bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disaster preparedness and humanitarian response in flood and landslide-affected communities in Eastern Uganda
Authors: Doocy Shannon , Russell Evan , Gorokhovich Yuri , Kirsch Thomas
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to characterize and investigate relationships between disaster preparedness, impacts, and humanitarian response among Eastern Uganda populations affected by the 2010 landslides and floods.

Design/methodology/approach

– A stratified cluster survey of the disaster-affected populations was conducted five months after the onset of the disasters. Probability proportional to size sampling was used to sample 800 households, including 400 affected by floods in Butaleja District and 400 affected by landslides in Bududa District.

Findings

– Mortality was significantly higher in the landslide-affected populations as compared to flood-affected populations (deaths reported: 4.5 vs 1.6 percent, p<0.01) whereas injuries were more common in the flood-affected areas (injuries reported: 3.1 vs 1.1 percent, p<0.01). Livelihoods impacts were widespread and reported in more than 95 percent of households. Respondents indicated that the community and government were unprepared to respond in both flood (90.5 and 77.8 percent, respectively) and landslide (95.3 and 74.9 percent) affected areas.

Practical implications

– The majority of households felt that both their communities and the government were unprepared to respond to disasters. Given the likelihood for recurrence of natural disasters in these communities, expansion of both community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) programs and their evidence base should be prioritized.

Originality/value

– There is a paucity of evidence on community perceptions of disaster preparedness and on CBDP programs. The paper highlights these issues in the context of two disasters in Uganda and calls for expansion of the evidence based to inform risk reduction strategies in low-income settings.
Diversity perspectives and minority nonprofit board member inclusion
Authors: Sessler Bernstein Ruth , Bilimoria Diana
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Using survey data of nonprofit board members from racial/ethnic minority groups, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the three work group perspectives toward diversity theorized by Ely and Thomas (2001) – discrimination-and-fairness (P1), access-and-legitimacy (P2), and integration-and-learning (P3) – are associated with minority group members’ inclusion experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper investigates how an organization's motivations for board diversity, as perceived by racial/ethnic minority board members, drive various organizational- and board-level practices and behaviors, and ultimately impact their experience of inclusion. The paper uses two different operationalizations of the diversity perspectives to assess their impact on minority board members’ inclusion experiences. The hypothesized model was tested using partial least squares analyses on the responses of 403 racial/ethnic minority nonprofit board members.

Findings

– Regardless of the measure used, racial/ethnic minority board members experienced increased feelings of inclusion as the perceived operating perspective for board diversity changed from P1 to P2 to P3, while concurrently the mediating factors influencing inclusion experiences changed in significance. Findings support the importance of the integration-and-learning perspective for the experience of inclusion by racial/ethnic minority board members.

Practical implications

– Findings indicate that organizations that employ an integration-and-learning approach to diversity and focus on encouraging their majority group members to engage in inclusive behaviors, rather than on policies and procedures, will engender the racial/ethnic minorities’ experience of inclusion.

Originality/value

– The paper quantitatively investigated how three organizational diversity paradigms are associated with the individual inclusion experiences of minority nonprofit board members.
The practice of intersectionality: the amateur elite sport development game
Authors: Ryan Irene , Martin Simon
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to seek the potential of an intersectional methodology to scholars interested in processes of exclusion and subordination in organizations in particular the sport sector. The amateur sport sector in New Zealand is used as a case to address the theme: intersectional practices of organizing and their consequences.

Design/methodology/approach

– The conceptual paper brings together strands of interdisciplinary research to model an intersectional framework for future research development. In the paper, the interplay of shifting forms of inequality, inclusion and exclusion that are implicit in processes of elite amateur sport management, are made visible.

Findings

– The paper argues for an intersectional framework to understand the complex processes of inclusion, exclusion and subordination in the elite amateur sport sector. Institutionalized change is a process that can have negative or positive consequences; it depends on perceptions of those affected by it. Sport in the wider environment is portrayed as intrinsically a “good” thing, yet the paper argues that sport reflects and reinforces social inequalities. There is a clear need for intersectional analysis of the work-life experiences of unpaid athletes involved in elite sport development processes.

Originality/value

– The paper argues for the use of intersectionality as a multi-level methodological approach for scholars to understand the complex processes of inclusion, exclusion and subordination in organizations, including those involved in the delivery of elite amateur sport. The authors anticipate this methodological approach will contribute a valuable insight to understanding institutional power dynamics.
Understanding consumer responses to retailers' cause related voucher schemes
Authors: Gorton Matthew , Angell Robert , White John , Tseng Yu-Shan
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present and test a conceptual model for understanding consumer responses to cause related voucher schemes (CRVS), considering the initiatives of two UK-based grocery retailers (Tesco and Morrisons).

