bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatially Explicit Models to Investigate Geographic Patterns in the Distribution of Forensic STRs
Authors: Messina Francesco , Finocchio Andrea , Akar Nejat , Loutradis Aphrodite , Michalodimitrakis Emmanuel I. , Brdicka Radim , Jodice Carla , Novelletto Andrea 
Published: May 2016

ABSTRACTHuman forensic STRs are used for individual identification but have been reported to have little power for inter-population analyses. Several methods have been developed which incorporate information on the spatial distribution of individuals to arrive at a description of the arrangement of diversity. We genotyped at 16 forensic STRs a large population sample obtained from many locations in Italy, Greece and Turkey, i.e. three countries seldom represented together in previous studies. Using spatial PCA on the full dataset, we detected patterns of population affinities in the area similar to those of genome-wide SNP and STR studies. Additionally, we devised objective criteria to reduce the overall complexity into reduced datasets. Independent spatially explicit methods applied to these latter datasets converged in showing that the extraction of information on long-to medium-range geographical trends and structuring from the overall diversity is possible. All analyses returned the picture of a background clinal variation, with regional discontinuities captured by each of the reduced datasets. These coincided with the main bodies of water, i.e. the Adriatic/Ionian and the Aegean Seas. High levels of gene flow were inferred within the main continental areas by coalescent simulations. These results are promising in a microevolutionary perspective, in view of the fast pace at which forensic data are being accumulated for many locales. It is foreseeable that this will allow the exploitation of an invaluable genotypic resource, assembled for other (forensic) purposes, to clarify important aspects in the formation of local gene pools.
Identifying dimensions of employer attractiveness in Indian universities: an approach towards scale development
Authors: Priyadarshini Chetna , Mamidenna Sireesha , Sayeed O.B. 
Published: May 2016

PurposeAs the global war of talent is prevalent across different industries, universities are also facing an acute shortage of faculty members because of massification of higher education system in the past two decades. The tremendous increase in the number of higher education institutions has made attracting talented professors a challenging necessity for the university management as employers. The present study, therefore, carries out a scale development exercise and explores the attractive dimensions of Indian universities as employers.Design/methodology/approachWith the help of principle component analysis, exploratory factor analysis was carried out to obtain five significant constructs of employer attractiveness in Indian universities.FindingsThe dimensions identified in the study includes fairness and work–life balance; teaching environment and compensation and benefits; research resources and career development; organizational integrity and commitment to quality; and organizational culture consisting of respect and recognition.Practical implicationsThe finding provides valuable insights for the university management and government bodies and posits to assist them in formulating policies with regard to attracting competent teaching staff.Originality/valueAlthough employer attractiveness has gained scholarly attention in the past two decades, study exploring the dimensionality of employer attractiveness in the context of academic institutions and universities has not been conducted so far. The present study, therefore, is one of the pioneers in this realm.
Impact of R&D on profitability in the pharma sector: an empirical study from India
Authors: Jaisinghani Dinesh 
Published: May 2016

PurposeThe purpose of the current paper is to examine the nature of profit persistence and to estimate the dynamic relationship between research and development (R&D) intensity and firm profitability in the Indian pharmaceutical industry.Design/methodology/approachA dynamic panel data model with generalized methods of moments (GMMs) technique has been deployed to estimate the relationship between R&D intensity and performance. Arellano and Bond (1991) estimation methodology has been used to generate the estimates. A sample of 55 publicly listed firms operating in the Indian pharmaceutical industry for the period 2005-2014 has been considered.FindingsThe study finds moderate to heavy profit persistence in the Indian pharmaceutical industry. The study also finds that there exists a positive relationship between R&D intensity and performance for the Indian pharmaceutical Industry. The results hold even after considering two separate measures of profitability – return on assets and return on sales. The results also hint at a possible non-linear relationship between R&D intensity and profitability.Research limitations/implicationsThe results highlight positive profit persistence among pharmaceutical firms. The results also highlight the need for a sustained investment in R&D, as its benefits are driven in the long run. Thus, managers should devise proper policies R&D investments. Also, prospective entrants should properly study the existing entry barriers before deciding upon the mode and timing of entry.Originality/valueThe degree of profit persistence and the dynamic nature of relationship between R&D intensity and firm performance in the Indian pharmaceutical sector has not been studied. Thus, this paper fills this gap and also highlights the impact of certain firm- and industry-specific variables on profitability.
Determinants of a successful cross-border knowledge transfer in franchise networks
Authors: Khan Zaheer 
Published: May 2016

