bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the choice of financial advisor by women stock investors in Punjab
Authors: Kaur Mandeep , Vohra Tina 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The paper aims to attempt to identify the attributes that women look for in their financial advisor and to examine if the choice of attributes of a financial advisor among women investors in Punjab is the same across demographics. The understanding of the attributes that women want in their financial advisor will help the financial advisors to be mindful of the opportunities and the challenges they have to face while working with women investors. Studying the impact of demographics on the choice of the investment advisor would enable the service providers to provide women with services relevant to their unique and individual situations.

Design/methodology/approach
A pre-tested, well-structured questionnaire was constructed and administered personally, and the responses of 200 women investors were analyzed. The sum of the ranks assigned by women to various attributes determining the choice of a financial advisor was used to find out the most preferred attribute on the basis of which women choose their financial advisor. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to analyze the impact of demographics on the choice of the respondents.

Findings
The results of the study brought out that the friendliness of the financial advisor, and the quality of advice provided by them are preferred attributes determining the choice of a financial advisor. Along with this, the results also state that the preference for the attribute friendliness and quality of advice is not the same across age groups. The choice of attributes also varies according to the marital status of the respondents.

Practical implications
The current study will contribute toward a greater understanding of the attributes which are considered important by women while choosing their financial advisor. The study will help the financial advisors to cater to the needs of their women clients. Moreover, the study will also benefit women by bringing about a positive change in the attitude of the financial advisors in favor of them. The greater sensitization of the financial advisors toward their women clients would lead to greater stock market participation among women, thereby benefitting the society.

Originality/value
The paper is an attempt to identify the attributes that women look for in their financial advisor and to examine if the choice of attributes of a financial advisor among women investors in Punjab is the same across demographics or not. Therefore, the study contributes to the understanding of the investment behavior of women.
The use of performance measurement information in the work of middle managers
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Luukkanen Niklas 
Published: March 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how middle managers utilize performance measurement information in their work. More specifically, the study gives understanding on the impact of performance measurement, policies and procedures (formal controls), and individual intuition and experiential knowledge (informal controls) on strategy implementation and decision making. The study also identifies hindrances to the use of measurement information.Design/methodology/approachThe study is carried out as a semi-structured interview study in Finnish companies representing five industries and 29 interviewees. Empirical data were analyzed deductively according to the research framework combining informal and formal management controls with two managerial processes.FindingsThe work of middle managers is clearly affected by informal controls. Much of the managerial work relies on individual intuition and judgment based on experience instead of performance information or formal instructions. The study also unveiled that top management sees the status of utilizing performance measurement information in a more positive light than do middle managers. This is the case especially in strategy implementation. Deficiency of measurement information was found to be a key factor hindering the use of measurement information but improper analysis of results is also a challenge.Research limitations/implicationsThis study examined the work of middle managers widely in different positions and industries which means that the findings are rather explorative. Simplification was required in order to operationalize the complex tasks of strategy implementation and decision making. Further, more contextually focused research is required in order to understand better the contextual causes of the findings and to provide more understanding on the appropriate ways of improving the utilization of performance measurement information.Practical implicationsThe practical contribution of this study lies in the detailed description of strategy implementation and decision-making processes based on observations in several large companies representing different industries. The study also suggests areas to which development efforts should be concentrated on in order to improve the use of performance information among middle managers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the earlier literature by highlighting the usage of performance measurement information as opposed to developing new measures. In addition, the novelty value of the paper relates to the focus in the work of middle managers which has gained less attention in the previous research.
Let’s go cycling: an analysis of tourists’ experience on online user-generated content
Authors: Chiu Weisheng , Leng Ho Keat 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore cycling tourists’ experience in Singapore using an exploratory case study.

Design/methodology/approach
Tourist’s spontaneous reviews (n=409) posted on TripAdvisor were collected and analyzed through Leximancer.

Findings
The software identified 31 concepts grouped into five dominant themes of tourists’ experiences. In order of relative importance, the themes were tour, bike, guide, experience, and cycling. It revealed that most tourists have a favorable impression of their cycling experience in Singapore.

Originality/value
The findings suggest cycling tours can provide tourists with pleasurable experiences. Tourists embark on cycling tours in Singapore to learn more about the city and enjoy new experiences. However, to meet tourists’ expectations, bicycles must be well-maintained and accessible. In addition, tour guides should be attentive and knowledgeable. These have a direct effect on tourists’ satisfaction level with cycling tours.
Remarkable lives: Shaun Hunt in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Hunt Shaun , Carson Jerome 
Published: March 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Shaun Hunt.

Design/methodology/approach
Shaun provides a short biographical description of his life. Shaun is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings
Shaun tells us about the long journey of recovery that he has made to the point where he is now a University Lecturer.

