bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethyl 5-(4-methylphenyl)-2,4,5,7-tetraazatricyclo[6.4.0.02,6]dodeca-1(8),3,6,9,11-pentaene-3-carboxylate
Authors: Moussaif Ahmed , Ramli Youssef , El Ghayati Lhoussaine , Essassi El Mokhtar , Mague Joel T.
Published: June 2018

In the title compound, C18H16N4O2, the dihedral angle between the fused tricyclic ring system and the pendant benzene ring is 11.03 (4)°. The C—O—C—C torsion angle in the ethyl ester is 102.97 (12)°. The molecular conformation is supported by intramolecular C—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, which close S(6) and S(7) rings, respectively. Aromatic π–π stacking is observed in the crystal [shortest centroid–centroid separation = 3.5274 (7) Å].
Does forecasting have all the answers? A case study of elections in India
Authors: Dhagarra Devendra , Goswami Mohit , Sarma PRS
Published: June 2018

Subject area

Forecasting.

Study level/applicability

The case is intended for Postgraduate level management students.

Case overview

The purpose of this case study is to explain various forecasting techniques, their applicability and the importance of forecasting to the students. This case also explains the management situations where the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions. The case is focused on the district of Etah of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The real-life situation of elections in this district of an Indian state has been taken to explain the critical nature of forecasting accuracy in a management situation where the manager has only one chance to execute his project. Discussion in this case is limited to explaining various techniques available for forecasting and their applications and does not provide a solution to a management problem.

Expected learning outcomes

The students are expected to understand various forecasting methods and the managerial situations where these can be applied. The case also explains situations where it becomes extremely important to have fairly accurate estimates of future requirements and the application of one technique may not be sufficient, thereby explaining the importance of simultaneous usage of qualitative and quantitative techniques for making crucial decisions.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.
The paradoxes of informalizing street trade in the Latin American city
Authors: Linares Lissette Aliaga
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to challenge the default portrayal of street trade as an informal occupation and spatial practice, by examining comparatively the changes in the regulatory frameworks of two politically distinct city administrations in Latin America since the introduction of the informal economy debate.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws from a comparative case study design to synthesize evidence from historical administrative records, secondary research and materials from a two-year fieldwork carried out in Lima and Bogotá in 2008 and 2009.

Findings

The author argues that the incorporation of the informal economy framework into local governments’ policymaking has reframed street trade as a subject of policy. Since the 1970s, the author traces a shift from worker-centered initiatives, through the deregulation of street trade, to entrepreneurial-centered approaches. Nowadays, both, Lima’s neoliberal governance focusing on “formalizing” and Bogotá’s socialist/progressive governance aiming at “upgrading” street trade respond more explicitly to distinct assessments about the informal economy – legalist and dualist, respectively. Yet, both cities converge in that the closer street trade is perceived as an informal occupation; the more likely policy initiatives decouple the right to work from the right to access public space, spurring more marginal forms of street vending.

Originality/value

Even though the informal economy framework has helped to draw attention to important policy issues locally, nationally and internationally, this paper calls for a critical revision of such framing at the local level to allow for inclusive urban governance.
The value of human capital within Canadian business schools
Authors: Velayutham Ajantha , Rahman Asheq Razaur
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether an individual’s knowledge, skills and capabilities (human capital) are reflected in their compensation.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are drawn from university academics in the Province of Ontario, Canada, earning more than CAD$100,000 per annum. Data on academics human capital are drawn from Research Gate. The authors construct a regression analysis to examine the relationship between human capital and salary.

Findings

The analyses performed indicates a positive association between academic human capital and academic salaries.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited in that it measures an academic’s human capital solely through their research outputs as opposed to also considering their teaching outputs. Continuing research needs to be conducted in different country contexts and using negative proxies of human capital.

Practical implications

This study will create awareness about the value of human capital and its contribution towards improving organisational structural capital.

Social implications

The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. It will help create awareness of the importance of valuing human capital at the individual level.
Am I treated better than my co-worker? A moderated mediation analysis of psychological contract fulfillment, organizational identification, and voice
Authors: Ali Arain Ghulam , Bukhari Sehrish , Hameed Imran , Lacaze Delphine M. , Bukhari Zahara
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and conditional indirect effects of employees’ perception of psychological contract fulfillment on their positive voice, i.e., promotive voice and prohibitive voice, through the integrated framework of the social exchange theory and the group value model.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a two-source data collection from the employee and supervisor, cross-sectional data were collected from 234 participants working in one of the leading non-profit organizations in Pakistan. After initial data screening, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test for the factorial validity of the employed measures with AMOS. The hypothesized relationships were tested in regression analysis with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.

