bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role for Maternal Asthma in Severe Human Metapneumovirus Lung Disease Susceptibility in Children
Authors: Libster Romina , Esteban Ignacio , Bianchi Alejandra , Alva Grimaldi Luciano , Dueñas Karina , Sancillo Andrea , Rodriguez Andrea , Ferrero Fernando , Stein Katherine , Acosta Patricio L , Ferolla Fausto M , Bergel Eduardo , Caballero Mauricio T , Polack Fernando P ,   for the INFANT Respiratory Network, Pellegrino Gustavo , Gago Guadalupe Fernandez , Pozzolo Cecilia , Castro Laura , Almeida Rodrigo Egues , Rebec Beatriz , Gonzalez Mariela , Calvo Mariel , Henrichsen Julieta , Nocito Celina , Barbero Guillermo , Ves Losada Juan , Bonina Angel , Flamenco Edgardo , Perez Alberto Rodriguez , Kobylarz Alicia , Raggio Mirta , Schavlosky Graciela , Caria Adriana , Barboza Edgar , Sastre Gustavo
Published: January 2020

Background

Severity of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) lower respiratory illness (LRTI) is considered similar to that observed for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, differences in severity between these pathogens have been noted, suggesting the degree of illness may vary in different populations. Moreover, a potential association between hMPV and asthma also suggests that hMPV may preferentially affect asthmatic subjects.

Methods

In a population-based surveillance study in children aged <2 years admitted for severe LRTI in Argentina, nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested by RT-PCR for hMPV, RSV, influenza A, and human rhinovirus.

Results

Of 3947 children, 383 (10%) were infected with hMPV. The hospitalization rate for hMPV LRTI was 2.26 per 1000 children (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.04–2.49). Thirty-nine (10.2%) patients infected with hMPV experienced life-threatening disease (LTD; 0.23 per 1000 children; 95% CI, .16–.31/1000), and 2 died (mortality rate 0.024 per 1000; 95% CI, .003–.086). In hMPV-infected children birth to an asthmatic mother was an increased risk for LTD (odds ratio, 4.72; 95% CI, 1.39–16.01). We observed a specific interaction between maternal asthma and hMPV infection affecting risk for LTD.

Conclusions

Maternal asthma increases the risk for LTD in children <2 years old hospitalized for severe hMPV LRTI.
Impact of first-line antiretroviral therapy regimens on the restoration of the CD4/CD8 ratio in the CNICS cohort
Authors: Herrera Sabina , Fernandez-Felix Borja M , Hunt Peter W , Deeks Steven G , Sainz Talía , Heath Sonya L , Achenbach Chad J , Rodríguez Benigno , Mathews Christopher , Christopoulos Katerina , Mayer Kenneth , Napravnik Sonia , Moreno Santiago , Serrano-Villar Sergio
Published: January 2020

Background

The CD4/CD8 ratio is an indicator of immunosenescence and a predictor of all-cause mortality in HIV-infected patients. The effects of different ART regimens on CD4/CD8 ratio recovery remain unclear.

Methods

Clinical cohort study of ART-treated patients from the CFAR Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS). We included ART-naive adults with HIV infection who achieved undetectable HIV RNA during the first 48 weeks of treatment and had additional follow-up 48 weeks after virological suppression (VS). Primary endpoints included increase in CD4/CD8 ratio at both timepoints and secondary endpoints were CD4/CD8 ratio recovery at cut-offs of ≥0.5 or ≥1.0.

Results

Of 3971 subjects who met the study criteria, 1876 started ART with an NNRTI, 1804 with a PI and 291 with an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI). After adjusting for age, sex, race, year of entry, risk group, HCV serostatus, baseline viral load and baseline CD4/CD8 ratio, subjects on an NNRTI showed a significantly greater CD4/CD8 ratio gain compared with those on a PI, either 48 weeks after ART initiation or after 48 weeks of HIV RNA VS. The greater CD4/CD8 ratio improvement in the NNRTI arm was driven by a higher decline in CD8 counts. The INSTI group showed increased rates of CD4/CD8 ratio normalization at the ≥1.0 cut-off compared with the PI group.

