bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Logistics performance measurement framework for companies with multiple roles
Authors: Irfani Dian Prama , Wibisono Dermawan , Basri Mursyid Hasan 
Published: March 2019

Purpose
Companies with multiple roles, as both a profit generator and public service provider, have specific characteristics that differentiate them from single-role companies. However, literature suggests that no performance measurement framework exists to fully suit the characteristics of such companies. This study aims to develop a novel performance-measuring framework to manage logistics performance in multiple-role companies.

Design/methodology/approach
The framework is developed by combining a literature review and a case study approach as applied to a company with multiple roles. The case study is conducted to identify the characteristics of multiple-role companies, the factors that potentially affect such companies’ logistics performance and criteria for a new framework. The literature review identifies the concepts, performance attributes and indicators from existing frameworks with the potential for incorporation and synthesis in the new framework.

Findings
This study identified several characteristics, performance drivers and criteria for a logistics performance-measuring framework for multiple-role companies. Additionally, this study successfully developed a new logistics performance-measuring framework that consists of eight performance management stages and an aggregated index to measure overall logistics performance.

Practical implications
The proposed logistics performance-measuring methodology provides useful guidance for stakeholders of multiple-role companies to plan, organize, execute and evaluate logistics performance.

Originality/value
This research fills a theoretical gap by explaining the characteristics of logistics systems in multiple-role companies, as well as the factors that may affect such companies’ logistics performance. Further, the proposed framework contributes to academia by integrating performance attributes from several available frameworks to manage objective conflicts, dynamism issues and the inconsistent performance evaluations that exist in companies with multiple roles.
Effect of pomegranate seed oil on the expression of PPAR-γ and pro-inflammatory biomarkers in obese type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Khajebishak Yaser , Payahoo Laleh , Hamishehkar Hamed , Alivand Mohammadreza , Alipour Mahdieh , Solhi Mohammad , Alipour Beitullah 
Published: March 2019

Purpose
Diabetes is one of the most prevailed chronic diseases in the world. Pro-inflammatory cytokines play a key role in the type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pomegranate seed oil (PSO) has potential anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antidiabetic effects of the use of PSO on the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-γ), pro-inflammatory biomarkers and lipid profile levels in obese type 2 diabetic patients.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 52 patients were randomly assigned to the PSO (n = 26) and placebo (n = 26) groups. Subjects received daily PSO 3 g placebo (paraffin) in 1 g soft-gel capsules (along with breakfast, lunch and dinner meals) for eight weeks.

Findings
Serum levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS) decreased from 161.46 ± 34.44 to 143.50 ± 24.2 mg/dL (p = 0.008), IL-6 decreased from 5.17 ± 2.25 to 4.52 ± 1.90 (p = 0.049) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) significantly decreased from 9.17 ± 4.13 to 7.74 ± 2.44 pmol/mL in PSO group (p = 0.030). However, changes in the expression of PPAR-γ gene, serum levels of hs-CRP and lipid profile levels were not significant.

Research limitations/implications
Lack of PSO concentration measurements and the short duration of the study were the key limitations. Future randomized clinical trials with a longer period of follow-up are needed to assess the potential anti-diabetic effects of PSO.

Originality/value
Administration of PSO in obese type 2 diabetic patients reduced the levels of FBS, interleukin 6 and TNF-α; nevertheless, changes in the insulin, lipid profiles and hs-CRP were not significant.
Crowdfunding as a new collaborative process in the knowledge economy
Authors: Paoloni Paola , Paoloni Niccolò , Modaffari Giuseppe 
Published: March 2019

Purpose
The transition from industrial to social economy and from knowledge produces a paradigm shift, which is the space in which new professions, new values and even new forms of financing are shaped. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the phenomenon of crowdfunding, and the specific focus is the small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) dimension, typical in startups firms. This work discusses the main thematic areas in the scientific literature on the phenomenon of crowdfunding (RQ1) and how is crowdfunding treated in SMEs’ dimension (RQ2).

Design/methodology/approach
To analyze the literature, this study uses structure literature review methodology. To answer RQ1, the articles in the SCOPUS database on the theme of crowdfunding were surveyed. To RQ2, the analysis focused on the combined theme between the crowdfunding phenomenon and the SMEs’ dimension.

Findings
The study shows that from the scientific point of view, the treatment of the crowdfunding phenomenon is strongly developing in many research areas. The most recurrent are those that deal with studies linked to socio-geographical and institutional contexts and those that analyze individual behavior of investors and crowd funders. Residual area remains the one dedicated to SMEs, where this research has led to poor results.