Findings

The results of this study supported the integration of the social exchange theory with the group value model in explaining the direct and indirect positive effects of employees’ perception of psychological contract fulfillment on their promotive and prohibitive voices through the mediation of organizational identification (OID). Furthermore, it was also recorded that the indirect effect was conditional on the employees’ perception of the relative psychological contract fulfillment which significantly moderated the direct relationship between psychological contract fulfillment and OID. However, no such effect was recorded for the moderating effect of power distance orientation between OID and the both voices.

Originality/value

In addressing the recently published research calls, this study broadens the horizon of existing research on psychological contract and employee positive voice by investigating the mediating and the moderating factors that influence this relationship.
Being sensitive to the culture: challenges in researching sensitive topics in an Asian culture
Authors: Adikaram Arosha S.
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the particular culture within which research is conducted and its norms and values can give rise to additional challenges and complications for the researcher when the research area is sensitive in nature.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on research on sexual harassment of working women in Sri Lanka, the researcher engages in self and methodological reflections to elucidate the many challenges faced.

Findings

Carrying out sensitive research in an Asian cultural context, with various stereotyping cultural norms, values and beliefs can give rise to additional culture-specific challenges for the researcher, even when the researcher is a cultural insider. How these cultural complexities influence the manner in which the participants respond to data collection and the manner in which the researcher is seen and understood by others are explained. Strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed in light of the cultural competencies propose by Deardorff and Sewyer et al.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the need for researchers engaged in sensitive research to carefully plan and conduct their research, being mindful not only to the sensitive nature of the topic, but also to the cultural edifices and ethos.

Originality/value

The influence of cultural context in conducting sensitive research is not sufficiently addressed. Culture-specific challenges that can arise in cultures outside the West, such as Asia, have specifically being neglected. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by focusing on the culture-specific challenges faced by researchers, whether they are cultural insiders or outsiders.
Pritchett Controls: ten years into employee ownership
Authors: Hoffman Richard C. , Decker Wayne H. , Shipper Frank
Published: June 2018

Synopsis

This case illustrates the rationale for adopting employee ownership, and difficulties in implementing employee empowerment beyond investment. In the beginning it focuses on why Jerry Pritchett, one of the co-founders of Pritchett Controls, decided to convert it to an employee-owned company. In the body of the case, it details the efforts of the company to operate under its new ownership structure in an increasingly competitive environment. Although Pritchett established employee owners, only selected High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) practices have been implemented. The issue that reader must grapple with is whether other HPWS practices should be adopted or not.

Research methodology

Primary data were collected by interviewing eight managers including the current and former CEO at two of the firm’s three locations. Secondary data were used to supplement industry and competitive information.

Relevant courses and levels

Human resources courses, especially those that focus on strategic human resource management, organizational development, and how high performance organizations can be built, would be most appropriate for this case.

Theoretical bases

The primary theoretical foundations for this submission are shared entrepreneurship and HPWS. Knowledge of leadership, employee ownership, human resources, corporate governance, organizational culture and strategy would also be helpful in analyzing this case.
Analyzing children’s impact on parents’ tourist choices
Authors: Curtale Riccardo
Published: June 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement an innovative approach to analyze children’s impact on family decisions. Furthermore, a new strategy to collect children’s preferences is shown to reduce the lack of children’s voices in the tourism literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A stated preference (SP) experiment with a two-step procedure is applied: in the first step, children’s preferences are collected through pictures and a rating scale based on emoticons; in the second step, the SP is submitted to their parents to understand how children influence decisions. Parents faced six choice tasks, each of them showing three different activities that they could evaluate on the basis of three attributes: the cost of the activity, the distance from the place of interview and children’s degree of satisfaction in participating in the activity.

Findings

The majority of children interviewed show a high preference for swimming pool/lido, and their preference is highly taken into account by parents. Parents prefer closer and cheaper activities, but children’s preferences play a fundamental role in the final choice. In addition, parents are willing to pay an extra 100 CHF, for the whole family, to choose an activity that fulfills children’s preferences, rather than an activity that children do not like.

