bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a smarter enterprise
Authors: Muthusamy Senthil , Dass Parshotam
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to trace the emergence of knowledge-centric innovative enterprises that function in a disaggregated and dispersed form and further contemplate the economic and managerial rationale behind this strategy. A constant challenge to large organizations as well as those pursuing the intent to grow bigger is how to sustain the innovative dynamism.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors review the evolution of disaggregated and dispersed enterprises and discuss the changing cost structures for transactions, integration and coordination in the global knowledge economy. They elaborate the benefits of scale reduction and dispersed operations with examples.

Findings

– Their review of the extant practices suggests that managers are finding value in disaggregating the firm operations. Disaggregation enhances the firm agility and responsiveness and helps the firm exploit the fleeting opportunities without incurring the opportunity cost or risking high investment.

Practical implications

– Corporations need to become nimble, and their structure should be networked and permeable with significant industry actors. Integration would be imprudent if there is huge sunk cost due to uncertainty in business. Scale reduction and disaggregation, and operating in a dispersed mode – like a shoaling form – would help the companies exploit the fleeting opportunities without incurring the opportunity cost and risking high investment.

Originality/value

– In addition to reviewing the rise of disaggregated enterprises, we explore the economic and managerial rationale of the disaggregation strategy, and discuss the learning and innovation, investment and cost-related advantages that stem from the disaggregated form of organization.
Dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun theory on poverty
Authors: Affandi Akhmad , Puji Astuti Dewi
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the poverty rate of Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan representing majority Muslim populations and that of India as a minority Muslim population according to Ibn Khaldun's dynamic model on poverty.

Design/methodology/approach

– According to Ibn Khaldun, poverty is not merely influenced by economic dimensions. He initiated fundamental factors, as mentioned in his formula, which are the functions of Wealth of the Nation, Government, Human Resource, Shariah, Growth and Justice. This study generates secondary data covering the period from 2000 to 2010 or after the financial crisis of 1997. These data were generated using the Panel method.

Findings

– The findings of this study reveal that the dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun significantly influenced the level of poverty in Indonesia as a Muslim-majority population, whereas in Pakistan, only the human development index variable has a significant influence. Meanwhile, like Malaysia, in India, the dynamic model of Ibn Khaldun did not have significant influence.

Research limitations/implications

– Each country has certain characteristics and background with respect to economic growth, government policy and population that might influence poverty. As a result, the application of Ibn Khaldun's model varies accordingly.

Practical implications

– The findings reveal that quite a few challenges lie ahead in applying Ibn Khaldun's model in these countries. This needs to be taken on promptly by each country, especially Muslim countries.

Originality/Value

– This paper is one of the few studies which use Ibn Khaldun' theory on poverty using panel data to investigate the appropriateness of the model.
Implicit memory-based technique in solving dynamic scheduling problems through Response Surface Methodology – Part I
Authors: Blanco Abello Manuel , Michalewicz Zbigniew
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– This is the first part of a two-part paper. The purpose of this paper is to report on methods that use the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to investigate an Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and memory-based approach referred to as McBAR – the Mapping of Task IDs for Centroid-Based Adaptation with Random Immigrants. Some of the methods are useful for investigating the performance (solution-search abilities) of techniques (comprised of McBAR and other selected EA-based techniques) for solving some multi-objective dynamic resource-constrained project scheduling problems with time-varying number of tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

– The RSM is applied to: determine some EA parameters of the techniques, develop models of the performance of each technique, legitimize some algorithmic components of McBAR, manifest the relative performance of McBAR over the other techniques and determine the resiliency of McBAR against changes in the environment.

Findings

– The results of applying the methods are explored in the second part of this work.

Originality/value

– The models are composite and characterize an EA memory-based technique. Further, the resiliency of techniques is determined by applying Lagrange optimization that involves the models.
Measuring quality service
Authors: de Barros Jerônimo Taciana , Medeiros Denise
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to guide organizations according to the relative importance of customer's satisfaction about six quality service dimensions: reliability, empathy, assurance, tangibility, responsiveness (Parasuraman et al., 1985) and price.

Design/methodology/approach

– The present study uses SERVPERF customer requirements and weights of ELECTRE TRI multicriteria method to provide guidance on an appropriated action plan. Subsequently, it was demonstrated how the proposed model applied to the Inn.

Findings

– SERVPERF is based on the subjective and cognitive perception of customer's service analyses. ELECTRE TRI decreases the deviation of subjectivity and develops manager's energy flow, focussed on enterprise resources.

Research limitations/implications

– Measuring quality is hard work and usually the customer perceptions are not well understood, because it changes many times. In addition SERVPERF and ELECTRE TRI weights do not order the quality importance.

