bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Organizational learning capability and battlefield performance
Authors: Visser Max 
Published: August 2016

PurposeWhile intended as a bridge between the concepts of learning organization and organizational learning, current conceptualizations of organizational learning capability still predominantly lean toward the learning organization side, specifically directed at profit firms. The purpose of this paper is to propose a four-dimensional model of organization learning capability that leans more toward the organizational learning side, specifically directed at nonprofit and government organizations in general, and army organizations in particular. This model is applied to the British Army in the Second World War.Design/methodology/approachThe paper entails a secondary analysis of historical and military sources and data.FindingsIt is found that the British Army possessed only a moderate learning capability, which can be plausibly, but not exclusively, related to differences in battlefield performance between the British and the German Army in the Second World War.Research limitations/implicationsThe research scope of the paper is limited to the analysis of one particular army in the Second World War. Implications for theory reside in the importance of organizational learning capability and its dimensions to the effectiveness of “lessons learned” processes inside organizations.Practical implicationsThe paper has clear practical implications for armies and organizations that resemble armies in one or more aspects, like prisons, correctional facilities, police forces, hospitals, mental institutions and fire departments.Originality/valueThe paper ranks among the first organizational papers to analyze army operations and functioning from the perspective of organizational learning capability.
Energy efficiency and behavioral patterns in Latvia
Authors: Makijenko Jevgenija , Burlakovs Juris , Brizga Janis , Klavins Maris 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness on different aspects that interconnect energy efficiency projects and human behavioral aspects. Perception of energy, as the physical phenomenon, inevitably should be taken into consideration within elaboration of governmental strategies and performing of energy efficiency projects.

Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative and qualitative data as well as legislation analysis were performed to link consumer behavioral and the duality of perception of energy aspects while performing insulation projects in Latvia. The results confirm prior findings that link together the energy consumption trends and consumer behavioral and rebound effects. The problems are stated clear: society in general is not ready to invest into energy efficiency maintenance, information on energy efficiency projects is weakly disseminated, and lack of proper information on positive aspects about energy saving projects has negative feedback on public opinion and sustainable education in the topic suffers in this case.

Findings
As the response for solving these issues recommendations are proposed new strategies should be elaborated to perform effective and innovative marketing for promoting positively oriented trends on energy saving issues and behavioral changes in society; and awareness on energy efficiency projects should be raised to show positive examples from successful ones for the good of sustainable education.

Originality/value
Such type of study about consumer behavior have not been performed in country that is on transition stage for developing the energy-efficient societal thinking.
Environmental, energy and economic aspects in a zero-emission façade system design
Authors: Barecka Magda Helena , Zbicinski Ireneusz , Heim Dariusz 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and quantify environmental, energy and economy aspects in a zero-emission façade system design.

Design/methodology/approach
The efficient design of a zero emission façade system cannot focus solely on the energy performance, but should as well include the economic an environmental aspects in order to make the solution feasible and sustainable in whole life cycle of the façade. In this paper a full environmental impact analysis of six different façade panels was carried out by evaluating the LCA of the panels with MIPS technique. Economic aspects were incorporated into the analysis on the basis of costs of manufacturing, whereas the panels’ energy performance was determined from ESP-r modeling tool.

Findings
Subsequently, an optimal façade design based on highly isolative panels covered with CIS photovoltaic modules and double skin façade window system was proposed. Systematic and holistic analysis of environmental, energy and economic aspects is crucial for development of optimal zero-emission façade system.

Practical implications
The proposed solution has been applied in development of an experimental façade built within the framework of German-Polish Energy Efficiency Project.

Originality/value
The paper provides a multi-objective approach (economy, environment, efficiency) for finding the best solutions for the façade system design. The methodology and the results reported in this research can be used for designing or improving performance of zero-emission façades.
Promoting building materials that have lower embodied carbon and energy in public procurements
Authors: Rebane Kristel , Reihan Alvina 
Published: August 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a more carbon efficient alternative design using engineered timber components over reinforced concrete elements to a recently completed non-residential building located in Tallinn, Estonia. Also to promote building materials that have proved to have lower embodied carbon and energy.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on data collected from the original project drawings, embodied carbon and embodied energy values of construction materials under comparison which are based on Inventory of Carbon & Energy database and on the research conducted in Finland that focussed on wooden building products. The engineered timber solution is designed in accordance with relevant regulations and laws including requirements for fire safety and sound insulation.

Findings
Buildings embodied carbon and embodied energy can be reduced by using proposed engineered timber materials.

Research limitations/implications
The outcome of current research is limited and applies only to the reference building and its proposed alternative, therefore it should be taken into consideration before any use. Still it provides clear information that using more carbon efficient materials can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a building.

