bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating and testing high-dimensional mediation effects in epigenetic studies
Authors: Zhang Haixiang , Zheng Yinan , Zhang Zhou , Gao Tao , Joyce Brian , Yoon Grace , Zhang Wei , Schwartz Joel , Just Allan , Colicino Elena , Vokonas Pantel , Zhao Lihui , Lv Jinchi , Baccarelli Andrea , Hou Lifang , Liu Lei
Published: June 2016

Motivation: High-dimensional DNA methylation markers may mediate pathways linking environmental exposures with health outcomes. However, there is a lack of analytical methods to identify significant mediators for high-dimensional mediation analysis.

Results: Based on sure independent screening and minimax concave penalty techniques, we use a joint significance test for mediation effect. We demonstrate its practical performance using Monte Carlo simulation studies and apply this method to investigate the extent to which DNA methylation markers mediate the causal pathway from smoking to reduced lung function in the Normative Aging Study. We identify 2 CpGs with significant mediation effects.

Availability and implementation: R package, source code, and simulation study are available at https://github.com/YinanZheng/HIMA.

Contact:  lei.liu@northwestern.edu
Urban Fiction
Authors: Raphael-Hernandez Heike
Published: June 2016

Also known as urban lit, street lit, street fiction, gangsta lit, hip-hop fiction, ghetto lit, and hood lit, urban fiction is a subgenre of contemporary African American literature and emerged in the late 1990s. Omar Tyree’s Flyy Girl (Tyree 1997, cited under Important Primary Sources), Teri Woods’s True to the Game (Woods 1998, cited under Important Primary Sources), and Sister Souljah’s The Coldest Winter Ever (Souljah 1999, cited under Important Primary Sources) are considered the inaugural novels for the amazing flood of urban fiction titles that followed. Typical characteristics are the settings in African American socioeconomically deprived, urban neighborhoods, action-driven plots that focus on the often brutal fight for survival in the underground economy, and the usage of urban vernacular. Nonstandard grammar and curse words are used not only in dialogue, but also in the narrative text. The titles of the books often point to the urban underground; see, for example, Illegal Ambitions, Deadly Secrets, Corrupt City Saga, Natural Born Hustler, and Payback Ain’t Enough. Book covers often feature photographic images of young women in sexualized poses. The majority of the authors either grew up in such urban neighborhoods or they are familiar with these settings because of their work with the community, as has been the case with author Sister Souljah. Some authors have their own experiences with jail. Victoria M. Stringer, for example, wrote her semi-autobiographical novel, Let That Be the Reason (which she self-published in 2001) while serving a seven-year prison term (Stringer 2009, cited under Important Primary Sources). Publishing history for this genre is somewhat of a phenomenon; most of the authors share an initial frustration about repeated rejections by mainstream publishers before turning to self-publishing. These authors all have tales of selling their books in barbershops and beauty parlors, with street vendors, in church basements, or out of their car trunks. Some of these authors were so successful that they started their own publishing companies and signed on other authors. Vicky Stringer’s Triple Crown Publications, for example, sold about 300,000 paperbacks by fourteen different authors in just sixteen months. The same mainstream publishers who initially had rejected the manuscripts as “too ghetto,” offered now very lucrative contracts to urban fiction authors because they realized the potential for commercial gains. Today, ironically, they celebrate the genre as a wonderful way to reach the young urban men and women who did not read before. While academic discourse, at first, largely ignored the new genre as it was considered pulp fiction, commentators have begun, in recent years, to pay some attention. Nevertheless, opinions about the quality and the value of the literature remain highly divided.
Language, Gender, and Sexuality
Authors: Zimman Lal , Hall Kira
Published: June 2016

