish Settler Contention before and after the Gaza Pullout
Authors: Alimi Eitan Y
Published: September 2015

Why is it that social movements engaged in contention sometimes experience radicalization of member factions? This article argues that relational practices of contacts, ties, exchange of information and bargaining among the contending parties mediate the influence of violence-prone ideologies as well as impulses, incentives and motives for aggression on actual engagement in political violence. A mechanism-based comparison of two similar yet different-in-outcome episodes of Jewish settler contention demonstrates the mediating role of relational mechanisms, the combined influence of which is conceptualized and operationalized as an Infrastructure of Coordination (IOC). Despite ample environmental stimuli and widespread violence-prone ideologies present in both episodes, in the Gaza Pullout radicalization was impeded through high levels of coordination established between and within the contending parties. Conversely, in the dismantling of the Amona outpost the disintegration of the IOC propelled radicalization. Supportive evidence is provided from a multi-method research design, including in-depth interviews, content analysis and contention—repression data over a series of critical events.
State-Building, Informal Governance and Organised Crime: The Case of Somali Piracy
Authors: Shortland Anja , Varese Federico
Published: September 2015

This article argues that gangs, clans, mafias and insurgencies are, like states, forms of governance. This insight is applied to the case of Somali piracy and the article explores whether protectors of piracy were clearly distinct from pirates; and to what extent protectors coordinated their activities across the Somali coastland. It is shown that clan elders and Islamist militias facilitated piracy by protecting hijacked ships in their anchorages and resolving conflicts within and between pirate groups. Protection arrangements operated across clans, as illustrated by the free movement of hijacked ships along the coastline and the absence of re-hijacking after ransoms were paid. Piracy protection can be thought of as part of a continuum of protection arrangements that goes from mafias to legitimate states. The article concludes by highlighting the implications of the findings for the debate on state-building and organised crime.
Kelabit Voice: Philippine‐Type, Indonesian‐Type or Something a Bit Different?
Authors: Hemmings Charlotte
Published: September 2015

This paper examines a series of voice alternations in Kelabit, a Western Austronesian language of Northern Sarawak. Traditionally, Western Austronesian languages are subcategorised into ‘Philippine‐type’ and ‘Indonesian‐type’ on the basis of shared structural properties. This paper raises the question, however, of whether a two‐way typology is sufficient to represent the variation within Austronesian voice systems. This comes in light of Aldridge's () claim that Western Austronesian languages have undergone a change from ergative to accusative alignment. If this is the case, we would expect to find evidence of intermediate stages in the transition. Consequently, an independent methodology for studying voice and alignment is proposed and applied to the Kelabit voice system. Comparing voices on morphological, syntactic, semantic and discourse levels yields some interesting findings. Firstly, it suggests that the Kelabit voice‐system could represent a transition from ergative to accusative via the reanalysis of an antipassive construction as active voice. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it suggests the two‐way typology is too narrow to capture all of the distinctions in Austronesian voice systems. Thus extending such an approach to the study of Austronesian voice more generally could prove significant when addressing wider questions, such as the theory of alignment shift.
Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity: a powerful national collaboration generating data on maternal health outcomes and care
Authors: Cecatti JG , Costa ML , Haddad SM , Parpinelli MA , Souza JP , Sousa MH , Surita FG , Pinto e Silva JL , Pacagnella RC , Passini R ,   the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity study Group
Published: September 2015

Objective

To identify cases of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) during pregnancy and childbirth, their characteristics, and to test the feasibility of scaling up World Health Organization criteria for identifying women at risk of a worse outcome.

Design

Multicentre cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Twenty‐seven referral maternity hospitals from all regions of Brazil.

Population

Cases of SMM identified among 82 388 delivering women over a 1‐year period.

Methods

Prospective surveillance using the World Health Organization's criteria for potentially life‐threatening conditions (PLTC) and maternal near‐miss (MNM) identified and assessed cases with severe morbidity or death.

Main outcome measures

Indicators of maternal morbidity and mortality; sociodemographic, clinical and obstetric characteristics; gestational and perinatal outcomes; main causes of morbidity and delays in care.

Results

Among 9555 cases of SMM, there were 140 deaths and 770 cases of MNM. The main determining cause of maternal complication was hypertensive disease. Criteria for MNM conditions were more frequent as the severity of the outcome increased, all combined in over 75% of maternal deaths.

Conclusions

This study identified around 9.5% of MNM or death among all cases developing any severe maternal complication. Multicentre studies on surveillance of SMM, with organised collaboration and adequate study protocols can be successfully implemented, even in low‐income and middle‐income settings, generating important information on maternal health and care to be used to implement appropriate health policies and interventions.

Tweetable abstract

Surveillance of severe maternal morbidity was proved to be possible in a hospital network in Brazil.
Health: A Developing Concept in Nursing
Authors: Alslman Eman Tariq , Ahmad Muayyad M. , Bani Hani Manar Ali , Atiyeh Huda Mohammad
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the level of maturity of the concept of health in the nursing discipline.

