bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State Street learns to stay globally inclusive
Authors: Pollitt Michael
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe an online inclusiveness-training initiative launched at global financial-services company State Street Corporation, which helped the company to earn a place among The Times Top 50 Employers for Women.

Design/methodology/approach

– It explains the reasons for the program, the form it took and the results it achieved.

Findings

– It reveals that State Street decided to include employees from every level of the company in the design, development and implementation of the training. Details how an Intranet site provides employees with additional learning resources and opportunities for discussion. It illustrates how management-level accountability for the up-take of the program helped to identify areas where further promotion was needed and instilled a sense of competition among team-leaders.

Practical implications

– It highlights how female representation on the executive board of State Street, UK, has risen to 36 from 11 per cent and how, since the training began, 75 per cent of senior UK recruits have been women.

Social implications

– It outlines how the company has maintained its commitment to improving workplace gender equality and reducing the gender wage gap.

Originality/value

– It describes how managers from the company’s various international offices were logged into a “virtual classroom” in groups of 50, where they watched the training modules delivered live and conferred online with their “classmates” around the world.
Morgan Stanley raises women’s interest in investment banking
Authors: Pollitt David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to observe how Morgan Stanley is seeking to overcome misconceptions about the nature of investment banking, concern over work–life balance and fears of the existence of a glass ceiling.

Design/methodology/approach

– It outlines the bank’s various initiatives to connect with women during their studies or at an early stage in their careers.

Findings

– It highlights the importance of outreach work with schools and universities, plus the key role played at the bank by women’s networking groups.

Practical implications

– It reveals that the company won the 2013 Opportunity Now inspiring the workforce of the future award for its initiatives aimed at increasing the proportion of women in its top jobs.

Social implications

– It reveals how a major investment bank is seeking to challenge the macho image of investment banking.

Originality/value

– It explains that Morgan Stanley reached more than 1,600 women at female-specific events in 2012 alone. It views this approach to building a female talent pipeline as a multi-year strategy.
AWB turns crisis into a scandal
Authors: Pollitt David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the circumstances in which a crisis-response strategy can compound a crisis. The paper focuses on AWB Ltd, Australia, where the organizational damage of a “cover-up” caused additional damage to the company.

Design/methodology/approach

– It provides an insight into the application of theories and research on crisis and reputation management and the specific challenges and risks of corporate scandals.

Findings

– It demonstrates that corporate scandals can easily descend into a secondary or “double crisis” if incorrectly managed, or even mismanaged.

Practical implications

– Examines the initial failed response strategy and the more appropriate response eventually undertaken by the company.

Originality/value

– Offers the additional insights of the author, as a former member of the management team at the company.
Generating historically-based stress scenarios using parsimonious factorization
Authors: Bogin Alexander , Doerner William
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe a robust empirical approach to generating plausible historically based interest rate shocks, which can be applied to any market environment. These interest rate shocks can be readily linked to movements in other key risk factors, and used to measure market risk on institutions with large fixed-income portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using yield curve factorization, we parameterize a time series of historical yield curves and measure interest rate shocks as the historical change in each of the model’s factors. We then demonstrate how to add these parameterized shocks to any market environment, while retaining positive rates and plausible credit spreads. Given a set of shocked interest rate curves, joint risk factor movements are calculated based upon historical, reduced form dependencies.

Findings

– Our approach is based upon yield curve parameterization and requires a parsimonious yet flexible factorization model. In the process of selecting a model, we evaluate three variants of the Nelson–Siegel approach to yield curve approximation and find that, in the current low interest rate environment, a 5-factor parameterization developed by Björk and Christensen (1999) is best suited for accurately translating historical interest rate movements into plausible, current period shocks.

Originality/value

– An accurate measure of market risk can help to inform institutions about the amount of capital needed to withstand a series of adverse market events. A plausible set of shocks is required to ensure market value, and cash flow projections are indicative of meaningful market sensitivities.
The effects of culture on leadership styles in China, Germany and Russia
Authors: Richardson Jessie , Millage Phil , Millage Jacob , Lane Samuel
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine how the leadership styles in the business world of paternalistic China, imperative Germany and authoritative Russia are affected by the distinguishing cultures of each country.

Design/methodology/approach

– The information contained throughout this paper was collected through online research of databases as well as primary data collections.

Findings

– The findings showed that leadership styles of a country can be traced back to the culture values of that country. Even with all countries having a different culture and different leadership styles, in each one both constructs strongly overlap each other.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to the narrow comparisons of leadership styles between these countries. Value is added by studying the separate leadership styles in very different cultures, and how they affect the business world in their culture.
A retail perspective on the shopping behavior, cultures and personalities for China, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, India, Germany and America
Authors: Thomas Taylor , E. Carraher Charles
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the shopping behaviors (online and in store), cultures and personalities of consumers within China, Belgium, India and Germany, and compares them to American shopping behaviors and to each other.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were collected through literature research and personality, cultural and shopping behavior research was assessed via surveys, while customer service oriented behaviors were measured through direct observation and survey methods using structured questionnaires and other approaches for data collection.