Research on language, gender, and sexuality has been advanced by scholars working in a variety of areas in sociocultural linguistics, among them conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, discursive psychology, linguistic anthropology, sociophonetics, and variationist sociolinguistics. The relevance of gender to linguistic analysis was first noted in the early 20th century when descriptive linguists observed differences in female and male vocabularies and patterns of speaking in non-European languages. But it was not until the 1975 publication of Robin Lakoff’s Language and Woman’s Place (Lakoff 1975), originally published as a lead article in a 1973 issue of Language in Society, that disparate work on language and gender began to coalesce as a field of study. Research during this era of second-wave feminism focused on the everyday micro-discourse practices of women and men as instantiating hierarchical power relations, analyzing such phenomena as turn-taking, interruptions, and topic uptake. Fifteen years later, Deborah Tannen popularized a “two-cultures” approach to language and gender in You Just Don’t Understand: Men and Women in Conversation (Tannen 1990), which shifted the source of gender differentiation away from patriarchy and onto language socialization in same-sex peer groups. Lakoff’s and Tannen’s models—which came to be called the “dominance” and “difference” models, respectively—set the foundation for contemporary work on language and gender. In the mid-1990s, the field was revitalized by what is often referenced as the “discursive turn” in social theory. New theoretical work in post-structuralist and multicultural feminism, including the view of gender as produced in discourse instead of predetermined by biological sex, inspired new involvement by language scholars across the fields of anthropology, communication, education, linguistics, psychology, sociology, and women’s studies. The close analysis of gender in interaction demonstrated its intersectionality with other social categories, such as social class, race, ethnicity, age, and sexuality. Although work on language and sexuality preceded this development, this relationship too received renewed attention as scholars of language and gender came to recognize the heteronormativity that had implicitly shaped previous work in the field and began drawing on perspectives within the emergent field of queer theory. Gender and sexuality came to be seen as intimately connected in the language and gender literature, hence the field’s eventual designation in many publication domains as language, gender, and sexuality. This annotated bibliography aims to bring together socially oriented linguistic scholarship on both gender and sexuality while also recognizing the independent trajectories of these traditions of research. Although the bibliography at times treats gender and sexuality as separate topics for purposes of clarity or emphasis, research in these traditions remains closely intertwined.
Pyramiding PvPGIP2 and TAXI-III But Not PvPGIP2 and PMEI Enhances Resistance Against Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Tundo Silvio , Kalunke Raviraj , Janni Michela , Volpi Chiara , Lionetti Vincenzo , Bellincampi Daniela , Favaron Francesco , D’Ovidio Renato
Published: July 2016

Plant protein inhibitors counteract the activity of cell wall–degrading enzymes (CWDEs) secreted by pathogens to breach the plant cell-wall barrier. Transgenic plants expressing a single protein inhibitor restrict pathogen infections. However, since pathogens secrete a number of CWDEs at the onset of infection, we combined more inhibitors in a single wheat genotype to reinforce further the cell-wall barrier. We combined polygalacturonase (PG) inhibiting protein (PGIP) and pectin methyl esterase inhibitor (PMEI), both controlling the activity of PG, one of the first CWDEs secreted during infection. We also pyramided PGIP and TAXI-III, a xylanase inhibitor that controls the activity of xylanases, key factors for the degradation of xylan, a main component of cereal cell wall. We demonstrated that the pyramiding of PGIP and PMEI did not contribute to any further improvement of disease resistance. However, the presence of both pectinase inhibitors ensured a broader spectrum of disease resistance. Conversely, the PGIP and TAXI-III combination contributed to further improvement of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, probably because these inhibitors target the activity of different types of CWDEs, i.e., PGs and xylanases. Worth mentioning, the reduction of FHB symptoms is accompanied by a reduction of deoxynivalenol accumulation with a foreseen great benefit to human and animal health.
Competitive Fitness of Phakopsora pachyrhizi Isolates with Mutations in the CYP51 and CYTB Genes
Authors: Klosowski Ana C. , Brahm Lutz , Stammler Gerd , De Mio Louise L. May
Published: June 2016

Soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) in Brazil is mainly controlled with applications of fungicides, including demethylation inhibitors (DMI) and quinone outside inhibitors (QoI). Isolates with less sensitivity to DMI and QoI have been reported, and these have been found to have mutations in the CYP51 and CYTB genes, respectively. There have been no reports of fitness costs in isolates with mutations in CYP51 and CYTB, and the aim of this work was to compare the competitive ability of isolates with lower DMI or QoI sensitivities with that of sensitive (wild-type) isolates. Urediniospores of sensitive wild-type isolates and isolates with different CYP51 or CYTB alleles were mixed and inoculated on detached soybean leaves. After 3 weeks, urediniospores were harvested and used as inoculum for the next disease cycle. Frequencies of relevant target site mutations were monitored using the pyrosequencing method over four disease cycles. Isolates with lower DMI sensitivity and different CYP51 alleles had competitive disadvantages compared with a DMI-sensitive, wild-type CYP51 isolate. In contrast, the isolate with the F129L mutation in the CYTB gene competed equally well with a QoI-sensitive, wild-type CYTB isolate under the conditions of this experiment. The CYP51 and CYTB alleles were stable in all isolates over four disease cycles when cultivated alone.
Markers Linked to Wheat Stem Rust Resistance Gene Sr11 Effective to Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici Race TKTTF
Authors: Nirmala Jayaveeramuthu , Chao Shiaoman , Olivera Pablo , Babiker Ebrahiem M. , Abeyo Bekele , Tadesse Zerihun , Imtiaz Muhammad , Talbert Luther , Blake Nancy K. , Akhunov Eduard , Pumphrey Michael O. , Jin Yue , Rouse Matthew N.
Published: June 2016