Design/methodology/approach

– The conceptual model incorporates six theoretically derived exogenous constructs, i.e. status of the cause, company-cause fit, personal involvement with the cause, attitudes to the company, perceived sincerity of the company and perceived ubiquity. These are hypothesized to influence consumer responses to three primary endogenous variables: interest in the company, favourability of attitudes to the company and use (impact on purchasing intentions). The model is tested using survey data (n=401) collected in two UK cities.

Findings

– All but two of the hypothesized path relationships were confirmed and the percentage of explained variance for the primary endogenous variables compares well against previous models. Attitudes to the company, perceived ubiquity and favourability were identified as significant predictors of behavioural intentions (use).

Practical implications

– In selecting a cause, managers need to think carefully about the status of the cause, its degree of fit with the company and how to build personal involvement. CRVS initiatives should be focused, with consistency in communication. If a company suffers from negative consumer attitudes, a CRVS alone is unlikely to turn around their business performance.

Originality/value

– The paper represents the first academic assessment of consumer responses to CRVS, introducing and validating a conceptual model.
Socio-economic impacts of climate change on subsistence communities
Authors: H. Matarira Caxton , Pullanikkatil Deepa , Kaseke Tawanda , Shava Everness , Manatsa Desmond
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This study was conducted to assess the socio-economic implications of climate change on the three ecological regions of Lesotho. In the view that climate change is affecting agriculture, subsistence communities are at risk. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two villages were randomly selected from three regions of Lesotho and at least 40 households in each region. The full range of economic activities undertaken was covered to understand how climate affects the communities, and how they are. A livelihood sensitivity matrix was used to determine which resources and livelihoods are most vulnerable to different types of climatic hazards and how the different livelihood activities are impacted by different climate hazards.

Findings

– A large percentage of the community (>95 percent) was aware of the changing climate and the effects on land productivity. Food crops are the most vulnerable to weather, followed by soil and livestock. Climate variables of major concern were hail, drought and dry spells which reduced crop yields.

Originality/value

– This research is important especially to policy makers to make informed decisions in as far as climate change response strategies in Lesotho are concerned. This research thus gives a baseline on these climate change impacts on subsistence communities.
Challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change
Authors: Anibueze Enete Anselm
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to agriculture in Africa, because of its impact on pre- and post-harvest agricultural productivity. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical information on the challenges of cassava post-harvest adaptation to climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study was conducted in two randomly selected states of southeast Nigeria. Data collection was done in two phases; first, there was a rapid rural appraisal and then a detailed survey using a questionnaire administered to 320 randomly selected cassava processors, 40 from each of eight randomly selected cassava farming communities.

Findings

– The respondents were predominantly women, who process, and grow cassava. The factors affecting their level of vulnerability were gender, household size and farm size. While women were more vulnerable than men, households with greater number of persons and/or larger farm size were less vulnerable. Women's vulnerability declined from the 25th income quantile through the 50th to the 75th while the positive effect of farm and household size increased through the same trend. Education was only positively important for the 75th income quantile. The factors constraining adaptation were scarcity of processing inputs, institutional, water and poverty constraints.

Originality/value

– Available literature show that most of the recent studies on climate change and agriculture have tended to concentrate on pre-harvest. Ozor et al. studied barriers to climate change adaptation among farm households of southern Nigeria. Enete and Onyekuru studied empirical evidence of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change, also among farmers of southeast Nigeria. Enete and Amusa presented a literature survey of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change. This study is, not only commodity specific, but also focused on post-harvest.
Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the USA
Authors: (Jessica) Yuan Jingxue , C. Fowler Deborah , K. Goh Ben , K. Lauderdale Mitzi
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican tourist-shoppers to the USA. More specifically, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey instrument was developed incorporating a set of 30 shopping motivation questions. Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology from 92 Mexican visitors who shopped at a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas in 2007. The motivational items were subsequently factor analyzed for possible underlying dimensions.

Findings

– Motivations of cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas demonstrated a combination of two aspects, the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The cross-border consumption and shopping by Mexican residents in Texas, therefore, were both functional and recreational.

