bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three derivatives of 4-fluoro-5-sulfonylisoquinoline
Authors: Ohba Shigeru , Gomi Noriaki , Ohgiya Tadaaki , Shibuya Kimiyuki
Published: September 2012

In 4-fluoroisoquinoline-5-sulfonyl chloride, C9H5ClFNO2S, (I), one of the two sulfonyl O atoms lies approximately on the isoquinoline plane as a result of minimizing the steric repulsion between the chlorosulfonyl group and the neighbouring F atom. In (S)-(−)-4-fluoro-N-(1-hydroxypropan-2-yl)isoquinoline-5-sulfonamide, C12H13FN2O3S, (II), there are two crystallographically independent molecules (Z′ = 2). The molecular conformations of these two molecules differ in that the amine group of one forms an intramolecular bifurcated hydrogen bond with the F and OH groups, whilst the other forms only a single intramolecular N—H...F hydrogen bond. The N—H...F hydrogen bonds correspond to weak coupling between the N(H) and19F nuclei, observed in the1H NMR solution-state spectra. In (S)-(−)-4-[(4-fluoroisoquinolin-5-yl)sulfonyl]-3-methyl-1,4-diazepan-1-ium chloride, C15H19FN3O2S+·Cl−, (III), the isoquinoline plane is slightly deformed, suggestive of a steric effect induced by the bulky substituent on the sulfonyl group.
Manipulator handling device for assembly of large‐size panels
Authors: Yu Seungnam , Gil Myeongsu
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel device to handle a robot manipulator which can grip large‐size panels. This concept arises from questioning why the glazing task is always performed manually and it is assumed that if the panel is handled by worker's bare hands, the material is lifted by a robot system and can be assembled to a frame easily and intuitively.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes the intuitive manipulator device (IMD) which can be attached on the panel directly and connected to it with the coordinate of robot end‐effector based on a virtual coordinate of IMD. The virtual coordinate is defined by the detection of the location of the IMD from the robot end‐effector using IR sensor scanning and origin point estimation method. In this study, the robot manipulator system is operated by a combination of the commands of two IMDs to perform the panel assembly test and its aspect of input commands is compared with the previous force‐control based human‐robot cooperative systems.

Findings

The proposed system shows the better performance while reducing the frequent force reflection of robot system against an environment and simplifies the instant input source for robot control system. Those are caused by the intuitiveness of visual servoing performed by operators and the minimization of a force control strategy by utilizing the operator's own sensitivity. The proposed system shows the possibility of efficiency improvement and simple mechatronic system to realize the automation of panel assembly task.

Originality/value

The proposed device alternates the expensive 6‐axis F/T sensor system to handle the robot manipulator by using the two 3‐axis load cell and those force/torque combinations. Also, the developed device is portable and can attach on the material anywhere. That is why this system could cover various sizes of materials. This system minimizes the computational load to control the robot system and improves the efficiency of an assembly task based on the human‐robot cooperation strategy.
Antecedents to strategic flexibility
Authors: Combe Ian A. , Rudd John M. , Leeflang Peter S.H. , Greenley Gordon E.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Current conceptualisations of strategic flexibility and its antecedents are theory‐driven, which has resulted in a lack of consensus. To summarise this domain the paper aims to develop and present an a priori conceptual model of the antecedents and outcomes of strategic flexibility. Discussion and insights into the conceptual model, and the relationships specified, are made through a novel qualitative empirical approach. The implications for further research and a framework for further theoretical development are presented.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory qualitative research design is used applying multiple data collection techniques in a branch network of a large regional retailer in the UK. The development of strategic options and the complex relationship to strategic flexibility is investigated.

Findings

The number and type of strategic options developed by managers impact on the degree of strategic flexibility and also on the ability of the firm to achieve competitive differentiation. Additionally, the type of strategic option implemented by managers is dependent on the competitive situation faced at a local level. Evidence of managers' limited perception of competition was identified based on their spatial embeddedness.

Research limitations/implications

A single, in‐depth case study was used. The data gathered is rich and appropriate for the exploratory approach adopted here. However, generalisability of the findings is limited.

Practical implications

Strategic flexibility is rooted in the ability of front‐line mangers to develop and implement strategic options; this in turn facilitates competitive differentiation.

Originality/value

The research presented is unique in this domain on two accounts. First, theory is developed by presenting an a priori conceptual model, and testing through in‐depth qualitative data gathering. Second, insights into strategic flexibility are presented through an examination of managerial cognition, resources and strategic option generation using cognitive mapping and laddering technique.
Managerial incentives, net debt and investment activity in all‐equity firms
Authors: Alderson Michael J. , Betker Brian L.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of managerial risk exposure on capital structure selection (net debt, or debt minus cash) as well as return on assets, capital expenditures, research and development expenditures and stock price performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper compares a sample of 123 all‐equity firms to a set of matching levered firms selected on the basis of industry, market cap and market‐to‐book assets. Managerial incentives are measured using the delta and vega of the manager's stock and option holdings.