Wheat stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, can cause severe yield losses on susceptible wheat varieties and cultivars. Although stem rust can be controlled by the use of genetic resistance, population dynamics of P. graminis f. sp. tritici can frequently lead to defeat of wheat stem rust resistance genes. P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TKTTF caused a severe epidemic in Ethiopia on Ug99-resistant ‘Digalu’ in 2013 and 2014. The gene Sr11 confers resistance to race TKTTF and is present in ‘Gabo 56’. We identified seven single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers linked to Sr11 from a cross between Gabo 56 and ‘Chinese Spring’ exploiting a 90K Infinium iSelect Custom beadchip. Five SNP markers were validated on a ‘Berkut’/‘Scalavatis’ population that segregated for Sr11, using KBioscience competitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) assays. Two of the SNP markers, KASP_6BL_IWB10724 and KASP_6BL_IWB72471, were predictive of Sr11 among wheat genetic stocks, cultivars, and breeding lines from North America, Ethiopia, and Pakistan. These markers can be utilized to select for Sr11 in wheat breeding and to detect the presence of Sr11 in uncharacterized germplasm.
Individual differences in learning behaviours in humans: Asocial exploration tendency does not predict reliance on social learning
Authors: Toyokawa Wataru , Saito Yoshimatsu , Kameda Tatsuya
Published: July 2016

A number of empirical studies have suggested that individual differences in asocial exploration tendencies in animals may be related to those in social information use. However, because the ‘exploration tendency’ in most previous studies has been measured without considering the exploration-exploitation trade-off, it is yet hard to conclude that the animal asocial ‘exploration-exploitation’ tendency may be tied to social information use. Here, we studied human learning behaviour in both asocial and social multi-armed bandit tasks. By fitting reinforcement learning models including asocial and/or social decision processes, we measured each individual’s (1) asocial exploration tendency and (2) social information use. We found consistent individual differences in the exploration tendency in the asocial tasks. We also found substantive heterogeneity in the adopted learning strategies in the social task: One-third of participants were most likely to have used the copy-when-uncertain strategy, while the remaining two-thirds were most likely to have relied only on asocial learning. However, we found no significant individual association between the exploration frequency in the asocial task and the use of the social learning strategy in the social task. Our results suggest that the social learning strategies may be independent from the asocial search strategies in humans.
Genetic Allee effects and their interaction with ecological Allee effects
Authors: Wittmann Meike J. , Stuis Hanna , Metzler Dirk
Published: July 2016

It is now widely accepted that genetic processes such as inbreeding depression and loss of genetic variation can increase the extinction risk of small populations. However, it is generally unclear whether extinction risk from genetic causes gradually increases with decreasing population size or whether there is a sharp transition around a specific threshold population size. In the ecological literature, such threshold phenomena are called “strong Allee effects” and they can arise for example from mate limitation in small populations.

In this study, we aim to a) develop a meaningful notion of a “strong genetic Allee effect”, b) explore whether and under what conditions such an effect can arise from inbreeding depression due to recessive deleterious mutations, and c) quantify the interaction of potential genetic Allee effects with the well-known mate-finding Allee effect.

We define a strong genetic Allee effect as a genetic process that causes a population’s survival probability to be a sigmoid function of its initial size. The inflection point of this function defines the critical population size. To characterize survival-probability curves, we develop and analyze simple stochastic models for the ecology and genetics of small populations.

Our results indicate that inbreeding depression can indeed cause a strong genetic Allee effect, but only if individuals carry sufficiently many deleterious mutations (lethal equivalents) on average and if these mutations are spread across sufficiently many loci. Populations suffering from a genetic Allee effect often first grow, then decline as inbreeding depression sets in, and then potentially recover as deleterious mutations are purged. Critical population sizes of ecological and genetic Allee effects appear to be often additive, but even superadditive interactions are possible.

Many published estimates for the number of lethal equivalents in birds and mammals fall in the parameter range where strong genetic Allee effects are expected. Unfortunately, extinction risk due to genetic Allee effects can easily be underestimated as populations with genetic problems often grow initially, but then crash later. Also interactions between ecological and genetic Allee effects can be strong and should not be neglected when assessing the viability of endangered or introduced populations.
Prediction and Validation of Native and Engineered Cas9 Guide Sequences
Authors: Briner Alexandra E. , Henriksen Emily D. , Barrangou Rodolphe
Published: July 2016