Originality/value

– With a better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border shopping, this study developed a model to capture the stimulating influence of the retail environment as well as a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourism in the process of developing a “must visit” destination.
Improving a patient appointment call center at Mayo Clinic
Authors: Rohleder Thomas , Bailey Brian , Crum Brian , Faber Timothy , Johnson Brandon , Montgomery LeTesha , Pringnitz Rachel
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Contact centers for patient and referring physician are important to large medical-centers such as the Mayo Clinic's Central Appointment Office (CAO). The aim of this case study is to report the process and results of a major process improvement effort, designed to simultaneously improve service quality and efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

– Discrete-event simulation and optimization are used and linked to significant service improvements.

Findings

– The process improvement efforts led to about a 70 percent improvement in patient service performance as measured by average answering-speed (ASA) and average abandonment rate (AAR). This was achieved without adding additional staff, despite call volume increasing by 12 percent. Evaluating process improvement projects is difficult owing to the “phased” implementation of changes. Thus, there is no true control against which to compare. Additionally, the results are based on a single case study.

Research limitations/implications

– Evaluation of process improvement projects is difficult due to the “phased” implementation of changes. Thus, there is no true control to compare against.

Practical implications

– Contact center data and operations research methods, such as discrete-event simulation and optimization, can be integrated with change management, which results in significant process improvements in medical call-centers.

Originality/value

– Structured quantitative modeling of contact centers can be an important extension to traditional quality and process improvement techniques.
The impact of audit committee existence and external audit on earnings management
Authors: Alves Sandra
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the combined effect of audit committee existence and external audit on earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses ordinary least squares regression model to examine the effect of audit committee existence, external audit and the interaction between these two monitoring mechanisms on earnings management for a sample of 33 non-financial listed Portuguese firms-year from 2003 to 2009.

Findings

– In contrast to results of most previous studies, which assume that audit committees and external auditor act independently from one another, the paper finds a positive relationship between both audit committee existence and external audit and discretionary accruals. However, this study suggests that the existence of an audit committee and external auditor jointly reduces earnings management.

Practical implications

– The findings based on this study provide useful information for regulators in countries with an institutional environment similar to that of Portugal. In addition, the results also provide useful information to investors in evaluating the impact of audit committee existence and external audit on earnings quality, especially under concentrated ownership.

Originality/value

– The major contribution of the current study is that in contrast to previous studies, which have implicitly assumed that audit committees and external auditors act independently from one another, this study also examines the combined effects of audit committee existence and external auditors on earnings management. In addition, this paper is the first empirical study to investigate the effect of audit committee existence and external audit on earnings management in Portugal.
A theoretical framework for assessing managing and indexing the intellectual capital
Authors: Grimaldi Michele , Cricelli Livio , Rogo Francesco
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework which defines, analyses and assesses the intellectual capital (IC) value drivers (VDs) to increase the value creation of an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed framework is composed by an arrangement of procedural steps. In the first step IC VDs are selected by reason of their relevance and of their occurrences in recent literature. Then, an assessment of the VDs is carried out on the basis of their strategic importance and of their inter-relationships with otherVDs. Finally, an index is constructed from the combination of the static and dynamic characteristics of the selected VDs.

Findings

– This integrated framework provides managers with the possibility of monitoring the response of IC performance to their strategic decisions and helps them to adjust and improve measures to reach the prefixed objectives. Managers’ perception is the fundamental input to the assessment of the contribution of the IC to the value creation process.

Originality/value

– The modality of building the proposed synthetic index innovates the assessment of IC from a quantitative point of view. The framework offers a high degree of flexibility both in defining and managing IC and in assessing each IC value driver in dependence of any variations in market scenery and of any external or internal input of innovation.
Religious discourse and organizational change
Authors: Sidani Yusuf , Showail Sammy
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a case of proactive change that occurred in a large organization in Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explains how management actively used religious discourse to institute a stakeholder perspective within the organization.

Findings

– The process of change that occurred leads to the development of a successful change process that borrows from legitimacy theory and legitimation in discourse. The findings show the impact of religious discourse on organizational change in the context under study.

Research limitations/implications

– While this change process, grounded in religious discourse, cannot be assumed to work across contexts, future research can uncover what contextual or cultural dimensions facilitate or impede such an approach.

Social implications

– This study provides an example as to how change agents can engage people within their organizations in the change process through a systematic process of sensemaking that grants moral legitimacy to company's initiatives.

