bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spraying of Leaf-Colonizing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Protects Pepper from Cucumber mosaic virus
Authors: Lee Ga Hyung , Ryu Choong-Min
Published: June 2016

Beneficial plant-associated bacteria protect host plants against pathogens, including viruses. However, leaf-associated (phyllosphere) bacteria have rarely been investigated as potential triggers of plant systemic defense against plant viruses. We found that leaf-colonizing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain 5B6 (isolated from a cherry tree leaf) protected Nicotiana benthamiana and pepper plants against Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). In a field trial, treatment with strain 5B6 significantly reduced the relative contents of CMV coat protein RNA compared with the water control over a 3-year period, as revealed by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expression of Capsicum annuum pathogenesis-related (PR) genes CaPR4, CaPR5, and CaPR10 was upregulated in field-grown pepper plants treated with strain 5B6. In addition, the accumulation of two naturally occurring viruses, Broad bean wilt virus and Pepper mottle virus, was reduced by foliar treatment with strain 5B6, which is similar to the results for benzothiadiazole treatment as a positive control. Taken together, the results suggest that strain 5B6 has strong potential for protecting plants against viruses by increasing defense priming of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid signaling in pepper under field conditions. This is the first report of the protection of a plant against viral diseases by foliar application of leaf-associated bacilli.
Warmer temperatures attenuate the classic offspring number and reproductive investment trade-off in the common lizard,
Zootoca vivipara
Authors: Rutschmann Alexis , Miles Donald B. , Clobert Jean , Richard Murielle
Published: June 2016

Life-history traits involved in trade-offs are known to vary with environmental conditions. Here, we evaluate the response of the trade-off between ‘offspring number’ versus ‘energy invested per offspring’ to ambient temperature in 11 natural populations of the common lizard,
Zootoca vivipara
. We provide evidence at both the intra- and interpopulation levels that the trade-off is reduced with an increase in air temperature. If this effect enhances current individual fitness, it may lead to an accelerated pace of life in warmer environments and could ultimately increase adult mortality. In the context of global warming, our results advocate the need for more studies in natural populations to explore interactions between life-history traits' trade-offs and environmental conditions.
Ronald Charles Newman FInstP. 10 December 1931 — 30 July 2014
Authors: Joyce Bruce A.
Published: June 2016

Ronald Charles (Ron) Newman was one of the most versatile semiconductor physicists of his generation and is distinguished for his work in several different areas, most notably epitaxial growth and the behaviour of impurities and dopants in a range of device-related materials, mainly silicon and gallium arsenide. His most significant contributions came from the application of local vibrational-mode spectroscopy to studies of the segregation and diffusion of oxygen and hydrogen in silicon. The results were of fundamental importance in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
Modelling the transport of environmental DNA through a porous substrate using continuous flow-through column experiments
Authors: Shogren Arial J. , Tank Jennifer L. , Andruszkiewicz Elizabeth A. , Olds Brett , Jerde Christopher , Bolster Diogo
Published: June 2016

Detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples is a powerful tool in determining the presence of rare aquatic species. However, many open questions remain as to how biological and physical conditions in flowing waters influence eDNA. Motivated by what one might find in a stream/river benthos we conducted experiments in continuous flow columns packed with porous substrates to explore eDNA transport and ask whether substrate type and the presence of colonized biofilms plays an important role for eDNA retention. To interpret our data, and for modelling purposes, we began with the assumption that eDNA could be treated as a classical tracer. Comparing our experimental data with traditional transport models, we found that eDNA behaves anomalously, displaying characteristics of a heterogeneous, polydisperse substance with particle-like behaviour that can be filtered by the substrate. Columns were quickly flushed of suspended eDNA particles while a significant amount of particles never made it through and were retained in the column, as calculated from a mass balance. Suspended eDNA was exported through the column, regardless of biofilm colonization. Our results indicate that the variable particle size of eDNA results in stochastic retention, release and transport, which may influence the interpretation eDNA detection in biological systems.
The taming of the neural crest: a developmental perspective on the origins of morphological covariation in domesticated mammals
Authors: Sánchez-Villagra Marcelo R. , Geiger Madeleine , Schneider Richard A.
Published: June 2016