Findings

Net debt levels decline as CEO wealth sensitivity to stock price changes (delta) increases. However, the paper finds no differences between the all‐equity firms and their levered matching firms in terms of return on assets, capital expenditures, R&D expense, or long run stock price performance.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are consistent with the idea that managerial incentives drive net debt decisions even among all‐equity firms. However, given that there are no differences between the sample firms and their matched firms in terms of investment or stock price performance, the effect of managerial risk aversion appears to be confined to financial policy.

Originality/value

The paper uses modern methods for measuring managerial risk exposure to revisit the literature on all‐equity firms, and show that managerial risk exposure affects the net debt decision in these firms.
A comparison of the energy efficiency of selective laser sintering and injection molding of nylon parts
Authors: Telenko Cassandra , Conner Seepersad Carolyn
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the energy consumed to fabricate nylon parts using selective laser sintering (SLS) and to compare it with the energy consumed for injection molding (IM) the same parts.

Design/methodology/approach

Estimates of energy consumption include the energy consumed for nylon material refinement, adjusted for SLS and IM process yields. Estimates also include the energy consumed by the SLS and IM equipment for part fabrication and the energy consumed to machine the injection mold and refine the metal feedstock required to fabricate it. A representative part is used to size the injection mold and to quantify throughput for the SLS machine per build.

Findings

Although SLS uses significantly more energy than IM during part fabrication, this energy consumption is partially offset by the energy consumption associated with production of the injection mold. As a result, the energy consumed per part for IM decreases with the number of parts fabricated while the energy consumed per part for SLS remains relatively constant as long as builds are packed efficiently. The crossover production volume, at which IM and SLS consume equivalent amounts of energy per part, ranges from 50 to 300 representative parts, depending on the choice of mold plate material.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to material refinement and part fabrication and does not consider other aspects of the life cycle, such as waste disposal, distributed 2 manufacturing, transportation, recycling or use. Also, the crossover volumes are specific to the representative part and are expected to vary with part geometry.

Originality/value

The results of this comparative study of SLS and IM energy consumption indicate that manufacturers can save energy using SLS for parts with small production volumes. The comparatively large amounts of nylon material waste and energy consumption during fabrication make it inefficient, from an energy perspective, to use SLS for higher production volumes. The crossover production volume depends on the geometry of the part and the choice of material for the mold.
CEO rhetorical strategies for corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Authors: Marais Magalie
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore CEO corporate social responsibility (CSR) rhetorical choices in response to stakeholder pressures. CEOs often search for legitimacy through CSR rhetoric. It contributes to maintaining or developing pragmatic, moral and cognitive legitimacy in a post‐crisis world where CSR concerns are gaining in importance.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of various CEO discourses is performed. Press articles are analyzed to identify the nature of stakeholder pressures. Covariance analyses are conducted to study how CEO CSR rhetorical strategies vary between communication channels dedicated to specific stakeholders. Regression analyses are conducted between stakeholder pressures and rhetorical strategies.

Findings

The paper identifies three types of CEO CSR rhetorical categories: values rhetoric to develop moral legitimacy, normative rhetoric to improve cognitive legitimacy, and instrumental rhetoric to enhance pragmatic legitimacy. Values CSR rhetoric is used most often with employees or societal stakeholders. It increases when stakeholders' satisfaction is already quite high regarding financial performance, strategy, and products and services. Normative CSR rhetoric is rarely used. It is only devoted to societal stakeholders and it increases with stakeholder satisfaction with the quality of management, leadership and governance. Instrumental CSR rhetoric is mainly used with boards of directors, financial investors and shareholders. Its importance increases with stakeholder satisfaction with CSR but decreases with stakeholder satisfaction with financial performance and corporate vision/strategy.

Originality/value

The paper provides key contributions for CEOs on how to communicate on CSR. The empirical design based on qualitative and quantitative analyses innovates in operationalizing CSR rhetorical categories and stakeholder pressures.
English professional football clubs
Authors: Moore Neil , Levermore Roger
Published: September 2012

Purpose

In the last two decades sports studies and sports management journals have called for there to be research in sports management that explores sports links to mainstream management analyses. The purpose of this paper is to argue that in many ways the sports sector is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which have a different dynamic to larger entities and therefore should be analysed accordingly. This paper applies an SME perspective on English professional football clubs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper, drawn from 22 semi‐structured interviews with key individuals in the English professional football (soccer) industry, employs an interpretivist approach of semi‐structured interviews of key personnel to provide an account of the business practices prevalent in the English football industry.