Originality/value

– The paper draws attention to the importance of religious discourse in institutional change, a thing that has rarely been discussed at the firm level.
A framework for the engineering asset management system
Authors: El-Akruti Khaled , Dwight Richard
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The role of engineering asset management (AM) system as a controlling element within organizations is not well defined or understood. The purpose of this paper is to include the role of AM in the organizational strategy making, an issue that has not received sufficient attention. The focus of the paper is on how such role is maintained by the AM system activities, relationships and mechanisms over the asset-related activities of an organization.

Design/methodology/approach

– As an approach, a reference framework is required that allows research of this area. By combining a number of possible views of an organizational management system a comprehensive view can be established. A review of literature was used to establish a framework identifying the AM system as an integrated part of the organization's management system.

Findings

– A framework is established that focuses on planning and controlling asset-related activities by involving a set of activities, relationships between these activities and feedback mechanisms. A system functional model is proposed integrating the established framework as part of the control of the enterprise system.

Research limitations/implications

– The framework and system functional model are established on a theoretical basis and practical experience requiring applicability to be proven by further research.

Practical implications

– Asset managers in capital intensive organizations can utilize the framework and the system functional model in order to study their AM system, its relationships and to consider how it may be improved.

Originality/value

– Exploring a holistic and relatively new concept.
Green manufacturing performance measures: an empirical investigation from Indian manufacturing industries
Authors: K. Digalwar Abhijeet , R. Tagalpallewar Ashok , K. Sunnapwar Vivek
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to explore the performance measures for the green manufacturing practices in the Indian manufacturing industries.

Design/methodology/approach

– A tentative list of items/variables was developed for green manufacturing performance measures based on a thorough and detailed analysis of the pertinent literature. The survey questionnaire contained 128 items/variables, developed based on the literature and interviews with nine manufacturing industry experts, specifically green manufacturing areas. A total of 400 questionnaires were mailed out, and 114 were returned, of which 108 were valid, representing a response rate of 27 percent. Using the data collected, the identified items/variables were performed via factor analysis to establish reliability and validity.

Findings

– A total of 12 performance measures of green manufacturing with their 66 items/variables have been developed: top management commitment, knowledge management, employee training, green product and process design, employee empowerment, environmental health and safety, suppliers and materials management, production planning and control, quality, cost, customer environment performance requirement, customer responsiveness and company growth.

Research limitations/implications

– This study obtained 108 valid responses from the Indian manufacturing industries; the limitation of the study is the insufficient sampling. Future research needs to be performed using a larger sample and studying more countries.

Practical implications

– The performance measures developed in this study enables decision makers to assess the perception of green manufacturing in their organization and in prioritizing GM efforts.

Originality/value

– This study is probably the first to provide an integrative perspective of performance measures for green manufacturing practices in the Indian manufacturing industries. It gives valuable information, which hopefully will help this business sector to accomplish green manufacturing practices. This paper fills the gap in the literature on identification, establishment and validation of performance measures of green manufacturing for Indian manufacturing industries.
Calendar anomalies in Russian stocks and bonds
Authors: Compton William , A. Kunkel Robert , Kuhlemeyer Gregory
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The paper aims to examine the Russian stock and bond markets for evidence of calendar anomalies in the first decade of the twenty-first century including a monthly seasonality, weekday seasonality, and a turn-of-the-month (TOM) seasonality. The study is motivated by interest in the Russian transition to a free market economy and provides an opportunity to examine an important emerging market in the process of transition, while adding to the extensive body of research on calendar anomalies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Parametric and non-parametric tests are used to examine two Russian stock indices and two Russian bond indices for evidence of persistent calendar patterns in daily returns. The paper also includes in the study a US bond index and US stock index.

Findings

– There is strong evidence of a persistent monthly pattern (but no January effect) and strong evidence of weekday seasonality (but no Monday effect) in the Russian bond market. There is also strong support for a TOM effect in the Russian and US stock and bond markets.

Research limitations/implications

– The stock return data cover a ten-year period covering two recessions, two bull markets, and two bear markets, including the 2008 crisis. The bond market data are limited to six years of data and the results may be biased by the time period analyzed.

Originality/value

– This is the first study, to the knowledge, that extensively examines the Russian stock and bond markets for evidence of calendar anomalies and finds a significant monthly pattern in Russian bonds.
Engaging employees through balanced scorecard implementation
Authors: Yemeshvary Ashok Upadhyay Archana , Palo Sasmita
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to highlight the interplay of employee engagement dynamics during the process of balanced scorecard implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– It takes the form of a case study based on analysis of data collected through archived sources, participant observation, in-depth interviews and focused group discussions.