Conclusions

NNRTI therapy was associated with a greater increase in the CD4/CD8 ratio compared with PIs. NNRTI- and INSTI-based first-line ART were associated with higher rates of CD4/CD8 ratio normalization at a cut-off of 1.0 than a PI-based regimen, which might have clinical implications.
NuSTAR and Parkes observations of the transitional millisecond pulsar binary XSS J12270–4859 in the rotation-powered state
Authors: de Martino D , Papitto A , Burgay M , Possenti A , Coti Zelati F , Rea N , Torres D F , Belloni T M
Published: January 2020

We report on the first NuSTAR observation of the transitional millisecond pulsar binary XSS J12270–4859 during its current rotation-powered state, complemented with a 2.5 yr-long radio monitoring at Parkes telescope and archival XMM–Newton and Swift X-ray and optical data. The radio pulsar is mainly detected at 1.4 GHz displaying eclipses over $\sim 40{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the 6.91 h orbital cycle. We derive a new updated radio ephemeris to study the 3–79 keV light curve that displays a significant orbital modulation with fractional amplitude of $28\pm 3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, a structured maximum centred at the inferior conjunction of the pulsar and no cycle-to-cycle or low–high-flaring mode variabilities. The average X-ray spectrum, extending up to ∼70 keV without a spectral break, is well described by a simple power law with photon index Γ = 1.17 ± 0.08 giving a 3–79 keV luminosity of $\rm 7.6_{-0.8}^{+3.8} \times 10^{32}\, erg\, s^{-1}$ for a distance of 1.37$_{-0.15}^{+0.69}$ kpc. Energy resolved orbital light curves reveal that the modulation is not energy dependent from 3 to 25 keV and is undetected with an upper limit of ${\sim} 10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ above 25 keV. Comparison with previous X-ray XMM–Newton observations in common energy ranges confirms that the modulation amplitudes vary on time-scales of a few months, indicative of a non-stationary contribution of the intrabinary shock (IBS) formed by the colliding winds of the pulsar and the companion. A more detailed inspection of energy resolved modulations than previously reported gives hints of a mild softening at superior conjunction of the pulsar below 3 keV, likely due to the contribution of the thermal emission from the neutron star. The IBS emission, if extending into the MeV range, would be energetically capable alone to irradiate the donor star.
An evaluation of a veterinary-specific mental health service
Authors: McKenzie A , Allister R , Humphrey D , Moore K , Greenberg K , Greenberg N
Published: January 2020

Background

Veterinary professionals are at increased risk of suicide and mental health difficulties compared to the general population. Vetlife Health Support (VHS) is a mental health case management service for veterinarians with mental health difficulties.

Aims

To evaluate the VHS case management service from the service user’s perspective.

Methods

Service users (n = 98) completed questionnaires assessing their experience with VHS and current mental health status using the Kessler-6 Scale. A sub-sample was interviewed and the data qualitatively analysed (n = 14).

Results

The results show that 97% (n = 95) reported a positive experience with VHS and 98% (n = 96) reported VHS staff respected and listened to them. Participants reported significant improvements in relationships with others after VHS (P < 0.001) and were significantly more likely to be in receipt of formal mental health care after VHS than before (P < 0.01). The main emergent themes from the qualitative interviews were (i) positive communication between clinician and service users, (ii) veterinary-specific mental health services were regarded as important to understanding service users’ circumstances, (iii) knowing someone is supporting them positively impacted wellbeing and (iv) confusion with discharge status.

Conclusions

Most participants reported positive experiences with VHS. Quantitatively, data showed that participants reported significant improvements in relationships and access to formal mental health care after contact with VHS. Interviews with service users revealed that they felt speaking to a mental health professional with veterinary-specific knowledge was beneficial for their wellbeing. Further evaluation assessing whether VHS leads to a measurable impact on psychological wellbeing is recommended.
DIY Fraud Investigation and Access to Justice: A Case Study
Authors: Shepherd David
Published: January 2020

Access to justice for fraud victims remains an enduring problem in the UK. Law enforcement agencies have limited capacity and capabilities for delivering criminal justice. Civil justice is so expensive that it is only an option for those with deep pockets or lucky enough to find competent professionals who are willing to work under a conditional fee arrangement (no-win-no-fee). This article describes the progress of a fraud case from a victim’s perspective through both the criminal and civil justice systems in the UK. The experiences describe incompetence in law enforcement, dishonesty and incompetence amongst lawyers and other professionals, and fractured, self-centred justice systems that poorly serve the public in England and Wales.
On the Connection Between Step Approximations and Depth-Averaged Models for Wave Scattering by Variable Bathymetry
Authors: Porter R
Published: January 2020

Two popular and computationally inexpensive class of methods for approximating the propagation of surface waves over two-dimensional variable bathymetry are ‘step approximations’ and ‘depth-averaged models’. In the former, the bathymetry is discretised into short sections of constant depth connected by vertical steps. Scattering across the bathymetry is calculated from the product of $2 \times 2$ transfer matrices whose entries encode scattering properties at each vertical step taken in isolation from all others. In the latter, a separable depth dependence is assumed in the underlying velocity field and a vertical averaging process is implemented leading to a second-order ordinary differential equation (ODE). In this article, the step approximation is revisited and shown to be equivalent to an ODE describing a depth-averaged model in the limit of zero-step length. The ODE depends on how the solution to the canonical vertical step problem is approximated. If a shallow water approximation is used, then the well-known linear shallow water equation results. If a plane-wave variational approximation is used, then a new variant of the mild-slope equations is recovered.
Testamentary trusts and capricious testators
Authors: Pawlowski Mark
Published: January 2020