PurposePrevious research on service multinational corporations (SMNCs) has mainly focused on the entry mode decisions in foreign markets. The purpose of this paper is to examine the cross-border knowledge transfer in franchisee networks in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative semi-structure interviews approach is used to study the cross-border knowledge transfer from a franchisor to two local franchisee networks in Pakistan.FindingsThe results show that both explicit and tacit knowledge are transferred in cross-border franchise networks. The transfer of the knowledge from a franchisor to a franchisee is facilitated through the use of a variety of transfer mechanisms – both hard and soft transfer mechanisms, that is, video conferencing, emails, phone calls, seminars, meetings, documents and franchisor agents’ visits. The knowledge sharing in cross-border franchise networks in Pakistan shows numerous similarities with that occurring in manufacturing industries. The prior experience of the franchisee and the regional and local franchisors’ agents – their role as knowledge transfer agents (intermediaries) – facilitate the acquisition and assimilation of knowledge from the franchisor to a franchisee in the developing economies.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses relevant implications for managers of franchisor and franchisee networks by focusing on the need to engage with both explicit and tacit knowledge transfer. The experience of the franchisee is important for the acquisition and assimilation of knowledge.Originality/valueThis paper is the first in the context of cross-border knowledge transfer from a franchisor to a franchisee in the Pakistani context. The author highlights the important role of prior experience of the franchisee and the regional and local agents of the franchisor in the transfer of cross-border knowledge transfer under the franchising arrangements.
Sustainability practices and web-based communication
Authors: Da Giau Alessandro , Macchion Laura , Caniato Federico , Caridi Maria , Danese Pamela , Rinaldi Rinaldo , Vinelli Andrea 
Published: May 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine which environmental and social sustainability practices companies in the Italian fashion industry adopt and how these companies communicate their sustainability commitment through their corporate websites.Design/methodology/approach– The multiple case studies approach was selected and the practices of 12 companies in the Italian fashion industry were investigated.Findings– The findings showed that four different approaches in the field of sustainability practices and web-based communication are available within the Italian fashion industry (i.e. low commitment, high commitment, low disclosure, high marketing) by highlighting the alignment (i.e. fit or misfit) among these dimensions and by discussing the practices as well as the drivers/barriers of each approach.Originality/value– The paper contributes to the literature by deepening the understanding of both the environmental and social dimensions of the sustainability issue. Moreover, the work investigates the relationship between sustainability practices and web-based sustainability communication, a topic that has not yet been addressed in the current literature.
Media influence, fashion, and shopping: a gender perspective
Authors: Shephard Arlesa , Pookulangara Sanjukta , Kinley Tammy R. , Josiam Bharath M. 
Published: May 2016

Purpose– Promotional media and gender have been shown to influence purchase and shopping channel choice. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the role of media influence, fashion consciousness, and fashion leadership on shopping channel choice in regard to gender.Design/methodology/approach– A survey was administered using a convenience sample of male and female students at a Southwestern University in the USA. A total of 408 surveys were used for analysis. The data were factor analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software and a structural equation model was developed to test the hypotheses.Findings– The results indicate that while the media influence factor of mass media positively influences fashion consciousness for both males and females, personalized media only indicated significant influence on male fashion leaders. In addition, both male and female consumers indicated that fashion leadership influenced non-traditional over traditional retail channels.Originality/value– This research uses social cognitive theory and the theory of symbolic interaction to better understand the impact of media and fashion on shopping behavior. This paper addresses the changing media types and how they impact behavior for both men and women.
Negotiating Muslim masculinity: androgynous spaces within feminized fashion
Authors: Al-Mutawa Fajer Saleh 
Published: May 2016

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore how Muslim men in Kuwait negotiate their luxury fashion consumption (considered a feminized practice in Kuwait) without compromising their masculine identity.

Design/methodology/approach
– The data were collected through 108 qualitative questionnaires and two unstructured in-depth interviews. Non-participant observations and informal conversations took place as part of an ongoing ethnographic study on luxury fashion consumption in Kuwait.

Findings
– Within the feminized space of fashion, accessories (such as shoes, wallets, watches, sunglasses, etc.) seem to allow Muslim men an androgynous space (consumer constructions of gendered spaces to be equally masculine and feminine) to be fashionable yet maintain a masculine identity.