Originality/value

The originality contribution of this paper consists of using an innovative procedure to collect children’s preferences and combine them in an SP experiment submitted to their parents. Children’s influence on decisions is also measured by parent’s willingness to pay to satisfy their preferences.
7,8‐dihydroxyflavone enhanced cholinergic contraction of rat gastric smooth muscle via augmenting muscarinic M3 receptor expression
Authors: He Baoguo , Qu Zhiqiang , Tian Zibin , Zhao Kun , Wei Liangzhou , Ma Li
Published: June 2018

Although 7,8‐dihydroxyflavone (7,8‐DHF), a synthetic agonist specific for tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB), has been reported to promote intestinal dynamics, its effect on gastric dynamics has not been studied as yet. In this study, we explored how 7,8‐DHF affected the carbachol (CCh)‐induced contraction of rat gastric muscle by way of measuring the contractile tension of muscular strips. We found that although 7,8‐DHF did not directly cause contraction of gastric muscle, it enhanced CCh‐induced, instead of substance P‐ or high K+‐induced, contraction. The enhancing role of 7,8‐DHF was partially blocked by ANA‐12, a blocker specific for TrkB the activation of which in the gastric strips was evidenced by its phosphorylation. Although 7,8‐DHF alone did not activate : phospholipase C (PLC)‐γ in gastric muscle, CCh did, and importantly, the combined treatment with CCh + 7,8‐DHF activated more PLC‐γ. U73122, an antagonist to PLC‐γ blocked both the CCh‐induced and the 7,8‐DHF‐enhanced/CCh‐induced contraction by ~30%. To pursue how 7,8‐DHF could augment CCh‐activated PLC‐γ phosphorylation, we first examined the effect of 7,8‐DHF on the expression of muscarinic receptors in gastric muscle and found that 7,8‐DHF specifically increased M3 but not M2 receptor expression possibly through TrkB/Akt (protein kinase B) pathway because the Akt antagonist, LY294002 significantly suppressed the 7,8‐DHF‐augmemted M3 expression and completely blocked the 7,8‐DHF‐enhanced cholinergic contraction. Supporting the result, Akt phosphorylation in the gastric muscle was enhanced by 7,8‐DHF treatment. The in vivo experiment showed that orally fed 7,8‐DHF increased gastric emptying rate. The results imply a possibility that 7,8‐DHF may be developed into a drug in the future for enhancing gastric dynamics.
GST Reform in Australia: Implications of Estimating Price Elasticities of Demand for Food
Authors: Hasan Syed , Sinning Mathias
Published: June 2018

This paper uses detailed information about household supermarket purchases from the Australian Nielsen Homescan Survey to estimate price elasticities of demand for a range of food categories. An instrumental variable strategy is employed to address endogeneity issues. The estimates obtained from our analysis are used to study five scenarios in which the rate of the goods and services tax (GST) on food categories is increased or in which the tax base is broadened to include currently GST‐free categories. Our findings reveal that there is considerable scope for raising revenue by increasing the rate and broadening the tax base.
Effect of Choline Supplementation on Neurological, Cognitive, and Behavioral Outcomes in Offspring Arising from Alcohol Exposure During Development: A Quantitative Systematic Review of Clinical and Preclinical Studies
Authors: Akison Lisa K. , Kuo Jenny , Reid Natasha , Boyd Roslyn N. , Moritz Karen M.
Published: June 2018

Prenatal alcohol exposure results in cognitive, behavioral, and neurological deficits in offspring. There is an urgent need for safe and effective treatments to overcome these effects. Maternal choline supplementation has been identified as a potential intervention. Our objective was to review preclinical and clinical studies using choline supplementation in known cases of fetal alcohol exposure to determine its effectiveness in ameliorating deficits in offspring. A systematic search of 6 electronic databases was conducted and studies selected by reviewing titles/abstracts against specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Study characteristics, population demographics, alcohol exposure, and intervention methods were tabulated, and quality of reporting was assessed. Data on cognitive, behavioral, and neurological outcomes were extracted and tabulated. Quantitative analysis was performed to determine treatment effects for individual study outcomes. A total of 189 studies were retrieved following duplicate removal. Of these, 22 studies (2 randomized controlled trials, 2 prospective cohort studies, and 18 preclinical studies) met the full inclusion/exclusion criteria. Choline interventions were administered at different times relative to alcohol exposure, impacting on their success to prevent deficits for specific outcomes. Only 1 clinical study showed significant improvements in information processing in 6‐month‐old infants from mothers treated with choline during pregnancy. Preclinical studies showed significant amelioration of deficits due to prenatal alcohol exposure across a wide variety of outcomes, including epigenetic/molecular changes, gross motor, memory, and executive function. This review suggests that choline supplementation has the potential to ameliorate specific behavioral, neurological, and cognitive deficits in offspring caused by fetal alcohol exposure, at least in preclinical studies. As only 1 clinical study has shown benefit, we recommend more clinical trials be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of choline in preventing deficits across a wider range of cognitive domains in children.
When boards use related parties: outsourcing and superannuation fund performance
Authors: Liu Kevin , Ooi Elizabeth
Published: June 2018