Cas9-based technologies rely on native elements of Type II CRISPR–Cas bacterial immune systems, including the trans-activating CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA), CRISPR RNA (crRNA), Cas9 protein, and protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM). The tracrRNA and crRNA form an RNA duplex that guides the Cas9 endonuclease to complementary nucleic acid sequences. Mechanistically, Cas9 initiates interactions by binding to the target PAM sequence and interrogating the target DNA in a 3′-to-5′ manner. Complementarity between the guide RNA and the target DNA is key. In natural systems, precise cleavage occurs when the target DNA sequence contains a PAM flanking a sequence homologous to the crRNA spacer sequence. Currently, the majority of commercial Cas9-based genome-editing tools are derived from the Type II CRISPR–Cas system of Streptococcus pyogenes. However, a diverse set of Type II CRISPR–Cas systems exist in nature that are potentially valuable for genome engineering applications. Exploitation of these systems requires prediction and validation of both native and engineered dual and single guide RNAs to drive Cas9 functionality. Here, we discuss how to identify the elements of these immune systems to develop next-generation Cas9-based genome-editing tools. We first discuss how to predict tracrRNA sequences and suggest a method for designing single guide RNAs containing only critical structural modules. We then outline how to predict the PAM sequence, which is crucial for determining potential targets for Cas9. Finally, validation of the system elements through transcriptome analysis and interference assays is essential for developing next-generation Cas9-based genome-editing tools.
Measuring Cell Death by Trypan Blue Uptake and Light Microscopy
Authors: Crowley Lisa C. , Marfell Brooke J. , Christensen Melinda E. , Waterhouse Nigel J.
Published: July 2016

Trypan blue is a colorimetric dye that stains dead cells with a blue color easily observed using light microscopy at low resolution. The staining procedure is rapid and cells can be analyzed within minutes. The number of live (unstained) and dead (blue) cells can be counted using a hemocytometer on a basic upright microscope. Trypan blue staining is therefore a convenient assay for rapidly determining the overall viability of cells in a culture before commencing scientific experimentation, or for quantitating cell death following treatment with any cytotoxic stimuli.
Measuring Cell Death by Propidium Iodide Uptake and Flow Cytometry
Authors: Crowley Lisa C. , Scott Adrian P. , Marfell Brooke J. , Boughaba Jeanne A. , Chojnowski Grace , Waterhouse Nigel J.
Published: July 2016

Propidium iodide (PI) is a small fluorescent molecule that binds to DNA but cannot passively traverse into cells that possess an intact plasma membrane. PI uptake versus exclusion can be used to discriminate dead cells, in which plasma membranes become permeable regardless of the mechanism of death, from live cells with intact membranes. PI is excited by wavelengths between 400 and 600 nm and emits light between 600 and 700 nm, and is therefore compatible with lasers and photodetectors commonly available in flow cytometers. This protocol for PI staining can be used to quantitate cell death in most modern research facilities and universities.
Application of a team integration performance index in road infrastructure alliance projects
Authors: Che Ibrahim Che Khairil Izam , Costello Seosamh B. , Wilkinson Suzanne
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of the Alliance Team Integration Performance Index (ATIPI) model as an assessment tool to measure the performance of team integration in alliance road infrastructure projects in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study takes a case study approach, using a qualitative research method. Three road infrastructure projects under project alliance from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) were selected as the cases. Data were collected through the interviews with a representative from the alliance management team from each case. Project records and documentation were also used to assist and support the actual data from the interviews.

Findings

– The findings indicated that the ATIPI is performing as expected and found to be both practical and applicable to measure the team integration performance in light of real life case studies of alliance road infrastructure projects. Across the three case studies, there is evidence that high levels of integrated performance is consistently fostered by the project teams over the lifecycle of projects. In addition, based on the cross-case analysis from the application of the ATIPI on three cases, further work could enhance the probability of the utilization of the tool to manage different project alliance teams consistently and objectively.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was limited to three alliance road infrastructure projects in New Zealand. Further research into different alliance projects is required to establish a comprehensive database of alliance team integration performance, so that the model could be more beneficial for owner and non-owner participants, for benchmarking purposes.

Practical implications

– As team integration practice can directly result in high performing teams in alliance projects, the ATIPI is an ideal model to facilitate the continuous evaluation of team integration performance consistently and objectively over the lifecycle of the projects.

Originality/value

– This study extends the team integration literature in construction research by providing significant insights into the empirical evaluation of alliance team integration performance, as well as providing added value for the enhancement of any future development of performance evaluation models in construction research.
Measuring the service gaps in the roles of quantity surveyors in the emerging market
Authors: Olanrewaju AbdulLateef
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The opportunities that the emerging markets present to the players in the construction industry means that the players need to expand on the scope and size of their responsibilities and duties to the stakeholders. Each of the professionals now demands more specialised and sophisticated services from one another. The other players in the construction industry now require more emerging responsibilities and duties from the quantity surveyors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the roles that “modern” quantity surveyors play by measuring the gaps that exist in the services that the quantity surveyors provide.