Practical implications
The outcome can be used as a tool promoting materials with a lower embodied carbon and energy in public procurements.

Originality/value
This study comparing buildings enclosure system alternatives as a whole by allowing to choose more environmentally friendly solution is the first in Estonia.
Localization HRM practices and financial performance: evidence from the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Moideenkutty Unnikammu , Murthy Y.S.R. , Al-Lamky Asya 
Published: August 2016

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between localization (Omanization) practices and financial performance in Oman.Design/methodology/approachFirms listed in the Muscat Securities Market were surveyed. Data were obtained from 73 firms. Financial performance data (average ratio of market value to book value) were obtained from published records.FindingsResults indicated that localization practices were related to financial performance after controlling for size, type of firm, average price earnings ratio of the industry and Omanization levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe measure of localization did not specify the level at which Omanization practices are focused on. This is a limitation of this study, and future research must measure localization practices for different levels in the organization.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, the results of this study suggest that organizations in the Arabian Gulf can enhance their performance by implementing systematic localization human resource management practices. The authors believe that this study makes a significant preliminary contribution to the understanding of localization practices and financial performance in the Arabian Gulf region.Social implicationsThese results are encouraging for managers who argue for integrating locals into the workforce rather than engaging in localization practices for public relations purposes. Sincere localization efforts develop local human capital.Originality/valueStudy was conducted in the Sultanate of Oman, an Arabian Gulf country. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of localization practices and financial performance in the Arabian Gulf. This study therefore contributes to and extends the growing literature on localization practices in the Arabian Gulf in general and Oman in particular.
Slow intrinsic growth rate in forest elephants indicates recovery from poaching will require decades
Authors: Turkalo Andrea K. , Wrege Peter H. , Wittemyer George 
Published: August 2016

Summary

African forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis are experiencing persistent declines driven by illegal killing and range loss. Despite the importance for policy debates regarding elephant trade managed through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), little is known about forest elephant demography and, consequently, the impacts of offtake and subsequent population recovery potential.

Using 23 years of individually based demographic data from Dzanga, Central African Republic, we found low reproductive potential resulting from annual birth rates averaging 4·3% (SD: 1·4%), a median inter‐birth interval of 68 months and a median primiparous age of 23 years. Average mortality was 3·1% per year (SD: 1·0%) during the study, with approximately 1·4% of that attributed to human killing.

This population of forest elephants demonstrated concerningly slow growth rates, with a doubling time of nearly 60 years under current conditions (41 years excluding human impacts), amounting to three times that reported for savanna elephants. As such, forest elephants appear to be significantly more sensitive to human‐induced mortality than their congeneric species.

Such slow intrinsic growth challenges current perceptions of historic and contemporary ivory trade impacts on forest elephants, highlighting the urgent need to stem poaching and institute long‐term protective measures.

Policy implications. Debates regarding the sustainability of the ivory trade for the species appear to have overestimated growth rates of forest elephants. The information presented here indicates that sustainable offtake models for forest elephants need reassessment.
Seasonal differential expression of KiSS‐1/GPR54 in the striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) among different tissues
Authors: XU Laixiang , XUE Huiliang , LI Shenning , XU Jinhui , CHEN Lei 
Published: August 2016

AbstractKisspeptins and G protein coupled receptor (GPR54) play significant roles in regulating reproductive activity among seasonally reproductive animals; however, the mechanisms of KiSS‐1 and GPR54 gene affecting the seasonal reproduction in striped hamster are still unknown. In this study, real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to examine the expression profiles of KiSS‐1 and GPR54 in the hypothalamus, ovaries, testes, uterus and epididymis of striped hamsters across 4 different seasons. Our results showed that, across different seasons, the KiSS‐1 expression mode of male striped hamsters and the GPR54 expression mode of female striped hamsters were consistent with the seasonal photoperiod in the hypothalamus. Meanwhile, across different seasons, the expression profile of KiSS‐1 in the testes and the GPR54 expression profile of male striped hamsters in the hypothalamus were consistent with the intensity of their seasonal reproductive activity. Among different tissues, the expression trend for GPR54 is consistent across 4 seasons, while that for KiSS‐1 is tissue‐dependent. The expression trend for GPR54 across 4 seasons is the same regardless of gender, while that for KiSS‐1 is dramatically different and sex‐dependent across different seasons. These results suggest that the expressions of KiSS‐1 and GPR54 in the striped hamsters were regulated by complicated mechanisms, and the regulatory mechanisms in the striped hamsters are seasonal‐dependent and sex‐dependent. This research will provide a theoretical basis for studying how KiSS‐1 and GPR54 affect seasonal reproduction and the mechanisms behind their influence.
Eliciting conditioned taste aversion in lizards: Live toxic prey are more effective than scent and taste cues alone
Authors: WARD‐FEAR Georgia , THOMAS Jai , WEBB Jonathan K. , PEARSON David J. , SHINE Richard 
Published: August 2016