Superannuation funds heavily outsource key fund functions to service providers who play a crucial role in superannuation fund operations and affecting Australians’ retirement savings. We examine the impact of related party service provider usage and trustee‐director affiliation on investment performance. We find that for‐profit funds significantly underperform when using related party service providers. The underperformance is more severe when the board is controlled by more affiliated trustee‐directors and belongs to a vertically integrated conglomerate group. Our results raise concerns about whether recent regulatory reforms increasing trustee‐directors’ duties effectively address the conflicts of interest inherent in related party service provider arrangements.
Lung‐resident natural killer cells control pulmonary tumor growth in mice
Authors: Yamamoto Yutaka , Miyazato Kiho , Takahashi Kei , Yoshimura Naoki , Tahara Hideaki , Hayakawa Yoshihiro
Published: June 2018

Accumulating evidence indicates the importance of natural killer (NK) cells in controlling tumor growth and metastasis. NK cell subsets display diversities in their function and tissue distribution and Mac‐1hi CD27lo NK cells are the predominant population of lung‐resident NK cells. Although the lung is a major organ where primary tumor develops and cancer cells metastasize, there is no clear evidence whether circulating NK cells and/or tissue‐resident NK cells control tumor growth in the lung. In the present study, we examined an antitumor function of lung‐resident NK cells to control pulmonary tumor growth. In an orthotopic lung tumor model, NK cells controlled pulmonary tumor growth, and mature circulating NK cell subsets were increased in tumor‐bearing lungs through a C‐X‐C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3)‐dependent mechanism. Although such increase in migratory NK cell subsets can be blocked by anti‐CXCR3 treatment, there was no difference in pulmonary tumor growth in anti‐CXCR3‐treated mice compared with control mice. In addition to pulmonary tumor growth, lung‐resident NK cells, but not migratory NK cells, play a dominant role in controlling metastatic growth of cancer cells in lung. These results strongly indicate an importance of lung‐resident NK cells for controlling pulmonary tumor growth.
Resistin facilitates metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma through the TLR4/Src/EGFR/PI3K/NF‐κB pathway
Authors: Gong Wei‐Jing , Liu Jun‐Yan , Yin Ji‐Ye , Cui Jia‐Jia , Xiao Di , Zhuo Wei , Luo Chao , Liu Rui‐Jie , Li Xi , Zhang Wei , Zhou Hong‐Hao , Liu Zhao‐Qian
Published: June 2018

Metastasis is the main cause of lung cancer‐related death. The tumor microenvironment greatly contributes to tumor metastasis. Resistin, mainly secreted by tumor‐associated macrophages in tumor tissues, is a 12.5‐kDa cysteine‐rich secretory protein that is found at significantly higher levels in the serum or plasma of cancer patients compared with healthy controls. In this study, we explored the expression and role of resistin in lung adenocarcinoma. Our study showed that resistin was strongly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and promoted the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) was the functional receptor of resistin for migration and invasion in A549 cells. Src/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was involved in resistin‐induced migration and invasion. Resistin increased the phosphorylation of EGFR through the TLR4/Src pathway. We also found that PI3K/nuclear factor (NF)‐κB were the intracellular downstream effectors mediating resistin‐induced migration and invasion. Taken together, our results suggested that resistin promoted lung adenocarcinoma metastasis through the TLR4/Src/EGFR/PI3K/NF‐κB pathway.
Children with MEN1 gene mutations may present first (and at a young age) with Cushing disease
Authors: Makri Angeliki , Bonella Maria Belen , Keil Margaret F. , Hernandez‐Ramirez Laura , Paluch Gabriella , Tirosh Amit , Saldarriaga Carolina , Chittiboina Prashant , Marx Stephen J. , Stratakis Constantine A. , Lodish Maya
Published: June 2018

Objective

Cushing disease (CD) is a rare entity caused by ACTH‐secreting pituitary tumours, leading to prolonged hypercortisolism. Most cases are sporadic but can rarely occur in the context of familial predisposition, due to germline mutations in genes such as MEN1, leading to multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, MEN1. We have reported previously that CD can be the first and only presenting manifestation of MEN1. In this report, we describe a cohort of paediatric patients who presented with CD as the first manifestation of MEN1.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis of paediatric patients admitted to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center for evaluation of hypercortisolism, between 1997 and 2017. MEN1 was diagnosed on a clinical, familial and/or genetic basis.

Results

Of a total of 238 children with CD, six patients were subsequently diagnosed with MEN1, three males and three females with a mean age at diagnosis of CD at 13.4 ± 2.9 years. Five of the six patients had familial MEN1 and one patient was a sporadic case. Additional manifestations of MEN1 included primary hyperparathyroidism in three patients and hyperprolactinemia in two patients.