Findings

– The findings showed implications of anticipating consumer’s behavioral responses, as well as the cultural and personality differences. The findings may help retailers with strategic business strategies to assess what attracts consumers the most and the least and then use this advantage to become successful internationally.

Originality/value

– The current study is original, in that it uses multiple methods to collect data allowing for comparison across shopping industry groups including retail managers and even consumers themselves. Primary data of this type are difficult to obtain in China. This study contributes to the literature by showing that different industries may have different requirements in terms of the relationship between personalities and customer service levels among managers.
Arab and Middle Eastern business research: a review of the empirical literature (1990-2013)
Authors: Kalliny Morris , Benmamoun Mamoun
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the current study is to examine the empirical research conducted on the Arab region as reported in the top 46 business journals over the past 23 years (1990-2013). After identifying patterns over time (focal country and methodologies), the identified methodological challenges that scholars have reported in their published research are presented.

Design/methodology/approach

– The Arab region in this study comprised all 22 member-countries in the Arab League. We also added three other countries that are very much tied to the Arab region and are usually included in the Middle East: Turkey, Israel and Iran. Following the recommendations of previous authors (DuBois and Reeb, 2000; Nicholls-Nixonet al., 2011; Martinez and Kalliny, 2012), published articles are reviewed, but not book chapters, book reviews and dissertation abstracts from our sample, as they do not meet the sample selection criteria (Inkpen and Beamish, 1994; Samiee and Athanassiou, 1998).

Findings

– As Table I indicates, the Arab region has not received much attention in the top business journals as evidenced by the number of articles published from 1990 to 2013. No papers were published in many of the top management journals such as theAcademy of Management Review and Strategic Management Journal. Few found publication in other top management outlets such as theAcademy of Management Journal, theAdministrative Science Quarterly, theJournal of Managementand theJournal of Management Studies. Our sample also revealed a similar result in the field of marketing where there are also no papers published in some of the top marketing journals such as theJournal of Marketing Research,Journal of Consumer Psychology and Marketing Science. There was one paper published in theJournal of Marketingand one in theJournal of Retailing. Bearing in mind that this literature review covered a span of 23 years, these results indicate an under-representation of the Arab region as an empirical context. This trend has started to change after the eruption of the Arab Spring. Academic business research on the Arab region has increased significantly since then. Another significant finding is the lack of investigation of the firm and country factors in studying the region.

Originality/value

– As the world becomes increasingly connected and the fates of countries and regions become more intertwined, it is imperative that scholars and practitioners acquire a deeper understanding of individual countries and regions, particularly those that have been relatively understudied in the extant academic research (i.e. the Arab region). While there is a substantial body of Asian management research, as well as several comprehensive literature reviews of other regions (Bruton and Lau, 2008), a systematic review of Arab and Middle Eastern business research has not been undertaken. Despite much regional attention in political science research due to the Arab – Israel conflict, management research has lagged behind.
Strategy lessons from the FIFA World Cup 2014
Authors: Mathur Anshul , Pillania Rajesh
Published: November 2014

Findings

– Lesson 1: Regions still matter and localization helps. Lesson 2: Innovate before your competence gets commoditized or neutralized by a counter strategy. Lesson 3: There is no ONE right strategy; do proper SWOT to determine your strategy. Lesson 4: Adapt- modify your strategy as per the situation Lesson 5: Surprise element can be a big source of competitive advantage.
Sustainability, NGOs, and commerce
Authors: Guru Prabhakar Dr
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds personal impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

– Examines the growth in international sport marketing, considers factors such as globalization which have fuelled the process, looks at practical implications and provides research avenues for future exploration.

Practical implications

– The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

– The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
Local people's perceptions of participating in conservation in a heritage site: A case study of the Wuyishan Scenery District cultural and natural heritage site in Southeastern China
Authors: You Wei‐bin , He Dong‐jin , Hong Wei , Liu Cui , Wu Li‐yun , Ji Zhi‐rong , Xiao Shi‐hong
Published: November 2014

The perceptions and attitudes of local people in heritage sites strongly influence their behaviour related to protecting heritage resources and improving management. In this study, we collected pertinent data through a questionnaire and group discussions to examine local people's attitudes and perceptions toward participation in heritage protection in Wuyishan Scenery District (WSD). Logistic regression was used to identify the factors that influence local people's perceptions of heritage protection behaviours. The results indicate that education level is the most critical factor in local people's initiatives to protect heritage resources. Local people with higher education levels pay more attention to the status of WSD and behave more positively with regard to conservation. Gender and income are relatively important factors in perceptions of heritage. Males have better knowledge of heritage resources than females do, and inhabitants with higher income levels are more likely to participate in protection, especially after WSD was listed as a World Heritage Site. Education level was always a key demographic factor before and after WSD's listing on the Heritage List. Household size was a significant factor before WSD was listed on the Heritage List, but it was not significant after, when household income became a significant factor.
The illusion of no control: management control systems facilitating autonomous motivation in university research
Authors: Sutton Nicole C. , Brown David A.
Published: November 2014