AbstractConditioned taste aversion (CTA) is an adaptive learning mechanism whereby a consumer associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by a toxic substance, and thereafter avoids eating that type of food. Recently, wildlife researchers have employed CTA to discourage native fauna from ingesting toxic cane toads (Rhinella marina), a species that is invading tropical Australia. In this paper, we compare the results of 2 sets of CTA trials on large varanid lizards (“goannas,” Varanus panoptes). One set of trials (described in this paper) exposed recently‐captured lizards to sausages made from cane toad flesh, laced with a nausea‐inducing chemical (lithium chloride) to reinforce the aversion response. The other trials (in a recently‐published paper, reviewed herein) exposed free‐ranging lizards to live juvenile cane toads. The effectiveness of the training was judged by how long a lizard survived in the wild before it was killed (fatally poisoned) by a cane toad. Both stimuli elicited rapid aversion to live toads, but the CTA response did not enhance survival rates of the sausage‐trained goannas after they were released into the wild. In contrast, the goannas exposed to live juvenile toads exhibited higher long‐term survival rates than did untrained conspecifics. Our results suggest that although it is relatively easy to elicit short‐term aversion to toad cues in goannas, a biologically realistic stimulus (live toads, encountered by free‐ranging predators) is most effective at buffering these reptiles from the impact of invasive toxic prey.
No convincing association between post‐operative delirium and post‐operative cognitive dysfunction: a secondary analysis
Authors: Franck M. , Nerlich K. , Neuner B. , Schlattmann P. , Brockhaus W. R. , Spies C. D. , Radtke F. M. 
Published: August 2016

BackgroundPost‐operative delirium and post‐operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are both common but it has not been clarified how closely they are associated. We aimed to assess the possible relationship in a secondary analysis of data from the ‘Surgery Depth of anaesthesia and Cognitive outcome’‐ study.MethodsWe included patients aged ≥ 60 years undergoing non‐cardiac surgery planned for longer than 60 min. Delirium was assessed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria in the post‐anaesthesia care unit (PACU) as well as within the first week after surgery. Cognitive function was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery. Multivariable analysis of POCD was performed with consideration of predisposing and precipitating factors.ResultsOf 1277 randomized patients, 850 (66.6%) had complete data. Delirium was found in 270 patients (32.9% of 850). We detected POCD in 162 (20.9% of 776) at 1 week and in 52 (9.4% of 553) at 3 months. In multivariable analysis (n = 808), delirium had no overall effect on POCD (P = 0.30). Patients with no delirium in PACU but with postoperative delirium within 7 days had an increased risk of POCD at 3 months (OR = 2.56 (95%‐confidence interval: 1.07–6.16), P = 0.035). No significant association was found for the other subgroups.ConclusionsThere is no clear evidence that postoperative delirium is independently associated with POCD up to 3 months.
The gut in the brain: the effects of bariatric surgery on alcohol consumption
Authors: Blackburn Ashley N. , Hajnal Andras , Leggio Lorenzo 
Published: August 2016

AbstractObesity represents a major medical and public health problem worldwide. Efforts have been made to develop novel treatments, and among them bariatric surgery is used as an effective treatment to achieve significant, long‐term weight loss and alleviate medical problems related to obesity. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is also a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Recent clinical studies have revealed a concern for bariatric surgery patients developing an increased risk for alcohol consumption, and for AUD. A better understanding of the relationship between bariatric surgery and potential later development of AUD is important, given the critical need of identifying patients at high risk for AUD. This paper reviews current clinical and basic science research and discusses potential underlying mechanisms. Special emphasis in this review is given to recent work suggesting that, alterations in alcohol metabolism/pharmacokinetics resulting from bariatric surgery are unlikely to be the primary or at least the only explanation for increased alcohol use and development of AUD, as changes in brain reward processing are also likely to play an important role. Additional studies are needed to clarify the potential role and mechanisms of how bariatric surgery may increase alcohol use and lead to AUD development.
Chronic exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence causes long‐lasting behavioral deficits in adult mice
Authors: Tomas‐Roig J , Benito E , Agis‐Balboa RC , Piscitelli F , Hoyer‐Fender S , Di Marzo V , Havemann‐Reinecke U 
Published: August 2016