Practical implications

– Together, SERVPERF and ELECTRE TRI allow managers to prioritize the service level desired by the customer.

Originality/value

– The importance of this analysis follows the competitiveness approach: productivity, quality and flexibility (Boljwin and Kumpe, 1990). The paper develops an approach to lead organizational quality performance based on the customer view. It provides a sustainable competitive advantage.
Expectations and user experience of a multimodal medicine management system for older users
Authors: Harjumaa Marja , Idigoras Igone , Isomursu Minna , Garzo Ainara
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the adoption of a multimodal medication management system (MMS) targeted on older people and home care professionals. The paper aims to describe the expectations of the system and the user experience findings from an empirical qualitative field trial. The field trial results are used to discuss how MMSs should be designed in order to improve adherence to medications.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper suggests that building a multimodal medicine management system targeted on both older users and home care professionals brings many benefits over electronic medicine dispenser systems or general reminder systems. The research process uses an iterative prototyping approach including phases of requirements analysis and concept design, prototype building and evaluation in a field trial.

Findings

– The study demonstrates how a system that merely satisfied users during the prototype building phase does not necessarily succeed as well as expected in the field trials. It would be important to consider reasons for medication non-adherence and non-technology factors influencing willingness to adopt new assistive devices in order to promote diffusion of new MMSs at home. The paper also discusses how the different persuasive functionalities of the system addressed patient-centred factors influencing non-adherence and how they could be addressed.

Research limitations/implications

– This study has some limitations. The actual adherence to medications was not measured. However, in the future, it will be important to study how the MMSs influence medication adherence. Also, the user experiences of the home care professionals were not studied in the field trials. Home care professionals who were involved in the user studies and trials merely estimated the value for their patients and not for themselves.

Originality/value

– This paper analyses design issues relevant when designing systems to help older people manage their medications.
The many faces of suzhi in the Chinese organization and society
Authors: Upton-McLaughlin Sean
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to explore the Chinese concept of suzhi and how it relates to behavioral standards within mainland Chinese society and the workplace. The article provides a general discussion of suzhi and its inherent elements to act as a foundation for the education of expatriate managers and executives and for future research by Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper draws on the author's first-hand experience and observations from five years of living and working abroad in mainland China with Chinese companies and executives.

Findings

– The concept of suzhi in China is a reflection of multiple behavioral standards throughout China. And while suzhi's roots are in ancient Chinese culture and Confucianism, it is also subject to influence and change.

Practical implications

– The paper may serve as a foundation both for expatriate managers seeking to improve HRM practices in foreign companies in China and future scholars who wish to conduct further research on suzhi and Chinese behavioral standards as they can be applied to the workplace.

Originality/value

– This is an attempt to enlighten expatriate managers and executives in China on the concept of suzhi and its implication for HRM in China.
Promoting well-being and reducing stigma about mental health in the fire service
Authors: Moffitt Jenna , Bostock Janet , Cave Ashley
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Workplace stress is a particular issue in the fire service. Research suggests this is related to excessive demands, relationships with senior managers, changing roles and exposure to traumatic events. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact on managers of three mental health promotion interventions. First, a locally developed course entitled “Looking after Wellbeing at Work” (LWW), second, an internationally developed training course: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). Third, an hour-long leaflet session (LS).

Design/methodology/approach

– This study used a random allocation design. In total, 176 fire service line managers were randomly allocated to one of the three training conditions: LWW, MHFA, or a control condition (LS). Participants completed The Attitudes to Mental Illness Scale (Lutyet al., 2006) and a locally developed “Mental Health Stigma Questionnaire” pre- and post-intervention. Results were analysed using a MANOVA. Participants were also asked to complete a general evaluation, rating all aspects of the courses from poor to excellent. In total, 30 participants were also chosen at random to conduct telephone interviews about their experience of the course. Results were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

– The LWW and MHFA courses were associated with statistically significant improvements in attitudes to mental illness and knowledge/self-efficacy around mental health, comparing pre- and post-scores, and comparing post-scores of the two training courses with a LS. The general evaluations of the LWW and MHFA courses indicated the mean rating for all aspects of both training conditions was good to excellent. Two themes were identified across the qualitative interviews: participants described they were more able to recognise and respond to mental health problems; and participants described changing attitudes towards mental health.

Research limitations/implications

– The strengths of this study are the number of participants, random allocation, and multiple facets of evaluation. The quantitative evaluation is limited, as one of the questionnaires has untested psychometric properties. The control condition was limited as it was only offered for one hour, making comparison with two-day training problematic. The qualitative evaluation was useful in gaining descriptive data, however, it may have been possible to conduct a more in-depth analysis with a smaller number of participants.

