bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Getting on board: the business case for improving on-campus transportation at NAU
Authors: Anderson Joe , Hilliard James I. , Williams Josh , Williams Susan K. 
Published: October 2017

Synopsis
Josh Williams is a Student at the NAU who has driven buses on campus and wants to improve the transportation on campus. He is convinced that purchasing a new type of bus that is more fuel efficient, has larger capacity, better designed for boarding, and has a longer life is worth the higher purchase cost. He sets out to prove it by creating a discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis. Since many of the estimates for the DCF analysis are uncertain, he decides to perform a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) analysis. Students are asked to step into Josh’s role and perform the analysis.

Research methodology
Josh Williams was a Student in the authors’ MBA program. Both authors teach in this program and one author was the Advisor for Net Impact and worked with Josh to present his idea to the university administration. The authors have changed a name or two but otherwise, the case describes a real situation in a real organization without disguise.

Relevant courses and levels
The authors have used this case in a first semester MBA-Applied Management course, Decision Modeling and Simulation. Students already have experience with DCF analysis and have been introduced to MCS. With this case, students apply MCS at the conclusion of a three-week module on predictive analytics. Students have run at least two MCS models and have become comfortable with the software. The case would also be appropriate for a senior-level undergraduate course such as business analytics or management science. It might also be useful for other courses that include the MCS modeling technique learning objectives such as project management.

Theoretical bases
This case provides an opportunity for students to perform an MCS analysis. MCS is useful when many of the inputs to a DCF analysis (or any model) have been estimated and the modeler is concerned that the estimates are uncertain and could perhaps be a range of values. MCS can be used to understand the effect of this uncertainty on NPV which in turn may affect the decision. The case could also be used without MCS focusing just on the DCF analysis with deterministic sensitivity analysis.
Organizational commitment in family SMEs and its influence on contextual performance
Authors: Franco Mário , Franco Solange 
Published: October 2017

PurposeThis study aims to investigate whether organizational commitment in small and medium-sized family enterprises (FSMEs) is associated with their employees’ contextual performance.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative and exploratory research approach was adopted focusing on FSMEs based in an inland region of Portugal. These were considered family firms, being owned exclusively by one or a small number of families. The data-collecting instrument was based on a questionnaire, with the final sample being composed of 101 employees.FindingsThe results obtained allow the conclusion that in FSMEs, affective commitment has a positive influence on contextual performance, as employees in this firm segment have an emotional connection in the context in which they are situated.Practical implicationsThe authors can point out the fact that the strong association between affective commitment and employees’ contextual performance has a relevant role in FSMEs. Therefore, these firms must be aware of this type of organizational commitment, as affective commitment increasingly influences their employees’ and teams’ performance.Originality/valueThe study contributes to advancing theory regarding the relationship between organizational commitment and contextual performance in small and medium-sized enterprises with a family structure. A new dimension of organizational commitment (Imperative) was considered in the family firm context.
Networks in professional groups: a matter of connection or self-exile?
Authors: Boros Smaranda , Van Gorp Lore 
Published: October 2017

PurposeIntegrating predictions of social exchange theory and implicit social cognition, this paper aims to investigate mechanisms of co-evolution between professional and personal support networks in a professional, non-hierarchical setting.Design/methodology/approachThe study covers simultaneously people’s behaviours and their subjective interpretations of them in a cross-lagged network design in a group of 65 MBA students.FindingsResults show that people build on their professional support network to develop personal support relations. People who have a high status in the professional support network appear to be afraid to lose them by asking too many others for personal support and people with a low status in the professional support network seem also be reluctant to ask many others for personal support.Practical implicationsAlthough personal support is a key social mechanism facilitating individual well-being and organizational success, support in the workplace often remains limited to professional topics. This research shows why people hesitate to expand their networks in professional settings and to what extent their fears have a basis in reality.Originality/valueIt goes beyond predictions of social exchange theory which inform most network evolution studies and tap into implicit social cognition predictions to expand the explanatory power of the hypotheses. The study’s network analysis takes into account both behaviours and social perceptions. The sample is a non-hierarchical professional group which allows a more ecological observation of how hierarchies are born in social groups.
Of mammals and bacteria in a rainforest: Temporal dynamics of soil bacteria in response to simulated N pulse from mammalian urine
Authors: Buscardo Erika , Geml József , Schmidt Steven K. , Silva Artur L. C. , Ramos Rommel T. J. , Barbosa Silvanira M. R. , Andrade Soraya S. , Dalla Costa Ricardo , Souza Anete P. , Freitas Helena , Cunha Hillândia B. , Nagy Laszlo 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

