bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Others’ environmental concern as a social determinant of green buying
Authors: Bertrandias Laurent , Elgaaied-Gambier Leila
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to achieve a better understanding of the social dimension underlying green purchasing behavior by assessing the impact of environmental concern ascribed to relevant others.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was conducted among 468 French interviewees. Using a scenario, respondents were asked to choose between two similar products: one is very fashionable but harmful to the environment and the other has comparable features with a lower negative impact on the environment. In parallel, respondents had to cite four relevant others and to make several attributions about them. Environmental concern was one of these attributions.

Findings

– Ascribed environmental concern increases the probability to choose the product with a low environmental impact over the more harmful alternative. This process is mediated by perceived social risk and self-incongruity associated with the environmentally unfriendly product.

Research limitations/implications

– Conclusions are drawn on the basis of a specific choice for a particular product category.

Practical implications

– Environmentally responsible consumers should be encouraged to express their convictions publicly within their social network.

Social implications

– Consumers are more inclined to adopt an environmental reading of what they plan to buy when they ascribe environmental preoccupations to their referent others either to preserve their social ties or to preserve their self-congruity. This proximity effect should be exploited to promote pro-environmental behaviors.

Originality/value

– Most studies on the determinants of green behavior either focus exclusively on individual predispositions or tackle social influence too explicitly. By assessing the effect of ascribed environmental concern instead on individual environmental concern, this research offers an original approach.
Spanning the gap: an examination of the factors leading to the green gap
Authors: Gleim Mark , J. Lawson Stephanie
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This research aims to explore the factors that lead to the prevalence of the green gap. Currently, an overwhelming majority of consumers voice concern about the state of the environment; however, only a select few mirror their intentions with actual green behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

– A critical incident technique is utilized in the first study, followed by a quantitative study analyzed via cluster analysis for the second study.

Findings

– Results suggest the green gap exists for several reasons, of which price is most commonly noted. However, factors such as poor perceptions of quality, lack of green product availability and brand loyalty to conventional products appear to be important issues leading to the gap as well. Additionally, the type of product sought for purchase appears to impact the prevalence of the green gap.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should seek to extend the present study by monitoring actual usage rather than intentions, as well as an examination of strategies that may help to minimize the green gap.

Practical implications

– Consumers need to understand why green products are priced higher, the benefits they offer and the impact they can make as an individual. Additionally, firms competing in specific product categories can alter their strategies to better capitalize on the motivations of their target markets.

Originality/value

– Past research has focused on why consumers buy green, but there is a lack of research on why consumers fall into the green gap – that is they have the intention of going green, but don’t. This research examines factors surrounding the green gap and the role of product type in the prevalence of the green gap.
Application of regulatory focus theory to search advertising
Authors: N. Mowle Elyse , J. Georgia Emily , D. Doss Brian , A. Updegraff John
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the utility of regulatory focus theory principles in a real-world setting; specifically, Internet hosted text advertisements. Effect of compatibility of the ad text with the regulatory focus of the consumer was examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– Advertisements were created using Google AdWords. Data were collected for the number of views and clicks each ad received. Effect of regulatory fit was measured using logistic regression.

Findings

– Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that there was a strong main effect for keyword, such that users were almost six times as likely to click on a promotion advertisement as a prevention advertisement, as well as a main effect for compatibility, such that users were twice as likely to click on an advertisement with content that was consistent with their keyword. Finally, there was a strong interaction of these two variables, such that the effect of consistent advertisements was stronger for promotion searches than for prevention searches.

Research limitations/implications

– The effect of ad compatibility had medium to large effect sizes, suggesting that individuals’ state may have more influence on advertising response than do individuals’ traits (e.g. personality traits). Measurement of regulatory fit was limited by the constraints of Google AdWords.

Practical implications

– The results of this study provide a possible framework for ad creation for Internet advertisers.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first study to demonstrate the utility of regulatory focus theory in online advertising.
Cultural adaptation of an evidence-based home visitation programme: Latino clients’ experiences of service delivery during implementation
Authors: Finno-Velasquez Megan , L. Fettes Danielle , A. Aarons Gregory , S. Hurlburt Michael
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of Latino clients following a naturalistic cultural adaptation made to SafeCare, an evidence-based home visiting intervention designed to address specific linguistic and cultural issues affecting the Latino community during implementation in San Diego County, California.