The notion that a trust may fail because it serves no useful purpose, or reflects merely the whim or fancy of the testator, seems to fly in the face of testamentary freedom and, in particular, the testator’s right to dispose of his estate in whatever manner he chooses subject only to the court’s control over illegal or immoral conditions and the making of reasonable financial provision for his family and dependants. So how have the courts grappled with these two competing aspects of public policy? The tension between these two competing aspects of public policy forms the subject matter of this article.
Snakebite envenomation in the Brazilian Amazon: a cost-of-illness study
Authors: Magalhães Samara Freire Valente , Peixoto Henry Maia , de Almeida Gonçalves Sachett Jacqueline , Oliveira Sâmella S , Alves Eliane Campos , dos Santos Ibiapina Hiochelson Najibe , Monteiro Wuelton Marcelo , de Oliveira Maria Regina Fernandes
Published: January 2020

Background

Snakebites account for significant morbidity and mortality. Their occurrence in the Brazilian Amazon warrants an analysis that will enable better understanding of their economic impact and thus contribute to their management and prevention. This study aimed to estimate the cost of snakebite envenomation in the Brazilian Amazon in 2015.

Methods

We conducted a cost-of-illness study of snakebite in the Brazilian Amazon in 2015 based on official surveillance data to estimate burden from a societal, patient and public health system perspective. Direct medical costs were estimated via a top-down approach. Loss of productivity was estimated by a human capital approach.

Results

The study included 11 503 cases and 56 deaths. The estimated cost to the health system was US$3.115.861,28. The estimated cost due to premature death caused by snakebite was US$3031 300.38. The cost attributed to the loss of productivity due to absence from work was US$1539 518.62. The estimated cost from the patient's perspective was US$268 914.18. Therefore the total cost of snakebite in the Brazilian Amazon was estimated to be almost than US$8 million in 2015.

Conclusions

The economic burden of snakebite in Brazilian Amazon is notably high. Snakebites cause loss of productivity through inpatient treatment or deaths.
Linking influenza virus evolution within and between human hosts
Authors: Xue Katherine S , Bloom Jesse D
Published: January 2020

Influenza viruses rapidly diversify within individual human infections. Several recent studies have deep-sequenced clinical influenza infections to identify viral variation within hosts, but it remains unclear how within-host mutations fare at the between-host scale. Here, we compare the genetic variation of H3N2 influenza within and between hosts to link viral evolutionary dynamics across scales. Synonymous sites evolve at similar rates at both scales, indicating that global evolution at these putatively neutral sites results from the accumulation of within-host variation. However, nonsynonymous mutations are depleted between hosts compared to within hosts, suggesting that selection purges many of the protein-altering changes that arise within hosts. The exception is at antigenic sites, where selection detectably favors nonsynonymous mutations at the global scale, but not within hosts. These results suggest that selection against deleterious mutations and selection for antigenic change are the main forces that act on within-host variants of influenza virus as they transmit and circulate between hosts.
Phylogenetic relationships and classification of the Chloropinae of the world (Diptera: Chloropidae)
Authors: Riccardi Paula Raile , Amorim Dalton De Souza
Published: January 2020

The Chloropidae is a species-rich family of flies with about 3000 species in four subfamilies. The Chloropinae is the second most species-rich subfamily with almost 1000 described species in 75 accepted genera. There is agreement about the monophyly of the subfamily; however, the relationships among the genera are still poorly understood and some genera are clearly paraphyletic. Thus, the interpretation of the evolution of morphological traits, such as male terminalia sclerites, remains challenging. This is the first phylogenetic study of the Chloropinae using a formal analytical approach, including representatives of 73 genera of the subfamily and 124 morphological characters. The monophyly of the Chloropinae is corroborated. Chloropella is sister to the remainder of the subfamily. Slightly different analytical procedures show stable clades and rogue taxa. We propose a system for the subfamily with ten tribes, three of which are newly proposed here—Chloropellini trib. nov., Chloropini, Chloropsinini trib. nov., Diplotoxini, Eurinini stat. nov., Lasiosinini, Mepachymerini, Meromyzini, Mindini and Pseudothaumatomyini. Eight genera are kept incertae sedis and two new genera are erected. There is compelling evidence that Chlorops and Ectecephalina are paraphyletic.
Caring for Young Children Exposed to Marijuana
Authors: Ruiz Natasha M. , Shapiro Susan E.
Published: January 2020