Pulse‐type perturbation through excreta by animals creates a mosaic of short‐term high nutrient‐load patches in the soil. How this affects microbial community composition and how long these impacts last are important for microbial community dynamics and nutrient cycling.

Our study focused on the short‐term responses to N by bacterial communities and ‘functional groups’ associated with the N cycle in a lowland evergreen tropical rainforest. We applied a single urea pulse, equivalent to urine‐N deposition by medium‐sized mammals to simulate N enrichment and changes in soil N availability, and analysed soil bacterial communities using molecular methods, before and after urea application.

Urea addition increased mineral N availability and changed bacterial community composition, from phylum to operational taxonomic unit levels, however, taxon richness and diversity were unaffected. Taxa involved in the physiologically “narrow” processes of nitrification (e.g. Nitrosospira) and denitrification (e.g. Phyllobacteriaceae, Xanthomonadaceae and Comamonadaceae) increased their relative abundance, while N2‐fixers (e.g. Rhodospirillales, and Rhizobiales) decreased after treatment. While a temporal legacy on both community composition and functional group profile was observable 58 and 159 days after treatment, at the latter date bacterial communities were already tending towards pre‐treatment composition.

We suggest that pulse‐type perturbation by mammal urine that occurs on a daily basis has strong short‐term effects on patch dynamics of soil microbiota and N availability. Such a spatio‐temporally dynamic soil environment enhances overall microbial richness and diversity, and contributes to the apparent temporal resilience of community composition.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Genetic variation in the progesterone receptor gene and susceptibility to recurrent pregnancy loss: a case–control study
Authors: Bahia W , Finan RR , Al‐Mutawa M , Haddad A , Soua A , Janhani F , Mahjoub T , Almawi WY 
Published: October 2017

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of progesterone receptor (PGR) gene variants with susceptibility to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).DesignRetrospective case–control study.SettingOutpatient obstetrics and gynaecology clinics.PopulationWomen withRPL(396), defined as three or more consecutive miscarriages of unknown aetiology, and 361 women used as controls.MethodsPGRgenotyping was performed by the allelic exclusion method (real‐time polymerase chain reaction).Main outcome measuresPGRsingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the distribution of their alleles, genotypes and haplotypes.ResultsHigher minor allele frequencies (MAFs) for rs590688, rs10895068, and rs1942836 were seen inRPLcases than in controls, which remained significant after controlling for multiple comparisons. Significantly higher frequencies of heterozygous (1/2) rs608995, along with heterozygous (1/2) and homozygous (2/2) rs590688, rs10895068, and rs1942836 genotype carriers, were seen betweenRPLcases versus controls, respectively, which persisted after controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), and menarche. The increased risk ofRPLassociated with rs590688 and rs1942836 was dependent on the number of minor alleles, thus suggesting a ‘dose‐dependent’ effect associated with both variants. Varied linkage disequilibrium (LD) was noted between rs590688, rs10895068, rs608995, and rs1942836PGRvariants associated withRPL. Haplotypes with an increased frequency ofCGTCand reduced frequency ofGGATwere noted in women withRPL, compared with controls, thereby indicating these haplotypes asRPL‐susceptible andRPL‐protective, respectively. This association persisted after controlling for multiple comparisons, and after adjusting for covariates.ConclusionsWe have confirmed a positive association of specificPGRvariants (rs590688, rs10895068, and rs1942836) andPGRhaplotypes (ATGCCGTCandATTCGGTC) with an increased risk ofRPL, thereby supporting a role forPGRas anRPLcandidate locus.Tweetable abstractGenetic variants in progesterone receptor gene are associated with increased risk of recurrent pregnancy loss.
Novel joint selection methods can reduce sample size for rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials with ultrasound endpoints
Authors: Allen John C. , Thumboo Julian , Lye Weng Kit , Conaghan Philip G. , Chew Li‐Ching , Tan York Kiat 
Published: October 2017