Studies on domestication are blooming, but the developmental bases for the generation of domestication traits and breed diversity remain largely unexplored. Some phenotypic patterns of human neurocristopathies are suggestive of those reported for domesticated mammals and disrupting neural crest developmental programmes have been argued to be the source of traits deemed the ‘domestication syndrome’. These character changes span multiple organ systems and morphological structures. But an in-depth examination within the phylogenetic framework of mammals including domesticated forms reveals that the distribution of such traits is not universal, with canids being the only group showing a large set of predicted features. Modularity of traits tied to phylogeny characterizes domesticated mammals: through selective breeding, individual behavioural and morphological traits can be reordered, truncated, augmented or deleted. Similarly, mammalian evolution on islands has resulted in suites of phenotypic changes like those of some domesticated forms. Many domesticated mammals can serve as valuable models for conducting comparative studies on the evolutionary developmental biology of the neural crest, given that series of their embryos are readily available and that their phylogenetic histories and genomes are well characterized.
RAFTS3: Rapid Alignment-Free Tool for Sequence Similarity Search
Authors: Vialle Ricardo Assunção , Oliveira Pedrosa Fábio de , Weiss Vinicius Almir , Guizelini Dieval , Tibaes Juliana Helena , Marchaukoski Jeroniza Nunes , de Souza Emanuel Maltempi , Raittz Roberto Tadeu
Published: June 2016

Background

Similarity search of a given protein sequence against a database is an essential task in genome analysis. Sequence alignment is the most used method to perform such analysis. Although this approach is efficient, the time required to perform searches against large databases is always a challenge. Alignment-free techniques offer alternatives to comparing sequences without the need of alignment.

Results

Here We developed RAFTS3, a fast protein similarity search tool that utilizes a filter step for candidate selection based on shared k-mers and a comparison measure using a binary matrix of co-occurrence of amino acid residues. RAFTS3performed searches many times faster than those with BLASTp against large protein databases, such as NR, Pfam or UniRef, with a small loss of sensitivity depending on the similarity degree of the sequences.

Conclusions

RAFTS3 is a new alternative for fast comparison of proteinsequences genome annotation and biological data mining. The source code and the standalone files for Windows and Linux platform are available at:https://sourceforge.net/projects/rafts3/
Water availability drives signatures of local adaptation in whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulisEnglm.) across fine spatial scales of the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA
Authors: Lind Brandon M. , Friedline Christopher J , Wegrzyn Jill L. , Maloney Patricia E. , Vogler Detlev R. , Neale David B. , Eckert Andrew J.
Published: June 2016

Patterns of local adaptation at fine spatial scales are central to understanding how evolution proceeds, and are essential to the effective management of economically and ecologically important forest tree species. Here, we employ single and multilocus analyses of genetic data (n= 116,231 SNPs) to describe signatures of fine-scale adaptation within eight whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulisEngelm.) populations across the local extent of the environmentally heterogeneous Lake Tahoe Basin, USA. We show that despite highly shared genetic variation (FST= 0.0069) there is strong evidence for adaptation to the rain shadow experienced across the eastern Sierra Nevada. Specifically, we build upon evidence from a common garden study and find that allele frequencies of loci associated with four phenotypes (mean = 236 SNPs), 18 environmental variables (mean = 99 SNPs), and those detected through genetic differentiation (n= 110 SNPs) exhibit significantly higher signals of selection (covariance of allele frequencies) than could be expected to arise, given the data. We also provide evidence that this covariance tracks environmental measures related to soil water availability through subtle allele frequency shifts across populations. Our results replicate empirical support for theoretical expectations of local adaptation for populations exhibiting strong gene flow and high selective pressures, and suggest that ongoing adaptation of manyP. albicaulispopulations within the Lake Tahoe Basin will not be constrained by the lack of genetic variation. Even so, some populations exhibit low levels of heritability for the traits presumed to be related to fitness. These instances could be used to prioritize management to maintain adaptive potential. Overall, we suggest that established practices regarding whitebark pine conservation be maintained, with the additional context of fine-scale adaptation.
Game theoretic methods in population dynamics
Authors: Liao David
Published: June 2016

Game theoretic methods are used to model the dynamics of cellular populations (tissues) in which it is necessary to account for changes in cellular phenotype (usually proliferation) resulting from cell-cell interaction. Results include prediction of long-term steady-state “equilibria” and transient dynamics. These results can be useful for predicting relapse after cytoreduction, assessing the efficacy of alternating combination therapy, and interpreting biopsy specimens obtained from spatially heterogeneous tissues. Mathematical tools range from simple systems of differential equations to computational techniques (individual-based models).
Cell Cycle Synchronization of Schizosaccharomyces pombe by Centrifugal Elutriation of Small Cells
Authors: Hagan Iain M. , Grallert Agnes , Simanis Viesturs
Published: June 2016