This article reviews the research report, Marijuana Exposure Among Children Younger Than Six Years in the United States (B. Onders, M. Casavant, H. Spiller, T. Chounthirath, & G. Smith, 2016), and, using a case study approach, applies the findings to advanced practice registered nurses. B. Onders et al. (2016) extracted data from the National Poison Data System showing an increasing trend in marijuana exposure in children, especially in states where marijuana has been legalized for either medicinal use or recreational use. Advanced practice registered nurses need to be comfortable recognizing and managing marijuana intoxication in the pediatric population, as well as educating parents in providing safe environments for their children.
Chemotherapy in the Emergency Department? There Is a Role for That
Authors: Weant Kyle A. , Bailey Abby M. , Baum Regan A. , Justice Stephanie B. , Calhoun Chara D.
Published: January 2020

Approximately 1.6% of all emergency department (ED) visits in the United States are for vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy, translating to around 500,000 ED visits per year. A potentially life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy occurs in 1.5%–2% of pregnancies. Many patients will require either surgical or pharmacological intervention following a positive diagnosis. With regard to pharmacological options, methotrexate, largely known for its use in the oncology arena, has emerged as the most effective nonsurgical option and the pharmacological agent of choice. However, this therapy is not without its own unique adverse event profile and patients should be adequately educated on the monitoring parameters of this pharmacotherapy.
A survey of algorithms for transforming molecular dynamics data into metadata for
in situ
analytics based on machine learning methods
Authors: Taufer Michela , Estrada Trilce , Johnston Travis
Published: January 2020

This paper presents the survey of three algorithms to transform atomic-level molecular snapshots from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations into metadata representations that are suitable for
in situ
analytics based on machine learning methods. MD simulations studying the classical time evolution of a molecular system at atomic resolution are widely recognized in the fields of chemistry, material sciences, molecular biology and drug design; these simulations are one of the most common simulations on supercomputers. Next-generation supercomputers will have a dramatically higher performance than current systems, generating more data that needs to be analysed (e.g. in terms of number and length of MD trajectories). In the future, the coordination of data generation and analysis can no longer rely on manual, centralized analysis traditionally performed after the simulation is completed or on current data representations that have been defined for traditional visualization tools. Powerful data preparation phases (i.e. phases in which original row data is transformed to concise and still meaningful representations) will need to proceed data analysis phases. Here, we discuss three algorithms for transforming traditionally used molecular representations into concise and meaningful metadata representations. The transformations can be performed locally. The new metadata can be fed into machine learning methods for runtime
in situ
analysis of larger MD trajectories supported by high-performance computing. In this paper, we provide an overview of the three algorithms and their use for three different applications: protein–ligand docking in drug design; protein folding simulations; and protein engineering based on analytics of protein functions depending on proteins' three-dimensional structures.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science’.
The parallelism motifs of genomic data analysis
Authors: Yelick Katherine , Buluç Aydın , Awan Muaaz , Azad Ariful , Brock Benjamin , Egan Rob , Ekanayake Saliya , Ellis Marquita , Georganas Evangelos , Guidi Giulia , Hofmeyr Steven , Selvitopi Oguz , Teodoropol Cristina , Oliker Leonid
Published: January 2020

Genomic datasets are growing dramatically as the cost of sequencing continues to decline and small sequencing devices become available. Enormous community databases store and share these data with the research community, but some of these genomic data analysis problems require large-scale computational platforms to meet both the memory and computational requirements. These applications differ from scientific simulations that dominate the workload on high-end parallel systems today and place different requirements on programming support, software libraries and parallel architectural design. For example, they involve irregular communication patterns such as asynchronous updates to shared data structures. We consider several problems in high-performance genomics analysis, including alignment, profiling, clustering and assembly for both single genomes and metagenomes. We identify some of the common computational patterns or ‘motifs’ that help inform parallelization strategies and compare our motifs to some of the established lists, arguing that at least two key patterns, sorting and hashing, are missing.

This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science’.
A Refined View of Airway Microbiome in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at Species and Strain-levels
Authors: Wang Zhang , Liu Haiyue , Wang Fengyan , Yang Yuqiong , Wang Xiaojuan , Chen Boxuan , Stampfli Martin R. , Zhou Hongwei , Shu Wensheng , Brightling Christopher E. , Liang Zhenyu , Chen Rongchang
Published: January 2020

Little is known about the species and strain-level diversity of the airway microbiome, and its implication in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Here we report the first comprehensive analysis of the COPD airway microbiome at species and strain-levels. The full-length 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from sputum in 98 stable COPD patients and 27 age-matched healthy controls, using the ‘third-generation’ Pacific Biosciences sequencing platform.

