bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Financial and non-financial determinants of corporate social responsibility: empirical evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Syed Muhammad Ahsan , Butt Safdar Ali 
Published: August 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this research study is to lower the knowledge gap by exploring the degree of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) made by top Pakistani (Karachi Stock Exchange [KSE] 100 listed non-financial) companies and investigating the financial and non-financial CSRD determinants which aid to the policy development in implementing required regulatory reforms.

Design/methodology/approach
KSE 100 index listed companies are covered in this study that published their annual reports consistently during the time period of five years from 2009 to 2013. Financial and non-financial data will be collected from the sample of KSE-listed company’s annual reports. Information related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) will be collected by hand from reports of disclosure of CSR, disclosures of corporate governance, report of the directors, a statement of Chairman’s and notes to the financial statement enclosed in companies’ annual reports. Content analysis technique to measure corporate environmental and social disclosures for items scoring the approach is, in essence, dichotomous, one score assigned to the item in the scores of instrument of research if it disclosed, otherwise assigned zero, and no penalty or negative score is imposed to the item which is reflected irrelevant.

Findings
Family ownership, industry type and firm size have positive significant relationship with CSR disclosure, and the authors found negative significant relationship between risk and CSRD. Results of this study propose that, in developing countries like Pakistan, the extent of determinant of CSRD is based on the number of important firm and industry characteristics and are aligned with empirical evidence.

Research limitations/implications
This research uses only annual reports of the companies for the data of CSRD but companies also use other sources for disclosure of their CSR information such as mass media, etc. Content analysis is performed by one author and the second author cross-checked the companies, so biasness may remain a limitation due to the fact that errors attach in rating scale due to judgments of human.

Practical implications
The finding of this study helps policymakers to quantify and know the degree of CSRD and its determinants which enables them to boost the organizational legitimacy and CSR practices by adopting the needed regulatory reform.

Social implications
The results of this study provide warning signals to the management of the companies in some cases where disclosure level of CSR is lower in the period before issuance of SECP CSR guidelines of 2013.

Originality/value
This research study offers valuable inputs in the development and betterment of CSR rules for the reason that the findings of the research provide information to the future CSR rules and guidelines. The results of this study also help the regulator (SECP) in Pakistan to revise the CSRD to align with the need of changing industrial characteristics and economic environment.
Expression of HopAI interferes with MAP kinase signalling in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Zhang Xue , Liu Wende , Li Yang , Li Guotian , Xu Jin‐Rong 
Published: August 2017

SummaryThe Pmk1 and Mps1 MAP kinases are essential for appressorium formation and plant infection in Magnaporthe oryzae. However, their exact roles during invasive growth are not clear because pmk1 and mps1 mutants are defective in penetration. To further characterize their functions after penetration, in this study we expressed the Pseudomonas syringae effector HopAI known to inactivate plant MAP kinases in M. oryzae. Constitutive expression of HopAI with the RP27 or TrpC promoter resulted in defects in hyphal growth, conidiation, appressorium penetration and pathogenicity, which is similar to the phenotype of the mps1 mutant. HopAI interacted strongly with Mps1 in vivo and expression of dominant active MKK2 partially suppressed the defects of PRP27‐HopAI transformants, which were significantly reduced in Mps1 phosphorylation. When the infection‐specific MIR1 (Magnaporthe‐infection‐related gene‐1) promoter was used to express HopAI, PMIR1‐HopAI transformants were defective in the spreading of invasive hyphae and elicited strong defense responses in penetrated plant cells. Expression of HopAI in Fusarium graminearum also mainly affected the activation of Mgv1, an Mps1 orthologue. Taken together, our results showed that Mps1 is the major intracellular target of HopAI when it is overexpressed, and MAP kinase signalling is important for cell‐to‐cell movement of invasive hyphae in M. oryzae.
Molecular cloning and expression analysis of the highly conserved eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF‐5A) from Antheraea pernyi
Authors: Bian Dandan , Zhao Xiaoming , Chen Li , Tian Jiwu , Liu Qiuning , Zhou Chunlin , Tang Boping 
Published: August 2017

AbstractEukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF‐5A) is a highly conserved protein found in all eukaryotic organisms that plays a key role in the regulation of many cellular processes including translation elongation, cell proliferation, programmed cell death, mRNA turnover and decay, and abiotic stress responses. In this study, the eIF‐5A gene from the Chinese oak silkworm Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was characterized. The full‐length ApeIF‐5A cDNA of 1056 bp includes a 5′‐untranslated region (UTR) of 138 bp, a 3′‐UTR of 435 bp, and an open reading frame of 483 bp encoding a polypeptide of 160 amino acids. The deduced ApeIF‐5A protein shares 99 %, 82 %, and 72 % sequence identity with orthologs in Bombyx mori, Drosophila melanogaster and Homo sapiens, indicating high conservation during animal evolution. Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription PCR revealed expression in all four developmental stages and in all nine tissues tested, consistent with an important role in development. After challenge with lipopolysaccharide, the expression levels of ApeIF‐5A were markedly upregulated. Phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences revealed A. pernyi eIF‐5A was closely related to B. mori eIF‐5A, consistent with traditional classification and other molecular data. The results indicate the potential value of eIF‐5A in phylogenetic analysis.
Genetic diversity of Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) populations in the Republic of Korea based on COI sequence
Authors: Park Chang‐Gyu , Lee Sang‐Ku , Park Minju , Lee Wonhoon 
Published: August 2017

AbstractRiptortus pedestris (Fabricius) has caused severe agricultural damage in Asian regions. To clarify genetic relationships among different populations of R. pedestris in Korea, 294 COI sequences were generated from 294 individual samples collected in 42 local regions. In total, 36 haplotypes were detected from the 294 COI sequences, and the genetic distances among the 42 local populations ranged from 0.00 % to 1.50 %. In the AMOVA results, a variability of more than 98 % was observed within populations, and the median joining (MJ) networks revealed that R. pedestris has expanded by crossing the nine geographical groups. Most of the samples shared one haplotype, H2; however, some samples obtained from the same regions displayed slight genetic differences. These results indicate that R. pedestris have undergone a series of genetic variations.
Low age, low birthweight and congenital heart disease are risk factors for intensive care in infants with bronchiolitis
Authors: Mecklin Minna , Heikkilä Paula , Korppi Matti 
Published: August 2017

AbstractAimThis study evaluated the incidence and risk factors for intensive care and respiratory support in infant bronchiolitis.MethodsThis retrospective descriptive case–control study focused on 105 patients treated in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and 210 controls treated in the emergency department or on the paediatric ward in Tampere University Hospital in Finland between 2000 and 2015. Statistically significant risk factors in nonadjusted analyses were included in the adjusted logistic regression.ResultsThe average age‐specific annual incidence of bronchiolitis requiring PICU admission under the age of 12 months was 1.5/1000/year (range 0.18–2.59). Independently, significant risk factors for PICU admission were as follows: being less than two months old with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 11.5, birthweight of <2000 g (aOR of 15.9), congenital heart disease (CHD) (aOR of 15.9), apnoea (aOR of 7.2) and the absence of wheezing (aOR of 2.2). Significant risk factors for needing respiratory support were a birthweight of <2000 g, an age of less than two months and CHD.ConclusionLess than 0.1% of infants under the age of 12 months were admitted to the PICU for bronchiolitis. Low age, low birthweight or prematurity and CHD were independently significant risk factors for both intensive care and respiratory support.
Feeding Imprinting: The Extreme Test Case of Premature Infants Born With Very Low Birth Weight
Authors: Suberi Moriya , Morag Iris , Strauss Tzipora , Geva Ronny 
Published: August 2017