Autonomous motivation, a fundamental factor influencing research success, can be undermined when people feel pressured, managed or controlled. So how do universities – which are under increasing external pressure to manage research activities to produce outcomes – exert management control without threatening the autonomous motivation of their researchers? We address this question through an exploratory case study of the management control systems used in two university faculties. Our results confirm the importance of autonomous motivation in driving researchers’ activity and show how incentives, performance evaluation and cultural–administrative structures can be designed to not only preserve, but also enhance and leverage this motivation.
MANDATORY COOPERATIVES AND THE FREE RIDER PROBLEM: THE CASE OF SANTO WINES IN SANTORINI, GREECE
Authors: ILIOPOULOS Constantine , THEODORAKOPOULOU Irini
Published: November 2014

This paper addresses the issue of how the institutional environment shapes cooperatives' ability to address the free rider problem and combat intra‐organizational challenges. Particularly we focus on Santo Wines, a mandatory wine cooperative based on the island of Santorini, Greece; membership of local grape‐growers in the cooperative is compulsory by law. We shed light on Santo Wines' evolution since its formation, the intensity of the free rider problem facing the cooperative as well as on available options in case it loses its mandatory status. We argue that the cooperative might be able to survive and succeed without its mandatory status under certain conditions derived from Ostrom's eight core design principles for the efficacy of groups.
Chronic phalaris toxicity in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus)
Authors: Bacci B , Whiteley PL , Barrow M , Phillips PH , Dalziel J , El‐Hage CM
Published: November 2014

Case report

Seven eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) grazing pastures including Phalaris spp. in Victoria showed neurological deficits characterised by ataxia, head tremors and collapse. Gross examination of the brains and spinal cords of affected kangaroos showed a greenish discolouration in several regions of the grey matter. Histologically, intracytoplasmic accumulation of pigment granules was detected in the neurons, most prominently in the thalamus, brainstem and ventral horns of the spinal cord. Pigment granules were positive to stains used for identification of melanin, including Fontana‐Masson stain and Schmorl's reaction.

Conclusion

The combination of clinical signs and obvious neuronal pigmentation is consistent with chronic Phalaris spp. toxicity, a condition well documented in domestic ruminants.
A succession of theories: purging redundancy from disturbance theory
Authors: Pulsford Stephanie A. , Lindenmayer David B. , Driscoll Don A.
Published: November 2014

The topics
of succession and post‐disturbance ecosystem recovery have a long and convoluted history. There is extensive redundancy within this body of theory, which has resulted in confusion, and the links among theories have not been adequately drawn. This review aims to distil the unique ideas from the array of theory related to ecosystem change in response to disturbance. This will help to reduce redundancy, and improve communication and understanding between researchers. We first outline the broad range of concepts that have developed over the past century to describe community change in response to disturbance. The body of work spans overlapping succession concepts presented by Clements in 1916, Egler in 1954, and Connell and Slatyer in 1977. Other theories describing community change include state and transition models, biological legacy theory, and the application of functional traits to predict responses to disturbance. Second, we identify areas of overlap of these theories, in addition to highlighting the conceptual and taxonomic limitations of each. In aligning each of these theories with one another, the limited scope and relative inflexibility of some theories becomes apparent, and redundancy becomes explicit. We identify a set of unique concepts to describe the range of mechanisms driving ecosystem responses to disturbance. We present a schematic model of our proposed synthesis which brings together the range of unique mechanisms that were identified in our review. The model describes five main mechanisms of transition away from a post‐disturbance community: (i) pulse events with rapid state shifts; (ii) stochastic community drift; (iii) facilitation; (iv) competition; and (v) the influence of the initial composition of a post‐disturbance community. In addition, stabilising processes such as biological legacies, inhibition or continuing disturbance may prevent a transition between community types. Integrating these six mechanisms with the functional trait approach is likely to improve the predictive capacity of disturbance theory. Finally, we complement our discussion of theory with a case study which emphasises that many post‐disturbance theories apply simultaneously to the same ecosystem. Using the well‐studied mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of south‐eastern Australia, we illustrate phenomena that align with six of the theories described in our model of rationalised disturbance theory. We encourage further work to improve our schematic model, increase coverage of disturbance‐related theory, and to show how the model may link to, or integrate with, other domains of ecological theory.
Forkhead box protein 3+ regulatory T cells and Helios+ subset in perinatally acquired HIV
Authors: Degaffe G , Zakhour R , Zhang W , Contreras G A , Bell C S , Rodriguez G , Del Bianco G , Pérez N , Benjamins L J , Murphy J R , Heresi G P , Tran D Q
Published: November 2014

Forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3)+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important not only in regulating the development of autoimmune conditions, but also in chronic infectious diseases. Given their cardinal function in suppressing immune activation, research has focused upon whether they play a detrimental role in chronic infections, particularly HIV. While the role of Tregs in HIV has been investigated intensively, it remains an unresolved topic. However, it is generally accepted that Tregs are susceptible to HIV infection and are preferentially preserved over conventional CD4+ T cells. It is unknown whether the peripheral-induced or the thymic-derived Tregs are more susceptible to HIV cytotoxicity. It has been recognized that Tregs can be segregated into two subsets based on Helios expression, with the vast majority being Helios+. This study examines the impact of HIV infection on total Tregs and their Helios subsets in a perinatal-acquired HIV-infected paediatric population. The finding indicates a selective expansion or survival of Tregs in association with CD4 depletion and increased viraemia. The Helios+ and Helios− subsets within Tregs appear to be equally affected. However, the Helios+ Tregs seem to be more preserved in patients with low CD4+ ≤ 25% and detectable plasma HIV RNA >20 copies/ml. In this group, the frequencies of Tregs are increased, but their numbers appear insufficient to restrain immune activation. In conclusion, our findings suggest that both Helios subsets of Tregs are susceptible to HIV infection and are preferentially preserved compared to conventional CD4+ T cells.
The results of seton drainage combined with anti‐TNFα therapy for anal fistula in Crohn's disease
Authors: Haennig A. , Staumont G. , Lepage B. , Faure P. , Alric L. , Buscail L. , Bournet B. , Moreau J.
Published: November 2014

Aim

Combined infliximab and sphincter‐sparing surgery can be effective in perianal fistula associated with Crohn's disease (CD). This study aimed to assess the efficacy of local surgery combined with infliximab on sustained fistula closure and to identify predictive factors for response after this combined treatment.

Method

Between 2000 and 2010, 81 patients with fistulising perianal CD were included in this observational study. Drainage with a loose seton was followed by infliximab therapy. The primary end‐points were the rate of complete fistula closure and time required for this to occur.

Results

The fistula was complex in 71 (88%) of the 81 patients. Local proctological surgery was carried out in 77 (95%), including seton drainage in 62 (80.5%) of these. This was continued for a median duration of 3.8 months and the patient then received infliximab therapy. The median follow‐up after treatment was 64 months (2–263). Initial complete closure of the fistula occurred in 71 (88%) cases at a median interval of 12.4 months (1–147) from the start of treatment. Recurrence was observed in 29 (41%) patients at a median interval of 38.5 months (2–48) from the start of treatment. They were treated again with combined treatment with successful closure in 19 (65.5%) patients. The total rate of closure of the fistula was 75.3%. Female gender, anal stenosis, rectovaginal and complex fistula formation were factors independently associated with failure of combined treatment.

Conclusion

Seton drainage for several months combined with infliximab therapy is effective in closing the fistula in 75% of patients with complex perianal fistula formation associated with CD.
Prospective analysis of risk for bleeding after endoscopic biopsy without cessation of antithrombotics in Japan
Authors: Ara Nobuyuki , Iijima Katsunori , Maejima Ryuhei , Kondo Yutaka , Kusaka Gen , Hatta Waku , Uno Kaname , Asano Naoki , Koike Tomoyuki , Imatani Akira , Shimosegawa Tooru
Published: November 2014

Background and Aim

In Japan, after the revision of the gastrointestinal endoscopic guidelines for patients taking antithrombotics, endoscopic biopsies were permitted while continuing antithrombotic treatment. However, the risk of bleeding after the biopsy with or without cessation of antithrombotics has not been fully evaluated because bleeding events are very rare. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the risk for bleeding after upper gastrointestinal biopsy without cessation of antithrombotics.

Methods

Consecutive patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy from December 2011 to March 2014 were enrolled in this study. Antithrombotic medication and its cessation status was checked at enrollment. To confirm bleeding events associated with biopsy, medical examination at the hospital or direct confirmation by telephone was done within 1 month after the biopsy.

Results

Among the 3758 patients who underwent endoscopic biopsies, 394 patients (10.5%) were medicated with antithrombotics, and 286 of them (72.6% of the total antithrombotics users) did not undergo cessation. Bleeding after the biopsy occurred in six cases (0.15%, 95% CI; 0.09%∼0.22%), but there was only one case that had continued taking antithrombotics. The incidence of bleeding after biopsy was not significantly higher in the patients who had continued taking antithrombotics compared with the others (0.35% vs 0.14%, P = 0.38).