Discussion

This report describes a paediatric patient population with MEN1 in whom CD was the initial manifestation, confirming a previous observation that paediatric patients with MEN1 may present first with an ACTH‐producing adenoma. Therefore, germline MEN1 mutations should be sought in paediatric CD and tested for when there is a suggestive family history and/or other manifestations.
Uncovering hidden coral diversity: a new cryptic lobophylliid scleractinian from the Indian Ocean
Authors: Arrigoni Roberto , Berumen Michael L. , Stolarski Jaroslaw , Terraneo Tullia I. , Benzoni Francesca
Published: June 2018

Extant biodiversity can easily be underestimated owing to the presence of cryptic taxa, even among commonly observed species. Scleractinian corals are challenging to identify because of their ecophenotypic variation and morphological plasticity. In addition, molecular analyses have revealed the occurrence of cryptic speciation. Here, we describe a new cryptic lobophylliid genus and species Paraechinophyllia variabilis gen. nov., sp. nov., which is morphologically similar to Echinophyllia aspera and E. orpheensis. The new taxon occurs in Mayotte Island, Madagascar, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Six molecular markers (COI, 12S, ATP6‐NAD4, NAD3‐NAD5, histone H3 and ITS) and 46 morphological characters at three different levels (macromorphology, micromorphology and microstructure) were examined. The resulting molecular phylogenetic reconstruction showed that Paraechinophyllia gen. nov. represents a distinct group within the Lobophylliidae that diverged from the lineage leading to Echinophyllia and Oxypora in the Early Miocene, approximately 21.5 Ma. The morphological phylogenetic reconstruction clustered Paraechinophyllia gen. nov., Echinophyllia and Oxypora together in a single clade. A sole morphological character, calice relief, discriminated Paraechinophyllia gen. nov. from the latter two genera, suggesting that limited morphological variation has occurred over a long period. These results highlight the importance of cryptic taxa in reef corals, with implications for population genetics, ecological studies and conservation.
Review of current practice and outcomes following ileoanal pouch surgery: lessons learned from the Ileoanal Pouch Registry and the 2017 Ileoanal Pouch Report
Authors: Worley G. H.T. , Fearnhead N. S. , Brown S. R. , Acheson A. G. , Lee M. J. , Faiz O. D. ,   the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Advisory Group, commentators in the 2017 ACPGBI Ileoanal Pouch Report, and Ileoanal Pouch Registry contributors
Published: June 2018

Aim

The second Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) Ileoanal Pouch Registry (IPR) report was released in July 2017 following a first report in 2012. This article provides a summary of data derived from the most recent IPR report (2017 Ileoanal Pouch Report. https://www.acpgbi.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/07/Ileoanal-Pouch-Report-2017-FINAL.compressed.pdf).

Method

The IPR is an electronic database of voluntarily submitted data including patient demographics, disease, intra‐operative and postoperative factors submitted by consultant surgeons or delegates. Data up to 31 March 2017 have been analysed for this report.

Results

A total of 5352 pouch operations were carried out at 76 UK and four European centres by 154 surgeons over four decades. Recorded procedures have increased over time but data submission is voluntary and underestimates actual volume. Significant variation exists in institutional volume; 73 centres entered data on patients undergoing pouch surgery during the past 5 years. Of these, 44 centres have submitted ≤ 10 cases, with 10 centres submitting one patient and nine centres two cases. Since 2013, minimal access surgery has been employed in 54% of cases. Rectal dissection was undertaken in the total mesorectal excision plane in 69%. J‐pouch configuration was used in 99% of cases and 90% of pouch–anal anastomoses were performed using a stapled technique. Including all years, the IPR rate of pelvic sepsis was 9.4% and the rate of pouch failure was 4.7%.

Conclusion

The IPR holds the largest voluntary repository of data on ileoanal pouch surgery. The second report from the IPR records marked refinements in surgical technique over time but also highlights wide variation in institutional caseload and outcome across the UK.
Treatment of acquired reactive perforating dermatosis – a systematic review
Authors: Lukács Judit , Schliemann Sibylle , Elsner Peter
Published: June 2018

Reactive perforating dermatosis is a rare chronic skin disease defined by the transepidermal elimination of collagen and/or elastin. In the acquired form in adults, it is frequently associated with diseases such as diabetes and chronic renal failure. No systematic reviews of treatment options are available for this disease. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize all reported treatment options for acquired reactive perforating dermatosis (ARPD). This is a systematic review based on a MEDLINE search of articles in English and German from 1990 to 2016.

Most medical literature on the treatment of ARPD is limited to individual case reports and small series of patients. Various therapies that have been tried include antihistamines, topical keratolytics, corticosteroids, tretinoin, oral drugs such as allopurinol or antibiotics, and phototherapy or photochemotherapy.