Feeding imprinting, considered a survival‐enabling process, is not well understood. Infants born very preterm, who first feed passively, are an effective model for studying feeding imprinting. Retrospective analysis of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) records of 255 infants (Mgestational age = 29.98 ± 1.64) enabled exploring the notion that direct breastfeeding (DBF) during NICU stay leads to consumption of more mother's milk and earlier NICU discharge. Results showed that DBF before the first bottle feeding is related to shorter transition into oral feeding, a younger age of full oral feeding accomplishment and earlier discharge. Furthermore, the number of DBF meals before first bottle feeding predicts more maternal milk consumption and improved NICU outcomes. Improved performance in response to initial exposure to DBF at the age of budding feeding abilities supports a feeding imprinting hypothesis.
Structural plan similarity based on refinements in the space of partial plans
Authors: Sánchez‐Ruiz Antonio A. , Ontañón Santiago 
Published: August 2017

AbstractPlan similarity measures play a key role in many areas of artificial intelligence, such as case‐based planning, plan recognition, ambient intelligence, or digital storytelling. In this paper, we present 2 novel structural similarity measures to compare plans based on a search process in the space of partial plans. Partial plans are compact representations of sets of plans with some common structure and can be organized in a lattice so that the most general partial plans are above the most specific ones. To compute our similarity measures, we traverse this space of partial plans from the most general to the most specific using successive refinements. Our first similarity measure is designed for propositional plan formalisms, and the second is designed for classical planning formalisms (including variables and types). We also introduce 2 novel refinement operators used to traverse the space of plans: an ideal downward refinement operator for propositional partial plans and a finite and complete downward refinement operator for classical partial plans. Finally, we evaluate our similarity measures in the context of a nearest neighbor classifier using 2 datasets commonly used in the plan recognition literature (Linux and Monroe), showing good results in both synthetic and real data.
A structural equation model to assess the influence of neuroticism on oral health‐related quality of life in complete denture wearers
Authors: Soeda Hitomi , Sato Yusuke , Yamaga Eijiro , Minakuchi Shunsuke 
Published: August 2017

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of patient neuroticism on oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) in complete denture wearers.BackgroundThere are some indicators of complete denture prognosis. The relationship between personality traits, mainly neuroticism and OHRQoL in complete denture wearers remains unclear.Materials and methodsA total of 199 edentulous patients participated in this study. Neuroticism was investigated using the Japanese version of the modified short form of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (MS‐EPQ). OHRQoL was measured according to the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous subjects (OHIP‐EDENT‐J). Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the relationship between neuroticism and subscales of the OHIP‐EDENT‐J.ResultsThe High and Low neuroticism groups fit the same model for the 5 subscales of the OHIP‐EDENT‐J—functional limitation, pain, disability, discomfort and handicap—with different path coefficients. The path from functional limitation to handicap via pain, disability and discomfort was the same as previously reported. However, path coefficients for pain to disability differed significantly between the 2 neuroticism groups. The High neuroticism group had higher estimated path coefficients for Pain compared with those for other subscales than did the Low neuroticism group. This finding indicates that the participants who are high in neuroticism felt pain more strongly, and their disability increased.ConclusionsNeuroticism may influence OHRQoL in complete denture wearers because of patients' perception of pain.
Sitagliptin‐mediated preservation of endothelial progenitor cell function via augmenting autophagy enhances ischaemic angiogenesis in diabetes
Authors: Dai Xiaozhen , Zeng Jun , Yan Xiaoqing , Lin Qian , Wang Kai , Chen Jing , Shen Feixia , Gu Xuemei , Wang Yuehui , Chen Jun , Pan Kejian , Cai Lu , Wintergerst Kupper A. , Tan Yi 
Published: August 2017