Originality/value

– The results from this study indicate that providing training in mental health awareness and promotion was considered helpful, by managers in the Fire Service and had positive outcomes for attitudes and understanding about mental health. While there are limitations, initial results of training in mental health promotion are promising. Such training has the potential to promote the public's mental health and wellbeing, and improve the quality of life for people with mental health problems.
Body dissatisfaction: an overlooked public health concern
Authors: M. Bucchianeri Michaela , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– In contrast to the attention it has received in related fields of research, body image has remained understudied within the field of public health. This is highly problematic, given a growing body of evidence implicating body dissatisfaction in a range of other public health concerns. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This commentary is based on a review of the public health, body image, eating disorder, and mental health literatures.

Findings

– Body dissatisfaction is implicated in a range of public health concerns, including impaired psychological health (e.g. depression) and eating- and weight-related problems (e.g. eating disorders, obesity).

Originality/value

– Given these associations, as well as the high levels of body dissatisfaction in the population, the authors argue for a critical need to address the prevalence of body image concerns as a public health issue worthy of greater consideration within programs and policies; dedicated funding for research on antecedents, consequences, and intervention strategies; and allocated resources for training.
Optimal microfinance loan size and poverty reduction amongst female entrepreneurs in Pakistan
Authors: Mahmood Samia , Hussain Javed , Z. Matlay Harry
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of microfinance loans on poverty reduction amongst women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The authors set out to establish whether there exists an optimal loan size to attain the objectives of women entrepreneurs and poverty reduction in this country.

Design/methodology/approach

– This exploratory study is based upon an empirical investigation of 123 semi structured interviews as well as in-depth, semi structured interviews with a sub sample of ten women entrepreneurs who secured microfinance loans for their new or established enterprises.

Findings

– Emergent results show that access to finance is important for female entrepreneurs and helps them realise their potential as entrepreneurs. An optimal, poverty reduction, microfinance size has been identified. A range of entrepreneurial characteristics were found to be critical to the success of women led enterprises in general and to poverty reduction amongst their families in particular.

Research limitations/implications

– This research focuses upon a relatively small sample of female entrepreneurs operating in the Pakistani economy. Although the results could be relevant to women entrepreneurs in other developing countries, caution should be exercised when attempting to generalise these finding to other contexts.

Originality/value

– Emergent results make a contribution to research on women entrepreneurship in general and optimal microfinance loan size in particular.
Circuits of power and accountability during institutionalisation of competitive tendering in public sector organisations
Authors: Claude Mutiganda Jean
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to analyse the role of circuits of power in institutionalising competitive tendering in public sector organisations and effects on accountability among public decision makers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used intensive field research data based on interviews, meeting observations and document analysis in a city, referred to as Sunset City, in Finland from 2008 to 2013.

Findings

– The relationship between institutionalisation of competitive tendering and accountability for total costs of public services depends on how public officials use management accounting and control systems to limit procurement risks and how political decision makers hold public officials to account. This study uses the concept of organisational outflanking within the circuits of power to analyse and explain the finding of ceremonial accountability.

Research limitations/implications

– Empirical findings cannot be generalised to other situations, but the theoretical framework used in this study can be applied elsewhere.

Practical implications

– It is advisable to avoid institutionalising macro-institutional market-based mechanisms, such as open competitive tendering in public health care organisations and municipalities in the EU, the consequences of which in terms of total costs, quality of services and accountability among organisational actors at local levels cannot be foreseen, minimised or controlled.

Originality/value

– This study uses the framework of circuits of power to extend the Burns and Scapens institutional framework to accountability for using public funds in outsourcing services during the ongoing financial crisis.
Natural resource management in changing climate – reflections from indigenous Jharkhand
Authors: Priti Sanga Nafisa , Kumar Ranjan Rajeev
Published: June 2014

Purpose

– Addressing probable complexities of climate change on rural livelihoods, food security, and poverty reduction, requires mainstreaming of cross-sectoral interventions and adaptations into existing frameworks. Indigenous communities due to their isolation, reluctance to current practices, and knowledge deprivation are difficult to reach by many developmental programs. The purpose of this paper is to identify relevant adaptations from indigenous rural Jharkhand (India), applicable to improving livelihoods through integrated natural resource management (NRM). Prospects of rainwater harvest and management for supporting local rural livelihoods were also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– Tested and applicable models of participatory research methods widespread in sociological research were used. Focussed group discussions and structured interviews were conducted for primary data collection from micro-watershed units of this study.

Findings

– In-situ soil and water conservation methods showed increased availabilities of freshwater both for food and non-food consumption in the area. Construction of rural infrastructure and land husbandry practices improved agricultural productivity and resulted in subsequent reductions in women's drudgeries. Culture fishery provided ample scope for livelihood diversification, food and nutrition security of households. Overall, micro-watershed area developmental approach improved food and nutrition securities, generated employment opportunities, improved agricultural productivity, diversified livelihoods and were widely accepted by communities.