Design/methodology/approach

– Hierarchical linear models examined whether Latino clients experienced differences in perceptions of SafeCare delivery, working relationship with the home visitor and satisfaction with services when compared with non-Latino clients and whether language of service delivery and provider-client ethnic match were related to Latino clients’ experiences of the intervention.

Findings

– Overall, across several different dimensions, there was no decrement in experience with SafeCare for Latino clients compared to non-Latino ones, implying that adaptations made locally adequately engaged Latino and Spanish-speaking clients in services without compromising perceived adherence to the programme model.

Research limitations/implications

– Because this was a non-experimental study, conclusions could not be drawn as to whether the locally adapted SafeCare would fare better in Latino client ratings than SafeCare unadapted. However, the findings are important because they contradict concerns that EBPs may not be relevant to diverse client groups, and support the idea that when adaptations are made, it is possible to maintain adherence at the same level of adherence as when the programme is delivered in its non-adapted form.

Originality/value

– The study explicitly documents and generates knowledge around an organic adaptation made in a community to an evidence-based intervention for a client group about whom there has been documented concern regarding the relevance of and engagement in services.
Theoretical and methodological framework for the qualitative validation of an explanatory model of social responsibility in cooperatives societies
Authors: Gallardo-Vázquez Dolores , Sánchez-Hernández M. Isabel , Castilla-Polo Francisca
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address a theoretical and methodological framework to validate a model for explaining social responsibility in cooperative societies.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative methodology based on the assessment and agreement of an expert panel has been used. More exactly, a Delphi technique will help achieve agreement about the set of indicators previously defined and to get a single and agreed definition.

Findings

– The results consist of a consensus scale for each variable of the proposed model. This unanimity in the opinions about the final result will be the basis for further quantitative treatment of the proposed conceptual model.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations derive from the initial state of the study and the need to practical analysis.

Practical and social implications

– Cooperative societies could have a way to analyze their position related to social responsibility. In general, contributions to social responsibility have improved, in particular, in the field of these entities.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to properly measure the variables of the conceptual model. The main variable of analysis, called Orientation to Social Responsibility in Cooperatives (OSRCOOP), is not directly observable, and it is necessary to measure it through a set of indicators. Likewise, with the other strategic variables with which OSRCOOP is related to the model proposed (member satisfaction, innovation, quality of service and cooperative outcome or performance).
Researching ethnicity in the Pacific region
Authors: Baskerville Rachel F. , Wynn-Williams Katharine , Evans Elaine , Gillett Shirley
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how the construct of ethnicity can best be determined for empirical analysis in accounting research, particularly in the Pacific region.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reviews relevant sociological and accounting literature. In addition, it presents the results of a case study where “first language” was used as a proxy for ethnicity.

Findings

– The results of the literature review present six different research approaches towards determining ethnicity. Furthermore, it is found that “first language” was a justifiable determinant of ethnicity in an accounting education study.

Research limitations/implications

– The determination of reliable and valid proxies for ethnicity in accounting research is important for researchers, including those whose objective is to associate ethnicity with learning and teaching outcomes, accounting and financial reporting activities or behaviours.

Originality/value

– In the context of accounting research, the value of this study is its challenge to the notions that culture and ethnicity are not only homogenous but interchangeable and to offer a reflection on how ethnicity can be determined.
Crossing the Tasman
Authors: Frijns Bart , Gilbert Aaron , Tourani-Rad Alireza
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate price discovery for cross-listed stocks on the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) and the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and find out the determinants of price discovery between the two markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– Gonzalo Granger Component Shares and Hasbrouck Information Shares were estimated annually for a sample of 19 cross-listed stocks between 1998 and 2012. Then dynamic panel regressions were used to investigate the driving factors behind price discovery between the NZX and ASX.

Findings

– Strong downward trends were observed in the contribution to price discovery of the NZX, both for New Zealand firms cross-listing on the ASX and Australian firms cross-listing on the NZX. While in the early years in our sample period, price discovery is dominated by the home market, by 2012, 50 per cent of price discovery for New Zealand firms takes place on the ASX, and the NZX acts as a satellite market for Australian firms. It was also observed that the NZX share of trading activity has a strong positive effect on the NZX level of price discovery, while there is a negative relationship with relative bid–ask spreads.

Practical implications

– Results suggest that the importance of the NZX relative to the ASX with regards to price discovery is decreasing over time. Given the importance of price discovery for exchanges, such a finding is concerning for the NZX. The determinants of price discovery found in the paper, such as relative volume and spreads, do, however, offer some guidance on how the NZX could regain price discovery.