Originality/value
This paper implements the studies on crowdfunding, a phenomenon that is rapidly expanding worldwide. Particular attention is paid to startup firms, and the business dimension was studied for SMEs, for which it was initially conceived and investigated. Future work will try to apply the results of this research into a case study about an Italian startup firm.
Tracing the Sources of South Australian Economic Slumps
Authors: Jiang Dou 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis article quantitatively investigates economic fluctuations in South Australia from 1990–2014. In particular, the study applies the business cycle accounting method to decompose the economic fluctuations into their sources. The main findings suggest that the low efficiency wedge was the primary source of South Australian economic slumps. Moreover, it is shown that infrastructural and R&D expenditures are important factors in explaining the variation of the efficiency wedge. This conforms with the fact that the South Australian Government is keen to support its development through the economic stimulus plan. Trade openness may also be a contributor.
Health help‐seeking by men in Brunei Darussalam: masculinities and ‘doing’ male identities across the life course
Authors: Idris Deeni R. , Forrest Simon , Brown Sally 
Published: March 2019

AbstractUsing data collected through semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with 37 adult men living in Brunei Darussalam, this paper explores how masculinities and expectations about male roles across the life course influence men's perceptions, of and attitudes towards health and health help‐seeking behaviour. Bruneian men gave accounts that consistently spoke of a series of masculine roles and associated attributes and behaviours, which mapped across the life course. Men described health and the steps that they had taken to protect their health in terms of responsibilities associated with being a breadwinner, provider of support for parents, role model and leader of the family. Whilst adherence to Bruneian norms about masculinity could obstruct men's engagement with health help‐seeking, we also found that men mobilised their understanding of Bruneian masculinity such that it provided culturally legitimate way of engaging in health help‐seeking. We conclude by considering implications for further development of conceptualisations of masculinities, particularly responding to the call to consider Connell's theory of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ in the context of the Global South. We also consider the implications of the findings of this research for policy and practice in provision of health promotion and services in Brunei.
Experiences of educational transition: young women with ASD, and the staff supporting them, speak
Authors: Essex Jane , Melham Pauline 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe article describes research into the factors that facilitate a smooth transition for young women with High Functioning Autism (HFA) as they move between secondary school and Sixth form or Further Education (FE) College. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with four young women with HFA and, additionally, with four members of education staff responsible for supporting young women with HFA, across a variety of school and FE settings. This research revealed that transition planning focuses almost exclusively on academic progression and is likely to be an ad hoc collection of arrangements, which places an undue burden of organisation upon parents and carers. The data suggests that, in order for transition to be successful, it needs to be systematically planned over an extended time period and to take into account the social, organisational, employment and residential elements which affect an individual's educational experience. The evidence also points to the importance of ‘taster’ experiences to inform decisions and prepare students for impending change. The final recommendation arising is that support for these students should continue to be sustained after transition points, being reduced only as the students settle into their new environment.
Inclusive education in Saudi Arabia and Finland: pre‐service teachers’ attitudes
Authors: Alnahdi Ghaleb H. , Saloviita Timo , Elhadi Ayman 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis study compared two samples of pre‐service teachers from Saudi Arabia (n = 306) and Finland (n = 186) regarding their attitudes towards inclusive education. The Teachers' Attitudes towards Inclusive Education Scale (TAIS) was used to measure the participants’ attitudes. The results were analysed using five different statistical analysis. Differences in pre‐service teachers’ attitudes were found between samples. The mean for the Finnish sample on the TAIS was near the neutral midpoint, while that for the Saudi sample was below the midpoint. The attitudes towards inclusion as a value were similar between the Saudi and Finnish samples. Significant differences were found by gender and educational background for the Saudi sample but not for the Finnish sample. In conclusion, several differences were found between the attitudes of the Saudi and Finnish pre‐service teachers towards inclusive education. These cross‐national differences present challenges to the development of culturally neutral instruments to measure attitudes towards inclusion.
Influence of race/ethnicity on prevalence and presentation of endometriosis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bougie O , Yap Ma.I , Sikora L , Flaxman T , Singh S 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundUnderstanding the impact of race/ethnicity on the prevalence and presentation of endometriosis may help improve patient care.ObjectiveTo review systematically the evidence for the influence of race/ethnicity on the prevalence of endometriosis.Search strategyCENTRAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, LILACS, SCIELO, and CINAHL databases, as well as the grey literature, were searched from date of inception until September 2017.Selection criteriaRandomised control trials and observational studies reporting on prevalence and/or clinical presentation of endometriosis.Data collection and analysisTwenty studies were included in the review and 18 studies were used to calculate odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) through a random effects model. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa risk of bias scale (NOS).Main resultsCompared with White women, Black woman were less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis (OR 0.49, 95% CI 0.29–0.83), whereas Asian women were more likely to have this diagnosis (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.03–2.58). Compared with White women, there was a statistically significant difference in likelihood of endometriosis diagnosis in Hispanic women (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.14–1.50). Significant heterogeneity (I2 > 50%) was present in the analysis for all racial/ethnic groups but was partially reduced in subgroup analysis by clinical presentation, particularly when endometriosis was diagnosed as self‐reported,ConclusionsPrevalence of endometriosis appears to be influenced by race/ethnicity. Most notably, Black women appear less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis compared with White women. There is scarce literature exploring the influence of race/ethnicity on symptomatology, as well as treatment access, preference, and response.Tweetable abstractPrevalence of endometriosis may be influenced by race/ethnicity, but there is limited quality literature exploring this topic.
A Preliminary Study on Vacuum Metal Deposition as a Standalone Method for Enhancement of Fingermarks on Ballistic Brass Materials
Authors: Christofidis George , Morrissey Joanne , Birkett Jason W. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractIn order to assess the efficacy of vacuum metal deposition (VMD) as a technique to develop fingermarks on ballistic metallic surfaces, a preliminary study using six donors (three male & three female) was conducted. Using a sequential metal deposition process, two metal combinations were studied—gold/zinc and silver/zinc. Results indicate the potential of this technique, by developing identifiable fingermarks on brass metal disks aged from a few days up to more than a month old. As the development of fingermarks on fired (brass) cartridge cases is an area of interest, a further study was conducted where a total of 20 fingermarks were deposited on cases. After firing, second level fingermark characteristics were successfully observed on cartridge cases highlighting its potential as a fingermark enhancement method for ballistic brass materials. Further work is required to fully evaluate the VMD process and its reliability as a fingermark enhancing method on ballistic surfaces.
More cops, fewer prisoners?
Authors: Kaplan Jacob , Chalfin Aaron 
Published: March 2019