Division of Schizosaccharomyces pombe by medial fission produces identically sized daughter cells that grow by tip extension until their own division is prompted by reaching the same critical size for division as the parental cell. The fidelity of this size control in the absence of perturbation means that cells of the same size are at the same point in the cell cycle. Size selection of small cells from an asynchronous culture by centrifugal elutriation permits generation of synchronous cultures large enough for biochemical analysis. The changes observed in the synchronized cell cycle progression of such cultures are representative of those that accompany cell cycle progression of individual cells. Here, we describe how size selection with the Beckman Coulter JE-5.0 rotor can be used to generate synchronized cultures. Because of the continuous passage of medium through the rotor throughout the procedure, elutriation is considered to have less impact on the integrity of the cell cycle than other approaches. Two protocols are presented here: The first generates a 2-L culture ideal for detailed biochemical analysis, whereas the second allows rapid generation and simultaneous analysis of three smaller (200-mL) cultures.
Multipurpose Transposon-Insertion Libraries in Yeast
Authors: Kumar Anuj
Published: June 2016

Libraries of transposon-insertion alleles constitute powerful and versatile tools for large-scale analysis of yeast gene function. Transposon-insertion libraries are constructed most simply through mutagenesis of a plasmid-based genomic DNA library; modification of the mutagenizing transposon by incorporation of yeast selectable markers, recombination sites, and an epitope tag enables the application of insertion alleles for phenotypic screening and protein localization. In particular, yeast genomic DNA libraries have been mutagenized with modified bacterial transposons carrying the URA3 marker, lox recombination sites, and sequence encoding multiple copies of the hemagglutinin (HA) epitope. Mutagenesis with these transposons has yielded a large resource of insertion alleles affecting nearly 4000 yeast genes in total. Through well-established protocols, these insertion libraries can be introduced into the desired strain backgrounds and the resulting insertional mutants can be screened or systematically analyzed. Relative to alternative methods of UV irradiation or chemical mutagenesis, transposon-insertion alleles can be easily identified by PCR-based approaches or high-throughput sequencing. Transposon-insertion libraries also provide a cost-effective alternative to targeted deletion approaches, although, in contrast to start-codon to stop-codon deletions, insertion alleles might not represent true null-mutants. For protein-localization studies, transposon-insertion alleles can provide encoded epitope tags in-frame with internal codons; in many cases, these transposon-encoded epitope tags can provide a more accurate localization for proteins in which terminal sequences are crucial for intracellular targeting. Thus, overall, transposon-insertion libraries can be used quickly and economically and have a particular utility in screening for desired phenotypes and localization patterns in nonstandard genetic backgrounds.
Analytical study of open access health and medical repositories
Authors: Loan Fayaz Ahmad , Sheikh Shueb
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This study aims to assess open access (OA) repositories in the field of the health and medicine (H&M) available in the Directory of the Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) by analysing their various facets like geographical distribution, language diversity, collection size, content types, operational status, interoperability, updating policy and software used for content management.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives of the study, the OpenDOAR was selected as a source for identifying the H&M repositories. The required data were manually collected from 1 to 30 April 2014 and analysed using various quantitative techniques to reveal the findings.

Findings

The results reveal that the OpenDOAR lists 254 repositories in the field of the H&M contributed by the 62 countries of the world, topped by the USA (15.4 per cent), followed by Japan (7.9 per cent) and the UK (7.5 per cent). The majority of the repositories are institutional (187, 73.6 per cent) in nature, having less than 5,000 items (161, 63.4 per cent) in the collection and mostly consisting of articles (76.0 per cent), theses (49.6 per cent), unpublished documents (33.1 per cent) and books (31.9 per cent). The linguistic assessment shows that the majority of the H&M repositories accept content written in English language (71.3 per cent), followed by Spanish (16.1 per cent) and Japanese (7.5 per cent). The updating policy of these repositories is not up to the mark, as only 67.0 per cent of the H&M repositories have been updated from 2008-2012, but the majority are still operational (91.7 per cent) and are compatible (67.3 per cent) with the Open Archive Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). About 30 software brands, both commercial and open source, have been used by administrators for creating these repositories and managing their content. DSpace is the most popular software used by 88 (34.7 per cent) repositories, followed by EPrints (43, 16.9 per cent) and Digital Commons (18, 7.1 per cent).

Research limitations/implications

The scope of this study is limited to the health and medical repositories listed in OpenDOAR, and hence the generalisation is to be cautioned.