Originality/value

– This paper offers a longer and broader analysis of price discovery between the NZX and ASX, two highly integrated markets, and extends previous work by exploring the drivers of price discovery in a panel setting.
The SE-Asian Tsunami Appeal: disclosure of contributions by corporate Australia
Authors: Canny Anne R.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is a quantitative exploration of the annual report disclosure of contributions by Australian corporations to the relief appeal following the South-East Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004.

Design/methodology/approach

– Hypotheses are developed from legitimacy and media agenda setting perspectives, predicting relationships between financial characteristics of the corporations and of their contributions with respect to presence and volume of content and extent of disclosure of cash amounts. The effect of public awareness of contributions on disclosure variables is also examined. Hypotheses not supported are re-examined from an agency perspective.

Findings

– Most correlations, such as company size and volume of content, are found to be consistent with a legitimacy perspective, while those not supported, such as company profit disclosure of cash amounts, can readily be explained from an accountability perspective. Overall, the results indicate a strong relationship between public awareness of the contributions and disclosing behaviour. Size of company and profit were related to some aspects of disclosure, while no relationship was detected between the size of the cash donation and disclosing behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings have important implications for studies of the way in which corporations communicate with their shareholders and other stakeholders when conflicting interests exist and when media exposure has been positive. The results cannot be extrapolated to situations beyond the Tsunami Appeal.

Originality/value

– Empirical research into the disclosure of corporate philanthropy by Australian corporations. Consideration of appropriate theoretical frameworks for study of corporate philanthropy disclosure.
Organisational aspects of elder mistreatment in long term care
Authors: Hyde Paula , Burns Diane , Killett Anne , Kenkmann Andrea , Poland Fiona , Gray Richard
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose five organisational factors associated with abuse, neglect and/or loss of dignity of older people resident in care homes. It derives from one set of findings from the ResPECT Study of Organisational Dynamics of Elder Care commissioned by Comic Relief and Department of Health through the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect In the Care of Older Adults programme.

Design/methodology/approach

– A knowledge synthesis method was selected to identify organisational aspects of elder mistreatment in residential care settings. The method was selected for its suitability in examining ill-defined and contested concepts such as; elder mistreatment – where the available evidence is dispersed and produced in varied forms. A rapid review comprising a search of three academic databases and a detailed examination of selected investigation reports into institutional mistreatment was followed by panel meetings with subject matter experts to complete the knowledge synthesis.

Findings

– This paper identifies and elaborates five organisational factors associated with elder mistreatment; infrastructure, management and procedures, staffing, resident population characteristics and culture. It also indicates macro-structural factors affecting care quality.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research is needed to elaborate the influence of these organisational factors on mistreatment and to understand any interactions.

Practical implications

– As an adjunct to personal factors, the knowledge synthesis indicates common organisational factors contributing to institutional abuse. This suggests that care quality is produced systemically and that it can collapse as a result of seemingly minor and unrelated organisational changes.

Social implications

– Care home safety and quality is an ongoing concern, with popular analysis frequently stopping at the point of describing individual errant behaviour. However, as “problem” organisations are closed down, “problem” organisational factors continue to recur elsewhere.

Originality/value

– The paper identifies and elaborates organisational aspects of elder mistreatment in residential care settings. The findings are original, valuable and grounded in relevant experience by the method of analysis and synthesis of the findings from inquiry reports as well as research and the contribution to the development of findings by those central to the issue, residents, relatives and care providers.
Studying dementia: the relevance of the fourth age
Authors: Gilleard Chris , Higgs Paul
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To better understand the social nature of dementia, it is important to understand its cultural significance and the role that it plays in re-articulating later life. In this new terrain of ageing it may be worth exploring how the idea of the fourth age can help us better understand the nature of dementia and the way in which its cultural role affects both social and health policies. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Gilleard and Higgs (2010) argue that the fourth age now serves as a “cultural imaginary” of the deepest and darkest aspects of old age and that dementia figures prominently in fashioning it.

Findings

– The scope for exploring dementia as a component of the cultural imaginary of the fourth age has already been demonstrated through the small but growing number of studies that have explored the fear of dementia.