Originality/value

– Creating greater sense of ownership among grass-root communities was an important thrust behind the success of this particular project. By entrusting tribal communities with fund management, rural planning, and execution of various interventions, a successful replicable model was produced, which has wider community implications extending beyond societies and geographies.
The compulsory public pension and the demand for life insurance: the case of Sweden, 1884–1914
Authors: Andersson Lars‐Fredrik , Eriksson Liselotte
Published: June 2014

We employ cost‐of‐living surveys, business archives, and firm data to examine the impact of the compulsory pension on the demand for life insurance in Sweden from 1884 to 1914—a period that covers the implementation of the first public compulsory old‐age pension reform and the take‐off of industry life insurance. As predicted on the basis of the contemporary literature on crowding‐out effects, we find that the compulsory pension reduced the demand for life insurance. Our panel‐data analysis of lapse rates on insurance policies shows a significant crowding‐out effect of pension payments. We conclude that the introduction of the general compulsory pension had a crowding‐out effect on households’ holdings of insurance policies.
Ad hocRules, Rights, and Rituals: The Politics of Mass Death
Authors: Scanlon Joseph , Stoney Christopher
Published: June 2014

In spite of the growing incidence of mass death incidents due to factors such as climate change, technology, terrorism and globalization there are relatively few rules and procedures in place to deal with the dead and where rules do exist they are often ignored or broken. Furthermore, because of the very different cultural, legal, financial, and religious nature of states and victims international agreements, conventions and best practices are difficult to establish. This paper highlights the often political and ad hoc nature of the decisions that have to be made by responders and the challenges this presents for policy‐makers as well as the families of the victims. While accepting the need for flexibility in emergency situations, the paper identifies some of the areas where public policy reforms and frameworks are most needed in order to establish clearer rules and procedures for dealing with the dead. Finally, the paper calls for the policies and procedures that do exist to be informed by and subject to the same principles of public administration, such as accountability and transparency, that govern other areas public policy.
Influence of dairy practices on the capacity of probiotic bacteria to overcome simulated gastric digestion
Authors: Burns Patricia , Lafferriere Lisandro , Vinderola Gabriel , Reinheimer Jorge
Published: June 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of microbiological and technological factors on the viability and functionality of probiotic Lactobacillus strains. In particular, the influence of harvesting time, food matrix, refrigerated storage, time of inoculation and refrigerated storage in fermented milk on the resistance to simulated gastric digestion (RSGD) was evaluated. Moreover, strain resistance to simulated gastric digestion was compared to human gastric fluid. Results showed that the variables studied affected, in a different way and in a strain‐dependent manner, the RSGD. No direct relation was observed between cell viability and RSGD.
Signals and noise in the octavolateralis systems: What is the impact of human activities on fish sensory function?
Authors: BRAUN Christopher B.
Published: June 2014

The octavolateralis systems of fishes include the vestibular, auditory, lateral line and electrosensory systems. They are united by common developmental and neuro‐computational features, including hair cell sensors and computations based on cross‐neuron analyses of differential hair cell stimulation patterns. These systems also all use both spectral and temporal filters to separate signals from each other and from noise, and the distributed senses (lateral line and electroreception) add spatial filters as well. Like all sensory systems, these sensors must provide the animal with guidance for adaptive behavior within a sensory scene composed of multiple stimuli and varying levels of ambient noise, including that created by human activities. In the extreme, anthropogenic activities impact the octavolateralis systems by destroying or degrading the habitats that provide ecological resources and sensory inputs. At slightly lesser levels of effect, anthropogenic pollutants can be damaging to fish tissues, with sensory organs often the most vulnerable. The exposed sensory cells of the lateral line and electrosensory systems are especially sensitive to aquatic pollution. At still lesser levels of impact, anthropogenic activities can act as both acute and chronic stressors, activating hormonal changes that may affect behavioral and sensory function. Finally, human activities are now a nearly ubiquitous presence in aquatic habitats, often with no obvious effects on the animals exposed to them. Ship noise, indigenous and industrial fishing techniques, and all the ancillary noises of human civilization form a major part of the soundscape of fishes. How fish use these new sources of information about their habitat is a new and burgeoning field of study.
Sharks senses and shark repellents
Authors: HART Nathan S. , COLLIN Shaun P.
Published: June 2014

