bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of marine industrial structure on environmental efficiency
Authors: Wang Shuhong , Xing Lu , Chen Hanxue 
Published: October 2019

Purpose
Recently, China has been paying increasing attention to how to improve the efficiency of the marine environment and realize a green and sustainable development of the marine economy. Consequently, the industrial structure is crucial to improving efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to introduce environmental factors into the efficiency analysis framework and explore the relationship between marine industrial structure and marine environmental efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses marine economic data under the DEA-BBC model to measure the marine environmental efficiency of provinces and cities and classifies them by cluster analysis. Then, the marine industrial structure and marine environmental efficiency are studied by an econometric model with human capital, ownership structure, land economic development level, scientific research input and government intervention degree as control variables.

Findings
The overall level of marine environmental efficiency is relatively low in China, increasing and then decreasing over the research period. The rationalization of industrial structure and scientific research input have significant promoting effects on marine environmental efficiency, while the degree of government intervention has a significant inhibiting effect. The positive effect of human capital on efficiency depends on whether it can be successfully converted into productivity. The effects of industrial structure advancement, ownership structure and land economic development level of on the marine environmental efficiency are mixed.

Originality/value
The results provide a theoretical and decision-making basis for China to transform and upgrade its marine industrial structure and sustainably develop the marine economy.
Probing the progress of the external dimension of the Bologna process
Authors: Mngo Zachary Y. 
Published: October 2019

Purpose
This paper aims to assess the “external dimension” goals of the Pan European Bologna reform, almost 19 years after its launch. The influences of the reform on higher education in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific are investigated. The paper analyses the appeal of the 1999 Bologna Process (BP), which, arguably, symbolizes an effort to strengthen the hegemony of Western European education and influence, has for the first time gone beyond ex-colonial lines, including areas where Europe’s socio-political influence is not impactful.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper opted for an analytical review of the literature on the European higher education internationalization goals as stated in external dimension objectives of the Bologna Process reform. The literature search was complicated by the limited number of peer review articles focusing on the spread of the Bologna model beyond Europe. As a result, the inclusion criteria were flexible, and consideration was given to educational website reports/articles, dissertations, books, pamphlets, and internal EU/European Commission reports.

Findings
The findings of this review indicate that, in spite of significant challenges, the internationalization objectives of Bologna Process are gradually being met in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Most notable is that some countries that historically did not have a European colonial presence are embracing aspects of the Bologna reform. Almost 19 years after, the BP reform now has a significant external influence not only in the former Portuguese, Spanish, British and French colonies but also beyond. In spite of the overwhelming embrace of the BP model in Europe and outside of Europe, its implementation, everywhere, has faced some administrative, political, and economic challenges.

Research limitations/implications
The study examined the spread of the Bologna Process models beyond Europe and not its acceptability by stakeholders such as faculty and students outside Europe. Future research could examine the satisfaction rates among higher education stakeholders in regions and countries embracing the BP models.

Practical implications
The findings of this review indicate that the steady spread of the BP means that more countries and tertiary education institutions can explore opportunities aimed at developing more educational and socioeconomic partnership, including the exchange of knowledge, technology and resources.

Originality/value
While emphasizing the benefits and opportunities for cooperation, the paper identifies that the increasing internationalization trends influenced by the BP are leading to regional higher education cooperation in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Other higher education models around the world can learn from the marketing strategies of the BP aided by EU.
Implications of strategic flexibility in small firms: the moderating role of absorptive capacity
Authors: Chaudhary Sanjay 
Published: October 2019

PurposeGuided by the theory of dynamic capabilities and the knowledge-based view of an organization, the purpose of this paper is to examine the crucial role played by entrepreneurial orientation and absorptive capacity in the relationship between strategic flexibility and firm performance, with a specific focus on small firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses survey data collected from owners of 272 small businesses in India and follows the linear regression method to establish the link between strategic flexibility and firm performance. It hypothesizes that the strategic flexibility of a small firm impacts entrepreneurial orientation, and subsequently its performance, while absorptive capacity further enhances this relationship.FindingsThe conclusions drawn from the study provide empirical evidence on the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation in the relationship between strategic flexibility and firm performance. The findings also point out that the potential absorptive capacity of a firm strengthens the relationship between its strategic flexibility and entrepreneurial orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical findings of the study are limited to small firms from the automotive service industry.Practical implicationsThe study contributes to the existing knowledge on managerial practice by pointing out the importance of strategic flexibility as a dynamic capability and illustrating its impact in the case of a small firm’s performance.Originality/valueAs yet, there is a dearth of empirical evidence derived from large samples of small firms. The study supplements available literature on dynamic capabilities and knowledge management.
Microstructure evolution of Au/SnSb-CuNiAg/(Au)Ni during high temperature aging
Authors: Han Bangyao , Sun Fenglian , Li Tianhui , Liu Yang 
Published: October 2019