Practical implications

This study is useful for library and information professionals and health and medical professionals across the globe.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to analyse the health and medical repositories in OA sites.
Digital literacy and digital content supports learning
Authors: Al-Qallaf Charlene L. , Al-Mutairi Afaf S.R.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the impact of blogs on teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to primary students. The study also explores educators’ perceptions of social media tools and digital literacy in school environments.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-step approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. First, the blogs of 23 fifth-grade students in an EFL class in Kuwait was analysed for one semester along with student perceptions and teacher observations. Second, a survey was distributed to the students at the end of the semester, and finally, four focus groups were conducted regarding educators’ perceptions on the use of social media, their skills and needs and problems encountered.

Findings

The findings showed that by the end of the semester, students were writing lengthy sentences, had fewer spelling and grammatical mistakes, were more motivated and independent and displayed a more positive attitude towards learning EFL. In addition, educators are enthusiastic about using Web technologies in their teaching practices but have several concerns such as digital literacy competencies, technology-use behaviour and lack of accessibility to digital content.

Research limitations/implications

The number of questions on the student survey could be reduced. Also, it would be preferable in future studies to require all students to blog at least twice a week which could provide a broader representation of their writing abilities.

Originality/value

Little research has been reported in the literature on the use of blogs in teaching EFL to primary school students. Most literature focuses on teaching EFL to university students. By using a mixed-methodology approach, this study also highlights the needs of educators and students in technology learning environments and makes a good contribution towards offering pragmatic solutions.
Inverse local context analysis
Authors: Lu Wei , Yue Xinghu , Cheng Qikai , Meng Rui
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of inverse local context analysis (ILCA) to obtain data from limited accessible data sources.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental results show that the method the authors proposed can obtain all retrieved documents from the limited accessible data source using the least number of queries.

Findings

The experimental results show that the method we proposed can obtain all retrieved documents from the limited accessible data source using the least number of queries.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper provides the first attempt to gather all the retrieved documents from limited accessible data source, and the efficiency and ease of implementation of the proposed solution make it feasible for practical applications. The method the authors proposed can also benefit the construction of web corpus.
Factors influencing attainment of CEO position for women
Authors: Hurley Dene , Choudhary Amod
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to determine possible differences in causes or characteristics between men and women in attaining the CEO position in large publicly listed companies in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

T-test statistic, correlation analyses and logit model were used to determine the role individual factors (tenure in management roles, age of CEOs, number of children, years of education) and the firm-level factor (number of employees, net income) play in determining the likelihood of having a female CEO.

Findings

The research results show that years of education, the number of children and the number of employees in the business play significant roles in determining the likelihood of having a female CEO. An increase in the number of children and years spent in education lower the probability of the CEO being a woman, while having greater number of employees raises the likelihood of having a woman CEO.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are applicable to only the largest publicly traded firms in the USA and are not applicable to mid to small publicly listed, private or non-for-profit companies or institutions. This research is a starting point for future research of women and men CEOs of small and mid-size publicly traded and non-publicly traded firms in the USA.

Originality/value

Prior research has shown that having children is detrimental for women in management positions; this research specifically identifies this problem for the CEO position. It also reveals that having more of education does not translate to getting to the CEO position for women.
An exploration into the career experiences of lesbians in the UK
Authors: Fielden Sandra L. , Jepson Hannah
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of lesbians in terms of career progression and development, focusing on several areas including, discrimination in the workplace, career resources, barriers to career development and the importance of disclosing one’s sexual identity in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with 15 participants, 14 of whom had disclosed their sexuality at work. A grounded theory approach was used to conduct the analysis, and the findings suggested six core categories relating to the career experiences of the sample. These categories are: social climate; career choice; work environment; personality; being a lesbian and being a woman; and useful strategies.

Findings

The analysis highlighted several key findings, such as the importance of the relationship between gender and sexuality; the importance of working within a policy-driven environment such as the public sector; the importance of personality and the modification of behaviour as a personal resource for lesbians in the workplace. The research also highlighted the fact that discrimination still occurs at work but manifests itself in different and often more subtle ways and it was reported that, despite protective legislation, one of the greatest challenges for lesbians is working within a heterosexist and heteronormative environment.