Findings

The findings are as follows: that the sports industry can be regarded as one that is largely constituted of elements that are ascribed with characteristics associated with SMEs called archetypal SMEs, either in entity size, turnover or mentality; that much analysis of the administration and management of the sports industry fails to assess the sector through the prism of SME “modelling”; there are areas of engagement with SME literature that could be useful to the analysis of the management of the sports industry.

Originality/value

This paper does what few other papers have achieved by outlining that the sports industry can be effectively examined by applying “SME perspectives” to help explain what might appear to be their idiosyncratic characteristics.
Gender in family business management: a multinational analysis
Authors: Sonfield Matthew C. , Lussier Robert N.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate five well‐established issues of gender stereotype, analyzing data obtained from 811 family businesses in eight diverse countries, with the objective of testing the relationship between male and female owner/managers of these businesses and these stereotypes in a managerial context.

Design/methodology/approach

This eight country study involved survey research using hierarchal regression to test five hypotheses involving gender stereotypes relating to family business management. The eight countries, USA, Egypt, France, Argentina, Serbia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Croatia, provided a mixture of entrepreneurial demographics and context.

Findings

Only one hypothesis supported a gender stereotype. As the percentage of female managers increases, so does the use of group rather than individual decision‐making. The other four variables – formal versus informal management style, conflict among family members, use of sophisticated financial analysis, and use of outside consultants, advisors and professional services – did not change significantly with the percentage of female owner/managers. For control variables, as the number of employees increased, the percentage of female owner/managers decreased, and females tended to own/manage service, rather than product, firms.

Practical implications

These findings offer “theory into practice” implications for owner/managers of family businesses, as well as for those who assist such businesses.

Originality/value

These findings provide a theoretical contribution to the study of family business because clear answers to gender management similarities and differences in family firms remain elusive, and these results expand, modify and clarify the understanding of gender issues in family business.
Creative destruction and productivity: entrepreneurship by type, sector and sequence
Authors: Andersson Martin , Braunerhjelm Pontus , Thulin Per
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Schumpeter claimed the entrepreneur to be instrumental for creative destruction and industrial dynamics. Entrepreneurial entry serves to transform and revitalize industries, thereby enhancing their competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if entry of new firms influences productivity amongst incumbent firms, and the extent to which altered productivity can be attributed sector and time specific effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Implementing a unique dataset the paper estimates a firm‐level production function in which the productivity of incumbent firms is modeled as a function of firm attributes and regional entrepreneurship activity.

Findings

The analysis finds support for positive productivity effects of entrepreneurship on incumbent firms, albeit the effect varies over time, what the authors refer to as a “delayed entry effect”. An immediate negative influence on productivity is followed by a positive effect several years after the initial entry. Moreover, the productivity of incumbent firms in services sectors appears to be more responsive to regional entrepreneurship, as compared to the productivity of manufacturing firms.

Originality/value

The paper employs a firm‐level production function approach allowing for time lags of the effect of entrepreneurship. The unique data implemented allow the authors to identify genuinely new ventures as compared to those associated with reorganizations of existing businesses, thereby overcoming much of data deficiencies in previous studies. In addition, data are distributed on Swedish functional labor market regions.
James Buchanan on inheritance: a critique
Authors: Block Walter
Published: September 2012

Purpose

What are the reasons for writing this paper? The purpose of this paper is to make the case for liberty, and free enterprise, against the criticisms of this system. Specifically, the present essay is an attempt to criticize the case for inheritance taxation. This is made by many, but the author focuses on James Buchanan's contribution to this support for socialism. The author does so because James Buchanan is widely known as a champion of capitalism and free markets, and he is nothing of the sort, at least in this one case.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used in this paper is to quote widely from the adherents of inheritance taxes, and then to show the flaws in the cases they offer in support of this system.

Findings

The finding is that none of the arguments offered on behalf of inheritance taxation have been shown to be valid. There are flaws in all of them. This, of course, does not imply no such arguments can be shown to be successful; only that the ones herein cited do not justify this market interference.

Social implications

Why do entrepreneurs engage in entrepreneurship? For a whole host of reasons, surely; these might in the extreme be as different as there are different entrepreneurs. But one motivation, certainly an important one, likely to be felt by most entrepreneurs, is to leave a bequest upon demise, so that one's heirs and loved ones may share in the fruits of one's entrepreneurial activities. Thus, taxes on inheritances, let alone those approaching the 100 percent level, must be anathema to at least most if not all entrepreneurial activities. The present paper makes the case against such attacks on wealth, bequests, inheritances.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge, although there are of course defenses of bequests, and critiques of Buchanan on other matters, there are no criticisms of this Nobel prize winning economist on this particular issue.
Somatic growth in 94 single ventricle children – comparing systemic right and left ventricle patients
Authors: Hessel Trine Witzner , Greisen Gorm , Idorn Lars , Reimers Jesper Irving
Published: September 2012

Aim

We sought to compare and assess growth in single ventricle children with a systemic right or left ventricle in five time periods: at birth, before neonatal surgery, before the Glenn anastomosis and finally before and after the Fontan operation to 11 years of age.