While there are no specific criteria for the evidence‐based selection of treatment options for ARPD, the first priority in management of these conditions should be treatment of an underlying disease if present. None of the described modalities has been approved for first‐line therapy. It is recommended to choose a combination of drugs that reduce itching and assist in the resolution of the skin lesions at the same time.
Geographical variation in the influence of habitat and climate on site occupancy turnover in American pika (Ochotona princeps)
Authors: Rodhouse Thomas J. , Jeffress Mackenzie R. , Sherrill Kirk R. , Mohren Sean R. , Nordensten Nancy J. , Magnuson Michael L. , Schwalm Donelle , Castillo Jessica A. , Shinderman Matthew , Epps Clinton W.
Published: June 2018

Aim

Environmental changes that amplify rates of site or patch occupancy turnover can increase risks of decline in spatially structured populations. We asked whether local habitat and meso‐scale climate influenced site occupancy turnover rates in four American pika (Ochotona princeps) metapopulations. We focused on winter cold stress, which is a proposed driver of American pika extinction risk but has been rarely studied.

Location

Oregon, Northern California, and Idaho.

Methods

We developed Bayesian hierarchical multiseason site occupancy models that accounted for both false‐negative and false‐positive survey detection errors to explore the winter stress turnover hypothesis. We used remotely sensed meso‐scale (1 km) snowpack and temperature data and fine‐grained local habitat attributes as covariates to model site persistence and colonization rates.

Results

The estimated magnitude of imperfect detection was greater than previously reported for the species. After accounting for imperfect detection, we found no evidence of declines in site occupancy over the 5‐year study period, but our models provided evidence that pika site occupancy turnover can be high (>50% between some years) and apparently exacerbated by winter cold stress, summer heat stress and variation in site habitat quality. However, strength of evidence varied among metapopulations, suggesting influential local contingencies, as reported previously for the species.

Main conclusions

Our empirical results suggest that the American pika may be vulnerable to wintertime turnover, negatively exacerbated by climatic events, with implications for future persistence given forecasted snowpack declines across the species’ range. Our models suggest a more nuanced dynamism to persistence and extinction risk than the simple scenario of inexorable, monotonic range contraction offered by static range‐wide distribution models, and we suggest several ways to strengthen these insights with future studies.
Nonvolatile chemicals provide a nest defence mechanism for stingless bees Tetragonula carbonaria (Apidae, Meliponini)
Authors: Wang Shijie , Wittwer Bernadette , Heard Tim A. , Goodger Jason Q. D. , Elgar Mark A.
Published: June 2018

Social insects construct nests that protect their brood and food resources from both the physical environment and natural enemies. Stingless bees use plant‐derived resins, mixed with wax to form propolis, in the construction of their nests, and these products can be effective sources of defense against natural enemies, including ants. However, it is not known whether this defense, in the form of deterring or repelling workers, derives from the physical properties or chemical compounds of these products. The nest entrance of Tetragonula carbonaria is constructed with propolis and Corymbia resins, and we ask whether nonvolatile chemicals present in these products act as a defense against ants. Our field experiments revealed that workers of Iridomyrmex mayri Forel were deterred from crossing a chemical barrier comprising nonvolatile, nonpolar (hexane) extracts of propolis and Corymbia tree resin. However, polar (ethanol) extracts did not have this effect. These data are the first to demonstrate that the chemical components alone of entrance propolis and resins can provide a nest‐defense function against ants.
Prevalence of complications associated with use of the Henderson equine castrating instrument
Authors: Hinton S. , Schroeder O. , Aceto H. W. , Berkowitz S. , Levine D.
Published: June 2018

Background

Castration is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the horse. Complication rate and types of complications associated with use of the Henderson equine castrating instrument have not been determined.

Objective

To determine the complication rate and type of complications encountered when using the Henderson equine castrating instrument in equine ambulatory practice.

Study design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Medical records of horses undergoing routine castration using the Henderson drill were identified and evaluated for the occurrence of complications. The relationship between potential risk factors and complications was examined using basic descriptive statistics and quantified by means of logistic regression.

Results

Of 252 horses in the study population, 27 (10.7%) developed a complication after surgery; 25 of which were nonlife‐threatening and responded to medical management. Two complications, one each of wound botulism and evisceration, resulted in euthanasia. Age at the time of castration was significantly associated with the occurrence of (P = 0.005, Wilcoxon rank sum test) complications. Compared to younger horses, the odds of having a complication were significantly greater (OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.27–7.0; P = 0.01) for horses of 4 years of age or more.

Main limitations

The retrospective nature of this study. There is also a lack of direct comparison between different castration methods.