Despite over 70 years of research on shark repellents, few practical and reliable solutions to prevent shark attacks on humans or reduce shark bycatch and depredation in commercial fisheries have been developed. In large part, this deficiency stems from a lack of fundamental knowledge of the sensory cues that drive predatory behavior in sharks. However, the widespread use of shark repellents is also hampered by the physical constraints and technical or logistical difficulties of deploying substances or devices in an open‐water marine environment to prevent an unpredictable interaction with a complex animal. Here, we summarize the key attributes of the various sensory systems of sharks and highlight residual knowledge gaps that are relevant to the development of effective shark repellents. We also review the most recent advances in shark repellent technology within the broader historical context of research on shark repellents and shark sensory systems. We conclude with suggestions for future research that may enhance the efficacy of shark repellent devices, in particular, the continued need for basic research on shark sensory biology and the use of a multi‐sensory approach when developing or deploying shark repellent technology.
Pheromone 3kPZS evokes context‐dependent serotonin sexual dimorphism in the brain of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
Authors: CHUNG‐DAVIDSON Yuwen , WANG Huiyong , SCOTT Anne M. , LI Weiming
Published: June 2014

Mature male sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) release a sex pheromone, 3‐keto‐petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS), that induces sexually dimorphic behavioral responses in conspecifics. However, the neural mechanism of such responses is mostly unknown. We examined the neurotransmitter serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5‐HT) and the expression of 5‐HT1A receptors in the forebrain and brainstem of sea lamprey exposed to the vehicle (0.91 ppm methanol) or 10−10 M 3kPZS for 2 h using high performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, immunohistochemistry and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Exposure to 3kPZS for 2 h increased 5‐HT concentration in the forebrain of adult females, whereas 5‐HT was not detected in the forebrain of adult males. On the contrary, 3kPZS exposure decreased 5‐HT concentration in the brainstem of adult females and had no effect in adult males. Pheromone exposure evoked context‐dependent sexual dimorphism in brain 5‐HT1A receptor immunoreactivity, but had no effect on 5‐HT1A mRNA concentrations in the brain with 2 h exposure time. It appears that in sea lamprey pheromone 3kPZS affects the 5‐HT system in the brain in a context‐dependent, sexually dimorphic manner.
Hearing characteristics of cephalopods: Modeling and environmental impact study
Authors: ZHANG Yunfeng , SHI Feng , SONG Jiakun , ZHANG Xugang , YU Shiliang
Published: June 2014

Cephalopods (octopus, squid and cuttlefish) are some of the most intriguing molluscs, and they represent economically important commercial marine species for fisheries. Previous studies have shown that cephalopods are sensitive to underwater particle motion, especially at low frequencies in the order of 10 Hz. The present paper deals with quantitative modeling of the statocyst system in three cephalopod species: Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis and Loligo vulgaris. The octopus's macula/statolith organ was modeled as a 2nd‐order dynamic oscillator using parameter values estimated from scanning electron micrograph images. The modeling results agree reasonably well with experimental data (acceleration threshold) in the three cephalopod species. Insights made from quantitative modeling and simulating the particle motion sensing mechanism of cephalopods elucidated their underwater particle motion detection capabilities. Sensitivity to emerging environmental issues, such as low frequency noise caused by near‐shore wind farms and increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the ocean, and sensitivity to sounds produced by impending landslides were investigated in octopus using the model.
Are Investment Promotion Agencies Effective in Promoting Outward Foreign Direct Investment? The Cases of Japan and Korea
Authors: Hayakawa Kazunobu , Lee Hyun‐Hoon , Park Donghyun
Published: June 2014

In this paper we examine the role of investment promotion agencies (IPA) in promoting outward foreign direct investment (FDI) from Japan and Korea. Looking at two home countries enables us to control for both country‐pair time‐invariant characteristics and host‐country time‐varying characteristics. Our empirical results suggest that home‐country IPA tend to be more effective in promoting outward FDI in politically risky host countries. However, this finding depends on whether the home‐country firm is listed or unlisted. More specifically, we find that the positive effect of home‐country IPA on outward FDI in politically risky countries is limited to unlisted home‐country firms, which tend to be less productive.
Testing Oil Refiners' Conduct in Korea: A Differentiated Product Approach
Authors: Jin Yangsoo
Published: June 2014

This paper investigates oil refiners' conduct in the Korean gasoline market. Specifically, I examine which of two modes of conduct, Bertrand–Nash competition or collusion, better fits the data. Unlike previous literature, this paper employs a differentiated product approach to address the stylized discrepancy in refiners' brands' prices: stable stratification of prices among refiners, but an unlikely equilibrium outcome in the homogenous goods market. Correct understanding of refiners' conduct is important because appropriate policy responses to collusion differ significantly from appropriate responses to competition‐driven outcomes. The results of this paper support the hypothesis that Bertrand–Nash competition better explains refiners' conduct.
Revisiting Cash Endowment and House Money Effects in an Experimental Auction of a Novel Agri‐food Product in the Philippines
Authors: Depositario Dinah Pura T. , Nayga Rodolfo M. , Zhang Yu Yvette , Mariano Robert Dominick E.
Published: June 2014