Originality/value

There is a great deal of research dedicated to women’s career development but less on certain subgroups of women and even less on the career development of lesbians in organisations, and it is the aim of this paper to address the lack of research pertaining to the careers of lesbians in the UK.
NaviGaTor: group decision-making methodology for the design of training programs
Authors: Marentakis Charis A. , Panagos Panagiotis , Riga Afroditi
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic methodology (NaviGaTor) combining a structured method for the evolutionary design of training programs with Nominal Group Technique (NGT) setting supporting the involvement of a diverse set of participants and experts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper describes the necessity and efficiency of group decision making in the design of training programs, focussing on how participants can convey experience and knowledge and how NGT can enhance idea generation and support convergence of opinions. The methodology evolved from a paper-based format to a web-based format, thus supporting remote participation.

Findings

– The application of the methodology in a large-scale multi-national training design program confirms practical implications on the usability, efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed structured group decision-making methodology.

Research limitations/implications

– The systematic training design methodology presented herein not only enhances previous findings from the literature but also sets the foundations for future research on the importance of diversity of ideas and experiences from many experts in the design of training programs.

Practical implications

– After a series of successful applications for the design of training programs in several mid-scale intra-company projects, the methodology was applied successfully in a multi-national large-scale project focussing on the design of corporate training programs on stress management with very promising results.

Originality/value

– The proposed methodology was the first one to be applied through a systematic and structured process and constitutes a practical tool for the efficient design of training programs through an evolutionary and structured process based on idea generation from experts.
Leading innovation, creativity and enterprise
Authors: Cook Peter James
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– Less than 50 per cent of global Chief Ecology Officers believe their enterprises are adequately prepared to handle a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. The purpose of this paper is to examine how leaders encourage ideas that turn into profitable and sustainable innovations in a VUCA world, especially in what the author calls “Brain Based Enterprises” (BBEs).

Design/methodology/approach

– Through case studies, focused interviews.

Findings

– BBEs need more leadership than management and they use more collaborative approaches to business, working with colleagues, customers, even competitors in some areas to produce ingenious ideas for a sustainable world.

Originality/value

– The research from which this paper is written has matured for nearly 20 years, having written my first book on the topic in 1996. This represents tens of thousands of hours of diverse experience, working as a business practitioner across a wide range of sectors. The author has accelerated my thinking via the work as an MBA academic and mental adventurer, working on the flagship creativity, innovation and change programme. During that time, the business environment we live and work in has become more VUCA. This demands that individuals and enterprises become more ingenious to ride the turbulence that this produces, in order to be resilient and antifragile when challenged.
The effects of old-age stereotypes on organizational productivity (part three)
Authors: Appelbaum Steven H. , Wenger Richard , Buitrago Carolina Pachon , Kaur Ravneet
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine common stereotypes regarding old-age workers and the effect of these stereotypes on organizational productivity, as well as to suggest practical solutions for accommodating old-age workers and increasing productivity in all employees.

Design/methodology/approach

– This three part paper will present a thorough review of relevant literature (1991-2014, with the exception of two studies from 1976) that were conducted on the topics of old-age stereotyping, the effect of old-age stereotyping on organizational productivity, and methods for adequately motivating and managing old-age workers. Studies concerning psychology theories are also examined in order to provide a framework for practical solutions, as well as demographic statistics on population age and employment trends.

Findings

– This paper identifies a number of old-age stereotypes that have decreased organizational productivity in empirical studies, including reluctance to change, decreased learning ability, intelligence and memory, poor health and accidents, higher organizational costs, decreased motivation, and low innovation and productivity. Findings also suggest that old-age workers can positively affect productivity, and that low productivity is often a result of stereotyping.

Research limitations/implications

– The prevalence of old-age stereotyping and its impact on organizational productivity may differ by culture, industry, type of employment, education level, and other factors, and thus further research may be necessary. The literature reviewed may not adequately represent worldwide organizational trends, as the literature is largely comprised of studies performed in North America and Europe.

Practical implications

– Solutions based on these findings are taken directly from the literature or derived from literature on psychology theories, which include self-determination theory, socio-emotional selectivity theory, and selective optimization and compensation theory. The practical solutions proposed address work environment, motivation, rewards, flexibility, and the loss and gain of resources in old-age workers.

Social implications

– The proportion of old-age workers is increasing and it is therefore necessary to determine ways to adequately integrate old-age workers in the workforce. Furthermore, this can raise productivity in all employees.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates that old-age stereotyping is both prevalent and detrimental within an organizational context. These findings and solutions can potentially be used by organizations in order to increase individual and overall productivity.
The decline of managerial capitalism and visionary leadership literature
Authors: Styhre Alexander
Published: June 2016

Purpose

In the recent literature on financialization and the rise of investor capitalism, the successor of managerial capitalism, which dominated until the 1970s, suggests that the firm is today enacted as a bundle of financial assets managed to create value for the shareholders. This paper aims to demonstrate how such views are established relatively recently by examining leadership literature published in the 1970s, representing an entirely different view of leadership work, the role of the firm and capital–labour relations.