Method

The four principles of Morse and colleagues were used to evaluate the level of maturity of the health concept—epistemological, logical, pragmatical, and linguistical.

Findings

This evaluation suggests that the concept of health in nursing is immature, defined inconsistently, and with different instruments.

Conclusion

Health is a central concept for nursing. Additional concept development and clarification are needed.

Practice Implications

For the concept of health to be conceptualized, it is important that nurses have consensus regarding the definition of health. The nursing discipline should define health in a manner that is consistent with its philosophical presuppositions. Further, it should be measurable, empirically based, and capture the outcomes that are sensitive to the nursing interventions.
BIDDING ON ADRENALINE
Authors: Coomber Steve
Published: September 2015

Gillian Ku talks about her work on emotionally charged decision‐making, behaviour in auctions and how adopting different perspectives changes our perceptions
FROM PROTEST TO PROFIT
Authors: Tahoun Ahmed
Published: September 2015

Research by Ahmed Tahoun reveals the changing fortunes of firms associated with Mubarak's Egypt
MANAGING COMPLEXITY
Authors: Birkinshaw Julian
Published: September 2015

At the heart of organisational complexity is the battle between emergence and entropy. Julian Birkinshaw charts the best way forward
DELIVERING IMPACT FROM DIGITAL LEARNING
Authors: Sheehan Tony
Published: September 2015

Digital learning is rich with potential, products and possibilities. Tony Sheehan explains how to maximise it
RECOMMENDED READING
Authors: Hamel Gary
Published: September 2015

Gary Hamel, Visiting Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at LBS, selects writings that have inspired him. “These books challenge us to rethink how we lead, manage and organise,” he says. “They're not all new, but they're all profound.”
WHAT'S THE HURRY?
Authors: Jolly Richard
Published: September 2015

In the past ten years, Professor Richard Jolly has found that 95 per cent of the executives he has interviewed suffer from what he calls ‘hurry sickness’
SMALL DATA
Authors: Coomber Steve
Published: September 2015

The future of business in numbers
WHAT IF THE GAME CHANGES?
Authors: Dearlove Des
Published: September 2015

Rohit Talwar on the shifts from analogue to digital thinking and from incremental improvement to exponential change
WHAT IF BUSINESS COULD SOLVE THE WORLD BIGGEST PROBLEMS?
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: September 2015

Could and should companies seek to sort out some of the world's most intractable problems? Increasingly, the answer is yes, according to speakers at a recent London Business School event
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
Authors: Wong Steve
Published: September 2015

Yasong Wang of the China Investment Corporation provides unique insights into the world of Sovereign Wealth Funds
THE CRUCIBLE OF LEADERSHIP
Authors: Marsh Hannah
Published: September 2015

Professor Randall S Peterson talks to David Pyott, former Allergan CEO, about the takeover of the global pharmaceuticals company he helped to build
Clinical Neuroscience of Addiction: Similarities and Differences Between Alcohol and Other Drugs
Authors: Karoly Hollis C. , YorkWilliams Sophie L. , Hutchison Kent E.
Published: September 2015

Background

Existing pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) have demonstrated only modest efficacy. Although the field has recently emphasized testing and developing new compounds to treat SUDs, there are numerous challenges inherent to the development of novel medications, and this is particularly true for SUDs. Thus, research to date has tended toward the “repurposing” approach, in which medications developed to treat other mental or physical conditions are tested as SUD treatments. Often, potential treatments are examined across numerous drugs of abuse. Several repurposed medications have shown promise in treating a specific SUD, but few have shown efficacy across multiple SUDs. Examining similarities and differences between AUD and other SUDs may shed light on these findings and offer directions for future research.

Methods

This qualitative review discusses similarities and differences in neural circuitry and molecular mechanism(s) across alcohol and other substances of abuse, and examines studies of pharmacotherapies for AUD and other SUDs.

Results

Substances of abuse share numerous molecular targets and involve much of the same neural circuitry, yet compounds tested because they putatively target common mechanisms have rarely indicated therapeutic promise for multiple SUDs.

Conclusions

The lack of treatment efficacy across SUDs may be partially explained by limitations inherent in studying substance users, who comprise a highly heterogeneous population. Alternatively, medications may fail to show efficacy across multiple SUDs due to the fact that the differences between drug mechanisms are more important than their commonalities in terms of influencing treatment response. We suggest that exploring these differences could support novel treatment development, aid in identifying existing medications that may hold promise as treatments for specific SUDs, and ultimately advance translational research efforts.
Should academic journals publish e‐cigarette research linked to tobacco companies?
Authors: Shaw David M. , Etter Jean‐François , Elger Bernice S.
Published: September 2015

Context

Electronic cigarettes are currently polarizing professional opinion. Some public health experts regard them as an effective smoking cessation aid and a vital means of reducing active and passive smoking, while others regard them as another attempt by the tobacco industry to create new customers and addicts. These different attitudes unsurprisingly yield different conclusions regarding both the appropriate regulation of e‐cigarettes and the ethical status of research funded by, or conducted in, cooperation with the tobacco industry.