Originality/value

– An avenue for further exploration is the distinction between a fear of losing one's mind (as in the pre-modern meaning of dementia) and the fear of losing one's place (as in the loss of status associated with dependency). Arguably the former exercises a greater influence than the latter, and raises the question of distinguishing between narratives and practices that sustain the mind of the person with dementia and those that sustain the position of the person with dementia as fellow citizen or fellow countryman or woman.
A participant observation study of the resolution of audit engagement challenges in government tax compliance audits
Authors: Stephan Hayes Rick , Baker Richard
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to extend the prior auditing literature by examining audit engagement challenges arising during government tax compliance audits. The prior auditing literature has examined how audit engagement challenges have been resolved through auditor/auditee negotiations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The empirical evidence for the paper was gathered during a participant observation study conducted by the primary researcher over a period of six years while working as an auditor for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the US Department of Treasury.

Findings

– This paper discusses various challenges faced by government auditors and how these challenges were resolved. The path to resolution was not always clearly marked. Resolution depended a great deal on the individual auditor’s judgment, interpretation of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), and the willingness of the auditee to change the methods and techniques they use in operating and reporting wine operations. Materiality was determined by compliance with the regulation criteria [CFRs and the US Code (USC)] – any non-compliance was considered to be material. Resolution of many of the challenges resulted in an increased payments of excise taxes or penalties by the auditee entities. In other cases, the audit agency allowed the auditees to agree to change or amend their practices to correct a violation or a lack of compliance with US federal government regulations. As such, while the difference in the role and status of the government tax compliance auditor as compared with the independent external auditor did not necessarily lead to a different set of audit procedures, the pattern of communications between the auditor and the auditee in a government tax compliance audit were quite different from an external audit of financial statements. The government tax compliance environment is often complex, but the auditor may draw on a number of sources of knowledge and communication: CFRs, USC, Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards, national audit planning, national experts, winery management, local peers, local government supervision, legal counsel and other auditors.

Originality/value

– The primary contribution of the paper lies in the fact that little or no prior research in auditing has been conducted using participant observation as a research methodology. The use of participant observation provides new perspectives on the resolution of audit engagement challenges and auditor/auditee communication and negotiation.
What qualitative research can tell us about performance management systems
Authors: Cohanier Bruno
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to focus on the use of qualitative research methods to gain a better understanding of the performance management system (PMS) of one of the largest retailers in North America. The motivation for the research was to assess whether the PMS at one of the world’s largest retail companies was congruent with the most recent thinking and research in the management accounting literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using open-ended interviews, the paper seeks to develop relevant hypotheses emerging from the dimensions of the Strauss and Corbin’s qualitative research methodology (1998). A qualitative methodology was used because it provides a structured approach and analytical techniques that can build upon existing theory and literature.

Findings

– The qualitative evidence collected during the course of the research indicates that financial measures were predominantly used by the company in its PMS, and that this reliance on financial measures may be an artifact of the industry in which the company operates. The retail industry is highly competitive, and it is very sensitive to changes in customer tastes and behavior, as well as shareholder and financial market pressures. In addition to financial measures, it was found that operational management developed certain non-financial performance measures and that this development may have been a response by operational managers to wider stakeholder pressures and external influences. However, these performance measures appear to be not fully integrated in the PMS and are therefore de-coupled and relatively unimportant in, or entirely absent from, top-level decision-making.

Research limitations and implications

– The conclusions of the paper provide support for the concepts of isomorphism and de-coupling as found in the literature of new institutional theory.

Originality/value

– The case study approach has enabled to explore and gain further understanding of management accounting practices, particularly performance measurement and management, in their natural setting. Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) grounded theory methodology was adopted because it provides a structured set of analytical steps and systematic analytical techniques for handling and interpreting data and theory building.
Hotel discount strategies on consumer responses: the role of involvement
Authors: Hyun Lee Seung , Bai Billy
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the impact of hotel discount strategies on consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses in the presence of differential levels of involvement in discount acquisition.

Design/methodology/approach

– Discount strategies and the high- and low-involvement variables were fully cross-examined, yielding a 2 × 2 factorial quasi experimental design. In all, 120 surveys were collected, and multivariate analysis of variance was used for data analysis.

Findings

– The results suggest that fenced discounts that require consumers to accept restrictions to receive a discount generated more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention. Moreover, an interaction effect was found between consumer’s involvement and discounts on emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience. Highly involved consumers resulted in more positive emotional and stronger behavioral responses (e.g. pride, gratitude, word-of-mouth and retention) from obtaining a fenced discount that requires consumers’ efforts or sacrifices. On contrary, consumers with low involvement tend to appreciate more of a fixed discount given to anyone without restrictions.