Conclusion

This prospective study showed that continuation of antithrombotics did not increase the bleeding risk after upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy.
Comparative evaluation of shock absorption ability of custom‐fit mouthguards with new‐generation polyolefin self‐adapting mouthguards in three different maxillary anterior teeth alignments using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors
Authors: Grewal Navneet , Kumari Foolan , Tiwari Umesh
Published: November 2014

Purpose

Prevention of orofacial injuries is one of the biggest pre‐occupations in sports dentistry. The custom‐fitted mouthguard is considered the best choice for fit and protection when compared to over‐the‐counter commercial mouthguards. However, cost and time prohibit their mass production. It is therefore imperative to have an over‐the‐counter true mouth‐formed mouthguard with comparable properties. The present in vitro experimental study was carried out to compare the shock absorption ability of EVA laminate mouthguards with self‐adapting polyolefin material mouthguards in three different anterior teeth alignments.

Materials and methods

Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to simulate the stress distribution due to impact on the respective mouthguards. Customized pendulum device with three interchangeable standard size impact objects was used. Response of grating was monitored using a FBG interrogation system. Shift in wavelength for each impact was measured. Three standardized jaw models were subjected to a total of 72 impact strikes with three different balls on two specified sites by releasing the objects from two different heights H1 24 cm and H2 48 cm.

Results and conclusions

Two‐way anova was applied and comparative values computed. It was found that the percentage shock absorption ability of self‐adapted polyolefin mouthguard was highly significant at <0.001 level in both regions. The influence of height on the shock absorption ability of both mouthguards was highly significant at P < 0.001. It was concluded that self‐adapting polyolefin mouthguards fulfill similar protection requirement as custom‐fit mouthguards and can be used for millions of athletes if properly fitted chairside by a dentist without requiring laboratory fabrication.
The Procedurally Directive Approach to Teaching Controversial Issues
Authors: Gregory Maughn Rollins
Published: November 2014

Recent articles on teaching controversial topics in schools have employed Michael Hand's distinction between “directive teaching,” in which teachers attempt to persuade students of correct positions on topics that are not rationally controversial, and “nondirective teaching,” in which teachers avoid persuading students on topics that are rationally controversial. However, the four methods of directive teaching discussed in the literature — explicit directive teaching, “steering,” “soft‐directive teaching,” and “school ethos endorsement” — make rational persuasion problematic, if not self‐defeating. In this essay, Maughn Rollins Gregory argues that “procedurally directive teaching” offers an alternative to such approaches because it derives from the intention to guide inquiry rather than to persuade. He demonstrates that the conceptual frameworks of perfectionism and antiperfectionism, which have been proposed for directive teaching on same‐sex marriage, can instead be used to generate open questions for student inquiry, as can a third, civil rights framework. Given these considerations, Gregory maintains that pedagogical guidance on this topic should be procedurally directive rather than substantively directive. Further, the fact that legal, political, and ethics scholars disagree about which framework is more appropriate to the issue of same‐sex marriage indicates that such arguments cannot be dispositive of the pedagogical issue of how to frame classroom discussions about it. Rather, students should inquire into this meta‐level framing dispute for themselves.
Variations in reproductive potential between nearshore and offshore spawning contingents of hogfish in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Collins A. B. , McBride R. S.
Published: November 2014

Hogfish, Lachnolaimus maximus (Walbaum), have multiple traits that confound measuring reproductive potential: they are protogynous, relatively long‐lived harem‐forming fish that spawn daily for months. Additionally, recent evidence demonstrates that size, age and timing of sex change vary on a spatial scale within the study area (West Florida shelf, USA). This study investigates the effect of this spatial variation on hogfish reproductive potential by evaluating spawning seasonality, spawning frequency and batch fecundity using an indeterminate egg production model. Offshore females were larger than nearshore females, and batch fecundity was related in a log‐linear manner to female size. Gonad histology demonstrated a more protracted reproductive period for females offshore (8 months) than nearshore (4 months). Spatial variations in size coincide with ontogeny because hogfish move offshore with growth; however, even after accounting for fish size, offshore females spawned more. In areas where male removal rates are elevated, spawning harems are disrupted; thus, greater fishing effort nearshore may further reduce the reproductive potential of these females. These nearshore and offshore spawning components of the population are not genetically distinct, but instead represent two contingent spawning strategies that likely enhance total population stability and resilience of this stock in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Converting land into golf courses – effects on ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Authors: Saarikivi Jarmo , Tähtinen Saara , Malmberg Sampsa , Kotze D. Johan
Published: November 2014

Some golf courses start off as half‐size, 9‐hole courses and, if successful, expand in area to full‐size courses, thus converting more land to highly managed greenspace. We investigated carabid beetle assemblages in three established and newly created suburban golf courses in Helsinki, southern Finland.

Beetles were collected from similar habitat types on established courses, newly created courses and nearby reference areas.

Seventy‐one carabid beetle species were collected and the beetle assemblages were dominated by open habitat and generalist species.

Assemblages differed considerably between the three golf courses studied and between the habitat types sampled, but not between course development stages (established vs. newly created) or reference areas.

We argue that some carabid beetle species in the urban landscape in Helsinki are resilient and capable of rapidly colonising these modified environments.

