bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Internal governance mechanisms and the performance of decentralized financial systems in Niger
Authors: Boubacar Hamadou 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the effect of internal governance mechanisms on the financial and social performance of Niger’s decentralized financial systems (DFS).Design/methodology/approachThis paper investigated the impact of the board size and the CEO/chairman duality on financial performance and sustainability, respectively, measured by the return on assets (ROA) and operational self-sufficiency on one side and social performance measured by the size of loans granted and the percentage of female borrowers on the other side.FindingsThe results show that board size positively and significantly affects the ROA. The author also concludes that the duality of decision and control functions promotes the financial viability of the DFS. Regarding the impact of internal governance on social performance, the author finds that board size positively and significantly affects loan size.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on Niger’s 13 largest DFSs. However, an analysis that also includes smaller firms may show different results.Practical implicationsA board size of between 5 and 15 members is recommended. This would help to incorporate key skills and the active involvement of all members.Originality/valueThis research highlights the importance of including internal governance mechanisms, underscores an interesting problem and answers questions raised in the existing literature by invalidating or confirming the results that have been obtained thus far. As the players in the microfinance sector recognize that sound governance is an important factor for a successful outcome in any microfinance institution objective, the paper helps shed some light on the situation of DFS in Niger.
Determinants of carbon management accounting adoption in Ghanaian firms
Authors: Nartey Edward 
Published: February 2018

PurposeCarbon management accounting (CMA) is one part of sustainability accounting designed to provide information for the management of carbon dioxide (CO2) releases. Adopting the contingency framework, this paper aims to examine the contextual antecedents that influence CMA adoption in Ghanaian firms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper tests seven contextual dimensions, namely, strategy, structure, size, environmental management system (EMS), decentralization, technology and perceived environmental uncertainty, on CMA adoption from a survey of 125 accountants.FindingsConsistent with prior literature, organizational strategy, structure, environmental management accounting (EMA), firm size, technology and perceived environmental uncertainty were found to be positively associated with CMA adoption and hence support contingency theory. However, a relationship between decentralization and EMA adoption was not supported by the sample data. Also, the existence of CMA systems was found to be low in the sample firms, although more than half of the respondents have EMS.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to Ghana hence possible generalization of the results is limited. Further exploration of contingency-based research in other emerging economies would provide valuable insights on CMA adoption and practices to contribute to the CMA literature.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that although CMA adoption and practices is low in the sampled firms, both contextual and environmental factors play a vital role in the adoption of CMA in developing economies, as it pertains to the generic management accounting systems. Policies governing CMA practice should incorporate organizational contextual factors.Originality/valueThe paper presents preliminary empirical evidence on the state of adoption and practice of CMA from an emerging economy perspective, an area which lacks empirical investigation both in the EMA and the carbon accounting domain. It draws considerable novelty on the basis that despite the growing interest in climate change-based research empirical works on CO2emissions conducted exclusively from management accounting perspective, and in developing economies in particular, have been scant. The paper extends the contingency theory framework from conventional practices to the EMA field.
The modern employee: exercise and the brain
Authors: Guggina Pamela 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
An area of workplace well-being, and thus performance, which is now being recognized more widely is the mental health of employees. Research today demonstrates that exercise is good for the body and dramatically affects the brain. While it is widely accepted that regular exercise can promote weight loss, lower blood pressure and decrease the risks of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, it is also becoming clear that exercise can improve mood, coping skills and even treat clinical depression and anxiety. These findings further support the upward trend of companies offering a wider range of health benefits to their employees.

Design/methodology/approach
One example of the combined research, Rethorst et al., published a large meta-analysis exploring the interaction between physical activity and depression. They examined 58 randomized trails and found that participants in the studies who had been randomized to use exercise as a treatment for depression had significantly lower depression scores than participants who had been randomized to the non-exercise or “control” group. Both clinically depressed and non-clinically depressed individuals reported lower depression scores if they participated in the exercise group.

Findings
Exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression. Regular exercise can decrease the symptoms of clinical anxiety. Employers who incentivize physical activity can dramatically lower healthcare costs. Benefits packages which promote physical activity can increase productivity and decrease absenteeism.

Originality/value
There will always be people with an illness which requires medication, but there appears to be a group that will benefit greatly from getting out and moving with regular exercise. The hope is that physicians with patients who have symptoms of depression and anxiety will encourage their patients to get some exercise to see if it helps. This can be something that is done alone or as an adjunct to talk therapy and/or pharmacologic treatment. Exercise is not likely to change the circumstances that make life challenging, but it can help all humans cope better with these challenges.
A journey of collaborative learning organization research
Authors: Sidani Yusuf , Reese Simon 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of the development of learning organization concepts from the perspectives of Dr Victoria Marsick and Dr Karen Watkins and presents an interesting evolution of their work together spanning over three decades.