Research limitations/implications
In large group studies the individual gets lost in statistical tables and the lived experience is absent. Single case studies provide us with stories to nurture and encourage us all.

Practical implications
Shaun says that we often miss the obvious question in our interactions with people with lived experience. “What happened to you?” seems a simple but telling conversation opener.

Social implications
As Shaun says there are some amazing people who work in mental health services, but they are the ones who spoke to him and not to a “schizophrenic”.

Originality/value
As Shaun also says, “Never, ever give up hope, no matter how dark and bad things become, there is always a way back”.
Population size structure of trees in a semi‐arid African savanna: Species differ in vulnerability to a changing environment and reintroduction of elephants
Authors: O'Connor Timothy Gordon , Goodall Victoria Lucy 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe size structure of a plant population provides a snapshot of potential population trend and weak inference on past history. Size structure of 24 tree species was sampled in a savanna reserve in order to assess their potential vulnerability to local extirpation following the reintroduction of elephants. Regression of number per size class based on an expected reverse‐J structure for a healthy population was undertaken in order to classify trend of each species. On account of the weak realism of this expected structure in semi‐arid environments, log‐normal mixture models were also fitted to individual observations in order to identify states, whose distribution, size and shape can indicate potential population persistence. Population structure of 12 species approximated a reverse‐J, indicating potential future growth. Although regressions of seven species were not significant, suggesting vulnerable populations, mixture models of all except one showed multiple states, indicating variable regeneration and recruitment over time. A single state of adult plants indicates that Sclerocarya birrea was vulnerable to local extirpation if adult mortality escalates. Some apparently declining populations displayed multiple states of established individuals suggesting temporally varying regeneration and recruitment, attributed mainly to rainfall variation, but which were judged as likely to persist. Poor recent regeneration of most species was attributed to well below‐average rainfall for the preceding decade. Different savanna tree species apparently ensure persistence based on individualistic responses to population perturbations, but persistence of some following the reintroduction of elephants may be threatened if certain size classes experience escalated mortality. Subsequent monitoring has supported this concern.
The comparison of laparoscopic and microsurgical varicocoelectomy in infertile men with varicocoele on paternity rate 12 months after surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bryniarski P. , Taborowski P. , Rajwa P. , Kaletka Z. , Życzkowski M. , Paradysz A. 
Published: March 2017

SummaryThe best surgical approach for varicocoelectomy is still unknown, however more and more physicians favour subinguinal microsurgery. The aim of this study was to find whether microsurgical approach is superior to laparoscopic varicocoelectomy in terms of pregnancy rate, fertility potential, endocrinological function of the testis, erectile dysfunction and testicle volume increase. It was a prospective, non‐masked, parallel‐group randomized controlled trial with one to one allocation. It was conducted at authors’ institution and designed as per protocol study. From 2012 till 2015 84 patients were randomly allocated to two groups. First group consisted of 42 patients who underwent laparoscopic varicocoelectomy, whereas patients from the second group underwent microsurgical varicocoelectomy. The indications for varicocoelectomy consisted of infertility >1 year, palpable left‐sided varicocoele and at least one impaired semen parameter (sperm concentration <15 mln/mL; total motility<40%; progressive motility <32%, vitality <58% or normal morphology <4%). The primary goal was to show superiority of microsurgical varicocoelectomy over laparoscopic varicocoelectomy in terms of pregnancy rate. The secondary endpoints comprised assessment of sperm parameters in three‐month intervals after intervention until one year. Other points included, LH, FSH and testosterone levels as well as testicle volume and International Index of Erectile Function. From each group five patients were lost during the follow‐up period. The primary endpoint was not achieved – pregnancy rate in first and second group was 29.7% and 40.5% respectively (p = 0.34). Analysis of the sperm parameters after surgery revealed significant statistical difference in total motility, progressive motility and morphology in favour of microsurgical approach. Both methods showed improvement in all sperm parameters. There were no differences in hormonal levels as well as in erectile function and testicle volume between groups. Small number of patients in both groups are the main limitation of our study.
Glutamic acid decarboxylase and islet antigen 2 antibody profiles in people with adult‐onset diabetes mellitus: a comparison between mixed ethnic populations in Singapore and Germany
Authors: Ong Y. H. , Koh W. C. A. , Ng M. L. , Tam Z. Y. , Lim S. C. , Boehm B. O. ,   the Adult‐Onset Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus Consortium (ADAMS)
Published: March 2017