Under current management regimes, these golf courses in Helsinki, Finland, do not host carabid beetles of conservation concern, yet are rich in generalist and open habitat species.
Supply chain coordination based on return contracts with a threshold ordering quantity
Authors: Cai Jianhu , Deng Shiming , Hu Xiaoqing , Han Yi , Cheng Haifang , Huang Weilai
Published: November 2014

Return contracts are commonly used by companies selling products with short life cycles and highly uncertain demand. Current research on return contracts assumes suppliers are responsible for all surplus products. In practice, retailers tend to order more than necessary and leave suppliers with large after‐season returns. To mitigate the problem, a new type of return contract with a threshold ordering quantity has been developed by some enterprises. Under these contracts, suppliers specify a threshold for retailers’ ordering quantity. They buy back only the portion in excess of the threshold. In this paper, we show that this new type of contract can achieve two objectives: (a) the supply chain is coordinated, and (b) both the supplier and the retailer can gain more profit than they can gain under a wholesale‐price‐only contract. The new contract does not require any manipulation of wholesale prices. This makes it more acceptable in practice by supply chain members. We also illustrate our findings in a numerical example.
THE EXCRETION OF C6–C10‐DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS IN THE URINE OF NEWBORN INFANTS DURING STARVATION
Authors: GREGERSEN N. , INGERSLEV J.
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Gregersen, N. and Ingerslev, J. (Research Laboratory for Metabolic Disorders, University Department of Clinical Chemistry and University Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus kommunehospital, Aarhus, Denmark). The excretion of C6–C10‐dicarboxylic acids in the urine of newborn infants during starvation. Acta Paediatr Scand, 68: 677, 1979.—The excretion of C6–C10‐dicarboxylic acids, i.e. adipic, suberic and sebacic acids, was measured during the three first days of life in 3 fasting newborns, 2 newborns fed with isocaloric glucose and 2 newborns given mothers'‐milk. On the second and third day of life the starved children excreted 27–84 mmol adipic acid/mol creatinine, 6–22 mmol suberic acid/mol creatinine and 4–7 mmol sebacic acid/mol creatinine. The excretion of C6–C10‐dicarboxylic acids in the neonates given glucose or mothers'‐milk was, for the first three days of life, 0–9 mmol adipic acid/mol creatinine, 0–10 mmol suberic acid/mol creatinine and 0–4 mmol sebacic acid/mol creatinine. The latter amounts are equivalent to the excretion of dicarboxylic acids in older children. It is argued that the detected dicarboxylic acids are formed by ω‐oxidation of long‐chain monocarboxylic acids followed by β‐oxidation, and that the excreted amounts reflect ω‐oxidation activity. It is speculated that the substantial ω‐oxidation activity in the starving newborn serve to provide succinyl‐CoA‐substrate for the citric acid cycle and for gluconeogenesis.
PROSPECTIVE STUDIES OF THE EFFECT OF BREAST FEEDING ON INCIDENCE OF INFECTION AND ALLERGY
Authors: CHANDRA R. K.
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Chandra, R. K. (Department of Pediatrics, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada). Prospective studies of the effect of breast feeding on incidence of infection and allergy. Acta Paediatr Scand 68: 691, 1979.—The effect of exclusive breast feeding in the first few weeks after birth on infant morbidity due to infectious and allergic disorders was investigated in three separate prospective studies. In a rural community in India, breast‐fed infants had a significantly lower incidence of respiratory infection, otitis, diarrhoea, dehydration and pneumonia. In an urban population in Canada, breast feeding was associated with a marked decrease in the occurrence of otitis and respiratory disease and to a lesser extent of diarrhoea and dehydration. In newborn siblings of children with atopic disease exclusively breast‐fed for a minimum of six weeks, the incidence of eczema, recurrent wheezing, elevated serum IgE, IgE‐antibodies to cow's milk, complement activation in vivo after milk challenge and hemagglutinating antibodies to β‐lactoglobulin was significantly lower compared with formula‐fed matched group. These observations provide clinical data attesting the immunologic advantages of human milk.
SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY—HEMATOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN THE NEWBORN
Authors: MEBERG A. , HÅGÅ P. , SANDE H. , FOSS O. P.
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Meberg, A., Hågå, P., Sande, H. and Foss, O. P. (Departments of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clinical Chemistry and Pathology, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway). Smoking during pregnancy—hematological observations in the newborn. Acta Paediatr Scand, 68: 731, 1979.—Hematological values were measured in 28 newborn infants of mothers smoking 10–20 cigarettes daily during pregnancy, and in 25 infants of non‐smokers. Higher hematocrit levels were found on the 1st day of life in infants of smoking mothers (60.8±5.0%, mean ±S.D.) compared to controls (57.5±4.8%) (p<0.05). The hematocrit levels correlated positively with the maternal smoking level (r=0.318, p<0.05) and the maternal serum thiocyanate concentrations at delivery (r=0.389, p<0.01). Cord serum values for erythropoietin, serum‐iron, transferrin and ferritin showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. A significant inverse correlation was found between the hematocrit value on the 1st day of life and the cord serum ferritin concentration (r=–0.495, p<0.005). The present results suggest that maternal smoking stimulates fetal erythropoiesis, probably through a hypoxic effect on the fetus, dose related to the maternal smoking level. Increased erythropoiesis may cause increased iron incorporation into erythrocytes at expense of iron storage in the bone marrow and reticuloendothelial system.
RENAL TUBULAR ACIDOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE III GLYCOGENOSIS
Authors: COHEN J. , FRIEDMAN M.
Published: November 2014