Design/methodology/approach

– Primary data are collected through survey questionnaires. In total, 23 roles played by modern quantity surveyors are identified and addressed to the respondents to rank the rate at which quantity surveyors provide these “emerging” services. The collected data were analysed statistically.

Findings

– The results of the findings led to the conclusion that the quantity surveyors were not meeting the expectations of other players. Therefore, for competitiveness, quantity surveyors need to better meet demand expectations.

Research limitations/implications

– This findings of this research are constrained to the services or functions that the quantity provide in the construction industry.

Practical implications

– This knowledge is valuable to academic institutions that offer quantity surveying programmes, to practicing quantity surveyors, governments, and other players in the construction industry. It will allow quantity surveyors to reconcile supply and demand expectations.

Originality/value

– There is no known conclusive empirical study on services offered by quantity surveyors in any emerging markets. Therefore, the findings offer a fresh understanding on the services of quantity surveyors not only in Nigeria but elsewhere. While some of the services are common, others are peculiar to emerging markets.
Predicting entrepreneurial motivation among university students
Authors: Farhangmehr Minoo , Gonçalves Paulo , Sarmento Maria
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to better understand the main drivers of entrepreneurial motivation among university students and to determine whether entrepreneurship education has a moderating effect on improving the impact of knowledge base and entrepreneurship competencies on entrepreneurial motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study uses a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative interviews and a cross-sectional survey of a sample of 465 university students.

Findings

– The study reveals that entrepreneurship competencies are a predictor of entrepreneurship motivation but that knowledge base is not. Additionally, entrepreneurship education does not improve the motivation of university students to become entrepreneurs. These findings suggest that, to increase entrepreneurial motivation, pedagogy should emphasize the development of students’ entrepreneurial psychological and social skills by covering in particular the emotional dimension and critical thinking.

Originality/value

– This research contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship education and provides strategic recommendations for university managers and education-policy makers.
Tukuchiy: a dynamic user interface generator to improve usability
Authors: Barrera-León Luisa , Mejia-Molina Nadia , Carrillo-Ramos Angela , Flórez-Valencia Leonardo , Pavlich-Mariscal Jaime A.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to present a detailed description of Tukuchiy, a framework to dynamically generate adapted user interfaces. Tukuchiy is based on Runa-Kamachiy, a conceptual integration model that combines human–computer interaction (HCI) standards to create user interfaces with user-centered concepts usually addressed by adaptation.

Design/methodology/approach

The first step was the definition of three profiles: user, context and interface. These profiles contain information, such as user disabilities, location characteristics (e.g. illumination) and preferences (e.g. interface color or type of system help). The next step is to define the rules that ensure usability for different users. All of this information is used to create the Tukuchiy framework, which generates dynamic user interfaces, based on the specified rules. The last step is the validation through a prototype called Idukay. This prototype uses Tukuchiy to provide e-learning services. The functionality and usability of the system was evaluated by five experts.

Findings

To validate the approach, a prototype of Tukuchiy, called Idukay, was created. Idukay was evaluated by experts in education, computing and HCI, who based their evaluation in the system usability scale (SUS), a standard usability test. According to them, the prototype complies with the usability criteria addressed by Tukuchiy.

Research limitations/implications

This work was tested in an academic environment and was validated by different experts. Further tests in a production environment are required to fully validate the approach.

Originality/value

Tukuchiy generates adapted user interfaces based on user and context profiles. Tukuchiy uses HCI standards to ensure usability of interfaces that dynamically change during execution time. The interfaces generated by Tukuchiy adapt to context, functionality, disabilities (e.g. color blindness) and preferences (usage and presentation) of the user. Tukuchiy enforces specific HCI standards for color utilization, button size and grouping, etc., during execution.
A toolkit for women: the mis(sed) management of gender in resource industries
Authors: Laplonge Dean
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to show the extent to which work on how to manage gender in resource industries fails to draw on the body of knowledge which explores gender in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper explores the efficacy of a recently published toolkit within the context of the current debate about gender in resource industries (such as mining, and oil and gas).

Findings

– The Australian Human Rights Commission’s toolkit speaks to this debate, but fails to analyse existing strategies to deal with the “gender problem”; it simply repeats them as successful examples of what to do. The authors of the toolkit also fail to ask a question which is fundamental to the success of any intervention into gender: what is the definition of “gender” on which the work is based?

Originality/value

– The debate about gender in resource industries fails to take into consideration contemporary ideas about gender as they have appeared in academic research and human practice.
Finding the extraordinary and creating the unexpected
Authors: Pellegrini Massimiliano Matteo , Ciappei Cristiano , Zollo Lamberto , Boccardi Andrea
Published: June 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated framework for ethical decision making in uncertain conditions, such as those of entrepreneurship. The model aims to build an exceptional ethical heuristic employable by entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The theoretical framework is anchored to Aquinas’ theory of practical reason (PR) virtue, specifically its minor virtue gnome, and the Kantian faculty of genius or to better say its modus operandi. Thanks to the composition of these prima facie distant ontologies it is possible to build a “ready-to-use” heuristic.