Aim

This paper examines whether e‐cigarette research linked to the tobacco industry should be regarded as an exception to the rule that tobacco industry research is so tainted by conflicts of interest that journals should refuse to publish them, or at the very least treat them as a special case for scrutiny.

Results

Despite the fact that e‐cigarettes can be used for smoking cessation, most of the conflicts of interest that apply to other tobacco research also apply to e‐cigarette research linked to that industry.

Conclusion

Journals that currently refuse to publish findings from studies linked to tobacco companies have no reason to make an exception in the case of e‐cigarettes.
Osteopontin binds and modulates functions of eosinophil‐recruiting chemokines
Authors: Gela A. , Kasetty G. , Mörgelin M. , Bergqvist A. , Erjefält J. S. , Pease J. E. , Egesten A.
Published: September 2015

Background

Allergic asthma is characterized by eosinophilic inflammation and airway obstruction. There is also an increased risk of pulmonary infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, in particular during severe asthma where high levels of the glycoprotein, osteopontin (OPN), are present in the airways. Eosinophils can be recruited by chemokines activating the receptor CCR3 including eotaxin‐1/CCL11, eotaxin‐2/CCL24, eotaxin‐3/CCL26, RANTES/CCL5, and MEC/CCL28. In addition to inducing chemotaxis, several of these molecules have defensin‐like antibacterial properties. This study set out to elucidate the functional consequences of OPN binding to eosinophil‐recruiting chemokines.

Methods

Antibacterial activities of the chemokines were investigated using viable count assays and electron microscopy. Binding studies were performed by means of surface plasmon resonance. The potential interference of OPN with antibacterial, receptor‐activating, and lipopolysaccharide‐neutralizing abilities of these chemokines was investigated.

Results

We found that OPN bound all eosinophil‐recruiting chemokines with high affinity except for CCL5. The eosinophil‐recruiting chemokines all displayed bactericidal activity against S. pneumoniae, but only CCL26 and CCL28 retained high antibacterial activity in the presence of sodium chloride at physiologic concentrations. Preincubation of the chemokines with OPN strongly inhibited their antibacterial activity against S. pneumoniae but did not affect their ability to activate CCR3. All chemokines investigated showed LPS‐neutralizing activity that was impaired by OPN only in the case of CCL24.

Conclusions

The data suggest that OPN may impair host defense activities of the chemokines without affecting their eosinophil‐recruiting properties. This could be one mechanism explaining the increased vulnerability to acquire pneumococcal infection in parallel with sustained allergic inflammation in asthma.
Prediction of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease from Three‐Dimensional Vectorcardiographic Parameters
Authors: Pan Dianzhu , Liu Renguang , Ren Shuzhen , Li Changjun , Chang Qinghua
Published: September 2015

Aim

The objective of our study was to assess diagnostic value of three‐dimensional (3D) vectorcardiographic (VCG) parameters in detecting pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD) with and without right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH).

Methods

The study group of 62 patients with COPD was stratified on the basis of color Doppler echocardiographic findings into three subgroups: non‐PAH (n = 23), PAH without RVH (n = 22), and PAH with RVH (n = 17). Pairwise differences between the subgroups were evaluated by one‐way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the significance of the correlations between pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) and various VCG parameters.

Results

The azimuth of the QRS vector decreased from −24° in the non‐PAH group to −62° in PAH without RVH and to −140° in PAH with RVH (P < 0.01 for pairwise differences between all three groups). Similar significant decrease was observed for the azimuth of the ventricular gradient (VG) vector. Spatial QRS/T angle increased from 69° in the non‐PAH group to 115° in PAH without RVH (P < 0.01). In the PAH group with RVH, QRS/T angle was 94° (P < 0.05 for difference from the non‐PAH group). There was a significant correlation between PASP and QRS/T angle (r = 0.89, P < 0.05) and between PASP and the azimuth of the VG vector (r = 0.86, P < 0.05). PASP increase from linear regression model was 0.8 mmHg for a QRS/T angle increase by 10° and 1.3 mmHg for each 10° increase in the azimuth of the VG vector.

Conclusion

3DVCG parameters are potentially useful for predicting PASP in COLD patients, and possibly also for differentiation between COLD patients with PAH and RVH from those without RVH.
Countermovement, Neoliberal Platoon, or Re‐Gifting Depot? Understanding Decommodification in US Food Banks
Authors: Lindenbaum John
Published: September 2015

In this paper, I explore the decommodification that takes place in US food banks. I argue that food banks are neither Polanyian countermovements re‐embedding the market in society nor tiny platoons of neoliberalism that advance market relations and state withdrawal. Rather, food banks are best understood as re‐gifting depots that are part of the capital accumulation process. Recent scholarship on primitive accumulation, the disarticulations approach, and waste suggests that the devaluation of food products and the exclusion of human labor are everyday elements of capitalism. I conclude by examining the potential for progressive politics in US food banking.