Research SummaryThe results reported in a large amount of the criminology literature reveal that hiring police officers leads to reductions in crime and that investments in police are an efficient means of crime control compared with investments in prisons. One concern, however, is that because police officers make arrests in the course of their duties, police hiring, albeit efficient, is an inevitable driver of “mass incarceration.” In this article, we consider the dynamics through which police hiring affects downstream incarceration rates.Policy ImplicationsUsing state‐level panel data as well county‐level data from California, we uncover novel evidence in favor of a potentially unexpected and yet entirely intuitive result: that investments in law enforcement are unlikely to increase state prison populations markedly and may even lead to a modest decrease in the number of state prisoners. As such, investments in police may, in fact, yield a “double dividend” to society by reducing incarceration rates as well as crime rates.
Sevoflurane EC50 for intravenous cannulation attempt and movement in children
Authors: Goel Nitika , Jain Divya , Ghai Babita 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundIntravenous cannulation at lighter planes of anaesthesia can lead to adverse respiratory and haemodynamic events. So far, there is no consensus on optimum end tidal sevoflurane concentration required for intravenous cannulation in children. We aimed to evaluate the optimum end tidal concentration at which an intravenous cannulation can be successfully attempted without movements in paediatric patients after inhalational induction of general anaesthesia.Material and MethodsIn this clinical trial, paediatric subjects of either sex aged 1‐3 years, weighing 7‐15 kg having American Society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I/II of undergoing elective cataract surgery were included. After inhalational induction of general anaesthesia with 8% sevoflurane and 100% oxygen, end tidal sevoflurane concentration was maintained at 2% for 4 minutes for the first child. This was followed by intravenous cannulation attempted by an experienced anesthesiologist. The intravenous cannulation was considered to be unsuccessful if there was “movement” and successful if there was “no movement” in response to the stimuli of cannulation. End‐tidal concentration was increased/decreased (step‐size 0.2% for sevoflurane) using Dixon and Massey up and down method in the next patient depending upon previous patient's response.ResultsThe sevoflurane EC50 for successful intravenous cannulation is 1.32% ± 1.0%. Pearson correlation (r) between weight of the child and response to intravenous cannulation was found to be 0.40 with P value of 0.008.ConclusionIntravenous cannulation can be accomplished without movements at end tidal sevoflurane of 1.3% in children aged 1‐3 years in 50% of children.
Prolonged Exposure to Alcohol Vapor Causes Change in Cardiovascular Function in Female but not in Male Rats
Authors: Bianchi Paula Cristina , Costa Ferreira Willian , Antonagi Engi Sheila , Palombo Paola , Carneiro de Oliveira Paulo Eduardo , Gomes de Souza Lucas , Crestani Carlos César , da Costa José Luiz , da Silva Planeta Cleopatra , Molini Leão Rodrigo , Cardoso Cruz Fabio 
Published: March 2019