Findings

– The paper through a philosophical discussion offers a ready-to-use heuristic that may help entrepreneurs and businesspersons when “navigating” uncertain and troubled situations. In such situations, first it is important to recognize the “exceptionality” of the situation, disregarding where necessary the ordinary criteria of judgment (an act directed by gnome). Second, a creative reconstruction of available knowledge able to reshape the “rules of the game” is needed (an act directed by PR but with connotations drawn from genius).

Research limitations/implications

– The paper provides only a theoretical conceptualization of the heuristic model. However, the result is a ready-to-use heuristic rule for entrepreneurs, who work in uncertain and unclear conditions. Empirical validation of the framework can represent an opportunity for future research to test the operative impact of such an exceptional ethical heuristic.

Originality/value

– Little attention has been dedicated to ethical decision making in the entrepreneurial setting built on a virtue ethics approach. This paper’s proposed model may represent an innovative alternative to strictly rational models for ethical decision making.
Admiring the peaceful political transition in Taiwan
Authors: Brookfield Jonathan
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Given the recent peaceful turnover of power through a highly participatory democratic election, now is a good time to consider Taiwan and its political development.

Design/methodology/approach

The author reviews how, over two decades Taiwan has undergone a remarkably peaceful transition from what was essentially an authoritarian, one-party dictatorship by the KMT to a vibrant multiparty democracy, a sharp contrast to what has occurred during the same period in China.

Findings

When the traditional ruling party of a country–like the Kuomintang in Taiwan– finds itself completely out of power and wandering in the wilderness, yet still manages to conduct itself with grace and dignity, and in so doing, allows the country to prosper – that affirms the stability and progressive potential of the country’s politics.

Practical implications

Not only has Taiwan’s economy seen a sustained period of fast growth over multiple decades, but the economy has grown without seeing a substantial uptick in economic inequality, a feat many developed nations have failed to achieve.

Originality/value

Taiwan’s two decades of political stability makes is an attractive commercial partner.
‘The teacher said I'm thick!’ Experiences of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder within a school setting
Authors: Kendall Lynne
Published: June 2016

Children and young people who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can often experience difficulties within an education setting. ADHD can impact upon their educational achievements and subsequent future employment. This paper draws upon data gathered from a small scale study and has sought to elicit the ‘voice’ of young people who have ADHD and their experience within a school setting. Findings of this study indicate that there is a need for teachers to be more informed about the impact that ADHD can have on a pupil and teachers need to develop positive strategies to support these individuals within the classroom. Ideally, adequate training around ADHD should begin within initial teacher training prior to entering the teaching profession.
The Limerick Reading Initiative: a reading intervention targeted at struggling readers in primary school
Authors: O'Rourke Diarmuid , Olshtroon Aoife , O'Halloran Claire
Published: June 2016

In this study we examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention targeting a group of 24 struggling readers in ten primary schools in Ireland. The intervention consisted of two components; component one consisted of 15‐20 minutes delivery of the Toe‐by‐Toe programme (a well established systematic synthetic phonics programme) and the second component consisted of 15‐20 minutes guided oral reading using levelled texts. Using standardised measures of word reading, reading fluency, reading comprehension, word attack skills and spelling, we found that after five months of the intervention, the majority of the pupils made significant improvements in reading and reading fluency. The reading comprehension improvements were more varied with almost a quarter of participants showing remarkable progress, while the remainder recorded considerably less impressive gains. These results are very encouraging for classroom practitioners and demonstrate that research validated approaches can help at‐risk readers close the gap with their typically developing peers.
Regulatory Analysis in Corporate Law
Authors: Petrin Martin
Published: July 2016

Drawing on recent experiences in the US, UK, and EU, this article suggests that regulatory analysis of corporate law policies, as currently understood and applied, suffers from severe weaknesses. The effects of proposed corporate law policies are often difficult to predict and even more difficult to quantify, which negatively impacts analytical reliability. Moreover, given its nature and strong intersections with economic, societal and political issues, corporate law is less amenable to technocratic assessments than other areas of law. Based on three case studies, the article explores these problems. It outlines a revised ‘procedural’ view, suggesting that regulatory analysis in corporate law should be understood as a process for enhancing information, transparency, and monitoring, independently of specific normative criteria. This leads to several implications. In short, regulatory analysis should combine quantified analysis with leeway for regulatory judgment and focus on increased consultation, critical engagement, review, and transparency as the dominant guiding factors.
Whither Remoteness? Wellesley Partners LLP v Withers LLP
Authors: Taylor Aaron
Published: July 2016