Design/methodology/approach
Through a conversation with thought-leading scholars Dr Victoria Marsick and Dr Karen Watkins, this paper discussed serval topics pertaining to the evolution of the learning organization debate and provides their unique perspective on the development of their theories.

Findings
The learning organization debate has many foundations that today have led to differing perspectives, which Dr Marsick and Dr Watkins advocate. They developed their learning organization concepts from their particular background, which varies from others. To these thought leaders, cultural aspects are the critical focus of the learning organization.

Originality/value
The discussion with Victoria Marsick and Karen Watkins reveals their understanding of the evolution of the contested discussion around learning organization definition and implications. The understanding of this evolution, in their words, provides context for researchers and practitioners.
Clinical significance of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin and galectin‐7 in tape‐stripped stratum corneum of acne vulgaris
Authors: Watanabe Kosuke , Yoshino Takashi , Takahashi Misaki , Kondo Shinya , Takahashi Minako , Matsukuma Shoko , Mukai Hideki , Fukuda Hidetsugu 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe usefulness of stratum corneum neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin and stratum corneum galectin‐7 as biomarkers of acne vulgaris was studied. A comparison of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin levels on the cheeks of patients with acne vulgaris at the start of the study and at the time of symptom improvement showed a significant decrease. On the other hand, the galectin‐7 levels at the time of symptom improvement were significantly higher than those at the start of the study. Therefore, because the inflammation in the epidermis and hair follicles was reduced after therapy, as a result of the solution of the inflammatory eruptions caused by acne vulgaris, the neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin level also showed a significant decrease after therapy. These results suggest that stratum corneum neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin may be useful as an objective biomarker of changes in acne vulgaris symptoms.
Dressing disrupted: negotiating care through the materiality of dress in the context of dementia
Authors: Buse Christina , Twigg Julia 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThis paper explores how the materiality of dress mediates and shapes practices of care in the context of dementia. Earlier research called for an approach to conceptualising care that recognised the role played by everyday artefacts. We extend this to a consideration of dress and dressing the body in relation to people with dementia that involves the direct manipulation of material objects, as well as the materiality of bodies. The paper draws on an ESRC funded study Dementia and Dress, which examined experiences of dress for people with dementia, families and care‐workers using ethnographic and qualitative methods. Our analysis explores the process of dressing the body, the physicality of guiding and manipulating bodies into clothing, dealing with fabrics and bodies which ‘act back’ and are resistant to the process of dressing. We consider how the materiality of clothing can constrain or enable practices of care, exploring tensions between garments that support ease of dressing and those that sustain identity. Examining negotiations around dress also reveals tensions between competing ‘logics’ of care (Mol ).
Estimating gestational age at birth from fundal height and additional anthropometrics: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Pugh SJ , Ortega‐Villa AM , Grobman W , Newman RB , Owen J , Wing DA , Albert PS , Grantz KL 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveAccurate assessment of gestational age (GA) is critical to paediatric care, but is limited in developing countries without access to ultrasound. Our objectives were to assess the accuracy of prediction of GA at birth and preterm birth classification using routinely collected anthropometry measures.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingUnited States.Population or sampleA total of 2334 non‐obese and 468 obese pregnant women.MethodsEnrolment GA was determined based on last menstrual period, confirmed by first‐trimester ultrasound. Maternal anthropometry and fundal height (FH) were measured by a standardised protocol at study visits; FH alone was additionally abstracted from medical charts. Neonatal anthropometry measurements were obtained at birth. To estimate GA at delivery, we developed three predictor models using longitudinal FH alone and with maternal and neonatal anthropometry. For all predictors, we repeatedly sampled observations to construct training (60%) and test (40%) sets. Linear mixed models incorporated longitudinal maternal anthropometry and a shared parameter model incorporated neonatal anthropometry. We assessed models’ accuracy under varied scenarios.Main outcome measuresEstimated GA at delivery.ResultsPrediction error for various combinations of anthropometric measures ranged between 13.9 and 14.9 days. Longitudinal FH alone predicted GA within 14.9 days with relatively stable prediction errors across individual race/ethnicities [whites (13.9 days), blacks (15.1 days), Hispanics (15.5 days) and Asians (13.1 days)], and correctly identified 75% of preterm births. The model was robust to additional scenarios.ConclusionsIn low‐risk, non‐obese women, longitudinal FH measures alone can provide a reasonably accurate assessment of GA when ultrasound measures are not available.Tweetable abstractLongitudinal fundal height alone predicts gestational age at birth when ultrasound measures are unavailable.
New Evidence on Employment Effects of Informal Care Provision in Europe
Authors: Kolodziej Ingo W. K. , Reichert Arndt R. , Schmitz Hendrik 
Published: February 2018