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the morphology evolution and the composition transformation of Au-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the new Au/Sn-5Sb-1Cu-0.1Ni-0.1Ag/(Au)Ni solder joint during the high temperature aging.Design/methodology/approachSn-5Sb-1Cu-0.1Ni-0.1Ag solder balls (500 µm in diameter), heat sink with structure of 7.4 µm Au layer on 5 µm Ni-plated Cu alloy and Si chip with 5.16 µm plated Au were used to fabricate micro-solder joints. The joints were performed in a furnace at 150°C for 150, 250 and 350 h aging. The samples were polished and deep etched before analyzed by metallographic microscope and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used to identify the composition of the IMCs.Findingsß-(Au,Ni,Cu)10Sn phase is formed during the soldering process. The IMCs evolution has two periods during the aging. The first is theξ-(Au,Ni,Cu)5Sn,ξ-(Au,Cu)5Sn andδ-AuSn were formed and grew to form a full-compound joint after about 150 h aging. The second is the conversion of the full-compound joint. The IMCs converted toξ′ phase when the aging time extends to 250 h, and transformed toε-(Au,Ni,Cu)Sn2andη-(Au,Ni,Cu)Sn4after 350 h aging. The thicker gold layer and thinner solder joint can promote the growth of the IMCs.ß-(Au,Ni,Cu)10Sn emerged in Au/SnSb-CuNiAg/(Au)Ni in this research, which is not usually found.Originality/valueThe results in this study have a significant meaning for the application of the new Sn-5Sb-1Cu-0.1Ni-0.1Ag in harsh conditions.
Cold temperature improves tannin tolerance in a granivorous rodent
Authors: Windley Hannah R. , Shimada Takuya 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

The foraging ecology of mammalian herbivores is regulated in part by their ability to detoxify plant secondary metabolites (PSM). Ambient temperature has been shown to alter liver function in rodents and the toxicity of some PSMs, but little is known about the physiological and nutritional consequences of consuming PSMs at different ambient temperatures. Furthermore, the effect of ambient temperature on the response of mammals to the most ubiquitous class of PSM, tannins, is unknown.

We measured the effect of temperature and tannin intake on liver function, and the subsequent effect on the tannin tolerance of wild Japanese wood mice, Apodemus speciosus. The experiment involved acclimation to one of two ambient temperatures (10°C or 20°C) followed by acclimation to a diet of acorns (6.2% tannin DW). Liver function was measured both before and after acclimation to acorns by measuring the clearance time of a hypnotic agent. Finally, the mice were fed only acorns in a 5‐day feeding experiment to assess their tolerance to tannin in the diet.

Acclimation to acorns had a significant effect on liver function, but the direction of this effect was dependent on ambient temperature. Acorn consumption improved the liver function of wood mice at 10°C, but reduced liver function at 20°C, revealing a complex relationship between ambient temperature and tannin intake on liver function. Furthermore, mice with better liver function, indicated by faster clearance of the hypnotic agent, exhibited higher protein digestibility on an acorn‐only diet, indicative of higher tannin tolerance.

These results suggest that environmental temperature plays a significant role in the tolerance of A. speciosus to tannins, providing new insight into their seasonal feeding behaviour and winter ecology. We contend that cold‐induced tannin tolerance may help to explain the population dynamics of mammalian herbivores with seasonal changes in the tannin content of their diet, and inform predictions about the response of these animals to a changing climate.
Spatial transitions in tree cover are associated with soil hydrology, but not with grass biomass, fire frequency, or herbivore biomass in Serengeti savannahs
Authors: Holdo Ricardo M. , Onderdonk Daphne A. , Barr Annabelle G. , Mwita Meshak , Anderson T. Michael 
Published: October 2019

Abstract

Although there is a well‐known association between tree cover and soil texture in savannahs, the hydrological drivers of tree cover variation have not been systematically explored, particularly in parallel with factors such as fire, herbivory, and tree–grass interactions. The relationship between hydrological factors and tree cover is important for resolving the relative contribution of bottom‐up versus top‐down factors in structuring savannah vegetation.

We quantified soil moisture dynamics across eight 1‐km transects spanning tree cover gradients from open to woody savannah in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania using soil moisture sensors coupled with dataloggers. We mapped tree cover at two spatial scales through supervised classification of high‐resolution satellite imagery. We simultaneously produced water retention curves in open and woody habitats within each transect to compare soil hydrological properties and to convert volumetric water content (θ) from dataloggers to plant‐available water over the course of an annual cycle. We also quantified grass biomass at 100 locations per transect, estimated fire frequency from MODIS satellite data, and quantified herbivore occupancy with paired camera traps situated in open and woody habitats within each transect.