Individual species within the same genus exhibited reciprocal relationships with COPD and disease severity. Species dominant in health can be taken over by another species within the same genus in GOLD IV patients. Such turnover was also related to enhanced symptoms and exacerbation frequency.Ralstonia mannitolilytica, an opportunistic pathogen, was significantly increased in COPD frequent exacerbators. There were inflammatory phenotype-specific associations of microbiome at the species-level. One group of four pathogens includingHaemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis, were specifically associated with sputum mediators for neutrophilic inflammation. Another group of seven species, includingTropheryma whipplei, showed specific associations with mediators for eosinophilic inflammation. Strain-level detection uncovered three non-typeableH. influenzaestrains PittEE, PittGG and 86-028NP in the airway microbiome, where PittGG and 86-028NP abundances may inversely predict eosinophilic inflammation. The full-length 16S data augmented the power of functional inference and led to the unique identification of butyrate-producing and nitrate reduction pathways as significantly depleted in COPD.

Our analysis uncovered substantial intra-genus heterogeneity in the airway microbiome associated with inflammatory phenotypes and could be of clinical importance, thus enabled a refined view of the airway microbiome in COPD.

“Take-home” message

The species-level analysis using the ‘third-generation’ sequencing enabled a refined view of the airway microbiome and its relationship with clinical outcome and inflammatory phenotype in COPD.
A role for theFem-1gene ofDrosophila melanogasterin adult courtship
Authors: Thies Miles , Berke Brett
Published: January 2020

TheFemfamily of genes influences sex determination and/or the development of sex-specific characteristics in a wide variety of organisms. Here, we describe the first mutational analysis of theFem-1gene ofDrosophila melanogaster. The amino acid sequence of the twoDrosophila Fem-1transcripts are moderately conserved compared to that of bothFem-1inC. elegansand the twoFem-1transcripts in humans, with multiple ankyrin repeats. Using two transposon-induced mutations ofDrosophila Fem-1, we observed striking defects in adult courtship behavior that are attributed to defects in male courting as opposed to female receptivity. Specifically, viableFem-1mutant males courtedFem-1females more vigorously with an increased amount of chasing and singing than pairs of control flies. Nevertheless,Fem-1males did not copulate at a higher frequency than controls. The above courtship defects persisted whenFem-1males courted control females, but no phenotypes were observed when control males courtedFem-1females. These results indicate thatDrosophila Fem-1may interact with other genes involved in courtship and sex determination.Fem-1mutants also suppressed wing and body growth, consistent with the actions of a homologue in mice. Additional analyses of theseFem-1alleles will help address the nature of these mutations, deepen our molecular understanding of courtship, and contribute to the evolutionary relationships among this highly conserved gene family.
Set-size effects in change detection depend on failures of retrieval and/or comparison and not on perception, encoding or storage
Authors: Moreland James C. , Palmer John , Boynton Geoffrey M.
Published: January 2020

Set-size effects in change detection is often used to investigate the capacity limits of dividing attention. Such capacity limits have been attributed to a variety of processes including perception, memory encoding, memory storage, memory retrieval, comparison and decision. In this study, we investigated the locus of the effect of increasing set size from 1 to 2. To measure purely attentional effects and not other phenomena such as crowding, a precue was used to manipulate relevant set size and keep the display constant across conditions. The task was to detect a change in the orientation of 1 or 2 Gabor patterns. The locus of the capacity limits was determined by varying when observers were cued to the only stimulus that was relevant. We began by measuring the baseline set-size effect in an initial experiment. In the next experiment, a 100% valid postcue was added to test for an effect of decision. This postcue did not change the set-size effects. In the critical experiments, a 100% valid cue was provided during the retention interval between displays, or only one stimulus was presented in the second display (local recognition). For both of these conditions, there was little or no set-size effect. This pattern of results was found for both hard-to-discriminate stimuli typical of perception experiments and easy-to-discriminate stimuli typical of memory experiments. These results are consistent with capacity limits in memory retrieval, and/or comparison. For these set sizes, the results are not consistent with capacity limits in perception, memory encoding or memory storage.

Significance Section

The change detection paradigm is often used to demonstrate effects of divided attention. But it is not clear whether these effects are due to perception, memory, or judgment and decision. In this article, we present new evidence that the divided attention effect in change detection is due to limits in memory retrieval or comparison processes. These results are not consistent with limits in perception, memory encoding or memory storage.
The identification of geographical factors on the determination of the value of agri-food companies
Authors: Maté-Sánchez-Val Mariluz , Occhino Paolo
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence about the role of the geography on agri-food firms’ valuations. The goal is to test clusters and agglomeration effects on the SMEs valuations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose an empirical test applying a spatial regression analysis on a sample constitute by 306 agri-food SMEs located in two municipalities with different economic characteristics: Murcia and Madrid. In addition, the authors applied the discounted cash flow model in order to estimate the SMEs’ economic value.

Findings

The findings show the importance of the geography variables on the SMEs’ performances highlights interesting differences between territories. In particular, the results confirm that the geographical proximity between agri-food firms and between them and external agents is significant on firms’ valuations. The agglomeration effects are verified in both municipality but the density variable present a negative non-linear effect confirming previous studies which indicates that the existence of a large number of firms 05 rise competition, decreasing the economic opportunities of these companies.