AbstractRecently, the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor sitagliptin, a major anti‐hyperglycaemic agent, has received substantial attention as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases via enhancing the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). However, the direct effects of sitagliptin on EPC function remain elusive. In this study, we evaluated the proangiogenic effects of sitagliptin on a diabetic hind limb ischaemia (HLI) model in vivo and on EPC culture in vitro. Treatment of db/db mice with sitagliptin (Januvia) after HLI surgery efficiently enhanced ischaemic angiogenesis and blood perfusion, which was accompanied by significant increases in circulating EPC numbers. EPCs derived from the bone marrow of normal mice were treated with high glucose to mimic diabetic hyperglycaemia. We found that high glucose treatment induced EPC apoptosis and tube formation impairment, which were significantly prevented by sitagliptin pretreatment. A mechanistic study found that high glucose treatment of EPCs induced dramatic increases in oxidative stress and apoptosis; pretreatment of EPCs with sitagliptin significantly attenuated high glucose‐induced apoptosis, tube formation impairment and oxidative stress. Furthermore, we found that sitagliptin restored the basal autophagy of EPCs that was impaired by high glucose via activating the AMP‐activated protein kinase/unc‐51‐like autophagy activating kinase 1 signalling pathway, although an autophagy inhibitor abolished the protective effects of sitagliptin on EPCs. Altogether, the results indicate that sitagliptin‐induced preservation of EPC angiogenic function results in an improvement of diabetic ischaemia angiogenesis and blood perfusion, which are most likely mediated by sitagliptin‐induced prevention of EPC apoptosis via augmenting autophagy.
Expression signatures and roles of MicroRNAs in human oesophageal adenocarcinomas
Authors: Kong Xiangyi , Gong Shun , Su Lijuan , Li Chen , Kong Yanguo 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThe most common forms of oesophageal cancers are adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Although the incidence of SCC in the United States tends to be declining, the adenocarcinoma incidence caused by Barrett's oesophagus has been increasing. Oesophageal cancer is regarded as one of the most fatal malignancies with a short prognosis. Systemic manifestations of patients with PCNSL keep backward in spite of recent development of chemoradiotherapy. MicroRNAs are small non‐coding RNAs that can post‐transcriptionally down‐regulate the expression of genes by targeting mRNAs, causing their translational repression as well as degradation. MicroRNAs exert critical functions in many malignancy‐related biological processes, including cell apoptosis, metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. Many deregulated miRNAs have been identified in oesophageal adenocarcinomas, but their biological importance has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we review present evidence regarding the potential applications of oesophageal adenocarcinomas associated microRNAs for prognosis and diagnosis of this lethal disease.
Parent and staff perceptions of parental needs during a child's hospital admission to a paediatric high‐dependency unit: A New Zealand study
Authors: Foster Mandie , Whitehead Lisa 
Published: August 2017

AimThis study aimed to identify parents’ and staff's perceptions of parents’ needs during a paediatric high‐dependency unit admission and the relationships between needs, socio‐demographic and clinical variables and explores if these perceptions have changed.MethodsThis study uses a cross‐sectional descriptive correlational design, and 104 parents whose children received care and 88 staff who worked within a paediatric high‐dependency unit at a tertiary hospital in New Zealand completed the Needs of Parents’ Questionnaire in 2011.ResultsParents’ and staff's perceptions of the importance of needs were congruent, but differences arose between parents and staff on whether these needs were met. Parents were more likely to rate needs as having been met than staff members. Admission type, age and gender influenced parents’ and staff's perceptions of parents’ needs.ConclusionSynergy between parent and staff satisfaction scores will be enhanced when care delivery is more closely aligned to parents’ priorities for care and staff receive feedback on positive health‐care experiences.
An analysis of the effects of intrapartum factors, neonatal characteristics, and skin‐to‐skin contact on early breastfeeding initiation
Authors: Lau Ying , Tha Pyai Htun , Ho‐Lim Sarah Su Tin , Wong Lai Ying , Lim Peng Im , Citra Nurfarah Binte Zaini Mattar , Shorey Shefaly 
Published: August 2017