We found a positive relationship between tree cover and soil moisture drainage rate, and found that open habitats had more negative water potentials than woody habitats for a given value of θ. In contrast, we found no evidence for a consistent relationship between grass biomass or fire frequency and tree cover. We found evidence for higher browser occupancy in woody than open habitats, but no habitat effects on herbivores as a group (browsers plus grazers), suggesting that herbivory is unlikely to be the dominant factor explaining variation in tree cover.

Synthesis. Our results suggest that variation in tree cover is partly driven by hydrological (edaphic) factors unrelated to fire, herbivory, tree–grass interactions or mean annual precipitation at these spatial scales in Serengeti. We contrast our findings with previous work attributing tree cover shifts in Serengeti to precipitation gradients.
Volatile‐mediated antagonism of soil bacterial communities against fungi
Authors: Li Xiaogang , Garbeva Paolina , Liu Xiaojiao , klein Gunnewiek Paulien J. A. , Clocchiatti Anna , Hundscheid Maria P. J. , Wang Xingxiang , de Boer Wietse 
Published: October 2019

SummaryCompetition is a major type of interaction between fungi and bacteria in soil and is also an important factor in suppression of plant diseases caused by soil‐borne fungal pathogens. There is increasing attention for the possible role of volatiles in competitive interactions between bacteria and fungi. However, knowledge on the actual role of bacterial volatiles in interactions with fungi within soil microbial communities is lacking. Here, we examined colonization of sterile agricultural soils by fungi and bacteria from non‐sterile soil inoculums during exposure to volatiles emitted by soil‐derived bacterial communities. We found that colonization of soil by fungi was negatively affected by exposure to volatiles emitted by bacterial communities whereas that of bacteria was barely changed. Furthermore, there were strong effects of bacterial community volatiles on the assembly of fungal soil colonizers. Identification of volatile composition produced by bacterial communities revealed several compounds with known fungistatic activity. Our results are the first to reveal a collective volatile‐mediated antagonism of soil bacteria against fungi. Given the better exploration abilities of filamentous fungi in unsaturated soils, this may be an important strategy for bacteria to defend occupied nutrient patches against invading fungi. Another implication of our research is that bacterial volatiles in soil atmospheres can have a major contribution to soil fungistasis.
A Statistical Method to Enhance the Analysis of the Differences Among High‐Resolution Melting (HRM) Curves of PCR‐Amplified DNA Fragments
Authors: Ibarrondo Oliver , Lopez‐Oceja Andrés , Baeta Miriam , M. de Pancorbo Marian 
Published: October 2019

AbstractConsistent differences among melting curves of PCR‐amplified DNA fragments are treated by normalizing the relative fluorescence units (RFU) and performing a clustering analysis, but statistically significant differences among curves are not usually determined. In the present study, an analysis based on functional data analysis (FDA) was implemented to evaluate the existence of statistically significant differences between normalized RFU curves obtained from PCR‐HRM (high‐resolution melting) analysis by using ANOVA for functional data. The effectiveness of the FDA method was analyzed with data from a set of samples of eight animal species of interest in food analysis, as well as mixtures of DNA from these species, analyzed by PCR‐HRM to differentiate them. The statistical method described in this study has been demonstrated to be a robust and precise tool to discriminate among melting curves derived from HRM analysis. This method has advantages over the current comparison methods.Practical ApplicationAs long as food fraud and mislabeling exist, new techniques for species identification are needed. High‐resolution melting (HRM) has been shown to be a rapid, reliable and inexpensive species identification method. In the present study, functional data analysis (FDA) was applied to HRM curves of DNA from eight animal species used for food, as well as to mixtures of these species in different proportions. FDA has advantages over the usual methods, providing a deeper statistical analysis and facilitating the data interpretation as shown by the HRM analysis for a clearer comparison among individual species and mixtures of species.
The role of miRNAs in male human reproduction: a systematic review
Authors: Salas‐Huetos A. , James E. R. , Aston K. I. , Carrell D. T. , Jenkins T. G. , Yeste M. 
Published: October 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe presence of miRNAs in human reproductive tissue is intriguing and suggests the possibility that these important regulatory molecules play a role in reproductive function. However, the regulatory role of miRNAs in reproductive tissue remains poorly understood with a significant amount of controversial and contradicting data.ObjectivesTo systematically review the high‐quality studies published to date investigating miRNAs associated with male human reproduction in order to describe their roles and relations with infertility and update the knowledge in the field.Materials and methodsA comprehensive systematic review of the published literature in MEDLINE–PubMed and EMBASE databases from the earliest available online indexing year until June 2018 (complimentary search until July 2019) was performed, in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. We have included descriptive, case–control, cross‐sectional, and observational prospective and retrospective studies in which fertile/infertile men were well‐defined. The primary outcome was the miRNA expression in testis, epididymis, sperm cells, seminal plasma, and extracellular vesicles (i.e., exosomes and microvesicles).ResultsWe identified 25,204 articles, of which 42 were selected for qualitative analysis. Of the 42 articles included, 15 evaluated the miRNAs in testis, five in epididymis, 13 in spermatozoa, and 11 in seminal plasma and/or extracellular vesicles. Two studies tackled more than one sub‐group. As far as miRNA presence and content, the results of this systematic review indicated that every tissue/cell contains a well‐defined and stable population of miRNAs that could be potentially related to spermatogenesis and embryogenesis.Discussion and conclusionOur systematic review of descriptive and observational studies shows a consistent relationship between aberrant miRNA expression and infertility. Therefore, it seems reasonable that measuring the expression of particular miRNAs might be useful not only as infertility biomarkers, but also for developing therapeutic strategies.
Infectious keratitis: isolated microbes and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern during 2004–2014 in Region Örebro County, Sweden
Authors: Sagerfors Susanna , Ejdervik‐Lindblad Birgitta , Söderquist Bo 
Published: October 2019