Research limitations/implications
– Further research may explore the negotiation of androgyny among men who consume luxury fashion clothing or conspicuously feminized fashion (such as jewellery and handbags) in highly gendered societies. Limitations include reliance on questionnaire data (lacks depth insights) and narrow consumer (Muslim men in Kuwait).

Practical implications
– Marketers of luxury fashion brands in Kuwait should focus on fashion accessories when targeting males. Advertising needs to shift gender perceptions of traditionally feminine fashion (such as handbags or jewellery) towards androgyny to attract male consumers. Religiosity of consumers is an important segmentation basis, and Muslim men who are less religious may be more open towards fashion consumption.

Originality/value
– This research proposes the notion of androgynous spaces, contributing to gender within marketing theory and practice.
Temporal changes in the vegetation of Italian coastal dunes: identifying winners and losers through the lens of functional traits
Authors: Prisco Irene , Carboni Marta , Jucker Tommaso , Acosta Alicia T. R. 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Plant communities of coastal dunes are highly biodiverse and greatly valued for the services they provide, yet they are also threatened by global change and are often neglected in conservation planning. To determine the long‐term effectiveness of conservation actions on Mediterranean coastal dunes, here we focus on Italy's coastline and (i) assess how the vegetation cover of the major psammophilous habitats and species has changed since the 1960s, (ii) identify which ecological strategies have been most successful in the face of global change and (iii) evaluate the efficacy of the protected areas network for safeguarding plant communities of coastal dunes.

We compiled 2583 geo‐located vegetation relevés spanning over half a century and covering the entire length of Italy's sandy coastline. Using this data base, we developed statistical models to test whether the vegetation cover of both individual species and habitats has changed over time. We then tested whether species‐level changes in vegetation cover through time could be explained by species’ functional traits and ecological strategy. Finally, we assessed the efficacy of current conservation measures by exploring how vegetation cover responded following the expansion of the protected areas network.

Our results indicate that, where protected, plant communities have generally increased in vegetation cover in recent years. The strongest increase in cover occurred in the wooded dune habitats, where late‐successional, tall‐growing and large‐seeded species show the clearest signs of recovery. However, this has come in part at the expense of dune grasslands, which thrive under natural disturbance and have declined since the 1960s. The Natura 2000 network seems to have played a central role in this recovery process, as the cumulative coastal land area under protection has tripled since the network was first established.

Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that protected areas can play an important role in safeguarding coastal dune plant communities against land‐use transformations. In this context, functional traits can be a powerful tool in guiding conservation planning, helping to identify groups of species most at risk of population declines. Nonetheless, future conservation interventions need to be mindful to ensure that the natural disturbance regime of dune ecosystems is not disrupted.
Taxonomic and functional diversity in Mediterranean pastures: insights on the biodiversity–productivity trade‐off
Authors: Rolo Victor , Rivest David , Lorente Miren , Kattge Jens , Moreno Gerardo 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Agricultural intensification is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss world‐wide. The inclusion of semi‐natural features in agricultural landscapes is suggested as a means of enhancing farm biodiversity, but this practice may have potential negative effects on yield production. Moreover, little evidence exists for effects of semi‐natural features on other components of biodiversity, such as functional diversity. Yet this could provide a more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity–productivity trade‐offs.

Here, we report the effects of semi‐natural woody vegetation on taxonomic and functional diversity, and biomass production of herbaceous species at the field and farm scales by sampling 50 fields, ranging from 0 to 90% woody vegetation cover, on nine similarly managed farms in central‐western Spain.

We found significant differences in herbaceous species richness among farms. Both taxonomic and functional β‐diversity exhibited significant negative relationships with herbage production, highlighting the trade‐off between biodiversity and productivity in these agroecosystems.

Woody vegetation cover had a significant negative relationship with biomass production and a unimodal relationship with species richness at the field scale. At high values of woody vegetation cover, species richness and functional diversity indices were decoupled, suggesting that at this extreme of the woody vegetation gradient, only herbaceous species with contrasting trait values were present. Our results showed both convergent and divergent patterns of trait values, suggesting that different assembly processes are acting concurrently along the gradient of woody vegetation.