BackgroundAlcohol abuse is a health concern worldwide. Studies have associated alcohol abuse with cardiovascular impairments. In this study, we investigated differences in the effects of chronic alcohol vapor exposure on cardiovascular function between male and female rats by using the alcohol vapor chamber method to induce alcohol addiction‐like behaviors in rats.MethodsWe exposed male and female Long‐Evans rats to alcohol vapor for 14 hours, followed by ethanol withdrawal for 10 hours, for 30 consecutive days or room air (control groups). The animals underwent preparation for the surgical implantation of cannulas into femoral vessels, for allowing the assessment of the basal arterial pressure and heart rate values, baroreflex function, and autonomic activity.ResultsFemale control rats showed higher basal heart rate compared to male control rats. Chronic alcohol vapor inhalation reduced basal heart rate in females, but not in males; this effect was followed by an increase in the parasympathetic tone of the heart. Further, female rats subjected to alcohol vapor showed an increase in the baroreflex activity.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that females are more sensitive to chronic alcohol vapor exposure than males because they had a reduction in basal heart rate and changes in the baroreflex activity.
The effect of phylogenetic uncertainty and imputation on EDGE Scores
Authors: Weedop K. B. , Mooers A. Ø. , Tucker C. M. , Pearse W. D. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractFaced with the challenge of saving as much diversity as possible given financial and time constraints, conservation biologists are increasingly prioritizing species on the basis of their overall contribution to evolutionary diversity. Metrics such as EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) have been used to set such evolutionarily based conservation priorities for a number of taxa, such as mammals, birds, corals, amphibians, and sharks. Each application of EDGE has required some form of correction to account for species whose positions within the tree of life are unknown. Perhaps the most advanced of these corrections is phylogenetic imputation, but to date there has been no systematic assessment of both the sensitivity of EDGE scores to a phylogeny missing species, and the impact of using imputation to correct for species missing from the tree. Here, we perform such an assessment, by simulating phylogenies, removing some species to make the phylogeny incomplete, imputing the position of those species, and measuring (1) how robust ED scores are for the species that are not removed and (2) how accurate the ED scores are for those removed and then imputed. We find that the EDGE ranking for species on a tree is remarkably robust to missing species from that tree, but that phylogenetic imputation for missing species, while unbiased, does not accurately reconstruct species’ evolutionary distinctiveness. On the basis of these results, we provide clear guidance for EDGE scoring in the face of phylogenetic uncertainty.
Collagen, glycosaminoglycans and matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and metalloproteinase‐9 in the cervix of the ewe during prepubertal development
Authors: Rodríguez‐Piñón Marcelo , Casuriaga Daniela , Genovese Patricia , García‐Barcelo Gonzalo , Alcaide Fernanda , Bielli Alejandro 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThe tortuous nature of the ovine cervix restricts the transcervical passage of the cannula, and many studies have aimed to understand the endocrine mechanism of the remodelling of cervical tissue in adult ewe. However, little is known about the remodelling of the cervical tissue during the prepubertal development of the lambs. To obtain histochemical and biochemical evidence about the nature of the prepubertal development of the cervix of the ewe, cervices of Corriedale lambs obtained at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 months of age (n = 5 to 6 in each) were processed. Neutral and acidic glycosaminoglycans (by PAS‐Alcian stain) were weakly in the cervical stroma and not shown change during the development, whereas the percentage volume of fibrillar collagen (by van Gieson stain) increases throughout the experimental period in the superficial fold stroma and deep wall stroma (p < 0.05). The relative cervical weight (g/kg of body weight) and the collagen concentration (by spectrophotometry, mg/mg wet tissue) showed an early decreasing phase from months 0 to 4 and a later increasing phase from months 4 to 8 (p < 0.05). The latent form of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2) detected by gelatin zymography (ng/mg protein) decreased from months 0 to 2 and increased from months 4 to 8, whereas the activated form decreased from months 0 to 2, remained low until month 6 and then recovered on month 8 (p < 0.0001). Data suggest that the relative cervical weight biphasic pattern during the development is related to MMP‐2‐dependent changes in the collagen content.