In Wellesley v Withers, the Court of Appeal held that where a defendant is concurrently liable in tort and contract, the contractual rules for the remoteness of loss must apply. Two principal reasons emerge from the judgments. The first, that each party has had the chance to alert the other to unusual risks, is valid but often unconvincing. The second is more original and compelling: that the nature of any responsibility assumed in tort is distinct from, but wholly defined by, the valid contract. This note seeks to develop that argument. It then addresses the uncertain issue of concurrent liability in equity. It suggests that in a case in which any fiduciary duties arise out of, and are defined by, a valid contract, it may now be appropriate to apply the contractual remoteness rules to a concurrent claim for breach of contract and equitable compensation.
Values and Complexities in Assessing Strategic‐Level Emergency Management Effectiveness
Authors: Owen Christine , Brooks Ben , Bearman Chris , Curnin Steven
Published: June 2016

Emergency managers working at a strategic level play a pivotal role in managing operational needs as well the needs of political elites engaged in crisis management and meaning‐making. Evaluating emergency performance has been widely regarded as problematic, in part because of various stakeholder interests and because it is so subjective. This paper explores the values of personnel working in emergency management at a strategic level as well as the conditions that limit their effectiveness as they attempt to align the needs of different stakeholders. The surveys and interviews conducted suggest that what constitutes success is both subjective and contested by different stakeholders. There is a need to establish a broader perspective on what constitutes success when evaluating emergency response.
Leaf traits as indicators of limiting growing conditions for lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Authors: Galieni A. , Stagnari F. , Speca S. , Pisante M.
Published: June 2016

Lettuce growth under unstressed conditions was compared to growth under four limiting conditions, i.e. no phosphorus fertilization (0_P), no nitrogen fertilization (0_N), low light (LR) and water stress (WR) over two different growing periods. We investigated the adaptive changes in terms of the morphological and physiological leaf traits, identifying stress‐specific and ‘stable’ indicators suitable for use in breeding programmes. The plants subjected to the WR treatments had lower leaf expansion and specific leaf area (SLA), as well as lower soil–plant analysis development (SPAD) values, stomatal conductance (POR), water index (WI) and leaf temperature (TIR) compared with plants in the unstressed CONTROL. Low light increased the leaf area (LA), SLA and leaf mass ratio (LMR). The 0_N treatment induced a general reduction in the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) values, as well as strong changes in LMR and SLA. In general, 0_P induced less pronounced effects than the other treatments. Principal component analysis indicated that the stable and suitable selection indicators of adaptive changes for low nitrogen and low light conditions were LA, SLA, leaf area per unit total plant mass (LAR), LMR, SPAD and POR, while SPAD, POR, TIR and WI were suitable indicators for drought.
Cumulative dosages of antipsychotic drugs are associated with increased mortality rate in patients with Alzheimer's dementia
Authors: Nielsen R. E. , Lolk A. , Valentin J. B. , Andersen K.
Published: June 2016

Objective

We wished to investigate the effects of cumulative dosages of antipsychotic drug in Alzheimer′s dementia, when controlling for known risk factors, including current antipsychotic exposure, on all‐cause mortality.

Method

We utilized a nationwide, population‐based, retrospective cohort study design with mortality as outcome in individual patients diagnosed with Alzheimer′s dementia.

Results

We included a total of 45 894 patients and followed them for 3 803 996 person‐years in total, presenting 27 894 deaths in the study population. Cumulative antipsychotic exposure increased mortality: more than 0 Daily Defined Dosage (DDDs) but less than 90: HR 2.20, 95% CI (2.14–2.27), P < 0.001; more than or equal to 90 DDDs but less than 365: HR 1.81, 95% CI (1.74–1.89), P < 0.001; more than or equal to 365 DDDs but less than 730: HR 1.38, 95% CI (1.428–1.49), P < 0.001; and more than or equal to 730 DDDs: HR 1.06, 95% CI (0.95–1.18), P = 0.322, when controlling for proxy markers of severity, somatic and mental comorbid disorders.

Conclusion

In this nationwide cohort study of 45 894 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer′s dementia, we found that cumulative dosages of antipsychotic drugs were associated with increased mortality rates.
Anger and sadness as adaptive emotion expression strategies in response to negative competence and warmth evaluations
Authors: Celik Pinar , Storme Martin , Myszkowski Nils
Published: June 2016

Previous literature suggested that anger and sadness may be necessary to restore social bonds in the face of immediate relationship threat. The present research compared the social effectiveness of expressing anger and sadness in response to a negative personal evaluation. Results indicated that target anger in response to a negative competence evaluation, and target sadness in response to a negative warmth evaluation, had the most positive effects on the evaluators’ subjectively perceived persuasiveness of the targets’ communication (Study 1) and on the subjectively perceived fluency of the interaction by both interaction partners (Study 2). Results are discussed in light of the social functionality of emotion expression and the importance of interpersonal emotion congruency with evaluation content.
Bone stability around implants in elderly patients with reduced bone mineral density – a prospective study on mandibular overdentures
Authors: Chow Luke , Chow Tak Wah , Chai John , Mattheos Nikos
Published: June 2016

Objective

The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to determine whether reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is correlated with a higher risk for dental implant therapy in an elderly patient population.