ObjectiveTo estimate how labor force participation is affected when adult children provide informal care to their parents.Data SourceSurvey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe from 2004 to 2013.Study DesignTo offset the problem of endogeneity, we exploit the availability of other potential caregivers within the family as predictors of the probability to provide care for a dependent parent. Contrary to most previous studies, the dataset covers the whole working‐age population in the majority of European countries. Individuals explicitly had to opt for or against the provision of care to their care‐dependent parents, which allows us to more precisely estimate the effect of caregiving on labor force participation.Principal FindingsResults reveal a negative causal effect that indicates that informal care provision reduces labor force participation by 14.0 percentage points (95 percent CI: −0.307, 0.026). Point estimates suggest that the effect is larger for men; however, this gender difference is not significantly different from zero at conventional levels.ConclusionsResults apply to individuals whose consideration in long‐term care policy is highly relevant, that is, children whose willingness to provide informal care to their parents is altered by available alternatives of family caregivers.
Identifying Differences Between Cut Marks Made on Bone by a Machete and Katana: A Pilot Study
Authors: McCardle Penny , Stojanovski Elizabeth 
Published: February 2018

AbstractThe aim of this research was to identify characteristics specific to a machete and katana on three different bone types. One machete and two katanas were used to produce cut marks on Sus scrofa rib, flat and long bones. Fifty‐nine cuts were produced by the katanas and 38 by the machete. The presence of flaking, feathering, peeling, micropeeling, chattering, microcurvature, scoop defect, and exit notch was noted, and bivariate associations between each characteristic and weapon type were assessed using Pearson's chi‐square tests for independence and logistic regression models developed. Significant predictors for machete cut marks are scoop defect for rib bones (correct classification 93%), micropeeling in flat bones, chattering on flat and long bones (all p < 001) and for the katana, microcurvature (p < 004) and exit notch on flat and long bones (p < 001; correct classification 96% and 100%, respectively). The identified bivariate associations and final logistic regression models may be utilized in forensic investigations when identifying hacking trauma.
Distinction of Fly Artifacts from Human Blood using Immunodetection
Authors: Rivers David B. , Acca Gillian , Fink Marc , Brogan Rebecca , Chen Dorothy , Schoeffield Andrew 
Published: February 2018

AbstractInsect stains produced by necrophagous flies are indistinguishable morphologically from human bloodstains. At present, no diagnostic tests exist to overcome this deficiency. As the first step toward developing a chemical test to recognize fly artifacts, polyclonal antisera were generated in rats against three distinct antigenic sequences of fly cathepsin D‐like proteinase, an enzyme that is structurally distinct in cyclorrhaphous Diptera from other animals. The resulting rat antisera bound to artifacts produced by Protophormia terraenovae and synthetic peptides used to generate the polyclonal antisera, but not with any type of mammalian blood tested in immunoassays. Among the three antisera, anti‐md3 serum displayed the highest reactivity for fly stains, demonstrated cross‐reactivity for all synthetic peptides representing antigenic sequences of the mature fly enzyme, and bound artifacts originating from the fly digestive tract. Further work is needed to determine whether the antisera are suitable for non‐laboratory conditions.
Sensory Acceptability of Iron‐Fortified Red Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Dal
Authors: Podder Rajib , Khan Shaan M. , Tar'an Bunyamin , Tyler Robert T. , Henry Carol J. , Jalal Chowdhury , Shand Phyllis J. , Vandenberg Albert 
Published: February 2018

