bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vulnerable older consumers: New persuasion knowledge achievement measure
Authors: Balázs Katalin , Bene Ágnes , Hidegkuti István 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis research describes a new persuasion knowledge measure for older consumers which can be applied for both diagnostic and preventive purposes. Persuasion knowledge refers to information, attitudes, beliefs and schemas guiding our behaviour in situations where persuasion is involved. Many older consumers belong to a specific, vulnerable group, who often fail to maintain their interest in persuasive situations, so the proposed measure could serve a better understanding of their behaviour. First, a new, situation‐based achievement measure, entitled ‘Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure’ (PKAM), was developed in university samples (N = 530) in several stages. Afterwards, the developed measure was adapted to older individuals, resulting in the Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure for Older People (PKAM‐OP). Following a pilot study with personally‐assisted data collection (N = 50), the examinees were reached through an elderly care network in a two‐stage procedure (N = 183, N = 116). The psychometric analyses of the data show a high level of reliability and validity for both tests. The results of the main research studies indicate that there are two subscales of the measure: ‘Agreeableness’ and ‘Persuasion Knowledge’. Based on the empirical data, the subscales provide reliable measures of features which guide behaviour in persuasive situations. In sum, PKAM‐OP can fulfil theoretical and practical needs in research and prevention interventions focusing on older consumers.
Edible mushrooms: a potential source of essential amino acids, glucans and minerals
Authors: Bach Fabiane , Helm Cristiane Vieira , Bellettini Marcelo Barba , Maciel Giselle Maria , Haminiuk Charles Windson Isidoro 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe main chemical and biochemical constituents of nine edible mushrooms were evaluated in this study. An enzymatic method was used to determine the α‐ and β‐glucan contents, and the amino acid (AA) profiles were evaluated by RP‐HPLC‐DAD. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of the nutrients was evaluated. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to group the mushrooms according to their AA, glucans and chemical composition. All mushrooms evaluated can be considered as a potential and alternative source of dietary fibre (24.4–46.62%) and protein (16.47–36.96%) in a diet, with low contents of fat (1.40–2.08%). Phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper and zinc were the main minerals found in the mushrooms, whereas sodium concentration was negligible. All essential AA were detected in the mushrooms, with Pleurotus ostreatus (black oyster) representing the main source of essential amino acids among the samples. The contents of β‐glucan ranged from 1.58 to 16.91 mg g−1 of dry matter among the mushrooms and Pleurotus eryngii presented the highest amount of this component. Pleurotus ostreatus (black oyster) and P. eryngii were also grouped together due to similarities in their phosphorous and arginine contents. Among the main results, it can highlight the high concentration of dietary fibre and essential amino acids of the edible mushrooms.
Evaluating Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Authors: Lev Baruch 
Published: July 2017