Originality/value

This study gives interesting insights to policymakers, researchers and practitioners concerning the importance of the relationships among agents, also favoured by a developed infrastructures system in a fully connected environment.
Getting executives to SIT: building leaders’ resilience and stress tolerance for enhanced organizational effectiveness
Authors: Dannels Laura P. , Masters John D.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper presents stress inoculation as a method for reducing executives’ stress and enhancing their resilience and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of theory and research on executive stress, resilience, and stress inoculation training was conducted.

Findings

Across studies, stress inoculation training has yielded reductions in performance anxiety and state anxiety while improving performance under stress.

Practical implications

Stress inoculation training offers a highly customized and practical way for executives to design adaptive responses to the stressors they find particularly difficult.

Originality/value

Stress inoculation training traditionally has been applied in clinical settings and in extremely stressful settings (e.g., military, law enforcement). This article describes how this intervention may be applied within organizations as a needed addition to the complement of stress management approaches currently offered to executives.
Community colleges through the human resource organizational frame
Authors: Scull W. Reed , Harbour Cliff , Han Keonghee Tao
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to encourage community college leaders to make greater use of the human resources organizational frame in understanding their organizations and implementing measures to support its students.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological approach: Concepts are drawn from key texts examining human resources organizational frame analysis and community college leadership to locate areas of community college policy development and operations that resonate with tenets of this organizational frame.

Findings

Connections between some of the typical operations and policies of community colleges and the analytical tenets and concerns of the human resources frame are explored.

Research limitations/implications

More in-depth literature analysis could well lead to the discussion of additional measures animated by the human resources frame that can be taken to better support students and their learning.

Practical implications

These connections between the human resources frame and community college policy and methods of operation lead to the authors’ recommendation that community college leaders should make particular efforts think and act with the human resources frame in mind. Emerging issues that are consistent with the concerns and tenets of this frame can be highlighted and recognized for further use in leadership and management practice.

Social implications

Community colleges are critical in human capital development for all societal sectors. A human resources perspective puts people and human values at the center of organizational analysis.

Originality/value

We add emphasis to leading recommendations for understanding and practice of community colleges through multiple frames. We suggest that the concerns of the human resource organizational frame can help leaders provide thought and action that has additional relevance and possibility.
Mindfulness training in the workplace: exploring its scope and outcomes
Authors: Johnson Karen R. , Park Sunyoung , Chaudhuri Sanghamitra
Published: January 2020

Purpose

As the concept of mindfulness gains popularity in the workplace, there is a need to understand the extent to which mindfulness-related practices are integrated into training and development activities and the impact of these practices on employees and organizations. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the scope of mindfulness as an intervention in the workplace and to identify outcomes of mindfulness-related training activities at the individual, job/work, team/group and organizational levels.

Design/methodology/approach

Torraco (2005) and Briner and Denyer's (2012) four steps (search, selection, analysis and synthesis) for conducting an integrative literature review were used for this study. This method enabled us to compare and contrast relevant articles, integrate distributed information, create new knowledge and provide research directions on mindfulness practices in work settings.

Findings

Through a revision of 28 empirical studies, the authors found that mindfulness-based training is an effective intervention for organizations to improve mental health, wellbeing and performance of employees. A total of 51 significant outcomes of mindfulness-related training categorized at the individual (23), job/work (17), group/team (7) and organizational (4) levels were identified.

Practical implications

Despite the benefits of mindfulness training, according to the research, only a handful of organizations have rolled-out this program for employees. The authors recommend that industry leaders and managers take a proactive approach and incorporate mindfulness-related practices as part of their professional development training for employees at all levels to improve personal and professional growth and performance.

Originality/value

This paper extends the emerging literature on mindfulness by providing a comprehensive summary of the consequences of mindfulness training at a multilevel context within the human resource development domain.
The spatial price map of India drawn using pseudo unit values
Authors: Majumder Amita , Ray Ranjan , Santra Sattwik
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to apply a proposed methodology for calculating spatial prices in a heterogeneous country setting such as India with limited price information. Based on the empirical evidence, the study plans to draw the spatial price map of India with different colours denoting states and districts with varying level of spatial prices.

Design/methodology/approach

This study shows that a procedure proposed by Lewbel (1989), based on the idea by Barten (1964) that household composition changes have “quasi-price effects”, can be used to estimate spatial prices in the absence of information on regional prices.

Findings

The evidence on spatial price differences in India, which is the most comprehensive to date because it goes down to district level, shows that the proposed procedure has considerable potential in future applications on other data sets with limited price information. The policy importance of the results is underlined by the sensitivity of the demand elasticities to the inclusion/omission of spatial price variation.

Research limitations/implications

The study uses “pseudo unit values” based on household composition and demographic effects on demand as proxy for the missing price information. While the work of Atella et al. (2004) suggests that such proxies are accurate representations of true prices, nevertheless, they are proxies and the results should be treated with caution.