Practical implications

– Hotels should implement a fenced discount when they design discounts targeting at high-involvement consumers. For low-involvement consumers, a fixed discount appears to generate more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention.

Originality/value

– The study enhances the theoretical understanding of consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience with different levels of involvement.
Role of children in family purchase across Indian parental clusters
Authors: Sondhi Neena , Basu Rituparna
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The study aims to explore the evolving status of children as active consumers in the emerging Indian market by assessing their impact on family buying practices across distinct parental clusters.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a structured questionnaire to draw a quota sample of 136 urban Indian parents across four child segments from two Indian metropolitan cities to understand their attitudes towards parenting and the consequent empowerment of their children for actively participating in family purchase decisions around varied children’s product categories.

Findings

– Exploratory factor analysis reveals five well-defined parental attitudes towards child rearing. The attitudinal factors are used to define three discrete parental clusters, namely, time-pressed parents, child-centric parents and socially influenced parents. The demographic and psychographic profiles of the clusters expose the significant influence of the educated and affluent parents in empowering their children as more active influencers/consumers. The role of children as independent buyers of eatables and toys over other categories is also re-established.

Research limitations/implications

– The diversity of Indian parents both in terms of their family structure and attitude towards parenting significantly deliver decisive signals for market-specific segmentation strategies. The uniformity in their shopping frequency and increasing child involvement in family purchases also highlight the opportunities ahead.

Originality/value

– Empirical evidences on the growing role of children in family purchases and their transformation into active consumer in an evolving market adds to the existing under-represented family consumption literature with more market-specific insights.
Educating students withFASD: linking policy, research and practice
Authors: Millar Julie A. , Thompson Janet , Schwab Dorothy , Hanlon‐Dearman Ana , Goodman Deborah , Koren Gal , Masotti Paul
Published: November 2014

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disability with significant implications for learning and behaviour. International research suggests that the prevalence ofFASDin school‐aged children is 2.3–6.3%. In this paper, we address the questions: (1) what isFASD; (2) what is the prevalence ofFASDin schools; (3) what is the impact ofFASD; and (4) why develop specialFASDeducation strategies and programmes? We summarise the 18‐year history ofWinnipegSchoolDivision's development of itsFASD Programme of services, describe the specialisedFASDclassrooms and then present the results from a consensus‐generating workshop comprised of 36FASDeducation professionals, with over 209 years of collectiveFASDeducation programme experience, who were asked to identify and reach consensus on best strategies and lessons learned inFASDeducation programmes. We then suggest that effectively educating children withFASDis critical to get right if positive educational outcomes are to be realised.
Exploring the impact of the design of the physical classroom environment on young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Authors: Martin Caren S.
Published: November 2014

In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported a 1600% increase in the number of individuals between the ages of 6 and 22 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Knowledge about educational interventions for children with ASD is substantial; however, less is known about the design of supportive classroom environments where they learn. ASD experts believe that the early years in school, namely preschool through 6th grade, are critical in reaching children and establishing a foundation for their life‐long learning and general well‐being. In context of the human ecosystem theory that models the interaction between people and the natural, social and designed environments, this literature review of refereed sources (2000–2012) documented findings about interventions, that is, design criteria (DC) for incorporation into the physical classroom environment used by children with ASD. The majority of the studies was exploratory and presented DC that subsequently were not tested. Due to research method and/or sampling design, efficacy, reliability and validity of findings varied. Limited research (19 articles, 1 conference proceeding) addressing classroom DC leaves designers, teachers and school administrators substantially reliant on anecdotal information in terms of creating optimal learning environments to support inclusion of children with ASD. Additional research is needed to examine this critical design/human behaviour relationship via identification of evidence‐based DC to guide classroom design solutions that support learning by children with ASD.
Age‐related differences in the relations between individualised HRM and organisational performance: a large‐scale employer survey
Authors: Bal P. Matthijs , Dorenbosch Luc
Published: November 2014

The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between individualised HRM practices and several measures of organisational performance, including the moderating role of employee age in these relationships. A large‐scale representative study among 4,591 organisations in the Netherlands showed support for the relationships between individualised HR practices with organisational performance. Employee age moderated the relationships between the use of individualised practices and sickness absence and turnover, such that organisations with a high percentage of older workers benefited from work schedule practices, and organisations with high percentage of younger workers benefited from development practices.
Investigation of biofilm production and icaA and icaD genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from heifers and cows with mastitis
Authors: Castelani Lívia , Pilon Lucas Eduardo , Martins Thamires , Pozzi Claudia Rodrigues , Arcaro Juliana Rodrigues Pozzi
Published: November 2014

Biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus are important virulence factors in cases of mastitis in dairy cows. However, few studies have investigated mastitis strains isolated from heifers. Within this context, the objective of the present study was to investigate biofilm formation on Congo red agar, the presence of the icaA and icaD genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the percentage of in vitro antimicrobial resistance of 110 S. aureus isolates from mammary gland secretions of heifers and cows with mastitis. PCR detected the icaA and icaD genes in 98% and 100% of isolates, respectively. However, only 55.5% of all isolates produced a biofilm on Congo red agar. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that 47.0% of isolates from heifers and 70.4% of isolates from cows were resistant to at least one of the antimicrobial agents tested. Resistance to penicillin and/or ampicillin was the most frequent (44.5%). These results indicate the need to implement prophylactic and control measures of mastitis for heifers. Heifers and cows can carry resistant strains with the capacity of biofilm production, a fact representing a threat to public health and animal well‐being and generating losses to dairy farmers.
Effects of sex and age on behavior and weight gain in beef calves after abrupt weaning
Authors: Lambertz Christian , Farke‐Röver Antje , Gauly Matthias
Published: November 2014

The effects of weaning on beef calves of different ages were investigated. Forty male and 40 female calves were either weaned at 6 (W6, n = 40) or 8 (W8, n = 40) months of age. The vocalization activity and behaviors (feeding, lying and standing/walking) were observed during the first 3 days following weaning. Body weight was recorded at 6 and 8 months and 2 weeks following weaning. W6 animals vocalized more often than W8 calves and females more than males on day 1 (P < 0.05). The vocalization activity decreased at a higher rate in W8 than in W6 from days 1 to 3. On day 2, W6 calves spent less time lying and more standing/walking than W8 calves (P < 0.05). The behaviors did not differ between males and females. The average daily gain after weaning did not differ between weaning ages (P > 0.05), but W8 calves gained more from 6 to 8 months of age. In conclusion, weaning distress was more pronounced in W6 than in W8 calves. W8 calves also had a superior growth performance during 6 to 8 months of age. The effect of the calves' sex was less pronounced. Therefore, it is recommended to wean beef calves later than 6 months of age.
Disruption of endogenous perlecan function improves differentiation of rat articular chondrocytes in vitro
Authors: Nakamura Ryosuke , Nakamura Fumio , Fukunaga Shigeharu
Published: November 2014

Heparan sulfate (HS) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are necessary for normal cartilage development and chondrocyte differentiation. However, recent studies demonstrated that HSPG accelerate dedifferentiation and catabolism in chondrocytes from degenerative cartilage. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of HSPG on chondrocyte differentiation in vitro. Rat articular chondrocytes were cultured at low (0.3 × 104 cells/cm2) and high (1.5 × 105 cells/cm2) density in the presence or absence of heparitinase I, an HS degrading enzyme. Cells cultured at low density dedifferentiated and exhibited an elongated morphology, and treatment with heparitinase I precluded cell elongation. Conversely, populations of chondrocytes cultured at high density exhibited either a dedifferentiated or differentiated phenotype. Glycosaminoglycan accumulation increased in heparitinase I‐treated cells. To determine the function of perlecan, an important HSPG for cartilage development, in chondrocyte differentiation, rat chondrocyte cultures were exposed to an anti‐perlecan antiserum to inhibit perlecan function. Western blotting analysis indicated that preventing perlecan activity increased type II collagen synthesis. Our results suggest that HSPG are negative regulators of chondrocyte differentiation in vitro and that perlecan contributes to chondrocyte dedifferentiation in vitro.
The importance of subfragment 2 and C‐terminus of myosin heavy chain for thick filament assembly in skeletal muscle cells
Authors: Ojima Koichi , Oe Mika , Nakajima Ikuyo , Shibata Masahiro , Muroya Susumu , Chikuni Koichi , Hattori Akihito , Nishimura Takanori
Published: November 2014