AbstractObjectivesTo determine whether novel methods of selecting joints through (i) ultrasonography (individualized‐ultrasound [IUS] method), or (ii) ultrasonography and clinical examination (individualized‐composite‐ultrasound [ICUS] method) translate into smaller rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical trial sample sizes when compared to existing methods utilizing predetermined joint sites for ultrasonography.MethodsCohen's effect size (ES) was estimated () and a 95% CI (, ) calculated on a mean change in 3‐month total inflammatory score for each method. Corresponding 95% CIs [, ] were obtained on a post hoc sample size reflecting the uncertainty in . Sample size calculations were based on a one‐sample t‐test as the patient numbers needed to provide 80% power at α = 0.05 to reject a null hypothesis H0: ES = 0 versus alternative hypotheses H1: ES = , ES = and ES = . We aimed to provide point and interval estimates on projected sample sizes for future studies reflecting the uncertainty in our study .ResultsTwenty‐four treated RA patients were followed up for 3 months. Utilizing the 12‐joint approach and existing methods, the post hoc sample size (95% CI) was 22 (10–245). Corresponding sample sizes using ICUS and IUS were 11 (7–40) and 11 (6–38), respectively. Utilizing a seven‐joint approach, the corresponding sample sizes using ICUS and IUS methods were nine (6–24) and 11 (6–35), respectively.ConclusionsOur pilot study suggests that sample size for RA clinical trials with ultrasound endpoints may be reduced using the novel methods, providing justification for larger studies to confirm these observations.
Testing determinants of the annual individual fitness: An overall mean mixture model for de‐lifing data
Authors: Dupont Pierre , Allainé Dominique , Cohas Aurélie , Pradel Roger 
Published: October 2017

Abstract

The de‐lifing method (Coulson et al., 2006, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 273, 547), though very promising for studying ecological and evolutionary changes, has been scarcely used to identify factors influential on fitness.

Through simulations representative of a variety of iteroparous species, we establish that a two‐component normal mixture usually provides a much better representation of de‐lifing data than the single normal distribution assumed in classical linear models.

To test determinants of the annual individual fitness, we propose the overall mean mixture model (O3M), a mixture model parameterised in terms of the overall mean of the mixture distribution.

We examine the gain in performance and accuracy when using the O3M over classical linear models and bootstrap methods on simulated finite normal mixture distributions for different regression shapes and variance structure, and apply it to a real dataset to study how the annual individual fitness varies with age in alpine marmots.

The O3M improves considerably the precision of the estimates and hence the power of the analysis. We discuss the adaptation of the O3M model to more complex distributions and advise on its use.
Linkages between the formal and informal sectors in a Canadian housing market: Vancouver and its secondary suite rentals
Authors: Mendez Pablo 
Published: October 2017

Key Messages

The market in unauthorized secondary suite rentals in Vancouver represents an instance of market informality practiced by middle‐class households in the global north.
This informal market enacts a series of backward linkages with formal markets related to consumption goods, labour, land, and finance.
Institutional mechanisms at the federal and local government levels shape these linkages in ways that tend to benefit homeowner‐landlords of secondary suites more than renters.
New bone formation and trabecular bone microarchitecture of highly porous tantalum compared to titanium implant threads: A pilot canine study
Authors: Lee Jin Whan , Wen Hai Bo , Gubbi Prabhu , Romanos Georgios E. 
Published: October 2017