The author argues that, for companies to play a significant role in addressing environmental or social problems, they must first achieve sustained competitive advantage in the marketplace. And thus the source of a company's competitive advantage—and its ability to maintain that advantage over time—should be matters of great interest and concern for sustainability advocates as well as more traditional corporate investors and directors. But identifying and assessing the durability of corporate competitive advantage are difficult tasks, in part because conventional accounting‐based information like reported sales and GAAP earnings often fails to provide a timely ref lection of fundamental changes in the competitive position of enterprises.Competitive advantage is created and sustained by companies that develop and make effective use of “strategic” valuecreating assets—assets that tend to be intangible, rare, and hard for others to replicate. Using examples such as the R&D pipelines of big pharma companies, and the customer franchises of producers of subscription‐based products and services—and the underlying corporate capabilities responsible for generating such pipelines and franchises—the author emphasizes that the value of such corporate capabilities and assets does not show up on corporate balance sheets or income statements—or not at least without a significant lag.To help overcome this limitation of financial statements, the author recommends that corporate managements view their quarterly earnings conference calls with analysts and investors, as well as the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) section of the annual financial report, as opportunities to provide more information about their strategic assets. Such information should be designed to help investors understand the firm's competitive strengths (and vulnerabilities) by aiming to provide the following:
an inventory of the company's strategic assets—for example, in the case of a biotech or pharma company, a detailed account and estimates of the projected value of its current product pipeline;
a statement of the amounts of ongoing corporate investment in strategic assets, as reflected in R&D spending, or customer acquisition costs, or purchases of exploration rights by oil and gas companies;
a description of the company's efforts to protect the value of its strategic assets from possible infringement and imitation by competitors, from the disruption of such assets by innovation, or from the threat of new regulation; and
a description of management's plan to use its strategic assets to create economic value.
Women's attitudes to safe‐induced abortion in Iran: Findings from a pilot survey
Authors: Aghakhani Nader , Cleary Michelle , Zarei Abbas , Lopez Violeta 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAimTo explore attitudes to safe‐induced abortion among pregnant women in Iran.BackgroundIn Islamic teachings, abortion is generally forbidden. However in specific circumstances, abortion may be permitted and currently, in Iran, the law allows termination of pregnancy only if three specialist physicians confirm that the pregnancy outcome may be harmful for the mother during pregnancy or after birth.DesignPilot, descriptive survey.MethodsA 15‐item structured questionnaire focusing on attitudes to safe‐induced abortion was developed and pilot tested. Participants were pregnant women who were referred to the Legal Medical Centre (July–December 2015) to obtain permission for abortion. On obtaining their informed consent, the women were asked to respond to each item if they agreed (Yes) or disagreed (No). Only their age, education, employment, marital status and religion were obtained.ResultsOf the 80 survey participants referred for a safe‐induced abortion, 90% were carrying foetuses with a diagnosed congenital malformation and 10% were experiencing complications of pregnancy that endangered their health. The majority of women (85%) perceived abortion to be dangerous to health; 86% indicated that partners should be involved in decision‐making about abortion, while 83% believed that public health officials should have complete control of abortion law.ConclusionsThere is a need to improve women's and couples’ awareness and practice of effective contraceptive methods. Further research is needed to better understand the complex issues that lead to unintended pregnancies and abortions considering religious beliefs and cultural and legal contexts.
Generalized convulsive seizures are associated with ketamine anesthesia in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) undergoing urodynamic studies and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation
Authors: Gad Parag N. , Salyards Gregory W. , Garzel Laura M. , Christe Kari L. , Edgerton V. Reggie , Havton Leif A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA female rhesus macaque developed two episodes of generalized convulsions during transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) and urodynamic studies under ketamine anesthesia. The seizures took place in the absence of active TSCS and bladder pressure elevation. Ketamine anesthesia remains the primary risk factor for the convulsions during these experimental procedures.
Thermal imaging and dermoscopy for detecting inflammation in frontal fibrosing alopecia
Authors: Lis‐Święty Anna , Miziołek Bartosz , Ranosz‐Janicka Irmina , Bierzyńska‐Macyszyn Grażyna , Brzezińska‐Wcisło Ligia 
Published: July 2017

SummaryBackgroundFrontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is an inflammatory condition of the scalp, which leads to scarring and slowly progressive recession of frontotemporal and/or frontoparietal hairline. Choice of FFA treatment is highly dependent on accurate assessment of disease phase, as medical treatments are effective only during the initial inflammatory stage.MethodsTo objectively quantify the activity of the inflammatory process in FFA, 22 female patients were examined by both infrared thermography and optical dermoscopy before tissue sampling. The presence of perifollicular erythema or scaling was considered to be strongly suggestive for appropriate scalp biopsy site. Skin temperature differences in dermoscopy‐selected area >0.5°C for temperature of the reference area (lower area of forehead) were considered abnormal. For evaluation of the inflammatory infiltrate, a grading scale was used.ResultsThe scale classified 14 (64%) subjects as being in the active disease phase of FFA and eight (36%) as in the inactive one. Using the thermography findings, 17 (77%) patients were considered to have the active FFA and five (23%) patients had the inactive one. The clinical assessment of active FFA was most accurate using thermal imaging combined with dermoscopy, with a sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 88%, a positive predictive value of 90%, and an negative predictive value of 58%.ConclusionWe believe that infrared thermography is a noninvasive and accessible imaging modality that may serve as a complementary tool in FFA diagnosis.
Firm Bosses or Helpful Neighbours? The Ambiguity and Co‐Construction of MNE Regional Management Mandates
Authors: Alfoldi Eva A. , McGaughey Sara L. , Clegg L. Jeremy 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAs multinational enterprises (MNEs) increasingly disaggregate and disperse corporate headquarters (CHQ) activities, the allocation of regional management mandates (RMMs) to local operating subsidiaries is becoming more common. RMMs explicitly break with the traditional assumption of a clear separation between centralised and local decision‐making. Yet we know little of how RMMs are enacted by the units involved, or how they evolve over time. Based on a case study of Unilever, we find that RMMs are inherently ambiguous, and identify circumstances under which ambiguity manifests and triggers cycles of sensemaking and sensegiving about the meaning of the mandate. These cycles result in the co‐construction of the mandate by multiple units, with changes in RMM scope and governance over time. We also find that sensemaking and sensegiving are most intense among boundary‐spanning middle managers. Our work challenges prevailing assumptions that mandates are largely unambiguous when assigned and are unilateral or dyadic accomplishments; demonstrates the importance of sub‐unit level analysis in MNEs; and highlights the potential of structuration theory to enrich our understanding of sensemaking and sensegiving in organisations.
Strategic Flexibility in New High‐Technology Ventures
Authors: Dai Ye , Goodale John C. , Byun Gukdo , Ding Fangsheng 
Published: July 2017