In skeletal muscle cells, myofibrillar proteins are highly organized into sarcomeres in which thick filaments interdigitate with thin filaments to generate contractile force. The size of thick filaments, which consist mainly of myosin molecules, is strictly controlled. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which myosin molecules assemble into thick filaments. Here, we assessed the ability of each domain of myosin heavy chain (Myh) to form thick filaments. We showed that exogenously expressed subfragment 2 (S2) + light meromyosin (LMM) of Myh was efficiently incorporated into thick filaments in muscle cells, although neither solely expressed S2 nor LMM targeted to thick filaments properly. In nonmuscle COS7 cells, S2+LMM formed more enlarged filaments/speckles than LMM. These results suggest that Myh filament formation is induced by S2 accompanying LMM. We further examined the effects of Myh C‐terminus on thick filament assembly. C‐terminal deletion mutants were incorporated not into entire thick filaments but rather into restricted regions of thick filaments. Our findings suggest that the elongation of myosin filaments to form thick filaments is regulated by S2 as well as C‐terminus of LMM.
Evolving role of positron emission tomography (PET) in urological malignancy
Authors: Mafeld Sebastian , Vasdev Nikhil , Patel Amit , Ali Tamir , Lane Timothy , Boustead Gregory , Thorpe Andrew C. , Adshead James M. , Haslam Philip
Published: November 2014

We present a review on the increasing indications for the use of positron emission tomography (PET) in uro‐oncology. In this review we describe the details of the different types of PET scans, indications for requesting PET scans in specific urological malignancy and the interpretation of the results.
The sedimentary record of the Issyk Kul basin, Kyrgyzstan: climatic and tectonic inferences
Authors: Macaulay Euan A. , Sobel Edward R. , Mikolaichuk Alexander , Wack Michael , Gilder Stuart A. , Mulch Andreas , Fortuna Alla B. , Hynek Scott , Apayarov Farid
Published: November 2014

A broad array of new provenance and stable isotope data are presented from two magnetostratigraphically dated sections in the south‐eastern Issyk Kul basin of the Central Kyrgyz Tien Shan. The results presented here are discussed and interpreted for two plausible magnetostratigraphic age models. A combination of zircon U‐Pb provenance, paleocurrent and conglomerate clast count analyses is used to determine sediment provenance. This analysis reveals that the first coarse‐grained, syn‐tectonic sediments (Dzhety Oguz formation) were sourced from the nearby Terskey Range, supporting previous thermochronology‐based estimates of a ca. 25–20 Ma onset of deformation in the range. Climate variations are inferred using carbonate stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) data from 53 samples collected in the two sections and are compared with the oxygen isotope compositions of modern water from 128 samples. Two key features are identified in the stable isotope data set derived from the sediments: (1) isotope values, in particular δ13C, decrease between ca. 26.0 and 23.6 or 25.6 and 21.0 Ma, and (2) the scatter of δ18O values increased significantly after ca. 22.6 or 16.9 Ma. The first feature is interpreted to reflect progressively wetter conditions. Because this feature slightly post‐dates the onset of deformation in the Terskey Range, we suggest that it has been caused by orographically enhanced precipitation, implying that surface uplift accompanied late Cenozoic deformation and rock uplift in the Terskey Range. The increased scatter could reflect variable moisture source or availability caused by global climate change following the onset of Miocene glaciations at ca. 22.6 Ma, or enhanced evaporation during the Mid‐Miocene climatic optimum at ca. 17–15 Ma.
Resting no more: re‐defining telogen, the maintenance stage of the hair growth cycle
Authors: Geyfman Mikhail , Plikus Maksim V. , Treffeisen Elsa , Andersen Bogi , Paus Ralf
Published: November 2014

The hair follicle (HF) represents a prototypic ectodermal–mesodermal interaction system in which central questions of modern biology can be studied. A unique feature of these stem‐cell‐rich mini‐organs is that they undergo life‐long, cyclic transformations between stages of active regeneration (anagen), apoptotic involution (catagen), and relative proliferative quiescence (telogen). Due to the low proliferation rate and small size of the HF during telogen, this stage was conventionally thought of as a stage of dormancy. However, multiple lines of newly emerging evidence show that HFs during telogen are anything but dormant. Here, we emphasize that telogen is a highly energy‐efficient default state of the mammalian coat, whose function centres around maintenance of the hair fibre and prompt responses to its loss. While actively retaining hair fibres with minimal energy expenditure, telogen HFs can launch a new regeneration cycle in response to a variety of stimuli originating in their autonomous micro‐environment (including its stem cell niche) as well as in their external tissue macro‐environment. Regenerative responses of telogen HFs change as a function of time and can be divided into two sub‐stages: early ‘refractory’ and late ‘competent’ telogen. These changing activities are reflected in hundreds of dynamically regulated genes in telogen skin, possibly aimed at establishing a fast response‐signalling environment to trauma and other disturbances of skin homeostasis. Furthermore, telogen is an interpreter of circadian output in the timing of anagen initiation and the key stage during which the subsequent organ regeneration (anagen) is actively prepared by suppressing molecular brakes on hair growth while activating pro‐regenerative signals. Thus, telogen may serve as an excellent model system for dissecting signalling and cellular interactions that precede the active ‘regenerative mode’ of tissue remodeling. This revised understanding of telogen biology also points to intriguing new therapeutic avenues in the management of common human hair growth disorders.
Biomarkers to predict asthma in wheezing preschool children
Authors: Bannier M. A. G. E. , van de Kant K. D. G , Jöbsis Q. , Dompeling E.
Published: November 2014