AbstractAimThis study evaluated new bone formation activities and trabecular bone microarchitecture within the highly porous region of Trabecular Metal™ Dental Implants (TM) and between the threads of Tapered Screw‐Vent® Dental Implants (TSV) in fresh canine extraction sockets.Materials and methodsEight partially edentulated dogs received four implants (4.1 mmD × 13 mmL) bilaterally in mandibular fresh extraction sockets (32TM, 32TSVimplants), and allowed to heal for 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Calcein was administered to label mineralizing bone at 11 and 4 days before euthanasia for dogs undergoing all four healing periods. Biopsies taken at each time interval were examined histologically. Histomorphometric assay was conducted for 64 unstained and 64 stained slides at the region of interest (ROI) (6 mm long × 0.35 mm deep) in the midsections of the implants. Topographical and chemical analyses were also performed.ResultsHistomorphometry revealed significantly more new bone in theTMthan in theTSVimplants at each healing time (p = .0014, .0084, .0218, and .0251). Calcein‐labeled data showed more newly mineralized bone in theTMgroup than in theTSVgroup at 2, 8, and 12 weeks (p = .045, .028, .002, respectively) but not at 4 weeks (p = .081). HistologicallyTMimplants exhibited more bone growth and dominant new immature woven bone at an earlier time point thanTSVimplants. The parameters representing trabecular bone microarchitecture corroborated faster new bone formation in theTMimplants when compared to theTSVimplants.TMexhibited an irregular faceted topography compared to a relatively uniform microtextured surface forTSV. Chemical analysis showed peaks associated with each implant's composition material, andTSValso showed peaks reflecting the elements of the calcium phosphate blasting media.Conclusions and clinical implicationsResults suggest that the healing pathway associated with the highly porous midsection ofTMdental implant could enable faster and stronger secondary implant stability than conventional osseointegration alone; however, prospective clinical studies are needed to confirm these potential benefits in patients with low bone density, compromised healing, or prior implant failure.
Effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) after acute stroke: A one‐year longitudinal randomized trial
Authors: Guan Yu‐Zhou , Li Jing , Zhang Xue‐Wei , Wu Shuang , Du Hua , Cui Li‐Ying , Zhang Wei‐Hong 
Published: October 2017

SummaryAimsTo evaluate the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on motor recovery after stroke using a prospective, double‐blind, randomized, sham‐controlled study.MethodsPatients with unilateral subcortical infarction in the middle cerebral artery territory within 1 week after onset were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into an rTMS treatment group and a sham group. We performed high‐frequency rTMS or sham rTMS on the two groups. Motor functional scores were assessed pre‐ and post‐rTMS/sham rTMS and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after stroke onset. The scores included the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Barthel Index (BI), Fugl‐Meyer Assessment Upper Limb/Lower Limb (FMA‐UL/LL), modified Rank Score (mRS), and the resting motor threshold (RMT) of the hemiplegic limb.ResultsAt baseline, no significant differences were found between the two groups for motor functional scores. On the second day after rTMS treatment, score improvements of the NIHSS, BI, FMA‐UL in the real treatment group were more significant than those in the sham group. In addition, similar results were obtained at 1 month. However, at 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after onset, no significant differences in improvement were observed between the two groups, except for the FMA‐UL score improvement.ConclusionrTMS facilitates motor recovery of acute stroke patients, and the effect can last to 1 month, except the function improvement on upper extremities could last for 1 year. A single course of rTMS in the acute stage may induce the improvement of upper extremities function lasted for 1 year.
Solar energy forecasting based on hybrid neural network and improved metaheuristic algorithm
Authors: Abedinia Oveis , Amjady Nima , Ghadimi Noradin 
Published: October 2017