Methods

We reviewed medical records on 116 single ventricle patients operated at Rigshospitalet, Denmark from 1987 to 2007. Surgical procedures, feeding route, hemodynamic variables and anthropometric measurements such as weight and height were registered and converted to z‐scores.

Results

Ninety four single ventricle patients were included for analysis. Gestational age and birth weight was not significantly different between the left and right ventricle group. Before neonatal surgery and before the Glenn anastomosis, both groups showed equal growth retardation. However, a significant difference in catch‐up growth was found before the Fontan operation. Thus, patients in the right ventricle group had a smaller median weight‐for‐age z‐score compared with the left ventricle group in the pre‐Fontan period (−1.9 and −1.6; p = 0.049) and in the post‐Fontan period (−1.1 and −0.7; p = 0.034).

Conclusion

After the Glenn anastomosis single ventricle children with a systemic left ventricle have better weight gain compared with children with a systemic right ventricle.
Rationing scarce organs for transplantation: healthcare provider perspectives on wait‐listing and organ allocation
Authors: Tong Allison , Jan Stephen , Wong Germaine , Craig Jonathan C. , Irving Michelle , Chadban Steven , Cass Alan , Howard Kirsten
Published: September 2012

Ongoing debate about how to maximize the benefit of scarce organs while maintaining equity of access to transplantation exists. This study aims to synthesize healthcare provider perspectives on wait‐listing and organ allocation. MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO were searched till February 21, 2011. Quantitative data were extracted, and a qualitative synthesis of the studies was conducted. Twenty studies involving 4254 respondents were included. We identified two goals underpinning healthcare provider preferences for organ allocation: (i) maximize clinical benefit (quality of life gains, patient survival, treatment adherence, and graft survival) and social outcomes (social support, productivity, and valuation); (ii) achieve equity (waiting time, patient preferences, access to live donation, and medical urgency). Maximizing clinical or social outcomes meant organs would be preferentially given to patients expected to achieve good transplant outcomes or wider social gain. Achieving equity meant all patients should have an equal chance of transplant, or patients deemed more urgent receive higher priority. A tension between equity and efficiency is apparent. Balanced against dimensions of efficiency were considerations to instill a degree of perceived fairness in organ allocation. Ongoing engagement with stakeholders is needed to enhance transparency, a reasonable balance between efficiency and equity, and avoid discrimination against specific populations.
Gambusia quadruncus (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae): a new species of mosquitofish from east‐central México
Authors: Langerhans R. B. , Gifford M. E. , Domínguez‐Domínguez O. , García‐Bedoya D. , DeWitt T. J.
Published: September 2012

Gambusia quadruncus n. sp., the llanos mosquitofish, is described from east‐central México. The region inhabited by the species represents a hotspot of diversity of Gambusia, and G. quadruncus sometimes coexists with at least three congeners. The species differs from its closest relative, Gambusia affinis, in several characteristics with plausible effects on reproductive isolation, e.g. body size, body and fin morphology, male genital morphology (distal tip of gonopodium) and female anal spot morphology (colouration near the urogenital sinus). Moreover, combined analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data (c. 2158 total base pairs) indicates reciprocal monophyly of G. quadruncus and its sister species G. affinis, with levels of genetic divergence suggesting the two species diverged from one another over a million years ago. The origin of G. quadruncus may reflect a vicariant event associated with Pliocene orogenesis in the Tamaulipas Arch and a frontal section of the Sierra Madre Oriental (Lleran Mesas). Gambusia quadruncus inhabits a variety of freshwater habitats across several river drainages, with its range spanning at least 350 km from north to south, covering over 25 000 km2. A key to aid identification of the species is provided.
Phylogeny and comparative phylogeography of Sclerurus (Aves: Furnariidae) reveal constant and cryptic diversification in an old radiation of rain forest understorey specialists
Authors: d’Horta Fernando M. , Cuervo Andrés M. , Ribas Camila C. , Brumfield Robb T. , Miyaki Cristina Y.
Published: September 2012

Aim  To evaluate the role of historical processes in the evolution of Sclerurus leaftossers by integrating phylogenetic and phylogeographical approaches.

Location  Humid forests of the Neotropical region.