AbstractStrategic flexibility is a vital capability for new ventures to update their strategies in a timely manner. However, the role of external knowledge sources in new ventures’ endeavours to develop strategic flexibility are unclear. Drawing on the knowledge‐based and relational views, we explore the effect of two sources of external knowledge: new product development (NPD) alliances, representing tightly coupled sources, and loosely coupled sources such as industry associations. Our field study of 148 high‐tech ventures found that the extent to which firms utilize knowledge from NPD alliances has a curvilinear relationship with strategic flexibility, whereas the extent to which firms utilize loosely coupled sources has a positive linear relationship with strategic flexibility. We also found that in new ventures, decentralization of decision‐making and institutional support enhance knowledge integration, positively moderating these relationships.
Immunohistochemical expression of MYB in salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinoma and basal cell adenoma
Authors: Rooney Sydney L. , Robinson Robert A. 
Published: July 2017

BackgroundBasal cell predominant salivary gland neoplasms can be difficult to separate histologically. One of the most aggressive of basaloid salivary gland neoplasms is adenoid cystic carcinoma. MYB expression by immunohistochemistry has been documented in adenoid cystic carcinoma. Some investigators have suggested that using this expression can help in establishing the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma. Utilizing tissue microarrays, we studied a group of basal cell adenocarcinomas and basal cell adenomas to determine: (i) whether either tumor expressed MYB and (ii) the frequency of any expression in either tumors.MethodsSeventeen salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinomas and 30 salivary gland basal cell adenomas were used to construct microarrays. These tissue microarrays were used to assess for immunohistochemical MYB expression.ResultsFifty‐three percent (nine of 17) of salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinomas and 57% (17 of 30) of salivary gland basal cell adenomas showed MYB overexpression. For comparison, we studied 11 adenoid cystic carcinomas for MYB expression and found that 64% (seven of 11) overexpressed MYB. We found no relation to clinical course for basal adenomas or basal cell adenocarcinomas that overexpressed MYB vs those that did not.ConclusionsMYB expression does not help separate basal cell adenocarcinomas from basal cell adenomas, and our data suggest it does not differentiate between either of these neoplasms and adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Mapping ‘the ANT multiple’: A comparative, critical and reflexive analysis
Authors: Kanger Laur 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDespite decades of development, Actor‐Network Theory (ANT) continues to be characterized by a good deal of ambiguities and internal tensions. This situation has led to a suggestion that instead of one ANT it may be meaningful to speak of ‘the ANT multiple’. Following this line of reasoning, this article aims to create a map of the variety of positions riding under the ANT banner. Based on an in‐depth reading of ANT literature, seven different interpretations of ANT are identified and subjected to critical analysis while accommodating for the concerns of ANT proponents about the way ANT has been previously criticized. The results of the analysis serve to increase the reflexivity of both sides of the debate about their underlying assumptions, and provide suggestions how ANT could be employed, developed and criticized more productively in the future.
The work process setting and situational contexts based on socially distributed cognition: an interactive, cognitive and social proposal of analysis
Authors: Barranco Oriol , Lozares Carlos , Moreno Sara 
Published: July 2017

AbstractTo carry out an ethnographic study on the work process in the sterilization unit of a hospital in Catalonia (Spain), we found the socially distributed cognition approaches of Hutchins and Kirsh useful. However, these approaches lack sufficient explanation on three important issues: (a) the pragmatic criteria for identifying and delimiting a relevant unit of analysis and therefore the setting and contexts of the work process; (b) the mechanisms and results of reciprocal influences between these levels of analysis; and (c) the relation between these levels. Therefore, we added several new elements to these approaches, in addition to Layder's model of contexts with some important modifications, with the aim of offering an interactive, cognitive and social proposal of analysis that clarifies these three issues, allowing a more exhaustive and broader empirical analysis that captures better the ‘social’ dimension embedded in the work processes.
Decisive coalitions and positive responsiveness
Authors: Cato Susumu 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis paper addresses the Arrovian social choice problem. Our focus is the role of positive responsiveness, which requires social judgments to be strongly monotonic with respect to individual judgments. We clarify the structure of decisive coalitions associated with collective choice rules that satisfy positive responsiveness and Arrow's axioms. Transitivity of social preferences is relaxed to quasi‐transitivity or acyclicity.
Appropriate cyclic tensile strain promotes biological changes of cranial base synchondrosis chondrocytes
Authors: Chu F. , Feng Q. , Hu Z. , Shen G. 
Published: July 2017