Findings

– The findings indicate that the process of balanced scorecard implementation brings more clarity about overall vision, strategy and individual roles in the organization. This induces a sense of meaningfulness in the employees about work. The periodic review of performance indicators develops a sense of seriousness and can lead to a performance-oriented work culture. When performance is linked to rewards and incentives and is administered fairly, employees perceive the organization as being just and fair. This leads to enhanced employee engagement and improved contribution to the strategy implementation process.

Research limitations/implications

– The study has limitations that are usually associated with a case study, such as generalizability. The theoretical relationship emerging from this study between the balanced scorecard implementation process and employee engagement can be further verified in large scale longitudinal studies.

Practical implications

– The paper explains how the balanced scorecard implementation process can be used as a tool to improve employee engagement.

Originality/value

– This paper scrutinizes the process of balanced scorecard implementation and emphasizes how the process generates conditions that are antecedents to employee engagement.
Serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine as disease activity and response biomarker in alopecia areata
Authors: Inui Shigeki , Noguchi Fumihito , Nakajima Takeshi , Itami Satoshi
Published: October 2013

Serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine/CCL17 (sTARC) is known as a good indicator for atopic dermatitis severity. Herein, we investigate whether sTARC correlates with severity and therapeutic response for alopecia areata (AA) in our 121 patients. The sTARC mean of AA totalis and universalis was significantly higher than mild AA. Next, we compared sTARC of diffuse AA (n = 14) and severity‐controlled patchy AA (n = 32) and found that sTARC in diffuse AA (564.2 ± 400.0 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that of the patchy type (344.0 ± 239.8 pg/mL), suggesting a potential role of TARC in active progression of diffuse AA. Ten patients with diffuse AA were treated with i.v. corticosteroid pulse therapy. Then, we tested whether sTARC can predict prognosis after the pulse therapy and found that baseline sTARC in the poor responders (1025.5 ± 484.8 pg/mL) was significantly higher than that in the good responders (complete remission at 24 months after the pulse therapy, 347.8 ± 135.7 pg/mL), indicating sTARC as a response biomarker in the corticosteroid pulse therapy for diffuse AA. Finally, to investigate TARC production in the affected hair follicles, we performed immunohistochemical double staining of TARC and CD68 using scalp skin specimens of diffuse AA with high titers of sTARC. The results showed their co‐localization in the infiltrating cells around the AA hair follicles, suggesting that TARC is mainly produced from CD68+ histiocytes. In conclusion, sTARC is a disease activity and response biomarker in AA, providing new insight beyond the T‐helper 1/2 paradigm to solve the immunological pathogenesis of AA.
Finding generality in ecology: a model for globally distributed experiments
Authors: Borer Elizabeth T. , Harpole W. Stanley , Adler Peter B. , Lind Eric M. , Orrock John L. , Seabloom Eric W. , Smith Melinda D.
Published: October 2013

Advancing the field of ecology relies on understanding generalities and developing theories based on empirical and functional relationships that integrate across organismal to global spatial scales and span temporal scales. Significant advances in predicting responses of ecological communities to globally extensive anthropogenic perturbations, for example, require understanding the role of environmental context in determining outcomes, which in turn requires standardized experiments across sites and regions. Distributed collaborative experiments can lead to high‐impact advances that would otherwise be unachievable.

Here, we provide specific advice and considerations relevant to researchers interested in employing this emerging approach using as a case study our experience developing and running the Nutrient Network, a globally distributed experimental network (currently >75 sites in 17 countries) that arose from a grassroots, cooperative research effort.

We clarify the design, goals and function of the Nutrient Network as a model to empower others in the scientific community to employ distributed experiments to advance our predictive understanding of global‐scale ecological trends and responses.