AbstractAimTo gain insight into the presence of islet cell autoimmunity in an ethnic Asian compared with a white European population.MethodsFor this cross‐sectional study we recruited people with adult‐onset diabetes (age of diagnosis 20–60 years), at tertiary referral centres in Germany (n=1020) and Singapore (n=1088). Glutamic acid decarboxylase and islet antigen 2 antibodies were measured according to Islet Autoantibody Standardization Program protocols.ResultsThe prevalence of glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positivity was 13.9% (95% CI 12.1–16.0; P<0.001) in the white European cohort compared with 6.8% (95% CI 5.5–8.4; P<0.001) in the Asian cohort. Glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody positivity was 11.4% (95% CI 7.7–16.6) in Indian, 6.0% (95% CI 3.6–9.9) in Malay and 5.8% (95% CI 4.3–7.7; P<0.001) in Chinese participants. In the white European participants, the prevalence of islet antigen 2 antibody positivity was 7.8% (95% CI 6.4–9.4) compared with 14.8% (95% CI 12.8–17.0; P<0.001) in the Asian cohort as a whole, and among the three ethnicities in the Asian cohort it was 12.4% (95% CI 8.6–17.7) in Indian, 16.8% (95% CI 12.6–22.2) in Malay and 15.7% (95% CI 13.2–18.6) in Chinese participants. Double antibody positivity was seen in 5.7% (95% CI 4.5–7.1) of white European participants compared with 1.6% (95% CI 1.0–2.5; P<0.01) of Asian participants. In the white European cohort, those who were glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody‐positive had a lower BMI than those who were autoantibody‐negative, but this trend was absent in the Asian cohort.ConclusionsA marked prevalence of islet cell autoimmunity was observed in people with adult‐onset diabetes. While glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies were more frequent in the European cohort, islet antigen 2 antibody positivity was highest in the three ethnic groups in Singapore, suggesting ethnic‐specific differences in antibody profiles.
Toll‐like receptor variation in the bottlenecked population of the Seychelles warbler: computer simulations see the ‘ghost of selection past’ and quantify the ‘drift debt’
Authors: Gilroy D. L. , Phillips K. P. , Richardson D. S. , van Oosterhout C. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractBalancing selection can maintain immunogenetic variation within host populations, but detecting its signal in a postbottlenecked population is challenging due to the potentially overriding effects of drift. Toll‐like receptor genes (TLRs) play a fundamental role in vertebrate immune defence and are predicted to be under balancing selection. We previously characterized variation at TLR loci in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), an endemic passerine that has undergone a historical bottleneck. Five of seven TLR loci were polymorphic, which is in sharp contrast to the low genomewide variation observed. However, standard population genetic statistical methods failed to detect a contemporary signature of selection at any TLR locus. We examined whether the observed TLR polymorphism could be explained by neutral evolution, simulating the population's demography in the software DIYABC. This showed that the posterior distributions of mutation rates had to be unrealistically high to explain the observed genetic variation. We then conducted simulations with an agent‐based model using typical values for the mutation rate, which indicated that weak balancing selection has acted on the three TLR genes. The model was able to detect evidence of past selection elevating TLR polymorphism in the prebottleneck populations, but was unable to discern any effects of balancing selection in the contemporary population. Our results show drift is the overriding evolutionary force that has shaped TLR variation in the contemporary Seychelles warbler population, and the observed TLR polymorphisms might be merely the ‘ghost of selection past’. Forecast models predict immunogenetic variation in this species will continue to be eroded in the absence of contemporary balancing selection. Such ‘drift debt’ occurs when a gene pool has not yet reached its new equilibrium level of polymorphism, and this loss could be an important threat to many recently bottlenecked populations.
Association between specific periodontal pathogens, Toll‐like receptor‐4, and nuclear factor‐κB expression in placental tissues of pre‐eclamptic women with periodontitis
Authors: Parthiban Prathahini S. , Mahendra Jaideep , Logaranjani Anitha , Shanmugam Sambandham , Balakrishnan Anandan , Junaid Mohammed , Namasivayam Ambalavanan 
Published: March 2017