Design/methodology/approach

Two books and one Harvard Business Review article published by the Volvo CEO Pehr G. Gyllenhammar, one of the most prominent Swedish industry leaders of the past century and one of the architects behind Volvo’s internationally renowned Kalmar and Uddevalla plants in Sweden, are examined. Based on a critical discourse analysis framework, these two volumes are treated as representatives of what Alfred Chandler speaks of as the regime managerial capitalism, today largely displaced by the regime of investor capitalism.

Findings

Gyllenhammar’s discourses stresses the role of the corporations as serving a wider social community than merely the shareholders, and regard the manufacturing industry as the legitimate site for the development of new production systems better suited to a more educated workforce demanding more qualified work assignments and greater autonomy. This argument, in favour of a view of the corporation as being socially embedded and responsive to wider social needs, can be contrasted against the contemporary view of leadership and corporate governance practice.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the shift from managerial capitalist regime of the post-Second World War period to the investor capitalism of the financialized economy and the financialized firm by contrasting leadership writing of the 1970s against today’s strong focus on shareholder enrichment and the enactment of CEOs and directors as the servants of the capital owners. A long-term perspective on the changes occurring over the past four decades may enable a better understanding how leadership, governance and industry are subject to ongoing re-interpretations and understanding in the face of novel economic, social and political conditions.
Demographic influences on employee trust towards managers
Authors: Chang Joshua , O’Neill Grant , Travaglione Antonio
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explain demographic influences on employee trust towards managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon a data set of over 5,000 responses from the Australian workforce, this paper examines demographic influences on employee trust in their managers.

Findings

The findings show that demographic influences have an effect on employee trust towards managers. Employees who are male, older, public sector, permanent, longer tenured and unionised were found to be less likely to trust managers.

Practical implications

Relevant to human resource practice, the findings offer potential for the development of trust by identifying employees who are less likely to trust managers. The expected outcome is that such employees can be selected for programmes and practices aimed at improving trust, such as increased managerial contact, consultation and support.

Originality/value

There has been a general decline of employee trust in managers over the past two decades. Research on the antecedents of trust has been reported to lag behind theory, with a paucity of research relating to demographic influences on employee trust towards managers. This study fills this research gap and offers potential for the targeted development of trust towards managers among employees.
Investigation of factors influencing employee performance
Authors: Šindelář Jiří
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of selected organizational factors on the performance of employees charged with sales forecasting, and to compare this across the different organizational environments of Central-Eastern European (CEE) retail chains.

Design/methodology/approach

The research involves seven major pan-European retail chain companies, with a total number of 201 respondents. Data were collected via a questionnaire [computer-aided personal interview (CAPI) and human-aided personal interview (HAPI) method] with a five-point scale evaluation of both dependent (organizational factors) and independent (performance indicator) variables. Cluster analysis was then used to derive the characteristics of average organizational environments, and correlation analysis was used to investigate the direction and size of the performance effect.

Findings

The results confirmed that different organizational environments have differing effects on the performance of forecasters. It also showed that the “hard core” factors (performance evaluation and information systems) do not have a dominant effect on employee performance in any of the environments regardless of their quality, and are aggregately outclassed by “soft” factors (communication lines and management support). Finally, the research indicated that among the personal attributes related to individual forecasters, domain and forecasting work experience have significant, beneficial effects on forecasting performance, whereas formal education level was detected to have a negative effect and can be, at best, considered as non-contributor.

Practical implications

The research results along with available literature enable us to define four management theses (focus on system, less on people; soft factors are equal to hard ones; higher formal education does not contribute to forecasting performance; and do not overestimate the social and morale situation on the working place) as well as four stages of organizational development, creating a practitioner’s guide to necessary steps to improve an environment’s key factors, i.e. performance evaluation, information systems and forecasting work experience.

Originality/value

Although there are regular studies examining the effect of organizational factors on employee performance, very few have explored this relationship in a forecasting context, i.e. in the case of employees charged with sales forecasting. Furthermore, the paper brings evidence on this topic from the CEE area, which is not covered in most prominent forecasting management studies.
“Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies” understanding artificial intelligence
Authors: Fernandez Peter
Published: June 2016

Purpose

As technology becomes more sophisticated, there is an increasing demand for flexible operating systems that can automatically respond to emerging challenges. The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) is, therefore, increasingly integral to many of the most exciting technological developments occurring today.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a literature review.