Wheezing in preschool children is a very common symptom. An adequate prediction of asthma in these children is difficult and cannot be reliably assessed with conventional clinical tools. The study of potential predictive biomarkers in various media, ranging from invasive sampling (e.g. bronchoscopy) to non‐invasive sampling (lung function testing and exhaled breath analysis), was comprehensively reviewed. The evolution in biomarker discovery has resulted in an ‘omics’ approach, in which hundreds of biomarkers in the field of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and ‘breath‐omics’ can be simultaneously studied. First, results on gene expression and exhaled breath profiles in predicting an early asthma diagnosis are promising. However, many hurdles need to be overcome before clinical implementation is possible. To reliably predict asthma in a wheezing child, probably a holistic approach is needed, combining clinical information with blood sampling, lung function tests, and potentially exhaled breath analysis. The further development of predictive, non‐invasive biomarkers may eventually improve an early asthma diagnosis in wheezing preschool children and assist clinicians in early treatment decision‐making.
Midkine concentrations in fine‐needle aspiration of benign and malignant thyroid nodules
Authors: Jee Youn Hee , Celi Francesco S. , Sampson Maureen , Sacks David B. , Remaley Alan T. , Kebebew Electron , Baron Jeffrey
Published: November 2014

Context

The primary preoperative method for distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules is fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology, but it is frequently inconclusive. Midkine (MDK) is a heparin‐binding growth factor, which is overexpressed in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Objective

We measured MDK concentrations in FNA samples from benign and malignant thyroid nodules to explore the possibility that MDK measurement might aid in the evaluation of thyroid nodules.

Design

35 subjects underwent preoperative FNA of 45 thyroid nodules, followed by thyroidectomy, providing a histological diagnosis. FNA needle contents were first expressed for cytology, and then, the needle was washed with buffer for immunoassay. In 46 subjects without preoperative FNA samples, FNA was performed ex vivo on 62 nodules within surgically excised thyroid tissue.

Measurements

MDK was measured using a high‐sensitivity sandwich ELISA and normalized to thyroglobulin (Tg) concentration in the sample to adjust for tissue content in the aspirate.

Results

The MDK/Tg ratio was higher in 18 PTCs than in 87 benign nodules (204 ± 106 vs 1·2 ± 0·3 ng/mg, mean ± SEM, P < 0·001). Using a threshold of 10 ng/mg, the sensitivity and specificity of the MDK/Tg ratio for diagnosis of PTC were 67% and 99%, respectively. All follicular variant PTCs had a MDK/Tg ratio <10 ng/mg.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that, in FNA samples, the MDK/Tg ratio in PTC is greater than in benign thyroid nodules, raising the possibility that this approach might provide adjunctive diagnostic or prognostic information to complement existing approaches.
Interactive Procedural Modelling of Coherent Waterfall Scenes
Authors: Emilien Arnaud , Poulin Pierre , Cani Marie‐Paule , Vimont Ulysse
Published: November 2014

Combining procedural generation and user control is a fundamental challenge for the interactive design of natural scenery. This is particularly true for modelling complex waterfall scenes where, in addition to taking charge of geometric details, an ideal tool should also provide a user with the freedom to shape the running streams and falls, while automatically maintaining physical plausibility in terms of flow network, embedding into the terrain, and visual aspects of the waterfalls. We present the first solution for the interactive procedural design of coherent waterfall scenes. Our system combines vectorial editing, where the user assembles elements to create a waterfall network over an existing terrain, with a procedural model that parametrizes these elements from hydraulic exchanges; enforces consistency between the terrain and the flow; and generates detailed geometry, animated textures and shaders for the waterfalls and their surroundings. The tool is interactive, yielding visual feedback after each edit.