ABSTRACT. Cohen, J. and Friedman, M. (Department of Paediatrics, Whittington Hospital, London, England). Renal tubular acidosis associated with type III glycogenosis. Acta Paediatr Scand, 68: 779, 1979.—Two children who presented with severe failure to thrive were found to have Type III glycogen storage disease. They both also had defects of tubular acidification, an association not previously described. The nature of the tubular lesion is characterized and the explanation and therapeutic implications are discussed.
Development of temperature correction equations for bioelectrical impedance analysis models for brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis
Authors: Hafs A. W. , Hartman K. J.
Published: November 2014

The objective of this study was to establish the relationships between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measures (resistance and reactance) and temperature and to determine if corrections improve BIA models for brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis when used over a wide range of temperatures. Both resistance and reactance significantly decreased as temperature increased. Application of temperature corrections to BIA models attempting to predict per cent dry mass reduced root‐mean‐squared error by an average of 32%. Researchers taking BIA measures on fishes in the field where temperature varies will need to correct resistance and reactance to the temperature at which the BIA model was developed for successful predictions of per cent dry mass to be possible. This study presents a clear description of methods that can be used to developed temperature correction equations so that future researchers can use BIA in any field setting and increase the accuracy of BIA‐based estimates of per cent dry mass.
Predictive validity of the Italian parental questionnaire for developmental evaluation at age 4 (QS4‐G)
Authors: Bevilacqua Francesca , Giannantoni Patrizia , Pasqualetti Patrizio , di Ciommo Vincenzo M , Coletti Maria Franca , Ravà Lucilla , Caselli Maria Cristina , Dall'Oglio Anna Maria
Published: November 2014

Aim

To examine whether the results at 4 years of age of the developmental questionnaire QS4‐G can predict the outcome of cognitive, neuropsychological and academic abilities 4–6 years later. The QS4‐G is a validated parental questionnaire designed for the screening and surveillance of the neuropsychological and behavioural developmental status of 4‐year‐olds (93 questions).

Methods

Longitudinal prospective study on a subsample of the QS4‐G validation original sample was conducted. According to previous results, the sample was divided into two groups: ‘at risk’ and ‘not at risk’. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and likelihood ratios were assessed and referred to outcomes.

Results

Thirty‐five children were classified as ‘not at risk’ and 16 as ‘at risk’. There were significant associations between past QS4‐G score and cognitive, neuropsychological and academic abilities 4–6 years later. With the same cut‐off identified at the first cross‐sectional study, sensitivity and specificity for difficulties in cognitive development were 90% and 83% while in the neuropsychological abilities 62% and 90%, respectively. A lower predictive validity was found for difficulties in academic abilities (sensitivity 43%, specificity 86%). QS4‐G specific area scores showed significant correlations with related academic tests at follow‐up (rho range: 0.404–0.565, P < 0.005).

Conclusions

QS4‐G shows good predictive validity for cognitive development and neuropsychological abilities. The risk of false negatives for academic abilities can be reduced by analysing the specific area results of QS4‐G, which show good correlations with related tests at follow‐up.
An experimental study of the formation of cubanite (CuFe2S3) in primitive meteorites
Authors: Berger Eve L. , Keller Lindsay P. , Lauretta Dante S.
Published: November 2014

The low‐temperature form of CuFe2S3, cubanite, has been identified in the CI chondrite and NASA Stardust mission collections. The presence of this mineral constrains the maximum temperature to 210 °C since the time of its formation. However, until now, the conditions under which cubanite forms were less well constrained. In order to refine the history of the time‐varying, low‐temperature fluids which existed on the CI‐chondrite parent body and Comet 81P/Wild 2 (Wild 2), we synthesized cubanite. The experimental synthesis of this mineral was achieved, for the first time, under low‐temperature aqueous conditions relevant to the CI‐chondrite parent body. Using a variant of in situ hydrothermal recrystallization, cubanite formed in aqueous experiments starting with temperatures of 150 and 200 °C, pH approximately 9, and oxygen fugacities corresponding to the iron‐magnetite buffer. The composition and structure of the cubanite were determined using electron microprobe and transmission electron microscopy techniques, respectively. The combined compositional, crystallographic, and experimental data allow us to place limits on the conditions under which the formation of cubanite is feasible, which in turn constrains the nature of the fluid phase on the CI‐chondrite parent body and Wild 2 when cubanite was forming.
Discrete and overlapping functions of peptidoglycan synthases in growth, cell division and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Rismondo Jeanine , Möller Lars , Aldridge Christine , Gray Joe , Vollmer Waldemar , Halbedel Sven
Published: November 2014