Conclusions

The Henderson equine castrating instrument is an acceptable alternative to traditional emasculators. Its use is associated with a low rate of complications (8.3%) in young horses (≤3 years of age) compared to older horses (21.3%) and a very low rate of serious complications (0.8%) in all ages of horses.
Global drivers of reef fish growth
Authors: Morais Renato A. , Bellwood David R.
Published: June 2018

Few studies have attempted to understand how fish growth scales at community and macroecological levels. This study evaluated the drivers of reef fish growth across a large gradient of environmental variables and a range of morphological and behavioural traits. We compiled Von Bertalanffy Growth parameters for reef fishes and standardized K relative to species maximum sizes, obtaining Kmax. We then modelled the response of Kmax to body size, diet, body shape, position relative to the reef, schooling behaviour, sea surface temperature, pelagic net primary productivity and ageing method, while accounting for phylogenetic structure in the data. The final model explained 61.5% of the variation in Kmax and contained size, temperature, diet, method and position. Body size explained 64% of the modelled Kmax variability, while the other variables explained between 6% (temperature) and 2.5% (position). Kmax steadily decreased with body size and increased with temperature. All else being equal, herbivores/macroalgivores and pelagic reef fishes had higher growth rates than the other groups. Moreover, length–frequency ageing tended to overestimate Kmax compared to other methods (e.g. otolith's rings). Our results are consistent with (a) metabolic theory that predicts body size and temperature dependence of physiological rates; and (b) ecological theory that implies influence of resource availability and acquisition on growth. At last, we use machine learning to accurately predict growth coefficients for combinations of traits and environmental settings. Our study helps to bridge the gap between individual and community growth patterns, providing insights into the role of fish growth in the ecosystem process of biomass accumulation.
Recruitment sources and spatial patterns of population demographics of spotted bass in a large river–tributary network
Authors: Abell Nicholas J. , Oliver Devon C. , Whitledge Gregory W.
Published: June 2018

Understanding spatial patterns in population characteristics and the principal natal environments supporting riverine fish populations are important for fisheries management. Fin ray microchemistry was used to identify natal environment, and age estimates from sectioned fin rays were used to estimate growth and mortality rates for spotted bass,Micropterus punctulatus(Rafinesque), in a segment of the Ohio River (Smithland Pool) and three tributaries. Differences in water Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca among the Ohio River and tributaries were reflected in fin ray edge Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca. Fourteen percent of spotted bass ≥ age 2 captured in the Ohio River originated in tributaries, whereas 10% captured in tributaries originated in the Ohio River. Spotted bass in the Ohio River reached larger maximum size (L∞ = 448.7) than conspecifics in tributaries (L∞ = 324.4), although mortality rates were not different. Although 86% of spotted bass were collected in their inferred natal environment, small tributaries may be a supplemental source of recruitment for the spotted bass stock in Smithland Pool.
Investors' perceptions of nonaudit services and their type in Germany: The financial crisis as a turning point
Authors: Eilifsen Aasmund , Quick Reiner , Schmidt Florian , Umlauf Steffen
Published: June 2018

As a result of mistrust in the auditing profession, legislators and regulators continue to impose restrictions to the joint provision of audit and nonaudit services (NAS) to protect investors' interests. However, investors may perceive NAS differently than legislators, and it is an open question whether a ban on NAS always aligns with investors' interests. Little evidence exists on investors' perceptions of auditor‐provided NAS in the continental European regulatory environment, including Germany. The unique features of the German legal and regulatory environment raise questions of its ability to comfort investors that auditors resist client‐induced biases in financial reporting. To empirically investigate and test this, we use earnings response coefficients (ERC) to measure investors' perceptions of earnings quality and examine the associations between ERC and NAS fees. Surprisingly, we do not find significant associations between ERC and NAS fees for our entire sample period 2005–2015. For further examination, we split the sample before and after the financial crisis in 2008–2009. The findings indicate that, in the pre‐financial crisis period 2005–2007, investors perceive large NAS fees negatively, and this concern also extends to the components of the NAS fees. In contrast, in the post‐financial crisis period 2010–2015, investors perceive large NAS fees positively and favorable perceptions of tax services are the driver of this result. We discuss the findings in light of the regulatory initiatives in the aftermath of the financial crisis, and the recent EU supranational prohibitions of NAS and the German application of these.
European Union Project ‘BestCARE’: improving nursing care with best complementary therapy strategies
Authors: Canli Özer Z. , Boz İ. , Turan Kavradim S. , Teskereci G.
Published: June 2018

Aim

This paper introduces the study on the European Union Project on complementary therapies and discusses project outputs and results. The goal of the European Union Project was to improve the professional knowledge and skills of women's health and oncology nurses regarding CT.

Background

The increasing and widespread use of complementary therapies in the women's health and oncology population requires nurses to be educated about their suitable and safe use. Many nurses do not have proper training in complementary therapies and therefore should not inform their patients about them.