Our experiences to date demonstrate that globally distributed experimental science need not be prohibitively expensive or time‐consuming on a per capita basis and is not limited to senior scientists or countries where science is well funded. While distributed experiments are not a panacea for understanding ecological systems, they can substantially complement existing approaches.
Interspecific transfer of resistance to Plum pox virus from almond to peach by grafting
Authors: Rubio M. , Martínez‐Gómez P. , García J. A. , Dicenta F.
Published: October 2013

Grafting almond variety ‘Garrigues’ onto ‘GF305’ peach seedlings heavily infected by Plum pox virus (PPV) progressively produces the disappearance of viral symptoms and drastically reduces virus accumulation in ‘GF305’ rootstock, in most cases to undetectable levels. This response appears to be specific between almond and peach, as it was not consistently observed by grafting ‘Garrigues’ onto other Prunus species such as plum (‘Adesoto’) or apricot (‘Real Fino’). The ability to induce resistance to PPV in ‘GF305’ was transmitted to the sexual descendants of Garrigues. Furthermore, grafting ‘Garrigues’ onto ‘GF305’ before PPV inoculation completely prevented virus infection, showing that the resistance is constitutive and not induced by the virus. This fact suggests that resistance may be due to the transfer of a defence factor from ‘Garrigues’ almond through the graft union and its interaction with specific factors of ‘GF305’ peach to produce the antiviral response. These results open new avenues to potential protection against PPV in peach, the most economically important species among stone fruits.
Legalization of Sunday alcohol sales and alcohol consumption in the United States
Authors: Yörük Barış K.
Published: October 2013

Aims

To investigate the relationship between legalization of Sunday alcohol sales and alcohol consumption in the United States.

Design

State‐level per capita consumption of beer, wine and spirits was analyzed using difference‐in‐differences econometric methods.

Setting

United States.

Participants

Five treatment states that repealed their laws restricting Sunday alcohol sales during 1990–2007 and 12 control states that retained their Sunday alcohol laws during the same period.

Measurements

Outcome measures are state‐level per capita consumption of overall alcohol, beer, wine and spirits.

Findings

Among the states that legalized Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Mexico experienced significant increases in overall alcohol consumption (P < 0.05). However, the effect of the legalization of Sunday alcohol sales in Massachusetts and Rhode Island on per capita alcohol consumption was insignificant (P = 0.964 and P = 0.367).

Conclusions

Three out of five states in the United States that repealed their laws restricting Sunday sale of alcoholic beverages during 1990–2007 experienced significant increases in per capita alcohol consumption. This finding implies that increased alcohol availability leads to an increase in alcohol consumption.
Training family members to manage heroin overdose and administer naloxone: randomized trial of effects on knowledge and attitudes
Authors: Williams Anna V. , Marsden John , Strang John
Published: October 2013

Aims

To evaluate a heroin overdose management training programme for family members based on emergency recovery procedures and take‐home naloxone (THN) administration.

Design

A two‐group, parallel‐arm, non‐blinded, randomized controlled trial of group‐based training versus an information‐only control.

Setting

Training events delivered in community addiction treatment services in three locations in England.

Participants

A total of 187 family members and carers allocated to receive either THN training or basic information on opioid overdose management (n = 95 and n = 92, respectively), with 123 participants completing the study.

Measurements

The primary outcome measure was a self‐completion Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale (OOKS; range 0–45) and an Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS; range 28–140) was the secondary outcome measure. Each group was assessed before receiving their assigned condition and followed‐up 3 months after. Events of witnessing and managing an overdose during follow‐up were also recorded.

Findings

At follow‐up, study participants who had received THN training reported greater overdose‐related knowledge relative to those receiving basic information only [OOKS mean difference, 4.08 (95% confidence interval, 2.10–6.06; P < 0.001); Cohen's d = 0.74 (0.37–1.10)]. There were also more positive opioid overdose‐related attitudes among the trained group at follow‐up [OOAS mean difference, 7.47 (3.13–11.82); P = 0.001; d = 0.61 (0.25–0.97)]. At the individual level 35 and 54%, respectively, of the experimental group increased their knowledge and attitudes compared with 11 and 30% of the control group. During follow‐up, 13 participants witnessed an overdose with naloxone administered on eight occasions: five among the THN‐trained group and three among the controls.

Conclusions

Take‐home naloxone training for family members of heroin users increases opioid overdose‐related knowledge and competence and these benefits are well retained after 3 months.
Repair of Left Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Damage Directly at the Transcutaneous Exit Site
Authors: Schima Heinrich , Stoiber Martin , Schlöglhofer Thomas , Hartner Zeno , Haberl Thomas , Zimpfer Daniel
Published: October 2013