AbstractAimThe aim of the present study was to determine the association between the presence of specific periodontal pathogens, Toll‐like receptor‐4 (TLR‐4), and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) expression in the placental tissues of pre‐eclamptic women.MethodsAntenatal periodontal screening was performed in 25 normotensive pregnant women and 25 pre‐eclamptic women. Subgingival plaque and placental tissue samples were collected from both groups and screened for the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Tannerella forsythia, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) using real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The placental samples were also analyzed to quantify TLR‐4 and NF‐κB expression.ResultsThe subgingival plaque samples of pre‐eclamptic women showed significantly higher frequencies of P. intermedia. In the placental samples, P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and the expression of TLR‐4 and NF‐κB were found to be at significantly higher levels compared to normotensive pregnant women. Using linear regression analysis, the expression of TLR‐4 was significantly influenced by the presence of P. gingivalis (coefficient=3.176, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 367‐5.986) and P. intermedia (coefficient=2.886, 95% CI: 0.77‐5.696), whereas NF‐κB expression was influenced only by the presence of P. intermedia (coefficient=2.220, 95% CI: 0.051‐4.388) in the placental tissues of pre‐eclamptic women.ConclusionAn association exists between P. gingivalis and P. intermedia with increased TLR‐4 and NF‐κB expression in the placenta of pre‐eclamptic women with periodontitis.
Unilateral ovarian absence in a Black‐headed Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri vanzolinii Ayres, 1985), a threatened neotropical primate species
Authors: Lopes Gerson P. , Brito Adriel B. , Santos Regiane R. , Domingues Sheyla F. S. , Paim Fernanda P. , Queiroz Helder L. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractOvarian agenesis is an unusual anomaly with traumatic or congenital origin. In the present case report, we describe our findings in a senile S. vanzolinii female. As this neotropical primate species is listed as vulnerable, with limited geographic distribution in the Brazilian Amazonia, ovarian agenesis may be an important finding to be reported.
Taxation and privacy protection on Internet platforms
Authors: Bloch Francis , Demange Gabrielle 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThis paper studies data collection by a monopolistic Internet platform. We show that the optimal strategy of the platform is either to cover the market or to choose the highest data exploitation level, excluding users with high privacy costs from the platform. For plausible parameter values, the platform chooses an excessive level of data exploitation from the point of view of users. We study how different tax instruments can be used to reduce the level of data collection and analyze the effect of an opting‐out option, letting users access the platform with no data collection. We show that a differentiated tax, taxing access revenues and data revenues at different rates, is the most effective instrument and that the introduction of an opting‐out option may harm users as it induces the platform to raise the level of data exploitation.
Morphology and DNA barcoding reveal three species in one: description of Culicoides cryptipulicaris sp. nov. and Culicoides quasipulicaris sp. nov. in the subgenus Culicoides
Authors: TALAVERA S. , MUÑOZ‐MUÑOZ F. , VERDÚN M. , PAGÈS N. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractSpecies of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are well known for their importance in the field of medical and veterinary entomology. Culicoides spp. transmit a wide variety of pathogens, primarily viruses that affect animals and humans. In Europe, the most economically important disease transmitted by Culicoides is bluetongue (BT). Culicoides spp. have been recently involved as primary vectors for Schmallenberg disease. The taxonomy within the subgenus Culicoides has been historically difficult and reorganizations have been proposed regularly. The subgenus Culicoides includes species that are considered to be potential vectors for BT. High morphological intraspecific variability has been attributed to these species. This highlights the apparent presence of previously undetected cryptic species diversity in the subgenus. In the present study, a detailed morphological and molecular study of specimens belonging to Culicoides pulicaris s.l. and specimens resembling a cross between C. pulicaris and Culicoides punctatus revealed the presence of two new species: Culicoides cryptipulicaris and Culicoides quasipulicaris. Females of C. quasipulicaris and males of both species were morphologically distinguished from C. pulicaris (Linnaeus, 1758), whereas females of C. cryptipulicaris were identified using molecular techniques exclusively.
Filling the gaps in diagnostics of Pepino mosaic virus and Potato spindle tuber viroid in water and tomato seeds and leaves
Authors: Mehle N. , Kogovšek P. , Rački N. , Jakomin T. , Gutiérrez‐Aguirre I. , Kramberger P. , Ravnikar M. 
Published: March 2017

Waterborne and seedborne Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) and Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) pose serious threats to tomato production due to seed transmission and mechanical transmission, coupled with their long‐term stability outside the host plant. Therefore, rapid and sensitive diagnostic procedures are needed to prevent the spread of these quarantine pathogens. In particular, water and seed contamination are difficult to detect and confirm without efficient concentration methods. This study presents procedures that improve detection of PSTVd from tomato seeds and leaf tissue, and PepMV from water and tomato leaf tissue. For efficient concentration of PepMV from water samples, a procedure was optimized using convective interaction media monolithic chromatography columns, which provides concentration by three orders of magnitude. For concentration of PSTVd from seed extracts, an easy‐to‐use and efficient method was developed based on RNA binding to positively charged anion‐exchange resin beads that provides up to 100‐fold more sensitive detection in comparison with procedures without a concentration step. This thus allows confirmation of RT‐qPCR results with sequencing of RT‐PCR products in samples with low viroid levels. In addition, reverse‐transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification assays for detection of PSTVd and PepMV were optimized and adapted to both laboratory and on‐site testing requirements. This allows rapid detection of these pathogens in crude leaf homogenates, in under 30 min. These procedures of concentration and detection are shown to be efficient and to fill the gaps in diagnostics of PepMV and PSTVd, especially when these pathogens are present at low levels in difficult matrices such as water and seeds.