This study explores the effect of varying cash endowments on bidding behavior in auction experiments conducted in a developing country. Our results suggest that cash endowment levels can have different effects on bidding behavior under second price auction and random nth price auction. In contrast to past studies conducted in developed countries, we generally do not see the presence of positive house money effect in our results. If behavior varies significantly as the cash endowment is varied, then care must be taken when designing auction experiments or when comparing results to other experimental results and theoretical predictions.
Prediction of pediatric bipolar disorder using neuroanatomical signatures of the amygdala
Authors: Mwangi Benson , Spiker Danielle , Zunta‐Soares Giovana B , Soares Jair C
Published: June 2014

Objectives

Pediatric bipolar disorder is currently diagnosed based on signs and symptoms, and without objective diagnostic biomarkers. In the present study, we investigated the utility of structural neuroanatomical signatures of the amygdala to objectively differentiate individual subjects with pediatric bipolar disorder from matched healthy controls.

Methods

Structural T1‐weighted neuroimaging scans were obtained from 16 children and adolescents with unmedicated DSM‐IV bipolar disorder (11 males, five females) and 16 matched healthy controls (11 males, five females). Voxel‐based gray matter morphometric features extracted from a bilateral region‐of‐interest within the amygdala were used to develop a multivariate pattern analysis model which was utilized in predicting novel or ‘unseen’ individual subjects as either bipolar disorder or healthy controls.

Results

The model assigned 25 out of 32 subjects the correct label (bipolar disorder/healthy) translating to a 78.12% diagnostic accuracy, 81.25% sensitivity, 75.00% specificity, 76.47% positive predictive value, and 80.00% negative predictive value and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of 0.81. The predictions were significant at p = 0.0014 (χ2 test p‐value).

Conclusions

These results reaffirm previous reports on the existence of neuroanatomical abnormalities in the amygdala of pediatric patients with bipolar disorder. Remarkably, the present study also demonstrates that neuroanatomical signatures of the amygdala can predict individual subjects with bipolar disorder with a relatively high specificity and sensitivity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to present a proof‐of‐concept diagnostic marker of pediatric bipolar disorder based on structural neuroimaging scans of largely medication‐naïve patients.
Factors influencing student preference when comparing handwriting and typing for essay style examinations
Authors: Mogey Nora , Fluck Andrew
Published: June 2014

It seems anachronistic that we expect students to handwrite essay examinations when almost all their other work is mediated by computer. Two universities, one in the UK and one in Australia, are exploring the use of computers in free text response examinations. This paper compares both the attitudes and the behaviours of their students concerning the use of computers in essay examinations, and contrasts the responses from the two cohorts. Most of the students have confidence in their typing skills and report typing as least as fast as they can handwrite. The analysis demonstrates that although students recognise that examination essays should have good structure and argument, when in the pressure of an examination, it is all too easy for them to be more concerned with the sheer amount of text they can write.
Predicting Australian adults' sun‐safe behaviour: Examining the role of personal and social norms
Authors: White Katherine M. , Starfelt Louise C. , Young Ross McD. , Hawkes Anna L. , Leske Stuart , Hamilton Kyra
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To address the scarcity of comprehensive, theory‐based research in the Australian context, this study, using a theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework, investigated the role of personal and social norms to identify the key predictors of adult Australians' sun‐safe intentions and behaviour.

Design

The study used a prospective design with two waves of data collection, 1 week apart.

Methods

Participants were 816 adults (48.2% men) aged between 18 and 88 years recruited from urban, regional, and rural areas of Australia. At baseline, participants completed a questionnaire assessing the standard TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control [PBC]), past behaviour, behavioural intention, and additional measures of group norm for the referent groups of friends and family, image norm, personal norm, personal choice/responsibility, and Australian identity. Seventy‐one per cent of the participants (n = 577) reported on their sun‐safe behaviour in the subsequent week.

Results

Via path modelling, past behaviour, attitude, group norm (friends), personal norm, and personal choice/responsibility emerged as independent predictors of intentions which, in turn, predicted sun‐safe behaviour prospectively. Past behaviour, but not PBC, had direct effects on sun‐safe behaviour. The model explained 61.6% and 43.9% of the variance in intention and behaviour, respectively.

Conclusions

This study provides support for the use of a comprehensive theoretical decision‐making model to explain Australian adults' sun‐safe intentions and behaviours and identifies viable targets for health‐promoting messages in this high‐risk context.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Identifying determinants of sun‐safe behaviour is vital in high‐risk cancer areas like Australia.

For young Australians, friendship group norm is a key influence of intentions and behaviour.