AbstractPurposeTo describe predisposing risk factors, causative microorganisms and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in infectious keratitis during an 11‐year period in Region Örebro County, Sweden.MethodsThis is a descriptive study conducted as a retrospective audit of clinical records. Patients who received treatment for infectious keratitis at any of the three ophthalmological departments within Region Örebro County, Sweden, between 2004 and 2014 were included if they fulfilled the predefined criteria for infectious keratitis. Data regarding culture results, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and risk factors for infectious keratitis were obtained from medical records and microbiological reports.ResultsIn total, 398 episodes of infectious keratitis in 392 patients were included, and 285 were culture positive. The most common predisposing risk factor was contact lens wear (45%). Coagulase‐negative staphylococci (39.6%) was the most commonly isolated type of organism. Staphylococcus aureus (15.1%) followed by Moraxella spp. (7.4%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (6.7%) were among the most common isolated bacteria not considered to be commensal. Reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones was observed in five of 43 S. aureus isolates and in four of nine Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates.ConclusionThe most common predisposing risk factor for keratitis was contact lens wear. Among the most common microbes, not considered to be exclusively commensals, isolated from the cornea in microbial keratitis were S. aureus, Moraxella spp. and P. aeruginosa. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns showed low proportion of resistance. Empiric treatment of suspected infectious keratitis with topical fluoroquinolones and chloramphenicol might be considered in a setting like ours pending culture results.
Endoscopic activity in asymptomatic patients with an ileal pouch is associated with an increased risk of pouchitis
Authors: Kayal Maia , Plietz Michael , Radcliffe Marlana , Rizvi Anam , Yzet Clara , Tixier Emily , Hirten Robert P. , Cohen Benjamin , Sylla Patricia , Khaitov Sergey , Greenstein Alexander , Colombel Jean‐Frederic , Dubinsky Marla C. , Ungaro Ryan C. 
Published: October 2019

SummaryBackgroundThe significance of endoscopic activity in asymptomatic ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with an ileal pouch is unknown.AimTo investigate the association of endoscopic pouch activity in asymptomatic patients with the subsequent development of pouchitis.MethodsWe analyzed a retrospective cohort of patients with UC or IBD‐unspecified who underwent a total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA). Asymptomatic patients with a Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (PDAI) symptom sub‐score of zero who underwent an index surveillance pouchoscopy were included. Endoscopic pouch body activity was graded as 0: normal, 1: mucosal inflammation, or 2: mucosal breaks (ulcers and/or erosions). The primary outcome was primary acute idiopathic pouchitis defined as PDAI score ≥ 7 with symptoms lasting less than four weeks and responsive to standard antibiotics, not otherwise meeting criteria for secondary pouchitis. The secondary outcome was chronic idiopathic pouchitis defined as PDAI score ≥ 7 with symptoms lasting greater than four weeks despite standard antibiotics. Predictors of pouchitis were analyzed using Kaplan‐Meier and Cox regression methods with hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) reported.Results143 asymptomatic pouch patients were included. Index endoscopic pouch body activity was 0 in 86 (60.1%) patients, 1 in 26 (18.2%) and 2 in 31 (21.7%). The median length of follow‐up after index surveillance pouchoscopy was 3.03 [IQR 1.24‐4.60] years. Primary acute idiopathic pouchitis occurred in 44 (31%) patients and chronic idiopathic pouchitis in 12 (8.4%). Grade 2 endoscopic pouch activity was associated with the development of acute pouchitis (HR 2.39, 95% CI 1.23‐4.67), although not chronic pouchitis (HR 1.76, 95% CI 0.53‐5.87). Histologic inflammation in endoscopically normal pouch mucosa was not associated with acute or chronic pouchitis.ConclusionsMucosal breaks are present in nearly a quarter of asymptomatic patients with IPAA and are associated with an increased risk of acute pouchitis.