Findings

Broadly defined, AI is the aspect of computing that enables the machine to take in information about its environment and make choices that help it succeed. This paper will explore some of the key concepts behind AI and demonstrate how they apply to emerging technology.

Research limitations/implications

To get a sense of the importance of AI, we need look no further than Google. Although many companies are working on AI, Google is of particular interest to libraries because its mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” shares many similarities with libraries.

Originality/value

AI has been contemplated for as long as humans have considered the nature of their own intelligence and pondered how artificial beings might be able to accomplish similar tasks. The idea of AI can be seen as far back as the ancient Greek myth of Galatea. Philosophers and scientists from René Descarte to Alan Turing have posed questions that are still relevant to modern AI.
Types of hijacking in the academic world – our experiment in the scholarly publishing
Authors: Dadkhah Mehdi
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce types of hijackings in the academic world. Some of these hijacking are already known as hijacked journals, but some other type of hijacking are potential and unknown to most researchers. The author detected these hijacks by experimental study on journals, conferences and invitation emails and classifying them into groups which will be introduced in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

The author can see other types of hijacks in the academic world that will introduce in this short paper with possible examples and general detection guideline for them. These were detected by experimental study on journals, conferences and invitation emails followed by classifying them into groups which will be introduced in the next section.

Findings

There are types of hijackings in the academic world that are introduced in this paper.

Originality/value

The author’s observation shows that hijacked journals and predatory publishers are only part of the problem.
Dynamic microplasticity manifestation in consolidated sandstone in the acoustical frequency range
Authors: Mashinskii E.I.
Published: June 2016

Microplasticity manifestations caused by acoustical wave in the frequency range of about 4.5 kHz–7.0 kHz are detected in consolidated artificial sandstone. Equipment was tested by means of comparison of data obtained for a standard material (aluminium) and sandstone. Microplasticity manifestations in acoustic records are present in the form of the ladder‐like changes in the amplitude course. The stress plateaus in the acoustic trace interrupt the amplitude course, transform the wavefront, and shift the arrival time along the time axis. Microplasticity contribution to the acoustic record changes with the increase in the strain amplitude value. The combined elastic–microplastic process conditions the wavefront steepness and its duration. Stress plateaus exert influence on the waveform and, accordingly, on pulse frequency response. These results confirm the earlier data obtained for weakly consolidated rock. This contribution to wave propagation physics can be useful in solving applied problems, as, for instance, the reservoir properties prediction by means of wave attenuation in acoustic logging and seismic prospecting.
Trends in the use of emergency contraception in Britain: evidence from the second and third National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles
Authors: Black KI , Geary R , French R , Leefe N , Mercer CH , Glasier A , Macdowall W , Gibson L , Datta J , Palmer M , Wellings K
Published: June 2016

Objective

To examine the changes in the prevalence of, and the factors associated with, the use of emergency contraception (EC) in Britain between 2000 and 2010, spanning the period of deregulation and increase in pharmacy supply.

Design

Cross‐sectional probability sample surveys.

Setting and population

British general population.

Methods

Data were analysed from the second and third British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), undertaken in 1999–2001 and 2010–12. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were used to measure change in EC use amongst sexually active women aged 16–44 years not intending pregnancy.

Main outcome measures

Prevalence of EC use and factors associated with use.

Results

Of the 5430 women surveyed in 1999–2001 and the 4825 women surveyed in 2010–12, 2.3 and 3.6%, respectively, reported using EC in the year prior to interview (P = 0.0019 for change over time). The prevalence of EC use increased amongst single women and those with higher educational attainment (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 1.04–2.20; P = 0.0308). Increases in EC use were generally greater among women without behavioural risk factors, such as those with no history of abortion within 5 years (aOR 1.57; 95% CI 1.17–2.12; P = 0.0029), or those whose first heterosexual intercourse occurred after the age of 16 years (aOR 1.68; 95% CI 1.21–2.35; P = 0.0021). The increase in EC use was also more marked among women usually accessing contraception from retail sources than among those doing so from healthcare sources, which may reflect a use of condoms amongst EC users.

Conclusion

The increase in EC use among women in Britain in the first decade of the 21st century was associated with some, but not all, risk factors for unplanned pregnancy. Advice and provision may need to be targeted at those at highest risk of unplanned pregnancy.