Little is known about drivers of sun safety, especially norms, among Australian adults in general.

What does this study add?

This study drew on qualitative data and reconceptualized norms for Australians' sun‐safe decisions.

Friendship group norm and personal norm, not family group norm, influence sun‐safe intentions.

Perceived responsibility and choice to be sun safe also impact on people's intentions.
Repeated morphine treatment alters cannabinoid modulation of GABAergic synaptic transmission within the rat periaqueductal grey
Authors: Wilson‐Poe A R , Lau B K , Vaughan C W
Published: June 2014

Background and Purpose

Cannabinoids and opioids produce antinociception by modulating GABAergic synaptic transmission in a descending analgesic pathway from the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG). While chronic opioid treatment produces opioid tolerance, it has recently been shown to enhance cannabinoid‐induced antinociception within the PAG. This study examined the effect of repeated opioid treatment on opioid and cannabinoid presynaptic modulation of GABAergic synaptic transmission in PAG.

Experimental Approach

Midbrain PAG slices were prepared from untreated rats, and rats that had undergone repeated morphine or saline pretreatment. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings were made from neurons within the ventrolateral PAG.

Key Results

In slices from untreated animals, the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55212 and the μ receptor agonist DAMGO inhibited electrically evoked GABAA receptor‐mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) IPSCs in PAG neurons, with IC50s of 30 and 100 nM respectively. The inhibition of evoked IPSCs produced by WIN55212 (30 nM) and DAMGO (100 nM) was similar in PAG neurons from morphine‐ and saline‐treated animals. The cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 increased the frequency of spontaneous miniature IPSCs in PAG neurons from repeated morphine‐, but not saline‐treated animals. DAMGO inhibition of evoked IPSCs was enhanced in the presence of AM251 in morphine‐, but not saline‐treated animals.

Conclusions and Implications

These results indicate that the efficiency of agonist‐induced inhibition of GABAergic synaptic transmission is enhanced by morphine treatment, although this is dampened by endocannabinoid‐mediated tonic inhibition. Thus, endocannabinoid modulation of synaptic transmission could provide an alternative analgesic approach in a morphine‐tolerant state.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2
Rifting and pre‐rift lithosphere variability in the Orphan Basin, Newfoundland margin, Eastern Canada
Authors: Gouiza M. , Hall J. , Bertotti G.
Published: June 2014

The Orphan Basin, lying along the Newfoundland rifted continental margin, formed in Mesozoic time during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean and the breakup of Iberia/Eurasia from North America. To investigate the evolution of the Orphan Basin and the factors that governed its formation, we (i) analysed the stratigraphic and crustal architecture documented by seismic data (courtesy of TGS), (ii) quantified the tectonic and thermal subsidence along a constructed geological transect, and (iii) used forward numerical modelling to understand the state of the pre‐rift lithosphere and the distribution of deformation during rifting. Our study shows that the pre‐rift lithosphere was 200‐km thick and rheologically strong (150‐km‐thick elastic plate) prior to rifting. It also indicates that extension in the Orphan Basin occurred in three distinct phases during the Jurassic, the Early Cretaceous and the Late Cretaceous. Each rifting phase is characterized by a specific crustal and subcrustal thinning configuration. Crustal deformation initiated in the eastern part of the basin during the Jurassic and migrated to the west during the Cretaceous. It was coupled with a subcrustal thinning which was reduced underneath the eastern domain and very intense in the western domains of the basin. The spatial and temporal distribution of thinning and the evolution of the lithosphere rheology through time controlled the tectonic, stratigraphic and crustal architecture that we observe today in the Orphan Basin.
Is evolutionary biology becoming too politically correct? A reflection onthe scala naturae, phylogenetically basal clades, anatomically plesiomorphic taxa, and ‘lower’ animals
Authors: Diogo Rui , Ziermann Janine M. , Linde‐Medina Marta
Published: June 2014