Practical implications

The evidence on spatial prices in India that point to a high degree of price heterogeneity between regions implies that welfare applications such as income distributional and poverty studies must take account of the price heterogeneity within the country. The implications extend beyond India to cross-country exercises such as the purchasing power parity calculations undertaken by the International Comparison Project.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that provide evidence on spatial price heterogeneity within a country without requiring regional price information. Methodologically, the paper builds on the suggestion of Lewbel (RES, 1989) in showing how the demographic effects on household expenditure pattern can be used to estimate spatial prices. The value of the contribution lies in the use that the estimated spatial prices can be put to in calculating inequality and poverty rates and in standard of living comparisons between regions in the country.
Morality within the limits of practical reason: a critique of Kant’s concept of moral virtue
Authors: Ezedike Edward Uzoma
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate Kant’s idea of grounding morality within the limits of practical reason. Kant argues that morality must be devoid of emotions if the authors must make the right decisions. His idea of morality is basically ratiocentric. This paper, therefore, seeks a justification of Kant’s ratiocentricism, which excludes subjective emotional dimensions in moral actions and judgements.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a critical and analytic method of research. It is not empirical research, and hence, does not make use of tables and quantifiable data. The methodology is exclusively qualitative in nature.

Findings

The major finding of this research work is that an application of practical reason is necessary for the moral agency but it is not a sufficient condition for moral agency. The existential realities demand a synthetic application of reason and emotion in moral issues. So then, a good will is determined by the rational principle. The reason is an organic whole that is capable of functioning both practically and theoretically. The practical reason is not reasoned functioning to acquire knowledge but reason operating as a guide and as the directing force of the will. The application of pure, practical reason and relevant emotional considerations is both necessary and sufficient for moral agency.

Originality/value

This paper is the outcome of deep critical reflections on Kant’s moral philosophy by the author.
Fuel to the fire? The sensemaking of volunteer firefighters and public managers in the context of public reform
Authors: Van den Ende Leonore , van Steden Ronald , Boersma Kees
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance ongoing debates on the organizational impact of wider public sector reform in the field of organizational change management by presenting an analysis the regionalization of the fire service in the Netherlands. How regionalization has impacted the work floor of local fire stations, where the workplace majority comprises volunteers, requires further empirical investigation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply an interpretive approach and qualitative methodology to study how volunteer firefighters and public management make sense of public reform and the ensuing organizational change.

Findings

Findings indicate that while the fire service has professionalized, notable tensions have emerged between public management and volunteers, the regional and local level of fire service and between professionalism and volunteerism which are problematised in the paper.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper is found in the insight it provides in the sensemaking of volunteer firefighters and public managers of diverse of change regions and fire stations during the regionalization process by applying an emergent perspective to change.
Preparing for PhD: exploring doctoral students’ preparation strategy
Authors: Syed Mohamed Ahmad Thamrini Fadzlin , Amir Ahmad Fahimi , Ab. Rahman Nur Khadirah , Abd Rahman Emily , Abdul Nasir Afifah Quraishah
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give insight on the important preparation task needed to be considered by prospective PhD candidates prior to the start of their study. As pursuing and obtaining a higher degree qualification is becoming more eminent for those who want to advance their academic career, crucial preparation is needed before embarking on the doctoral quest.

Design/methodology/approach

A small-scale study of the PhD experience was carried out in a public university in Malaysia using semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight successful doctoral students representing three different faculties to assess respondents’ experiences concerning the preparation aspect, challenges faced and strategies used to overcome the problem.

Findings

From the interview data, three overarching themes emerged: motives, task and financial and health as important dominators that could influence a successful venture of a PhD journey.

Research limitations/implications

As the present research respondents were few, further research with bigger number of respondents may shed better light in identifying other important aspect in preparation for PhD. The authors are unable, in the space of this paper, to fully explore the implications of the data, and the work of others that it builds on, for the future of professional doctorates or other types of PhD awards. As professional doctorates are fully concentrated on their professional endeavour, i.e. nursing and education, the preparation needed may include different groundwork. In addition, this study was carried out in Malaysia, where the system may not necessarily share the same characteristics to other doctoral systems in other countries. Cultural differences, the impact of age, gender and race, were other variables that could be weighed by future research in the same area.

Practical implications

The university’s graduate office should line-up courses to inform future doctoral candidates on the aspect of preparation at personal level that the students need to carry out.

Social implications

The study provides new views where potential doctoral students should be helped and guided to become more consciously aware of their decision in pursuing a higher degree. This paper provides suggestions on the guidelines of the initial preparation needed before embarking on a PhD journey and managing their own learning.