With increasing support duration of cardiac assist devices, transcutaneous drivelines remain a weak point of the therapy. First, they can be an entry point for infections, and second, cable lesions and even electrical failures due to material fatigue and eventual carelessness can occur. We report a case of a damaged outer sheath of a ventricular assist device driveline cable directly at the exit site, where the standard repair procedure with self‐fusing tape may lead to biocompatibility problems and irritation of the entrance through the skin. Therefore, a new procedure was developed using a special sleeve expander tool and a highly expandable latex tubing to stabilize the defect in a flexible and biocompatible manner. A patient experienced a fracture of the outer sheath of a HeartWare HVAD driveline directly at the skin entrance (approximately 15 mm long, 5 mm distal from the skin). The metal strands and the electrical functionality were yet not affected, therefore, a pump exchange was not indicated. After considering several conventional solutions for repair as not applicable, a new approach was developed: a sleeve expander tool was applied, which allowed radial stretching of the latex tubing. After preparations of the tool and the cable site, the pump was briefly disconnected, the tubing was moved over the connector and was released at the site of fracture. The problem could be solved by keeping the cable's flexibility and without additional risks to the skin. Within a still ongoing (5‐month) follow‐up, the skin entrance returned to perfect condition and no further intervention was necessary. In conclusion, this method allows a quick stabilization and repair of damaged driveline isolations even near the exit site, resulting in a biocompatible surface and consistent flexibility of the cable.
Mitochondrially targeted nitro‐linoleate: a new tool for the study of cardioprotection
Authors: Nadtochiy Sergiy M , Madukwe Jerry , Hagen Fred , Brookes Paul S
Published: October 2013

Background and Purpose

Cardiac ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) injury remains a significant clinical problem with limited treatment options available. We previously showed that cardioprotection against IR injury by nitro‐fatty acids, such as nitro‐linoleate (LNO2), involves covalent modification of mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocase 1 (ANT1). Thus, it was hypothesized that conjugation of LNO2 to the mitochondriotropic triphenylphosphonium (TPP+) moiety would enhance its protective properties.

Experimental Approach

TPP+‐LNO2 was synthesized from aminopropyl‐TPP+ and LNO2, and characterized by direct infusion MS/MS. Its effects were assayed in primary cultures of cardiomyocytes from adult C57BL/6 mice and in mitochondria from these cells, exposed to simulated IR (SIR) conditions (oxygen and metabolite deprivation for 1h followed by normal conditions for 1h) by measuring viability by LDH release and exclusion of Trypan blue. Nitro‐alkylated mitochondrial proteins were also measured by Western blots, using antibodies to TPP+.

Key Results

TPP+‐LNO2 protected cardiomyocytes from SIR injury more potently than the parent compound LNO2. In addition, TPP+‐LNO2 modified mitochondrial proteins, including ANT1, in a manner sensitive to the mitochondrial uncoupler carbonylcyanide‐p‐trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) and the ANT1 inhibitor carboxyatractyloside. Similar protein nitro‐alkylation was obtained in cells and in isolated mitochondria, indicating the cell membrane was not a significant barrier to TPP+‐LNO2.

Conclusions and Implications

Together, these results emphasize the importance of ANT1 as a target for the protective effects of LNO2, and suggest that TPP+‐conjugated electrophilic lipid compounds may yield novel tools for the investigation of cardioprotection.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐8
Turn up the power – pharmacological activation of mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse models
Authors: Komen J C , Thorburn D R
Published: October 2013

The oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system in mitochondria is responsible for the generation of the majority of cellular energy in the form of ATP. Patients with genetic OXPHOS disorders form the largest group of inborn errors of metabolism. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of efficient therapies for these disorders other than management of symptoms. Developing therapies has been complicated because, although the total group of OXPHOS patients is relatively large, there is enormous clinical and genetic heterogeneity within this patient population. Thus there has been a lot of interest in generating relevant mouse models for the different kinds of OXPHOS disorders. The most common treatment strategies tested in these mouse models have aimed to up‐regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, in order to increase the residual OXPHOS activity present in affected animals and thereby to ameliorate the energy deficiency. Drugs such as bezafibrate, resveratrol and AICAR target the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis PGC‐1α either directly or indirectly to manipulate mitochondrial metabolism. This review will summarize the outcome of preclinical treatment trials with these drugs in mouse models of OXPHOS disorders and discuss similar treatments in a number of mouse models of common diseases in which pathology is closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. In the majority of these studies the pharmacological activation of the PGC‐1α axis shows true potential as therapy; however, other effects besides mitochondrial biogenesis may be contributing to this as well.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐8
Exhumation of the Huangling anticline in the Three Gorges region: Cenozoic sedimentary record from the western Jianghan Basin, China
Authors: Wang P. , Zheng H. , Chen L. , Chen J. , Xu Y. , Wei X. , Yao X.
Published: October 2013