The notion ofscala naturaedates back to thinkers such as Aristotle, who placed plants below animals and ranked the latter along a graded scale of complexity from ‘lower’ to ‘higher’ animals, such as humans. In the last decades, evolutionary biologists have tended to move from one extreme (i.e. the idea ofscala naturaeor the existence of a general evolutionary trend in complexity from ‘lower’ to “higher” taxa, withHomo sapiensas the end stage) to the other, opposite, extreme (i.e. to avoid using terms such as ‘phylogenetically basal’ and ‘anatomically plesiomorphic’ taxa, which are seen as the undesired vestige of old teleological theories). The latter view tries to avoid any possible connotations with the original anthropocentric idea of ascala naturaecrowned by man and, in that sense, it can be regarded as a more politically correct view. In the past years and months there has been renewed interest in these topics, which have been discussed in various papers and monographs that tend to subscribe, in general, to the points defended in the more politically correct view. Importantly, most evolutionary and phylogenetic studies of tetrapods and other vertebrates, and therefore most discussions on thescala naturaeand related issues have been based on hard tissue and, more recently, on molecular data. Here we provide the first discussion of these topics based on a comparative myological study of all the major vertebrate clades and of myological cladistic and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of bony fish and tetrapods, including Primates. We specifically (i) contradict the notions of ascala naturaeor evolutionary progressive trends leading to more complexity in ‘higher’ animals and culminating inHomo sapiens, and (ii) stress that the refutation of these old notions does not necessarily mean that one should not keep using the terms ‘phylogenetically basal’ and particularly ‘anatomically plesiomorphic’ to refer to groups such as the urodeles within the Tetrapoda, or the strepsirrhines and lemurs within the Primates, for instance. This review will contribute to improving our understanding of these broad evolutionary issues and of the evolution of the vertebrate Bauplans, and hopefully will stimulate future phylogenetic, evolutionary and developmental studies of these clades.
Oligomerization and nanocluster organization render specificity
Authors: Nussinov Ruth , Jang Hyunbum , Tsai Chung‐Jung
Published: June 2014

Nanoclusters are anchored to membranes, either within them or in the cytoplasm latched onto the cytoskeleton, whose reorganization can regulate their activity. Nanoclusters have been viewed in terms of cooperativity and activation; here we perceive nanocluster organization from a conformational standpoint. This leads us to suggest that while single molecules encode activity, nanoclusters induce specificity, and that this is their main evolutionary aim. Distinct, isoform‐specific nanocluster organization can drive the preferred effector (and ligand) interactions and thereby designate signalling pathways. The absence of detailed structural information across the nanocluster, due to size and dynamics, hinders an in‐depth grasp of its mechanistic features; however, available data already capture some of the principles and their functional ‘raison d'être’. Collectively, clustering lends stability and reduces the likelihood of proteolytic cleavage; it also increases the effective local concentration and enables efficient cooperative activation. However, clustering does not determine the ability of the single molecule to function. Drugs targeting nanoclusters can attenuate activity by hampering cooperativity; however, this may not perturb activation and signalling, which originate from the molecules themselves, and as such, are likely to endure. What then is the major role of nanoclustering? Assuming that single molecules evolved first, with a subsequent increase in cellular complexity and emergence of highly similar isoform variants, evolution faced the threat of signalling promiscuity. We reason that this potential risk was thwarted by oligomerization and clustering; clustering confers higher specificity, and a concomitant extra layer of cellular control. In our Ras example, signalling will be more accurate as a dimer than as a monomer, where its isomer specificity could be compromised.
Child‐Care Subsidies and Child‐Care Choices Over Time
Authors: Johnson Anna D. , Martin Anne , Ryan Rebecca M.
Published: June 2014

The evidence to date on the federal child‐care subsidy program's effect on preschool child‐care quality is mixed. However, an as‐yet untested outcome of subsidy receipt is subsequent child‐care choice. Specifically, it is possible that subsidy receipt in toddlerhood increases the likelihood of attending other publicly funded preschool programs—Head Start and public pre‐k—that provide the highest quality care available to low‐income families. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort (n ≈ 2,100; approximately 2 years old), this study finds that subsidy receipt during toddlerhood predicts greater use of the other forms of publicly funded care in the preschool year, although only if the earlier subsidy is used in a center. These results highlight a previously unconsidered potential benefit of the subsidy program.
Transfer of peanut IgE sensitisation after combined pancreas–kidney transplant
Authors: Berry A. , Campsen J. , Shihab F. , Firszt R.
Published: June 2014

Background

The transfer of peanut allergy has been reported following solid organ transplantation.

Objective

Present a case of peanut sensitization following combined pancreas‐and‐kidney transplantation.

Methods

Circulating specific IgE against peanut were measured in serum samples collected from the transplant recipient 1 month before transplantation, and 1, 3 and 6 months after transplantation. Skin tests were performed 1, 3 and 6 months following transplant.

Results

The organ recipient's pre‐transplant peanut IgE levels were negative. At 1 month post‐transplant, the patient had a 6 mm skin test to peanut and had serum IgE to peanut Arah1 of 0.79 kU/L. At 3 months, skin test size and IgE to peanut Arah1 decreased to 4 mm, and 0.69 kU/L respectively. At 6 months, the patient's skin test and IgE to peanuts were negative. At that time, the patient underwent a peanut food challenge without a clinical reaction to suggest allergy.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

We report the development of IgE peanut sensitization in a recipient of a combined pancreas and kidney transplantation. Increasing awareness of this allergen sensitization following transplantation may help prevent serious allergic reactions in transplant recipients.