Structured AbstractObjectivesThis study was designed to clarify biological changes of cranial base synchondrosis chondrocytes (CBSCs) upon cyclic tensile strain (CTS) loading which simulated orthopaedic mechanical protraction on cranial base synchondroses (CBS).Material and MethodsA two‐step digestion method was used to isolate CBSCs obtained from 1‐week‐old Sprague Dawley rats. Immunohistochemical staining of type II collagen and Sox9 was conducted to identify chondrocytes. A CTS of 1 Hz and 10% elongation was applied to the second passage of CBSCs by FX‐5000™ Tension System for 24 hours. The control group kept static at the same time. The expression levels of extracellular matrix (Acan, Col1a1, Col2a1 and Col10a1) and key regulatory factors (Sox9, Ihh and PTHrP) were detected by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR.ResultsPositive staining of type II collagen and Sox9 was detected in the isolated CBSCs. The relative expression level of Acan, Col2a1, Col10a1, Sox9 and Ihh in the CTS‐loading group was 1.85‐fold, 2.19‐fold, 1.53‐fold, 6.62‐fold, and 1.39‐fold, respectively, as much as that in the control group, which had statistical significance (P<.05). There was no statistical difference (P>.05) in the expression of Col1a1 and PTHrP.ConclusionsA CTS of 1 Hz and 10% elongation for 24 hours had positive effects on chondrocyte proliferation, phenotype maintenance and cartilage matrix synthesis.
Identification of QTLs associated with spring vegetative budbreak time after dormancy release in pear (Pyrus communis L.)
Authors: Gabay Gilad , Dahan Yardena , Izhaki Yacov , Isaacson ‎Tal , Elkind Yonatan , Ben‐Ari Giora , Flaishman Moshe A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDormancy release is greatly affected by chilling unit (CU) accumulation. Lack of CU has a major impact on spring vegetative budbreak (VB). To understand the genetic mechanism governing the chilling requirement (CR), we conducted a QTL analysis of VB date in F1 population, derived from a cross between ‘Spadona’ (low CR) and ‘Harrow Sweet’ (high CR). Using a unique methodology of tree mobility, replicates of the same genotypes were exposed during the winter, over two consecutive years, to climates that differ greatly in their CU and to the same heat conditions to induce VB, in order to evaluate CR genetic impact and to distinguish it from the heat factor. Broad‐sense heritability within locations ranged from 0.62 to 0.66. Due to a strong impact of GxE interaction, it was reduced to 0.46 for the overall mean. We examined the previously discovered apple QTLs detected in linkage groups (LG) 9 and 8, based on the synteny between the species. Our analysis confirms significant QTLs in LG8 (R2 = 12%–24%) and LG9 (R2 = 20%–38%) for all locations and years
Performance Assessment of a Trypanosoma cruzi Chimeric Antigen in Multiplex Liquid Microarray Assays
Authors: Santos Fred Luciano Neves , Celedon Paola Alejandra Fiorani , Zanchin Nilson Ivo Tonin , Leitolis Amanda , Crestani Sandra , Foti Leonardo , de Souza Wayner Vieira , Gomes Yara de Miranda , Krieger Marco Aurélio 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT

Diagnosing chronic Chagas disease (CD) requires antibody–antigen detection methods, which are traditionally based on enzymatic assay techniques whose performance depend on the type and quality of antigen used. Previously, 4 recombinant chimeric proteins from the Instituto de Biologia Molecular do Paraná (IBMP-8.1 to 8.4) comprising immuno-dominant regions of diverse
Trypanosoma cruzi
antigens showed excellent diagnostic performance in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Considering that next-generation platforms offer improved CD diagnostic accuracy with different
T. cruzi
-specific recombinant antigens, we assessed the performance of these chimeras in liquid microarrays (LMAs). The chimeric proteins were expressed in
Escherichia coli
and purified by chromatography. Sera from 653 chagasic and 680 healthy individuals were used to assess the performance of these chimeras in detecting specific anti-
T. cruzi
antibodies. Accuracies ranged from 98.1 to 99.3%, and diagnostic odds ratio values were 3,548 for IBMP-8.3, 4,826 for IBMP-8.1, 7,882 for IBMP-8.2, and 25,000 for IBMP-8.4. A separate sera bank (851 samples) was employed to assess cross-reactivity with other tropical diseases.
Leishmania
, a pathogen with high similarity to
T. cruzi
, showed cross-reactivity rates ranging from 0 to 2.17%. Inconclusive results were negligible (0 to 0.71%). Bland–Altman and Deming regression analysis based on 200 randomly selected CD-positive and negative samples demonstrated interchangeability with respect to CD diagnostic performance in both singleplex and multiplex assays. Our results suggested that these chimeras can potentially replace antigens currently used in commercially available assay kits. Moreover, the use of multiplex platforms, such as LMA assays employing 2 or more IBMP antigens, would abrogate the need for 2 different testing techniques when diagnosing CD.