Methods  We reconstructed the evolutionary history of Sclerurus based on DNA sequences representing all species and 20 of the 26 recognized subspecies using one autosomal nuclear locus and three protein‐coding mitochondrial gene sequences. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using Bayesian and maximum‐likelihood methods. We used Bayesian coalescent‐based approaches to evaluate demographic changes through time, and to estimate the timing of diversification events. Based on these results, we examined the temporal accumulation of divergence events using lineage‐through‐time plots.

Results  The monophyly of all Sclerurus species was strongly supported except for Sclerurus mexicanus, which was paraphyletic in relation to Sclerurus rufigularis, and for the sister pair Sclerurus scansor–Sclerurus albigularis, which were not reciprocally monophyletic in the nuclear tree. We found remarkably deep phylogeographical structure within all Sclerurus species, and overall this structure was congruent with currently recognized subspecies and Neotropical areas of endemism. Diversification within Sclerurus has occurred at a relatively constant rate since the Middle Miocene.

Main conclusions  Our results strongly support the relevance of physiographical (e.g. Nicaragua Depression, Isthmus of Panama, Andean Cordillera, great rivers of Amazonia) and ecological barriers (open vegetation corridor) and ecological gradients (elevational zonation) to the diversification of Neotropical forest‐dwelling organisms. Despite the high congruence among the spatial patterns identified, the variance in divergence times suggests multiple speciation events occurring independently across the same barrier, and a role for dispersal. The phylogenetic patterns and cryptic diversity uncovered in this study demonstrate that the current taxonomy of Sclerurus underestimates the number of species.
Computed tomography findings of aspiration pneumonia in 53 patients
Authors: Komiya Kosaku , Ishii Hiroshi , Umeki Kenji , Kawamura Tadao , Okada Fumito , Okabe Eiji , Murakami Junji , Kato Yukio , Matsumoto Bunroku , Teramoto Shinji , Johkoh Takeshi , Kadota Jun‐ichi
Published: September 2012

Aim:  No large case series has so far shown the chest computed tomography (CT) features in patients with aspiration pneumonia, despite the fact that aspiration pneumonia is the most common pulmonary disease in the elderly and is regarded as gravity‐dependent pneumonia. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the CT features based on the patients' status in patients with dysphagia‐associated aspiration pneumonia.

Methods:  A total of 53 patients, who were hospitalized because of pneumonia and subsequently confirmed to have dysphagia by videofluorography, were entered into this study. The CT findings were independently evaluated by two radiologists who were unaware of the patients' clinical information. The relationships between the patients' status and the CT patterns of pneumonia or their distributions were analyzed.

Results:  There were eight patients (15%) with lobar pneumonia, 36 patients (68%) with bronchopneumonia and nine patients (17%) with bronchiolitis. Posterior lung predominance was seen in 49 patients (92%). In the craniocaudal observation, lower lung predominance was found in 25 patients (47%) and diffuse distribution was seen in 28 patients (53%). A decreased performance status was significantly associated with a diffuse distribution (P = 0.039).

Conclusions:  Aspiration pneumonia more frequently presented as a bronchopneumonia pattern followed by a bronchiolitis pattern on CT. Their distributions were characterized by gravity dependence, and anterior‐ or upper lung‐limited pneumonia might not be due to dysphagia‐associated pneumonia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 580–585.
FurA is the master regulator of iron homeostasis and modulates the expression of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis genes in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120
Authors: González Andrés , Bes M. Teresa , Valladares Ana , Peleato M. Luisa , Fillat María F.
Published: September 2012

Knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms controlling iron homeostasis in cyanobacteria is limited. In Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, the ferric uptake regulator FurA is a constitutive and essential protein whose expression is induced under iron deprivation. Our previous analyses have shown that this protein acts as a global transcriptional regulator, controlling the expression of several genes belonging to different functional categories, including schT, a gene coding for a TonB‐dependent schizokinen transporter. In the present study we analysed the impact of FurA overexpression and iron availability on the transcriptional modulation of a broad range of Anabaena iron uptake, transport, storage and cellular iron utilization mechanisms, including enzymes involved in siderophore biosynthesis, TonB‐dependent siderophore outer membrane transporters, siderophore periplasmic binding proteins, ABC inner membrane permeases, ferritin Dps family proteins, and enzymes involved in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. By combining reverse transcription‐PCR analyses, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting experiments, we defined a variety of novel direct iron‐dependent transcriptional targets of this metalloregulator, including genes encoding at least five enzymes involved in the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway. The results unravel the role of FurA as the master regulator of iron homeostasis in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, providing new insights into the Fur regulons in cyanobacteria.
Structure and function of the adhesive type IV pilus of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Authors: Henche Anna‐Lena , Ghosh Abhrajyoti , Yu Xiong , Jeske Torsten , Egelman Edward , Albers Sonja‐Verena
Published: September 2012