Originality/value

The paper establishes the important aspect of the preparation phase needed to be considered by future doctoral students before pursuing their doctoral quest.
The future of tourism journals: a perspective article
Authors: McKercher Bob
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Overview of the future of our journals.

Design/methodology/approach

Descriptive.

Findings

The future is unsure but it is likely that journals will remain the key outlet for authors’ work.

Research limitations/implications

None.

Practical implications

Applicable to academics.

Originality/value

Original.
Consumption and Wage Inequality in the US: The Dynamics of the Last Three Decades
Authors: Amin‐Smith Neil , Attanasio Orazio P.
Published: January 2020

In this paper, we look at the evolution of consumption and wage inequality from 1980 to 2016 in the US. We use data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX) and the Current Population Survey (CPS) to look at differences in consumption and wages across groups in the population defined by educational attainment of the household head and year‐of‐birth cohort. We show that the results obtained by Attanasio and Davis (1996) for non‐durable consumption still hold in more recent decades. In addition to non‐durable consumption and services, we look at inequality measured in terms of expenditure on and stock of vehicles. The advantages of looking at these measures are that information on cars is typically measured more accurately than other components of expenditure and consumers are more likely to react by adjusting their stock of vehicles on the basis of long‐term expectations about their economic prospects.
Roadmap of cocoa quality and authenticity control in the industry: A review of conventional and alternative methods
Authors: Quelal‐Vásconez Maribel Alexandra , Lerma‐García María Jesús , Pérez‐Esteve Édgar , Talens Pau , Barat José Manuel
Published: January 2020

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and its derivatives are appreciated for their aroma, color, and healthy properties, and are commodities of high economic value worldwide. Wide ranges of conventional methods have been used for years to guarantee cocoa quality. Recently, however, demand for global cocoa and the requirements of sensory, functional, and safety cocoa attributes have changed. On the one hand, society and health authorities are increasingly demanding new more accurate quality control tests, including not only the analysis of physicochemical and sensory parameters, but also determinations of functional compounds and contaminants (some of which come in trace quantities). On the other hand, increased production forces industries to seek quality control techniques based on fast, nondestructive online methods. Finally, an increase in global cocoa demand and a consequent rise in prices can lead to future cases of fraud. For this reason, new analytes, technologies, and ways to analyze data are being researched, developed, and implemented into research or quality laboratories to control cocoa quality and authenticity. The main advances made in destructive techniques focus on developing new and more sensitive methods such as chromatographic analysis to detect metabolites and contaminants in trace quantities. These methods are used to assess cocoa quality; study new functional properties; control cocoa authenticity; or detect frequent emerging frauds. Regarding nondestructive methods, spectroscopy is the most explored technique, which is conducted within the near infrared range, and also within the medium infrared range to a lesser extent. It is applied mainly in the postharvest stage of cocoa beans to analyze different biochemical parameters or to assess the authenticity of cocoa and its derivatives.
Development of a green fluorescence protein (GFP)‐based bioassay for detection of antibiotics and its application in milk
Authors: Yazgan Karacaglar Nazife Nur , Topcu Ali , Dudak Fahriye Ceyda , Boyaci Ismail Hakki
Published: January 2020

Antibiotics are one of the most widely used types of drugs in pharmaceutics. However, efficiency of these drugs has decreased recently owing to the threat of antibiotic resistance. One of the important factors causing antibiotic resistance is the excessive use of antibacterials in animals. Therefore, detection of antibiotics in foods of animal origin is crucial. The aim of this study was to develop a novel whole‐cell based bioassay to be used for detection of some antibiotics. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐expressing Escherichia coli cells were used as a recognition agent, and antibiotic detection was carried out by pursuing the inhibition rate of fluorescence intensity as a result of the inhibition of viable cells by the time of progress. The performance of bioassay was tested for different antibiotics, and the obtained results showed that the developed method can be used successfully for detection of ampicillin, benzylpenicillin, gentamicin, neomycin, and tetracycline with the limit of detection (LOD) values of 3.33, 0.29, 28.00, 618.36, and 33.17 µg/L, respectively. The assay was also tested with antibiotic spiked milk samples (skimmed UHT, full‐fat UHT, and whole raw milk). According to obtained recovery values, developed method was successful for all samples. The precision and bias values of the method were found between the range of 1.30% to 7.54% and −8.00% to 0.64%, respectively. The developed method, which is inexpensive and simple with detection limits in line with the regulatory limits, is promising for use in milk quality monitoring. Method has potential to be used as a screening method after comprehensive validation.

Practical Application

This method could be used in animal husbandry to check whether the antibiotic prescribed for the treatment of sick animals is still present in their milk as residual. For dairy industry, detection of residual antibiotics in milk is crucial because of their inhibition effects on the fermentation processes. Therefore, the proposed method can be used for routine analysis of raw milk reception in dairy industries. In addition, it is considered to have a wide range of applications for all foods.