AbstractPanelists in Saskatoon, Canada (n = 45) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 98) participated in sensory evaluations of the sensory properties of both cooked and uncooked dehulled red lentil dal fortified with FeSO4·7H2O, NaFeEDTA or FeSO4·H2O at fortificant Fe concentrations of 800, 1,600 (both cooked and uncooked), or 2,800 ppm. Appearance, odor, and overall acceptability of cooked and uncooked samples were rated using a 9‐point hedonic scale (1 = dislike extremely to 9 = like extremely). Taste and texture were rated for the cooked samples prepared as typical south Asian lentil meals. Significant differences in sensory quality were observed among all uncooked and cooked samples at both locations. Overall, scores for all sensory attributes and acceptability of uncooked lentil decreased with increasing concentration of Fe in the fortificant; however, Fe fortification (particularly with NaFeEDTA) had small effects on acceptability. Panelists from Saskatoon provided a wider range of scores than those from Bangladesh for all attributes of cooked lentil. Overall, sensory evaluation of Fe fortification using NaFeEDTA minimally affected consumer perception of color, taste, texture, odor, and overall acceptability of cooked lentil. Reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha [CA]) indicated that consumer scores were generally consistent for all attributes of all lentil samples (mean CA > 0.80). NaFeEDTA was found to be the most suitable Fe fortificant for lentil based on consumer acceptability. Consumption of 45 to 50 g of NaFeEDTA‐fortified lentil (fortificant Fe concentration of 1,600 ppm) per day meets the estimated average requirements (EARs) of Fe for humans (10.8 to 29.4 mg).Practical ApplicationIron fortification of dehulled lentil dal may change organoleptic attributes that can influence consumer acceptability. Sensory evaluation by consumers helps to determine the effect on appearance, odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability of fortified lentils. In this study, consumer acceptability was evaluated with panelists who consume lentil regularly. Panelists provided significantly different scores for 5 sensory attributes for 10 uncooked and 3 cooked lentil samples. Panelists reliably preferred NaFeEDTA as the most suitable Fe fortificant for dehulled lentils for 5 attributes. Overall, lentil dal fortified with NaFeEDTA can offer a simple and low‐cost solution to human health problems associated with iron‐related malnutrition.
Added value of second biopsy target in screen‐detected widespread suspicious breast calcifications
Authors: Falkner Nathalie M , Hince Dana , Porter Gareth , Dessauvagie Ben , Jeganathan Sanjay , Bulsara Max , Lo Glen 
Published: February 2018

AbstractIntroductionThere is controversy on the optimal work‐up of screen‐detected widespread breast calcifications: whether to biopsy a single target or multiple targets. This study evaluates agreement between multiple biopsy targets within the same screen‐detected widespread (≥25 mm) breast calcification to determine if the second biopsy adds value.MethodsRetrospective observational study of women screened in a statewide general population risk breast cancer mammographic screening program from 2009 to 2016. Screening episodes recalled for widespread calcifications where further views indicated biopsy, and two or more separate target areas were sampled within the same lesion were included. Percentage agreement and Cohen's Kappa were calculated.ResultsA total of 293317 women were screened during 761124 separate episodes with recalls for widespread calcifications in 2355 episodes. In 171 women, a second target was biopsied within the same lesion. In 149 (86%) cases, the second target biopsy result agreed with the first biopsy (κ = 0.6768). Agreement increased with increasing mammography score (85%, 86% and 92% for score 3, 4 and 5 lesions). Same day multiple biopsied lesions were three times more likely to yield concordant results compared to post‐hoc second target biopsy cases.ConclusionWhile a single target biopsy is sufficient to discriminate a benign vs. malignant diagnosis in most cases, in 14% there is added value in performing a second target biopsy. Biopsies performed prospectively are more likely to yield concordant results compared to post‐hoc second target biopsy cases, suggesting a single prospective biopsy may be sufficient when results are radiological‐pathological concordant; discordance still requires repeat sampling.
Expression and copy number gains of the RET gene in 631 early and mid stage non‐small cell lung cancer cases
Authors: Tan Ling , Hu Yerong , Tao Yongguang , Wang Bin , Xiao Jun , Tang Zhenjie , Lu Ting , Tang Hao 
Published: February 2018

BackgroundTo identify whether RET is a potential target for NSCLC treatment, we examined the status of the RET gene in 631 early and mid stage NSCLC cases from south central China.Methods
RET expression was identified by Western blot. RET‐positive expression samples were verified by immunohistochemistry. RET gene mutation, copy number variation, and rearrangement were analyzed by DNA Sanger sequencing, TaqMan copy number assays, and reverse transcription‐PCR. ALK and ROS1 expression levels were tested by Western blot and EGFR mutation using Sanger sequencing.ResultsThe RET‐positive rate was 2.5% (16/631). RET‐positive expression was related to poorer tumor differentiation (P < 0.05). In the 16 RET‐positive samples, only two samples of moderately and poorly differentiated lung adenocarcinomas displayed RET rearrangement, both in RET‐KIF5B fusion partners. Neither ALK nor ROS1 translocation was found. The EGFR mutation rate in RET‐positive samples was significantly lower than in RET‐negative samples (P < 0.05).Conclusion
RET‐positive expression in early and mid stage NSCLC cases from south central China is relatively low and is related to poorer tumor differentiation. RET gene alterations (copy number gain and rearrangement) exist in all RET‐positive samples. RET‐positive expression is a relatively independent factor in NSCLC patients, which indicates that the RET gene may be a novel target site for personalized treatment of NSCLC.