AbstractThis study aims to determine relationships between intrapartum factors, neonatal characteristics, skin‐to‐skin contact (SSC), and early breastfeeding initiation after spontaneous vaginal and Caesarean section or operative vaginal birth. A total of 915 mother–newborn dyads were considered in a hypothetical model based on integrated concepts of breastfeeding initiation model, infant learning framework, and attachment theory. Multiple‐group path analysis was used to determine whether differences exist between effects of immediate SSC (≤30 min) on early breastfeeding initiation in different modes of birth. SSC, mode of birth, labour duration, and neonatal intensive care unit admission were significantly associated with early breastfeeding initiation, as indicated by the path analysis model, which included all samples. Women with immediate SSC were more likely to initiate early breastfeeding in different modes of birth. In the spontaneous vaginal birth group, women showed a lower likelihood of initiating early breastfeeding when their neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and presented an Apgar score of <7 at 1 min. Multiple‐group analysis showed no significant difference between effects of immediate SSC on early breastfeeding initiation in different modes of birth (critical ratio = −0.309). Results showed that models satisfactorily fitted the data (minimum discrepancy divided by degrees of freedom = 1.466–1.943, goodness of fit index = 0.981–0.986, comparative fit index = 0.947–0.955, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.023–0.032). Our findings emphasize the crucial importance of prioritizing promotion of immediate SSC under different modes of birth.
Molecular detection of Wolbachia pipientis in natural populations of sandfly vectors of Leishmania infantum in endemic areas: first detection in Lutzomyia longipalpis
Authors: DA ROCHA N. O. , LAMBERT S. M. , DIAS‐LIMA A. G. , JULIÃO F. S. , SOUZA B. M. P. S. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractA polymerase chain reaction‐based method was used to screen sandflies for infection with Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), an intracellular bacterial endosymbiont found in many arthropods and filarial hosts. Positive results were obtained in five of 200 field‐collected sandflies and were confirmed by sequencing. All sandflies were Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) captured in a region endemic for visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. This is the first study to identify Wolbachia infection in this Lutzomyia species, which is the main vector of leishmaniasis in the study area. The low infection rate found in this study (2.5%), together with the lack of detection of Wolbachia in previous studies and the diversity found in the sequences analysed, suggests horizontal transmission to these sandflies.
Synergy between 5‐HT4 receptor stimulation and phosphodiesterase 4 inhibition in facilitating acetylcholine release in human large intestinal circular muscle
Authors: Pauwelyn V. , Ceelen W. , Lefebvre R. A. 
Published: August 2017

AbstractBackgroundGastroprokinetic properties of 5‐HT4 receptor agonists, such as prucalopride, are attributed to activation of 5‐HT4 receptors on cholinergic nerves innervating smooth muscle in the gastrointestinal smooth muscle layer, increasing acetylcholine release and muscle contraction. In porcine stomach and colon, phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 has been shown to control the signaling pathway of these 5‐HT4 receptors. The aim of this study was to investigate the PDE‐mediated control of these 5‐HT4 receptors in human large intestine.MethodsCircular smooth muscle strips were prepared from human large intestine; after incubation with [³H]‐choline, electrically induced tritium outflow was determined as a measure for acetylcholine release. The influence of PDE inhibition on the facilitating effect of prucalopride on electrically induced acetylcholine release was studied.Key ResultsThe non‐selective PDE inhibitor IBMX enhanced the facilitating effect of prucalopride on electrically induced acetylcholine release. The selective inhibitors vinpocetine (PDE1), EHNA (PDE2) and cilostamide (PDE3) did not influence, while rolipram and roflumilast (PDE4) enhanced the prucalopride‐induced facilitation to the same extent as IBMX.Conclusions & InferencesIn human large intestinal circular muscle, the intracellular pathway of 5‐HT4 receptors facilitating cholinergic neurotransmission to large intestinal circular smooth muscle is controlled by PDE4. If the synergy between 5‐HT4 receptor agonism and PDE4 inhibition is confirmed in a functional assay with electrically induced cholinergic contractions of human large intestinal circular smooth muscle strips, combination of a selective 5‐HT4 receptor agonist with a selective PDE4 inhibitor might enhance the in vivo prokinetic effect of the 5‐HT4 receptor agonist in the large intestine.