AbstractRegular use of marijuana during adolescence enhances the risk of long‐lasting neurobiological changes in adulthood. The present study was aimed at assessing the effect of long‐term administration of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55212.2 during adolescence in young adult mice. Adolescent mice aged 5 weeks were subjected daily to the pharmacological action of WIN55212.2 for 3 weeks and were then left undisturbed in their home cage for a 5‐week period and finally evaluated by behavioral testing. Mice that received the drug during adolescence showed memory impairment in the Morris water maze, as well as a dose‐dependent memory impairment in fear conditioning. In addition, the administration of 3 mg/kg WIN55212.2 in adolescence increased adult hippocampal AEA levels and promoted DNA hypermethylation at the intragenic region of the intracellular signaling modulator Rgs7, which was accompanied by a lower rate of mRNA transcription of this gene, suggesting a potential causal relation. Although the concrete mechanisms underlying the behavioral observations remain to be elucidated, we demonstrate that long‐term administration of 3 mg/kg of WIN during adolescence leads to increased endocannabinoid levels and altered Rgs7 expression in adulthood and establish a potential link to epigenetic changes.
Editorial: Co‐occurring problems in children and adolescents – assessment and treatment issues
Authors: Leve Leslie D. 
Published: August 2016

The scientific literature is replete with evidence of the high prevalence of co‐occurring mental health problems in children, adolescents, and adults (e.g., Hawkins, ; Kessler et al., ; Oland & Shaw, ). Such empirical data are substantiated by therapist and clinician assessments of the presenting symptoms in their client populations. The take‐away message from this scientific and practitioner work is clear: in the absence of effective prevention or intervention services, children and adolescents with co‐occurring mental health problems are at heightened risk for a range of difficulties across multiple domains, including school failure, involvement in criminal activities, drug use, and poor social relationships. Whether at the symptomatic or diagnostic level, co‐occurring mental health problems present significant challenges to traditional mental health treatment service delivery systems, in which individuals are often treated for their primary presenting disorder, but other potential mental health problems are not assessed or directly dealt with. Similarly, although there is evidence that mental health symptoms co‐occur at high rates, the majority of research continues to focus on one mental health condition, to the neglect of comorbid problems.
Dermatomyositis complicated with asymmetric peripheral neuritis on exacerbation: A case report and literature review
Authors: Irie Takashi , Shigeto Hiroshi , Koge Junpei , Yamaguchi Hiroo , Murai Hiroyuki , Kira Jun‐ichi 
Published: August 2016

AbstractWe describe a 69‐year‐old woman with dermatomyositis who presented with asymmetric peripheral neuritis. The patient first developed dermatomyositis at 39 years‐of‐age; her symptoms improved several years later with oral prednisolone treatment. A year and a half before admission to our hospital, she developed a sensory disturbance in her feet that gradually expanded to both legs with left dominance. Six months later, bilateral leg muscle weakness and proximal muscle tenderness appeared. Neurological examination at admission revealed proximal muscle weakness and atrophy of all four limbs. Ankle jerk was absent bilaterally. There was sensory impairment in the left hand and both lower limbs, with more severe involvement of the left side and the medial side. Electrophysiological tests showed decreased sensory nerve action potentials in the left superficial fibular nerve and bilateral sural nerves, and decreased motor action potentials in the bilateral fibular nerves. We diagnosed mononeuritis multiplex as a complication of dermatomyositis. Her symptoms of mononeuritis multiplex and dermatomyositis were successfully treated with intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy followed by oral prednisolone therapy. Although our literature search found nine cases of dermatomyositis with polyneuropathy/polyradiculoneuropathy, most of which involved axonal neuropathy, this is the first case report of dermatomyositis presenting with mononeuritis multiplex.
Novel homozygous sequence variants in the GDF5 gene underlie acromesomelic dysplasia type‐grebe in consanguineous families
Authors: Umair Muhammad , Rafique Afzal , Ullah Asmat , Ahmad Farooq , Ali Raja Hussain , Nasir Abdul , Ansar Muhammad , Ahmad Wasim 
Published: August 2016

AbstractAcromesomelic dysplasia Grebe type (AMDG) is characterized by severe knob like non‐functional fingers and short acromesomelic limbs, and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Disease causing sequence variants in the GDF5 (Growth Differentiation Factor 5) gene located on chromosome 20q11.22 are responsible for causing AMDG. In the study, presented here, two consanguineous families with AMDG were clinically and genetically characterized. After establishing linkage in the two families (A and B) to GDF5 gene on chromosome 20q11.22, Sanger DNA sequencing was performed in all available affected and unaffected members. Sequence analysis of the GDF5 gene revealed two novel variants including a duplication (c.157_158dupC, p.Leu53Profs*41) in family A, and a nonsense (p.Trp291*) in family B. Our findings extend the body of evidence that supports the importance of GDF5 in the development of limbs.