Within the interior of the Yangtze Craton, the dome‐like Huangling anticline exposes ca. 1000 km2 of Archaean basement and Neoproterozoic granitoid rocks in the Three Gorges region, providing a natural laboratory for studying the mechanism of intracontinental exhumation. Cretaceous shortening of the Qinling Orogen and Cenozoic reorganization of the Yangtze River have been considered by previous thermochronology studies to account for the two‐phase exhumation of the Huangling anticline. However, little is known about when and how the batholithic rocks were exposed to the surface. To fully reveal the exhumation history of the Huangling anticline, we focus on the Cenozoic sedimentary record in the western Jianghan Basin, downstream of the Three Gorges, and examined spatio‐temporal changes in sedimentation dynamic and provenance on the basis of sedimentary facies, palaeocurrents and clast compositions, as well as zircon U‐Pb geochronology. Our results indicate continuous unroofing of the Huangling anticline since the Eocene and provide a solid evidence for first exposure of the Huangling batholith during the Neogene. Cenozoic exhumation of the Huangling anticline is synchronous with incision of the Three Gorges, indicating a mechanism of intracontinental exhumation due to Yangtze River reorganization through which the Middle Yangtze River was progressively captured by the Lower Yangtze River with locally increased erosion rates in the Three Gorges.
Poisons, toxungens, and venoms: redefining and classifying toxic biological secretions and the organisms that employ them
Authors: Nelsen David R. , Nisani Zia , Cooper Allen M. , Fox Gerad A. , Gren Eric C. K. , Corbit Aaron G. , Hayes William K.
Published: October 2013

Despite extensive study of poisonous and venomous organisms and the toxins they produce, a review of the literature reveals inconsistency and ambiguity in the definitions of ‘poison’ and ‘venom’. These two terms are frequently conflated with one another, and with the more general term, ‘toxin.’ We therefore clarify distinctions among three major classes of toxins (biological, environmental, and anthropogenic or man‐made), evaluate prior definitions of venom which differentiate it from poison, and propose more rigorous definitions for poison and venom based on differences in mechanism of delivery. We also introduce a new term, ‘toxungen’, thereby partitioning toxic biological secretions into three categories: poisons lacking a delivery mechanism, i.e. ingested, inhaled, or absorbed across the body surface; toxungens delivered to the body surface without an accompanying wound; and venoms, delivered to internal tissues via creation of a wound. We further propose a system to classify toxic organisms with respect to delivery mechanism (absent versus present), source (autogenous versus heterogenous), and storage of toxins (aglandular versus glandular). As examples, a frog that acquires toxins from its diet, stores the secretion within cutaneous glands, and transfers the secretion upon contact or ingestion would be heteroglandular–poisonous; an ant that produces its own toxins, stores the secretion in a gland, and sprays it for defence would be autoglandular–toxungenous; and an anemone that produces its own toxins within specialized cells that deliver the secretion via a penetrating wound would be autoaglandular–venomous. Adoption of our scheme should benefit our understanding of both proximate and ultimate causes in the evolution of these toxins.
Elephant both Increase and Decrease Availability of Browse Resources for Black Rhinoceros
Authors: Landman Marietjie , Kerley Graham I.
Published: October 2013

Despite the apparent dual role of elephant Loxodonta africana in shaping the food niches of large herbivores, empirical studies focus on their role in facilitating foraging opportunities, while declining resource opportunities (a necessary requirement for competition) are rarely quantified. Our study investigates the relative importance of elephant in these processes by quantifying potential browsing opportunities (using total and preferred biomass, between‐bite distances and bite mass) for black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis along a gradient of elephant utilization in the succulent thickets of the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. We show that browse biomass and potential between‐bite harvest rates initially increase with the intensity of elephant utilization through the formation and spread of elephant pathways in otherwise impenetrable thicket. At the maximum, modeled estimates of total and preferred biomass are on average 223 percent and 254 percent higher, respectively, than that recorded in the absence of elephant (Exclosures); potential between‐bite harvest rates are 75 percent higher. With continued elephant utilization, however, browse biomass declines and between‐bite distances increase as the pathways expand and coalesce and canopy height declines. Our model of the change in potential browsing opportunities for rhinoceros reflects the accumulated effects of elephant over time, i.e., the effects accumulate until the relationship switches from increased to reduced availability. With this we demonstrate the key role of elephant for rhinoceros foraging, linked to a potential loss of this role at higher levels of utilization.