Methods

The ‘Improving the Nursing Care with Best Complementary Therapy Strategies Based on European Union Standards’ (BestCARE) project was a strategic partnership within Erasmus plus for vocational education and training. The BestCARE project was coordinated by the Akdeniz University Nursing Faculty and was carried out with six partners from Turkey and Europe.

Results

Fifteen nurses from Turkey and Italy were trained in complementary therapies in England. In addition, training courses and seminars were held in Turkey and Italy for women's health and oncology nurses. The BestCARE programme consisted of 14 work packages. The BestCARE programme was implemented via websites, an e‐learning training programme, training videos, reference and handbook, a curriculum proposal on complementary therapies and a simulation laboratory.

Conclusion and implications for nursing and/or health policy

The BestCARE project allowed nurses to gain knowledge, experience and skills about complementary therapies and created a cultural awareness and sensitivity towards patients, caregivers and health professionals.
Race discrimination at work: the moderating role of trade unionism in English local government
Authors: Seifert Roger , Wang Wen
Published: June 2018

Workplace racism remains a serious issue despite over forty years of legislation alongside a raft of HRM policies. There remains limited research on the differences in employment experiences of British Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and their white colleagues. There is a power imbalance at work as between individual employees and management, and this lack of equity has been traditionally counterbalanced by strong workplace trade unionism. In particular, we know little about the role of trade unionism on the perception of workplace equality among BAME employees. Using more than 2,580 valid responses from full‐time employees in highly unionised local councils, this study shows that BAME employees have a significantly lower evaluation than their white colleague of fair pay and equal work environment. The latter fully mediates the negative perception between BAME staff and fair pay; and furthermore, the perception of union commitment to equality strengthened their views of a management‐supported equal work environment.
Hospitalised patients’ experiences during Negative Pressure Wound Therapy due to surgical site infection after vascular and cardiac surgery
Authors: Thorup Charlotte B. , Hougaard Mette , Blindum Pernille F. , Sørensen Erik E.
Published: June 2018

Surgical site infections that develop after vascular and cardiac surgery are often treated with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). Due to the severity of the infection and risk of bleeding, this NPWT often requires hospitalisation. Fourteen patients were selected for qualitative interviews to investigate their experiences and the meaning of patient participation during hospitalisation with NPWT. Results show that hospitalisation induces tension between an intrusion of privacy and being part of a community. Patients do not feel ill nor are considered ill. They feel minimised, lack participation and miss continuity, yet they still accept their circumstances by adjusting to hospital routines and treatment. The hospital's organisational framework compromises patient participation, yet patients still participate in supporting their own wound healing. They worry, are bored, lack a clear time horizon, and appear to be in an apathetic mood despite having significant time on their hands. In conclusion, the tension between a patient's privacy and sense of community, as well as involuntary participation in other patients’ lives, compromises dignity and increases stress. Wound healing appears to be prolonged due to fasting, inactivity and stress. Self‐reliant patients are at risk of being minimised and lack adequate emotional care, and the hospital's organisational framework hampers patient feelings of involvement and participation.
Acute periodontal lesions (periodontal abscesses and necrotizing periodontal diseases) and endo‐periodontal lesions
Authors: Herrera David , Retamal‐Valdes Belén , Alonso Bettina , Feres Magda
Published: June 2018

Objective

To critically evaluate the existing literature on acute lesions occurring in the periodontium (periodontal abscesses [PA], necrotizing periodontal diseases [NPD], and endo‐periodontal lesions [EPL]) to determine the weight of evidence for the existence of specific clinical conditions that may be grouped together according to common features. The ultimate goal is to support an objective classification system.

Importance

Although PA, NPD, and EPL occur with relatively low frequency, these lesions are of clinical relevance, because they require immediate management and might severely compromise the prognosis of the tooth.

Findings

In general, the evidence available to define these three conditions was considered limited. PA and EPL are normally associated with deep periodontal pockets, bleeding on probing, suppuration, and almost invariably, with pain. EPL are also associated with endodontic pathology. NPDs have three typical features: pain, bleeding, and ulceration of the gingival interdental papilla. The available data suggested that the prognosis of PA and EPL are worse in periodontitis than in nonperiodontitis patients. Lesions associated with root damage, such as fractures and perforations, had the worst prognosis. NPD progression, extent and severity mainly depended on host‐related factors predisposing to these diseases.

Conclusions

PA should be classified according to the etiological factors involved, with the most frequent being those occurring in pre‐existing periodontal pockets. NPD are clearly associated with the host immune response, which should be considered in the classification system for these lesions. EPLs should be classified according to signs and symptoms that have direct impact on their prognosis and treatment, such as presence or absence of fractures and perforations, and presence or absence of periodontitis.