Material and methods

Seventy‐nine patients recruited at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital were provided with 2‐implant‐supported mandibular overdentures. Skeletal BMD was recorded before the implant therapy. The World Health Organization Osteoporosis Diagnosis Classification (femoral neck score) was utilized to define the osteoporosis status of patients. Periapical radiographs were taken with a special radiographic holder at the time of implant loading (baseline) and at follow‐up examinations. The mesial and distal marginal bone levels of each implant were measured. The mean marginal bone loss (mMBL) and greatest marginal bone loss (GBL) of four implant sites at patient level were recorded for data analysis. Clinical examination including plaque score (PI) and bleeding on probing (BOP) was recorded.

Results

Of the 79 patients recruited in the study, the survival rate of implant was 98.7%. Sixty‐three patients (79.7%) were finally available for data collection and statistical analyses. The mean follow‐up time was 62.9 (SD = 15.2) months with the mean MBL 0.65 mm (SD = 0.67) and mean GBL 1.25 mm (SD = 0.83), respectively. The average BOP and PI of patients were 49.6% (SD = 30.8) and 47.4% (SD = 37.4). Only BOP was found significantly correlated with mMBL (r = 0.321, P = 0.01). Skeletal BMD was not associated with marginal bone loss (mean MBL: r = −0.094, P = 0.466; mean GBL: r = 0.04, P = 0.761).

Conclusions

Within the limits of this study, osteoporosis was not a contraindication for implant therapy, and reduced skeletal BMD was not associated with increased marginal bone loss around implants or other complications in an elderly population.
Formulating Smart Commitments on Biodiversity: Lessons from the Aichi Targets
Authors: Butchart Stuart H. M. , Di Marco Moreno , Watson James E. M.
Published: July 2016

The world is currently not on course to achieve most of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Targets to address biodiversity loss. One challenge for those implementing actions to achieve them may be the complexity and lack of clarity in the wording of the targets, which also make it difficult to stimulate and quantify progress. Drawing on experience in developing and measuring indicators to assess progress toward targets, we identify four key issues: ambiguity, quantifiability, complexity, and redundancy. The magnitude of required commitments under some targets is rendered ambiguous by the use of imprecise terms (e.g., “substantially”), while many targets contain poorly defined operational terms (e.g., “essential services”). Seventy percent of targets lack quantifiable elements, meaning that there is no clear binary or numeric threshold to be met in order for the target to be achieved. Most targets are excessively complex, containing up to seven different elements, while one‐third of them contain redundancies. In combination, these four issues make it difficult to operationalize the targets and to ensure consistent interpretation by signatories. For future policy commitments, we recommend the adoption of a smaller number of more focused headline targets (alongside subsidiary targets) that are specific, quantified, simple, succinct, and unambiguous.
Kawasaki disease and giant coronary artery aneurysms: the role of echocardiography from diagnosis through follow‐up
Authors: Adler Adam C. , Kodavatiganti Ramesh
Published: June 2016

Kawasaki disease is an acquired vasculitis that can affect the coronary arteries placing the patient at risk for coronary artery thrombosis, myocardial ischemia and infarction. The risk of complications related to coronary artery involvement persists for years despite recovery from the acute illness phase. The risk of late coronary disease progression necessitates long term follow‐up generally accomplished by non‐invasive echocardiography in pediatric patients. We review the utility of echocardiography in patients with Kawasaki disease as it relates to initial management, risk stratification and follow‐up of these children.
Infective endocarditis of an aortic intimal flap due to Streptococcus agalactiae in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome: an unusual clinical case report
Authors: De Chiara Benedetta , Peritore Angelica , Sara Roberto , Giannattasio Cristina , Moreo Antonella
Published: June 2016

A 67‐year‐old woman, suffering from Sjögren's syndrome, was admitted for septic asymmetric arthritis due to Streptococcus agalactiae. She had previously undergone a replacement of the ascending aorta (type A acute aortic dissection). A transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography showed small pseudoaneurysm of the sino‐tubular junction and vegetations attached both to the aortic cusps and to a residual intimal flap near the proximal edge of the vascular prosthesis. A 18F‐FDG PET/CT scan confirmed the diagnosis.