Upon ingestion of contaminated food, Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious infections in humans that are normally treated with β‐lactam antibiotics. These target Listeria's five high molecular weight penicillin‐binding proteins (HMW PBPs), which are required for peptidoglycan biosynthesis. The two bi‐functional class A HMW PBPs PBP A1 and PBP A2 have transglycosylase and transpeptidase domains catalyzing glycan chain polymerization and peptide cross‐linking, respectively, whereas the three class B HMW PBPs B1, B2 and B3 are monofunctional transpeptidases. The precise roles of these PBPs in the cell cycle are unknown. Here we show that green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐PBP fusions localized either at the septum, the lateral wall or both, suggesting distinct and overlapping functions. Genetic data confirmed this view: PBP A1 and PBP A2 could not be inactivated simultaneously, and a conditional double mutant strain is largely inducer dependent. PBP B1 is required for rod‐shape and PBP B2 for cross‐wall biosynthesis and viability, whereas PBP B3 is dispensable for growth and cell division. PBP B1 depletion dramatically increased β‐lactam susceptibilities and stimulated spontaneous autolysis but had no effect on peptidoglycan cross‐linkage. Our in vitro virulence assays indicated that the complete set of all HMW PBPs is required for maximal virulence.
Two distinct old yellow enzymes are involved in naphthyl ring reduction during anaerobic naphthalene degradation
Authors: Estelmann Sebastian , Blank Ilona , Feldmann Annika , Boll Matthias
Published: November 2014

The 2‐naphthoyl‐coenzyme A (NCoA) reductase (NCR) is so far the only characterized enzyme involved in the anaerobic degradation of the environmentally relevant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The old yellow enzyme (OYE) family member apparently reduced the nonactivated naphthyl ring to 5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐2‐napthoyl‐CoA (THNCoA). In this work, the candidate genes of three NCRs from the sulphate‐reducing, naphthalene‐degrading N47 and NaphS2 cultures were expressed in Escherichia coli. The isolated products contained flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), flavin mononucleotide (FMN) a [4Fe‐4S] cluster and catalyzed only the two‐electron reduction of NCoA to 5,6‐dihydro‐2‐naphthoyl‐CoA (5,6‐DHNCoA) at a very negative E°′ = −493 mV. All NCRs exhibited high NCoA‐forming DHNCoA oxidase activities that are proposed to be involved in oxygen‐detoxification during naphthalene degradation. Extracts of N47 and NaphS2 catalyzed the reduction of 5,6‐DHNCoA to THNCoA. Genes putatively coding for 5,6‐DHNCR from N47 and NaphS2 were heterologously expressed in E. coli. The enriched enzyme products specifically catalyzed the reduction of 5,6‐DHNCoA to THNCoA at E°′ = −375 mV. With the three NCRs and two 5,6‐DHNCRs, five OYEs have been characterized that are involved in the reduction of the nonsubstituted naphthyl‐ring system; these unprecedented enzymatic reactions expand our knowledge of the functional diversity of OYE.
Conditional inactivation of Aspergillus nidulans sarASAR1 uncovers the morphogenetic potential of regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit
Authors: Hernández‐González Miguel , Peñalva Miguel A. , Pantazopoulou Areti
Published: November 2014

In the genetic model Aspergillus nidulans, hyphal growth is exquisitely dependent on exocytic traffic. Following mutagenic PCR and gene replacement, we characterized thermosensitive mutations in sarASAR1 encoding a key regulator of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit. Six sarAts alleles permitting relatively normal growth at 30°C prevented it at 42°C. This growth phenotype correlated with markedly reduced SarA levels at high temperature, suggesting that these alleles cause temperature‐dependent SarA misfolding. sarA8 results in Ser substitution for conserved P‐loop Gly27. sarA5 (Trp185Cys) and sarA6 (Ser186Pro) substitutions underscore the importance of the C‐terminal α‐helix on SarASar1 function/stability. sarA6 markedly diminishing growth at 37°C was useful for microscopy experiments in which ER exit was impaired by shifting the incubation temperature. Early and late Golgi cisternae, labeled with the integral membrane syntaxins SedVSed5 and TlgBTlg2, respectively, were rapidly dissipated by sarA6. However, whereas SedVSed5 was shifted toward the ER, TlgBTlg2 relocalized to a haze, underscoring the asymmetry of Golgi organization. This rapid Golgi dissipation that takes place after blocking anterograde COPII traffic is consistent with the cisternal maturation model. Incubation of sarA6 cells at 37°C led to the formation of apical balloons resembling specialized fungal structures. The formation of these balloons highlights the morphogenetic consequences of impairing ER exit.