Synthesis and applications. Our result indicates that management of woody vegetation may indeed increase both taxonomic and functional diversity, but this may come at the expense of key ecosystem services or other management goals, namely herbage production. Optimization of the trade‐off between herbage diversity and productivity can be reached with a woody vegetation cover of c. 30% at the field scale.
Spatio‐temporal modelling of auk abundance after the Erika oil spill and implications for conservation
Authors: Le Rest Kévin , Certain Grégoire , Debétencourt Benjamin , Bretagnolle Vincent 
Published: May 2016

Summary

Species distribution models are widely used in applied ecology and conservation. While accounting for spatial dependences is now the rule, temporal dependences have rarely been dealt with explicitly. In this study, we analyse wintering auk distribution in the Bay of Biscay and English Channel and estimate changes in abundance within and between years while accounting for space–time dependencies. We then propose a retrospective estimate of the impact of the Erika oil spill that occurred in December 1999.

Two series of extensive aerial surveys, repeated at intervals of 1–2 months, were carried out at a 10‐year interval off the French Atlantic coast (2001–2002 and 2011–2012). Spatially and temporally explicit Bayesian models were fitted to these data to provide spatio‐temporal predictions of auk abundance. These were then used to compare abundances within the area affected by the Erika oil spill two and twelve years after the catastrophe.

The results showed that 1·55 million auks wintered in the study area in 2011–2012. The main wintering area was the English Channel (more than one million auks) but the Bay of Biscay also became an important area in the middle of winter (470 000 auks) owing to a strong southward shift in auk distribution.

Two years after the catastrophe (2001–2002), the area affected by the Erika oil spill hosted a small proportion of auks of the Bay of Biscay – about 80 000 individuals. This number increased by more than three times 10 years later and reached 270 000 individuals, whereas no significant change was detected elsewhere. We suggest that it could result from a recovery after the extra‐mortality induced by the Erika oil spill.

Policy implications. This study identified major auk wintering areas, with abundances much higher than previously realized. Oil spills have occurred regularly in these areas, with major delayed impacts on auk breeding populations. The worst case scenario would be if a major oil spill occurred in the English Channel in February, when abundance reaches one million auks. Although such a disaster has not so far occurred, stricter policies on the transport of hydrocarbons should be implemented to prevent such a possibility.
Occupational experiences of forced migrants: A scoping review
Authors: Huot Suzanne , Kelly Erin , Park Soo Jin 
Published: May 2016

Background/aimInternational or internal migration as a result of unexpected circumstances, such as that experienced by forced migrants (i.e. refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons), can disrupt established occupations. Occupational therapists have the potential to improve quality of life by re‐establishing lost occupations. Research on forced migrants has been increasing within the occupation‐based literature and has the potential to inform practice with this population. Our aim was to identify and synthesise current knowledge of the occupational experiences of forced migrants.MethodsThis scoping review was conducted using the framework articulated by Arksey and O’Malley (International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2005; 8, 19). Inclusion criteria for selected articles included peer‐reviewed articles published in English between 2003 and 2014 that focussed on forced migrant populations and that were written from an occupational perspective. Exclusion criteria consisted of grey literature as well as articles focussed more broadly on immigrants in general, and that failed to adopt occupation as a central construct.ResultsBased on a total of 320 studies that were identified, 24 met the inclusion criteria. Six themes emerged as a result of the data extraction and synthesis process: occupational deprivation, occupational imbalance, occupational adaptation, occupational change, efforts to maintain and re‐establish identity, and outlook for the future.Conclusions and significance of the studyThis scoping review outlines key factors that affect forced migrants’ occupational experiences and highlights gaps in the current literature. The results point towards potential practice implications for occupational therapists working with forced migrant populations to help promote culturally safe approaches.
The Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons: An Introduction to Global Policy's Special Section
Authors: Bolton Matthew , Minor Elizabeth 
Published: May 2016

AbstractThe dominant paradigm of international relations theory has long seen influence over nuclear arsenals as the preserve of presidents, premiers and generals of the world's great powers, not underfunded activists, feminist campaigners, radical nuns or even diplomats of small states. The approach of this special section could not be more different. In fact, we have intentionally curated a collection of articles that try to ‘de‐center’ the academic conversation about nuclear weapons. The inspiration for our approach comes from the Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons, which since its emergence after the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non‐Proliferation Treaty, has dramatically reshaped the diplomatic discussions on nuclear disarmament, led by small states and middle powers. The shift in discourse has been accelerated by revitalized civil society action, represented by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a global NGO coalition, as well as renewed calls for disarmament from religious leaders – most notably Pope Francis. This special section, written from the perspective of scholars and practitioners associated with the Humanitarian Initiative, examines its dimensions and its potential impact on global policy making.