Archaea display a variety of type IV pili on their surface and employ them in different physiological functions. In the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius the most abundant surface structure is the aap pilus (archaeal adhesive pilus). The construction of in frame deletions of the aap genes revealed that all the five genes (aapA, aapX, aapE, aapF, aapB) are indispensible for assembly of the pilus and an impact on surface motility and biofilm formation was observed. Our analyses revealed that there exists a regulatory cross‐talk between the expression of aap genes and archaella (formerly archaeal flagella) genes during different growth phases. The structure of the aap pilus is entirely different from the known bacterial type IV pili as well as other archaeal type IV pili. An aap pilus displayed 3 stranded helices where there is a rotation per subunit of ∼ 138° and a rise per subunit of ∼ 5.7 Å. The filaments have a diameter of ∼ 110 Å and the resolution was judged to be ∼ 9 Å. We concluded that small changes in sequence might be amplified by large changes in higher‐order packing. Our finding of an extraordinary stability of aap pili possibly represents an adaptation to harsh environments that S. acidocaldarius encounters.
Patterns of electronic cigarette use and user beliefs about their safety and benefits: An Internet survey
Authors: Goniewicz Maciej L. , Lingas Elena O. , Hajek Peter
Published: September 2012

Introduction and Aims

As the popularity of electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes) increases, it is becoming important to find out more about the characteristics of e‐cigarette users, why and how they use the product and whether e‐cigarettes are used exclusively or in combination with conventional cigarettes. The objective of this study was to investigate patterns and effects of e‐cigarette use and user beliefs about e‐cigarette safety and benefits.

Design and Methods

E‐cigarette users in Poland were recruited online and asked to participate in a web‐based survey. The participants provided information on their smoking history, patterns of e‐cigarette use, beliefs and attitudes regarding the product and information on concurrent use of conventional cigarettes.

Results

The survey was completed by 179 e‐cigarette users. Almost all participants used e‐cigarettes daily. E‐cigarettes were primarily used to quit smoking or to reduce the harm associated with smoking (both 41%), and were successful in helping the surveyed users to achieve these goals with 66% not smoking conventional cigarettes at all and 25% smoking under five cigarettes a day. Most participants (82%) did not think that e‐cigarettes were completely safe, but thought that they were less dangerous than conventional cigarettes. Sixty percent believed that e‐cigarettes were addictive, but less so than conventional cigarettes.

Discussion and Conclusions

The participants primarily used e‐cigarettes as a stop‐smoking aid or as an alternative to conventional cigarettes, and the majority reported that they successfully stopped smoking. More data on e‐cigarette safety and its efficacy in harm‐reduction and smoking cessation are needed.
The Paradox of Liberalization — Understanding Dualism and the Recovery of the German Political Economy
Authors: Hassel Anke
Published: September 2012

What do the recent trends in German economic development convey about the trajectory of change? Has liberalization prepared the German economy to deal with new challenges? What effects will liberalization have on the co‐ordinating capacities of economic institutions? This article argues that co‐ordination and liberalization are two sides of the same coin in the process of corporate restructuring in the face of economic shocks. Firms seek labour co‐operation in the face of tighter competitive pressures and exploit institutional advantages of co‐ordination. However, tighter co‐operation with core workers sharpened insider–outsider divisions and were built upon service sector cost cutting through liberalization. The combination of plant‐level restructuring and social policy change forms a trajectory of institutional adjustment of forming complementary economic segments which work under different rules. The process is driven by producer coalitions of export‐oriented firms and core workers’ representatives, rather than by firms per se.
Impact of Customer‐based Corporate Reputation on Non‐monetary and Monetary Outcomes: The Roles of Commitment and Service Context Risk
Authors: Walsh Gianfranco , Bartikowski Boris , Beatty Sharon E.
Published: September 2012

A firm's reputation is an important intangible asset, because of its potential for value creation. The authors explore non‐monetary and monetary outcomes of customer‐based corporate reputation (CBR) and hypothesize that commitment serves as a partial mediator, while service context risk is a moderator, of these relationships. Using a large sample of service customers who evaluated the reputation of service firms in four service categories, the results show that (1) commitment partially mediates the relationship between CBR and most of the outcome variables, and (2) service provider selection risk moderates these relationships, such that reputation has a stronger effect on several non‐monetary outcomes for higher‐risk services and commitment has a stronger effect for lower‐risk services, consistent with a dual‐processing framework explanation. The authors discuss the theoretical and managerial implications.
The Role ofGuanxiin Rural Social Movements: Two Case Studies from Taiwan
Authors: WANG CHI‐MAO , WOODS MICHAEL
Published: September 2012