Tweetable abstract

Despite pharmacy access, only a small rise in emergency contraception use has been seen in Britain over 10 years.
Insect distribution in response to climate change based on a model: Review of function and use of CLIMEX
Authors: Jung Jae‐Min , Lee Wang‐Hee , Jung Sunghoon
Published: June 2016

The significant dependence of agricultural productivity on pest control requires pest distribution predictions at an early stage of pest invasion. Because pest cycles are critically affected by climate, climate is one of the most important factors for predicting an invasive pest. CLIMEX is a highly effective tool that can predict potential geographical species distributions, and test the regional suitability for a target species' habitat based on data including climate change scenarios. CLIMEX has been recently used in Europe, North America, China and Australia, among others. However, for modeling species distributions in Korea, the use of the model has been limited to date. This study aimed to first introduce the function and application of CLIMEX by reviewing important studies using this model. Second, we investigated previous studies using the model simulation to demonstrate the practical applicability of CLIMEX for the agricultural sector, and its use in forecasting.
A taxonomic review of Korean Hydroglyphus Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae) with a description of new species
Authors: Lee Dae‐Hyun , Ahn Kee‐Jeong
Published: June 2016

A taxonomic study of Hydroglyphus Motschulsky in Korea is presented. Four species are recognized including a new species, Hydroglyphus coreanus sp. nov. Hydroglyphus flammulatus (Sharp) is reported for the first time in the Korean peninsula and H. geminus (Fabricius) is a new addition to the South Korean fauna. Habitus and SEM photographs, distribution maps, and key to the Korean species are provided.
Nursing Outcomes for the Evaluation of Patients During Smoking Cessation
Authors: Monteiro Mantovani Vanessa , Rodríguez Acelas Alba Luz , Lucena Amália de Fátima , de Abreu Almeida Miriam , Paz da Silva Heldt Elizeth , Klockner Boaz Solange , Echer Isabel Cristina
Published: June 2016

OBJECTIVES

To select outcomes of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) and develop operational definitions for their indicators in order to evaluate patients during smoking cessation.

METHODS

A consensus study among experts, involving eight nurses. A 100% consensus was required to select the outcomes. Operational definitions were developed based on the literature.

RESULTS

Two outcomes were selected, Smoking Cessation Behavior (1625)—with nine indicators, and Substance Withdrawal Severity (2108)—with 11 indicators, for which we developed operational definitions.

CONCLUSIONS

Consensus allowed the selection of NOC outcomes and indicators, which will allow us to evaluate patients during smoking cessation using a standardized classification.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

A standardized classification provides a more qualified evaluation of patients during smoking cessation.
Folie a deux and delusional disorder by proxy: an atypical presentation
Authors: Daulatabad Deepashree , Sonthalia Sidharth , Srivastava Ankur , Bhattacharya Sambit Nath , Kaul Subuhi , Moyal Deepak
Published: June 2016

Delusion of parasitosis is a rare condition characterised by an individual harbouring the delusion of being infested with insects or parasites. We report a rare and interesting case of delusion of parasitosis presenting as folie a deux, that is, the delusion is shared by both the parents of an 18‐month‐old child, with proxy projection of parental delusion on the child. The case highlights the rare concomitant occurrence of two psychocutaneous disorders and emphasizes the importance of early recognition and appropriate intervention to safeguard the well‐being of the child.
Is plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 a physiological bottleneck bridging major depressive disorder and cardiovascular disease?
Authors: Savoy C. , Van Lieshout R. J. , Steiner M.
Published: June 2016

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is estimated to affect one in twenty people worldwide. MDD is highly comorbid with cardiovascular disease (CVD), itself one of the single largest causes of mortality worldwide. A number of pathological changes observed in MDD are believed to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, although no single mechanism has been identified. There are also no biological markers capable of predicting the future risk of developing heart disease in depressed individuals. Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) is a prothrombotic plasma protein secreted by endothelial tissue and has long been implicated in CVD. An expanding body of literature has recently implicated it in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder as well. In this study, we review candidate pathways implicating MDD in CVD and consider how PAI‐1 might act as a mediator by which MDD induces CVD development: chiefly through sleep disruption, adiposity, brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) metabolism, systemic inflammation and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)‐axis dysregulation. As both MDD and CVD are more prevalent in women than in men, and incidence of either condition is dramatically increased during reproductive milestones, we also explore hormonal and sex‐specific associations between MDD, PAI‐1 and CVD. Of special interest is the role PAI‐1 plays in perinatal depression and in cardiovascular complications of pregnancy. Finally, we propose a theoretical model whereby PAI‐1 might serve as a useful biomarker for CVD risk in those with depression, and as a potential target for future treatments.