AbstractPrediction of solar power involves the knowledge of the sun, atmosphere and other parameters, and the scattering processes and the specifications of a solar energy plant that employs the sun's energy to generate solar power. This prediction result is essential for an efficient use of the solar power plant, the management of the electricity grid, and solar energy trading. However, because of nonlinear and nonstationary behavior of solar power time series, an efficient forecasting model is needed to predict it. Accordingly, in this paper, we propose a new forecast approach based on combination of a neural network with a metaheuristic algorithm as the hybrid forecasting engine. The metaheuristic algorithm optimizes the free parameters of the neural network. This approach also includes a 2‐stage feature selection filter based on the information‐theoretic criteria of mutual information and interaction gain, which filters out the ineffective input features. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed forecast approach, it is implemented on a real‐world engineering test case. Obtained results illustrate the superiority of the proposed approach in comparison with other prediction methods.
Motor system plasticity after unilateral injury in the developing brain
Authors: Williams Preston T J A , Jiang Yu‐Qiu , Martin John H 
Published: October 2017

In maturity, motor skills depend on the corticospinal tract (CST) and brainstem pathways that together synapse on interneurons and motoneurons in the spinal cord. Descending signals to spinal neurons that mediate voluntary control can be distinguished from peripheral sensory signals, primarily for feedback control. These motor system circuits depend initially on developmental genetic mechanisms to establish their connections and neural activity‐ and use‐dependent synaptic refinement during the early postnatal period to enable motor skills to develop. In this review we consider four key activity‐dependent developmental mechanisms that provide insights into how the motor systems establish the proper connections for skilled movement control and how the same mechanisms also inform the mechanisms of motor impairments and developmental plasticity after corticospinal system injury: (1) synaptic competition between the CSTs from each hemisphere; (2) interactions between the CST and spinal cord neurons; (3) synaptic competition between the CST and proprioceptive sensory fibres; and (4) interactions between the developing corticospinal motor system and the rubrospinal tract. Our findings suggest that the corticospinal motor system effectively ‘oversees’ development of its subcortical targets through synaptic competition and trophic‐like interactions and this has important implications for motor impairments after perinatal cortical stroke.What this paper adds

Neural activity‐dependent processes inform the brain and spinal cord response to injury.

The corticospinal motor system may ‘oversee’ development of its downstream subcortical targets through activity, trophic‐like interactions, and synaptic competition.
Rostro‐caudal maturation of glial cells in the accessory olfactory system during development: involvement in outgrowth of GnRH neurites
Authors: Geller Sarah , Lomet Didier , Caraty Alain , Tillet Yves , Duittoz Anne , Vaudin Pascal 
Published: October 2017

AbstractDuring mammalian embryonic development, GnRH neurones differentiate from the nasal placode and migrate through the nasal septum towards the forebrain. We previously showed that a category of glial cells, the olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC), forms the microenvironment of migrating GnRH neurones. Here, to characterize the quantitative and qualitative importance of this glial, we investigated the spatiotemporal maturation of glial cells in situ and the role of maturing glia in GnRH neurones development ex vivo. More than 90% of migrating GnRH neurones were found to be associated with glial cells. There was no change in the cellular microenvironment of GnRH neurones in the regions crossed during embryonic development as glial cells formed the main microenvironment of these neurones (53.4%). However, the phenotype of OEC associated with GnRH neurones changed across regions. The OEC progenitors immunoreactive to brain lipid binding protein formed the microenvironment of migrating GnRH neurones from the vomeronasal organ to the telencephalon and were also present in the diencephalon. However, during GnRH neurone migration, maturation of OEC to [GFAP+] state (glial fibrillary acid protein) was only observed in the nasal septum. Inducing depletion of OEC in maturation, using transgenic mice expressing herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase driven by the GFAP promoter, had no impact on neurogenesis or on triggering GnRH neurones migration in nasal explant culture. Nevertheless, depletion of [GFAP+] cells decreased GnRH neurites outgrowth by 57.4%. This study suggests that specific maturation of OEC in the nasal septum plays a role in morphological differentiation of GnRH neurones.