This paper examines everyday interactions, and particularly the role of traditional ritual and relationships, in the mobilization of rural social movements in Taiwan. In Chinese society, ‘guanxi’ (interpersonal relationships) are involved in everyday social interactions. Studies of collective action, such as social movements, cannot ignore the role that ‘guanxi’ play. This paper argues that collective action in Taiwan is strongly influenced by social practices, such as ‘guanxi’. The early part of the paper discusses social movement theories of social network, and briefly reviews ‘guanxi’ theory and its relationship with the concept of ‘social capital’. The later part examines the function of ‘guanxi’ in two recent social movements: the anti–No. 6/8 Naphtha Cracking Project (A6/8NCP) movement at Taixi and the anti–leather factory movement at Gouzao. These two social movements provide excellent case studies for rethinking how collective action functions in Taiwan.
A comparison of family care infrastructure for demented elderly in inner cities and regional areas in Japan
Authors: SHINAGAWA Shunichiro , YATABE Yusuke , HASHIMOTO Mamoru , NAKAYAMA Kazuhiko , IKEDA Manabu
Published: September 2012

Background:  Family members' observations of daily life are important for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia. However, elderly people are increasingly living alone, and family structures tend to differ between inner‐city areas and regional areas. We aimed to compare the family caregiving infrastructure of demented elderly visiting a memory clinic.

Methods:  Subjects were consecutive outpatients with dementia at the memory clinic at a university hospital in two different areas. We compared subjects' demographic data, residency status, housemates and companion status at the time of their initial visit.

Results:  Patients in the inner‐city area (n= 99) had more education and higher Mini‐Mental State Examination scores than those in the regional area (n= 172). In both areas, the highest proportion of patients lived with their spouse. In the inner city, patients' housemates were either their spouse (34%) or their child (13%); 22% lived alone. In regional areas, patients lived with their spouse only (39%) or in their child's household (23%); 14% lived alone. At their initial consultation, inner‐city patients were accompanied by a family member other than their spouse (49%), a spouse (27%), or they were alone (7%). In the regional area, patients' companions were their spouse (35%) or their spouse and other family members (18%); patients rarely arrived alone. Regression analysis showed that education, diagnosis, housemate state (child only), and companion state (alone) significantly influenced the living area.

Conclusion:  Our results suggest family caregiving infrastructure of demented elderly differ between the two areas. This may reflect changes in social structure and increased awareness regarding dementia in inner‐city areas.
Living alone is associated with depression among the elderly in a rural community in Japan
Authors: FUKUNAGA Ryuta , ABE Yasuhisa , NAKAGAWA Youichi , KOYAMA Asuka , FUJISE Noboru , IKEDA Manabu
Published: September 2012

Aim:  This study aimed to investigate factors associated with depression in a sample of elderly Japanese individuals in a rural community and to examine differences among factors associated with individuals living alone or living with others.

Methods:  Using a population‐based sample from rural Japan, we assessed a total of 1552 participants aged 65 years or older by mailing a survey and evaluating responses based on the Geriatric Depression Scale. Factors associated with depression were also examined.

Results:  We received 964 valid responses. Depressed subjects comprised 20.5% of the sample. Living alone was significantly related to depression. In individuals living alone, depression was associated with loss of appetite, suicidal ideation, financial strain, and worries in life. However, multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the influence of living alone was negated by having a good social support system.

Conclusion:  These findings confirm that living alone is an important factor in depression among the elderly in a rural part of Japan. Results also confirm what others have found in Western cultures: high levels of social support, awareness of receiving social support, and willingness to receive assistance may reduce the risk of depression.
Classification of delusions in Alzheimer's disease and their neural correlates
Authors: NOMURA Keiko , KAZUI Hiroaki , WADA Tamiki , SUGIYAMA Hiromichi , YAMAMOTO Daisuke , YOSHIYAMA Kenji , SHIMOSEGAWA Eku , HATAZAWA Jun , TAKEDA Masatoshi
Published: September 2012

Background:  Previous findings on neural correlates of delusion in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been inconsistent because of methodological issues, such as treating multiple delusions as a single entity. In this retrospective study, we classified AD delusions and investigated their neural correlates by using single‐photon emission computed tomography data.

Methods:  We selected AD patients with delusions from our consecutive outpatients from 2004 to 2010. In this study, eight types of delusions were evaluated with Neuropsychiatric Inventory and classified by factor analysis. Twenty‐five of the patients also had single‐photon emission computed tomography data, which we used to assess the relationships between cerebral regions of hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion and each classified delusion. The relations were assessed using Statistical Parametric Mapping with normalization to the white matter cerebral blood flow.

Results:  The delusions were classified into three factors. Factor 1 consisted of a belief that his/her house is not his/her home, phantom boarder symptom, delusion of abandonment, and belief that one's spouse or others are not who they claim to be. Factor 1 was related to hypoperfusion in the right temporal pole and hyperperfusion in the medial frontal and precentral regions. Factor 2 consisted of delusion relating to the television and delusion of persecution. Factor 2 was related to hypoperfusion in the precuneus and hyperperfusion in the insula and thalamus. Factor 3 consisted of delusion of abandonment and delusional jealousy. Factor 3 was related to hypoperfusion in the right inferior temporal and frontal regions and hyperperfusion in the middle frontal gyrus, insula and posterior cingulate gyrus. Delusion of theft was not included in any factors, and it was related to hypoperfusion in the bilateral thalami and left posterior cingulate gyrus and hyperperfusion in the left inferior frontal regions and anterior cingulate gyrus.

Conclusions:  Delusions in AD were classifiable, and each classified delusion was related to different neural networks.
One‐Year Results of the CRISTAL Trial, a Randomized Comparison of Cypher Sirolimus‐Eluting Coronary Stents versus Balloon Angioplasty for Restenosis of Drug‐Eluting Stents
Authors: CHEVALIER BERNARD , MOULICHON ROBERT , TEIGER EMMANUEL , BRUNEL PHILIPPE , METZGER JEAN‐PHILIPPE , PANSIERI MICHEL , CARRIE DIDIER , STOLL HANS‐PETER , WITTEBOLS KRISTEL , SPAULDING CHRISTIAN , FAJADET JEAN ,   FOR THE CRISTAL INVESTIGATORS
Published: September 2012

Objectives:
 We compared the efficacy of the Cypher Select™ (Cordis Corporation, Bridgewater, NJ, USA) sirolimus‐eluting stent (SES) versus balloon angioplasty (BA) in in‐stent restenosis (ISR) of Taxus™ or Taxus Liberté™ paclitaxel‐eluting stents (PES; Boston Scientific, Natick, MA, USA) or Cypher/Cypher Select SES.

Background:
 Optimal treatment strategies have not been identified for drug‐eluting stent (DES) ISR.

Methods:
 Patients with a native coronary artery SES or PES ISR were randomized to SES or BA. In addition, a control group included BMS ISR treated with SES. Angiographic control was performed at 12 months.

Results:
 281 patients were enrolled. Significant differences favoring SES over BA were noted in immediate and net gain (1.39 ± 0.51 vs. 0.97 ± 0.54 mm, P < 0.0001 and 1.07 ± 0.69 vs. 0.49 ± 0.67 mm, P < 0.0001), 12‐month mean luminal diameter (MLD; 2.14 ± 0.62 vs. 1.71 ± 0.55 mm, P < 0.0001) and percent diameter stenosis (%DS; 21 ± 19.24 vs. 29.82 ± 18.47, P = 0.001). There was no significant difference at 12 months between SES and BA in the primary end‐point late lumen loss (LLL; 0.37 ± 0.57 vs.0.41 ± 0.63, P = 0.73) and in in‐stent binary restenosis (11.1% vs. 14%, P = 0.59). Target‐lesion revascularization (TLR) was numerically lower in patients treated with SES (5.9% vs. 13.1%, P = 0.097). There was no difference according to the initial DES. In contrast, significantly higher immediate and net gains and MLD were noted in the BMS control group treated by SES.

Conclusions:
 In this angiographic randomized trial comparing SES and BA in SES or PES restenosis, 12 month MLD, immediate and net gain, and %DS favored SES whereas no difference was noted in LLL.

Condensed Abstract

Optimal treatment strategies have not been identified for sirolimus‐ (SES) or paclitaxel‐eluting stent (PES) in‐stent restenosis (ISR). We randomized patients with a native coronary artery SES or PES ISR to SES or BA. In addition, a control group included BMS ISR treated with SES. There was no difference in the primary end‐point, late lumen loss (LLL) at 12 months between the SES and BA groups. However, follow‐up MLD and immediate and net gain favored SES. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:586–595)
The Longitudinal Association of Marital Confidence, Time Spent Together, and Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Johnson Matthew D. , Anderson Jared R.
Published: September 2012

Using three waves of dyadic data collected at 18‐month intervals from a community‐based sample of 610 newly married heterosexual couples (1 220 individuals), we examined the relationship between marital confidence, time spent together, and marital satisfaction using a modified actor‐partner interdependence model. Results indicate that after controlling for marital satisfaction and time spent together at Time 1, marital confidence around the time of marriage was associated with marital satisfaction approximately 3 years later. In addition, marital confidence was associated with how much time husbands and wives spent together at Time 2, which was related to marital satisfaction at Time 3. Tests of the mediating paths from marital confidence to marital satisfaction trended toward significance. The results suggest the importance of assessing for relationship confidence when working with couples in the early stages of their relationship.